The End of the Road
Posted: December 31, 2007 | 10:02 AM | Emily Ralph

CLICK HERE.

You may drool now.
Posted: December 26, 2007 | 5:56 AM | Emily Ralph

Monday morning (yes, Christmas Eve), I dashed over to Fred Beans Ford in Boyertown for a chance to learn how to do a multi-point inspection on a Shelby GT 500.  Girls, that's a Mustang.  I touched the supercharged engine, checked the air filter and fluids, air pressure, and battery.  Did I mention I touched the engine?  Thanks, Mark!

Principal Ralph, at your service.
Posted: December 21, 2007 | 2:56 PM | Emily Ralph

I'm thinking about going into a new field of work now that I saw how easy Principal Swartley has it at Quakertown Christian School.  Just kidding!  It was a fun day of Christmas parties and Vesper celebrations at the school as I was "principal for a day."  I did get to deal with some discipline issues, introduce a new student to the school, and see how much of Mr. Swartley's job is troubleshooting (although his staff says he spends a lot of time on the phone, too!).  Here I am interacting with the kids, reading to the kindergarten class, and getting some work done at "my" desk.

What a blast!
Posted: December 21, 2007 | 5:56 AM | Emily Ralph

Yesterday I got a lesson in gunmanship from Mr. Dave Baker and a friend of mine, Mike Gehman.  The whole Gehman clan turned out to cheer me on. . . and that rifle had quite a kick to it!  That first picture is Mike getting the targets ready--I was shooting at 50 yds and the third picture shows how well I did!

Official Candy Maker
Posted: December 19, 2007 | 9:56 AM | Emily Ralph

Debbie Lutz has been making candy for 25 years and she brought her skills (and supplies) into the studio this morning to teach us how to make many varieties of filled and molded candies.  She answered my wonderings about how it was done and even let us sample some!  Thank you, Debbie!  Check out her recipes and supplies.

These pictures are of Dave and me trying it ourselves (under Debbie's watchful eye) and the finished candies and gift boxes we're sending to winners of our Get One, Give One contest.  Trust me, the table got a lot messier!

Dave Baker, weatherman
Posted: December 18, 2007 | 6:56 AM | Emily Ralph

Dave's life-long dream came true yesterday when he and I headed up to WFMZ TV in Allentown yesterday to hang out with chief meteorologist, Ed Hanna.  Ed was gracious enough to invite us up to try out the green screen as he was preparing for the 5:00 news--and then stay to watch a broadcast!  Thanks to everyone up at WFMZ for the fun.  Dave was a natural. . . and me?  Well, not so much.  Check out the video!

Look who's in the driver's seat!
Posted: December 14, 2007 | 6:56 PM | Emily Ralph

I finally got my chance at driving a fast vehicle--although Howard and Lisa Stenger and their family did reduce the gears so I didn't hurt myself on the muddy track.  Kristine McClain, an avid race fan, came with me and we both got filthy (it was FUN)!  Thank you so much to the entire family and all their friends at Deep Run Mennonite Church who made it such an enjoyable time--and for showing us how it's done!

See the progression from clean to dirty below--and trying not to touch anyone or anything!  There's nothing like flying around turns, between trees, slip-sliding off the path, with mud flying everywhere!

All in a day's work.
Posted: December 11, 2007 | 2:56 PM | Emily Ralph

Most people never get the chance to observe a surgery, much less help with one.  I'll admit to much fear and trepidation on agreeing to this one, but it was so interesting to see the real insides of this precious dog, Mary.  I helped with her spay (at least until MY insides got the best of me).  She's now recovering and ready for a family.  She's a real sweetie, so, if you are looking for an energetic, fun companion, contact Dr. Payne at East Penn Animal Hospital in Emmaus for more info: 610-967-2156.

Thanks so much to Dr. Payne, Lexi, and Amy for letting me hang around this morning!

Give life. . . .
Posted: December 11, 2007 | 5:55 AM | Emily Ralph

Kudos to those who give blood regularly--thank you for making the choice to give life.  It's not easy (see me almost passing out below), but it's making a sacrifice so that others may live.  Hmmm. . . that sounds familiar. . . .

