ALL ABOARD FOR

THOMAS THE TANK

We are off to the Island of Sodar (AKA Cumberland) in a few weeks to welcome Thomas and Friends to western Maryland!

Check out this video clip from this morning's 6am show to see the REALLY REALLY REALLY large invitation I got from my buddies in Cumberland!

I don't know about you, but I am just dying to meet Sir Topham Hatt! He seems nice and tall. And then there is Cranky the Crane...do you think he's crankier than my cat, Boodie?

I hope you'll come out and visit with me on September 28th and 29th. I plan on bringing my nephew, Zac, who introduced me to Thomas a few years ago. Here is a link to Thomas and Friends where you can purchase tickets to the event.

It will be happening over 2 weekends in Cumberland: 9/21, 9/22, 9/23, 9/28, 9/29, and 9/30. We're going to have a great time! Toot toot!!

DALE

I don't exactly remember the first time I met Dale (that seems strange given his personality), but it wasn't too long after that meeting when he said

"You should let me do your hair -- I can make it look so much better."

Let's just say Dale is not bashful; I like that (to a point ;-0 )

I find that there are some people (thankfully) who like me a lot, but, it isn't necessarily because of my accuracy in forecasting, or my "bubbly demeanor", but rather, it's my hair. In a strange way, my hair has come to define me, much moreso here in DC than in any other TV market.

"How tall are you?" still ranks as the number one question I get asked. But quickly coming up on its heels is "Who does your hair?"

Meet Dale -- my stylist, my harshest critic ("I am in town watching you right now and your hair sucks! We need to do something about it RIGHT NOW!), and my friend.

I have to laugh because I can see him getting "into the zone" towards the end of my appointment. When my hair is finally colored (you didn't think all that red was real, did you?), washed (some 5 times because as Dale likes to say "You have so much freaking hair Kim!), and trimmed, Dale gets into the moment... the moment where he becomes one with the hair. I can see it in his eyes -- he looks straight ahead into the mirror. Slightly sucking in his cheeks, he makes this face, almost as if *he* is wearing the new do. He'll flick his head to the side, toss his fingers through my hair to get it to fling just right and there he goes...right into the ZONE.

I was able to take an action shot or two the last time I was up in Dallas, PA. I've never travelled so many miles to get my hair done -- for ANYONE. I guess it speaks to his talent. LOVE YOU DALE !! (Now let's hope the next time I'm late, he'll remember this blog update...)

THE BUBBLES

You might think that this blog is more chatter about my cat, Bubbles (actually come to think of it, I spent my last cat update on my other cat, Boodie), but think again. This is my other favorite Bubbles. They are actually two "mountains" (and I use the quotes because I discovered Ben is a wee bit of a mountain snob having lived and hiked a chunk of the Pacific Northwest...but I digress...) just north of Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park.

They frame any picture one takes from the Jordan Pond House (home of the BEST Popovers this side of the Atlantic) and facing north. Better yet, they are reflected in the Jordan Pond itself. You can take a nice leisurly hike around the pond to the base of North and South Bubble Mountains. Ben and I did this and up we went to South Bubble. It is the shorter of the two mountains by 106 feet, and normally I would have opted for the higher one with an excellent view of Eagle Lake to the north, but it is South Bubble that has an ERRATIC! (Erratic: A glacially-transported rock that has been deposited some distance away from its point of origin and now rests on bedrock of a different type.)

Whenever I would come to the park with my family in the past, we would drive by the parking area for "Bubble rock". You should see this thing -- from far away, it does look like a bubble sitting on the mountain. About the size of a garage, it is precariously parked on the edge of a ledge. You might find yourself staring up and wondering if it would be the rock or the people probing the rock that would come tumbling down first!

When I heard stories about various football teams making the hike to see if they could push it over, I got nervous! But this sucker weighs TONS (don't ask me how many, but it's more than any football team can maneuver) and this charming rock ain't going nowhere!

Here I am trying to push it over...I am even leveraging myself by planting my feed on the ledge behind me. Then good old Ben thought he could scale it. (I will spare you the thought BUBBLE above my head about Ben and his attempts at this BUBBLE that ensued in a bit of an argument.) But there it stayed. I would imagine it would take an earthquake to move it. That, or lots of erosion from the ledge supporting it.

So if you ever find yourself in Acadia, be sure to call ahead to make your reservation at the Jordan Pond house (or show up at 11am and wait until 11:30 to be first) and get some lobstah stew and popovers. Then take a nice leisurely walk half way around the pond (1.5 miles) and then up South Bubble (not so good if it's warm and you have a belly full of creamy stew come to think of it...)

