good morning. breaking news. tropical storm claudette makes landfall in florida, and further out in the atlantic, bill has become the first named hurricane of the season. this morning, we're tracking the storms. reining it in. as president obama and his family tour the wild west, signs he may drop a key part of his health plan. is he bowing to pressure from the republicans and those shouters at town hall meetings? and hocus-pocus? the vacation shot crashed by a curious squirrel. but is it real? the couple behind it here to break their silence and silence their doubte erers "today," mon break their silence and silence their doubte erers "today," mon august 17th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and good moonk morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry in for meredith vieira. you're one of those doubters that's going to be silenced this morning. >> i wasn't too sure of the photo. the couple behind the photo not too happy with me. also coming up, the hurricane season is now here tracking not just one, not two, but three storms, matt. >> tropical depression ana, tropical storm claudette and bill which officially became a hurricane earlier this morning. claudette hit florida's panhandle in the early morning hours, bringing with it lots of rain and sustained winds around 50 miles per hour. but bill could be a bigger threat a little later this week. we'll have much more on these storms coming up in just a couple of minutes. lot to watch. also ahead this morning, strange and frightening case in georgia where a 38-year-old mother has been missing for nearly a week. she went out for a walk last

tuesday and was talking to her boyfriend on the cell phone and he heard her scream yelling "don't take me!" she's not been heard from since. we'll get the latest and speak to her mother and brother next. plus an exclusive video of michael jackson and his children out shopping,shopping spree just weeks before his death. was that shopping trip research? burglars open up what they look for when it comes to picking the homes they target. you may not have thought about some of these things. but let's begin with tropical storm claudette lash being the florida panhandle. the weather channel's jim cantore is live on the scene. >> reporter: good morning, matt. as quick as this thing came in yesterday, it is moving on out. when we started the weekend we were thinking, we'll have to deal with ana or bill. but no, it actually was claudette developing yesterday morning and moving right in last night. near ft. walton beach.

behind me the beaches look pretty good. as quick as the seas came up, they went down. 9,000 people lost power in panama city but since then power's been coming back on pretty quickly here. our focus will now turn out into the atlantic to see what's next in the pipeline as the forecast for ana eventually is very close to this area as we go toward friday night and the early part of the weekend. >> that is the weather channel's jim cantore, thank you very much. there are other storms. let's bring in weather channel's stephanie abrams in for al this morning. good morning. >> good morning, ann and matt. here's a look at what's happening. right now throughout the panhandle of florida, we are seeing that rain coming in. it is very light rain relatively speaking. this is going to continue as we head through the day today. some people could see locally heavy amounts. i'm talking half a month to a month's worth of rainfall coming out of this tropical storm, anywhere from around biloxi all the way towards pensacola and also into destin. let's talk about the other systems that are waiting in the wings. we do have tropical depression

ana, not looking very good and it doesn't look like ana is going to gain strength, but that is not the case with bill. our first hurricane of the season. here is hurricane bill. category 1. is this thing going to make landfall? let's show you where it is headed to as we head over time. there we go, it looks like as of right now it will stay offshore and just be a threat for bermuda but of course, we'll follow the story over the next several days. let's get a check of the rest of the forecast in a moment. but now turning to politics. president obama and his family have headed west as the administration appears to be backing off a controversial piece of his health care plan. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is traveling with the president, he's in phoenix this morning. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the president came out west for a working vacation to do two types of sight seeing. number one, to see a lot of the natural wonders of the west from the grand canyon to old faithful, but he also got a first-hand look at some of the skepticism he's facing in his pitch to overhaul health care.

the obama family has been taking in the beauty of the american west, from old faithful in yellowstone national park. to the spectacular views from the grand canyon. the first lady and daughter sasha and malia even went whitewater rafting. but it's the rough waters of the health care debate that have occupied mr. obama on this trip. unlike the mostly friendly crowd he faced in new hampshire, in town hall meetings in montana and colorado, the president faced tougher questions from skeptics of his plan. >> why is it that you've changed your strategy? >> you can't tell us how you're going to pay for this. >> reporter: in a "new york times" op-ed on sunday, the president continued to make his case for health care reform, that it will control costs, make medicare more efficient and give those without health insurance a choice. the same message he has delivered on this road trip. >> we will do all of this without adding to our deficit over the next decade, largely by

cutting waste and ending sweetheart deals for insurance companies that don't make anybody any healthier. >> reporter: but mr. obama appears to be stepping back from the idea of a government-run public option. >> the public option, whether we have it or we don't have it is not the entirety of health care reform. this is just one sliver of it. >> reporter: on sunday, health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius downplayed the idea further. >> i think what's important is choice and competition. i'm convinced at the end of the day the plan will have both of those, but that is not the essential element. >> reporter: the alternative to the public option favored by some in the senate is a co-op, a government influence but not run-ins plan authored by north dakota democrat kent conrad. >> the fact of the matter is, there are not the votes in the united states senate for the public option. there never have been. so to continue to chase that rabbit i think is just a wasted effort. >> reporter: now late yesterday, the deputy white house chief of

staff jim mussina tried to reassure some progressive/liberal activists who were upset to hear about this public option, the e-mail read in part, nothing's changed. the president's always said that health reform must lower costs and insure there are affordable options for all americans. still a lot of wiggle room there, matt. >> chuck todd, thank you very much. howard dean is the former governor of vermont and former head of the democratic national committee. he made health care the centerpiece of his 2004 presidential campaign and he's authored a book on the topic, "howard dean's prescription for real health care reform." governor, thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me on. >> let's start by making sure people understand exactly what we're talking about when we say this public option. this is a government-run insurance agency that would give people greater choice, some say break the monopoly held by the private insurers and, thus, drive down costs. is that fair? >> it is fair. the best way to think about it

is to think about it as medicare or the veterans administration. these are two very good health care programs that exist already. they've been around for a long, long time. that's what we'd like to offer the public. >> now that we've done our job and defined it and described it, is it dead? >> no. in fact, you really can't do health care reform without it. the health insurance companies have really put enormous pressure on both patients and doctors over the years. people are losing their health insurance, can't get it back again if they have a pre-existing condition. sometimes they even get kicked off their health insurance because they've become sick. what's going on in the health insurance industry is very much like what was going on, in my view, on wall street over the last eight years. people just basically taking money out of your pockets, putting it in theirs. none of that money goes to health care. it's one of the reasons our health insurance industry is so inefficient. >> but i say is it dead, because you're listening to what the president and administration officials are saying over the past couple of days. let me give you a contrast. here's the president a month ago

