Category Archives: Appetizer for Life

Yes, Color Does Matter

Posted on by August 22, 2013

I didn’t know that color mattered so much to me. But it turns out, it does.

I realized it when the painter had finished covering my beautiful, deep plum wall with the institutional grey that the property manager had recommended.

As I’ve said before, we decided to move to Portland, Ore. Because the housing market is only starting to defrost, we chose to rent out our home. That meant we needed to get the place ready for tenants, shampooing carpets, deep cleaning and fixing up … Read more ...

Part II: My Road To Audition And The Destination

Posted on by April 2, 2013
Earlier I told you about my chance to audition for a new show called Local, USA on Chicago’s WTTW.
The program will be shot around the city and showcase regional public television feature and independent videos.
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I had spent a few days practicing my script and found I delivered it well if the paper was in my hand and I could glance down every now and again. Unfortunately that script became like Dumbo’s feather. Since the producer said there would be a teleprompter 
… Read more ...

Road to Audition: A Shot At Hosting A Show on WTTW

Posted on by March 26, 2013

You know how they say it’s all about the journey? Well, today I agree. Though I’m usually more of a destination-oriented kind of girl. I want results. Give me something to work toward. I want to know the end game and I’ll visualize and focus on the victory.

Today, though, I arrived at a destination and did enjoy the journey. Let me back up. A TV producer at WTTW, the main Chicago PBS station, recently reached out to me to audition to host a local … Read more ...

It’s Been A Long Winter, But It Made For Fun Snow Days

Posted on by March 22, 2013

The email came Monday night. School was canceled due to snow that had not yet begin to fall.  But the forecasters had been predicting Ice-Age proportions of snow, tossing around the once-funny, but now trite names like Snowpocalypse and Snowmageddon.

I was excited to tell Logan the news, he wouldn’t have to go to kindergarten tomorrow. Once he heard school was canceled, tears of sadness filled his eyes. I was baffled. I can’t win with this kid. He complains about going to school, now he’s … Read more ...

A little newsroom nostalgia thanks to my visit to Chicago’s WBEZ91.5

Posted on by March 20, 2013

Last week I had my first real hard-to-reach itch to get back in a newsroom since I left The Associated Press. And it was all WBEZ’s fault.

I was in their studio on Chicago’s Navy Pier to record my story that won Story Club’s January open mic. A friend of mine introduced me to an amazing storyteller, filmmaker, producer and radio host, Luis Antonio Perez, who said he’d tape and lightly edit my story to be featured on Story Club’s web site as … Read more ...