You know how they always say before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes? Well, I think the same is true when you leave one job for another.
After a little over three years of covering feel-good features, writing new business and township board meeting stories, photographing innumerable school and sporting events, I’ve decided to leave The Leader to pursue my first passion ? photography.
Although I absolutely love to write, I’ve always loved to paint a picture with my camera.
When I was a young girl, I even wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic magazine.
Because I was unable to attend a college that had some sort of photojournalism major, I decided to make a career out of writing.
I was absolutely geeked when I found out that I would be a staff writer and photographer when I got the job at The Leader. (Clich? alert) It was like having my cake and eating it too.
With my trusty recorder and notepad in hand and my camera around my neck, I interviewed people about various things; whether it was a township trustee about a board’s decision, or a teacher about her upcoming retirement.
You name it, I wrote about it.
Most of the time, I got good feedback about my stories, but for every 10 good comments about a piece there’s always one sour apple in the bunch. That was never fun.
One thing’s for sure, though. I never got any negative comments about my photos.
I’ve even received two Michigan Press Association awards for a news and feature photo, as well as two awards for my sports photos from the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Never got an award for my writing, though.
Maybe that was my sign from above?
With a lot of brainstorming, prayer, dedication and support from family and friends, I decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship and start my own photography business: Casey Irey Photography (don’t worry, I didn’t create an alias, it’s my married name).
The rest of my summer is full of shooting weddings, senior portraits, sporting events and other freelance photo ops I’ve snagged here and there. I have to say, I couldn’t be happier.
Sure, it’s a risky thing starting your own business, but life would be so boring if we didn’t take risks.
My time at The Leader hasn’t been in vain, either.
I entirely believe that I was brought here for a reason and it has been a great learning tool in getting me to where I am today.
Thank you to all the high school athletes for your expressive plays during games.
Thank you to all the kids at the elementary schools that let their inhibitions go whenever a camera is around.
Thank you to all of those interviewees who despised me taking a photo, but let me anyway.
You all have been the perfect subjects to shoot over the years.
Although my last few stories in The Leader will be run on July 9, don’t think I’m giving up writing.
I’ve always loved to write fiction and have been working on a children’s novel. Maybe I’ll become the next J.R.R. Tolkien.
You never know what life will throw at you, but when it comes to taking chances, don’t be afraid to take them.
Comments can be e-mailed to caseyireyphotography@gmail.com.

Ok. I have to admit something. Since I began working here at the Leader just over three years ago, I haven’t really had the inclination to pick up a back issue and read it.
I’m not talking about last week’s, or even an issue from last month. I’m talking about a 91-year-old issue.
It was 1917 and it was a more ‘simpler? time in Oxford.
Dirt roads as far as the eye could see. No movie theatre or Starbuck’s Coffee to frequent.
Whenever we, meaning us ‘kids? in the age group of 25-35, think of yesteryear, we drum up images of quaint neighborhoods with mothers dressed in their cute aprons cooking baked goods.
Everybody got along and there wasn’t the fickle, piddley bickering about issues such as taxes or smoking bans ? or was there?
Just pick up a copy of the July 20, 1917 issue of The Oxford Leader and it’s sure to make you chuckle.
It made my nostalgic view of the early 1900s fade to black, that’s for sure.
Let’s take a peak, shall we?
On the topic of rural roads…
‘The post office department has decided to cut out a large number of rural routes in the next few months to reduce expenses. Inspectors will go through the country in the next few months and examine all roads which the rural carriers travel and whenever the conditions of the roads is found bad, routes will be discontinued.?
Can you imagine if they did that today? We’d never get our mail.
On the topic of busy Saturday nights, one person wrote to the paper and stated…
?’I guess we will have to put on city airs and have a traffic officer on Saturday evenings,? said an observant resident. ‘With the crowd such as we had last Saturday evening, the numerous automobiles and the electric cars, it was hardly safe to try to cross the street.??
Wow, they predicted all those pedestrian accidents from last year. Must’ve had a crystal ball.