talking about reform. he says, "as i said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices and assure quality is the public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest." here's the president just three days ago, "all i'm saying is, though, that the public option, whether we have it or not, we don't have it, is not the entirety of health care reform. this is just one sliver of it, one aspect of it." boy, you disagree with that, don't you? >> it is the entirety of health care reform. it is not the entirety of insurance reform. there are some things we did up here a long time ago in vermont that the president wants to do and should do. but we shouldn't spend $60 billion a year subsidizing the health insurance industry. they don't need it. the public option is a way of avoiding that. nice thing about the public option, you give the public a choice. it is the public option. that is, you can choose what you have if you like it, or you can choose something different that can follow you everywhere you go. you can't be turned down, it doesn't cost more if you're sick than it does if you're healthy. that's the public option. >> but without the public option

could you support reform, governor, or would you tell the president it's not worth spending -- >> that's right. it's not worth spending the money. just go ahead and do the insurance reform. it doesn't cost anything. we did this here and it is very successful, making them behave better but it won't get many people insured. you won't have real reform without some kind of public option, that's pretty clear. >> do you think the president understands that or might he compromise further than you'd like him to compromise? >> well, this is a very interesting -- what they would call in japan a kabuki dance. everybody has their role. we got to get this thing through the senate. a lot of agonizing. the senate's not back in session for another three weeks. when they get back in session then i think you'll see real movement. matt, it is my judgment that what's going to happen in the end is the republicans won't have a single vote for this, no matter what the democrats try to concede. everybody is going to understand if you're going to do this, you might as well do it right and the public option will be in the bill when the president signs it in december. >> all the efforts for a

bipartisan bill will go by the wayside anyway. >> yeah, i don't think the republicans are interested. in order to have a bipartisan bill you got to have both sides interested. they're really not judging by what's going on in the last week or so. >> governor howard dean, always good to see you, thanks very much. >> thanks for having me again. with ann in for meredith, let's get a check of rest of the morning's top stories with natalie morales over at the news deck. natalie, good morning to you. good morning. firefighters are trying to control almost a dozen big wildfires burning in california. in some places, hot, dry, windy conditions are making it difficult. firefighters made progress sunday in santa cruz county allowing some evacuated residents to return home there. the war in afghanistan will be a big topic today when president obama speaks at the vfw's annual convention in phoenix. u.s. troops are trying to ensure safe elections this week in afghanistan. overseas markets are down sharply this morning after what seemed like good news from the world's second biggest economy. cnbc's erin burnett is at the

new york stock exchange. erin, what's going on exactly? >> good morning, natalie. we're talking about japan. it was good news. i mean the economy there in the second quarter grew. the problem was, expectations have just gotten incredibly high, natalie, for an economic recovery. some european economies have emerged from recession and investors were hoping we'd see even more than so far we've gotten. this is the other issue, which is retail sales in the united states. there is real concern that consumer confidence is not keeping up. the back-to-school shopping is going to be weak. broad-based fear in the markets today, the economic recovery isn't good enough. back to you. >> erin burnett at the new york stock exchange, thank you. the fastest man in the world just got faster. jamaica's usain bolt shattered his own world record sunday in the 100 meters, finishing in 9.58 seconds. he took .01 off his record set at the beijing olympics. y.e. yang of south korea won

the pga championship on sunday by beating tiger woods marking the first time woods lost after holding the lead heading into the final round. stunning upset indeed. 7:12 right now. you're up to date. back to matt, ann and stephanie. he was virtually an unknown until yesterday. now that has changed. >> he apparently didn't read the papers that said it was basically tiger's turn when he was going to win. good luck -- or congratulations. >> i don't think he read the memo that it is a sleeveless day? >> i'm sleeveless under this janet. the shirt is actually just a dickie. stephanie abrams is here filling in while al is taking a day off. stephanie? >> hi, guys. everyone's sleeveless because it is hot here in new york city. it was yesterday and it will be yet again today. let's look at how hot it's going to get. into the 90s. we actually have a heat advisory here throughout new york city. we're 10 to 15 degrees above average. the rest of the

>> ann, over to you. >> stephanie, thanks. to the latest on a tragic story out of california. the kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old sandra cantu. it happened last march and a former sunday schoolteacher is accused of the killing. court officials have now ordered a new hearing for that woman later today. nbc's george lewis is in stockton, california with more. >> reporter: good morning. today's hearing comes after a secret grand jury session. we may learn today whether that

grand jury has indicted melissa huckabee for the kidnap, rape and murder of sandra cantu, charges if if proven could make her eligible for the death penalty. sandra cantu was last seen alive in this surveillance video, shot outside her home in tracy, california, on the day she went missing. described by her family as a happy, compassionate child, sandra became the focus of a huge search effort in her hometown. ten days later her body was found in a pond north of town inside a black suitcase. it was that suitcase that made police suspicious of melissa huckaby, a sunday schoolteacher an mother of a small child of her own. she was arrested after talking to a local newspaper reporter. >> i asked her whose black suitcase that was. she said the day sandra went missing someone had stolen a black suitcase from her driveway. >> reporter: prosecutors could have asked for a preliminary hearing to determine if there

was sufficient evidence to put her on trial, but instead took their case to the grand jury. legal experts say there are multiple reasons for doing that. >> one, to avoid defense delays, two, avoid pre-trial publicity and, three, avoid anguish to the victim's family caused by a public hearing. in this case, all three of those factors apply. >> reporter: members of sandra cantu's family say they do not want people to forget what happened to her. >> there have been permanent memorials erected in memory of sandra. we have a sandra cantu playground, a tree planted in her memory. it's just part of tracy's story, a sad part of tracy's story. >> reporter: if the grand jury has indicted melissa huckabyhuce may learn today when the state of california plans to put her on trial. 7:16. here's matt. now to michael vick's return to the nfl. after spending 18 months in jail for running a dog fighting ri.

nbc's ron allen is in philadelphia. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. michael vick plans to practice with his new team the eagles later today but he's been busier off the field doing public relations work trying to convince skeptical fans that the eagles are right to offer him millions of dollars and welcome him back to the national football league. on the practice field, quarterback michael vick wears his old number 7. but he has none of the swagger that once made him one of football's biggest stars and highest paid players. with the $130 million contract. >> i made some mistakes, i've done some terrible things, made a horrible mistake. and now i want to be part of the solution and not the problem. >> reporter: the eagles shocked the sports world when they announced last week they signed him to be their backup quarterback. vick had been banned from football indefinitely after a raid at his virginia farm uncovered a dog fighting ring where gamblers bet thousands as the animals often fought to the

death. a crime that sparked angry protests. now bankrupt and trying to rebuild his career, vick insists prison changed him. vick on cbs news "60 minutes." >> the first day i walked into prison and they slam that door, i knew the magnitude of the decisions that i made. and the poor judgment and what i allowed to happen to innocent animals. it's no way of explaining the hurt and the guilt that i felt, and that was the reason i cried so many nights. >> reporter: reaction from fans has been mixed. some of it unforgiving. >> someone who with their own hands electrocutes and strangles dogs can't be rehabilitated. >> if they use him, hey, i like him. but let's see what they do. >> i still think there is more negative than positive. i would say it is probably 60-40 against this signing. >> reporter: vick does have the

