sarah palin lashes out at political opponents, the media and hollywood starlets as she officially steps down at alaska's governor. >> by the way, hollywood needs to know, we eat, therefore we hunt. >> was her campaign-style farewell the start of a presidential run? "today" exclusive. katherine jackson's attorney joins us live in studio to answer the big questions swirling around michael jackson's death. where do things stand with the will? what will happen to the kids? and is this mystery man really michael's fourth child? and women gone wild. the adirondacks may never be the same. ann and i have made our way to new york's ladies and gentlemen lake george to do a little fishing, camping and boating in the great outdoors as "today takes a vacation."

the great outdoors as "today takes a vacation." "today," monday, july 27, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to a special edition of "today" on this absolutely gorgeous monday morning. i'm meredith vieira, along with my buddy ann curry here. matt lauer, about a four-hour drive south of us in studio 1a. >> ladies, we miss you. it's only been a minute and a half. you guys were learning to fly fish. ann, i'm happy you see you're out of surgery. >> no, see, i'm okay. others may not be. >> listen, we did catch something -- but that's a little different. as you can see, matt, we're in beautiful lake george nestled in the adirondacks. about a two-hour drive from new york city. >> this lake is about 32 miles

long. we're inside adirondack state park. it is roughly the same size as the state of vermont. >> we are standing on the morgan, a steamboat and paddle wheel boat. it goes all around the 109 miles of coastline that make of lake george. behind us is our final destination, the historic saginaw hotel. look at the crowd here, one of the largest crowds we've ever had on a remote. >> it is amazing. you can't see it but folks are alongside this boat as well. you can hear them whistling and cheering. how much do they pay these people? but no, there are really people from around the area. one of the reasons why there is so many people in this area is because there is so much to do out here from boating to fishing to whitewater rafting, even cliff diving, which meredith actually excelled at, matt. >> and, matt, there is a lake george monster in these waters. i guarantee you, there will be a

sighting. >> you're guaranteeing that? you're saying we will absolutely see it? >> i'm not going out on any limb, honey. >> sounds like a fun morning. we'll check in with you in just a second. coming up from here, the only man authorized to speak on behalf of michael jackson's mother katherine is here to tell us where things stand between her and debbie rowe when it comes to the custody of michael's three children. we'll talk about the investigation into what caused michael jackson's death. and reports that katherine jackson is fighting for a bigger say in how her son's will should be executed. we'll talk to attorney londell mcmillan about all that coming up. let's begin on this monday morning with sarah palin. this morning she's once again a private citizen. what's the future hold? nbc's norah o'donnell's in fairbanks, alaska. norah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. sarah palin may be out of office but she's not out of words. it was a fiery farewell speech and she took a shot at her

opponents, the media, and even hollywood starlets. >> some still are choosing not to hear why i made the decision to chart a new course to advance the state. and it should be so obvious to you. >> reporter: sarah palin said she's stepping down to avoid what she calls petty politics like the ethics charges that have dogged her time in office. >> with this decision now i will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for truth. and i have never felt that you need a title to do that. >> reporter: before more than 5,000 people at fairbanks pioneer park, she scolded her opponents in alaska and beyond. >> we are facing tough challenges in america with some seeming to just be hell-bent maybe on tearing down our nation, perpetuating some pessimism and suggesting american apologetics. >> reporter: she also lashed out at hollywood liberals.

>> you're going to see antihunting, antisecond amendment circuses from hollywood, and here's how they do it. they use these delicate tiny, very talented celebrity starlets. by the way, hollywood needs to know we eat, therefore we hunt. >> reporter: but she saved her toughest attack for the media. >> democracy depends on you, and that is why our troops are willing to die for you. so, how about in honor of the american soldier, you quit making things up. >> reporter: palin has always believed there is a double standard for her family with children of other political families off-limits. >> one other thing for the media. our new governor has a very nice family, too, so leave his kids alone. >> reporter: her speech revealed

how angry palin is about the past year in the national spotlight. her approval ratings are now at their lowest level. her husband todd palin tells nbc news his wife is not going to disappear. >> she's going to affect change and help others affect change and she doesn't need that title to affect change. >> reporter: as for her political future, she's raised over $1 million for her political action committee. more than $300,000 since she announced her decision to step down. >> remember i promised to step fastly and doggedly he guard the interests of this great state like that grizzly guards her cubs. as a mother naturally guards her own. and i will keep that vow wherever the road may lead. >> reporter: that road leads first to the ronald reagan presidential library in california. that's right. she's going to give her first political speech in two weeks. she's also been invited, but has not accepted an invitation to speak, in iowa, site of the

first in the nation presidential caucuses. matt? >> norah, thank you. stay tuned. norah o'donnell in alaska for us this morning. now to the latest on the controversial arrest of harvard scholar henry louis gates jr. the woman who placed the initial call to police has now come forward. nbc's ron allen's in cambridge, massachusetts with more on that story. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. sergeant crowley returns to work today and the woman who placed the 911 call is speaking out for the first time about what she saw. a lot of people are very anxious to see sergeant crowley and professor gates settle their differences publicly and meet with president obama. sergeant crowley has kept a low profile since talking with the president. a conversation that took place while crowley happened to be at a bar for lunch with his fellow officers. >> suddenly gets this phone call on sergeant crowley, jimmy's, phone call and it is the president of the united states. whoa. >> reporter: the president is anxious to focus the nation's

attention back on the health care reform debate after admitting friday in his poor choice of words saying cambridge police acted stupidly helped fuel the conversation. >> in my conversation with sergeant crowley, there was discussion about he and i and professor gates having a beer here in the white house. >> reporter: gates has also changed his tone, posting on a website he oversees that he would be happy to oblige meeting the president and the sergeant over a beer. >> hopefully we can get that done in the next several days. >> reporter: however, some of the president's critics still want him to apologize for taking sides in the gates-crowley dispute. >> also makes you wonder who will be next if the president decides to use the bully pulpit. >> reporter: late sunday an attorney for the woman who called 911 issued a statement saying that she called police to report "two men at the house," not "two black men" as had been widely reported. she says she did not know the race of the american when she called 911 because she was too far away and their backs were

turned. police are not expected to release the 911 call. the cambridge police are assembling a panel of outside experts and community leaders it review what happened. they want that panel to hear the tapes first. police have cleared crowley of any wrongdoing and of any racial profiling. >> there is no evidence whatsoever that the arrest was race-based. >> reporter: but some here, including the city's mayor, insist that sensitive issue still must be discussed publicly and plans to hold a community forum on the matter in the weeks ahead. >> the whole issue around race and class and social justice permeate most every aspect of any city and town. >> reporter: over the past few days as people have discussed what happened, there are numerous indications that people of different cultural backgrounds are drawing different conclusions about who was right and who was wrong. once again exposing the nation's very sensitive faultline on matters of race and class. matt, back to you. >> ron allen in cambridge for us this morning, thank you very

much. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. >> if that story was a distraction last week taking attention away from health care reform, let's get back to health care reform. on this monday morning, just a week or so before the august congressional recess, where does everything stand? >> reporter: let's start in the house because they take a vacation after this friday. what we know is that they're not going to get a bill passed by the end of the week. they just hope to get it through all of the committees, as you know, the conservative blue dog democrats have been holding things up in one of those committees. they think they've worked it out but frankly, it is going to take four days to get it done and they want to give members more time at home to defend this bill. nothing gets passed in the house but they will get the committee work done. in the senate we are still waiting for max baucus, chairman of the senate finance committee, the democrat there, working very closely -- it is the only bipartisan effort left in health care, working very closely with chuck grassley from iowa, who by

the way is getting pressure from conservatives for even negotiating at this point with some democrats. he's finding it very difficult getting some outside groups to get involved there. we don't have his plan. his plan may come out by the end of the week. then again, may not. the president has an event on health care later in the week but he's diversifying and doing some other things like china today, matt. >> before i let you go, chuck, if nothing's going to happen in the house before recess at the end of the week, why did nancy pelosi come out and say if it gets to the floor of the house she's got the votes. is that one of those "if" and she knows it's not going to? >> reporter: that's right. if she brings it to the floor, she's not going to bring it to the floor unless she has the votes. at this point they've got to get it through these committees and they're not going to force it at this point because there is too many of her members don't have want to have a vote if the senate's not going to vote. they're definitely not voting before they go on their vacation. >> chuck todd at the white house this morning, thank you, as always. let's swing over to the news

desk. with ann up at lake george, natalie's giving us the headlines in the morning. good morning, everyone. we begin with the heartbreaking story here in new york where officials are now trying to figure out why a family's minivan ended up going the wrong way on a parkway north of new york city. it crashed head-on into oncoming traffic sunday killing eight people, including five members of one family. among the victims, four girls under the age of 10. today israel's defense minister says no option is off the table when it comes to iran's nuclear program. an indication that a military strike remains a possibility. he made the comment during a visit by u.s. defense secretary robert gates. a study out today in the journal of pediatrics is offering new insight into what some people thought might be a relationship between gastrointestinal diseases and autism. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is at the aspen health forum in colorado. nancy, good morning. why are these findings so important? >> reporter: the findings are

important because they really dismiss the link between the gut and these neurological problems that we see in autism. primarily, they were looking for problems like malabsorption and inflammation. 124 children followed, matched with otherwise normal children. these findings are very conclusive. there is no link between illness in the gut and the signs and symptoms that we see in autism. >> nancy, even though researchers found that there was not a significant difference in the overall incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms, children with autism may have some issues though related to food. why is that? >> right. there may be issues with constipation, most of all. children sort of not liking their diet. we know that kids with autism sometimes like the same food all the time and may not drink enough liquids. that may cause constipation. and medications they take may also cause constipation. but this is a really important study for parents because it means if you're putting your child on a restrictive diet or

doing colonics, which is a type of enema, if you're using vitamins and nutrients and spending a lot of money, there is no reason to. there is no link between the gut and the signs and symptoms we see in autism. >> dr. nancy snyderman in aspen for us, thank you, dr. nancy. officials in paris say french president nicolas sarkozy is doing well following a health care on sunday. he collapsed while jogging in hot weather and was hospitalized for tests, then was released this morning. all tests were reportedly normal. the 54-year-old sarkozy is an avid jogger and cyclist. alberto contador of spain won the tour de france on sunday, his second win in three years. seven-time champion lance armstrong finished with an impressive third place. it is now 7:14. you're up to date right now. after 3 1/2 years of retirement, that's the way to do it. he'll do better next year, i'm sure. meredith and ann are enjoying a vacation up on new

york's lake george. tomorrow al and i will team up down in key west, florida. al is there already getting a head start on the umbrella drinks. al, good morning. >> that's right. i've got a maitai for you, my friend. first let's look at your weather. there has been some severe weather going on but we've also got heat out west. that's our big story. >> we saw some more showers and

storms earlier this morning. since cleared out, just very tropical humid at this time. partly cloudy skies, a 40% chance of scattered showers and storms >> more from here in key west, florida a little bit later on. now to the economy and the looming question is the recession finally over? wall street begins the week on a roll, up 9 of the last 10 trading days. cnbc's maria bartiromo is the anchor of "closing bell." good to see you. let me go right to the cover of "newsweek" magazine. it says -- "the recession is over." then is says "good luck surviving the recovery." let's take the first part.

is the recession over? >> technically it probably is. >> but it is a technicality. >> it is a technicality, matt. i think the point of that cover story -- i agree with the cover story -- is that the recovery is not going to feel much different than the recession. we still have very high unemployment and people are hording cash. it won't feel that much better. >> looking at wall street, i think the best two weeks since 2000. investors are feeling the love. what about consumers? >> consumers are still pretty cautious today. i think they're hoarding their cash, they're worried about unemployment, people are expecting unemployment to worsen second half of the year. i think they're still pretty nervous. we are seeing the business sector still slow, a lot of small and mid-cap businesses can't get any access to credit so there is a lot of money on the sidelines. people felt that the stock market had gotten so low that it was time to put money to work again. we are going to need evidence though that fundamental economic growth comes back. >> when you look at consumer spending, people thinking it's not doing well right now but if you're worried about losing your job or you've already lost your

job, why are you going to go out and spend money? >> absolutely. that's the reason the savings rate is up to 6.9% now, matt. people are saving money or paying down debt. >> you have a special on tonight called "meeting of the minds the future of health care." what can we expect there? i'd like you, if you can, while you answer it, talk about the cost of the future of health care. >> enormous cost. this is the biggest expense for business, labor and health care, the two major pressures on business. and all of us are feeling it. we've brought together -- we call it "meeting of the minds" because we've brought together government, thinkers, leaders in business to try and figure out how to get the costs down. one take-away, we asked the question, what is a life worth? when it comes to our own loved ones, i would say it's obviously priceless. but somebody's putting a number on it because insurance companies have decided here's what we're going to pay for, procedures, the drugs. one take-away i had which was really interesting, one of the people on the panel said, all of us have to take personal responsibility.

turn the issue on its head, basically saying if you get into a lot of car accidents, your insurance is going to go up. >> if you smoke. >> did you know that an obese person will cost a company four times more than a smoker these are the costs. >> maria bartiromo, thanks, as always, good to see you. check out maria's "meeting of the minds the future of health care" tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 pacific time on cnbc. let's go up to lake george right now with meredith and ann. >> thank you, matt. thomas jefferson once described lake george as without comparison the most beautiful water i ever saw. >> and from what we've seen, he's not the only one with that opinion. >> reporter: these waters belong to the fishermen. lake george is 32 miles of seemingly endless water, surrounded on all sides by the majestic adirondack mountains.