IS THIS CORN?

Ben and I cannot figure out what the heck this thing is in his garden. He didn't plant any produce this year. What you don't see, however, is the multiple bird and squirrel feeders just to the left of the tall corn-like thing in the picture to the left. Some of the food that goes into one of the feeder is corn, so it is plausible that one kernel could have taken root on the border of his patio. It is this next picture below that has us confused.

We don't think that "business at the top " looks like how the top of corn should look. Now, I'm no farm girl, but Ben did live on a farm when he was younger and he doesn't get it.

Perhaps your eyes are being drawn to the bottom of the plant? Don't you think they look like corn leaves? I took a close up picture of them below in the third picture.

About a month or so ago, a strange bug (a house centipede as it turns out) scrambled across the studio. Whatsthatbug.com helped me to identify it. But I am feeling lazy and would just like to ask

anyone out there in blog-land for a little assistance, okay? Have a look at the "thing" in Ben's garden and let me know what you think.

If it *is* corn, when should we expect a cob or two? Should we do anything to help it survive the multiple bird visits?

Thanks for your help in advance! I'm back from vacation now and am looking forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow morning!

MEETING MARY BOWDEN

(GO NATS!!!!!!!!)

I can be chatty. Okay, stop rolling your eyes, I know you already know this (note to self: now you know where Zachary gets this...) So, while at the check out at an Inn in Boothbay Harbor Maine this morning, I get to talking with the nice lady behind the counter.

Nice Lady: "Oh, are you from Paramus NJ?"


Me: "That's my folks, but I grew up in Park Ridge, but now am in the DC area."

Nice Lady: "How interesting! I'm from Ridgewood, NJ. My son's the GM for the Nationals."

Me: "You mean Jim Bowden??? I actually know who he is! He and Brett Haber are always on together. Plus they have some funny promos running -- I can't believe I'm meeting Jim Bowden's mom!"


Nice Lady: "Did you say you work for a radio station?"

Me: "No, no -- I do the weather at WUSA TV 9. Your son is always on with our main sports guy. Let me take your picture -- I *have* to blog about this!"


I love this next part of the story -- She was about to send Jim a copy of an article in the Globe (Boston Globe) about Bonds scoring his record home run off the Nats. "To Bowden, History & Bonds go Together" is the headline of the article she spreads before me at the Inn registration counter. I said "Don't worry -- we won that game and that's what we care about!"

And so there you have it. Funny, huh? She has *the* lifestyle -- Florida in the winter and Maine in the summer...doesn't get any better (well, actually Maine in the winter and Maine in the summer would suit me just fine!)

And if that's not a small enough world for you, while shopping in nearby Wiscasset, a nice man from Fredericksburg VA came up to me and said "Excuse me, but aren't you Sue Palka?"

Me: "Right job, wrong woman!"

BOODIE-IN-THE-BASKET

By now you have heard about Boodie & Bubbles (my cats). Boodie has a penchant for disappearing. She doesn't necessarily escape to the outdoors, but she is so good at hiding, that I often panic that she has. Naturally, this hiding act tends to kick in as I am trying to leave. I always locate both cats, before I head out the door, and give them a kiss good-bye. I also like to ensure they are not accidentally locked in a room they shouldn't be in (something else they are good at.) So, here I am facing a deadline that is getting closer to being missed and I cannot locate Boodie.

I am staring at Bubbles, willing her to dish on where her sister is. No luck. At least Bubbles has a bell so I can usually hear her. Luckily she tends to spread out on the big blue chair and is easy to spot most of the time.

Finally, I resort to that high pitched kissing noise that will make any animal at least look at you. That worked. It didn't reveal too much, but what it did reveal was enough to get Boodie's ears to perk up. Picture number one shows what I saw from across my living room. Do you see the two little ear triangles sticking up inside the basket? Welcome to Boodie's new hiding spot. The following two pictures show how she looks as I walk closer to the hide out.

SWAK, now I can leave...

Cats...

9 Clicks (and Chicks!)

Once in a while, Ben & I get gift certificates to restaurants. We sometimes don't realize they have an expiration date until a day or two before (if we're lucky.) This was the case tonight when we zipped up to the Bone Fish Grill for some eats. Phew! Just made it.


