Saturday with Ted!

November 23/12.

Shameless plug alert!

I'm excited to have been invited as a guest on the radio show Saturday with Ted, featuring Ted Woloshyn tomorrow morning (Saturday November 24th) at NewsTalk 1010 AM. I'm scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

The topic is my experience with breast cancer,

 but I'm hoping we'll also get to discuss the good old radio days (I started my career at CFRB 1010 as a Good News reporter back in the summer of 1975!) - Very old magazine ad above!

And maybe, we might even talk about my 18 years at Global TV, working with the late, great Bob McAdorey (here on the set of Entertainment Desk back around 1996). I still miss Bob. Sigh.

I've been a fan of Ted's for many years. He's such a talented interviewer and has that special gift to make guests feel comfortable. I've never experienced that first-hand, but I hope I'm right, since I'm a nervous wreck about being back on the radio after decades away! (and THIS time, on the OTHER side of the mic!)

Ted always has fabulous chefs on the show to whip up mouth-watering recipes in the studio. I'm sure no chef, but I've decided to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies to give Ted and his co-workers!

With Franelle in Los Angeles

The famous recipe comes from my longtime friend, Franelle Silver, who lives in Hollywood. She used to make these cookies to take on the set of M*A*S*H when she visited the cast and crew. She was always a big hit and welcomed with open arms when she brought these delectable sweet treats!


See you Saturday Ted!

Visiting days!

September 27/11.

Have been here, there and everywhere the last day or so, visiting people, catching up with old friends, dropping things off, you name it.

Off to see Kevio as usual, for a "Henkell run," just in time to sparkle up his rehab dinner!

But Shhhhhhhh, - don't tell anyone!

I keep warning Kev I'm trouble! (now maybe he BELIEVES me!) My fave new title for the book I will never write is: "95 Pounds of Trouble with a Capital T!!" (LOL) - I'm more devious than people realize. (Do I LOOK all that angelic on the outside)?? I learned ALL my sneakiness from my old pal, Franelle.

Me with my best friend, Emmy award winning TV writer, Franelle Silver, (best sneak in the biz who taught me everything she knows)! Thanks! We were quite a team back in the day. Her devious legacy continues to live on in me, and always will!! After all her hard work and training, I have to do her proud, right??

Auntie Ray has a streak of deviousness too, even at age 91! Her personal philosophy, which she has passed on to me, has always been:
"NEVER ASK PERMISSION. APOLOGIZE LATER!" - Love it! As the years go by, I find I rarely ask permission anymore, just to see what I can get away with! Sometimes works, often doesn't! But fun trying!

Stopped in to see Auntie Ray (now my "surrogate Mum") at her Christie Gardens seniors condo, to drop off some cash - sent courtesy of her son, Kev, so she can pay the cleaning lady and buy groceries. While Kev is laid up, I'm "the middle man." Meanwhile, on her table, spotted this old B & W glossy publicity pic of Kev when he was younger and at the height of the Rough Trade Days! Cute!!

My cousin, Kevan Staples, "Mr. Rough Trade!"

The next day, we took off to see my parents-in-law, Ben & Jean Bornstein at THEIR seniors condo!

Out the front of the condo with my son, Max and daughter, Kate. We were all looking forward to seeing "Bubie and Zaidy"! Sam snapped the pic.

Mum and Dad B got some beautiful new furniture. Here's my father-in-law, Ben with his granddaughter, Kate, showing off their new purple couch. They both wore some great colours to match! Auntie Ray would approve!

Max tries out one of the pretty (and comfy) new easy chairs!
We had a nice lunch with Mum and Dad and then drove a couple of blocks over to the site of the old "hidey hole!" (My late Mum's house).

The new owner, Dang, is in the midst of a massive renovation, and kindly allowed me inside to see what he's done and take some shots! Wow! I can't even believe it's the SAME PLACE!! - Weird to be able to see the house again - but all different. New door here.

Livingroom in the midst of renovation.

New kitchen being installed!

Wonder what Mum would think of her place NOW??

Dang says he's fixing everything up, brand new, and has arranged to lease the place soon!

He's added these new panels.

The back deck is the only area that looks the same!!

New flooring at the front entrance.

Front hall closet the same, but walls have been freshly painted.

The old den (which also doubled as the caregiver's bedroom), also painted and has new windows.

Mums's old bedroom is repainted too, and has new windows. The beautiful vines which grew outside the windows (and Mum LOVED) are all gone now, allowing much more sunlight to flow in! Thanks for the tour, Dang!! Hope whoever moves in, will be very happy there!!