as the morning mist lifts, the lake comes alive with boaters, swimmers and peals of laughter across the water. >> our population year-round in the lake george region would be somewhere around 5,000. now if all the beds are full, which they are many nights of the summer, we'll have as many as 25,000 to 26,000 people. >> reporter: what they find here is pure americana. it's a step back in time where summer vacation means simple pleasures. simple fun. >> we have 17 each august for a big family reunion. everybody has good memories and everybody has learned to swim and sail and they've done everything. >> reporter: lake george has been a summer vacation destination for more than two centuries. it's first visitors were hunters and fishermen, but with the arrival of steamboats came the aristocracy, the privileged few who could afford a vacation. >> around 1900, an era that we call millionaire's row, where

the wealthy purchased huge tracts of property, primarily between lake george village and bolt landing. >> reporter: they call their homes camps, a term still used today. >> a camp can be anything from a one-bedroom lean-to, i guess, into a multi-room, 50, 60 rooms. >> one of the camps has 42 rooms and 17 of those rooms are bathrooms. that's a camp. >> reporter: steve has been giving tours of lake george for 28 years. he captains the lake's famed sea boat the minne-ha-ha. he says his job never gets old. >> when we cross the lake, we see down the lake, the islands, the lights, the sunset, that's my favorite part. my office has got the best view in the world. >> reporter: it truly is magnificent here. really. the weather is absolutely gorgeous. coming up, ann and i had a chance to take part in one of the favorite past times here,

fly fishing. coming up -- women versus fish. but first this is "today" on nbc. (announcer) how can a single make summer more fun?

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still ahead -- is there a custody deal for michael jackson's three children? an exclusive live interview with katherine jackson's lawyer. we'll have much more from the adirondacks and the beautiful lake george coming up right after this. >> announcer: "today takes a vacation is brought to you by -- expedia. " is brought to you by -- expedia.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. 12 people are recovering this morning after they were all shot and a cook down. it happened just before 9:00 last night at the 2600 block of ashland ave. among the victims was a pregnant woman and a 2-year-old child. the injuries range from gunshot means to the shoulder, back, and arms, but mostly leg wounds. no word on a suspect or possible motive. >> plenty to talk about as you travel this morning. at fayette, all lanes closed. also it pressure white marsh and 95. honeygo and white marsh, also blocked.

park heights and greenspring valley, closed due to downed wires. downed tree to report and it would buy into morgan station is shut down and route 99. use this as your alternate to white marsh boulevard, because that remains blocked. >> it is hazy, hot, and humid out there already. will surge to a high of 88 degrees. 40% to 50% of late afternoon and early evening showers and thunderstorms. this is going to move closer to us all along. gary humid down there as well. this is typical late july, early august weather. is flitting with the 90-degree threshold. chances each and every afternoon of 6 scattered showers and storms.

>> check the bottom of your screen for updated information. our next live update at 7:00 of the five. the five. and replace your old mayo with the full flavor of aft mayo with olive oil. with the rich taste of imported olive oil and half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo. your sandwich will never be the same. kraft mayo with olive oil. it's the new standard in mayo. diabetes and cancer, and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope -- that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance

of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life.

7:30 now on a monday morning. it is the 27th day of july, 2009. meredith and ann are not the only ones taking a vacation today. er that joined by a lot of new friends they've made up there on beautiful lake george in the adirondack mountains of new york. lots of people on the water, lots of people behind them at the hotel. meredith and ann, good morning again. how you guys doing? >> good morning. >> we're doing great. >> look at this crowd. i think they're having a little fun, matt. >> we'll check back with you. by the way, great weather for your trip up there, always a nice thing. coming up in this half-hour, lingering questions in the death of michael jackson and the custody of his three children. is jackson's mother close to reaching a deal with debbie rowe, the mother of two of those children. we'll have the latest in an exclusive live interview with katherine jackson's attorney londell mcmillan.

meredith? we'll show you some of the great things you can do at lake george. parasailing, jet skiing, canoeing. riding on the "minne ha-ha." >> you can find a little peace, a little fun, but we also found some great and very flattering wear. when you go out on the lake and on the rivers, my goodness, do we look good. we're going to make sure you know that, matt. >> the fly fishing, that's what we've been teasing all morning long. we will see the results of that, ladies. thank you very much. but first let's begin with the latest twists involving the death of michael jackson. we'll speak exclusively with katherine jackson's attorney londell mcmillan in just a moment. but first, nbc's jeff rossen's in los angeles with the latest on the story. jeff, good morning to you. >> hi, matt, good morning to you. could be a big week for the case. we'll set the table for you here

in just a little bit. you have two investigations going on at the very same time. first, you have the coroner's investigation, just trying to figure out what killed michael jackson. then separate from that you have the criminal investigation, police trying to build a case for manslaughter. and we could get results on both this week. this morning, new questions about the time line of michael jackson's death. a time line that could change the case. consider the 911 call. >> we have a personal doctor here with him, sir. >> oh, you have a doctor there? >> yes, but he's not responding to anything. no -- he's not responding to cpr or anything. >> reporter: the doctor giving cpr is dr. conrad murray. the call came in at 12:21 p.m. but three hours earlier we've learned two women claiming to work for dr. murray were at his private storage unit in houston. sue lion runs the facility. >> they moved out three to five boxes. not many. just small boxes, put in the trunk of a car. then they carried a couple things out, went and put in their mercedes. >> reporter: before that moment

she says no one had accessed dr. murray's storage unit in more than a month. police searched it last week, along with his office. mark geragos represented michael jackson in the molestation case. >> they will go to these people, they will try to roll them over, in common parlance, give them to give testimony that says that they were trying to destroy evidence. >> reporter: now tmz reports when paramedics arrived at jackson's home, he was already dead, flat-lined. all this raising new doubt about the timing of his death and who knew what when. with the coroner's autopsy report due out this week, if it is declared a homicide, criminal charnls could follow any ti charges could follow at any time. >> it is not a slam-dunk prosecution. you'll argue if there is multiple prescriptions, you'll argue other things could have caused it. >> reporter: court papers reveal dr. murray is the target of a manslaughter investigation. his lawyer says dr. murray did nothing wrong and will still cooperate with police. they're even planning a third

interview. performing was michael jackson's passion but his kids were his life. more than a month after his death his three children still don't have a permanent home. >> do not touch me! >> reporter: only swirling speculation about debbie rowe, their grandmother katherine and aunts janet and rebbie. >> it's not good for the kids, it's not good for their psychological well being. if everybody settles out of court, everybody can get back to their normal lives and these kids can have routine in their lives and do what they're normally used to doing. >> reporter: the custody hearing is set for august 3rd. that's a week from today. the question is, can katherine jackson reach a deal before it goes to the judge. matt, that seems like a pretty good place to leave it for. you. >> it really is, jeff. thank you. with us exclusively with the attorney for katherine jackson, londell mcmillan, who's also represented stars like prince, stevie wonder and others. that's the question right now, do you have a deal in place between katherine jackson and debbie rowe prior to this august 3rd custody hearing?