support of the humane society. the nation's largest animal welfare group which has recru recruited him to speak out about the who are roars of animal cruelty. vick is joining a team that is already a championship contender. that's another reason some fans think the eagles do not need michael vick and the baggage that he brings. but team management has been convinced he deserves a second chance, he has paid his debt to society and of course, he can help the team win which is what football is all about. >> ron allen in philadelphia this morning, thank you. 19 after the hour. here's ann. now to the latest on the michael jackson case and what the pop star was doing during the last days of his life. we know he was rehearsing for a comeback concert tour but nbc's jeff rossen has learned that's not all. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann, good morning. we often forget michael jackson was also a businessman. we've learned in his final days jackson was negotiating a pretty big-time clothing deal with a big-time designer. this morning you'll see their creations for the very first

time. michael jackson just weeks before his death. his bizarre behavior on full display in this exclusive video obtained by nbc news. michael and his kids were shopping in a boutique clothing store owned by world famous fashion designer christian adigier. he's the lead designer for ed hardy, a clothing line worn by almost every celebrity in hollywood and michael jackson wanted in. >> he said i want to have you walking on the -- i was very excited. >> reporter: so excited michael approved every design himself just before we died. >> we have t-shirts, jackets, umbrella. >> reporter: no one but the designer and his team have seen the images until now. jackson jacket would have retailed for $250. in death, many say it could sell for double or triple that. of course, a rhinestone glove is

part of the collection. so are rhinestone socks. there are t-shirts. and the belt. and, you know michael jackson and his umbrellas. >> michael was insistent that he design an umbrella. >> yeah. >> any idea why? >> i said, yes, can you have an umbrella. >> you can have anything you want. >> yes, absolutely. this is what i was doing. >> reporter: michael's sudden death didn't kill his vision. the designer hopes to work with jackson's estate to approve the clothing line. >> think it will happen? >> maybe. why not. >> reporter: he is confident it will happen. if he's right -- there's money to be made. in fact, mega stars often bring in more revenue dead than alive. since jackson died just two months ago, his estate has already earned $100 million and could double that by the end of the year. >> what we're looking at here is some maryland monroe trading cards. >> reporter: mark rossler manages the images of 250

celebrities. 200 of his clients are dead. >> you'll see everything imaginable for michael jackson. will it be happening 30 or 50 years from now? absolutely. maybe even bigger. >> reporter: which is one of the reasons adigier is working to made this happen. how many different michael jackson tee signs do you have? >> 100 of them. >> reporter: a hundred? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: it is going to be a big part of the line? >> oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> reporter: the estate is already in full gear trying to make money on michael's name. that's the whole point of the estate. there is a book deal in place now and te movie has been moved up. the release date now in october. today lawyers head back to court to get even more merchandising deals approve. ann? >> thanks, jeff rossen this morning. by the way, tomorrow morning, his most famous sequin glove is coming up for auction. we'll talk about that and show it here in our studio. still ahead this morning, the couple behind this vacation

photographs speaks out. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead this morning, a boyfriend says he heard his girlfriend scream while he was talking with her on the telephone. now she's nowhere to be found. we'll be talking to members of her family. also ahead, burglars offer tips to keep your home safe from our burglars. after your local news and weather.

>> live from television hill in baltimore, wbal-tv 11 news. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. baltimore city police are investigating a shooting at the inner harbor that happened shortly after 10:00 saturday night. the gunfire erupted during a fight, injuring a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boys. but were transported to a local hospital and are expected to be ok. police are reviewing surveillance footage hoping to identify a suspect if you have information, call baltimore city

police. >> dealing with a few delays here and some incidents. with water 40 and sandymount, -- hundred 40 in sandymount, activity at finksburg. traveling in rosedale, route 7 at middle river road, that is obviously still in effect, the closure on philadelphia road. otherwise, we're doing pretty well. no major delays on the north side. one on southbound 95 from 100 down to 32. 12 minutes on the west side. we will switch over to a live view of traffic in the white marsh area. moving pretty well adding southbound towards the city. south than 205 is the light from the belt way to a western nursery road. >> right our temperature is in

the 70's. 76 downtown. mercury is on the rise. 69 at the airport. 70 on the eastern shore. low 90s today. winds light and at the southwest. things are looking pretty, but. -- things looking pretty calm. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information.

7:30 now on a monday morning, the 17th day of august, 2009. nice start to the work week here in new york city. great crowd on the plaza, enjoying hot, humid weather here in new york. we're going to step outside, then shower up. inside the studio, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry who's in for meredith. have you ever had your home burglarized? >> no. >> i had it happen a long time ago. it is a terrible feeling. we'll get some insight into home security. we'll get tips collect directly

glars what you need to protect your home and family. also coming up, the curious squirrel who jumped into a couple's photograph at exactly the right time. we show you the photograph last weekend. matt, you expressed some doubt about its authenticity. >> in the era of photo shop and all that stuff, i was just curious if this wasn't concocted by that couple. but they're here today to set the record straight. >> they were watching. i don't think they were too happy as your possible raising of doubts. we'll hear from them in a few moments. but we start with a very difficult story. we do, matt. out of georgia a woman who's been missing for nearly a week after apparently being abducted as she was talking on the telephone with her boyfriend. we'll talk to the woman's mother an her brother in just a moment. but first, nbc's michelle kosinski has the latest on this. >> reporter: good morning. christy cornwell's cell phone was found just a couple of miles away from where it seems she was abducted. based on that location, police think they may have been headed

into north carolina. >> this is the kind of hike through these lush woods no one wants to see. police searching. any way they can. for kristi cornwell, the 38-year-old mother and student who was once a probation officer, worked in the prison and taught self-defense. disappeared last tuesday. on a summer night's walk around this serene looping kunlt road. she was talking to her boyfriend when he overheard the abduction. >> she said she hears a vehicle approaching, then he hears what appears to be a struggle, then loses contact. >> reporter: her boyfriend told police he heard kristi scream "don't take me." the last time anyone is known to have spoken to her. >> i think kristi will fight to the end until she is found, until we find her. she will fight her way through this. >> reporter: some of kristi's

personal items were found on the same lonely road. days later a man found her cell phone in his yard three miles away. investigators won't reveal if that phone hold any clues but they saw have verified that her boyfriend was in atlanta and that they were talking to each other when it happened. >> we don't have a solid lead right now who might have done this. we don't have any targeted suspects at this point. >> reporter: no indication whether this was random or what. this is the same county where just last year a young hiker meredith emerson was randomly abducted and murdered. her killer was caught. >> kristi cornwell was abducted, basically -- >> reporter: if she was indeed taken, it is one more violent mystery, the kind of thing that weighs on people here constantly especially in the quiet of night. a place where people come to get away an connect with nature, but not like this. >> we need her back and we'll stop at nothing until we do get her back. one way or the other. >> reporter: investigators have