One headline reads ‘War With Germany At Thomas,? and proceeds to describe how two gentlemen from Thomas, Archie Mathieson and Fred Ludwig, were discussing the war with Germany, to which Ludwig was ‘upholding the old Kaiser as against the United States.?
‘One assertion after another followed until Mathieson could hold in no longer and with one fell swoop floored the German sympathizer; and in doing so, Mathieson, in upholding the dignity of Uncle Sam, dislocated two bones in his right hand.?
Physical fighting on the job. Any public officials want to make the paper again?
The strangest things I read about, and quite frankly couldn’t believe they were in the paper, was when I read of Mrs. Alice M. Shurtz filing for divorce against her husband, Elmer B. Shurtz, and on page one!
Rest assured, we will not publish that you’re getting a divorce in the Leader nowadays. Frankly, it’s not news anymore because it happens too often.
Another odd thing to see was a blurb about a 42-year-old Rochester man, Jess Maybee, who committed suicide ‘by taking a dose of arsenate of lead.?
I know I’m probably naive in thinking this, but I never pictured people ‘back then? committing suicide. Everyone seemed happier than today.
It’s strange to think what people in the year 2099 might think when they look back on our current issues, via internet of course because hardcopy newspapers will be extinct by then.
Will they look back and be surprised at our lifestyles, issues and how we handled things?
Will anything really be changed by then? Judging by the history I just read, I highly doubt it.
So, if you ever feel the urge to really see what it was really like in the ‘old days,? stop by the Leader office (666 S. Lapeer Rd.) to check out some old news or visit the library to peak at some micro-film.
And, of course, if you have any interesting stories or ideas for stories, always give us a call and it might make the front page.

One might say democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton has lead an exciting life.
Afterall, her husband Bill was our Commander in Chief for eight years, she had to deal with his extramarital affairs, and she’s even achieved success as a New York senator ? or has she?
With the recent news articles that have caught Clinton deep in lies about her personal and political life, I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s either leading a double-life or likes to lie to make herself look better.
Hmm… Where to start, where to start … (cue the rolling harp music).
During a trip to Tuzla, Bosnia in 1996, Clinton claims she and her followers had to run for safety with ‘our heads down? because they were under fire by snipers.
‘There was no greeting ceremony, and we were basically told to run to our cars,? she said. ‘Now, that is what happened.?
BUZZ! Wrong!
Last week, videos surfaced on the internet of that exact trip Clinton was on and depicted a peaceful reception in which a young girl greeted the first lady on the tarmac.
Her excuse?
‘I say a lot of things ? millions of words a day ? so, if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement.?
As 20/20’s John Stossel says ? give me a break!
Maybe Clinton should take up film directing, because that run-to-your-car-because-you’re-dodging-sniper-bullets scene would make for an excellent action flick.
Here’s another one … For over a decade, Clinton has insisted she was named after the late Sir Edmund Hillary who reached the summit of Mt. Everest.
The problem with that is Clinton was born six years before Hillary accomplished that feat.
I haven’t heard her excuse for that one yet, but I’m sure she’ll blame her parents for it.
As if that wasn’t enough to make her grow a Pinocchio nose, Clinton told Dateline NBC during an interview that her daughter Chelsea was on a jog in New York City during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Chelsea later wrote a magazine essay which stated she watched the attacks on a friend’s TV.
Again, cue the camera. This sounds like a great movie: Little Miss Clueless is jogging through a serene park when BOOM! The park is invaded by alQaida ? or aliens ? whatever you fancy. What a blockbuster!
I could go on and on. There are many more lies, so feel free to Google them yourself. I’m sure you’ll find some from the other presidential candidates too.
Although Clinton’s fantastical lies have been amusing and make great entertainment, it really needs to be seriously considered before we head to the polls.
But then again, I suppose it’s no surprise for me to connect the words ‘politician? and ‘lie? together, is it?

Picture this, if you will.
ESPN First Take co-host Dana Jacobson takes the podium at a roast event for radio colleagues Mike & Mike in Atlantic City, N.J. earlier this month.
She swigs vodka from a Belvedere bottle as she rambles inappropriate comments to the crowd.
