Monday, August 3, 2009

New Opportunities

Well it looks like I have a new adventure headed my way!

I usually get thrown onto one of the shows, Around the World, whenever they are recording live. Host Arthur von Wiesenberger has me do the travel news in the beginning and some commentary later on. [Arthur is also co-owner of the News-Press.] I even met Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits last week ("I'm Henry the 8th I am..."), who is very funny. Arthur's show has been around for 15 years and is award-winning. I mentioned to him during the break last Thursday that another host had told me I should get into travel writing. I'd never thought of that before! Arthur has always complimented me on my presence, personality, and radio voice; and since the show streams live and you can see us while we're talking, he says he's sure people appreciate seeing me as well. When I talked with him later, he said over 50,000 watch it online alone every week. I had no idea! Geez!!

Anyways, after the show, Arthur took my cell phone number and said he would love to get to gether with me over the weekend to discuss the travel writing/news business. You don't pass that kind of opportunity up. He knows people from all parts of the world in all areas of trade. Getting a good career and getting along in life is all about networking.

So I met up with Arthur at his Santa Barbara home in Hope Ranch last night. [First thing I see when I pull up: electric yellow Ferrari sitting in the garage.] I stayed for three hours and we discussed many various topics, including his passion for water. Did you know people are passionate about water? He's been doing an annual water tasting event for the past 20 years in West Virginia (of all places--they just want the tourism). The first time he did it, Michael's Waterside was the host. So I learned a few things about water!

But in our many discussions, he talked to me about the Travel Reporting business. He told me how he got into it, why it's somewhat corrupt, what it entails... etc. He also thinks that I would be wonderful for travel film! Long story short, he has basically given me an opportunity to go on a trip to Lake Arrowhead and do a little reporting. All accommodations and meals and spa treatments and anything else they want to show off are free of charge; you just pay for transportation. He says that he will guide me and give me advice, essentially be my Yoda. Since I am not a fool, I will accept his offer. And time/schedule willing, any other. (He had a trip to Iceland too, but that's a bit far for my taste.)

I still have to work out the details, but I am very excited about the connections I am making in Santa Barbara!

I've also been doing some more work for the Journal and the radio station. I'm working on my first column for the Journal. I did an interview with a Montecito singer-songwriter who sings children's songs (I'll send you the CD when I'm done, Gwen). I'm also doing little pieces for their dining guide. This involves me going to one of the restaurants that advertises with them and finding some sort of human interest story. I kind of have free reign over that. At the station, I recently recorded another press release for a winetasting event. The station manager said to me, "Now how do I put this so it doesn't affect you... You have to sound five years older and kind of sultry." And that I did. I heard this and another ad I did back to back and the voices are completely different. At the end of the summer, I'm going to get a CD with all of these to keep on file. So they've promoted me to recording any PSAs that come in as well.

Speaking of which, I need to go back to my copy work so I can record later!

Love to you all...

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

My First Apartment!!

Well I finally got to see my apartment in San Digeo! (Which is good, since I'm not living there but have been paying rent since the beginning of July...) It's unfurnished, so Dad and I took our free Saturday to move some furniture out there. I am lucky enough to have a queen size bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a couple of drawer side tables, and a couch. This saves a lot of money!

We didn't bring anyone with us to help move the furniture out of the Uhaul and this became a problem when we needed to move the really heavy couch (leather, with a pull out bed). And naturally, I am on the THIRD floor.

So before we had to do any heavy lifting, I suggested to Dad that we go each lunch. We ate down the hill from school at Urbane Cafe (SO good; and naturally, Dad chatted it up with the owner and exchanged business cards) and while we were sitting there, Dad started scouting out boys who looked strong enough to help. We were going to pay them $25 each just to help us move a couch--that's desperate!! Well, it was when Dad suggested I go flutter my eyelashes at a couple of them and ask them to help us that I frantically whipped out my phone and started thinking, "Come on, some guy I know has to be in San Diego!" I got lucky with my first try. I found a guy who was willing to help me and was going to bring a friend, thank goodness!

So Dad & I sweated up a storm while we moved the mattress up three flights and every other piece of furniture. We had to wait a while for my friend to be available, so while we were waiting, Dad gets thinking and says, "Hey, maybe we can take this thing apart..." So we take up the cushions and the mattress and Dad busts out his Swiss Army Knife (which he does at every opportune moment) and starts to detach the inside of the couch. After a good 15 minutes of getting out the tightly-wound screws, we took the middle section out. When we got ready to take the last piece up, some strangers came up to us and asked if the property manager was around. I said, "No, but I have his cell phone number." Then one of the guys (Bless him!!!) said, "Hey, you need help with that?" Neither of us skipped a beat. He and Dad carried the last piece up and we saved $50--and they got to peek around at the apartment.