interviewed 180 sex offenders in a five-county area but have not identified a suspect. they are curious about a white suv that was seen in that area the night kristi disappeared. ann? >> michelle kosinski, thanks so much. jo ann corn kl dewell, her moth her brother are all with us this morning. good morning to all of you. richard, to you first about what you know about this. we've heard about this white suv and also the other idea that she might have been abducted. do you understand why anyone would want to abduct your sister? >> well, i just can't imagine that someone would do a thing like this. it's just beyond our wildest dreams. we can't even dream about anything that's this horrible. >> it's been nearly six days now. she was trained, you say, in self-defense, in firearms as a

former probation officer. she was also very familiar in securing violent people. this i know was giving you hope. what more can you tell us about your sister that would help us understand why you think that she may have been able to survive this? >> well, she's got a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and she's very well educated, well trained, like i say, to deal with this situation. i don't think anyone would have a better set of tools than she does to get through this. >> jo ann, as a mother, you -- i don't even know what to ask you. i guess the question is really, what do you want to say to the people who may have your daughter? >> i just want to ask them to have mercy on her, to let her go, let her come back to us, to her -- she has 15-year-old son that desperately needs his mother. and to let her go.

>> how is kristi's son doing, jo ann? >> he's holding up. >> you raised a tough daughter, a girl who could be a probation officer. if she could hear you, what would you say to her this morning? >> i would just tell kristi that we're praying. she's praying, i know. she's a woman of faith, and we are, too, and that hang in there and her chance to be free will come and she will be able to get away. >> let's now bring in -- i appreciate your comments and i want to bring in -- and thank you so much this morning. i want to bring in nbc news analyst and former fbi profiler clint van zant. clint, we understand that the police were able to find a cell phone. what are the chances that there may be some information on that cell phone that will be useful in finding whoever took kristi? >> there could be a lot of information, ann. it could be anywhere from telephone calls she received,

text messages. we may even have -- if it's a kidnapping, you may have the assailant grabs the phone out of her hand and throws it out the window. then we've got fingerprints, perhaps dna to work with. so anything today, thanks to science, can help in an investigation like this. >> the fact that she said, "please don't take me," the fact that she was trained might mean that she said some words there that were useful. what do they tell you as a criminal investigators? >> for her to say that, that tells her boyfriend this is no accident, this is no one who just said "come on, let me take you for a ride." this was a kidnapping. in those few word she expressed what was going on. and how frightened she was. >> this was apparently near her home where she was abducted. the fact that she's a former probation officer, does that raise any flags for you? >> well, you have to look at the former people that she had jurisdiction over. but it's my understanding it's been at least four years, so the gbi, georgia bureau of investigation, would have looked

at those individuals, they've looked at the local sex offenders an predators, that's what makes it a challenge, whether she was a victim of just somebody who happen to be in the area or whether she had been stalked and she was actually targeted for a kidnapping. >> clearly this is an ongoing investigation. our prayers go out to the family and certainly thank you so much, clint van zandt, for your perspective on all this. if you have any information, please call the union county sheriff at 706-38835-2902. now let's get a check of the weather from the weather >> outside our door, looking

pretty good. we will be up to 92 in central maryland. 88 in ocean city. and anyone on the eastern shore. winds at a southwest >> and for all your weather needs, go to weather.com. ann, look at these two here. they called in sick. they're playing hookie from work that. >> i have a feeling they're going to be found out, stephanie. still ahead, what every parent needs to know when it comes to schools and the swine flu. right after this. we are.

now to securing your home from burglars. consumer reporter and reader's digest contributor janice lieberman is here with some inside secrets burglars probably don't want you to know about. janice, good morning. some of this is common sense. other things, though, i have to be honest, i hadn't thought about. where did you get this information? >> they compiled it from "reader's digest." they actually interviewed ex-cons meeting them at half-way houses to find out, tell us what you don't want everyone to know. the stuff is really revealing, i

think. >> this way if you follow these tips, can you at the very least prevent your home from becoming the most desirable target on the block. the first one, i think this is common sense -- cancel your newspaper and mail delivery when you're away. >> a lot of people forget to do it, they think it doesn't really matter. but the burglars are watching. they also found out that sometimes a burglar will actually put a flyer, pizza flyer, in your mailbox to see if anybody -- >> like the day before he plans to rob the house. >> yeah, an watch it. you have to have a neighbor come and collect those flyers. they want to see if anybody's driven on the snow, maybe you want to have a friend drive by and into your driveway to make sure that there are some tracks that look like someone's been there. >> one of the other tips, don't leave toys outside. why wouldn't that make it the same if the house isn't used. i guess the toys don't move. >> it looks like you're sloppy with your things. if you have toys outside you probably have really good gaming systems inside. so that's a good target for them. >> strategically place your

alarm control panel. >> interesting. a lot of people have glass window panels. so a burglar can look inside to see if the alarm system is on. so when you have something installed by your security system, have them hide it so you can't see it from the outside. a lot of us don't even use the alarm system. >> some burglars said usually they can disarm an alarm system before the police actually get there. they can be in and out and gone. >> before the police get there. >> this is real common sense, put valuables in a secure place. if you don't have a safe, where should you put things like jewelry? >> a lot of people think they're so smart, they'll hide it in their sock and underwear drawer. or the medicine cabinet. guess what? slam dunk for the burglars. they know that's where everybody does it. where they don't go is the kid's room. they don't even bother searching. they'll look for dressers, side tables and medicine cabinets before they'll ever get to the kid's room. >> of course now they'll all look in the kid's room. be wary of unannounced visitors.

>> they're finding out if you're home. most burglars knock before they go in. very courteous. they want to see if anybody's actually home. if somebody's coming to ask directions or clean out your gutters, stay away and also notice ha what they're wearing. because this could be somebody who did burglarize a house nearby and you could identify them. >> check all the locks in your house after you have had a service visit. >> half of the burglars have already been in your home. these are service workers, these are people who know the access. they'll often leave a window open or back door open as they leave. so after they leave, you need to check everything. >> tvs and radios are effective deterrents. finally, this is real common sense, but with the internet these days, important -- don't announce that you're taking a vacation on a social networking site. >> i think this is surprising because everybody does. they're so fast to send you their pictures from cancun while they're away because it is so necessary to have it that

minute. the burglars also get on social networks. that's just an invitation for them. the couple whose vacation photo is now the talk of the internet. apparently they're not too happy with me. we'll talk to them right after this.

we're back at 7:50. with that nutty picture of a squirrel that found its way into a minnesota couple's vacation photograph. >> that couple is with us exclusively, melissa and jackson brant. guys, good morning. we saw this picture along with about a million other people on the internet. you know what ann said right off the bat? she said i'm not sure if this thing is real. >> i didn't say that! as you well know, it was this

guy! he doubted you! >> we're all cynics around here, jackson and melissa. i can't be the only person who's questioned the authenticity of this. right? >> you questioned it on national tv though. >> she's not going to give you any rope. >> okay, so is it real? did you doctor this in any way? >> it is 100% undoctored. >> what led to it? tell us exactly the situation that led to this moment. it is unbelievable this photograph. >> well, we were vacationing. we went hiking and saw a perfect opportunity on the rocks right in front of the lake there to do a shot of ourselves. so we took our camera and set it up on the rocks using a little tripod and i got myself situated and jason came and sat by us and the camera was on timer but we have a remote.