The comments, which contained the mother of all expletives that cannot be uttered in this paper, insulted Notre Dame, Touchdown Jesus (referring to a mural in the school’s football stadium) and Jesus Christ.
If you’re still clueless on what word I’m talking about, Google Jacobson’s name.
After sobering up days later and realizing what a fool she made of herself, she offered an apology.
‘I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words … I won’t make excuses for my behavior, but I do hope I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgement.?
Subsequently, ESPN suspended her for a week.
What I want to know is where is the big-mouthed Rev. Al Sharpton when you need him?
Weren’t Jacobson’s vulgar comments about the Christian religion enough to get him up on a soap box like he did when radio personality Don Imus racially insulted the Rutger’s basketball team?
Maybe if Jesus was black Sharpton would’ve made a stink and had her fired for good.
After Kelly Tilghman, a female golf anchor, made a comment about ‘lynching? Tiger Woods, Sharpton called for her firing, stating that the anchor’s remarks were racist.
Talk about a double-standard.
Call me crazy, but it seems Jacobson’s ‘apology? sounded like she was more sorry about offending Notre Dame than the Christians she offended.
I also know that if she had directed those same comments towards Judasim, she’d be labeled an anti-semite, and blackballed from ever working again.
If she made similar comments about Islam, there’d be a bounty on her head and you’d see rioting in the Muslim nations.
Why is it when anyone insults the Christian religion, we’re told to ‘tough it up and take it,? when everybody has to walk on eggshells so as not to offend other religions?
I’m not saying we abandon religion, and I’m not suggesting some big group hug. We Christians just want the same respect when it comes to defending our faith.
Each religion needs to stick to its? guns (metaphorically speaking, of course), and practice what they preach.
People like Sharpton need to heed this advice and not jump on the bandwagon only when it will promote themselves.
For the rest of us who were offended by Jacobson’s comments, all we can do is forgive, but I think she needs to make a more genuine apology.

I love scary movies. It’s just in my blood.
In fact, every fall I get a kick out of watching the Halloween movies (only I and II), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (the Johnny Depp one), Scream and whatever movie peeks my interest.
Let me stress, I love thrillers ? not the horror, slasher films where everyone ends up covered in blood and missing limbs.
Last weekend, I made my husband, Scott, watch the more recent remake of When A Stranger Calls, which is about a teenage baby-sitter who’s stalked by a psychopath over the phone while she’s sitting.
I think I like it so much because it brings me back to when I used to babysit, freaking out at every little sound after the kids went to bed.
Although it was my third time watching the movie ? yes, third ? I still jumped at certain scenes. It kind of gives me an adrenaline rush, like those roller coaster enthusiasts.
I got another chance to get the begeezus scared out of me on Sunday when I went to see the thriller Cloverfield, which is about a mysterious monster invading, and pretty much destroying, downtown Manhattan.
Being that it was directed by J.J. Abrams, the co-creator of my favorite television show, Lost, I thought I’d give it a shot.
The movie had been shrouded in mystery ever since the first trailer was released, which piqued my curiosity even more.
Cloverfield started off well ? full of Jaws-like moments when you don’t really see the Godzilla-esque monster, but are still completely freaked out, and the characters were well developed, but the 84 minute movie had two setbacks (spoiler alert): no answers as to where the monster came from, why it was attacking the city or if it was even killed, and motion-sickness.
The entire film was shot using a hand-held camera because we’re supposed to be viewing the action from the character’s point of view.
I have never gotten motion sickness in my life, but I did when this movie was over (so did my anti-carnival ride husband). I’m sure the buttery popcorn didn’t help my stomach, but the franticness of the camera shots really made it hard to watch.
I know Abrams really wanted to give the movie a unique point of view, but next time, use a tripod.
***
Make sure when you buy a Michigan State Lottery scratch-off $1 ticket on April 28th that you get the one with the cute, black and white Australian shepherd ? that’s my boy!
My dog, Boomer, will be one of 10 dogs in the state who will have their mugshot printed on the state’s Lucky Dog instant lottery ticket.
I’m not sure how many dogs Boomer beat out for the spot, but his ‘uncle? Willy (my mom and dad’s dog) does seem kind of jealous his precious face wasn’t picked.

