Yikes! I must've been busy!

Has it really been nearly a month since I last updated? Yikes! My apologies - guess this is a sign that my world is moving at warp speed but I'm not. WHOOSH! What have I been up to? CHANGE. Fortunately, I'm a mom and it's one of my strong suits, but being ambushed by change can be intimidating.

#1. MY KID FLEW THE COOP. I'm excited, anxious, terrified, thrilled and sad all at once. She's a bright, creative and wonderful young woman who needs to stand on her own two feet, but I'm not ready for this! She'll be fine, and I can't wait to see how she does. I'll admit I'm a tad envious, though. Oh, to be 20 and off on a grand adventure with no strings attached....

#2. MEET THE NEW BOSS. I'll have to say this has been the easiest part of the last month. Not the Losing-The-Old-Boss part; that sucked, to be honest. But the new Big Cheese is off to a good start. Drop by and say "hello" by tuning in to the 98.1 KUDL Morning Show - he'll be sitting right across from me each morning as he's also my new radio partner. Locked in a room with your boss for hours each day - no pressure there - ha! Actually, he's a really good guy, funny, and we're glad to have him on our team.

#3.BIG RELATIONSHIP TEST. Been busy getting ready for a road trip with my guy. Best way to discover the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship? Spend 20 hours in the car together. It's an eye-opener! LOL! I'm really excited about our trek to a private motorcycle event with friends. Yes, it's a week away from my kids (which I dread) but a wonderful time with my guy. And it's three days of nothing but motorcycle riding on the track. WOOT! My goal this year: to stay out of the grass. If I learn how to look cool dragging my knee in the corners, too, BONUS POINTS.

Enough about me - what have you been up to?

Riding on the Range

Doesn't seem like it's been that long, but I've been riding motorcycles for fifteen years. My husband gave me my first bike, handed me the key and said "get on and ride". Fun! I've had Honda streetbikes and Kawasaki sportbikes, but I really had no idea how to ride correctly. Sure, I knew how to shift and corner and stop and not fall over at a stop light, but safety-wise, I was NOT in control of my destiny.

So I wised up and recently took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider Course. Several groups provide the classes, but be aware they book quickly. I think the insurance discount is quite the incentive.

I took the class at Kansas City Community College with Dale, Wendy, Bob and Roger. The instructors were great and really knew how to ride! They made it fun and I learned A LOT. Plus, the people in the class came from all backgrounds. Some had never ridden; some, like me, had been riding and had lots of bad habits to overcome. I highly recommend the class and it's follow-up course for more experienced riders.

Thanks to all and can't wait to see on the streets :)

MSF Class Pics

Some pics from my MSF class at KCKCC. And yes, we rode in the rain, not nearly as bad as you might think. Rain gear rocks!

The bikes we rode (I rode the yellow Buell Blast - little bike but boy was it fun!), Instructor Wendy, rain!, two of my fellow classmates Brandon & Brad.

Do's & Don'ts of Love In a Social Networking World

Social Media is a boon and an albatross. Here are some tips on navigating the uncharted waters of relationships from one of my fave mags, Glamour (see the latest issue for the complete list):

1. DON'T change your Facebook relationship status without discussing it first: Make sure your man is on the same page. Along those same lines, change your status back to single only if you've discussed breaking up -- not in response to arguments or as a one-sided breakup strategy.


2. DON'T post your make-out photos: Do everyone a favor and upload them to a private album on a photo-sharing website like Flickr. You'll be glad you did when potential employers go poking around on your MySpace page.


3. DON'T leave a virtual paper trail: Some websites allow you to see who's been checking out your profile. Before you click through his Google search results, make sure you're not leaving any cyber footprints.


4. DON'T drink and text: iPhones and Gmail have programs that disable your texting/e-mailing during peak drinking hours unless you can pass a sobriety test.


5. DON'T use status updates to publicize every stage of your relationship: Dating expert David Wygant adds, "We all know that you are telling your friends everything, but we really don't want the world to know."


6. DON'T Twitter stalk each other: Keep the news about your parking tickets and bad hair days to your loyal Twitter followers -- not your new date. You need to talk about something over those candlelight dinners.

Fast cars RULE

Some days you just can't help but smile when you come to work. Some days are even better than others. 

Last Friday we met IndyCar Champion Dario Fanchitti. He was in Kansas City promoting an event at Kansas Speedway. He's a great guy who loves his fans. And since I'm a fan, I also had the amazing opportunity to ride in a replica of his IndyCar, sponsored by White Mint Niroette. We dished on race cars versus motorcycle racers. Let's just say we agreed to compromise on our opinions.

You can tell he really loves what he does. He races cars for a living. How could you not love that?

Holy Cow! It's Jack Bauer!

Yesterday while I was looking at really big pictures of my son's teeth at the orthodontist, I received a text from my boss:  "Keifer Sutherland is in the building." WHAT?!?! Jack Bauer is at KUDL? And there I was, trapped in an orthodontic initial consultation.

This morning I discovered that yes, "The Keifer" (as Kris Ketz calls him) was in the building yesterday to talk about his record label. And...he would be coming back in today! WOOT! 

