My long-range forecast -- chapter 15
Hello to all of you Nifty readers! Please remember that all characters, character locations and events in this story are fictional.
I continue to write more chapters of this story and I'm seeking any suggestions, constructive criticms or positive feedback you have about the story. Please send information to cjwilson328@aol.com. For those if you who have already reached out to me - my thanks! I'm working your ideas into future storylines.
The day has finally arrived for CJ. It's his first day of work and you need to read this chapter to see how it turns out for him. Chapter 16 is in progress and continues to follow CJ and Wally as they adjust to CJ's new schedule.
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We made it back to the complex and exited the jeep. Alex said "I need to go make sure nothing big is happening around the pool as well as to see if anyone has left me notes with to-do items." I smiled at Alex and said "you're welcome to stay in the second bedroom if it helps you feel closer to Ronny until you see him on the 5th?" Alex grinned and said "I may take you up on that, but I'm going to stay at my place tonight. I want to get some laundry done and get prepared for the week."
Wally and I went up to the condo. I got my laptop and sent Laura a skype link for 4:00. She texted me about 10 minutes later saying "we'll see you at 4:00 CJ."
I went into the bedroom closet and picked out my wardrobe for tomorrow. I can't believe my big day is here. I told myself "Remember go in thinking you're a winner, and you'll come out a winner."
Bailey suggested that I be at the station no later than 2:30 am for the 5:00 am show. He said as soon as I got use to the routine, I may be able to push my start time to 3:00 am.
I decided to take Bailey's advice and set my alarm for 1:30 am. Poor Wally, I hope he knows what he is in for with my fast-approaching schedule change!
I set up the coffee maker to brew a pot of coffee at 1:45 am. I then went out to the patio and found Wally watching the golf match. I joined him on the couch and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. He said "you okay my love, and is there anything I can do for you?" I replied "I'm fine Wally. Reality is hitting me and tomorrow is my big day! I'm so excited and I hope I can sleep tonight." Wally smiled and said "you'll be fine baby. I am here for you and will do whatever you need. If it helps you to fall asleep, I'll cuddle with you as early as you want to." I smiled and said "that will probably help tremendously. I am getting up at 1:30 to be at the station by 2:30. Once I get use to the routine, I'll probably be able to push my start time to 3:00 am." Wally looked at me and said "no problem sweetheart, don't worry about me I'll be able to fall back to sleep. Please do me a favor though and wake me up with a kiss before you leave every morning?" I said "I intend to big guy. I enjoy our morning kisses to get the day started off in the right way."
I went to get myself and Wally an ice tea. When I returned to the patio I said "I have a call with UD and the family in 45 minutes. Do you want to join in?" He smiled at me and said "why don't you take this one solo? It's not that I don't want to join you, but three calls in a row may draw some suspicions?" I smiled and said "I understand Wally and appreciate you thinking of me. I'll get the call over with and come back out with you. I'm going to take the call in the office for a different view. I have not found an office chair, but I'll use a dining room chair for today." Wally said "sounds good babe. When you get on the call, please tell everyone I said hello, and I'll see them later." Before I joined the call, I texted Alex and said "in case you are the only one to hear from Ronny, please let me know when he makes it back to Indianapolis fine. I'm hoping he sends a group text, but I just never know with him!" Alex quickly replied saying "I will do so CJ."
I grabbed a dining room chair and wheeled it into the office. I also took one of my coasters from the living room coffee table for use in the office. I sat the laptop up, and plugged it into a surge protector on the floor. I got myself setup and said to myself "I like this setting. I can see myself doing work in here. Perhaps I can find a small bookcase style stereo unit for some music. I looked over at the cupboard and said "I can also add a smaller tv in here if I want in the future."
Just before 4:00 I went into the skype call. Soon I saw UD, Aunt Sally and Laura appear. They all waved at me and I said "hello everyone, it's good to see you. Where's Maddie and Josie at?" Aunt Sally spoke up saying "they're at the mall buying new outfits for your watch party tomorrow morning!" I cracked up and said "those two will find any reason to go to the mall, won't they?" UD chuckled and said "yes CJ, you have that correct. How are you feeling CJ and are you ready for tomorrow?"
