March 19/12.
Had quite an afternoon. Got together with an old friend I haven't seen in about 30 years!
Terry Scott is Director of Broadcasting for The Canadian Press.
He's worked there 22 years. Before that, his unbelievably deep, booming voice and excellent news writing skills netted him radio jobs in newsrooms all over the place, including Montreal, Toronto and London (Ontario).
We first met at CFTR radio in 1978. I was the City Hall reporter, moonlighting as the entertainment reporter (which was what I REALLY wanted to do), but most of the time I was stuck covering scintillating city council meetings, (some of them action-packed, others that put journos right to sleep), tedious TTC boardroom debates and loud protests out on Nathan Phillips Square.
I invited Terry to lunch (we went to The Hot House Cafe), so I could pick his brain about some ideas I have for going back to work in the media biz. He surprised me by bringing along a couple of old photos.
Strangely, I have copies of these pics in an album, but didn't remember he was the photographer! I was 23 at the time. As I recall, the joke I was trying to create for Terry was, - hard-working, quiet, subdued, mild, meek & mousey news writer/reporter by day,
wild, vampy, vixenish party girl by night! Ha ha! Tossed the glasses, tore off the conservative confining jacket, tousled the hair and look out world! (love the old radio carts in the background). Terry and I reminisced about those fabulous fun days in the 'TR newsroom when we worked around the clock and couldn't get enough of covering the news. It sure gets in your blood. We both agreed the dedicated & diehard young roster of reporters and newscasters back then was top-notch and we remember all of our colleagues there very fondly. Funny pics Terr.
Terry gave me a tour of the CP newsroom (which is NOTHING like the dingy & dishevelled little newsroom we shared at 'TR!)
This, despite the fact the CP newsroom is in slight disarray as the organization is currently in the midst of a huge shuffle, consolidating operations from four floors down to just two! (you can see some of the packed boxes piled up and scattered around the place).
After our lunch, Terry was planning on packing up his own office to move to different digs. I'm surprised he was able to fit me into his busy schedule, but he gave me plenty of time and was most helpful and encouraging. Thank you so much Terry. Now I just have to try and make things happen!
On the way back from the restaurant, I couldn't help but stop by the old CFTR building, just around the corner from CP. I always thought it was cool there were two different entrances - one at 25 Adelaide Street East,
and the other at 44 Victoria Street.
CFTR was on the 11th floor and CHFI (sister station), on the 12th. At one point, I ended up working at both stations at the same time, doing newscasting. On weekends, I often had the 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. shift, racing from one floor to the other, writing and reading one newscast on the hour at 'FI and the next, on the half hour at 'TR! Sure kept me hopping, and by the time the shift wrapped up, I was ready to collapse. Even so, I'd still stay on to rip wires, (nobody even knows what ripping wires MEANS anymore!), answer phones and help out the next newscaster for a while, just to wind down and catch my breath!
After the stroll down memory lane, I wandered over to Yonge Street. What incredible weather! Just fantastic.
At the busy corner of Yonge & Dundas, a crowd had gathered, so I crossed the street to see what all the commotion was about.
Turned out, it was the ever-popular "Fire Man" (as he bills himself). I've seen him several times at Dundas Square.
He really fans the flames for his fans who always seem quite taken with him, (especially when he tells them not to applaud, but to yell out, "OHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHH!" - and then to give him money).
While walking to the Eaton Centre,
I saw this billboard in a window and wished I could master what this woman is doing! Ouch. I've been working on a lot of exercises lately, but I can't do THIS!
Instead, I hit up Forever 21 (hey Terry, - guess seeing you made me remember those good old days in my 20s!), and if you can believe it,
I bought a pair of these lacy, ruffly aqua short shorts! They're the cutest shorts I've ever seen! Ahhhh, but will I have the nerve to WEAR them out in hot weather? (Well, if you ever read this blog, you likely already know the answer will be YES!)
Then over to The Body Shop for some more vanilla scented body cream. (what else?). The "buy two, get a third one free" deal is still on. I met a beautiful and lovely young sales woman there named Fay Ann. She told me about a different vanilla product,
a spray cologne, and spritzed my wrist with it. The scent is fabulous. I HAD to have it Oh no! Not ANOTHER vanilla addiction!
While walking back to my car, fire guy was still burning up the street and I had a flaming desire to go home and send my resume to Terry. It's a start. Much more to come.
If you've gotta work somewhere, it might as well be Toronto!
What's not to like?
Right Terry?
I came home on a big high for the first time in several weeks, looking forward to what might lie ahead. I DO know what I'm up to on Tuesday. Back to Princess Margaret at 10:45 a.m. to meet with "The Nutty Professor" (my medical oncologist). Hopefully, he'll tell me all is well and to keep making plans! You BET I will Doc!
Labels: Body Shop, Canadian Press, CFTR, CHFI, CP, Dundas Square, Eaton Centre, Fay Ann, Fire Man, Forever 21, Terry Scott, vanilla, Yonge Street