Above: anxiously waiting for my turn; answering the questionaire to make sure that my blood is safe; getting set up; the needle is going in (feel the burn); doing just fine; that's some good-looking blood right there; ok, maybe not so good; push the fluids; why don't you lay back down?; badge of courage!

Sleep Over
Posted: December 11, 2007 | 5:55 AM | Emily Ralph

My 9-year-old brother, Zach, and I slept over at the station last week and then went out to breakfast the next morning--for ice cream!  Dave, watch out. . . there is a coup underway!

There is no fear in this dojo. . . .
Posted: December 5, 2007 | 6:39 AM | Emily Ralph

Yesterday I went to Tsunami Karate in Perkasie for their "Buddy Days."  Jen Pursell invited me as her buddy and stayed by my side the whole time as I learned how to defend myself (blocks) and some of the offensive moves as well.  They say I'm a natural--I felt pretty out of shape and awkward!  Thanks to Sensei Bruce for the warm welcome!

Go, Dawgs!
Posted: November 28, 2007 | 9:30 AM | Emily Ralph

For Christmas, my sister and I treated my dad to a Browns' game while we were in Ohio for the weekend.  None of us had been to the Browns' stadium and we were even more excited about sitting in the Dawg Pound!!  The sea of Brown and Orange was inspiring and I was on my feet almost the whole time.  It was a beautiful day.

The above sequence:  What kind of call is that?  Come on, come on. . . is it?  Yes!  I feel good, doh nuh nuh nuh nuh. . . . .  Final score:

Rock Climbing
Posted: November 28, 2007 | 8:34 AM | Emily Ralph

Did I mention that I'm conquering my fear of heights?  I went with my cousin to the climbing wall where she works and gave it a try--almost stopped partway up but kept going. . . and I'm so glad I did.  My 9-year-old brother, Zach, gave it a try, too--doesn't he look so cute?!

Pro-Football Hall of Fame
Posted: November 28, 2007 | 9:03 AM | Emily Ralph

Ok, Good Friday would be a very good day to go to the Pro-Football Hall of Fame. . . if it weren't Kids' Day!  It was chaotic, but I learned a lot and had a great time with my little brother, Zach, my dad, and my brother-in-law--and Zach made out with a grab bag of free stuff including Cowboys socks to burn, er, I mean give away.  We saw paraphernalia from the Browns and Eagles (yeah!) and even the Redskins.  I learned more about the legendary Browns player, Jim Brown, and even saw some very big heads!

Boston in the Fall
Posted: October 24, 2007 | 10:34 AM | Emily Ralph

It was a challenge issued by a listener: why don't you do the things Larry says he never did in the Veggie Tales Silly Sing Along song, "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything?"  Seemed like a good idea to me, so I've been waiting all year for it to be fall so that I could take a road trip.

And, although it rained the night we traveled up to meet a college friend in a Boston suburb, the next morning was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  Boston is quite lovely in the fall!  A quick trip, but so worth it!
 

Some other items from the song: lick a spark plug (which I did last Friday), paint daisies on a big red rubber ball, throw mash potatoes up against the wall, and bathing in yogurt (ok, so I cheated a little on this one and just washed my face!).

Sleep out. . . so others can sleep in
Posted: October 23, 2007 | 1:14 PM | Emily Ralph

Last night the Morning Show crew headed out to the Souderton Shopping Center parking lot to "sleep out" to raise awareness for homelessness.  The night started out with a party-like atmosphere, with the guys building a fire pit (what’s with boys and fire?), scavenging for food (thank goodness for Wawa, right?), and a live broadcast with Timmy D on the evening show.  Dave’s buddies were Don Brunk from our prayer team, Billy Dunn, former morning show color commentary, and Mark Malizzi from Thunder Outreach, an organization that throws block parties and food drives in Jesus’ name.  Hearing my desperate plea for female companionship, my friend Holly who works at Indian Valley Housing Corporation and volunteers at the station, came out to give me support.

Here’s our cardboard village (a few people slept in their cars as well); Dave and Don checking in with Timmy D; Don’s son Isaac trying out the coziest of accommodations; Don showing us how comfortable he would be; All guys need for a sleep out—newspaper, tape (for taping me in my box), and Oreos; Keeping warm and entertained by the fire.