All morning I anxiously awaited his arrival, reapplying my Dr Pepper Lip Smacker and fluffing my hair. But my show ended and there was no Keifer. So disappointing.

I turned off my mic and gathered my gear. Suddenly the studio door swung open and there he stood, THE Keifer! 

After a brief mental "holy crap!", I mustered my dignity and introduced myself. I even managed to avoid slipping into geeky "24" fangirl mode. 

It was a brief visit, no time for a full interview, but he did want to say hello. We snapped a pic and he was off. What a really gracious, nice guy. And even more handsome in person than on the screen, big or little.

Glad I fluffed my hair.

Easy Ways to Save $$$$

Here are some great ways to cut expenses in places you may have forgotten about...

Think Twice Before Grabbing that Bottled Water

Great article from Discovery Channel.com on the real cost to the earth when we choose bottled water. Check it out here. What do you think?

Earth Hour: 8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. This Saturday, March 28

WOW! Has it been a year already? Last year we discovered Earth Hour, an hour set aside to turn off your lights as a "breather" for Mother Earth. It started in Sydney, Australia and has spread around the world! We gathered the kids, killed the lights and spent the next two hours playing charades by candelight. In fact, when it came time to turn the lights back on, the kids were bummed (thus the second hour of twilight charades!). They were so excited they wanted to have an Earth Hour every week - lol.

From the Earth Hour website, here are some different ways to spend Earth Hour and reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Attend a local Earth Hour event or organise your own by throwing an Earth Hour street party with your neighbours
2. Gather family & friends for a night picnic in your local park and look at the stars
3. Enjoy a family dinner by candlelight
4. Organise a treasure hunt in the dark
5. Take the dog for a night walk
6. Have a candle-lit bath
7. Sit in the dark and share stories
8. Organise a family night playing board games
9. Share a romantic night in with your loved one

Earth Hour Executive Director, Andy Ridley, is encouraging people to participate in whatever way they choose and to think beyond the hour.“There are no hard and fast rules surrounding participation in Earth Hour. We only ask that you flick that switch and have fun doing whatever you choose to do during that time.

Make Earth Hour work for you. Families with young children should feel free to turn their lights off earlier than 8:30pm and for those having too much fun in the dark during the hour, don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one hour and switch back on at 9:30pm.” To find out more about Earth Hour, visit the official website www.earthhour.org, sign up and join millions of people in more than 1,400 cities and towns in 80 countries throughout the world by turning off your lights for one hour at 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March."

Venus in the Kitchen

Wow - a wonderful discovery! At a time when my world is so crammed with activities and commitments that I think I might crack at the seams, I discover my school friend Venus is a personal chef. BRILLIANT! She creates yummy meals for you and your family, right in your kitchen, or makes them for you to freeze and prepare later. Entertaining? She'll wow your guests! Special diets? No problem! In fact, she's going help me with dishes that are gluten-free for my daughter.

And what is Venus making for her own family tonight? Pecan Crusted Tilapia in a Butter Rum Sauce. Uh...yeah....I think we were going to do Tuna Casserole. Venus, I need help!

Check out her website, Venus in the Kitchen. Let me know what you think :) She's awesome!

Looking for a Sweet Deal on a Beautiful Home?

Looking for a beautiful, very well kept home that's tastefully decorated? Check out this super cute listing from Reece and Nichols. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, big backyard, and a really nice neighborhood. Lots of updates, too. See more great homes this Saturday and Sunday as Reece & Nichols hosts an OPEN HOUSE Weekend! More details at kudl.com.

It's a great time to buy a home :)

Ban the Plastic Bag

We were recently watching "Long Way Down", Ewan McGregor's motorcycle adventure show where he and a buddy bike from Scotland to South Africa, and noticed that not only is Africa more than lions and elephants, it's littered with plastic bags. Yes, the obnoxious plastic sacks that you bring home every time money leaves your pocket. 

It was sad. Beautiful African landscapes, exotic plants and breathtaking views, blighted with awful, ugly plastic bags. Ugh.

How many plastic bags are in your home right now? Do you take them back to the store for recycling or do you stuff them in the trash can, out of sight, out of mind? We return ours to the store, but I'll admit the pile grows huge before we take them back. But, at least we take them back. 

PLEASE don't stuff these bags in the trash! They won't go away, they don't biodegrade, and chances are they will end up clinging to a tree or bush somewhere, choking an animal who mistakes them for food, or even worse, end up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The trash in the patch doesn't just float around out there; animals mistake it for food and it ends up back in the food chain, which means we end up eating plastic, too. Plastic lives forever.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Boycott Plastic Bags: Simply say "no thanks" when you check out. Hand carry your purchase, tuck it in your purse.

Take your own bags to the store: I have a whole batch of mismatched canvas bags that we haul to the store - they work great (and never split or tear).

Write to the stores to ask them to stop using plastic: Most stores offer bags for sale (usually $1 or less) and they will give you a credit when you bring your own bags in for them to use for your purchase.

Drop me a note and let me know how you are Banning The Bag. I'd love to hear how you are making the world a better place for everyone.