I don’t know about your house but in mine Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving. My husband literally twitches if I even suggest getting jump on decorations or listening to Christmas music before we’ve gorged ourselves on turkey and the trimmings.

In fact, this year he said Thanksgiving has become a speed bump. The turkey paper plates and fall colored napkins share shelf space with skeleton masks and ghost costumes then bam, gone. Christmas lights and snowmen on one aisle make an overnight charge overtaking half the store. A day of feasting and thanks over…just like that.

Why am I bringing this up now? It just seems to me the years are starting to fly by. I don’t know about you but as soon as we reach Halloween everything seems to move into overdrive. I find it slightly ironic since its the time of year when I want things to slow down. Both my kids celebrate birthdays in October and December so they get older this time each year. I like the holidays, the decorations and lights and want to enjoy them longer. Anyway, I’m not getting younger. Four months into the new year and I’m staring 42 in the face.

I keep wishing we could encompass Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s into one big thing. A moment. A Ha-thank-mas-ey holiday. A time of the year when we all slow down and enjoy ourselves.

So, instead of speeding over the Thanksgiving bump, I vote a slow crawl up the incline. Savor each bite, watch the delight of a child, be a child ourselves. Instead of rushing through the stores, make the most of each moment because soon enough the vast long month of January will be staring us all in the face.

Breast cancer is no laughing matter but who says you can’t have some fun trying to beat it?   Chesapeake Regional Medical Center dubs its “Bra-ha-ha” as a ‘seriously uplifting experience’.  Let me tell you it is.

In case you don’t know, its a bra decorating contest.   You decorate a 36 C under wire bra using any non-perishable thing you can imagine.  Last years entries knocked our socks off.    One person used pennies to create a piece called “Invest in your chest” .  Another used the faces of all different kinds of women to show that breast cancer touches women of all ages, races and religions.  The winner last year was a pink camouflage number hand sewn with sequences.

The winner is chosen by a panel of celebrity judges (including yours truly) and gets a $500 prize.

The deadline to enter is September 11 at 4pm.  For more info go to the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center’s web page

Now, put on your creativity caps and get to work!   See you at the Gala.

What a sight in St. Louis. Three home grown Hampton Roads baseball stars playing for the National League in the All-Star game. It was a moment easy to dream, but hard to imagine. Sure we know that David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman and Justin Upton are talented and great players, but  seeing them play in the summer classic was amazing.

Young baseball players across Hampton Roads had their big league dreams stoked last night each time they saw Upton, Zimmerman and Wright come to the plate. You can’t blame a kid for thinking that if they can do it, so can I. Upton, Wright and Zimmerman had the same dreams when they were cutting their teeth on local dirt infields. They payed their dues. They put in the countless hours and look where it led them. Honored as All-Stars. Seventy-two players make up both the American and National league rosters. Wright, Zimmerman and Upton found their spot with the sports elites.

Add the efforts of Michael Cuddyer and BJ Upton to the list and it’s hard not to think that these are the banner days for local baseball. And how do you think having these young stars in the spotlight will ripple down to young players here following in their footsteps?

Just ask David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman and Justin Upton and I’m sure they will tell you, “The dream is alive!”

Yes, it is that time of the year.  We’ve seen them out and about:  spiders, bees, mosquitoes, fleas, etc.  We know how we can protect ourselves with bug repellent and citronella candles, but let’s not forget about our furry friends.  I do the “Pet of the Week” segment on WAVY-TV and I am a big fan of animals.   

Now that we’re moving into the warmer months, it is a good time to start thinking about parasite prevention for your pet.  Fleas can cause some bad diseases in your pet such as cat scratch fever and tapeworms.  Fleas also can irritate your pet’s skin causing him/her to scratch the itchy skin continuously.  Ticks can carry Lyme Disease and other less known diseases.  Infected mosquitoes can transmit heartworms to both cats and dogs.  Heartworms can survive in your pet’s lungs, heart, and blood vessels.  Even indoor pets are at risk of mosquitoes because these pesky critters like to sneak inside buildings and can actually survive quite well indoors.  Other internal parasites like hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm can also infect your pets causing them gastrointestinal problems: kittens and puppies are most susceptible  to these parasites.

To keep your pet healthy during the warmer months, talk with your veterinarian about parasite prevention.

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson

Fans that follow Old Dominion basketball know the name Anthony Grant.

The VCU coach has been a thorn in the Monarchs side since he came to Richmond three years ago from the University of Florida.

But now he is being wooed back to the Southeastern Conference by the University of Alabama, and it may be an offer Grant just can’t refuse.

An annual salary of 2-million dollars or more, which would be quite a raise from the 800 thousand he’s getting from Virginia Commonwealth.

The Birmingham News is reporting the Alabama job is Grant’s for the taking, but he has to make the decision soon.

If so, he would be the first African-American men’s basketball coach in Alabama history.

Blog from Jenn Rojsuontikul and Amanda D’Attilio:

At about 3:15 a.m. our alarm went off and we got up to prepare for our train ride into D.C. from Manassass, Virginia. The Virginia Railway Express sold special tickets for today’s Inauguration, so we were guaranteed a seat. Still, we wanted to be sure. So we arrived at about 4:45 a.m. at the train station. Just after 5 a.m. the train pulled up and we got on.

We were told not to bring a lot with us for the sake of security. So we just packed some snacks and a blanket to sit on while on the Mall. Once we arrived we saw the mass of people moving toward the capitol. There were vendors selling all things Obama, hoping to profit a little from this historic event. We were really surprised there were no security checkpoints for those of us watching from the National Mall. But we hear random searches could be in place.

Huge TVs are set up for all of us to watch! We’ve tried to send some pictures but it seems that cell service is either weak or jammed. So we’ll send those pictures along after the event.

Aside from the crowds we’re also dealing with the cold. We both have dressed in warm layers: 2 pairs of Under Armor pants, a pair of jeans, two Under Armor shirts, a Northface, and a jacket! So we’re keeping nice and toasty.

As soon as things start going we’ll send along more updates!

- Jenn Rojsuontikul and Amanda D’Attilio
William & Mary and George Mason students

I will now be up in the mornings starting at 0500 hours to keep you our viewers the most informed about traffic conditions before you leave home. That means that we can bring you faster and more accurate information than anyone in Hampton Roads.