aprilbaer's blog

"Let me begin by saying I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family."

Maybe I better not say that. I mean, it's true and everything. But Mom'll see it and then I'll be on the hook for Christmas.

"You should know that I'm a Finalist with a drinking problem, and as I enter treatment..."

Nah. They'll never believe it. Mark Foley pretty well wore that one out.

"Talent Quest Nation: I just want to say this, right now, that regardless of what they say about it, I'm gonna keep Checkers."

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Top secret business found me in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts last weekend, home of public enemy #1, one Rebecca Watson, whose hosty skills and 24-karat email list make her a formidable Talent Quest contender. Enjoyable, but deadly.

My only hope was to drink her under the table. But lo! It appears that Rebecca only knows bars that serve beer and wine exclusively. She lured me to a genial dive called Bukowski's in Back Bay. The place served only beer and wine--no bourbon, no scotch, and certainly no whiskey. Surely, the old man is doing something like 3000 rpms in his grave over this. But nothing could stop our celebration of having turned in our demos.

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Sweet Holy Heloise where does the time go????

It's been weeks of hunching over the laptop, cel phone feeling like it's a growth on the side of my head, getting ready for Round 4.

Research, interviews, editing.
Listening with trusted consiglieri. Kvetching, weeping, tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth.
More interviews, rewrites, more editing.
ENDLESS tracking and retracking the voice overs.

I'm a very bad finalist for not making time to blog, but I've been totally obsessed with getting this right.

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I've got something to say that's been bugging me since the TQ started. Thank Claggett's comment on my entry page for finally kicking my tail into gear. I want to explain why this contest is important to me.

Yes, me. The kid who's been doing time at local public radio stations for ten years. Yeeeah. Not exactly the outsider candidate.

Among other things, Claggett writes, "NPR is not about being fashionable or new. NPR is about presenting in depth news and information. I am sorely disappointed this contest even exists....I don't think the way one gets to a position of national prominence on a major network should be by way of a game show."

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So the Mister and I were slumming around on Mackinac Island, trolling for poor, unsuspecting Canadians to buy the next round of Labatts. Our perch: an establishment called the Pink Pony--mostly tourists during the season. But what's this? Tonight the bar was filled with people bearing the worldy swagger of service industry professionals. What's more, they were keenly interested in what was on Discovery Channel that night.

Friends, I have a new hero. The show that had the Mackinac Islanders all fired up is Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs. Rowe might just have the best non-HBO concept on cable in five years. He reports on some of the filthiest, most indispensible jobs, and the people doing 'em. Rowe's got this Marlboro Man next door quality. He's not afraid of anything--raw sewage, live active cultures, big snakes. And best of all, he's got a knack for one of the trickiest things in broadcasting: the on-site interview. He's having a gas with his material, blending right in with sandhogs, trash haulers, entomologists, or whoever's getting down and nasty this week.

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TQ Nation: sorry I've been MIA... yesterday I developed some connubial blisters--got hitched!

We have much to discuss, you and I, including wedding shenanigans, recent examples of amazing host technique, and current events, but I confess my brain's been addled by one bridal bourbon too many.

In the meantime, sate youself with my column for my local paper about why women go all Bridezilla.

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Finish line in sight! The last days are like an avalanche of last-minute ideas & questions. Here are the last two contenders I checked out:

What makes a great nose? Chris Tsefalas could certainly tell me. For years he worked for the perfume industry in Paris. Now he runs a shop in Portland--modest on the outside, but the interior's a glittering fragrant wonderland.

Rumor has it Tsefalas is one of the top five noses in the world! My extensive network of sources cannot confirm this, but I think it would be a gas to put him to the test. BUT..... logistics again! He's not available for my window of opportunity. He's too busy with his new product--a scent formulated for Napoleon & Josephine. I'm telling you, this one would practically write itself.

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Ok so I've burned through a couple of good ideas already. The Round Three deadline is looming. Who am I going to interview??? Well, Baer, says I to myself. Haven't you always wanted to roll tape on Grayson?

When I met her, Grayson Dempsey seemed like a nice gal about my age who was teaching some pre-natal yoga classes in my neighborhood. She's a very warm person with a fantastic sense of humor. I dropped in to see her last week at her baby shower. Looks like any other cute young mom, right?

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So a few months after I moved here to Oregon, I get a call from this guy who's got a.... errrrrr ... spirited critique of the way I'm doing the Central Oregon weather forecast. He tells me he's a fire spotter for the forest service--lives in a fifty foot tower six months out of the year, watching the horizon for signs of smoke.

"What did you say your name was?" I said, scrabbling frantically for a pen.

His name is Don Evans, and he's one of the most interesting people I will not be interviewing for this week.

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I have to warn you--I'm going to be a bit of a blog hog this week. We're in the midst of recording our interviews for Round 3, and I'm overloaded with people I want you to meet. Too many good choices!... I can only pick one. I'm making a series of posts to crack open the process for you.

Let's start with Pietro Ferrua.

I met him in passing about three years ago. The person who introduced us mentioned "Pietro's translating his conversations with the writer Italo Calvino" --one of my favorites. I almost passed out on the spot.

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