i could be a postman in the city and do the same job. >> reporter: in an environment like this, you'll never find this mailman just mailing it in. >> at the end of the day when i go home, i feel like i really did a service for somebody, really helped somebody out. >> on the delta, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> bob looks good out there. >> we are live with the latest updat updates. >> and what you need to know before you hit the roadways this morning. >>> breaking news. an ongoing hostage situation in sydney. investigators are stopping just short of calling this terrorism. they say the man is demanding an isis flag. we haven't heard of anyone that's hurt but we do know five people managed to escape when the hostage taker wasn't looking. a very good morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> and i'm sam brock on this monday. we'll have much more on that story, including a live report from washington, d.c. in just a moment. first we'll begin with a microclimate weather alert. this overnight rain coming down very consistently in the area. it not going to let up

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. >> i feel like it is the time of year that you want to give the postman a cookie. they are working so hard out there. think about your postal workers. >>> that's a great idea. thank you. still ahead, not what you want to see, as you wait for your holiday packages. what caused this delivery truck to spill dozens of boxes on the roadway. >>> and white snow turning into green at sierra ski resorts. the boost to business from the latest storm. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, overturned in new jersey toy -- spilling packages all ov the highway. police say the driv . >>> a fed ex truck overturned in new jersey today, spilling packages all over the highway. police say the driver swerved to avoid a tire and lost control. the driver was treated for minor injuries. fed ex sent teams to pick up the spill packages and said there would be no delivery delay. >>> the big storms rolling across california are not just helping the drought. we see sierra ski resorts are celebrating. >> skiers and snowboarders rejoiced. as the biggest storm the area has seen in years brought fresh snow to sierra resor

if they don't -- melissa: i got to say, on sunday i was out, my postman was walking up and down my streeth huge boxes from sampson. they were ones out there delivering, our postal service trying to go the last mile. they have figured out a way to make money on the fact that we are all expecting it -- >> we subsidize them. melissa: well, but that has to do with legacy costs. they're creating new businesses. if they were a private equity takeover they could get rid of some of those costs and make it right but i digress. veronica, how many packages do you have flying around the country. >> amazingly, i'm all done. melissa: they arrived where they supposed to go. >> they arrived. amazing. i don't know how i did it. very unusual for me. melissa: thanks, guys. st. louis, jacksonville and even cleveland keeping bragging rights over los angeles. why the city of angels isn't getting any california love from the nfl. >>> plus north korea issues rash new threats while dr. evil tells kim jong-un to pick on someone his own size. >> why pick on sony? they haven't had a hit since the walkman. come on so

i could be a postman in the city and do the same job. >> in an environment like this -- you'll neverd this mailman just mailing it in. >> at the end of the day, when i go home, i feel like i really did a service for someone, helped somebody out. i brought them their mail. >> on the delta. >> you ready? >> yep. >> reporter: bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> here's some tips from fedex. use double-walled boxes for heavier items, and if you're reusing a box, remove old labels. use cushioning to keep your gift from shifting. secure the address label and put a copy of that label inside the box in case the outer one disappears. finally, seal that box with three strips of packing tape across all flaps, all seams top to bottom. >> you used way more than three. >> got to make it solid. >>> well, a famous restaurant taking reservations after a fire destroyed it in july. >> earned the reputation as one of the south bay's premiere dining spot because it has two stars and the celebrity chef. the restaurant says it will reopen on new year's eve and started taking reservations this morning at 10:00

faulkner was a mississippi native, a former postman, an outdoorsman and eventual winner of the nobel. this was his house, roanoke. faulkner wrote such american classics as "the sound and the fury," "as i lay dying," "light in august" and "absalom absalom." and many of his works took place in a fictional county, a place very much like this place, in mississippi. >> this is where faulkner started his writing career, in this room here. >> for the past ten years, bill griffith has been curator at william faulkner's estate. >> he added this room after he won the nobel prize. on the wall here is an outline of one of his novels. >> that was his greatest book. >> faulkner thought this was his masterpiece. >> jack pendarvis is the author of "your body is changing," "the mysterious secret of the valuable treasure," and "awesome" as well as a staff writer for the game-changing animated series "adventure time," all works of which i am a huge fan. he wrote right on the wall? >> he just wrote on it. >> it's his man-cave. >> it's his version. he said that houses in mississippi who have a family bus

. >> even the postman tip and everything done. >> wow. >> i don't know if i'll be able to pulp it offyear. >> high five on that. you're ahead of me, pal, and i'm feeling stress. >> my wife does all the other work. >> so the new poll said that women are more stressed than men during the ohio, 11% more. women feel more daily anxiety than men, 16% more. but get this. women are still slightly happier than men? what do you macof that, franky and. >> i think they truly enjoy it. my mother enjoys the holidays and most women i know truly enjoy it. it's a treat for them. >> of what holiday you're celebrating, have a fantastic one. >> and you, too. >> time for my take now. don't get me wrong. i love my husband, but let's be honest. i don't wrap gifts well but he really doesn't know how to wrap, that's why i had a conversation with santa many years ago about not trying to show us up with beautifully wrapped gifts on christmas morning. i asked him to please not wrap anything he brings by and i have to tell you, he is a good listener. my husband does help with the kids' tree and even though i make

. >>> i feel like the postman, we always deliver rain, sleet, snow.one of that this morning on this christmas morning but it's a holiday and we're glad you're with us on this christmas morning. we had a little snow in tahoe, i think. >> up to 10 inches, especially up top. if you're headed in that direction certainly bring your chains for interstate 80. it's clear, sunny. this year because it's so windy you can have your logs going. that's certainly good news. grab a scarf, you will need it today. temperatures still in the upper 30s for concord and livermore. as we take a look at the afternoon, upper 50s, low 60s. we're going to hold onto dry conditions. we'll see lots of sunshine. that's going to be the case for the next several days. we see high pressure building in over the eastern pacific. we have some minor tweaks and changes to talk about as we head into next week. a look at your extended forecast coming up in 15 minutes. merry christmas, george. >> and to you, erica and you at home as well. >>> we're not tracking a commute this morning. in san f