So my apartment is pretty spacious... the living room is big, we actually have a little dining room and a porch that can probably fit a small table and some chairs. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I'm sharing a bathroom with Amy and since they gave me the bigger room last year, I took the room with the smaller closet (the master bedroom has TWO closets!!). We still need to deal with electricity and sign up for cable/wireless. The apartment is right across from school and I can see the staircase that leads up to it from our apartment. I will probably still get a parking pass though because I don't want to show up sweating to every class.

I'm definitely still sore from Saturday and yesterday I decided to walk all the way to the beach and then back up a giant hill, so that's adding to the pain a little. But hey, I've got to work off these meals somehow. Christine fixed the scale and I asked her to break it again.

I'm hoping we'll get to go deep sea fishing soon. I keep telling them I want to catch a shark and I repeat myself often so they know I'm not kidding. I want to sit in the chair, strapped down, reeling in a huge fish for two hours. I think that would be so much fun! But I guess nobody's really catching big fish right now, so I might have to settle for something smaller. :-(

I love and miss you all terribly!!

PS--Send some prayers up for my friend Chase from school. He's not one of my close friends, but I've known him since freshman year. He's in the hospital with some really serious head injuries and it's really touch and go. I've been reading the updates his Dad has been writing for everyone and they make me cry every time.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Adults Who Never Grew Up

While searching the web today at work, I came across a website that made me smile, burst into laughter, and at times, nearly shed a tear or two.

Thinking of topics for a new blog, I typed "most romantic proposals" into my Google search. This is the first site that I clicked on: http://www.njwedding.com/engagementstory/. When going through the stories, I clicked on the engagement story of Jennifer Bresnan & Matt Liddle. The proposal itself wasn't extremely romantic. A cute little scavenger hunt... but I clicked on the link within the story which lead me to the account of the annual No Pants! event on the NY subway. http://improveverywhere.com/2006/01/22/no-pants-2k6/



This story is hysterical... please read it! And after you read it, go visithttp:// improveeverywhere.com. I never knew a group like this existed. It's a group of adults who plan and scheme (harmful, but side-splittingly funny) pranks. Some of them make you feel warm & fuzzy (Romantic Comedy Cab) and some of them are just unbelieveably creative (Human Mirror). Or how about the protest of Redheads against Wendy's (the spokesmodel is a disgrace to redheads everywhere!) and they rode on a subway and applied copious amounts of sunscreen? One of my favorites has to be High Five Escalator. :-)

These stories are sure to brighten your day and, if you live in NY, you can even sign up to be an Improve Everywhere Agent. Or you can sign up for the e-mail list, like me, so you can hear about upcoming/past events.

We're all just really big kids at heart! :-)

-Bev

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Aye Aye, Captain!

I was fortunate enough this last weekend to have my first ever sailing experience.

Dad had some left over crab and lobster (oh darn) from a catering job he did, so we decided to make a trade with some of his friends. An afternoon on their boat for a decadent lunch of seafood and wine! Who could resist that?!

We made our way down to the docks and ate our lunch before we went out sailing (not a good idea for those with weak stomachs, but all of those people stayed home). It was a pretty windy day, which is obviously good for sailing. After getting out of the harbor, Dave ( the Captain, for all intensive purposes) gave me the reins, so to speak, and let me steer. The really confusing thing about this is that the control's are kind of opposite. So pushing takes you right and pulling takes you left. And you have to keep it in just the right spot so the sail right above you isn't dragging at all. Dave gave me something to aim for, though, and that was the biggest help. And once I was in the zone, there was no breaking my concentration. I also learned how to tack--which involves yelling, "About to tack!" to everyone on board, which can be fun.

All in all it was a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again! I'll have to come up with a cool Captain name though, right?

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The majority of the time you listen to the news, it's always something sad. But today I ran across a website that is devoted to happy stories. If you need a pick me up, go to www.gnn.com. It stands for good news now.

Also, I'm on the last book of a new vampire series I've been reading (I guess that's the trend now, huh?). I started it just a little over a week ago and there are seven books in the series... that means lots of hours plugged into the fictional world. They just started a TV series based on it (HBO: True Blood) and you can rent the first season on DVD now. The books are way better though. So Gwen/Kim, if you're interested, the author is Charlaine Harris and the first book is called Dead Until Dark.



PS--Gwen, what's the best Anne Rice book to start on? I'm considering it... Pre her-becoming-a-devout-Mormon-days, of course.

Monday, June 22, 2009

...and then I was eating blueberry pancakes

Mom requested I write a blog about this, so here it is...

My internship at Montecito Journal requires me to write the weekly Sheriff's Blotter for the paper. Once in a while, they'll give me a little project to do on the side. Last week, they told me that the owner--Jim--wanted to start a new column called Montecito Favorites. The staff picked a few of their favorites and my job was to schedule appointments with managers to get a little bit of information for each and to take pictures.