so we snapped a couple photos of just us. while we were doing that, our little squirrel friend was running all over and i even said to jackson, i said, i really hope that he's friendly because he's really -- he's really getting close. and then as we started taking the pictures, he started to duck down into the rocks. then heard the shutter releasing and became interested, thought perhaps was going to give him some food. >> and he popped up and just the right time. >> just the right time. we were just laughing so hard, saying, quick, get it! get! get it! we just took a whole series of photos not knowing what they were going to get. you saw what we got. >> jackson, we're still talking? we're still friends? what's your reaction been to the fact that millions of people have now watched this? >> well, we just think it is kind of crazy because it was just a really fun moment for us and we brought it back and our friends and family just all could not believe it and we just have been laughing about it for

months. >> i understand that your wife is 8 1/2 months pregnant. any thought about naming your baby rocky? >> no. >> no? why not? >> maybe a middle name. >> you could admit it, just not when she's sitting right next to you. listen, i apologize. now that i see the pictures that led up to this picture, and all the others, i have no doubt that this is authentic and i will never question the two of you again on national tv. >> okay, thank you very much. >> hey, guys -- good luck with the baby, melissa. >> thank you very much. spl we're back with much more after your local news and weather. we're back with much mo your local news and weather.

>> live from television hill in baltimore, wbal tv 11 news continues. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for the morning commute. >> of the new accidents in south i-95 and howard county. one in the south of lanes at 32. two southbound accidents to watch for. in the bond area, an accident and there. route 7, philadelphia road and middle river, shut down in the

rosedale area due to downed wires. nine minutes on southbound 95 from 100 down to 32. 14 minutes on the outer loop northeast side. 12 minutes on the west side outer loop. you can see a bit of a back up there. that is all volume-related. no incidents related to the delight. southbound on the beat of the parkway, looking at a slow down. -- bw parkway, looking at a slowdown. >> partly cloudy and mostly sunny skies today. impressive right now, 76 downtown. low seventies generally on the eastern shore. by the afternoon, we will be up to 92 degrees in central maryland. nice sky conditions. more of the same under the presence of high pressure. maybe an isolated evening thunderstorm.

>> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update, 8:25.

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we're back now 8:00 on a monday morning, the 17th day of august, 2009. it is a sticky one here in the northeast. already warm, going to get even warmer and more humid as the day progresses. but you know what? these people don't care and we're just happy to have them here in new york. nice to see them. >> at the moment it's kind of perfect. isn't it kind of perfect? >> it is a little sticky. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. ann's here while meredith is taking a little time off. coming up in this half-hour, an issue a lot of parents are worried about. >> we're talking about the swine flu. school's starting all across the country and we do not have a vaccine yet.

but we understand there is supposed to be one in october. dr. nancy snyderman is going to be here this morning to talk about what we should do in the interim to protect our families. speaking of parents, how about this? a mother who lost 142 pounds without surgery. we're going to find out how she did it. it is a remarkable story. also coming up a little later, talking about marriage advice. what is the current thinking in terms of separate bank accounts and other kinds of things you should be thinking about for your marriage? how do you stay happy together? before we get to all that, let's gin side. ann is standing here so natalie's at the news desk with all the headlines. hello. the season's first named storm to hit the mainland u.s. made landfall this morning in florida, then weakened. what's left of tropical storm claudette is expected to dump as much as ten inches of rain on parts of the florida panhandle and alabama. forecasters are also watching two other storms. bill which became a hurricane this morning in the atlantic, and ana a tropical depression.

fire is the problem out west as tinder-dry conditions are making it difficult for thousands of firefighters in california as they battle nearly a dozen fires across the state. nbc's michael okwu is in davenport, california. michael, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. california officials here say that the wildfire in santa cruz county is their number one priority but over the weekend milder winds and cooler temperatures prevailed. still, firefighters weren't taking any chances. under the smoke, there's fire. of course, burning, a constant crackle that to firefighters means this is not over. >> i will send an engine to double check. >> reporter: the battalion chief plans to contain a stretch of the wildfire's northwestern plan. it is burning in canyons too steep to attack so they are letting the fire come to them and digging breaks where they

hope to stop it along this road. >> what we're going to do right here is hold the fire on this road to ensure that it does not cross. >> reporter: striking 2117 alpha arrived on the red did to hold the line. their first call to protect a historic home within a mile of the simmering blaze.ir first ca historic home within a mile of the simmering blaze. their main concern, structures burning and sudden winds that could fan the flames above the line. >> we get up into the canopies of the trees, and you would have a tremendous ember casting going over into the unburned fuel on the other side that we don't want the fire to get to. >> reporter: the firefighters, confident but cautious. firefighters say the blaze is now 65% controlled and most of the evacuees from the town of bonny doon have been allowed to go back home. a tragic accident in russia where two fighter jets collided in mid-air sunday while practicing maneuvers for the country's largest and most

popular air show. one pilot was killed. one of the jets fell into a nearby vacation home area injuring at least five people on the ground. today in phoenix president obama speaks at the veterans of foreign wars convention about the future of iraq and afghanistan. on sunday meanwhile the president, first lady and their two daughters enjoyed a little sight seeing taking in the majestic views of the grand canyon national park. 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to matt and ann. >> we should go do that, all five of us. >> we went to the grand canyon? how long ago? about ten years ago? 12 years ago maybyb

>> we are going to be worn as well, up to 92 degrees in central maryland. mostly sunny in some locations. partly cloudy in others. light winds out of the >> ann, back to you. thank you so much. i'm if front of these beautiful women but i want to tell you coming up this morning, natalie's gone airborne with the team usa freestyle ski team as we countdown to vancouver,

canada in the 2010 winter olympics. also coming up next, one woman's remarkable weight loss. she lost 142 pounds without surgery. we're going to tell you how surgery. we're going to tell you how right after this. primer already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... - int with - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ...so we can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo! ♪ oh! more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. medication to lower your more doing. bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix.

