Jeff Goldblatt answers THE question.
I enjoy getting a chance to talk with viewers when I’m out and about covering stories. Often, I am asked about Fox Chicago evening anchor Jeff Goldblatt. The most common question, “How did he get that scar on his chin?” Today, I found out. And along the way, I learned that many people in the newsroom didn’t know the answer either!
Eek, where'd my earring go?
Somewhere between the Northwest suburbs and downtown Chicago this morning, I lost one of my earrings. I didn’t notice until just before the News at Noon. For some reason, I had just one spare pair in my locker and they were too bohemian for the argyle sweater I wore today.
I just went without. But my Fox Chicago colleagues were happy to weigh-in on my dilemma:
Hair spray: No help at all today!
Most Chicagoans know the Windy City nickname is linked to blathering politicians and not the weather. But today, we had very windy weather in the Windy City making it tough to look composed while I reported outside the Willis Tower. Soon after my first live report at 6:30 this morning, a viewer commented on twitter, “I can see from your hair that it’s very windy outside. Don’t blow away!”
It’s tough to control the elements but our Fox Chicago crews do what they can to deal with them. Camerman Stuart Orlin (who’s camera shy) used sand bags to keep the light stand from blowing over. Then, he positioned me behind the live truck so it would block most of the wind. But that meant I had to stand on the light kit box since I was down on the street and Stuart was shooting from the sidewalk.
Making the best of a windy situation.
He couldn’t do anything about the gusts swirling around the skyscrapers. For me, that meant hair flying everywhere and many strands getting caught in my lip gloss.
The wind is nothing compared to the elements we’ll have to deal with in just a few more weeks.
ABC7's Charles Thomas doesn't need hair spray.
Snow and sub-freezing temperatures are far tougher to work in. Many of us will be breaking out the parkas and serious winter gear soon.
As I messed with my messy hair, ABC7′s Charles Thomas stopped by the truck to say hello. Of course, he never has to worry about his hair blowing around.
Hurry, get the roast in the oven by 2:00!!!
Despite my extremely early bedtime due to my wacky morning schedule, I still like to cook and organize family dinners when I can. Today, that meant racing home right after Fox Chicago News at Noon to get a roast in the oven by 2 o’clock. While it cooks, there’s just enough time for me to write this blog, prepare the rest of the dinner, serve, eat and then drive my daughter to soccer practice. Leftovers from the roast should help with my dinner menus for the rest of the week. It all makes hanging out with Richard Marx seem so long ago!
My daughter is an extremely picky eater so meal planning is practically my other full-time job. She eats NO fruit (I’m a parenting failure). But at least I can get her to eat broccoli. The kid is growing and getting taller so I’ve given up on bartering and bribing.
Of course, the biggest benefit of family meals is the conversation. My husband is a former Presidential Scholar with an incredible grasp of history and politics. He likes to ask the kids about their opinions on current events. My love for words has me constantly asking them to spell some of the words that pop up during the conversation.
My daughter’s home. In response to my blogging about our abnormal dinner hour and conversation, she says “It’s annoying. Can’t we just eat?”
Richard Marx: Awesome guy, eager to cure Cystic Fibrosis.
Last year, I got to learn firsthand how news anchoring and reporting aren’t nearly as nervewracking as singing in front of a live audience. So, I was more than happy to just be in the audience Saturday night for Chicago’s Newsapalooza, an annual charity event to benefit the Cystric Fibrosis Foundation. WLS Radio Host Roe Conn and Grammy-winning singer Richard Marx select news personalities to perform “out of their element”. Indeed, the result is interesting and entertaining.
Roe and Richard are passionate about the cause. Richard says, “Cystic fibrosis kills way too many people and a cure is imminent. We are very close!” Soon, we may be even closer because their event raised more than $100,000 for new research.
Sondra Solarte & Jan Jeffcoat performed beautifully. (Look, that's Walt Willey from "All My Children" behind Sondra!)
I was proud to cheer on my “Good Day Chicago” pals Jan Jeffcoat and Sondra Solarte as they sang “Heartache Tonight” by The Eagles. They were awesome!
I’ll post the Newsapalooza highlights as soon as they’re available. But here’s Richard Marx and his band performing at the after party at the Hard Rock Hotel:
Former Olympians Bob Beamon & Michael Bennett talked about the value of healthy competition.
My assignment for our extensive Fox Chicago coverage of the Chicago Olympic bid had me on the South Side this morning, Reavis Elementary School is just steps away from Washington Park where an Olympic Stadium would’ve been built for the 2016 summer games. It is not to be.
Before the devastating news of Chicago’s ouster in the first round of IOC voting, nearly 400 kids heard from former Olympians Bob Beamon and Michael Bennett. Beamon won gold in the long jump at the ’68 games in Mexico City and Bennett was captain of the US Olympic boxing team during the 2000 games in Sydney.
Reavis students cheer for the winning city, Rio de Janiero!
A viewing party was planned and timed for the big announcement just before lunchtime. No one expected Chicago to get voted out before the kids would even make it to the school auditorium. As the news spread through the school, Principal Michael Johnson decided to go ahead with the assembly as a Chicago Public School official told me, “This is an ideal teaching moment,”
When I asked student Nicholas Holas what he learned from the entire process, he was smiling as he said, “You win some, you lose some. It’s only important that you do your best.” Chicago is already a city of winners.
Gilda's "Home".
Today, I went out of my way to stop in at Fontano’s Subs to see Gilda Fontano. She’s almost always at the store on West Polk Street . Yes, they have awesome sandwiches. But people also come in to see her. She’s a key part of the unique atmosphere at Fontano’s. Years ago, when Chicago raised taxes on cigarettes, Gilda put up a sign that read “Don’t bitch. Stop smoking.”
Gilda takes a 10 second break for a picture.
Gilda is turning 76 years old tomorrow but she has no plans to stop working. She tells me, “I just can’t stand still!” Never mind that she’s all of 4’9″ and well past retirement age.
I’m glad I stopped in because her husband is out of town for an Army reunion. They are apart for the first time in their 58 year marriage! The kids say the absence has only made her work harder.
Aniello Fontano is known as “Red”. He and Gilda opened the first Fontano’s back in the 50′s after immigrating from a small town outside Naples, Italy. I suppose they remind me a bit of my parents – new immigrants, running a restaurant in order to provide a better life for their children.
It’s Gilda’s birthday and she deserves so much happiness. She certainly provides a lot of it to many Chicagoans.
On another note, I had the pleasure of being a guest today on “The Alan Levy Show” on BlogTalkRadio. (Warning: This is about half an hour long.)
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