So first I went to Tre Lune on Coast Village Road. I took pictures of their Mistacanza salad, asked a few questions, and then they offered me to go ahead and eat it. Sweet! Free lunch! So I did.
Then I went to the Chevron car wash (favorite car wash) and did the same thing. No free perks this time--even though I really need a car wash! At least I know the name of the manager now...
Next stop wasCantwell's market. I took a picture of their marinated salmon and got some more info, but no taste-test this time.
Then Montecito Cafe let me take pictures of their Coconut Cake and even gave me a taste. Now, I am not one for coconut, but that vanilla glaze was to die for!
My last stop was Lucky's, where I took a picture of their drink--The Snowball--that Tom Snow made up and named after himself. Apparently, locals never get it and Mr. Snow is a regular there and just expects everyone to know what he's talking about... He seems egotistical and the staff doesn't seem to really like him. (I looked him up, by the way, and he's a songwriter.)
Before I hit Lucky's, though, I went to the Montecito Coffee Shop to report on their blueberry pancakes. So I went through the normal procedure of asking questions and taking pictures. I knew what was coming next and I really hoped I didn't have to do it, but how rude would that be! Paul, the waiter I met with, told me to go ahead and eat them. I had no choice. No matter how much I don't like blueberries, it was free food and they had been more than gracious in helping me out with the story. So that is how I found myself eating a stack of two blueberry pancakes last Saturday morning. But Emily--you be sure to tell Clint that I still prefer regular ones!!

Missing you all and sending love your way!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

In the Summertime, When the Weather is Fine...

...well, the weather isn't really so fine. It's been pretty cloudy in Santa Barbara, actually. We've even had some rain! That umbrella I store in my car came in handy for once.

I've been in SB for a little over two weeks now and I'd like to think I'm making an impression on everyone here. Right now, I'm working two internships, and attempting to work my way into one or two more. Monday through Friday, I work at the KZSB am1290 radio station. Unless there is a female host or guest in for an hour or so, I provide the most estrogen these old men see all day. Working with all men, however, is no picnic when it comes to sharing one tiny bathroom. I don't think anyone ever cleans it, and clearly some of these men have never had a female to yell at them to, "KEEP THE SEAT DOWN!" Well, I don't yell at them, just saying that someone should. On top of that, the door to that bathroom is pretty thin, so you can hear people's bathroom noises... and then hear them spraying the Febreeze before they leave the bathroom... Um, ew!

Besides that though, this internship hasn't been too difficult. Most days, I just write copy, meaning I scope the newspress.com for local news stories that I can turn into 30-60 second pieces. I also write copy of any Press/News Releases or PSAs that come in. Then some of them are recorded for broadcast later in the day. Apparently they've been using a lot of them, but I really don't have the patience to go home after working here and listen to the station for three hours to hear them.

Last Thursday, I walked in the door at 10am and the host of the show that begins just after ten (who is also co-owner of the newspaper), Arthur Von Wiesenberger, walked into the room and said, "Hey, wanna co-host with me for a bit?" It was a rhetorical question. I squeaked, "Uh... okay," completely unsure of what I was getting myself into. It wasn't too bad though, I just provided some commentary for the first few minutes of the show. He seemed happy with it. His travel show won a prestigious award last year and they stream it live on the newspress.com. I'll provide the link to the show at the end so you can see how awkward I was. They also had be record a promo for a contest Arthur's show is having and it's supposed to run intermittently with the promo another lady recorded.

Wow! All in my first week!

I also started doing a couple of little projects for the Montecito Journal. They have given me the weekly task of writing the Sheriff's Blotter, which is apparently pretty popular with the public. Last week, Kelly Mahem (the paper's editor/writer) showed me where the Sheriff's office was and what I need to do. Yesterday, I was all on my own. There was only one story I could write on, so I wrote up the details and sent it to her. Less than ten minutes later, she called me and praised me for the piece. She was surprised and very impressed, saying that she really didn't need to do any editing. She even let me know today that Jim, the owner of the Journal, was impressed as well. Maybe this means they'll be giving me more responsibilities!!

I've been sending my resume to the SB Magazine, but haven't heard anything from them yet. I also sent it along to the News Press today (with Arthur's recommendation... and I mean, he owns it, so that's a pretty big rec.), so hopefully I'll be even more busy.

I've done a few catering jobs for Dad so far. And let me tell you, when people have excess money and are very happy and a little tipsy at the end of the night, they tip well! One night I got $80 and a bottle of wine! (I think I was more excited about the wine though... no need to mention I still have five more months until I'm legal!)

The only difficult part is that I don't really know anyone in Santa Barbara. One of my three grandlittles in my sorority came to visit me for a few days, but that's the only 'friend' I've seen this summer. I'm sure I'll run into a cute boy at some point! Maybe I should hang out at the beach or walk along state street? Sit at a Starbucks for a few hours (maybe one close to UCSB)?

I'm looking forward to seeing Mom, Kim and Eric this weekend. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the growing belly that she seems so keen on hiding, since none of us have seen pictures in quite a while!

Love and miss you all,

Bev

ps--I got 3 As and 2 B+s this last semester!!
pps--here's the link to the radio show I was on briefly--> http://www.newspress.tv/main.jsp?category=Travel&id=95
ppps--I haven't watched this yet because I do not think I have a good radio voice!!