In the morning, everyone was a little more subdued as they dealt with stiff backs, hungry stomachs, and very little sleep (Rte 113 is NOISY!).  Dave helped Don get the fire going again; Billy Dunn snuggling up in his blanky for comfort; Don and our new friend Ryan enjoying the fire as the sun rises; Beautiful sunrise over the conference center; My home for the night—warm and cozy!



Thanks so much to Cheryl Swartley from Bridge of Hope and Jennifer Ashley from Indian Valley Housing Corporation for coming out to answer our questions about homelessness.  If you’d like to sleep out so that others can sleep in, check out their websites -- Indian Valley Housing Corporation and Bridge of Hope BuxMont.


Budding Diva
Posted: October 4, 2007 | 5:52 AM | Emily Ralph
 

My visit to Sight & Sound (www.sight-sound.com) yesterday was an absolute blast!  Their production of "In the Beginning" was amazing in scope and in passion--and I got to see how it all worked behind the scenes, helping with costuming, "deck moves," animal handling, and asking questions to my heart's content.

My favorite part?  Probably helping with Stormy the Llama.  And she seemed to take a liking to me, too.  Thanks to Pam, Terri, Rachel, Matt, Brian, and the rest of the Sight & Sound gang for giving me the VIP treatment!

Simple Pleasures
Posted: September 28, 2007 | 2:12 PM | Emily Ralph
 

There’s nothing like chugging away on a lawn mower, taking 4 passes to mow a strip that should have only taken 2. . . .  Ok, so I’m not the greatest lawn mower, but it was fun!

Blue hair?
Posted: September 17, 2007 | 10:55 AM | Emily Ralph

I was trying to dye my hair with jello--blue jello, to be exact.  I ended up with a sticky mess, blue crystals, and clumps of blue goo on my head.  Even after washing it, I am still getting whiffs of blue raspberry!

Addicted to Speed!
Posted: September 10, 2007 | 5:36 AM | Emily Ralph

I called shotgun for a ride around the track at Grandview Speedway--thanks to Mike Gular, driver for the #53 THP car, for taking me out. 

I. . .was going to be. . . The NEXT American Idol
Posted: August 28, 2007 | 5:36 AM | Emily Ralph

Ok, so the audition didn't turn out like we all wanted it to, but it was a blast none-the-less.  The weekend started standing in line for our wristbands on Saturday.  Look at the line when we arrived at 8am!

Wow, this is a lot of people who want to audition--and they already took in several groups!

We finally made it into line for the wristbands--they slapped them on us and then warned us: do not take them off.  Do not get them wet!  Cover them with saran if you want to shower!

Monday morning: if we thought the lines on Saturday were long, Monday was a huge surprise.  We arrived just past 6--and were still in the ninth group out of 11!  And you knew that where a crowd gathered, there was a video camera!

Finally inside the building and time to start group shots.  We sang "I Love Rock 'n Roll a billion times, screamed and waved our hands, clapped, yelled slogans, and even recorded the opening shot of the season with "a special appearance" by the one and only Ryan Seacrest.

Around 11, they set up the tables for auditions.  They were all manned by producers from the show and four people lined up at a time to audition.  Some put on quite a show.

At 6pm, my turn finally came to go down to the floor and stand before a judge.  You can see how nervous I was.  Other than starting my song too low, it was a lot of fun--maybe next time!  "We have some nice voices in this group, just not what we're looking for."

Eye in the Sky
Posted: August 25, 2007 | 7:00 AM | Emily Ralph

Our friends at Franconia Mennonite Church were gracious enough to give Kristine McClain and me a ride on the helicopter they brought in for the Community Weekend.  What a blast!  Look for a video to come!

Speedy Delivery
Posted: July 10, 2007 | 7:00 AM | Emily Ralph

Some pictures from our afternoon of service with Meals on Wheels.




When life gives you lemons. . . .
Posted: July 6, 2007 | 7:54 AM | Emily Ralph

My brother, Zach, and I take on the lemonade stand--we raised $50 for Alex's Lemonade Stand--not bad for a cloudy, cold day!  And the two of us sure enjoyed the lemonade we didn't sell. . . .