Being in the newspaper business, I talk to a lot of people, and I always run across interviews where the interviewee sticks his or her foot in their mouth.
Sometimes they aren’t quite sure how to phrase their thoughts, and when it eventually comes out it’s not exactly as suave sounding as when they recited it in their head.
I did start to keep track of some memorable, and just downright funny, quotes from local officials and such, but then there were just too many to write down and frankly, I don’t have the time to do it.
That’s why I’m glad the ?2007 Yale Book of Quotations? just released the most memorable quotes from this past year ? so I don’t have to.
Here are some of the Top 10 humdingers from the book:
#1 ? ‘Don’t tase me, bro.? A plea made by University of Florida student Andrew Meyer on September 17 to stop campus police from throwing him out of a speech by Sen. John Kerry.
#2 ? When asked why 1/5 of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a map this past August, Miss Teen America contestant Lauren Upton answered:
‘I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education, like, such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S., should help the U.S. ? or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.? (What a train wreck!)
#3 ? ‘In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s quote made this past October at Columbia University.
#4 ? ‘That’s some nappy-headed hos there.? Radio personality Don Imus, referring to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team.
#5 ? ‘I don’t recall.? Former U.S. Attorney Alberto Gonzales? repeated response to questions from members of Congress about the firing of U.S. attorneys.
#6 ? ‘There’s only three things he (Republican presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani) mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.? Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.
#7 ? ‘I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating.? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, referring to Republican Vice President Dick Cheney.
#8 ? ?(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom.? Republican U.S. Sen. Larry Craig’s explanation for why his foot touched the foot of an undercover police officer in an airport men’s room.
#9 ? ‘I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.? Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., on Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. (That’s two for Biden, if you’re keeping score)
#10 ? ‘I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.? Former President Jimmy Carter, referring to the Bush Administration.
Keep ’em coming in 2008, guys ? keep ’em coming.

It’s that special day again!
The day every warm-blooded American looks forward to in the fall.
The day families get together to celebrate how God has blessed them (or at least they should).
The day when most Americans forget their diet plan and splurge on the other-other white meat.
Yep. I’m talkin? about Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, it’s also a day when a lot of ‘cooks? don’t give 100 percent of their culinary attention to the beautiful, succulent, healthy bird that is the turkey.
People generally don’t cook the bird long enough, bringing about gross intestinal issues I will not divulge in this column, or they overcook it and end up driving to the nearest Chinese restaurant for a meal of sweet and sour chicken.
Well, my friends, I’m here to help. I’m by no means a cooking expert (I’m only 25), but I spent seven years working behind a meat counter and watch enough Food Network to know what I’m doing.
Be brave. Grab a baster and read on.
You’ll probably be up at the crack of dawn prepping the turkey for its big day. So make sure it’s done right.
Step 1- You have to make sure you have the perfect amount of seasoning to give the bird the best flavor.
I, personally, like to halve a couple onions, lemons and heads of garlic and throw them into the birds cavity, along with a few springs of thyme and rosemary.
Then, I concoct an herb-butter spread with garlic and gently rub it under the skin of the breast and on top.
To top it off, I inject the bird with a store-bought buttery garlic sauce (did I mention I LOVE garlic?).
Of course, you can stuff your bird with whatever you’d like, and I highly recommend visiting foodnetwork.com to get some cool recipes.
Step 2- Decide how you’d like to cook your turkey. Is it going to be deep-fried or roasted? And how long should it be cooked?
Although I love deep-fried turkey, most people prefer the old-fashioned method of roasting it in the oven all day so the smell penetrates every inch of the house.
If you’re confused on how long to cook your bird, again, foodnetwork.com has a nifty little calculating clock where you can figure the exact timing and temperature. But remember, the thickest part of the breast or thigh should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit before eating … or else!
Step 3- Baste the turkey with melted butter mixed with herbs, like poultry seasoning, as much as you want. But, remember that every time you open the oven door, you’re losing heat and valuable cooking time.
To prevent the breast and legs from over-browning, place tin foil over those sections until the last hour or so of cooking.