Anyway, while waiting outside for our pager to go off, two nice ladies recognized me. "Aren't you the weather lady from channel 9?" (Already I'm feeling old .. it used to upset me when people didn't refer to me as a meteorologist, and now I am offended if they call me "lady" instead of "girl"!) "I really like your hair", she continued. (Note to self: Make sure you tell Dale (my stylist who surprised me by watching my broadcast yesterday when he popped into town and proceeded to tell me my hair looked like -- I can't say the word here.))


Turns out I had the great pleasure of meeting Diane Mangel of Mechanicsville and her buddy, Joanna Stafford, of Alexandria. Heads up -- if you say "hi" to me out and about, I will likely take out my camera and snap your picture; It will end up on our morning show or my blog, or, in this case, both!

WAXING

Owwwww. There isn't much else to say.

LOGO MAN

Look closely at this picture. Do you see it? No no, not the Vegas skyline in the background, not the dapper young man, rather look at what is on his shirt. I was surprised he chose one so small for his Kim Martucci Blogging Debut, but there is a logo there. Actually, there are two if you count the Lacoste Polo AND the DKNY inscribed aviator sunglasses...

Meet my friend, Chris. He "conducts media relations for a Federal agency downtown." Chris, actually, was the only person I knew when I first came to DC and he let me sublet a room in his condo until I found my *fabulous* abode up north yonder...

From here on out he will be referred to as "Logo Man". I have rarely seen him wearing attire sans logo. "I'm a marketer's dream -- I love logo's and packaging" he freely confessed to me a few weeks ago. I am fascinated by his clothing collection. I am even more curious to know what makes Logo Man tick. So, I recently emailed him a bunch of questions running through my head and here is what he had to say:

Photo Captions:(top row, left to right)

Express, Lacoste, Big Pony Ralph Lauren,

Façonnable. Front: Ralph Lauren polo with

multicolored pony and oversized number 4.

Why do you love logos so much? A logo adds embellishment to a shirt and breaks up an otherwise solid and rather sterile canvas of color. Plain shirts without a pattern or logo appear to be just a rectangle of color with out much definition.

Does it matter if the logo is ugly? I mean, if the shirt is really cool, but has a hideous logo on it, what do you do? More and more clothing companies are a putting logo on their clothing nowadays – mainly logos of various animals. It’s getting to be a bit much – with some of the logos far down the chain of the Animal Kingdom. Some of these companies are cheapening the value of a logo.

Is bigger better when it comes to logos? I’m a fan of the Big Pony polo collection from Ralph Lauren. Lacoste also has several clothing items with a larger-than-normal crocodile logo. Their oversize appearance is atypical and can be a bit unexpected, which I like.

Is it *really* true that you bought your car based partly on the fact that SAAB has a cool logo? Honest? Is that bad? I first and foremost want a safe and reliable car. My Saab has excellent performance and safety ratings – a good solid car. The body of the car, and yes the logo, are all part of the “WOW” factor that everybody wants. I also don’t see as many Saabs on the road in the DC area as say BMWs and Mercedes. We’re all familiar with their classic logos, which I personally see too much of on the roads.

Do you ever not wear a logo? I typically don’t have logos on polos with a pattern and on dress shirts (solids and patterns). Though some of my dress shirts do have the Ralph Lauren logo or carry Nordstorm’s Façonnable label. Of course, my suits also do not have exterior logos, but I prefer Calvin Klein suits for a more modern look and for a traditional appearance I go for Joseph Abboud and Ralph Lauren.

Is there a designer who you like to wear, but their logo stinks or is not obvious? I wear Kenneth Cole and Benetton, both of which don’t have an exterior logo. Though for the items I have purchased the clothes speak for themselves and not having a logo is not an issue. But in some instances I have crossed paths with shirts that stood to gain by a logo.

What is your shopping strategy? About half my wardrobe shopping is done in nearby Pennsylvania (while visiting family) where there are several designer outlet centers. Also, clothing is tax-free in Pennsylvania - a perpetual tax holiday! Now this an acceptable form of double dipping.

What motivates you the most to buy something? Is it brand name, cost, fit? (Of course, given there is a logo!) D: All of the above. My eye is drawn to the name brand items first – you can just tell from their quality and originality. It then must fit (see my tips below), then cost is a factor. I rarely pay full price, but if it’s different, original and a must have I will pay more than what I think it should be.

How many bags of unworn clothes do you have from recent shopping sprees? That can range from a couple to many, depending on how many stores I hit and how good the sales are. I typically shop on the weekend, but with a full workweek I don’t immediately get around to taking items out their packaging, taking off the tags and stickers and washing them (you know, “processing”) until the following weekend. I also buy some clothing for “reserve.” I have a good stock of white and blue dress shirts, which I always have use for.

