nataliesolis's Blog

   I am my mother's only child. For the longest time it was just me and her. She was a single mom who worked long hours, and even as a little girl I knew she was underpaid and overworked. Despite being exhausted in the evenings, she'd kick off her heels and I knew I had her full attention. No task was too big. There were all those hours she helped me with homework, the countless times she shuttled me all over town for activities and dates with friends, the meals she made, the house she cleaned, the sleepless nights when I was sick, and the steady flow of care packages when I was away at college.  I always knew if it was important to me, it was important to her.

   What was important to me as a kid was dance. I'll never forget the time my dance costume was at the cleaners and I had a performance that night.  The cleaners was closed and I was devastated. That was the beginning of our adventure. Over several hours and after a lot of desperate phone calls , my mom somehow managed to track down the manager of the cleaners at home. The laundry was done off site, but my mom convinced the woman to go hunt down my outfit from what I imagined was a warehouse facility with mounds of dirty clothes. We eventually met the woman in a movie theater parking lot on the other side of town and she pulled my crumpled outfit from her trunk. My mom and I left feeling like special agents who'd successfully completed a clandestine mission. 

   My mom didn't give up, even though I'm sure she would have preferred doing something else with her Saturday afternoon. She could have easily told me I'd be missing my performance, which in retrospect, wasn't really that earth-shattering anyway, but she didn't. What she did say is, "when you have a child, I expect you to do the same for them." And because of her example, I will.  

I love you, Mom.

 And to all the moms out there who always go the extra mile....Happy Mother's Day!

 

Wow! what a day for Mayfest. I spent a few hours out there this (saturday) morning, and it was fantastic. I was so happy to spend a few hours outdoors in the cool, crisp air before going into work. Just wanna let everyone know, it's a fabulous weekend to be there with the kids. Seems like there were a lot more booths this year. I had an egg Mcmuffin on the way over there so sadly I wasn't hungry enough to try any of the food. Corn dogs are my fave, but maybe next time. Anyway, I hope you guys get out there and stop by the FOX 4 booth. There's lots of goodies to be had and great people to meet. Have fun!

Hi Everyone, Friday I did a story on mother who received a summons for truancy court because her daughter had 17 absnces from september to january.  The woman's daughter is 17 and moved out from the family home and in with her boyfriend. The mother tried to stop her, but police said the state of Texas a person becomes an adult at the age of 17, therefore there was nothing they could do. Problem is...that's one part of Texas law. The part that governs education says a student becomes an adult at 18, making parents responsible for them another year and that's why the mother was bieng summoned to court.

Is it just me or does this sound like one huge loop hole in the system?! I'm surprised there aren't more parents kicking and screaming when this sort of thing happens, especially when fines for truancy range from $120-$500 per day.  The mother in our story is devastated that her daugther left home and isn't taking her education seriously, but at the same time, she doesn't understand how the state can hold her accountable when it doesn't give her any authority after the child turns 17. Go figure!

***Part of the reason I bring this story up again is there's one other piece of information that didn't make it into the story. (Often we reporters learn a ton about a topic, but you can only squeeze so much into 1min30sec.) The mother says the school her daughter attended told her she could not see her daughters school record. The mother was of course trying to find out if her daughter was in school. According to the Texas Education Agency, a parent can access their child's file until the child's 18th birthday. So there you have it.

Some people call it the flu, my mother likes to call The Crud. The Crud includes a chest-ripping cough accompanied by an excruciating headache and my favorite...all over body aches with an alternately drippy/stuffy nose. I've spent the last 4 full days in bed with chills and feeling all around miserable which seems to indicate I had a classic case of the Crud. (Although truth be told, my doctor says it could also be bronchitis...good times, right) Anyway, I'm seriously not looking for sympathy (well maybe I was back on day 2 of the Crud) but now that I'm finally getting over it, I'm more curious as to who else has gotten it...and how long it took them to get rid of it. Did you get on an antibiotic? And is it just me or was Walgreens crawling with other sick people?? I feel like everyone's getting the Crud.

Take it from me, if you haven't gotten it (yet), you may want to go out and get your Crud, I mean, flu shot ASAP!

 

 

I know, it's been a while since my last blog...got a little side tracked with the holidays and all, but here we are almost in February and I'm realizing something is missing. That would be you, my dear blogosphere. How is everyone these days? Gosh were to begin...so many big stories recently. There were the two Lewisville sisters allegedly murdered by their father on New Years Day, of course election madness, Heath Ledger's death and those are just few.
I spent a lot of time covering the murder of the Lewisville girls and that is one that still haunts me. I truly hope their father is caught and brought to justice. What we couldn't air from the younger daughter's 911 call is enough to give you nightmares. May they both rest in peace.
As for the election...just the fact that there are two very viable candidates...one that's a woman and the other an African American...truly makes me happy. Regardless of what party they represent, I'm glad our country has progressed enough that both have a real shot at the highest office in the land.
As for Heath Ledger's death, so tragic. I'm curious what the toxicology results will reveal. Reportedly he was taking a variety of prescription drugs. It's always amazing to me how the people you think have it all and seem to be happy and have everything to live for are often quietly suffering, whether it be from physical pain, anxiety, depression, or any number of things.