Step 4- STEP AWAY FROM THE TURKEY!
Once it comes out of the fryer or the roasting pan, the juices in the bird need to redistribute. If you cut it right away, all of the juices will end up on your cutting board and not in your belly.
Let the turkey rest with tin foil gently covering it for at least 20 minutes.
Trust me, your bird will be so juicy your guests will want you to host every holiday at your house!
See, it’s not that hard. Just be imaginative. Explore your taste buds. Try a new side dish instead of that same old green bean casserole.
And if you wear one of those aprons that says ‘Kiss the Cook,? be prepared because you’re sure to get quite a few. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

An e-mail was sent to me recently with some interesting ‘historical? facts about the 1500s.
I’m not sure if there’s any credibility to it, but it is kind of interesting…
n Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
n Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the Bath water.?
n Houses had thatched roofs with thick straw-piled high with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs.?
n There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence.
n In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, ‘Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.?
n Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.
n Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
n Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the drinkers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
***
Did you know the 2007 World Rock Paper Scissors Championship will take place in Toronto, Canada this October?
You could win $10,000 in prize money for playing a game that has absolutely no strategy whatsoever.
I have to say, though, Rock Paper Scissors is pretty much the ultimate decider in who does what at my house.
‘Garbage needs to be taken out, honey,? … Rock Paper Scissors.
‘Can you take the dog outside?? … Rock Paper Scissors.
I should probably enter that contest because I ALWAYS win. I must be doing something right.

They say you never truly can appreciate the Earth until you see it from space.
Of course, I’m not an astronaut and will more than likely never get to see Earth from that perspective, aside from the photographs I’ve seen on the Discovery Channel.
But when I was given the chance to see Oxford from a birds-eye-view, I jumped at the chance … sort of.
Local resident, Mike Weltyk, owns a sea plane on Tan Lake and was kind enough to take me up for a flight after a recent interview (see Page 5).
At first, I hesitated. I’m not scared of flying, but if I didn’t have to be on a plane, I wasn’t about to get into one.
He finally convinced me to come aboard for a quick 15-minute flight.
I said a little prayer before I got on to help my nervous stomach settle down. All I could picture was the small Cessna-180 in an uncontrollable nose-dive toward M-24, but that didn’t deter me from hopping in.
I could feel the large pontoons bounce as I crawled inside the small cockpit and put the headset on.
As we taxied down the runway of rippled water, Mike explained in great detail all of the functional buttons and knobs he was pushing and pulling, none of which I remember.
The only thing I remembered is how he told me to open the door in case we needed to get out…how comforting.
The water splashed viciously and the motor roared until we finally made our ascent into the sun-filled sky.
Even though I was chewing bubble gum at the time, my ears still popped from the air pressure.
It was pretty cool being so far above the city I work in. I found it hard to pinpoint exactly where everything was from the sky…the elementary schools, Meijer, and, of course, The Leader. Mike even showed me a really cool ‘mansion? near the township offices that has its own moat.
Neighborhoods looked like a Monopoly game board, only with a lot more green trees.
At one point, Mike let me take hold of the controls, but I was hesitant to do any moves the Blue Angels might perform at their air shows.
As we descended back on to Tan Lake, we passed over the township office, crossed Seymour Lake Rd. and hit the water, not too hard, though.
Residents living on the lake waved ‘hello? as we passed by before parking the plane back at the Weltyk’s dock.
It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I want to thank Mike for making it happen.
***
I know this is over a week late, but I wanted to make a comment on the Harry Potter hysteria.
I was in Canada with my sisters and some younger cousins on the Friday the much anticipated book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, and it was amazing to see the excitement in my cousin, Skye’s, eyes as she waited for the clock hand to reach midnight.
A small bookstore in the downtown area of Stratford held a midnight release party for the book, where kids from all over town dressed up in their Harry Potter-style costumes and played trivia games until the big moment arrived when they could actually purchase the book.
Her mother told her she wasn’t allowed to read the book until after our weekend trip was over, but Skye woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday begging her mother to let her read the book. She couldn’t sleep.
Nine hours and 600 pages later, she had finished the book.