Can you offer any tips when it comes to clothes shopping? -Get measured. Knowing your size is critical to buying the right clothes. Many people buy clothes too big, too small, too short or too long. Washington is suit city, which makes it especially painful when I see the cuffs of suit pants end at or even above someone’s ankle when it should rest another two to three inches south at the top of the shoe heel. In full walking stride, your socks should not show.-Buy clothes by fit, not size. Not all sizes are created equal - there are variances among brands and designers. Don’t just grab and settle on that shirt because there is an S, M, or L sticker on it - try it on.-Wash your clothes before wearing them. Sounds like a no brainier, but some Metro riders don’t know this. They are the ones with strong fold creases, large pin holes and, the worst, size stickers down their pant leg.

Gotta love the animal kingdom observation! Gosh, reading his last comment has me worried for the innocent "Glamour Don'ts" riding the metro -- will Logo Man snap a photo of you? Will we have to post some pictures of the main offenders (severe fold creases and all) with black bars across their eyes??? Now I am thinking of the They Might Be Giants song "Particle Man", except I am switching out the lyrics to "Logo Man". Here's what I'm thinking:

"Logo Man Logo Man, doin' the things his logo can't, what's the logo like? Not important, as long as it's big -- Generic Brand man, Generic Brand Man, Generic Brand Man hates Logo Man, they have a fight, Logo wins, Generic Brand Man..." Am I dating myself here? Does anyone else like TMBG?

OLIVA

Let me tell you about the BEST Grandma in the world -- my Grandma, Oliva. No, no, don't worry, you are reading it correctly, there is no "i" missing. She is quite possibly the only Oliva on the planet. You know what she does that I love? She has this great Pittsburgh accent. So while you and I may go "down town", Oliva (and quite possibly most of Washington, Allegheny, and Garrett counties) go "don-ton". I adore that accent.

For a long time, to distinguish her from my other Grandma, we used to call her "Doodle Grandma". My grandparents had a dog named "Doodles". It's funny, when my sister was expecting, my mom went through a mini-crisis -- she wasn't ready to be called "Grandma". So, we went through the list of possible names. My nephew, Zac, calls her "Ginny Gram". Do you know what he calls Grandma? If you have read my other blog updates, then you know the saga of how she took my cat, Boodie, in for me for a few years. So, yup you guessed it, "Grandma" is affectionately called "Boodie Gram" by Zac.

Grandma and I were quite the traveling duo in the mid 80s. She would generously take me along with her on her (mostly senior citizen) bus trips across North America. One even lasted 28 days and covered most of Canada, reaching Expo '86, and returning through several National Parks through the US.

She has been volunteering at the Carmelite Chapel in the Bergen Mall in New Jersey FOREVER. Seriously, I don't recall how long it's been, but there were many hours I spent in the chapel gift shop, dusting or taking statues back to the priest to have them blessed (side note, every time I got something blessed, the priest would bless me, too -- I felt soooooo holy by the end of the afternoon!) Leave it to New Jersey to design a mall so that you can shop and pray -- I love my home state.

I'll have to scan some pictures of the lovely Oliva from her youth in the Steel City -- what a tall glass of water! My favorite story involves her first job at the T-bury gum factory (I think I got that right.) I think she was around 15 and she and her friends were having a contest to see how many sticks of gum they could fit into their mouths. Needless to say, the boss walked in and they were all fired.

Even though she didn't have to, Oliva liked working. She liked having her own money because, let's face it, she liked buying herself finer things and my Grandpa was kind of cheap. So, she worked all throughout my mom and her brother's childhood. My Grandpa used to sing a song to her (and anyone who would listen) to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree." It went like this "Oh LEEVIA I Love -E -AH, I'll never LEAV-E-AH, Oh LEEVIA. Your face is white, your hair is brown, you know I'll never mess around. Oh LEEVIA I Love-E-AH, I'll never LEAV-E-AH Oh LEEVIA." She could type (or should I say pound the keys) faster than anyone I know. I have her original "Oliver" type writer at home, sitting on her refinished typewriting desk. I have now discovered the lineage in which my distaste for cooking resides -- I don't do it, my mom doesn't like to cook, and as it turns out, Oliva doesn't like to cook either (and yet my sister loves to and is an awesome chef, what gives?)

Oliva, Grandma, Boodie Gram -- I LOVE YOU!! Everyone in our family is so happy to have you in our lives!!