The 'Biggest Loser's' loss
Thankfully I didn't spend the entire Spring Break week down with that nasty flu bug that I brought home with me from a weekend adventure with my sister, Janna Scharf. When she called at the end of March asking if I'd join her on a roadtrip to Portland, I was up for a lark. It wasn't your average Thelma and Louise saga ... more like a Bob and Jillian smackdown.
Janna and I threw caution to the wind and headed to a casting call for the next season of The Biggest Loser. Not even several hours in the car discussing the prospect of appearing on national television in spandex and a sports bra while stepping upon a massive scale deterred us.We arrived in Portland early evening on a Saturday and by 8 a.m. the next morning had joined a couple hundred people standing in line at the Oregon Convention Center. By the time the interviews started at 10 a.m. the number had swelled to over 1,000. At some point the line was breeched and by noon we realized we'd be much longer in line than expected.
By the time we made it to actually talking with the casting people it was about 6:30 p.m. and as No. 1,199 and 1,200, we'd been standing in the rain for most of nearly 11 hours. Sad to say that neither Janna or I will be the next Biggest Loser - but due to a diet I'd not be quick to recommend, my post-Biggest Loser bout of stomach flu has resulted in a nearly nine pound weight loss.***
Small world: Tom and Judi Messina take an annual late winter pilgrimage to sunny climes, this year to Mexico. Imagine their surprise to be walking down a narrow alley in Bucerias, Mexico last week and coming upon none other than Dave Walker, who was enjoying a plate of tacos. Kay and JoAnn Nelson joined the Messinas for part of their Mexican holiday and both couples met up with Dave and Rebecca Kilmer for some sailing. The Kilmers should be home this week after spending the entire winter sailing the seas of Mexico on Liberte.***
Local boy makes good: 1993 Post Falls grad Josh Hissong just might be the latest breakout star on HGTV after he debuts Saturday on the Do it Yourself Network's Renovation Realities. Josh has been designing commercial spaces in the Northwest for several years but this show features the efforts on his own 1938 Cape Cod in Spokane. Tune in on Saturday or check More Main Street for the link to the show.
***Today Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy junior, James George celebrates his 17th birthday. Tomorrow sing Happy Birthday to the beautiful Amy Pollard Bartoo. On Friday Tom Messina, Marvin Erickson, Carol Graham, John Hays and Zach Doty make the birthday list. Sharon Finnerty is Saturday's birthday girl and on Sunday Patrick Jacobs, Lonna Duncan, Idella Mansfield and David Bond blow out the candles. Monday is Mallary Stubblefield's birthday and on Tuesday Idaho's Jr. Miss, Madison Leonard turns 18, sharing the day with Corbin Messina and Evalyn Adams.
***Double the fun 50th birthdays will be celebrated by twins Rick and Rob Dodd this Sunday. They'll join their twin cousins, Chelsea and Blake Rosenberger and their mom, Donna Boekel for a barn dance at their uncle Ron Rosenberger's ranch.
*** THERE'S MORE: New stories and photos almost every day at More Main Street. Trivia answer to the question "which Birthday Club member is one of only two women who've served on the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners," a Biggest Loser photo album and where you can get do-it-yourself shade for free on Saturday. There's a link also for adding your birthday to the Main Street Birthday Club for 2010!
***Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press. More Main Street blog is at http://moremainstreet.blogspot.com. Kerri can be reached at mainstreet@cdapress.com