I think it’s amazing how the author, J.K. Rowling, has been able to capture children, and adults alike, around the world into her magical fiction writing.
Better yet, I think it’s amazing how it has encourage children to WANT to read, instead of being TOLD to.
To a writer, that’s a better compliment than any royalty check.

Not everyone can say they’ve been on the set of a Hollywood movie ? but now I can.
While on vacation last week in the great town of Chicago, my husband Scott and I stumbled (literally) upon a scene being shot for the upcoming film The Dark Knight, a sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins, which presented a more accurate portrayal of Bob Kane’s caped crusader than that of previous movies.
For our first night in the Windy City, we decided to take a walk downtown to get more familiarized with our surroundings.
We had no idea where we were going. We were just walking down any street we felt like turning down.
All of a sudden, a man said to us ‘watch your step,? as we walked over metal rails that held a film camera running along the sidewalk in front of the Chicago Theater.
Zoom the camera out a bit ? we were on the set of something big…but what was it? A commercial perhaps?
My husband and I scoped the scene for any big movie stars, but none were to be found. So, we decided to stick around for a bit.
Flashback…
While planning our trip to Chicago, I heard that director Christopher Nolan (The Prestige, Memento) would be shooting scenes for the latest installment in his Batman series on various streets in downtown Chicago all summer.
To keep it ‘top secret,? the film would be shot using the alias name of Rory’s First Kiss.
Back to the Chicago Theater…
Right after I told my husband about that which was mentioned in the flashback, a passerby had the guts to ask a member of the production crew what they were filming.
‘Uhh, Rory’s First Kiss,? the man answered back.
My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. We were actually on the set of The Dark Knight and we seemed to be the only ones who knew it!
No one else seemed to notice a man replace two limousine’s Chicago license plates with ones that read ‘City of Gotham? or that the taxi cabs read ‘Gotham Cabs.?
Was Christian Bale, Heath Ledger or Morgan Freeman going to show up? We waited with baited breath to find out.
About an hour went by before we were kicked off the set and told to stand across the street. We were told we could take photos, but a woman who I dubbed the Camera Nazi said no flash photography was allowed.
I strapped on my lovely Nikon digital camera with my long lens and I shot away as the director showed up to get the proper lighting using the actor’s stand-ins.
This is when a small crowd started to gather around me with their camera phones in hand, and I then became the go-to girl when anyone questioned what the crew was shooting.
The Camera Nazi kept insisting that they weren’t shooting the new Batman movie and that she didn’t know why ‘Gotham? was plastered all over the place ? Duh!
She wasn’t fooling us.
About two hours into our adventure, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (Stranger Than Fiction) and actor Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking, Erin Brockovich) showed up on set to shoot their scene, which seemed to take a very long time to shoot for such a small scene
Although it wasn’t an action-packed scene with Batman himself, it was truly the most amazing experience we had while in Chicago.
I think I’m officially a member of the paparazzi now.
FYI ? Nolan will be filming scenes for The Dark Knight in downtown Chicago until the beginning of September and all of the above mentioned actors will be in town until then.
So, if you want to become a member of the paparazzi too, there’s your scoop!

Since the New Year began, I, like everybody else in the world, decided to turn a new leaf and begin to eat healthier.
It’s not that I used to eat fast food every day, but that I wanted to become more self-conscience about what I put in my body.
Because I work late some nights and am forced (figuratively, not literally) to eat out, I usually hit the Subway in Oxford.
But for the last couple of months the restaurant, made famous for their healthy sandwiches, hasn’t been accepting credit or debit cards to purchase food.
Welcome to Subway…we don’t take any plastic.
All the owner could tell me was that they had some ‘dispute? with a credit card company…(cue crickets chirping).
So? Can’t they partner up with another company?
I have to say, this change has really inconvenienced me. I rarely ever carry cash, and if I do, it’s not enough to buy anything but a pack of gum.
The funny thing is, the Subway near where I live was still accepting credit cards. Why haven’t they changed? I know the stores are all independently franchised, but that still seems like a weird thing to do.