I can only guess that the amount of material headed for landfills goes up over the holiday season. I recycle and I hope everyone else does too,especially over the coming weeks. My question is...are people really thinking green when buying Christmas gifts? I know there are lots of news stories floating around with eco-friendly gift ideas, but are people taking them seriously? I think I'm going to put at least some of my gifts in canvas grocery bags (instead of wrapping paper) that the recipient can reuse. I'd also love to know other ways people are making their holidays more environmentally friendly. Got any ideas?????

Hello Everyone,

I hope y'all had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was superb! This was the first year in quite a long time that I didn't have to deal with airports, and all the drama associated with traveling a long distance for a short trip. I spent the day with my folks out in E. Texas. My mom and I took care of some of the easier chores (though we still worked hard!), while my step-father worked his magic in the kitchen, baking up a storm and cooking some of the best turkey, stuffing and yams you've ever tasted. Thanksgiving and Christmas are truly his holidays to shine.  We watched the Cowboys game, of course, after  which I promptly zonked out on the couch, waking only to take a phone call and watch Wedding Crashers before going back to sleep.

Food, Family, Fun, lots of Sleep and oh soo much to be thankful for. Doesn't get any better than that.

I'd love to know what everyone else did with their Thanksgiving. Was it restful? Are you still playing host to visiting relatives? Did you travel? Any holiday nightmare situations  that always seem so awful as they're happening but are sure to get big laughs as you reminisce around the table next year?? Do tell....

My good friend and colleague, Emily Lopez, did a story this week about a some young men (in their 20's and old enough to know better!!) who threw rocks into traffic, smashing through at least one woman's window. The woman, who was also pregnant, was shaken as you might expect and feeling like the outcome could have been a whole lot worse.

I can completely relate to the feelings of helplessness and shock that overcome you when you are the victim of a crime like that.  About a year and a half ago I was driving with a friend of mine in the passenger's seat. I was going at least 65 mph on the freeway in the far right lane. I glanced at her as we were talking and all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw a kid, probably a teen, standup from behind a waist-high barracade with his arm raised and huge rock in his  hand. The next thing I know I hear a loud crash, and my friend and I are startled. Fortunately, I stayed calm enough to pull over onto the shoulder. Sure enough, there was a huge gash on the passanger-side door, just a couple of inches beneath the window.  We were in disblief and angry. I was also so thankful it didn't crash through the window into my friend's face or lap. I am still grateful I didn't see the kid sooner because I might have reacted, swerving to avoid being hit and crashing into somone else. After I pulled over, we called 9-1-1 and they sent a state trooper and roadside assistance. Fortunately, the trooper that responded was a friend of mine from stories I'd done in the past. I have to say, it was very comforting to have him there. Turns out, those punks continued throwing rocks into traffic after I was hit. At least three other cars had pulled off the road behind me. I think they realized that the rock they threw at my car was too big and heavy to make it very far, which is why it only hit the passanger door panel of my car. The other cars had broken windshields with the rocks still in side, and in one case, still lodged at the base of the windshield. 

To this day, I still think it's a miracle none of us were actually hit by the flying rocks or that none of us swerved into traffic, hurting ourselves or someone else. I'm sure those kids thought it was all fun and games, but in what twisted mind is hoping to cause a crash (which is what I have to imagine they were aiming for) amusing??!!  They had to have known someone could have been seriously hurt or killed. Is this something parents have to spell out for their kids and tell them not to do??!!

I just don't understand it and I probably never will.

  

Eat, pray, love is probably how must of us would like to spend our lives, if only life didn't keep getting in the way. Actually Eat, Pray, Love is the simple yet profound title of a book by Elizabeth Gilbert....and I promise it will leave a lasting impression, if not change the way you look at life.

I'm guessing many women on this blog have already heard of it. Gilbert has done the talk show circuit, including Oprah, and her book is front and center at Barnes and Noble stores across the country. I have to admit I hadn't heard of it or seen it until the day I bought it. The title piqued my curiosity and the synopsis on the back cover alludes to the fact that she travels through exotic countries, and that was enough for me. (In case you haven't read my bio, I love to travel!)

Let me just say it's one of the best books I've read in a long, long, long time. Gilbert, in her interview with Oprah, said she wrote the book for herself and no one else. But as a nice little bonus for us she connects to every woman who has ever gone through a breakup or divorce or left a job, or suddenly had an identity crisis and felt like she had to reinvent herself, starting from square one. No, it's not a self help book. Quite frankly at times her depression is so vivid you can actually hear the wah, wah, wah in the background.

