Let’s get bloggin’!!!

It’s not easy coming up with topics to blog about everyday.  I don’t want to bore you I want to engage you in discussing some interesting topics. So what is it that really interests you? Sports, politics, religion, world peace, etc.?

Right now I’m enjoying my last week of comfort food. I told you last week my fitness kick starts this weekend. So, I traveld to Shake Square tonight and had a salad, grilled chicken breast and a bowl of COTTAGE FRIES!!  I love their cottage fries with a sprinkle of salt and a little ketchup. Heaven!

But the party will soon be over and fries will be in my past. Comfort foods. What are some of your favorites?

Respond to this blog and let me know what’s on your mind!

Have a great day!

Danita

T.G.I.F.

I am so glad today is Friday! The weekends are my time to chill and relax. I usually try to watch a good movie, hang out with my hubby, pig out on comfort food(chocolate, Chipotle, chips) and go to church for some spiritual strength and guidance.

Starting next weekend I’m going on my fitness kick. Newschannel 5 reporter Alicia Scicolone has invited to workout with her.  Lord knows I need to drop a few pounds! It’s great to have a workout partner because it encourages you not to give up.

My problem is hips and thighs. Gravity is not my friend! When I look at food it just jumps on me. From the lips to the hips….and the thighs, and the stomach!  I have a treadmill that’s collecting dust, dumbells that need to be touched and a jump rope that needs to be picked up.

Who will join me in my battle of the bulge????? Send me your fitness tips and we can stay healthy together!

Have a great weekend,

Danita

Being an only child

Someone asked me yesterday my feelings on being an only child. Actually, I don’t think it about much now that I am an adult. As a little girl I always wanted a sister or brother to play with but my mother told me I was enough.(smile)

Yes, there were some lonely times as a kid but it also taught me how to entertain myself. It challenged me to be creative and I learned how to enjoy my own company. Those are good qualities for anyone to posess. My friends became the sisters and brothers I always wanted.  My house was always the hangout place and my friends thought my parents were so cool. As a matter of fact they still think my parents are cool.  My parents have adopted many of my friends as their own.  My friends call my parents mom and dad.

The down side to being an only child would be, when something was broken of course your always blamed for it. There’s no one else to blame but you. The assignment of chores, you guessed it, it’s all on you.  I have to do the balancing act of being a Daddy’s girl and my mother’s strong, independent daughter.

Another thing I love about being an only child is how close I am to my parents. We have family days where we literally hang out all day. We meet for breakfast, got to the mall, catch a movie, go out to dinner and then we head back to our respective homes.  We’ve been doing it for years!

So, being an only child isn’t the end of the world. We’re not all spoiled brats demanding that we get our way all the time. Most people are shocked when I tell them that I’m an only child.  I’m not sure why.  And then the cherry on top of all of this is that I married an only child! Yes, Brad is an only child too.  Go figure!  I guess birds of a feather flock together.(smile)

Take care!

Danita

You ask…I answer!

Since you asked for our opinion/questions, here are just a few. Who do you keep in contact with after they left NC5? Where are they now? What’s the funniest memory from the “graveyard” shift on GMC? Do you miss it at all (probably not the lack of sleep)? My wife and I always enjoyed all of you on NC5 —you’re doing a great job! Good times.

C. J.
North Canton, Ohio

HELLO C.J.,

THANKS FOR WRITING TO ME.  LET ME START WITH YOUR FIRST QUESTION.

I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MY FORMER GMC CO-ANCHOR ADAM SHAPIRO. HE’S IN NEW YORK CITY NOW DOING A FABULOUS JOB ON THE FOX BUSINESS NETWORK. I MISS HIM DEARLY. I CALL HIM MY “TV HUSBAND” AND HE CALLS ME HIS “TV WIFE”.  HE’S A DEAR FRIEND!

METEOROLOGIST STEPHANIE ROBERTS IS IN FLORIDA LIVING A SUN-FILLED LIFE.  SHE IS SUCH A BRIGHT AND LIVELY SPIRIT. SHE WAS IN TOWN RECENTLY AND WE HOOKED UP FOR DINNER. IT WAS JUST LIKE OLD TIMES.  STEPHANIE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE ME LAUGH AND SHE KEEPS IT REAL.

**THOSE ARE THE ON-AIR PEOPLE I KEEP TABS ON. I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OTHERS BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU WOULDN’T KNOW.

NEXT….FUNNIEST MOMENT ON GMC

ONE MORNING I WAS SO TIRED THAT I FORGOT MY NAME. LITERALLY! I SAID “GOOD MORNING CLEVELAND I’M (BLANK).  THERE WAS A MOMENT OF SILENCE UNTIL ADAM HAD TO REMIND ME THAT MY NAME IS DANITA HARRIS. WE LAUGHED IT OFF BUT I WANTED TO CRAWL IN A HOLE. I FELT LIKE AN IDIOT!