>> well, good morning, matt. i want to adjust your language about a deal. we have been working on an agreement and i want to say that the parties have been very responsible, debbie rowe, her lawyers, mrs. jackson. they've been very thoughtful, very caring and very prudent. and we do believe that we're close to reaching an agreement and the swirling speculation is just swirling speculation. >> is it a financial agreement, londell? >> the agreement is a custody agreement. this -- whatever the agreement will be will not be based on money. that was not the -- >> but will it involve money? >> the agreement about custody is not a money issue. michael and debbie rowe had their agreement prior to his passing. that is not on the table. that's not what we're dealing with and despite a lot of the public kind of inquiries, that is not what's happening. >> why does there have to be an agreement in the first place? because debbie rowe, for all intents an purposes, signed away her rights to having custody of

these children in the past. she's made statements saying she doesn't deserve the title "parent" because she's done nothing to earn it. and so why does mrs. jackson have to deal with debbie rowe anyway? >> well, matt, i'm not a family lawyer but what i've learned is that parents have parental rights, legal rights, not withstanding agreements that they make. and to make sure that we don't have a custody battle or we don't have conflict, that's not really in the best interests of the children. we've kind of gotten together, we've been thoughtful and prudent and we are working out an agreement that's not just going to be what's best for debbie rowe or mrs. jackson but what's best for the two children that debbie rowe had and of course michael had three children so we're working to make sure -- when i first met michael, michael would always say from the beginning to the end, "make sure you take care of my children and my mother." that's what we're going to do. >> i'm going to use your terminology. this agreement, would you as katherine jackson's attorney allow her to sign any agreement

that would give anything but full custody of those three children to her? >> well, it's not what i would allow her to sign. it's what she would want to have and what's best for the children. >> is it possible that there will be some shared custody between katherine jackson and debbie rowe? is that something that's currently on the table? >> what's best for the children is what michael wanted and what has been happening. mrs. jackson to have custody of these children and we expect to be making an announcement very shortly and i want to also just compliment again those people that have been involved in the process. because not withstanding the media projection of what has gone on behind the scenes, this has been very thoughtful and very prudent. >> you're being very careful with good reason. can you just tell me, londell, has done by rowe expressed any desire to have contact with those children, whether it is a custody situation or not, even contact with those children down the road? >> matt, we'll be making an announcement very soon. >> okay, gotcha on that. let me ask you about some rumors that have been swirling. you can knock these down or help

me out on any of these you can real quickly. have the kids expressed any wish or desire to live with janet jackson? >> i don't have any information concerning that. >> there was a rumor in the last couple of weeks, londell, that diana ross was somehow involved in some sort of a custody situation, that she wanted a stake in this. can you clear that up? >> again, rumors are outstanding with michael jackson. he was such an icon, such a very mysterious and extraordinary figure. rumors have created so much fodder, so much commentary but i can't comment on all the the rumors. what i can comment on will be the legal issues -- and there are many issues. you talked about the criminal issues earlier on your segment. there are contractual issues. there are intellectual property issues. family law, legal issues. there's intellectual property issues, there's probate issues. there's real estate issues. there's just a panoply of legal issues that i've had to help mrs. jackson navigate these waters so that she can protect

the best interests of the children, as well as to preserve the legacy of michael jackson. one of those issues pertaining to the legacy is her role as the most trusted person in his life over the past several years. >> he named two executors to his will, these are former advisors of his. there are been reports that katherine jackson would like a seat at the table, to use an expression, that she would like some say in how that will is executed. is that accurate, and do you think you can accomplish that? >> over the past four years, michael demanded, and required, that she have a seat at the table for any of his major business assets. she was the one sole trustee that survived years of various different representatives and managers. so the will was in 2002. there were different people in his life in 2002. michael jackson did not have constant contact with these people in 2008, 2007, 2009. the will was sitting in a safe. but mrs. jackson has been in constant contact. one of the things i want people to know is that she wasn't just

some passive, loving mom. she was someone that was regularly in touch with michael. michael trusted her dearly. she was supportive and she was the trustee. so we believe that she is the most trusted person in the entire world, notwithstanding what happened in 2002, and she's the most fit from a legal standpoint to serve as a guardian of the estate. >> two other quick things for you. omar lived at neverland for about eight years when he was a teenager. he was in the front row of the memorial service with the jackson family. what is your understanding as to his connection to michael? is he a biological relative of michael jackson? >> i don't have information regarding that in any detail. i know that's been reported in the press and i know he certainly is a loving person in the family. i don't have the details on that, matt. >> finally, mrs. jackson went to court asking for some allowance to take care of some of the financial needs that have cropped up as a result of her

taking care of michael's three children, even temporarily. which leads us to believe this family is strapped for cash. what is the situation, and if the court does not come forward with money, what happens? >> well, for clarification, the temporary special administrators, they filed for -- seeking cash. we should have been working together so that we could have coordinated our request. we think that as we coordinate that request, it will happen. michael jackson was very generous with his mother, as well as providing for the havenhurst estate. because he has passed and because the estate has not been probated and validated yesterday, there are some expenses that need to be taken care of. and we think by working together we'll be able to accomplish those goals as opposed to one side of the table presenting submissions to the court without the buy-in of the group. >> can you reach an agreement between debbie rowe and katherine jackson before august 3rd? >> absolutely. >> londell mcmillan, thanks very

much. >> thank you. >> appreciate it. good to have you here. let's go down to key west, florida for a check of the weather from al. >> thanks, matt. we are here at >> we did see that batch of showers rolled through earlier this morning. things occurred out but we are very humid in the wake of the showers. humidity not going anywhere. good chance of a

>> that's your latest weather. up next, meredith and ann go fishing right after this.

"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com.

welcome back to the first stop on our week-long road trip as "today takes a vacation." >> we deserve vacation after experiencing the ultimate adventure. >> we did all sorts of things here, including fly fishing, because fishing here isn't just a hobby -- it's fundamental. the team meets up dock side ready to learn fly fishing eager to catch some fish. >> tell us again where we're going. >> four miles down the lake. there's picnic island. >> reporter: with the wind in our hair, ann is ready for some fun. >> i'm king of the world! >> reporter: before we take our skills to the water, john tara, our instructor and guide, teaches us technique and

strategy. >> i have no idea what i'm doing but it is fun. >> i need to be more relaxed and zen-like. >> you've got to, yeah. because you let the rod do the work. >> what i would like you to do is watch the line go behind your head. >> reporter: but it doesn't take long for a pair of crack journalists to figure out the real story behind fly fishing. >> a good caster can present the fly right on the water and make that settle on the surface just like an insect would. >> wow. >> yeah. >> that's the secret -- to act like a bug. >> reporter: we are now ready for fish point where the fish are allegedly biting. or not. there is a famous saying in this sport -- that's why they call it fishing, not catching. and so, we move on. we love the boats who live on jake george.

