Saturday, December 20, 2008
Brrr....
In this season, I'm thankful for my ankle length puffer coat.Oh, it's just about the most unflattering thing I've ever worn in my entire life (and I grew up in the era of stretch pants and scrunchies). But it's warm. Oh, my goodness, it's warm.
I thought twice about breaking it out, but my assignment Friday required it. I was on the storm team.
Yes, the dreaded storm team. That meant that while everyone was bustling home, I was bundling up and finding people who braved the storm.
I tried to postpone it. I really thought that maybe the meteorologists were wrong. I slipped into my brown tweed coat, zipped up my flat brown boots over my hiking socks, and called it a day. That morning it was cold, but clear as I drove to work.
I was prepared though. The night before, I hit up Wal-Mart and stacked up on the essentials. Heat. A fleece blanket. Ice melter. Anti-freeze. In my backseat, I had a reusable shopping bag filled with canned soup, peanut butter and crackers, bottled water, bottled Arizona iced tea (lemon, please), and plastic silverware. I even through a thick scarf and my puffy sausage jacket in the back, just in case. Oh, I was ready.
By the time 2 p.m. came around, it was still pretty clear in Providence. We looked at the radar.
It was all green, except for Providence. It was just a matter of time. I hooked up with a photographer and we headed out. My assignment was to go to the airport and talked to people who were stranded, and go to the mall to see if anyone was shopping in the middle of the blizzard.
Of course, they were.
Kathy - the photog - and I slogged out way through the blowing snow and slippery slush to take pictures, talk to people and basically freeze our butts off.
We slipped and slid down Interstate 95 back to the office. I filed my notes and, after a quick run to the mall, went to go dig my car out from the nearly foot of snow that was dumped on New England.
I thought I was smart, parking in the garage. I figured at best, my wouldn't end up looking like this poor soul's did.
See that? When I came in around noon, the parking lot was empty. Everyone was trying to fit into the garage. I lucked up and found a spot right at the entrance on the second floor.
But here's one piece of advice: park toward the inside of the garage -- always.
Labels: 24-hour news cycle, I-ain't-never-scared, musings, reporting, weather
continue...Monday, October 20, 2008
Just for the record
This new job description is hard.I just came from my boss's office to talk about what I'm doing. The story we settled on -- about the effects a lawsuit settlement will have on the town -- is a good one. But I kind of don't know where to start.
If it was a page story, I'd call two or three people and be done with it. But as it stands, I'm combining two stories, really, into one. And I'm sitting at my desk with the boo boo look on my face.
I made a list of people I think I should call. I'm wondering if I need to put in a FOIA request. I have to say I'm a little gun shy.
I asked my boss if it was okay that I wasn't writing anything for tomorrow. That freedom, he said, is what the new world order is all about.
Alright, back to figuring out how to approach this story.
Labels: rebirth, reporting, writing
continue...