"Hey, aren't you that tonka girl?"

An interesting thing happened to me while out in the field recently. I was shooting some footage for a story when I was approached by two men, and the conversation went along the lines of this:

Man 1: Heyyy, don't I know you from somewhere?
Me: Hm, well maybe I-
Man 2: Ya, I know, you're that Tonka girl...
(slightly awkward pause)
Me: Um, I'm sorry who?
Man 2: You're that Tonka girl, right?
(Tonka trucks? What?)
Man 1: No, it's Tayla, she's that Tayla girl.
(Oh wow.)
Me: (inward sigh)...Tila? You mean Tila?
Man 1: Yes! That Tila Tequila chick, you're a lot bigger in person and you have darker hair.
(At a loss for words)
Me: No, I'm not Tila Tequila.
Man 1: Really? Are you sure you're not that Tila chick?
Me:) Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm not her.
Man 2: Well, you should get a job pretending to be that chick.
(brilliant)
Man 1: What do you do then?
Me: I'm a reporter for-
Man 2: See! I told you I'd seen her on TV.
Man 1: Shoot, you're still wrong though. I like that Tila girl, do you know her?

Now, where do I begin in describing the many many thoughts that ran through my mind during the course of this rather strange conversation. At first I thought these two guys were kidding. I quickly realized they were not.

First time being mistaken for a VH1 reality TV show host. Not the first time I've been asked if I know other Asians (ie Michelle Kwan) I do wish I knew her but alas, real life doesn't quite work that way. While these 2 guys were seriously meant these questions, they were asked harmlessly...I guess. Who can keep up with the current style of Tila's hair and who can say if she wasn't spending an evening in Central Texas?

Signing off, Tonka Tequila.

Car Keys Won't Come Out!

Who: One soaking wet reporter on the side of the highway.
What: Busy covering a story but couldn't seem to get the car keys out of the company car.
When: Wednesday morning in all the rain.
Why: I'm waiting for a car ninja to help me with that one.
How: At first I thought it was some silly "user error" that would be fixed in a matter of seconds...then minutes went by...and those keys were not budging.

I was able to be resourceful and make things work while out in the field, but I had a hard time continuing to just sit in the car fidgeting with the keys while people for the evening shows started walking by. Needing to focus on less ridiculous matters, I called upon other reporters and anchors to give it a go. Unfortunately several people (including strong, able-bodied males who I figure to be pretty car savvy) were unable to pry the stubborn key out.

Here's the video Brittany Pelletz and I shot, conveying this odd issue at our station. I must say, this is a first for me. Just one of those days it seems. Before you make a face similar to the one my News Director gave me before saying ,"Really?"
"Yes."
"You really can't get them out?"
"Yup. I did try turning the wheel. Yes, the gear shift was in park...Yes, I tried everything..."

If you have any pointers, let me know and I will set the keys free.

Missing Her Big Sister...

Let me introduce you to 11-year-old Katrina Brown. I met her while covering a story about BUST (Buckle Up and Stop Texting). A program her parents began after losing their oldest daughter, Alex, in a car accident last November. Alex was texting while driving and wasn't wearing a seatbelt when her car lost control. The Brown Family has since traveled all over the Big Country to spread their message of BUST. It's a simple message that many parents have probably given to their own kids, "Pay more attention when you're driving." I'm sure we've all been guilty of distracted driving at some point or another. Most of the time, it's harmless and doesn't end in disaster. But not for Katrina's big sis. I've posted this video to show how articulate and mature this girl was. Any reporter will tell you that the best and hardest sound to get-is from a child. Katrina was fantastic, not only did she answer my questions, but she was honest and genuine. She was talking about her sister's death with such insight and strength, that I wish all interviews went as smoothly as hers. Of course, reporters will also tell you that it's almost impossible to control your environment-especially if it happens to be in a school gym. I had Katrina all set up, the interview was going great, but then someone started doing sound checks, then all the roaring students filed in. Of course this all happened during the BEST parts of interview. Sometimes it's just what happens, so you just roll with the punches. Katrina had the normal reaction, tried to ignore it until she got distracted, but then went right back into it, not skipping a beat.