>> are they paying you for this? >> they're extras. i think they're getting paid. >> reporter: it's now time for fly fishing up river. >> i just met you, i'm not sure i should let you dress me. >> they're liberating. >> we're going to scare the fish out of the water! >> reporter: wading through the river is a challenge. so are the fish in these waters. >> hey! you got company! hi! what's going on? >> reporter: but one of us lands something. unfortunately, it's not a fish. it's our cameraman, craig. >> i'm so sorry. oh, my god. >> hey, meredith -- >> i know, he's cute -- but come on! >> reporter: fishing time is up. lucky for some. no fish for us this day. ann and meredith, nothing.

angling for a better view of the river, we grab the paddles and load into the canoe. >> that was me. >> what the heck are you doing? sit down! this is no time to be shifting seats. >> this river's been going longer than we've been alive. that's a long time. >> yes, it is, ann curry. yes, it is. >> reporter: our great fishing adventure ends with a perfect bike ride. >> there we go, annie. >> reporter: down a perfect lane and the chance to appreciate the beauty of life's simple pleasures. >> this is a great day. what do we do? fly fishing? go on to a lake? go to the river? go in the jeep? go on a bike? >> cheers. >> it's girl time. >> so john's now again with us. john, it was so much fun. thank you so much. he was with us yesterday. you just saw something that was pretty funny. you said that after four hours

of a lesson, just a few hours, you can catch a fish. if you're here on lake george. unless, of course, you're meredith or me. you also told us women catch on to this sport faster than men do. >> yes, they pick it up real quick. >> why is that? >> i think they can't use their strength. they have to use technique. >> let's try it. >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. john, such a pleasure. >> it was really fun. >> matt, you could use a lesson. coming up, we'll have some camping and also what could be a rather amusing race. we'll be right back after these messages.

still ahead, what are cankles and how do you deal with them, meredith?

>> live, local, latebreaking.

this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. time to get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a handful of problems, many of them weather-related. we have reports of an accident with the disabled vehicle on the outer loop at security. watch for that to affect conditions on the west side. white marsh is looking pretty good. we normally have heavy delays there. traffic flowing pretty well towards the beltway. in this city, fayette closed at lucerne a due to an accident. fayette completely shut down. take orleans as your alternate. white marsh, a very busy road at this time of morning. also dealing with a problem coming in and greenspring avenue, north of greenspring valley. accident due to a traffic light being out at that intersection.

deer park, we have a downed tree to deal with. some situation at morgan station and route 99. >> strong storms did rumbled through last night. 5:30 until 7:00. intense winds. massive hail out there as well. we could see strong storms erupt again later this evening. right now, lower-to-mid-70's. highs will be sweltering this afternoon. 88 degrees for central maryland. it will be like that for the rest of the week. typical summertime weather pattern. showers and storms each and every afternoon. >> our next live update at 8:25.

♪

we're back now at 8:00 on a monday morning, it's the 27th day of july, 2009. ann and mayeredith, wherever th go they have a theme song. making an entrance up on lake george in the adirondack mountains of new york on a beautiful morning as "today takes a vacation." meredith and ann, good morning, ladies. hey, that's nice. >> this is not just a carriage, we're making our way up to the top of the hill at the saginaw hotel. that group there that was leading us in are from the fort. >> the fort's located on the northern tip of lake george, it was built in 1755 and was open to the public about 100 years ago, matt. >> it's very pretty. ann, how did you get the back seat? what happened there? >> i don't think it's a bad view. i've got to really be honest. we got so lucky with such a

beautiful day and really such a warm reception. >> people here are so excited we're visiting. they're just wonderful, wonderful hosts. >> you'd love it here, matt. >> here we're going to talk about something that, o to be honest with you, right over my head. we're going to talk about a troubling feature on the bodies of a lot of people, and in particular women are concerned about this. we're talking about cankles. you're laughing because you don't have cankles. basically that's a chubby ankle. we'll try and find out what you can do with it and that's all i'm going to say about it. >> i can tell you're a little uncomfortable discussing it. coming up, we'll fill you in on a perfect camping adventure wherever you take it. one resident in the adirondacks that's smarter than the average bear. we're talking about a bear called yellow yellow.

>> 40 years ago campers were banned from hanging food in trees and keeping it out of the reach of bears. instead these were installed at local camp sites that was supposed to be bear-proof. they were tested, even stood up to the massive grizzlies at yellowstone. but yellow yellow, the bear here, seems to be able to bust through even the toughest containers. >> in fact, this local trash can designer, she calls this bear a genius bear because he seems to have a soft spot for italian sausage and granola bars, matt. >> thank you for bringing us up to date on that bear. now to bring us up to date on all the headlines of the morning, natalie's at the news desk while ann is "on vacation." good morning. speculation is mounting over the political future of sarah palin after she stepped down as governor of alaska on sunday. at an event in fairbanks, palin said she was leaving office in order to better serve alaska and to avoid what she called petty politics.

political observers believe palin is gearing up for a presidential run in 2012. police are trying to figure out why a minivan was traveling the wrong way in new york on sunday. it crashed head-on into traffic and eight people were killed. powerful storms spawned a tornado, knocking out trees, power lines and caused significant damage to about 30 homes and businesses in new york. residents in texas are dealing with a much bigger problem. the state there is going through a severe drought. >> reporter: that's right. this goes on merely hot and dry. take a look at lake travis, or what used to be part of the lake. boats and docks are now sitting on rocks. this is no longer lake-front property. in terms of agriculture, the state has taken a big hit. the state's corn and cotton crops are largely a wash. many ranchers have had to send

their cattle to market early because there's simply no grazing land. the bad news is, experts say this drought is very severe and could continue through the fall. for now, back to you. >> janet schamlian in lake travis, texas, thank you. "g-force" took over the top spot at the box office taking in over $32 million over the weekend, according to early estimates. harry potter and the half blood prince was second, and "the ugly truth" came in third. 8:04. you're up to date. let's go back outside once again to matt. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather right now. al roker's getting a jump on our vacation spot for tomorrow. he's down in key west,

>> we have a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms again this afternoon. partly cloudy skies, and very humid, a steamy conditions out there. ahead of a cold front. that can trigger storms in ocean city as well.