Upside-down, backwards, and on the ground
Posted: June 10, 2007 | 4:13 AM | Emily Ralph

Above: Me reading a book backwards to my nephew, Logan.  He's entranced, can't you tell?!

Below:  My aunt was visiting and suggested I eat an ice cream cone from the bottom up.  She really loves me. . . .

Finally, to prove that I ain't no girly girl, yesterday I had my dad teach me how to change my oil.  Somehow he was the only one that got dirty.  Go figure.

It didn't taste like garbage.
Posted: May 31, 2007 | 6:00 AM | Emily Ralph

Yesterday evening, my brother Zach, Kristine McClain, and I went to Longacre's Dairy to try our hand at a "garbage sundae:" ten scoops of ice cream, ten toppings, whip cream, peanuts, and cherries.  Let's just say that's a lot of ice cream!  Thanks to Luella Gehman and Sonny Longacre for the behind-the-scenes tour of the dairy. . . .  And I must add, we picked all different ice cream flavors and toppings!

When all you have is cactus. . .
Posted: May 29, 2007 | 6:00 AM | Emily Ralph

. . .it tastes pretty good.  My uncle went on a "Survivor" type experience a couple of weeks ago, and, among other things, survived on cacti and cattails.  He visited this past weekend and treated me to my own Survivor meal. . . .

Two tasty experiences
Posted: May 22, 2007 | 3:44 PM | Emily Ralph

Yesterday I tried Argentinean mate--a bitter tea served in a gourd and sipped through a silver spoon-straw.  You fill the gourd with yerba ("cher-ba," the tea), add a little water and sugar, and then enjoy!

Then, today, I tried fried Oreos for the first time.  I was a little wary going into it, but am now a believer.  I think this might have to become a regular habit.

Bring a torch, Emily Isabella ...
Posted: May 19, 2007 | 2:15 PM | Emily Ralph

After donning a Darth Vader mask ("Luke, I am your mother!") and getting a quick lesson, I was soon cooking with gas -- that would be WELDING with gas!  Thanks to Bob Kennedy at Lew Reid Inc. of Hatfield, I got to try my hand at MIG welding (metal inert gas!) and even brought home my project -- a decorative letter "E" -- that would make any metal shop teacher proud! 




Welcome, Baby!
Posted: May 11, 2007 | 5:55 AM | Emily Ralph

My nephew arrived last night at 10:11 PM--he's a healthy little guy: 8lbs, 6 oz., 21 in. long.  Aunt Emmy is estatic!  Here he is with my sister, Lauren, and with me.  Isn't he adorable?!

Heavy Metal
Posted: May 10, 2007 | 1:46 PM | Emily Ralph

Thanks to everyone at TH Properties, especially Nathan and Bob, for helping me picture myself as a heavy equipment operator.  Boy, do I feel uncoordinated!




Oh Baby!
Posted: April 18, 2007 | 10:24 AM | Emily Ralph

This morning I was fitted with an empathy suit from Grand View Hospital.  My sister (who's expecting in May) and I went grocery shopping so that I could have the full pregnant experience.  Now I'm ready for a nap!




Up up & away!
Posted: April 11, 2007 | 11:23 AM | Emily Ralph

Talk about the Friendly Skies!  Your friendly neighborhood morning show hostess hit the wild blue yonder for a flight lesson with Darren from American Flight Services in Reading.  Thanks to everyone there, especially the mechanics -- Ben & Matt ... this was their idea, and I REALLY appreciate their fine work in making the plane safe & sound for an amateur pilot like me! 



 

The Great Outdoors ... Indoors
Posted: April 11, 2007 | 11:23 AM | Emily Ralph

Need a new stash of fishing lures?  Some mosquito netting?  A pair of camouflage pants in "Mossy Oak" or "RealTree Hardwood"?   After a day trip to Cabela's, I've become a semi-expert on all your outdoor supply needs (or rather, I know where you can get them!).  The highlight, of course, was the virtual zoo ... where a moose gnawed on my head, and Kristine McClain took on an Alaskan grizzly!  





Gentlemen, start your engines. . . .
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