Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt



Statues that guarded temple



It's CLEOPATRIC!

What does that mean?  Amazing.  Impressive.  Beautiful.  A perfect description of the new Cleopatra exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

I think you'd agree it takes a lot to impress us these days, but I promise this exhibit will astound you.  You'll see 150 incredible artifacts that had been lost at sea for nearly 2,000 years!  And you’ll learn about them from Cleopatra herself, as she takes you on an audio tour, telling her story and walking you through the ruins of ancient Alexandria, Canopus and Heracleion.

What's nearly as impressive as the artifacts themselves is expedition to bring them to you.  You’ll feel like one of the explorers as they describe their search for these hidden treasures of ancient Egypt and Cleopatra’s tomb.  You’ll see the massive operation to recover them from their burial ground beneath the ocean floor.



Cleopatra's necklace and earrings



My favorite part of the exhibit was the two 17 foot tall statues that stood guard outside an Egyptian temple that only Cleopatra was allowed in.  Standing before these granite masterpieces will take you back in time.  I also was impressed with the jewelry.  The tiered and beaded dangle earrings I have today are incredibly similar to the ones worn by Cleopatra 2,000 years ago, except mine aren't made of pure gold and precious stones:)

This exhibit truly is a must-see.  Cincinnati is one of only 6 stops for it in the United States.  It's here until September, so don't miss your chance to get personal with one of the most powerful and seductive women to ever live!

Calling all Frizzy Haired Ladies!

This is painful, but I thought
you might need proof. :)

You might not be able to tell, but I have naturally curly hair. I straighten it every day because it works better on TV and now I'm just used to it this way. If you catch me standing out in the rain or humidity watch out, the curls start to magically reappear.

A majority of women do have naturally tasseled tresses. Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: The Handbook told me that 65 percent have wavy or curly hair. Massey, a curly haired girl herself, owns five salons in New York City and LA that only work on clients with waves. Her advice: embrace your natural hair; it saves time and money. Lorraine encourages us to try the Curly Girl Method. No blow dryer needed, just sulfate-free cleanser, botanical conditioner, and hair gel.



She also whipped up a homemade recipe to treat and nourish dry ends. It's called Wrapunzel and she shared the recipe:

In studio with Lorraine Massey,
author of Curly Girl:  The Handbook.

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cored
3 to 4 teaspoons honey or agave syrup
8 to 10 drops olive oil or jojoba oil

1. Put the avocado, honey and oil in a blender and combine.
2. Apply mixture to your wet hair especially the ends.
3. Wrap your hair in plastic or a towel and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Rinse your hair, cleanse and condition then style.




I haven't tried Wrapunzel yet but I plan to soon. If it works, maybe I'll go curly more... but only on the weekend. :)

Broadcasting live from Dayton... I love my new job!

Hello everyone.  It's been a while!  I hope you've been able to keep up with me on Facebook at least! :)

As you probably know, I started my new morning anchor job with Dayton's News Source, ABC 22/FOX 45 at the beginning of December.  It was really hard leaving all the friends I had made at FOX19, and I still miss seeing Rob, Frank, and Sheila each morning.  I also miss the viewers and the people I interacted with on a daily basis as a reporter.

I love my new job though.  My co-anchor, Pete Scalia, is hilarious and every day he comes up with something crazy that makes me laugh.  We are on air from 5-7 AM on the ABC station and then from 7-9 on FOX.  There's a nice blend of hard news and softer entertainment, like cooking segments, pets up for adoption, and makeovers, and I enjoy the variety.

The production crew has been great to work with and I love that they are open to suggestions from anyone on the team.  I really feel a sense of ownership for the product we put on the air each day.


The rock of our on-air team is veteran meteorologist Mike Terwilleger, who is also possibly the nicest guy I have met in all my years in this business.  Kristen Keogh is our morning reporter and I can truly empathize when she gets sent out to report on how the latest snow storm is wreaking havoc on the roadways!  Her energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to grow make her a true joy to work with, even in those pre-dawn hours when we first get to the station.

Whenever there is change, there are things that you miss about the past.  I definitely miss FOX19, Cincinnati, and the viewers there.  However, I couldn't have asked for a better first two months in Dayton.  I love it!

Goodbye FOX19!

Farewell, FOX19 viewers!

It’s not without some sadness that I find myself writing my final blog for FOX19.

Wow. It's hard to believe this is my last day. It went by so fast. I guess that's a sign I enjoyed my five years at FOX19.

It was a little more than five years ago that I signed on as a WXIX reporter, coming from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. I was so thrilled to be able to come to Cincinnati and live in a big city. Living and working here has been all that I hoped it would be and more. That may sound cheesy but it's true. I have met so many great people and formed lasting friendships.

Me with my new co-anchor, Pete Scalia

Reporting for FOX19 allowed me to cover an important breaking news story one day and hang on a trapeze to showcase a circus in town the next. It's a job that's hard to leave. But being a morning anchor is an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I am excited to join the ABC22/FOX45 team in Dayton where I’ll co-anchor alongside Pete Scalia.

I want to thank everyone so much for watching my colleagues and me at FOX19 the past several years. Live TV can certainly be an adventure, but we enjoyed our jobs and worked hard to deliver a quality product every day. I hope it showed.