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, we're going to talk about something disturbing for a lot of women. they're called cankles. and much more from meredith and ann up on beautiful lake george when we come back. [ announcer ] you make healthy choices every day-- oh, max! and you want to do the same for your laughable, lovable dog. [ barks ]

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♪ a hallmark card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. target for the body conscious -- the cankle. in fact, just last week the costly fight against cankles actually made it on to the pages of the "wall street journal." in the 1960s, we tackled love handles. in the '70s, it was the saddlebag. and a few years ago it was the muffin top. but lately, our body-conscious gaze has shifted downward to an area just below the knee.

>> calf, right into ankle. cankles. >> reporter: yes, that's right. it's the dreaded "cankle." >> cankles are a condition when your calf muscle is basically the same width as your ankle. there's really a straight line. you could be called piano legs. now it's called cankles. >> reporter: and those piano legs have strolled to the forefront of cultural awareness. spoofing hillary clinton on saturday night live, amy polar remarked -- >> stop saying i have cankles. >> reporter: jennifer aniston playing rachel on "friends" was fixated on her ankles. >> i do not have chubby ankles. >> reporter: and the guest host of "today" last week had a beef with cankles. >> there are guys that look at these cankles and they get turned off by the cankles. >> the cause of cankles is mostly genetics. you're predisposed to have fat deposits in your ankles. >> reporter: sorry, guys.

it's not just women who have to be worried. gold's gym has declared july cankle awareness month. they're offering classes to help fight the bulge. >> i've been working hard to be defined all over. hopefully i've eradicated it. >> reporter: while others work out, others go to extremes. >> liposuction of the calves and cankles is one-third of all the liposuction operations do i. very popular. >> reporter: but it can be pricey. according to dr. pittman, surgery can range anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000. have we become overly rankled about our cankles? >> i think for the most part it's really something that people focus on on themselves and it is not something that most people are looking out for. you should not let crankless crush your confidence. >> so, what can you do about the cankles? we have three experts, dr. stephen weinfield, good morning. cankles not exactly a medical

term. it's when the calf merges with the ankle. how exactly does it happen and who's genetically predisposed to it? >> there are people the fat deposition pattern causes the increase of fat around the ankles. the normal contour of the calf coming down to narrow at the ankle doesn't happen. >> are people genetically predisposed then? >> yes. some are predisposed to have fat deposition around the ankle. >> as far as surgery, when dealing with the cankle, liposuction that we saw in the piece is one way? >> that's really the only way to get rid of it. other medical conditions are predisposed to cankle. obesity, women in pregnancy. leaking voins can cause fat deposition in the area. >> let's find other ways to tackle the cankle. we have a personal trainer at gold's gym.

nikki. gold's gym has called july the cankle awareness month. you say first start with jumping rope. >> that's right, natalie. the great thing about this, remember we're eliminating excess weight. i tell everyone combination of cardiovascular exercise. strength training and nutrition. so we're doing the cardio with a lot of energy. >> that's putting more pressure on the ankle, too. >> also we're getting those calf massles and ankles active. i also like to do squats. go up to calf raises. nice and easy. we're strengthening and lifting. >> thank you. now over here to jackie of "shape" magazine. things to avoid when it comes to the cankle and fashion. capris, definitely a staple of

the summer but if you have cankles, probably something to not where. >> i have a fashion cure. a longer length pant. obviously ankle slimming. ladies, throw out your capris, unfortunately. nothing that shows off the ankle. then move to the dresses as well. >> here we see the longer lengths, too. is the idea to just cover them up as much as you can? >> it is. thankfully maxi dresses are still with us this season. nothing that hits mid calf or the knee because that puts the focus on the actual ankle. >> let's talk about shoe wear. where the strap is and the kind of heel you wear can make a big difference. >> you want to avoid very skinny heels. that's georgia for a great wedge. look for something like a pump, that gives the optical illusion of a slimmer ankle. these are guccis. it creates a longer, leaner line. avoid a kitten heel, something

like this. it will draw attention. no ankle straps as well. >> thank you to all of our guests this morning. next, get ready for this. meredith and ann are going to battle it out old-fashioned sack race. battle it out old-fashioned sack race. right after this. cash for clunkers. - ( car being crushed ) offering up to $4500 toward a new car with an eligible trade-in. plus, toyota is offering factory incentives omany models for even more savings. with toyota being the most dependable and fuel-efficient car company in america, it's no wder 25 models in the toyota family qualify. so hurry in to your toyota dealer today. garth, you're up. hold on, i'm at capitalone.com picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting )

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"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by -- expedia.com. and welcome back as "today takes a vacation." ann and i are at lake george, the gateway to the adirondack mountains. >> peter alexander grabbed a sleeping bag to check out the camping. >> you can't have the chocolate before you have the marshmallows. a good s 'more is a good gentle spin. the bad economy is sending a lot of people back into the great outdoors, they're choosing to skip fancy resorts or trips overseas. instead taking a trip into the woods.

it is an all-american tradition. the family summer vacation. >> whether it's going to a beach in cape cod or camping in yellowstone, or even going to an amusement park, the classic american vacation is really back. >> reporter: and facing a rugged economy, americans are looking to get more out of their vacations for less, creating a growing demand for old-fashioned favorites like camping. some parks this summer reporting campsite bookings up 30%. >> the appeal of camping is that you can get back to nature. it's also really affordable. and can you do it anywhere. >> reporter: families like this family with a long island, new york. >> will. >> carolyn. >> christine. >> emily. >> peter. okay, so i'm not actually a member of the family, but this group and their extended family, 25 in all, have been camping at hearthstone point on lake george for years. >> i think the best part about camping is we get to be together

as a family. >> the memories that it brings for the kids. i get good pictures. >> reporter: this summer they let me tag along. >> hi, guys. are you going to help me set it up? oh, boy. everybody take a corner. just like that? let's switch it. is that the front though? one more time. after effortlessly constructing my home for the night, we all hit the road for a little adventure. we met up with new york state forest ranger for what i'll call the v.i.p. tour. that's very important camper. >> people get out in the woods, you're near the adirondack mountains. >> reporter: later ranger john took me on a hike for a better perspective of our surroundings. what sort of wildlife do you see out here? >> if you're lucky enough,

white-tail deer, black bear, moose, maybe a rattlesnake. >> reporter: the top prospect mountains offers scenery that can only be topped by the single greatest camping creation known to man. simple show of hands. who had a good day camping? [ we are the campers ♪ ♪ mighty mighty campers >> reporter: while my new family was just warming up, i was ready to call it a night. >>ed into, daddy. >> night. >> sleep tight. >> goodnight, david. >> goodnight. >> good night, larry. >> goodnight. goodnig goodnight, pete. >> good night, emily. >> goodnight, chris. >> goodnight, peter. >> have a good night, maryann.

