nerd’s eye view

NEV+WGBH+KUOW=LOL

March 19, 2008 – 3:50 pm | by nerd's eye view

“O hai. I’z in ur radio crackin’ mahself ups.”

1. Wow, recording a full story for radio is really hard work! You have to slow way down, waaaaaay down, when you read, and then, sometimes, you have to say stuff over and over and over again. “Okay, now try it this way…” and then, sometimes, if you’re me (which I am), you lose your place because you’re a little bit nervous even though there is no reason for you to be except for the sheer nerdtastic excitement of the fact that you’re in your local NPR studio and all the way across the country is Tony Kahn in his NPR studio and there he is, also, in your headphones! It’s nice if your friend that works at KUOW happens to be on the other side of the glass with your husband, both of them smiling and making reassuring faces and giving you the thumbs up. Wow. That was fun and nerve wracking and oh so great. Wow.
2. Plan to score swag at local NPR station. First, ask for beverage, but insist it’s in a station branded mug. Then, slosh coffee on self – after waiting for java to cool sufficiently “Ooops! Would you have a t-shirt around? What a mess!” Ask for NPR branded t-shirt. After session is over, ask for NPR branded tote bag to “… carry coffee stained shirt home in.” Surreptitiously slip coffee cup into bag. Comment on pouring rain and how you’ve forgotten your umbrella, ask if there might be a spare as you don’t want your notes to get wet on the way to the car. And so on.
3. Unfunny radio jokes: Show up with several changes of clothes and say “Do these pants make me sound fat?” or “Do you think this shirt makes my eyes sound inarticulate?” Also worth trying? “Roz, can we have the next caller please?” or “I’m a long time listener, first time caller.”
4. Wow, that was fun. Of COURSE I’ll let you know when it airs. Like you could stop me from telling you. And yeah, it’s a travel story.