Torchlight Parade

It's that time of year again! Seafair is underway and we're a little over 24 hours away from the start of the 61st annual Torchlight Parade...whoop whoop! Now I don't know about you, but I've never built a float, been crowned Miss Seafair, or organized a parade (although I've been in some before), but this morning I got a behind-the-scenes look at how all of that works!

CLICK HERE to watch Miss Seafair 2010, Jacqueline Saarenas, and I singing "Over the Rainbow" - I'm REALLY sorry if your ears bleed, I'm not the best singer in the world.... AND watch HERE to see if I crash the float that I'M DRIVING. Yes, that's right, I'm actually driving a float! Don't know who gave the 'ok' for me to get behind the wheel, but I did get to take that bad boy for a spin :-)

Things I learned:
1. I CANNOT sing
2. I CANNOT use powertools well
3. It takes an entire army of people to make a parade of this size happen (a huge shout out to Robert Blanich and his crew of volunteers)
4. I CAN drive a float - didn't hit anything or drive off the pier!!

Be sure to make this parade a part of your weekend plans! Here's the info:

Torchlight Parade

Saturday, July 31st

7:30pm

4th Avenue, Seattle

check www.king5.com for details

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Pitter Patter

Oohhhh the cuteness! You can hear the pitter patter of 8 new little paws at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. Two Sumatran Tiger cubs were born on May 25th to mama, Jaya, and papa, Bali - and after 6 weeks of public voting, their forever names have been chosen! MEET MALI (female) & BIMA (male). Mali means "flower" and Bima means "brave". At birth the little ones weighed in at 2lbs but will grow to be a whopping 2 to 3 hundred pounds - yikes!!

They are so stinking cute!

CLICK HERE to watch video of the Bima & Mali in their environment and learn more from biologist Andy Goldfarb.

Here's the thing, there are fewer than 300 left worldwide so this is a huge deal. This morning we're live with the little guys and although all I can think about is getting in there and rolling around with the little furballs... I doubt I'll be in the exhibit with them because I think that "mama" might have a slight problem with that - today's not the day I want to get eaten :-)
You can cruise by Point Defiance Zoo and see these little cuties for yourself but be sure to check the website first for viewing times because they're still babies and need their sleep - they take several naps out-of-sight throughout the day.

Mocha - not so vicious

For the record, I recently welcomed my own little fur baby into the world, Mocha Bean Johnson (a Bichon Frise/ Shih Tzu - 10 weeks old). He was born 1 week before the tigers and full grown will weigh less than the tigers do now!

National Milk Chocolate Day!

CHOCOHOLICS UNITE!

Okay this is the coolest holiday ever! Alright, maybe 'Everyone wins the Powerball Lotto Day' might have a slight edge on the awesome meter but Milk Chocolate Day is pretty sweet ... no pun intended.

Click here to see some video of us celebrating this morning!

I celebrated this grand holiday at Theo Chocolate in Seattle with Joe Whinney and Becca Fugate. It's the first and only certified organic & free trade chocolate factory in the United States and produces some of the best chocolate this side of Switzerland! Interesting flavors, neat combos, and cool products are just some of the things this progressive company offers - they're also incredibly socially conscious (read more about that on their website - the link is above).

The "Big Daddy" of all bars - it's a delicious s'more chocolate

Don't forget to celebrate S'mores Days from Aug 13th - 15th at Theo Chocolate

DELICIOUS FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE

• Did you know that you'd have to eat more than a dozen chocolate bars to get the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee?
• Chocolate is a great source of energy. 1 chocolate chip can provide enough energy for an adult to walk 150ft - that has to be my new workout food!!
• People spend more than $7 billion dollars a year on chocolate
• The average person consumes 12lbs of chocolate each year - yikes!
• Milk chocolate is the most preferred chocolate, however dark chocolate is especially popular with men
• In the movie "Psycho" chocolate syrup was used for blood in the famous shower scene

CHOCOLATE TASTING 101:

• First, use your eyes - look for color and shine.
• Then use your fingers - break off a piece...you should hear a distinctive 'snap'
• Next is your nose and capture the aromas. It should smell like deep, rich chocolate, with fruity, floral or sugary (caramel) aromas.
• Finally, just EAT IT! Bite off a small piece and put it on the roof of your mouth, let it melt. Notice the finish and the way it feels in your mouth.
• Then just enjoy - it's supposed to be fun!

Finally, click here for some of the best chocolate recipes. Try them with your friends and family and be sure to let me know how they work out!

Thanks again to Theo Chocolate for showing us such a great time today and filling our tummy's with chocolate!

Have a 'SWEET' day!