>> goodnight. >> goodnight, christine. >> reporter: as the sun goes over lake george these well rested -- well, rested campers began a new day. a family trip filled with lasting memories, not unlike stories from my own family vacation in summers gone by. we really did spend the night in that camp. another camping tradition is the sack race. we'll welcome you to the first annual lake george "today" show sack face invitational. okay? thank you. quickly we'll do the names. when i say go, you go. nick and emily, colby and meredith. shelby and ann. mason and grace. ready? on your mark, get set -- go!

>> yay! >> yay! i'm the last one! >> the champion of the first-ever "today" show sacrifice lake george invitational, nick and emily. congratulations. >> they're going to have that for the rest of their lives. >> i want to eat those marshmallows. we'll be back after your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara.

police are looking for whoever shot and killed a pair of teenagers in the highlands neighborhood. the shots were fired actually after the o'clock and north conkling street. one of the victims, an 18-year- old was shot in the body and died en route to johns hopkins hospital. let's get a final check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> busy ride out there, not as far as delays go, but incident- wise. fayette closed at lucerne, an accident there for some time. we're dealing with other problems related to the storm. downed tree, and park heights at greenspring valley. not too bad, 13 tminutes on the outer loop side. if you are heading out on the harbor tunnel, looking pretty good.

westside checking out fine at i- 70. the delay at i-95 and white marsh. >> it looks hazy, hot, and humid. afternoon showers and storms, some of which could be a strong agenda this evening. 72 at b.w.i. marshall. very soon be out there. tropical feeling-type air mass. this will be sliding in our direction all day today. it will be a trigger mechanism for showers and storms late this afternoon. as far as extended forecast goes, each and every day we will be flirting with the 90-degree threshold or higher bid yesterday, we hit a high of 91 degrees. we will be seeing showers and storms each and every afternoon >> another update at 8:55. gecko: uh, you wanted to see me sir?

boss: come on in, i had some other things you can tell people about geico - great claims service and a 97% customer satisfaction rate. show people really trust us. gecko: yeah right, that makes sense. boss: trust is key when talking about geico. you gotta feel it. why don't you and i practice that with a little exercise where i fall backwards and you catch me. gecko: uh no sir, honestly... uh...i don't think...uh... boss: no, no. we can do this. gecko: oh dear. vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

8:30 on this monday morning, july 27th, 2009. welcome back to lake george, new york, nettled in the adirondacks. a popular destination for lots of families. we have lots of folks out here. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry. matt is back in new york with natalie. mr. roker's made his way to tomorrow's "today goes on vacation." in key west, florida. wednesday kathie lee and hoda will be in san antonio, texas. and saturday, you and amy robach will be in las vegas. >> it is a great way to showcase great places people can go.

in scotland they have a loch ness monster. here at lake george we have a lake george monster. >> and it is not meredith vieira. >> hahaha. >> girls, girls. you guaranteed, meredith, we will have a sighting of this monster some time during our broadcast. >> that's right. >> what part of that didn't you understand the first time? >> i just want to make sure that i got you on the record saying -- >> you have us on the record. >> she's good for her word. >> this is not my first time at lake george. yours either. >> no. but the place has changed so much that i hardly recognize it. the last time i was here was 1992. it's really amazing that within four hours of new york city there is this playground that is so stunning with all these -- my in-laws, ben and carrie cohen were married and honeymooned in lake george in 1955.

we came back and stayed at the saginaw. >> we just missed each other. back to you guys. >> actually, speaking of memories -- >> that's right. basically we went to the town on sunday and basically what we did was we -- you know how you guys take those old-time black and white photographs? we actually did that. we want you to take a look at some of the things we did. there are all kinds of -- different kinds of costumes you can pick when you take those photographs. i wonder -- basically there was gangsters, victorian outfits, wild west. what do you guys think we

>> very warm and the steamy start for us today. we will go to 88 degrees. it will feel more intense than that, with all the humidity out there. good chance of scattered showers and storms. good chance of >> all right. not quite as big a crowd as ann

and meredith. but a passionate crowd. a passionate crowd. >> al, i'll see you down there in a few hours. and we come back, we'll go back up to lake george with meredith and ann. tips to make your next camping trip one to remember. but first this is "today" " pa

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welcome back, everybody. to this special edition of "today," "today takes a vacation." lake george is one of the most popular camping destinations in the northeast. >> if you're planning a trip to the woods, you have to know what to bring. the gear editor of "back peaker" magazine joins us. we'll start with the obvious. this is a really cool tent. this is a tent for four. >> great family tent for four people, two doors, lots of pockets in the side.

easy to put up. this is a really nice sleeping system by thermarest. a pad, a sheet, quilt and pillow. it's deluxe. the cool thing about it is that you can take the pad and insert it into this chair kit -- >> that kurnd into this? >> yes. yes. in a matter of minutes. >> i love this grill. it's the coleman fold-and-go. i have some pancakes for you to try. >> of course. >> the cool thing is that you've got a griddle surface, can you switch it out for a grill surface for your hot dogs and hamburgers and your burner. the propane tank is separately. when it is time to do the dishes, this is the kitchen sink. fill it with water. have you dries racks on the side. >> i love it. >> i know your kids are too big for this, so are mine but this is a great day pack to take on a hike. you can store all your gear in here.

when the kids get tired, you open it up and you plop the kids inside and you can carry them. you don't have to worry about bringing any strollers. about 30 pounds in here. i love this light, too, the coleman l.e.d. quad. it will light up a whole campground. one kid wants to go in one direction, another kid wants to go in another direction, four lights. they clip on and recharge like that. >> good camping stuff. >> i've got a good idea from the executive chef of the sagamore and also an avid camper. we always worry about how do we figure out how to cook out in the wild. but you make it really easy. you say we can vacuum pack it and take it with us. >> we just get a nice food sealer at any department store. special bags that come with that so you can boil in a bag. we just place it right there in the boiling water. it is a premade filet, already seasons, cooked up ahead of

time. put accompaniments right there with it in the water. as that boils and heats through we can do other things. in this instance -- >> even a salad. which is crazy, ken. you can vacuum-pack a salad? you don't obviously put it in the boiling water but you can have a fresh beautiful sadandeln salad? >> dandelion greens, go for it. put a little bit vinaigrette. put it in this nice spray bottle. already mixed. blackberries. >> when you pick berries you have to be careful. >> and then? >> little mushroom. >> wow, look at that. >> warm mushroom-berry salad. >> oh, that's beautiful! the smell is amazing. it is very simple. you wouldn't vacuum-pack this then? >> no. >> just do this out there. then in terms of this, this is what? you said it was about $100.