THE OTHER MOMENT WAS WHEN MARK JOHNSON BOUGHT IN A LIVE TURKEY ON THANKSGIVING AND THE BIRD LEFT A TRAIL OF “POO”  ALL OVER THE STUDIO FLOOR! HILARIOUS!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST….DO I MISS BEING A PART OF GMC

YES! THE SHOW WAS SO MUCH FUN AND WE HAD A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO OPERATED MORE LIKE FAMILY AS OPPOSED TO COLLEAGUES. IF YOU THOUGHT WHAT YOU SAW ON CAMERA WAS UPBEAT AND FUN, THE BEHIND THE SCENES ANTICS WERE JUST AS GREAT. THE CREW WAS WONDERFUL AND I LOVED HOW THE MEN ALWAYS MADE BREAKFAST FOR THE WOMEN ON VALENTINE’S DAY.  WHAT I DON’T MISS IS MY ALARM CLOCK GOING OFF AT 2:30AM!

WEWS IS FILLED WITH GREAT PERSONALITIES, ON AND OFF AIR. THAT’S WHY IT’S GREAT TO WORK HERE.  THE PEOPLE MAKE IT SPECIAL.

THANKS AGAIN C.J.   GOOD QUESTIONS!  I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO WATCH NEWSCHANNEL 5!

TAKE CARE,

DANITA

Your turn!

Blogging is a lot of fun but I’m feeling a bit selfish. Everything is about my experiences and my opinions. So,  I figured it was time to mix things up a bit. I want to hear from you! What questions have you always wanted to ask but were afraid to?  What topics would you like for me to discuss in this blog?

I’m sure you have great ideas and opinions so start typing them out right now.  Don’t be shy. If I can confess that I eat SPAM and survive, I know there are some things that you can share with me!

I’m waiting…..

Take care,

Danita

My favorite celebrities

There’s one thing you can count on when you work in the media…it’s never boring! As a child I was told I have the gift of gab. Translation-I talk, and talk, and talk.  I’ve always loved meeting people and talking to them about their life experiences.  And in my short time here on earth I have been blessed to meet celebrities. Some big, some not so big.

So, I figured I’d share some of my celebrity moments with you.

*March 11, 1993 I interviewed Denzel Washington for the first time. I had a huge crush on him and was a nervous wreck. I stuck a pack of breath mints in the arm of my sweater and it was the hand I was holding the mic with while interviewing him.  Everything was cool until I put my arm down and the breath mints went flying everywhere. I wanted to crawl into a hole. Thankfully, he laughed it off and knelt down and picked all of them up for me. What a gentleman!  I interviewed him several more times over the years and he’s always so down to earth. Not to mention incredibly handsome!

*John Travolta-this is one cool dude. I interviewed him for the movie Battlefield Earth. Definitely, not a blockbuster film but Travolta was such a good sport about it. He looked nothing like Vinny Barbarino in the film. He was some alien being with greenish-yellowish teeth. Yuck! During my interview he made me feel so relaxed that I finally told him how ugly his character looked and that his teeth were invaded by the cavity creeps. He cracked up laughing and I did too. I really enjoyed talking to him!

*OPRAH-the word I would use to describe her would be “genuine”.  I was extremely nervous to meet her but as soon as she saw me and said hello, it was as if I had known her all of my life. Even though she is one of the most powerful women in the world, she never makes you feel her “celebrity”. She comes across like your sister, aunt, or friendly next door neighbor. Oprah not only has a huge wallet but she has an enormous heart. She told me she wants her life to mean something and feels it is her purpose to help those who can’t help themselves. This is evident by so many things she does including her Angel Network and her schools in South Africa. I have a picture of the two of us and I think of her as a true “sister-friend”.

*Diana Ross-the boss is on my list of favorites because she totally surprised me. I was working at Black Entertainment Television (BET) and she was coming to our studios for an appearance on Video Soul. As you would imagine, we did everything but roll out the red carpet for her to walk on.  They had a caterer make this fancy lunch, just for her, and when she arrived she said, “Can someone go across the street and get me some McDonald’s?” I loved it!  No diva attitude at all. She talked to everyone and signed autographs. She has a great sense of humor and yes, she is beautiful.

These are just a few of my celebrity favorites. I have more stories but I’ll save those for another time.

 Hope your weekend is great!

Danita

Iron Chef Michael Symon

Michael Symon is an Iron Chef on the Food Network and the owner and executive chef of the restaurants Lola and Lolita, right here in Cleveland. He’s a star, he’s a whiz in the kitchen, he’s funny, he’s down to earth, he attempted to be my Mr. Miyagi but I was a culinary catastrophe.

I first met Michael Symon on the Morning Exchange and we did many cooking segments together. I credit him with giving me the courage to boil water, make toast,  and create a jello surprise. The surprise would be that I didn’t screw it up.  The man had the patience of a saint dealing with me as I continuously messed up his well thought out recipes on television. Never a terse word, never a mean look but plenty of prayer asking God for divine intervention during these segments.

