March 19, 9:28pm. Home.
In that haze between wake and sleep, there was no corona virus. I blinked from a nap and there it was.
It’s a Thursday night and I’d like to chronicle all of the things that are happening around me. For history’s sake or something like that.
In that haze between wake and sleep, there was no corona virus. I blinked from a nap and there it was.
It’s a Thursday night and I’d like to chronicle all of the things that are happening around me. For history’s sake or something like that.
But all I can think of right now is that my daughter just got to work on the neonatal unit of Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. And it makes me sad.
It made me sad also today on the morning show. We were talking about people hoarding toilet paper and I got the bright idea to call my daughter’s fiancé, Daniel. He had recently ordered and received 80 rolls of toilet paper from Amazon.
“So, Daniel, how many rolls of toilet paper do you have right now in your apartment?”
“80. No, 79 actually. Jeanie used one.”
“And what is the quality of that toilet paper.”
“Not that good. It’s two-ply.” That’s when Ryan Walsh in the producer’s booth squinted and mouthed, “Nasty."
I don’t really notice the difference between two-ply and four-ply, but I do know what it feels like to have your daughter smack dab in the middle of the biggest health crisis in America in a hundred years… and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Halfway through the phone call with Daniel, Jeanie got home from work. The Region got to hear me interview my daughter a thousand miles away. I can’t remember one thing we talked about. I was concentrating too hard on how great it was to hear her voice. For years, I have gone to a commercial with – “And we are the voice and face of the Region.”
Not today. I labored on each word. “And we…. are… the voice…” And then I trailed out of camera shot. I haven't cried on the air and I'm not about to start now.
… In between the wake and sleep, there was no corona virus. I should be firing up the studio in the spare room to do a late broadcast about how many deaths, how many cases, the shortage of masks, and a projection that 25.5 million people in California alone will get the corona virus.
And in the middle of it is my daughter. I can’t shake it. I’ve been a wreck the whole day. There she was, live on the air with me, like it wasn’t nothing but a thing. She spoke with confidence, described the scene, the fear. I just looked at the camera and smiled. I turned off my ears.
Alexis lays next to me playing Scrabble. It's time for bed. As the three or four of you who read this blog know, she’s a Scrabble master. She beats the computer on the highest level all the time. It’s part of what makes her a good lawyer. This is a scene that has played out thousands of times. Man and woman get in bed. She plays Scrabble. He types into a laptop. And they both miss their daughter.
……….
Darlene Spencer made it through the weekend. Jeff says that he was able to Facetime with her and the family. That should make you feel good.
…………
In the picture above is Rosa. She heard me tell the story of sending my daughter’s boyfriend to Strack and Van Til with a long list. They had everything but cream cheese. So Rosa came into WJOB with some cream cheese this morning. Notice how far away we have to stand to take a selfie. Social distance.
It made me sad also today on the morning show. We were talking about people hoarding toilet paper and I got the bright idea to call my daughter’s fiancé, Daniel. He had recently ordered and received 80 rolls of toilet paper from Amazon.
“So, Daniel, how many rolls of toilet paper do you have right now in your apartment?”
“80. No, 79 actually. Jeanie used one.”
“And what is the quality of that toilet paper.”
“Not that good. It’s two-ply.” That’s when Ryan Walsh in the producer’s booth squinted and mouthed, “Nasty."
I don’t really notice the difference between two-ply and four-ply, but I do know what it feels like to have your daughter smack dab in the middle of the biggest health crisis in America in a hundred years… and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Halfway through the phone call with Daniel, Jeanie got home from work. The Region got to hear me interview my daughter a thousand miles away. I can’t remember one thing we talked about. I was concentrating too hard on how great it was to hear her voice. For years, I have gone to a commercial with – “And we are the voice and face of the Region.”
Not today. I labored on each word. “And we…. are… the voice…” And then I trailed out of camera shot. I haven't cried on the air and I'm not about to start now.
… In between the wake and sleep, there was no corona virus. I should be firing up the studio in the spare room to do a late broadcast about how many deaths, how many cases, the shortage of masks, and a projection that 25.5 million people in California alone will get the corona virus.
And in the middle of it is my daughter. I can’t shake it. I’ve been a wreck the whole day. There she was, live on the air with me, like it wasn’t nothing but a thing. She spoke with confidence, described the scene, the fear. I just looked at the camera and smiled. I turned off my ears.
Alexis lays next to me playing Scrabble. It's time for bed. As the three or four of you who read this blog know, she’s a Scrabble master. She beats the computer on the highest level all the time. It’s part of what makes her a good lawyer. This is a scene that has played out thousands of times. Man and woman get in bed. She plays Scrabble. He types into a laptop. And they both miss their daughter.
……….
Darlene Spencer made it through the weekend. Jeff says that he was able to Facetime with her and the family. That should make you feel good.
…………
In the picture above is Rosa. She heard me tell the story of sending my daughter’s boyfriend to Strack and Van Til with a long list. They had everything but cream cheese. So Rosa came into WJOB with some cream cheese this morning. Notice how far away we have to stand to take a selfie. Social distance.
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