Gilbert is your average over-achiever. She has a good husband, a nice house, nice car, great job, but her unhappiness and uneasiness in that life become more than she can bear. As you continue reading you realize the book is more about her journey, a recovery if you will, than the  things that nearly broke her for good. And the beauty of it is you come to see how she takes her life back....And if it's possible for her, well gosh darn, it's possible for anyone.

Ok, I have way over simplified a wonderful book, but I just wanted to share it with you.

But please don't take my word for it.....

Eat, Pray, Love.....and READ (it)!

I haven't always been the biggest of sports fans. Let me rephrase that, it's not that I'm not a sports fan, I just don't follow sports as closely as some people, particularly football. But I think that's all about to change. What a nail-biter on Monday! And just like that, a love afair with the Dallas Cowboys was born. Yes, I'm from Texas. Yes, I've always claimed to be a Cowboys fan, but Monday's game may have been the line in the sand, taking me from I'm-from-Texas-therefore-I'm-a-Cowboys-fan kinda gal to jersey-wearing, tailgating, bring-it-on Patriots fan.
In case you haven't heard, tickets aren't exactly cheap, not to mention, hard to come by. Cowboys gear is flying off the shelves. And fans are doing what they do best...get revved up for the game. Some of you may be thinking, this woman's jumping in mid-stream and riding the wave of Cowboy fever. Maybe so. And it's a darn good ride so far. Can't wait for Sunday.
Go Cowboys!

Let me start by saying I'm not writing this post because Fox4 sponsors the balloon festival. I say this as a young woman (emphasis on young!) looking for fun, out-of-the-ordinary things to do around the metroplex.

That being said the EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival is awesome!  I will admit I wasn't totally thrilled about heading out there to report Friday night. In my experience as a reporter in other cities, festivals can mean standing out in blistering heat for hours tethered to alive truck, and enduring mobs of people. This was my first time at this event and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

The balloons really are spectacular. And even as incredible as they look on TV, they are truly awe-inspiring in person. It's a wonderful event for families.  The kids out there were seemed captivated by the all those colorful, gigantic balloons. Since it's at a park, there is plenty of space for families to lay out a blanket, and watch the launches and balloon glows.There are also lots of food vendors and activities, but it isn't such an overwhelming event that you feel more worn down by crowds of people than relaxed.

My personal review (as a spectator and not a reporter working for a sponsor):

Go, you'll LOVE it and the kids will always remember it!

What is this  world coming to?

That's the first question that came to mind after  Saturday's turn of  events.  Among the top stories:

Highschool  football players shot while at a party

Mom accused of pouring gasoline on her three daughters and then setting them on fire

and last,  but  certainly not least....A woman and her two  sons are shot to death, her two daughters found bound in a closet  and her husband is  the  suspect.

Three families,  three communities devastated.  It's hard for me to wrap my brain around how these things  happen. It's even harder when they happen in multiples. I guess only time will  tell what  was really going on in the lives of all  the victims and the suspects.

 

 

This is such a tragic story....the family's pit bull mauls a 6-year-old boy.  Police still trying to determine if mom will be charged.

What are your thougths? I, personally, have covered several dog maulling stories. In one, a florida woman was attacked by her presa canario while she bathed him in the back yard with her 9-year-old daughter. Mom died...daughter witnessed the whole thing and was able to run to a neighbor for help.

In Miami-Dade county, where I used to work, pit bulls are illegal. Is this something people would agree with here? What about other so-called aggressive breeds like the presa?

 

 

Today I followed up a report I'd done a while back on Pizza Patron accepting pesos. Eight months later, we've learned that they weathered the insults and threats. And the supposed "backlash" has actually translated into $$$. They haven't necessarily seen a huge profit from the exchange rate or surcharges, but the thinking is they've dramatically increased sales as a result of more people supporting them for reaching out to the hispanic community. And as I'm sure you've heard Value Giant has also jumped on board and they are now accepting pesos as well.
I'm wondering if people are still fired up on this issue. Now that more restaurants and retail outlets may be accepting pesos, is it now a NON-issue. And as Pizza Patron points out...is there really that big of a difference between what they are doing and what our neighbors up north do on the Canadian border?

Traveling is a passion of mine and that's why I was so drawn to the story I did today. Missionaries returning from a Kenyan village were ambushed, robbed and some of them beaten. Sounds horrible, and I'm sure they were terrified, but in that moment they stayed calm and prayed. Then out of no where on that dark, deserted road a delivery truck drove toward them and their captors suddenly decided the holdup was over. The missionaries believe God most certainly heard their prayers and answered them. The incident ultimately cut their trip short, but the missionaries vow to return to Kenya and finish what they started.
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a bad experience while traveling abroad. How did you react? Did it change your feelings about that country/the people? Have you returned since?