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36-year-old mother who dropped a jaw-dropping 14 pounds. we'll meet her in a moment, but first here's her story. >> my name is jennifer and i weighed 312 pounds at my heaviest. being overweight was miserable. i was so far out of control with my eating that i would go to buffets and eat and eat until my stomach hurt so bad that i could not eat anymore. i had trouble walking up an down steps without stopping to catch my breath. i used my injured knee as my excuse for everything. i would not run after my kids because my knee hurt. i would not exercise because my knee hurt. my knee was my excuse for not being healthy and fit. my family always accepted me for who i was. i was told i was just big-boned and that it was just in my genes to be heavy. in reality, i was the only heavy one in the family. strangers treated me like a

disease. they would not hold or open doors for me. strangers would not look me in the eye or give me as much as a warm hello. i felt as though people were looking at staring at me all the time thinking just how big i really was. going shopping was not fun for me. when i was at my heaviest i was pushing a size 30 and refused to buy anything that size. once i joined t.o.p.s., taking off pounds sensibly, i realize i was worth being healthy and fit. i love life now and i especially love when people, even strangers, look at me in the eye and say hello. >> we are joined now by joy bauer, the leader of the "joy fit club." nutritionist for us here on the "today" show. >> matt, jennifer's transformation is a true inspiration. this is incredible. >> i liked hearing her talk about her story in her own words. before we meet the new jennifer, let's take one more look at the old jennifer. okay? here she is. i guess near her heaviest. >> getting ready to be well. >> ladies and gentlemen, here's

jennifer. >> woo! yeah! >> how are you? how do you feel, first of all if. >> absolutely wonderful. fabulous. amazing. >> i love life now. i love to hear you say that. i want to talk about some ah-ha moments. i know you had one, you saw an old friend of yours on the street. you basically ducked away so you didn't have to see that person. >> absolutely. i see them walking down the aisle, did a total u-turn, hid, they passed, and i left the store. i was so ashamed. >> you didn't want anybody to see what you'd become. zp right. i was so ashamed, embarrassed and all of the above. >> the one time you actually walked by a window and saw your own reflection. >> yes. we were at the mall and i see my reflection as we passed a store. and it was a heavy set person and i realized that was me and

that was my ah-ha moment like i need to change my attitude and seriously focus on my health. >> i'm glad you said health. actually, you're here on a very important anniversary. three years ago today, you had a heart attack. >> i had already lost 80 pounds and went into full cardiac arrest. >> how old were you? >> i was 32. >> she was the youngest person on the cardiac ward, that's for sure. >> the doctor said had you not already lost that 85 pounds, you would have died already. i don't even know if you want to get close to this. but talk to me about how jennifer used to eat versus how she is eating today. >> clearly this is a celebration of your wild success. but it is important to point out this life threatening heart attack that you had was years an years of abusing your body with of course a combination of toxic food and inactivity. this was a typical breakfast

that jennifer had on a daily basis. three to four cake-like doughnuts. think about this, each doughnut, 200 to 300 calories, made with refined flour and sugar. it is deep-fried in a vat of oil and produces saturated fat and transfat. >> she said she would use glazed doughnuts, also. she'd put sugar on those. >> that's a cholesterol and it promotes inflammation throughout your body. with all these fat-free creamers, this meal totals more than 1,000 calories. here's the kicker, it is a equivalent to 19 teaspoons of lard. >> that's not whipped cream. that's lard right there. this could be breakfast or lunch. she would eat these fries. >> heart attack on a plate. this is deep-fried french fries, doused in artery-clogging full-fat cheese. >> you would eat this? >> absolutely. it was delicious at the time. >> bacon. it is not a preteen food. that's 70% fat.

the extreme i calorie ranch dressing. >> i have to move on. that's gross. i can't even look at this. >> this is a typical diner special people record, bacon cheeseburger deluxe with a side of deep-fried onion rooms. 40 teaspoons of lard, more than 2,500 calories. >> what kinds of things do you eat a lot of now? >> salads. chicken. we switched to ground turkey. >> low-fat cheese. watching the salad dressing. >> are you miserable? do you miss this stuff? >> not really because i like eating healthy now. my taste buds actually crave the salads and the chickens. >> in terms of energy, i know you've got to run after kids and things like that. has that changed dramatically? >> absolutely. i am full of energy now. i look forward to going to the gym to work out. >> at 5:00 a.m. every single morning. >> you changed your lifestyle. >> and her life expectancy.

>> by far, no question. congratulations. you look fantastic. job well done, joy. and this is your newest member of the joy fit club. head to our website, todayshow.com. up next, swine flu. kids and school safety. what every parent needs to know right after this. we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? yep! (mom) i'm so proud of you. the bus is here, gotta go mom.

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brought to you by cvs pharmacy. for all the ways that you care. this morning on "today's health," swine flu and your child's school. some 55 million kids are already back in the classroom but a swine flu vaccine remains a few months away. so what can parents do to keep their kids safe and healthy? dr. nancy snyderman is here, good morning. aye-yi-yi, this doesn't sound like a good situation. the reality is though, given there is going to be this kind of lag, do you see there is a possibility that schools will be closing? >> i think you're going to start to see local regional differences as to how schools attack this. but no doubt, schools are going back now. we won't have a vaccine until october so look at this sort of limbo time and we'll probably see swine flu cases up tick, parents will be saying what do i do. >> how vulnerable are we the fact that there is not a confirmed surgeon general? >> i would say this is the first time maybe the government is a little off-message. look at all the departments,

fda, cdc, homeland security, all coming in, where is our surgeon general? hopefully regina benjamin is going to be the nominee, will be approved by the -- by congress in september. we need one physician government voice guiding us through this. up until now i think the government's been pretty on-message. >> we parents need to take charge on all of this. you say there are some things we need to do. five tips for the flu season. one not so basic, make sure you have good hand washing. >> we have known this for centuries now. if you wash your hands you cut down on illness. a gazillion different illnesses. but especially viruses. i cannot underscore this enough. make sure you ride your kids, soap and water under the sink, singing happy birthday as many times as they can during the day. >> good advice. that's just in general. but especially now. don't share, which is something we don't want to tell our kids. don't share what?

>> primarily things like cups, toothbrushes. >> cookies. >> anything that brings something up to your mouth. viruses are on your hands, on inanimate objects. you put them up to your mouth, that's how you get infections. this is a great time not to share cups. >> you say check our children's temperatures. >> if your child feels warm you check their temperature. we as moms always say my child's hot here, she has a fever, but we don't verify it with a thermometer. make sure you have one at home. schools are going to be doing it, too. if your child has a fever, keep that child home. that's one of the big messages, don't go to work or school sick. >> stay home. you're saying if there is any kind of an up tick, then keep your child home just because of the season? >> you have to self-quarantine. if we can't expect our schools, our communities to come to a dead-halt, the best thing you can do is protect those around you by saying "i'm ill today, i'm going to stay home."