On Monday, I was invited to have lunch at the uptown Friendly Greek with my old friend, Randy. We met at CFTR Radio (now 680 News), in 1976. I was the City Hall reporter and he was general assignment and could do it all!

The following year, we dated for a few months. He was known as Randy Stevens back then, but his real name is Randy Maxwell. He was the station's best news reporter at the time, smart, aggressive and a real go-getter who wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to interviews and getting the story. (Auntie Ray would have loved him!!) We talked about old times and caught up on the present.

He works in the video biz now.

Randy S Maxwell
ALL EVENT VIDEO INC

I told Randy I still miss all the fun of those early radio days. What a blast I had working in the newsroom there. Somehow, I've never been able to get news out of my blood. Might get back to it one day, if I can!!

I brought along a VERY old t-shirt to make Randy laugh!!

This was one shirt I just could never part with!

Randy was always into photography. I still have a few shots he took of me when I was about 22. Here's one of them.

Randy shot this one in my old apartment on Roehampton Avenue (where I lived with Franelle). I borrowed her shirt and I BELIEVE I was TRYING to look sexy here. Hilarious.

Randy, ever the photographer, figured it was time for some new pics (after more than 30 years!), so he took a few in a nearby park. Thanks for the memories Randy. Man, CFTR. Those were the days, eh? As Kate would say, "Fun Tymz!"

New car!!

August 9/11.

Today is an anniversary for me. 35 years ago, on August 9, 1976, I started my first full-time job as City Hall reporter at CFTR Radio (now 680 News). For whatever reason, August 9th, is forever unforgettable. If news director Robert Holiday hadn't hired me, where would I have been? Wouldn't have had a job, career, Sam, Kate, Max, life, nothin'.

Cut, print, moving on! (to quote Jim Carrey again, from The Grinch).
OK then. That being said - moving on, to 35 years later!

Also today, had to go with Sam in the pouring rain, to return my blue Subaru. The four-year lease is over as of today. So, goodbye cute little car. Loved driving you! LOL. Loved your colour, the CD system, the radio stations, the spacious trunk, the front seats, the back seat, and on and on.

In exchange? A brand NEW leased manual Subaru, in black!

Managed to fill out all the paperwork with Sam, drive the new car home (nervously), deal with raging, outta-control Intensity Entity and bring the car smack dab to the front of our house. Pretty damn good!

Tried modelling the recently-acquired size zero dress in front of the new car. Let 'er rip! Already listened to Bryn Chrisophter on the way home. (Great, as ever).

Can't wait to buzz around town with my new wheels! Look OUT!!

Not much else to report today, but that's enough for me!! A new car is pretty friggin' exciting!

Breathe.

Newsflash!

June 26/11

As Charlie Sheen used to say, "WINNING!!"
Just found out some cool news. Have been watching the results from the annual RTNDA awards (Radio-Television News Directors Association of Canada) in Halifax. FYI - after 49 years, the name is soon to be changed to RTDNA, (Radio-Television Digital News Association - The Association of Electronic Journalists).

Two old friends of mine have been honoured. I'm thrilled for both of them!

John Hinnen, Vice President and General Manager at 680 News, received the President's Award. John was one of my first radio bosses back in the CFTR days. He was actually in charge of sports when I started at 'TR, but later, became news director, and eventually, just took over the place! Hearing his name brings back so many fond memories of working in radio. Congratulations John! 680 rules! (well, when I'm not listening to NEWSTALK 1010!)

And speaking of NEWSTALK 1010, a special friend, Dave Agar, won the Byron MacGregor award (LARGE Market) for the 6 o'clock news - (LIVE at the G20)! This is his third national win. I first met Dave when I was 19, working at CFRB as a Good News reporter. What a fantastic summer that was, and it launched my life in radio and TV for the next 25 years. I was well aware even back then that Dave was the best in the biz, and glad everybody else thinks so too. (If by any chance you happen to see this Dave, heartfelt congrats! The buzz was in the air and I KNEW you'd win!) You SO deserve it. Hope your colleagues sing your praises on Monday!

As Dennis Miller always said on SNL's Update, "That is the news and I AM OUTTA HERE!"

Dead Air

June 10/11

While awaiting things to unfold with the house sale, thought I'd sit down and write about dead air. It's a subject I feel really passionate about. I know exactly why, when and how that passion began.

When I joined CFTR radio in 1976 - (now 680 news), it was a high flying, loud rock station with brief newscasts weaved around the music. We were always instructed there could be NO dead air. EVER. The poor ops were paranoid of not hitting a cart on time or a song coming to an end before someone made it into the news booth or anyone forgetting to turn the mic on! OUR job was to FILL that air with sound, music or voice at ALL times. It was drummed into us by the news director, Robert Holiday and by the station manager and program director. NO DEAD AIR - EVER!!!!!!!!!!! - Got that??