Top 10 things I’ll miss (and a few I won’t – you’ll have to guess which are which):

1. My close friends on the show and my main photographer Dale.
2. The camaraderie behind the scenes, like chatting with Sheila while we put finishing touches on our makeup.
3. Rob’s cornucopia of strange morning foods like beef jerky, watermelon, Greek yogurt, and popcorn.
4. Frank’s annoyingly chipper attitude at 3:30 AM.
5. Live shots at GABP when Reds fans camp out for Opening Day Tickets, and Opening Day itself.
6. Getting out of the warm FOX19 truck to do a live hit in the cold – 8 times per morning!
7. Setting up at our four favorite live locations: the courthouse, CVG, the police station and… the salt pile.
8. Watching countless salt trucks get refilled during bad weather at the aforementioned salt pile.
9. Dressing up in a German Dirndl for the start of Oktoberfest.
10. All the viewers who got up with us each morning and especially those who were so nice when I saw them around town.

Thanks everyone. I will really miss being on the air here in Cincy. I really appreciate your support. Remember I'm not too far away. You could buy a really strong antenna to watch me in Dayton!  :)  Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!

I love CrossFit!

I may like high heels and mascara, but I am proud to say that I can also do pull-ups. :)

Box jumps!  Man, I'm moving fast! :)

Have you ever done a workout where after six minutes you are out of breath and the sweat is dripping off? If you've tried CrossFit, you'll surely say yes. For those who haven't, let me explain.

CrossFit is a mix of strength and conditioning, combining weightlifting, sprinting, and gymnastics. The goals are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance and coordination. CrossFit athletes run, row, jump rope, climb ropes and carry odd objects.

I've been working out at CrossFit NKY in Florence three times per week for two years. All CrossFit gyms are linked and there is always a prescribed workout of the day which changes every day. Here's an example from Wednesday:
- 5 dumbbell push jerks (25 lbs)
- 7 box jumps (2' box)
- repeat, completing as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Sounds simple, right? Well, I went non-stop and completed 25 rounds. That means I did 125 push jerks holding 50 pounds and 175 box jumps in 15 minutes. It was exhausting (it always is) but I feel a exercise high and a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

Luckily, Lucas is a better trainer than he is a photographer. :)

CrossFit is for anyone and everyone who wants to work hard. I've been in classes with people of all ages and all skill levels. This picture is of me, Laura and Stephanie doing pull-ups. Laura is in college and has worked super hard to become one of the instructors. Stephanie is pregnant! Yes, it is hard to tell. She started recently and does a workout tailored to moms. You can see she is also using a band to do pull-ups. Adjustments are made based on a person's strength and skill. I should know, it took me a year to get rid of the band and start doing pull-ups on my own!

I highly recommend trying CrossFit. There are at least 4 different locations in the Tri-State. Of course, I'm partial to Coach Lucas and all the great people and athletes at CrossFit NKY:)

Landor Project

I have never claimed to be an artist.

Okay, that may be a bit of an understatement. I really can’t draw at all. So when I was approached about being part of the Landor project, I was a hesitant at first. Especially because the assignment was kind of abstract and artsy. But after Micah Paldino from PB&J explained it as a unique way to journal for a week, I decided to give it a try.

Landor is a consulting and design firm. A little while back they decided to try an experiment.  They asked their employees to stop whatever they were doing every day at 1:10 PM and document exactly what they were thinking and feeling at that very moment. Workers used this experiment to inspire and get creative. Landor created a window display to show off the creativity of the finished projects. It was such a success that the company wanted to share the idea and let the people of Cincinnati express themselves. That's where I come in.

Last Friday I got my journal book. That's picture of it. I'm kind of embarrassed to show off the sketches, but it's kind of funny to see how bad I am at drawing. I was also instructed to choose a word, pick a color, and take a picture. This all had to be at 1:10 every day for a week. I have to admit I was sometimes napping at that time, so I had to wait to "get creative."

My work and that of the other participants will be made into one big window display.  If you want to see it, just head to the corner of 7th and Race at the Shillito Building.

Now that it's done, it was interesting to flip through and remember where I was at that moment throughout the past week. Another thought I had was maybe I should take an Learn to Draw class, you know for any future pictionary games. :)

Cyclones Take the Ice

Hockey is back in Cincinnati. Hi, it’s Meghan:) If you like beer, fighting and intense action then you're going to love watching a Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game. I know I do. More on that later. But first the team.

The Cyclones are the defending Kelly Cup Champions. This season they're off to a slow start. But the games have come down to one or two goals and are still packed with action. The Cyclones are the minor league affilate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. Nine players are returning from last year’s team (Aubin, Ehgoetz, Robinson, Pierce, Reynolds, Sheahan, O’Hanley, Krantz, and Roeder). They're skating under a new head coach, Jarrod Skalde. He has put together a team that's bigger in stature but still quick and skilled.

You can catch me at some of the games either watching or serving as your fan cam hostess. That means I walk around with a mic, like I was on Tuesday night when that picture was taken, and play games with fans in the stands or during periods on the ice. The crowd is a lot of fun. It can get kind of rowdy with people booing and yelling insults at the opposing team. But I guess that's what happens during $1 and $2 beer night.

Oh, did I mention that yet? Yes, Big Beer Tuesday means $2 24 oz. Labatt Blue and Molson. Wet Wednesday means $1 12 oz. Miller High Life and PBR. There are ton of other promotins going on through the season. A few highlights include Kids Eat Free Nights, Santa Bobblehead Night, Kids Jersey T-shirt Night, Pink in the Rink and Child Abuse Awareness Night. The next big one is Saturday, November 13 with Throwback night. The Cyclones will be throwing back prices to $8 tickets, $1 pizza, hotdogs, and soda. The Clones will also wear retro jerseys.

Definitely check out a game. You'll have a fun, inexpensive night. Go Cyclones!!