>> how long might we have to stay home? >> here's a little bit of controversy and why we need a lone voice. some people are saying three to five days after the fever. some people are saying seven to ten days after first onset of flu. look for those parameters to change a little bit this fall but probably 72 hours after the fever stops. >> you also mention that some parents are being proactive and are basically making connections so that if in fact they are dealing with this, they're able to help each other. >> some kind of telephone log so you and i can plan ahead. obviously for your kids, send them away with some kind of wipe or gel in case they decide they're not going to wash their hands as well as you would like them to because you won't be there. expect a lot more of this this fall. >> when the vaccine comes out, get vaccinated. >> absolutely. october. thank you. quentin tarantino's new film

opens up. >> the purposely misspelled inglories basterds" is an epic saga during the 1940s during germany's bar babaric operation france. brad pitt commands a band of gis who are eager for retribution, orders each man to kill 100 nazis in the most savage way possible. at the same time, a young french woman, the lone survivor of her butchered family, hatches a plot to kill hitler and his henchmen. everyone in this movie is so scrupulously cast that the

multi-lingual performances never seem less than flawless. >> finding people is my specialty. >> special honors must go to the actor to plays an ss colonel so disarming, cunning and cruel, he could give villains a bad name. >> we're a big fan of your work. i think you show great talent. quintin tarantino's imagination engulfed me with imagination and exultation. >> that's the "critic's corner." for "today." >> we're back after your local news and weather.

>> live from television hill in baltimore, wbal-tv 11 news continues. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. maryland natural resources police believe that alcohol was a factor in a boating accident on kent island that injured four people saturday. police say the boat ran aground off the creek and the driver was taken to the inner city of maryland center -- the university of maryland center. let's get a final check of the my commute with sarah caldwell. >> good is to report on southbound 95 and 32, and now clear. these delays are hopefully is starting to filter out soon. in windsor mill, rolling road

and security, an accident clearing there. 58 miles per hour at belair road on the outer loop topside. we have a delay beyond that point. nine minutes on southbound 95 from 132. 14 minutes on the northeast corridor from 95 towards the 83's. 12-minute ride on the west side. we have a delay here. this is about where it starts to back down. switching over to a life of your traffic on the bw parkway. >> lots of sunshine out there already. it will help the temperatures go to the low 90s today. the 90s across much of the state today. high-pressure dominating natalee today but through the middle half of the week. -- not only today but through the middle of the week. a slight chance of the evening thunderstorm tamara.

clouds on thursday and friday. scattered storms over the weekend. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

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morning. the 17th day of august, 2009. kind of a sticky one here in the northeast. look at the nice people who are gathered on our plaza this morning, listening to the olympic theme for a reason. we'll explain in just a second. out on the plaza as well, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and natalie morales. meredith is taking some time off. it's on a hot, sticky day like today that a lot of people wonder how winter athletes in the olympics ever managed to train. you recently found out. >> there is no time off.

they are busy training right now, counting down to the olympics. i got a chance to train with some real dare devils, a group of men an women who hope to make the usa freestyle's ski team. we'll show you how they train and how i did -- >> was that you? >> not quite like that. that's amazing stuff. >> but still, how fun, jumping in the water. >> i bet you could break a leg or back doing that. >> i'm sure you can. >> that's your first. safely on the side of the pool. >> don't worry, i get in some action. also coming up, we'll talk about real couples and how they avoid the marital potholes. the three major marital potholes. how to avoid them in your marriage. a business note for you, tomorrow morning here on "today," an exclusive interview with richard hatch, the first winner of the survivor series. he got like $1 million, then a short time later ended up in jail on tax evasion charges. he's actually still under house

arrest. we're going to check in with him tomorrow morning. before we get to that, can we say hello to diane kruger? >> come on in, diane. good morning. in the quentin tarantino movie that opens on friday. >> that was kind of air kissing. i got to get your name right. this is bridget von hammersspark. >> she is a germann

>> it is going to be warm as well. 92 degrees in central maryland. partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies. basically, we will remain dry even on the shores of ocean city, '88 a >> for all your weather needs, go to weather.com 24 hours online. matt, over to you. stephanie, thank you. when we come back, couples speak out about some of the trickier issues that tend to pop up in a marriage. we'll get to that. but first, this is "today" on nbc. cock-a-doodle-do. i do 22 more inspections than the government requires.

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we're back now at 8:37. time for our "married couples tell all." just how open are you with your spouse? we'll hear from three couples who opened up to us to get some expert perspective also from psychiatrist dr. maria padro and also from ryan, an editor at "esquire" magazine. good morning. let's get started with banking, a big issue for couples. here's what our couples had to say. >> my name is eileen. >> my name is martin. we've been together for 15 years, married for four. >> my name is al and my loving bride is bernadette. we've been married for five years. we've known each other for over nine. >> i'm fran. >> i'm victoria. >> we've been married six years. >> i'm victoria. >> we've been married six years. >> i'm victoria. >> we've been married six years. >> i'm victoria. >> we've been married six years. th a bank account, it creates k. security in a relationship, it

creates trust. >> we share everything. every frivolous spending gets picked up eventually. he'll be like where are those from? i'm like, i've had these, i just haven't worn them. >> but i know the game. >> he knows. >> we do have separate bank accounts, yes. >> i do not hide purchases because i work and i earn money. >> she doesn't hide purchases because she she'll just show up with something. i'll be? she'll say, yeah, you like this? >> you want to know the truth? >> this sounds like what happens in a lot of homes. but separate or combined? >> in my opinion, couples should have a -- because a marriage is a union so i believe they should have a joint account for household expenses, then separate accounts of each other. they can be checking accounts. >> again, both. ryan, you are nodding your head? >> there should be some sort of money, call it play money or just some money that the other person -- you don't need to keep

track of every penny of it, because assuming it is basic underlying trust in the relationship, if it is a good, solid relationship, there should be nothing to worry about. >> historically you want to be careful but if there is something to worry about and eventually there is a divorce, is it important to have your own name or separate or joint? any rule there? >> it just seems like a weird way to go into it. we'll keep this separate in case we ever break up. if you have to worry about how the other person is spending their slush money than have you deeper problems. >> if you're jumping in the marriage, jump in with both feet. >> also. but also have -- like keep some identity. >> all right. let's move on to another big topic. bathroom and grooming. take a look. >> when i go to the bathroom, i like to close the bathroom door. he likes to barge in. >> when you have to use it, you

have to use it. >> we specifically built a toilet room with a closed door so that both of us can be in the bathroom at the same time but at the same time have our privacy. it's important. because you want to keep your sexual identity alive and some things need to remain private. >> i'll agree. that's the only time we don't want to look at each other. >> i don't correlate intimacy and him using the bathroom at all. >> we don't hide anything from each other unless she's grooming herself and tweezing. we're watching tv and she's plucking away. >> i get very excited. i get a man whisker. when it comes in, i'm like i want to get rid of it. i'm like, honey, how's my man whisker doing? >> those are very in-love couples. they're open about this. what do you think? >> well, basically we are talking about boundaries and expectations on privacy. these are based on culture and

personal history. all couples go through negotiation, all marriages, couples go through it. basically you negotiate the line of respect and it's different for everyone. >> ryan? >> yeah, its -- this is one place where a little mystery in the relationship may be as healthy. rules are going to come out over the course of the marriage of what's -- you don't have to lay them all out. it is just you'll kind of know if your partner is the kind of person who wants to keep the door closed. i love that toilet room. >> but the whole man whisker comment, some marriages may not be able to withstand the comment much less revealing that. really what you're saying both of you is you need to check out what your partner feels comfortable with, what you feel comfortable with and make sure you have a meeting of the minds? >> negotiate it and respect it. if someone crosses the line after you go through the initial shock, can you discuss it with your partner and the line should be respected. >> a lot of this really is about what is comfortable for you. you need to pay attention to that.