I knew then this man was going places. If you can deal with me in a kitchen and come out smiling, you can handle anything. When he was crowned the Iron Chef I was so happy for him. Michael works great under pressure and keeps you laughing the whole time. When he cooks, he has a good time which inspired me to try my limited skills in the kitchen again.

My first try was meatloaf. Not good. My husband said it was so solid that it felt like a brick! Next was steak. I must have bought the worst cut of beef ever because it was so tough my dog Justin wouldn’t eat it. Moving right along to Italian Sausage with rice topped with my special tomato sauce.  Let’s just say the sauce lost all of it’s tomato flavor due to my excessive misuse of my spice rack.

Michael would say Danita, Danita, Danita! Let’s start with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and work our way up.  Well, at least I tried. Thankfully, God has blessed me with a husband who is a great cook. After I destroyed those meals, he politely asked me to stay out of the kitchen until cleanup time.  I humbly submitted.

Michael, I just want to say thank you for trying to teach me how to cook….something right. My quest to conquer the kitchen isn’t over. You have given me the courage to dust off my apron and get back in there and try again.  Don’t know if I will succeed, but I’m going back in there with a spatula in one hand and a knife in the other…okay maybe not a knife. How about a spoon?

 

Take Care!

Danita

Men…gotta love ‘em

I had a “hubbie” moment today that boggles my mind and at the same time makes me laugh.  I love to shop for my husband.  He doesn’t mind because he’s color blind and knows I have a better chance of picking out clothes that at least match.

Yesterday, I went to one of his favorite stores and picked up a few shirts for him. I didn’t tell him I was doing it, just thought it would be a nice surprise for him.  Since I’m usually sleep when he leaves for work, I called him when I got up to see if he had noticed the new items in his closet. He said no. I was surprised because I put them in a place where he couldn’t miss it.  But, he said he didn’t see it and I just left it at that.   That is until I looked on his nightstand and noticed a tag that looked familiar.

It was a price tag from one of the shirts I had purchased yesterday.  Immediately, I called my husband back and asked him what shirt he was wearing. When he described it I said, “THAT’S THE SHIRT I BOUGHT YOU YESTERDAY!!!”    Then he apologized and said he thought it was a shirt that he bought while he was out of town two weeks ago.  Come on! Give me a break!!  He laughs and says he really thought it was an old purchase. 

So, I just shook my head as he thanked me for the shirt and said how much he liked it.  Ladies, the men in our lives can be so “special” at times that you just have to laugh and keep loving them!

I know someone out there has some funny “men” stories. I would love to hear them!!

Have a great day!

Danita

What’s in a name?

I come from a family with very interesting names.  When I was born my grandfather told my parents that he was going to name me. He came up with the name “Danita”. I like the name, it fits, it works for me. My grandmother wanted to name me “Robin” or “April” but Grandfather Harris got his way and Danita won.  You may be wondering if my parents had a name for me. The answer is no. They told me that my grandfather was so adamant about naming me they didn’t bother with coming up with a name.

Danita is not a common name but it’s not what I would call a strange name or shall I say “unique” name. Grandfather Harris has a  name that’s pretty interesting. His first name is Commodore. That’s right, Commodore.  And it gets better.  He gave his children very unique names. Commodore Jr., Theron(my dad), Lovell, Brion, Kedrick and the one girl in the bunch is named Sandy. Go figure!  I wonder if my aunt felt funny about having such a common name.(smile)

On my mother’s side everything is pretty normal EXCEPT my grandfather’s name…Mather.  And let’s just keep the  m’s going because my maternal grandmother’s name is Mattie  and my mother’s name is Matilda.  Yes, I come from a family filled with unique names.

I have cousins named Dajah, Janasha, Keona, Domingo, and Caleshia. I guess when you see those names Danita seems pretty common.

Do you have any interesting names in your family? I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Danita

Confession

I’ve come to a realization about something that  I can no longer deny. I have an addiction. I’ve tried to fight it but I just can’t let it go.  What am I addicted to?  CHIPOTLE’S BURRITO BOL!!!   I find myself driving to Chipotle at least three times a week. It’s crazy!  I get the rice, double chicken, black beans and the tomato-onion salsa.

It started out two months ago as simple curiosity. I wanted to know why so many people I talked to loved Chipotle food.  So, I tried it and now I’m hooked.  But I’m not the only one who needs a weekly “spicy” fix…my husband  is addicted to it

too!  We’re two Chipotle junkies. There, I said it. It’s out in the open. I’ve confessed my addiction and I feel better about myself.

What I need now is a way to knock my visits down from three to two to maybe once a week. This will be a difficult task because I absolutely love the way they season their chicken. Tasty, tasty, tasty!

Maybe you can help me. Are you a recovering Chipotle Addict? How did you do it? How long did it take you to cut down or cut it out of your diet?  I really need some advice.

If you could send me the information I would greatly appreciate it….my “hips” will appreciate it too!

Take care!

Danita