Happy National "Insert Favorite Food" Day!

I'm sad to say I did not get the chance yesterday to truly celebrate National Donut Day. I kept telling myself I should stop by Dunkin' Donuts for a free donut with drink purchase, but I never got around to it.

I mean look at it. So delicious and tasty. I feel like Homer Simpson.
Mmm pink frosting.

It got me thinking about the other national food holidays that may be over looked ever year. I had the delicious chance to celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day, thanks to Hostess, when I was producing at Newschannel 8. (Just a reminder, it's on October 18th, in case you want to mark your calendars)

Here's how that phone conversation went:
Me: "Hello this is Samantha with Newschannel 8"
Awesome Hostess Lady (AHL): "Hi there, we would like to help you celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day, do you mind if we send you some Hostess Cupcakes?"
Me: "Really?! Do I have to do anything?"
AHL: "No, if you want to mention that it's National Chocolate Cupcake Day on October 18th, you can."
Me: "Score! Send them my way!"

A week later I got four boxes of Hostess Cupcakes to share with my friends at work (and sneakily hide one for myself later) And most of you know just how much I love my Hostess Cupcakes, see Tart Reform, and you'll understand (Thanks Amy!)

Anyway, those are not the only food holidays. Did you know today is National Gingerbread Day? Me neither! Or just wait until June 7th for National Chocolate Ice Cream day! Or if seafood is your thing, June 15th is National Lobster Day!
To check out the food holidays, click here.
Oh and of course I looked up my birthday. March 4th is National Pound Cake Day.
Mmmm pound cake. Mmmm food holidays. Mmmm do I have anything to eat in my kitchen?

I Got Links! Now You Got Links!

Who actually works at work? Apparently, I do. It's been so busy I haven't had time to (opps!) write a blog post during work hours. However, I have had time to scroll through my usual daily readings, and I came across some fun stuff.

More proof that little girls are more than just sugar and spice and everything nice.

Friend of mine at work sent me this song. If you can get past the creepy makeup and avaunt-guard costumes, the music is pretty good.



I just discovered M&Ms Pretzel. Quite tasty and colorful! Guess I'm not listening to Urban Outfitters' advice.

I tell Steve all the time that I don't fit in my neighborhood because I don't have a dog, or a baby. Seriously, it's either a baby, a dog, a baby dog, or a dog baby (a baby with the misfortune of bad genes.) I guess I'm not the only one who is notices that.

Where are my Peanuts and Cracker Jacks?

My elementary school gym teacher, Mr. Fitz, taught me the correct way to throw a baseball.

Sideways, step and throw.

My Dad taught me everything else.

I remember playing catch with him in the front yard in my softball days. He'd always remind me to snap my wrist to make sure the ball actually travels straight. He even taught me "windmill" style when I became my team's pitcher back in 5th grade.

Well finally, I got to see Dear Ol' Dad in action.

My Dad has played on his company's softball team for a long as I can remember. But I think only recently since he's become the resident "older guy" on the team that he really enjoys it. And now that I live back in New York, and my apartment is in Brooklyn near where they play, AND my roommate works/plays for the rival company team, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I'd be behind that chain-linked fence watching him play.

Company softball is a lot more competitive than I ever realized. Maybe it was because they were playing their "arch rivals", but these guys were really into it. The team's coach doesn't go by the "everyone should get a chance to play, it's just company softball" motto, so I had to bite my tongue so as to not yell at him to let my Dad play with the younger, slightly faster guys.

Glee + HIMYM = Dreaming the Impossible Dream?

Instead of making NPH "Towns person #1" in the Lima, OH production of Les Miserables on "Glee" last night, couldn't they have just made him Javert?

Clearly, he already knows the part.



I had a very difficult time keeping my laughter contained while I watched this at work. And Glee should tap Jason Segel next. Or better yet, let's just have one amazing episode where the Glee kids sing all the songs created for HIMYM so far. Awesome!

Going Up...Or Not

"Love in an elevator, livin' it up while we're going down" - Aerosmith

That wasn't my elevator experience this morning. You know your day is pretty much going downhill when you can't go down, or up, in your elevator.

The box full of metal and winding parts started its journey up fine. It opened and closed on levels four and six, but somehow made the decision that, "You know, the 6Th floor is high enough for me today. I think I'll just stay there and trap the one lonely passenger inside."

The doors shut on the 6Th floor, and nothing happens. I thought for a second I was imaging it and I was moving at hyper speed. But that wasn't the case. I tried knocking on the door to see if the person who just got off the elevator was still there, but no answer. I fumble for my phone, but instead I look to the buttons for an answer.

I hit the alarm button:
Voice from inside elevator: "What seems to be the trouble, ma'am?"
Me: "Well, umm, the elevator doors closed and it doesn't seem to be moving."
Voice from inside elevator: "Oh alrighty."
(Doors magically open)

I awkwardly get out of the elevator, while the lady at the front desk on the 6Th floor stares blankly at me. I couldn't get to stairs from that lobby, so I had to wait for another elevator to take me up the last two flights.

I've had nightmares about being stuck in an elevator alone. But usually the lights are out, it's storming and suddenly there is no oxygen left.

But maybe it was the good night sleep I got or the delicious oatmeal I had for breakfast, but I did not panic when the elevator hung in-between floors. I knew I had cell phone service because I've made plenty of calls in there, and I thought it would be a good excuse why I was running late to work.

This little misadventure was the only few moments I had to myself this morning. And it gave me a story to tell before I discovered the insanity that awaited me at work today.

Blogger Fail

I'm a poor excuse for a blogger. See the date of the last post? Opps. Apparently life/work insanity/business trip to Atlanta just got in the way.

Do I have topics in the pipeline? Yes, sort of.
Will I become a consistent blogger? Hopefully, but I can't confirm.

So instead of trying to make something up when I simply don't have anything too excited to write about, I'll leave you with this. (With hopes that it will put the Mets back in first place)

Shuffling Around The Newsroom

I've dealt with a lot of interesting characters during my short time in the working world. Being in a newsroom will give you that opportunity. One person whom I didn't actually work with, but had the chance be "in the presence of" was Politico reporter, Mike Allen.
There is this fantastic article about the illusive, eccentric reporter in the New York Times magazine. Preview here.

The few times I ever interacted with him were:
1. Producing for "Newstalk". He was a frequent guest (it's easy when it's 10 steps from his desk) and would always came up with the best talking points, and he was one of the few guests I would actively pay attention to when I produced the show. Most times, it was a struggle to stay awake.
2. Awkwardly bumping into him in the newsroom. Literally.
3. Walking by his desk and wondering how anyone could get work done (or even fit in it) when there were so many papers, wrappers and other mementos surrounding him. But he always had an open box of some kind of cookie that was free for public eating.
4. (My favorite) Actually talking to him during my weekend shift. I was always curious to know why someone would willingly be in the newsroom at 5 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. He would shuffle in and out of desks and then would suddenly disappear, like a fart in the wind. He did one time come up to me and said:

Mike: "You shouldn't be here by yourself this early."
Me: "Darryl (in charge of the assignment desk) is here."
Mike: "Oh" (shuffles away)
Me: "Thank you?"

Very exciting, I know. But when you talk to the guy who write the articles that top White House officials, Washington big wigs and news junkies read on a daily basis, any interaction with him seems kinda cool.

The article also inspired me to sign up for his daily Politico Playbook e-mails. Not just because Katie Couric is on the mailing list, but as illusive and "weird" as he might be, he sure as hell knows what he's talking about in terms of the inner workings of our political system.