Is it Safe to Breathe Yet?

Thursdays, as it turns out, is the big deadline stress day at my job.

Thursday is the day all guests have to be booked and confirmed for the following week. By 3pm the schedule goes out to the 500-odd affiliates across the nation so they can promote it to their listeners.

Wednesdays will be my balls-to-the-wall get it done ASAP days. I've interviewed 12 or 14 guests so far, many of them college professors. I've had to cancel guests at the last minute. I've had guests cancel 5 minutes before air-time. I've also had hosts cancel a couple of hours before the show.

I've only been at this job for a few weeks. I hope I can handle the stress!

Must learn how to keep breathing through all of this!

Hendrix LIVES!

I went for a walk to day on a route I haven't traversed since I left Seattle in 2000. Several streets adjacent to Ravenna Park, up and down rolling hills. I used to cry out "Hendrix, George!" when I strolled past one particular kinda run-down blue gray house. Hendrix and George were two friendly street lovin' kitties who'd run out to grab a bit of my lovin' as I passed by.

Today when I walked by, just for laughs, I cried out "Hendrix! George!" like I used to. Nothing. No sweet kitties running out to the sidewalk. But, 40 minutes later, on my way back, what did I spy but a little Siamese kitty head on the porch! Hendrix, now much older and darker and slower sauntered down the front steps at my cry! We had a good 5 to 10 minutes of scratching and petting and cooing before I headed back to my car. I almost cried as we said good bye, in kitty "blinky-eye" style.

No sign of George.

Young and Restless

They had the TV turned to the Soap Opera - oh, excuse me - Daytime Drama The Young and the Restless in the gym where I've been doing my cardiac rehab.

The sound was off, but the subtitles were on. I haven't watched the show in years but was quickly able to catch up on the story lines. Thought I'd fill you in on the latest happenings, so you can save yourself some time:

1. Victor Newman is marrying the friend of his daughter, Victoria. This has

2. Caused a riff between Victor and Victoria (oooh - clever names)and she hasn't spoken to him in a while.

3. Nick, Victor's son, found out that Victor has another child who is living with Ashley who's no longer with Brad. The kid thinks Brad is her daddy.

4. Ashley is now living in LA

5. Nikki, Victor's former wife (as well as Victoria and Nick's mother) has remarried a guy named Dave.

6. Dave is a compulsive gambler who's about to waste his fortune on a poker turnament in Las Vegas.

7. Paul Williams is concerned for Dave

8. And I'm concerned that Paul Williams is still on this show!

9. Jill Abbott is still bitchy and is now in cahoots with......wait for it......

10 Katherine Chancellor, who is STILL on the show. What is this broad, like 90 years old??? Damn! Way to keep a job, girl!

11. Katherine and Jill fight about who gets to tell Nikki that Victor is remarrying.

12. Katherine wins BUT is sorely disappointed to find out that Nikki already knows and worst yet - doesn't care!

There.

Now you don't have to sit in front of the TV (CBS 11 am Pacific Time)in order to catch up with these folks. I might tune in in another year and see if Katherine Chancellor's still hanging around.

One of THEM

I've been part of the EVIL EMPIRE for a while now and didn't even realize it!

Since September, I've had an email account at the company where I have my part-time producer job and didn't even realize it. Actually, as I think back, I believe I remember learning about this account and not being able to log into it. So, I forgot about it.

I'm so glad I did!

I was finally reminded of the account and learned how to log into it from my boss' boss. And when I got into it, the mailbox was filled with - hmmm, how do I put it - Corporate BULLSHIT!!!

Memos from the company CEO and CFO and telling us what good employees we all are and how proud we should be of our great and glorious company. Surveys from HR asking us how they are doing. On memorial day we were reminded that brave men and women fought for our freedoms. Christmas time brought a flashy email from the CEO that was, essentially, a coast-to-coast trek across the land listening to the annoying radio jingles and bumpers that I used to help create. It sounds like noise and garbage to me now.

It has been nearly 8 years since I've had to read corporate emails and these make me a little queasy. Especially since I'm working for radio's Evil Empire!

Ignorance really is bliss!