One day last week, I was extremely hungry on the way home from work and thought I’d have a healthy dinner and stop at the Lake Orion Subway…I didn’t even step into the store before a sign posted on their door read ‘Sorry for the inconvenience, but…? I didn’t have to read the rest.
I’m like The Hulk when I don’t eat. I get very angry.
During my moment of hunger and weakness, I pulled into the Wendy’s drive-thru just down the road.
Maybe I should complain to Jarrod.
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Last week, two lucky individuals from New Jersey and Georgia were the big Mega Millions lottery winners, splitting $370 million.
That sure is a nice chunk of change, don’t ya think?
It made me start wondering what I would do with $370 million if I had won the lottery.
First, I would pay off mine and my husband’s student loans.
Then, I would give money to immediate family members that are in debt.
Thirdly, I would purchase property on the coast of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia for my vacation home.
Then, I would donate a ton of money to a charity, like Compassion International, so I can sponsor a bunch of orphans in Third World countries (watch out Angelina Jolie).
Lastly, I think I would purchase a Subway franchise, and allow my customers to use their credit/debit cards to their hearts desire.
Really ? I’m not bitter.
What would you do with $370 million? Let me know via e-mail at shermanpub@aol.com.
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Since this Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, and I’m Irish, I thought I’d share a bit o? fun with you.
There’s been a leprechaun sighting in Alabama. No, really!
Residents in Mobile swear to seeing a leprechaun in a tree, and there’s a whole two-minute news story dedicated to it on the YouTube website (www.youtube.com).
Just type in the word ‘leprechaun? in their search engine and prepare to cry because you’re laughing so hard ? C.J. and I both did. I’m telling you…it’s better than finding a pot of gold.

I tend to be an awards show junkie.
I don’t know what it is, but something about the beautiful gowns and sometimes tearful speeches is entertaining to me.
I even threw my own Grammy party in high school, where all of my friends had to dress as a music artist. And yes, I passed out gold spray-painted cardboard gramophones as awards.
Although I haven’t been as devoted to my awards shows recently, I still try to watch as much as I can when I have the time.
So, I decided to watch the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, but became very irritated just a half-hour in.
I have to ask…since when did the Grammy’s become a three-hour concert? It seemed that after every award was passed out there was a performance to follow it. Has it always been like this?
I was ready for all of the musicians to come out at the end of the night for a rendition of ‘We Are the World.?
I watched the show because I wanted to see people awarded, not performing their latest single.
I also noticed during the pre-show, red carpet interviews that some artists had already been awarded earlier in the day. It wasn’t for categories like best Native American musical ensemble, but for, dare I say, more important categories, like best female pop performance, etc.
Why can’t those artists get air-time on the show? Why don’t they deserve a chance to get up and give a speech?
It’s probably because Justin Timberlake had to perform one song earlier in the night and then a duet with some lucky viewer ? (yawn).
Don’t get me wrong, a couple songs wouldn’t hurt. Would the audience get too bored just watching award after award getting passed out? I don’t think so.
I know ‘it’s all about the music,? but please ? hand out more golden gramophones next time.
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On another Grammy note, I was very pleased to see The Police reunited as the opening act for this year’s show.
Yeah, the guys are kind of old now and Sting can’t exactly sing ‘Roxanne? in as high an octave as he used to, but it was a good performance overall.
It also got me thinking about bands and musicians I would like to see reunited or tour again, and ones that should just hang it up.
I’m excited to see Piano Man Billy Joel touring this year, even if he probably needs the money to pay off his rehab bill.
Rockers Van Halen are getting back together to tour this summer, sans bassist Michael Anthony, but this is an instance where I think they should just leave well-enough alone.
The band’s already circulated three lead singers and is planning on enlisting guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, to play bass. Hello nepotism.
The Rolling Stones should also say goodbye to their fond days of touring, especially after their 2006 Super Bowl performance.
Keith Richards has got one, if not both, of his feet in a grave and Mick Jagger looks even more ridiculous than Elaine on Seinfeld when he’s dancing.
But then again, maybe they should tour. People will pay anything for a good laugh.
Any bands you would like to see reunited? E-mail me at shermanpub@aol.com, ATTN: Casey.