11pm producer Tara Sutton, Special Projects Executive Producer Jennifer Brockman, taawd
If you check out the picture, you’ll see a helicopter next to the house. Who has a chopper land at their party? That’s the fun for at least two years in a row at my friend, Nolan’s party.
First, it was great getting to see some of my former co-workers. I live in the same city, work in the same industry but get to see them so infrequently. I guess it takes a party with something like cars, choppers, food and libations to bring people together. I got to see Newshutr and meet Mrs. Newshutr along with enjoying some dinner talk with them at the picnic table. I work for the competition of many people at this party but they all seem like family.
I got to meet the daughter of one of my friends. I got a lot of e-mail photos and picturemail but never got to meet Olivia in person. She’s cute and loves the water even though she got her dad’s shorts soaked. Soaked shorts suck!
Two of the radio stations were represented. The Buzzard and that Majic station showed up for the party.
It’s always great to see my friend’s mom and her husband. She’s a social butterfly at these events. Everyone who hasn’t met her, wants to. I saw her pulled in a hundred different directions about five or six times throughout the night. I don’t know how you couldn’t love her.
I love it when people you don’t know ask you your age and then come way low. I can never tell if people are being polite or telling the truth. You get the truth from me so if I guess old, well, I don’t have a degree in guessing people’s ages so don’t worry too much about it. I digress. The boyfriend of one of my friends and I got to talking him about getting older. He was older than I guessed. He was divorced. I didn’t get married, we stopped short. Anyhow, he told me how he dropped 30 pounds right after the break-up. I laughed. He didn’t understand until I told him I did the same thing. He said he’s working out a lot. I laughed. He understood. It’s fun sharing life changing information with people you don’t know.
I spent time with one of my former directors, Mark, and his wife, Julie. They are a riot. Their kids are grown-up enough to take care of themselves while Mom & Dad are away so they had a good time. Mark has always been supportive of my work. He’s one of the people always asking me when I’ll come back.
I have to admit getting a little old my bodyclock was getting the best of me at the end of the night and left around 10:3opm to go home. I arrived back downtown around 11:15 and was sawing logs around midnight. I argued with myself this morning when the clock read 7:15am. I woke up again around 10:30am. My body needed the sleep.
Is that another week and busy weekend staring at me?
I’m not talking about my childhood, I’m talking about when I actually got into the business.
We have a high school student “shadowing” Good Morning Cleveland this week. I wonder what’s going through his mind about the experience so far. He arrived bright and early this morning. You have to give him credit for that initiative. Actually, it’s part of his senior project so there’s a a reason he has to do it.
At any rate, it got me thinking about my first days in TV. Growing up in the Cleveland market, I was familiar with many of the people who were on the news. I remember walking by Judd Hambrick in the halls of Channel 3 when it was back on East 6th Street across from the Cleveland School Board of Education building. Judd is a tall man but he just seemed larger than life to me.
Some of the first people I met were Kim Brattain and Jim Hooley. My college professor worked as a weekend editor at WKYC and I got the chance to go up with her to Cleveland from Ashland. I was surprise how nice they both were. They were willing to answer my questions and even noticed me when I was getting dinner at the Galleria. This was back in the days of reporters like Joe Mosbrook and John Herrington. They were the veteran reporters who knew Cleveland like the backs of their hands. They’d been in television since before I was born. I worked with Mosbrook after I got hired at Channel 3. Oh, I can’t forget to mention Thor Tolo who was the most energetic person I’ve ever met. He was hopped up on hot cocoa. I think I saw him drink at least 4 cups myself.
I remember being mesmerized with the studio and the control room. I remember watching the robotic cameras zoom from place to place in the studio. It is still interesting to watch them. I remember the excitement of the producer, the editors and the assignment desk editor. I thought I want to be a part of this. It hooked me a little on this business.
When I got my internship, I couldn’t get enough of the station. I came in on days where I wasn’t scheduled. I thought it was so cool that I was an intern for a Cleveland station. I remember being so determined to get a job there. I interned in the promotions department under Dan Klintworth initially before he left the station. His secretary, Marcia, helped get me saavy to the business. She told me go down to the first floor and memorize the photoboard so that I could see a face and know the name. I did what she said and probably surprised a lot of people who didn’t know who I was.
So I can kind of imagine what my high school job shadow student is experiencing although, TV probably isn’t as big of a deal now as it was then. Now, it might be more interesting to tour the YouTube offices.
I haven’t had much sleep over the past couple of days. As I mentioned in a post yesterday, I went to an event at the Foundation Room. Thursday, I went to Media Day at the Progressive Field. The Indians lost to the White Sox in what was a very quick game.
I got to see some people I haven’t seen in a while. My friend and former co-worker, Joey Morona, came up to me. I wouldn’t have known him if he’d bumped into me on the street. He’s worked at cleveland.com for years since we worked together at WKYC.
I talked with Del Donahoo for awhile. Forever, I’ll be “Scott” to him. I apologized for not getting him on the phone this year for his birthday. His number changed since he’s moved. It’s the first time I missed talking to him on his birthday in about 15 years.
Jeff Maynor spotted me and we immediately started talking about music. You think you might be able to stump Jeff on an oldies hit but you won’t. I always have to laugh because he’ll reply to your question with the answer in the form of a question. “Wasn’t that the Nightcrawlers?” I know he’s just being nice to me. I’ve yet to get him on a song. He’s always telling me the newest singer or band that’s interesting him.
Well, even though I started this post on Thursday, here it is Friday and I have the Domestic Violence Center benefit tonight. That’s my plan for this evening. I have to clean up the place tomorrow and Sunday. Ah, to think I have my weekend ahead of me. It’s a great thought!!
I hope you enjoy yours!
