Letter to NBC

The Today Show has been a part of my morning routine for as long as I can remember, but as of this day I am no longer a viewer. Here is the letter that I sent to them:

Dear Today Show Executives,

I am writing to inform you that I am done with the Today Show as of this day. As a faithful viewer for many years, I simply cannot take it anymore! The last straw was a segment (which aired today 6/25/10) regarding “fun summer drinks” where the host ran through the segment so fast (under one minute) that it was pointless to even have the segment at all. I cannot tell you how tired I am to be directed to your website to “get more information”. Your website shouldn’t be a replacement for an informative segment. Viewers barely have time to sit down and watch portions of your show let along hit your website to fill in the missing information. If you deem it important enough to talk about, than give the viewers enough time to enjoy it.

I might have been able to get past Meredith Vieira’s condescending attitude and ridiculous guest questions, I might have been able to get past Al Roker’s stupid jokes, and I might even have been able to get past Natalie Morales’ constant interruptions of the guests, but I cannot get over the shear and utter waste of time your program has turned into.

I, frankly, am looking for some hard hitting questions and informative interviews. I don’t need to see the mother of an abducted child who can only weep through the interview as one of your hosts asks ridiculous questions like “do you think he/she is still alive?” or “what do you want your child to know”. We already know the answers and all you are serving to do is upset the mother further and bring heartache to the viewers. In addition, the-cousin-to-the-brother-of-a-neighbor-to-the-suspect is not an “exclusive” interview; it is your show’s desperate attempt to be relevant.

The transitions between stories are also a source of great irritation and disgust. If you insist on doing a story about a bludgeoned-to-death college student, do not immediately follow it with a story of a lost turtle, or worse yet transition straight to the "funny" weather guy. Your executives might be able to adjust their emotions at the drop of a hat, but as a general rule the at-home audience needs a little more than 2 seconds to digest and reflect on the horrible story you just showed.

I recognize that the Today Show is geared towards “soft news”, stories about puppies and kittens and tropical vacation spots with a touch of the real world mixed in for good measure, but this show is so ridiculous and so out of touch with what real Americans are worried about and, in my opinion, vacant of any real substance, I cannot for one more minute waste my life watching a single segment of it.

Proof that I am not completely off my rocker: the Today Show's top stories for today include a year dead child molesting celebrity, a lost turtle, and tips to beat the summer heat. I don't know about you, but I couldn't live without this information.

Difficulty Adjusting

I was so excited to go to Disneyland that it was my one singular focus for weeks. Now that I am home I am having a very hard time adjusting, not due to churro detox or coming down from ride-induced adrenaline but because of the weather. The weather in Southern California is amazing!

While in California:
I didn't sneeze one single time.
I didn't suffer from a single bloody nose.
I applied chapstick to protect my lips from the sun, not from the air.
My hair was soft and silky, not dry and brittle (and it curled).
I didn't have to apply lotion to my arms and legs 15 times a day.
I could breathe easy without the assistance of medication.

My one singular focus now is figuring out a way to get back to California as soon as possible. I cannot stand being in Tucson for one more excruciatingly hot, summer day.

As my sister quoted from the movie "Away We Go" about Tucson: "Yeah, its pretty hot. No, no, I mean literally like an oven. It's almost like God is trying to melt us all down and make something better."

Lily: Post Vacation

Approximately 5 days before we left for Disneyland Lily began vomiting. We didn't panic since she is prone to eating lizards and regretting it later. Days went by feeding her a bland diet of chicken and rice but she continued to vomit off and on, without any real pattern or apparent reason. We left our little girl in the very capable hands of my mother-in-law and shoved off to California. When we returned we came home to a very sick little girl. Apparently my mother-in-law spent a majority of her time cleaning up vomit and urine from our carpets and trying to console a very sick puppy. I called the vet first thing Wednesday morning and they got her in right away.

Lily has a UTI which spread to her bladder, which than spread to her kidneys and has affected her liver function. She is on antibiotics, anti-nausea medication and a special food to help her feel better. They also ran her bloodwork and her triglyceride level is through the roof (schnauzers are genetically predisposed to high triglycerides). Normal for her would be around 300, her number came in at 2700. She is and will continue to be on a very specific diet and if her levels have not come down to normal in 3 months she will have to be put on daily medication, kind of like Lipitor for dogs. She already is making vast improvements and getting back to her playful puppy-like self but she is one very ill little baby!

Disneyland 2010

Hubby, myself, and my sister traveled to Anaheim, CA on Sunday, went to Disneyland on Monday, and traveled back to Tucson on Tuesday. The trip was in honor of my Uncle's 60th birthday and 17 other family members met us there. The occasion was fun, crazy, confusing, and a downright whirlwind of a time but it was great to see everyone and we had in blast in Disneyland. We are sunburned, blistered, crippled and exhausted...exactly how a good vacation is supposed to end. Now it is time to take a vacation from our vacation!

We stayed at the Grand Californian, the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in.

No trip is complete without a Jedi Master