Move on down the road!

July 27/11.

Getting there! 12 treatments down. Only 4 to go.
Winding down. (or is it UP??)

I almost feel guilty that there are so many people going thru such tough times with radiation and everything else, but I'm feeling better than ever.

How is it possible?? Don't know WHY, don't know HOW, don't know WHAT is making this happen, but thank God for it. (Mum, seriously, is it YOU? - Wouldn't be surprised if she was saying to me, "Hi dear. Your Gramma, Uncle Ev & I are NOT going to let you suffer any side effects! We formed a committee and that's the unanimous decision!")

Today's "radiation table mind trip" took me camping! (Carrie, if you or Paul see this, you will be in hysterics! YES!! I went camping, in my head! And it was actually FUN! Details stop here. What happens in Algonquin Park, STAYS in Algonquin Park) Radiation Muzak? Can't take it....What the World Needs Now is Love. No! NOT accepting it! Bring on Bryn Christopher this minute. Take my breath away Bryn!! (as you do every day in the car).

OK gang. At a loss here. Had SO many "props" with me in the change room, I couldn't decide WHAT dressing room pic to to use today! So, what the hell? Let 'er rip! - I'll flash them ALL for you!!!!!! (Hope you're laughin' here!) - Do you know how LONG it takes to "bend" the edges of a medical gown into something hot? Well, pretty much impossible. Call a designer, STAT!!

Writing this blog gives me such a lift, - trying to come up with something, anything, to give readers a giggle. Instead of choosing ONE
change room look, giving you my all! (To quote Kramer again, "I'm OUT
there Jerry, and I'm LOVIN' it")!! - Try to remember, I have, - like two minutes in the change room to create this, before someone discovers what I'm doing and knocks on the door! I work fast. The news biz taught me how.
(Man I miss fast!) Breathless here. Love it!!

While I was in the atrium, freaked, when I saw this sign!!!!!!!!
(I know, it's dim).

Couldn't believe it, - my family members, Franc & Mary, will be PLAYING IN THE ATRIUM on Wednesday August 3rd!! This HAS to be from on high...
(or from the beyond-phenomenal Kevin Shea at the Princess Margaret Foundation), or from, who knows?

Franc & Mary will BE there, performing, on my LAST day of radiation! (Coincidence? I think NOT!!!!!)

On top of this, my last treatment day was SUPPOSED to be Tuesday August 2nd, but, I was told, due to the Civic Holiday, it will be PUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHED till Wednesday. So, guess what? I will be celebrating my brains out with Franc and Mary - (and, may I add, anyone ELSE who wants to party in the Atrium!) on Wednesday at 1 p.m. when their show wraps up! -
Franc & Mary don't even KNOW this yet! I will bring party hats and noise makers!

Now, to wrap this all up....my own "personal security man" rushed to my aid today to take this #12 pick for me. (He is so sweet and funny, - even saying to me, "How are you going to do #12??) Lemme SHOW you!!

10 + 2 = 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My best pal, Joanne & I concocted the "finger action!" (LOL) I just love having a special guest along to be "on camera" with me! And Bruce! (back in L.A.) - thanks for loaning your wife to me! Wish you were here too. You could have written some brilliant, Emmy-winning, Kramer-like moments for us!!

Bring on #13! It's ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLWAYS lucky!!!!
Can't wait for Thursday!

Heavy duty hugs coming your way.

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!