Rubber Ducky You're the One!

It's time to pick your duck:) Hi it's Meghan.

Cincinnati's Rubber Duck Regatta is the largest and longest-running rubber duck race in the nation. Over 85,000 rubber duckies will be dropped from the Purple People Bridge into the Ohio River and swim quarter mile along the Serpentine Wall. This event happens on Sunday, September 5th at 3 p.m.

In a few days you can also get involved by buying a Celebrity Duck. Chose from over 60 ducks signed by local and nationally recognized stars. Sports legends Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Chad Ochocinco and Kentucky Basketball coach John Calipari all have a duck. There's even Bieber Fever this year, music phenom Justin Bieber has one! The picture above is of the Carrie Underwood and Rey Maualuga duck (love all that hair)! The event is this Thursday, July 29th from 5:30 to 8:30 at Newport on the Levee's Jefferson Hall.

The Rubber Duck Regatta is the Freestore Foodbank’s largest fundraiser. Last year, $550,000 was raised – that is equivalent to 2.2 MILLION meals. Click here for details.

We Have Computers Now

Hi it’s Meghan:) No it's not 1987 and this is not breaking news. But I wanted to let you know about something you might have noticed while watching the show. If you look at the wide shot of the two anchors sitting at the desk you can now see little computers with the FOX19 logo.

Those are brand new Netbook computers. The anchors use them to read scripts, respond to emails and to watch for breaking news alerts. We had computers on set before, but they were slightly below the desk on a small table so they wouldn’t be seen. They were awkward to use and not helpful since they weren’t in front of the anchors. The Netbooks are a great addition they are smaller and easier to see and use. Plus it now gives Rob something to do during commerical breaks:)

The computer is just another tool we use to make sure the information we deliver is accurate and up to the minute. Thanks for watching!

Cool Roadside Joint in Newtown

Hi it’s Meghan:) I love to try eclectic new places and this past Saturday afternoon I found a great one. Corral 32 is on Route 32 in Newtown, OH, or "Main Street" as the locals call it. I just happened to drive by and thought it looked interesting (well, that, and I was starving!) so I decided to stop for a late lunch.

Corral 32 is a bit hard to explain or classify. It's an ice cream shop that's also a BBQ joint on weekends, but its atmosphere feels more like an old trading post. The house that was built back in 1836 has now been remodeled to look like a barn, and the porch and yard contain a hodgepodge of antiques, from Tonka trucks to a Magnavox record player that still works. The owner, Ted Gerrard, sometimes brings his animals down for a petting zoo. Other times they have live music performances. Ted says that July 31 is Open Mic Night for anyone who wants to belt out a song or play an instrument.

Phil (wearing the cowboy hat) smokes the ribs and chicken with real hickory wood for about 3 hours before transferring them to the grill and adding his homemade BBQ sauce. He says he messed up 100 different sauces before perfecting his current recipe, which I tried over both chicken and ribs. I also tried his "sagebrush beans" that have sage and apples cooked in. A soft serve twist cone was my sweet treat at the end, and it was all delicious!!!

Corral 32 is only open seasonally right now, so I'm glad I drove by when I did!

Really Getting Away

Hi it's Meghan:) I just got back from vacation. Every year since before I was born my family heads to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. I love going..it's like a home away from home. This year was no different. Tennis, swimming, beach volleyball, reading and relaxing.

But the best thing I did was disconnect. I turned off my Blackberry and didn't watch TV for a week. It felt so good to have the real world disappear for a while. I didn't think about work or anything else important (Sorry FOX19 family - i am glad to be back.)

If you are going away... even for a few days, I highly suggest turning off the cellphone, TV and computer. Try just sitting and talking to the people you are with. I think in this technology driven society, the art and warmth you get from having a real conversation is missing. But the good news is...it's not hard to get it back - you just have to unplug.