>> yeah. i heard an old woman, i was reading an interview with like an 90-year-old woman. she said what's the secret to a long marriage. she said be polite. that's kind of nice. start with being polite. >> we agree. now to another topic, that's kind of related, having enough space. >> people work a lot and the moments that we do have together we like to be in the same room. even if we're doing separate things. >> it's just more fun. even the most basic thing. watching tv with her is more fun than watching it by myself. >> he can go out with his friends,ky go out with my friends. >> spacewise we work together and travel together. we're literally either together 24/7 because we don't have normal schedules. >> or we get that two-week break. >> yeah. >> which is great, because at the end of the two weeks when we don't see each other, it's

like -- you know. it's nice. >> that last couple was killing me. they're so funny. it is really true. i think it is natural to want time alone as well as to want time together. what's normal and what's healthy? doctor? >> basically, it is good to have time alone. >> how much? >> well, it's different for every couple. it is important to have whatever it is that the spouse likes to do, like sports or girl's night out, i'm a very big fan of girls night out. >> or guys night out. it is a big, healthy thing to say, don't give them a hard time, just let them go and have fun. >> it's important because it also creates conversation. when a person takes a vacation with their girls and comes back, they have something to talk about. >> it's true. the one thing, it shouldn't always be your idea to have time alone. like my wife is great like that. she'll say, you know what? you need go out to the movies or go out with big guys. that's great. i try and do the same. then you don't always feel like you're the one saying i got to

run out of here. >> one couple after i asked them after six years what was their secret? what he said was i always think about what she needs and she says i always think about what he needs. that's ultimately the good goal to get to. dr. maria, thank you so much. next, how do athletes train for the winter olympics in the summer heat. but first, this is "today" on nbc. yeah, no it's great. i eat anything that i want. key lime pie, pineapple upside down cake, raspberry cheesecake... ... yeah, every night is something different. oh, yeah yeah... ... she always keeps them in the house. no, no, no. i've actually lost weight... i just have a high metabolism or something... ...lucky. babe...

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welcome back, everyone. we are counting down to vancouver. the winter 2010 olympic games less than six months away. natalie's here to introduce us to some amazing athletes who are already getting ready. >> truly amazing. they are counting down because that six months will be here before you know it. it's become sort after fun tradition for all of us here to try out some of the different olympics sports.

in that spirit i sought out the u.s. freestyle ski team to find out exactly how do they train when the slopes are covered in grass instead of snow. ♪ >> reporter: in the winter, aerialist skiers can usually be found where you would expect them to be -- on the slopes. >> an incredible jump! >> reporter: but in summer, olympic hopefuls train and compete like this. ♪ >> reporter: flying down ramps, flipping and twisting in the air, and then landing in a swimming pool like this one at utah olympic park. >> we ski in going about 45 miles an hour, launch about 55 feet upçó in the air. >> reporter: darren hopes to compete in vancouver. he and i go way back. okay, somewhat to the torino olympics where spent some time

learning to tango, if you can call it that. >> hope those shoes aren't expensive. >> reporter: the night with me on the dance floor, how does that stack up there? >> competing -- i got to meet matt lauer, and then all the way up here. >> oh, i'm above matt lauer. thanks. appreciate that. >> reporter: one of speedy's long-time buddies emily cook is hoping to be in vancouver, too, for her second olympic games. when this dynamic duo invited me to spend a day training with them, i was in. we started at the center of excellence, a brand-new state of the art training and testing facility for the u.s. ski team and u.s. snowboarding. speedy points out that emily could be my stunt double. aerialists spend lots of time honing their skills first on trampolines. how often do you do this as part of your training?

>> we're up here four or five times a week working out with our coaches. >> reporter: i haven't done this since i was about 5. so it was trampoline 101 for me. care it will! somehow i managed to master the basics. >> your first trick! >> reporter: the next step learning to flip. never done it before if my life. feeling relatively confident with myself and very confident with my coaches, we head to the pool. suiting up, wet suit, life vest, helmet, boots, and skis. no poles! >> no poles. >> reporter: after climbing up to a jump called the hiccup, now it's looking kind of scary. from down there it wasn't scary. from here it's scary. i took off.

>> woo! want to do it again. >> yeah. >> all right! >> that was better. >> you did awesome on this jump. time to move up to the real stuff. >> move up? as we walked over to the big jumps -- six months to the olympics! >> that's right. we can get you there. >> reporter: dreams of olympic glory entered my mind. but, at the top, those dreams became nightmares. now my heart, like 1001eñ milesr hour. look at that thing? that thing is huge. >> ready for this? >> i'm as ready as i'll ever be, i guess. >> yeah! >> that was pretty cool. >> nice work! >> you did better that time. >> time to get my game on and

see if i could do a flip. after some last-minute tips from speedy and emily. i was going for the gold. okay, so not quite. but undeterred and ready for another try, i give it another go. this time i'm feeling the flip, i can do it! so everybody should have a stunt double. right? here's how it really went down. not happening. sorry. fooled you all, didn't i? i tried. i can tell you how frightening it is? that was the single jump. >> you know what was amazing, it was almost as if you went down there, you almost were going so slow you almost came back. it was like you got up to the

top and went back down. >> you try it next time. >> i would have never tried it. >> i was very grateful to emily cook and for jared peters helping me out. i know they're going to be our olympic team and hopefully coming back with some gold. we should point out i at least had the i guess i actually had the decency to wear the wet suit. you all, meanwhile, were in your spandex, you and al? going down thenluge? >> right. >> how you going to top that one off? >> less spandex. we're going to do the sleeveless spandex in vancouver. i have no idea what we're going to do. we will figure it out to come. still ahead, much more on a monday morning. this is "today" on nbc. >> you were fooled. (announcer) it's time to raise the bar

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can we see it one more time? just one more time. look. she does the flip but after she hits the water. >> that's my stunt double. thank you. >> it was so obvious. that couldn't have been you. >> live from television hill in baltimore, wbal-tv 11 news continues. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. prince george's county police are investigating a homicide in

college park. it happened shortly before 4:00 this morning in the a.d. 900 block of rhode island ave. two males were suffering from apparent laceration weapons. both were transferred hospital and one later died. detectives said they have arrested a man accused of shooting another man in the face early sunday morning at around 8:30 in the 4900 block of harford road.

>> let's take a look of the forecast with sandra shaw. >> nice high of 92 degrees. partly cloudy skies for the most part. upper eighties to low 90s. winds light and out of the

southwest. we will remain dry through the middle part of the week. we will be open to the 90's again. a frontal approach, sought to our north, and generate a showers and storms. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 9:25.

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