I just loved the concept. Action central. (the same motto I've lived by my whole life - NEVER a dull moment!)

Years ago, I was invited to make a speech to a small group of students in my son, Max's class. I think the kids were about 12. I chose to talk about dead air and the art of filling it - not just on the radio, but in life. We talked about the ebb and flow of conversation and how to keep it going at all times, when speaking to a friend or anyone!

For years, I was paid to interview people, ask questions, obtain information and I always tried to do it in a natural, conversational way. The research part took most of the time and hard work, but the interview itself was always fun. Having a natural curiousity - and a gift for gab, usually made it easy for me, and there was never any dead air. (when you're given only five minutes for an interview, you learn to talk fast!) Plus, I pretty much NEVER run out of topics to chat about!

I'm not saying there isn't a time for silence, peace or quiet, but just not on the radio - or when you're having an intense, one-on-one conversation! Yakking with a person who has this same respect for and love of communicating, is a blast.

I still listen to 680, but now prefer NEWSTALK 1010, for this very reason. Everyone on that station SATURATES the space and time with informative, interesting, funny, amusing, shocking, sensational, controversial, conversational info. Best newscasters, (especially Dave - which may confound you, since almost all the newscasters they HAVE are named Dave! - but if you know ANYTHING about news at ALL, you'll know who I mean! - he's the best in the country). Hint, he's up for a big national RTNDA award in two weeks, and I KNOW he will win! - News you can use, take in, learn from, think over.

As I mentioned once before, I'm addicted to the antics of Mike Bullard (I actually waited in my car in a parking lot today, to be SURE to hear him yell, "Itttttttttttttttt's FRIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAY!" LOVE the way he does that and it kicks off/launches/revs up my weekend!

Also thoroughly enjoy the brilliance and humour of Jim Richards. SO glad the ratings on Friday showed they're doing great! My favourite part of Mike's show is "The Crossover" when Jim comes in and joins him for a few minutes of off-the-cuff banter. The two of them together? Dynamite. And definitely no dead air.

Earlier today, wasn't one of my better mornings. Feeling down. But things picked up considerably when I received two phone calls from old friends, (both of whom have never HEARD of dead air!)

The first call was from Randy Stevens. (actually Randy Maxwell, but he went by Stevens in his radio days). He was a reporter at CFTR - best they had. Ever-aggressive, so intelligent and never failed to get the story. He could talk up a storm. We dated for quite a while and it was never boring! I'm amazed either of us could get a word in edgewise, the way the conversation flowed with him!

Randy (my boyfriend at the time!) took this pic of me. I was about 21. Think I was trying to look sexy. Funny

Haven't seen Randy in a very long time, but he knew about my breast cancer and wanted to check in. He's still a hard working guy in a different business altogether now. He asked me lots of questions, (which reminded me of the old days!), and I felt SO much better after speaking with him.

This is something else I've learned during my current journey, (and that I'm going to remember for future reference). If you have a friend with cancer, check in with them once in a while. Email, phone call, Facebook pop-up, whatever. You never know if that person is in need of a little support/pick-me-up, and how much a call could lift their spirits! (note to self: call my friends more!)

It happened again a little later, when my old pal, Bruce Kirschbaum called from L.A. (he's the Emmy award winning TV script writer, married to my close friend, Joanne). Wrote on Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and on and on). Hysterically funny guy, as you can imagine from the credit list! He phones to check in every few weeks and the call is never shorter than an hour! The ground we can cover is mind-bending.

Bruce worked for years as a writer on Seinfeld. Here are some young pics of him on the set of the coffee shop (Monk's) and Jerry's living room! - Cool, eh?
He's the most articulate man you could ever converse with but he's also a great listener too. Best of both worlds. He really helped me (as he always does), with his interesting take on everything. I'm stunned that he reads the blog daily and loves it! Coming from him, what a compliment!

He told me that with everything I've been through in the past year, it's understandable I'd have days I feel I'm coming apart. He made me feel OK again about myself and stressed to me that I have to remember what I've ALREADY survived. He reminded me of my fears and anxiety over surgery, pain and everything else (during my "Cowardly Lion blog mascot days") and that I DID it anyway and I'm still here. He encouraged me, made me laugh (as always) and again, I hung up, feeling better.

So, what am I saying here? I guess that friends matter to me. They matter a LOT, and when they call or write or email or pop-up message, I see that I mean something to THEM too! It helps to hear from friends. And most especially the ones who really know how to fill dead air! Those conversations are always the best!

Thanks guys! Keep on talkin' at me!