CJ

Taking Flight!

So for my first day at KING 5 I got to do something that so many of us dream of.... FLY! Seriously ... and not in an airplane. That's a pretty cool way to start a new job, don't ya think? I went to the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts to learn to fly on the trapeze. Yup, that's right .... I was dangling 100 feet in the air all mic'd up, camera on, "don't look scared Johnson", be professional, don't crash and nail these tricks!

Watch the video! And yes, that chalk got there accidently.

I was lucky enough to be paired with my awesome photog, Jim, who you'll get to know much better as this blog goes along. On KING 5 News we work as a team with one camera person and a reporter. Our first morning together had a bit of a hairy start. Here's the deal with live TV - you never know what's going to happen (that's kind of the exciting part). Jim had to cover a story in Tacoma that morning at 3am and we knew it would be tight for him to make it back up to Seattle, grab me, and get to SANCA in time for our first live hit of the morning, at 5:20am. Tires screeching, Jim rolled by the King 5 studio with just moments to spare. I leaped into the moving vehicle (well, not exactly 'moving' but there were a fair share of nervous glances towards the clock!). We raced to the warehouse district, and while we were walking into the building I could already hear the producers in my ear giving me time cues that they were coming to me momentarily. Jim, the consummate pro, quickly assembled the gear and had the live truck up and running as I smeared on my lip gloss [difficult enough at a) that hour, and b) before Starbucks is open!] Yet, I hope none of you noticed any of this as I walked the tightrope without breaking my ankle. I'd call that successful! (Or at least I didn't have time to get nervous!)

What a fun morning -- thanks so much to the SANCA CREW, in particular Jo Montgomery and Chuck Johnson -- and congratulations on the One Year Anniversary of your Flying Trapeze facility! FYI - Every first Friday of the month is "Casual Flyday" where you can go and swing on the trapeze for just $5. Do it!

CJ

Hello 21st century

Hey guys, I'm Christie!

So I've spent the last 2 years living and traveling ALL OVER Europe, and now I'm excited to be back stateside and working for "The Home Team" at King 5 News in Seattle! You can catch me on KING5 Morning News showcasing all the events / cool stuff to do around the Puget Sound area and I'm loving every minute!

My husband, Jason, and I in Lucca, Italy for a Dave Matthews concert

First, a little about me. I love dogs, I love to cook & entertain, I love to read, and I love to travel wait...did I already say I love dogs? lol. I'm married to a great guy named Jason and we just started our family with a furry addition named Mocha ... more on that later! My career highlight before joining KING5, happened this past February when I had the awesome opportunity to cover the Olympic Winter Games in my "home and native land" of Canada!

In front of the Olympic Torch

My husband had the incredible opportunity to play football in Europe for the last couple of years. Yes, American football ... not soccer! First we lived in Sicily, Italy which was amazing! Needless to say, the food was as good as advertised..."stretchy pants" were a must (also see: Eat Pray Love).

The gorgeous water in Sicily!

The next year we lived in the Austrian Alps in Innsbruck. What a stunningly beautiful place! Our next door neighbors were a flock of sheep that actually wore bells!! I got right into the culture and even bought a traditional dress called a dirndl.

Beautiful buildings on the bank of the Inn River in Innsbruck

Winter is my favorite season!

In my dirndl! I made friends with the old....

...and the young... here at the Easter Market in the Altstadt (or the "old town")

Now, I have a few goals for this blog... first, sharing all that's happening here in the Northwest. Not everything, just the most wacky, fun, interesting, new, oh-my-god-you-won't-believe-it events. Most of these I'll be covering for King 5 -- but I'll also go a little further here on the blog with website links, additional info, the 411 on what you need to know, and some not-so-professional iPhone photos. (If you want professional, you'll have to visit my husband's website!) Because we all know that not everything great happens only from 5 to 9 am!

Secondly, to talk about what's fabulous! You know, the sort of stuff Carrie would tell Samantha, or BIZKIT THE SLEEP WALKING DOG (see below), and none of the stuff your husband tries to show you on TV you have to pretend to pay attention to. Finally -- I don't want to let the cat out of the bag here -- but not everything goes according to plan on live TV. On this blog you'll find out the (exaggerated but) true story of how things get to air, such as when I get lost on the way to a shoot and arrive just seconds before we go to air (hair brushed and looking glam, of course :-) So without further ado, here we go!

Bizkit the sleepwalking dog - fabulous and funny

But we all know it's not fun talking in an empty room, so be sure to pipe in with your comments, suggestions, story/event ideas, and of course, that non-sequitur you've be saving for some time.

Ciao for now!