you just put the food inside of it, and goes right -- look at that. you can have a filet mignon out in the woods. you just warm it up in a pot of hot water. >> all those nice juices come out. >> we had dinner in the restaurant last night. you're fantastic. the food was great. >> thank you. >> that's a great idea. i always worry about who's going to do the cooking, how's it going to be. >> thanks, ken, for making it look so easy. >> and you've got to drink. bloody marys. we were given our own bloody mary mix and they told me to share it. so i am. coming up, the lake george monster. but first this is "today" on nbc. we've all heard about the trouble in the housing industry. the fact is, with all the talk of a national real estate market, your town, your neighborhood, your home,

or the home you'd like to buy, are each unique. the national conversation may not apply at all. if you've been worrying about what your property may be worth, or wondering if your dream home may finally be affordable, ask a re/max agent or go to remax.com. nobody sells more real estate than re/max.

back now at 8:45. now to a very special woman doing her part to help fellow sufferers of a rare disorder. "today" national correspondent amy robach has her story. >> good morning. about 4 million people in this country deal with an auto immune condition which causes significant, and in some cases, complete loss of hair all over the body. i met up with one woman who has traveled the country on a mission to help others like her by doing something as simple as lunch. >> i would say about 13 years ago, that was the time when my hair started falling out. all over my head. lost my body hair, lost my eyebrows. >> reporter: for thea, the onset of the disease meant some big changes in her life. what is that like for a woman specifically to realize, i'm losing all of my hair, and it's not growing back. >> in our society, there's so much emphasis on how we look. when a woman loses her hair,

she's really facing the mirror and having a whole new self-image. >> reporter: since 2005, thea's traveled to 33 cities bringing together hundreds of women with the disease at supportive gatherings known simply and i have reverently as "bald girls do lunch." i joined them recently in oak brook, illinois. >> i still think of most people have never heard of that. they look at you, like what? >> they want to know, well why are you bald if you're not sick? i'm at a loss for words. >> what do they say to you? >> they assume you have cancer. >> exactly. >> it's fairly common. a lot of people have it in the u.s. up to 2% of the population has it. and not everyone has it in the full degree that we all do. >> mine's a little different. i have a lot of hair left but you can call me patches. i can grow a nice mohawk but that's just not the look i want.

>> what does that feel like when it started to fall out? how do you describe it? >> i thought i was dying. >> i think it's the worst thing ever, the transition of losing your hair. because you go through all of the stages of grief, i think. you're sad, you're angry, you feel sorry for yourself. you know? you're just beside yourself. >> eventually my doctor's like, i think you have alapecea. she sent me to a dermatologist. you'll love this. she's like, "here's a pamphlet. there's nothing we can do for you." >> it is really frightening at first. then you realize, all of us here have families, we have great careers, we're smart women, we're beautiful, and it's made a big difference to me. >> in what environment do you feel comfortable taking your wigs off? and are you comfortable anywhere? obviously you are. >> i tried wigs in the very beginning when i lost enough hair to where i couldn't cover up the patches anymore. but it just didn't work for me.

what i ended up doing was eventually going to get my head shaved. for the first time. i went to a barber shop. it was still a very emotional moment in my life. so after that, it was still a while before i came out in public. once the weather warmed up -- see, i'm from texas. beautiful texas. when it gets warm, it gets warm. i was like, okay, i got to come out of these. >> last november i was like not expecting something at all. this is the first time in public i'd actually taken my hair off. after that, i was like, i'm going to be okay, i can do this. who cares you're bald. >> reporter: in fact, one of the benefits for the ladies at this particular lunch is trying on new looks. >> ooh! >> i know you're very up front with the people when you first meet them. >> yes, i am.

>> you told a guy on your first date. >> i did and he completely freaked out. completely freaked out. i will tell you he did had teeth and i did not judge him. let me just say that very clear. >> stephanie, is this your first lunch? >> yeah, it is. >> what do you think? >> i think this is fabulous. >> despite the name, the women are not required to take off their wigs and these lunches. the group of gals i met were very open about it. thea wants everyone to know, wigs or no wigs, anyone with the disease is welcome to join them. we posted more information about bald girls do lunch on our website, todayshow.com. they were a brave group of women and just full of life and spirit. they said we're healthy and we're happy. life could be a lot worse. >> i have to say, bald is beautiful. absolutely. coming up next, much more

from new york's lake george. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back in new york's absolutely beautiful lake george and the sagamore hotel. matt had to take off for key

west. al is there. we promised matt we'd reveal the lake george monster. we'll reveal him in one second. the story goes back to 1906, two wealthy summer residents had a fishing competition. one of the men claimed to have caught a 40-pound trout. turns out the trout was this. >> that's right. wait a minute. there is a pay-back. the other man caught his own wooden fake. this is it. this is the monster. all right? and he actually rigged it up with this ghastly looking creature with wires so it could be pulled out of the water whenever his friends went by. >> look at these eyeballs on it. not only was the man's friend scared, the entire lake -- >> i'm horrified! >> let me finish. folklore has it one honeymooning couple spotted the monster when they were out on the boat and the groom was so shocked that he fell out of his boat, never

looked back, didn't help his newly married wife he just married, left his new bride to fend for herself. she was so angry that she basically told him they were no longer married. this is serious stuff. >> folks here were nice enough to loan this to us. it is really a cherished relic here. >> that's right. from the lake george historical museum. it is called georgie the monster. we've gotten to the bottom of this mystery. meredith is actually true to her word, she promised it and she delivered. >> we also have gifts, don't we? >> ooh, gifts! >> al, you're going to get the first one. i want to show it to you. you know how you love boating. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is -- >> that's amazing. >> this is a represent mr. ka of one of the schooners you might have seen here back in the day. that's a bottle boat for your mantel. then for matt, what we basically have, he dogged you fly fishing. >> but he likes to do it.

our fishing buddy john who taught us how to fly fish basically picked out all of these beautiful flies for you. he really went overboard. i may not bring these back for matt. >> for natalie -- we'd never leave you out -- this is some maple syrup from a local maple syrup maker, big bee's best. >> that's syrup? >> hope you guys like these gifts. >> i love them. love them. >> honestly, al, if you saw this thing pop up out of the water would you be scared? >> actually, i think i'd go into groucho. "want to buy a duck?" >> it was just a prank. there you go. we'll be back with much more. >> we have plenty more from lake george.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. fast-moving storms left quite a mess and in the back to the morning commute. you can see the damage it did to this neighborhood in owings mills. it brought massive trees down like kindling. >> pounding rain, hail, banging on the windows.

we went to the bathroom. >> i heard a loud snapping noise, and it was just really loud. then we saw this going around our house. i was really freaked out. >> no word on if in fact any tornadoes touched down in our area. dramatic images on the home page of our website, wbaltv.com. @@@@@@

>> let's look of the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we are going to be very humid with a chance of more showers and storms. in the meantime, a very steamy, 88-degree forecast. we will remain in the upper 80s the lower 90s. chance of showers and storms. the other constant in the forecast is a chance of afternoon showers and storms.

late july weather. >> thank yndjoining us. we will have another update at 9:25.

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