And I bet you thought I had it all together!

Oh the things that go on - and go wrong - behind the scenes of a radio show!


So there I am... multitasking like crazy,  phone in one ear, listening to my guest, author, journalist and unsolved mysteries researcher, Nick  Redfern, busting some myths and revealing some truths about NASA, UFOs and various conspiracy theories... one eye on the switchboard, and the other on the Awakening Zone chatroom watching for reader's questions... when the doorbell starts buzzing - very loudly!


I try to ignore it.  Nick's conversation is riveting, and I don't want to miss any of it.  Besides, how silly would I look if he stops talking and I've gone AWOL to answer the door?   


The doorbell buzzes again.  Loudly. And more insistently.  I try to close one ear.  Then it suddenly occurs to me - uh oh!  The Cox Cable guy is coming to fix my faulty modem after 3pm.  It couldn't possibly be - could it?


What to do?  If I don't answer and it is him, he'll go away and not come back for w-e-e-k-s!  But I'm in the middle of a show - which is why he was booked for later in the day.


Oh, darnit... better go answer it.  My intuition was right.  It's the cable guy come calling - early for once! Thankfully, Nick is in mid flow - he's a great guest, so knowledgeable, and so much great information to impart ,so maybe I can just write a note with one hand to tell him why I can't speak, and he can just get on with the job without me.  And no one, least of all my listeners, will know.


Ha! Ha!  You should have seen it back here.  Me miming like crazy, pushing the mute button on and off, desperately trying to remember my next question when Nick goes silent, and the cable guy is looking at me like... yeah, now I've seen it all!


"I booked the appointment for 3-5pm." I scrawled.,


"I've got 1-3pm down here," he says, holding out his phone with the appointment clearly showing as proof.


"Nope." I quickly scrawl back.  "I'm  not clever enough to keep my wits about me and run a radio show, while someone is trying to fix a funky modem. 3-5pm I told the girl."


Then, yikes! Nick has finished talking.  Quick, think of another question.  What to ask?  Oh yeah, I know.  Unmute! Unmute!  Quick, the seconds are ticking by!  Oops!  Instead of un-muting I pressed the 'end call' button.  Darnit, gotta dial back in now.  I hope Carol (terrific producer that she is) can jump in and fill the gap.  This is embarrassing.  So unprofessional, Sedgbeer!


Several seconds go by as I try to dial back into the switchboard.  Meanwhile, Mr. Cable Guy is trying to do his best to cope with the situation.


"I didn't do anything, I didn't cut you off," he says, panicked.


"No it was my fault." I tell him.


"But I can't check the modem if you have the computer and phone on," he says.

"Can you come back after 2.30?" I ask, as a voice advises me that I need to put a 1 in front of the number I am dialing.  Dial again.


"No.  I have other appointments booked till 5pm."  He says.


"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I his.  "I did say after 3pm. I really need this issue fixed, it's interfering with my work."


Hooray! I'm through to the switchboard!.  Hit 1, let Carol know you're back on. so she can let you in.


"Let me call my office," he says.  


Finally I get back into the switchboard to hear Nick and Carol speculating on whether I've suddenly been abducted by an alien.  Funneee.  


"Hey, sorry about the technical hitch," I blithely excuse myself.  (Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!)


"So Nick..." I continue, trying hard to think of an intelligent question to ask him... Oh distractions! Distractions!  Come on, Sedgbeer... you're a gemini - you should be able to handle all this without breaking a sweat. 


Somehow I think of something to say, and we're off and running again.


Then Mr. Cable Guy starts talking to the appointment booker at his office.  Very loudly.  I glare at him. Thankfully, Nick's speaking now, so I can mute myself again and no one will her Mr. CG.


Things continue for a few minutes, then Mr. CG whispers that he doesn't know when he can get me another appointment and starts walking towards the door.  


Where's he going?  Is he leaving?  Sugar!  Now what am I going to do?  I can't run after him.  Nick has stopped talking, I've got to move on to the next question.   Nothing else for it but to let the guy go, and call his office later.


And the show continues... remarkably smoothly under the circumstances.  And nobody is aware that, even as I am enjoying the conversation, there's another part of me (the my friends call the evil gemini twin) who is secretly fuming, and running through what she's going to say to the appointment booker and the Cable Guy who ran out on her - or so she thinks...


The show comes to a close.  Evil twin gets straight on the phone to a contact at Cox Cable and leaves a rather frank and abrupt message.


Then, buuuzzzzzzz.... the doorbell starts up again.  And who should it be?  Mr. Cable Guy - nice Mr. CG, who has been sitting outside in his van, calling his office to move a few appointments around, so he could wait till I had finished the show, and he could come back in and fix my modem for me.


Oh, boy!  Do I feel sheepish.  What a nice thing to do.  Thank you Mr. Cable Guy, you have earned my undying appreciation and gratitude.  


Now, I'd better get back on the phone to my contact at Cox Cable and start eating humble pie!  


So you think I have it all together, eh?  Well, sometimes that's true.  And other times.. well, figure it out for yourself!