I replied "I feel very good UD and yes, I'm all set for tomorrow morning. I have my wardrobe picked out, I've programmed the coffee maker to brew me a pot of coffee at 1:45 am and I've watched the weather channel to get an idea of what the weather for the week ahead looks like here." Aunt Sally said "you're going to do great dear. We're planning to watch the entire broadcast tomorrow from 5:00 -- 7:00. I'm so excited for you on this magnificent event." Laura spoke up and said "I'm planning to serve everyone juice, coffee and pancakes while you're on tomorrow." I said "sounds great you Betty Crocker! I wish I was there to enjoy it with all of you."
UD laughed and said "how did the weekend go for you? Did the softball team win, and is Ronny heading back to Indianapolis yet?" I took a drink and said "yes UD, the softball team did win with a final grand slam from yours truly. The score ended up 10-6!" UD said "that's my boy -- always coming through for a team in a clutch." I smiled and said "it felt like old times UD. I really enjoyed playing softball with the team and hope I can do it again next season. Wally, Alex and I dropped Ronny off at the airport earlier this afternoon for his 3:45 flight. He should land in Indianapolis around 6:15 tonight."
UD continued on saying "it's too bad he has to return to Tampa on his own. I know it was much better to have two along for the ride to split the driving, as well as just having company on the trip." I replied "well UD, Alex the condo property manager is flying up to Indianapolis early on July 5th. Ronny and Alex will start the drive back to Tampa on 5th, and I think they're planning a couple of stops along the way." UD said "good, that makes me feel better that he will not be driving alone."
Aunt Sally asked me "which room are you calling from CJ, I don't recognize it?" I smiled and said "welcome to my new and improved office! It's the third bedroom Aunt Sally. UD and I painted it, and Wally and I added the wainscotting to the room." She said "I can see the wainscotting and I love the light grey color against the upper burgundy color. Oh, it's your school colors!" I cracked up and said "they sure are the fighting muskie's colors Aunt Sally. I added a corner desk in here to work at, I have a murphy bed in here for guests, and a bookshelf cabinet in here. I think I'm going to add two wing back chairs with a side table between them at some point." She laughed at me and said "I see you're carrying on my style CJ. It all looks very nice and I'm anxious to see the whole place with all the changes you have made."
I asked UD "are there any updates on the fire?" UD smiled and said "crews began clean up this week. The building was declared a total loss, so I had them tear down the structure remains also. It went quickly and the lot is now clear." I said "wow, that went quick!" He replied "yes it did. I'm trying to decide if I want to rebuild there, or invest in a new place on St Pete Beach!" I looked puzzled at UD and said "are you serious, or are you just yanking my chain?" He said "Sally and I are thinking seriously about it. The girls are getting older and will be going to college soon. This may be our opportunity to expand south, open a beachfront setting and get set up for our golden years in a warm climate." I said "WOW that is awesome news but a lot to think about for both of you." They both shook their heads yes and Aunt Sally said "we'll keep you informed on what we decide. A number of people have reached out to us asking us to rebuild the Florence Grille, but we're evaluating what we really want to do."
I looked and the time was 5:45, and decided I needed to wrap up the call soon. I said "well everyone, it has been great to talk to all of you but I'm going to turn in soon for my 1:30 am wake up call!"
UD smiled and said "that sounds good CJ. You take care and kick some butt tomorrow. You know you have this and actually you already have two shows under your belt there from March. Relax, get good rest and have fun tomorrow! I'll be watching you son." Aunt Sally and Laura shared similar messages to me as well.
I wrapped up the call saying "I love you all and I'm going to have a great day tomorrow. Thanks for all of the encouragement, support and love. I'll talk to you at some point this week." UD said "don't be surprised if you get a call from us tomorrow after 7:00 am." I replied "sounds good UD. I love you all and good night."
I shut the laptop down and decided to leave the dining room chair in the room until I found an office chair I liked. I refilled my ice tea, and went back out to Wally. My phone went off and I pulled up a text from Ronny. He said "all, I arrived in Indianapolis fine. Thanks again for a killer week. See you all very soon."
He asked "how was the call, and is everyone okay on the home front?" I said "all is well, and everyone said to tell you hello. The restaurant site is totally cleared and cleaned up. They are planning a watch party for me tomorrow morning. I expect a call of screaming fans by 7:15 am tomorrow morning." Wally smiled and said "sounds good CJ. I am glad you called them today as I'm sure UD appreciated seeing you before the broadcast tomorrow."
I finished my tea and said "I'm going to go lay down now. You finish the golf match and join me when you want to." Wally smiled, gave me a kiss and said "I'll be in later my love. Do you feel tired?" I replied to him "yeah, I think the softball game and partying afterward has caught up with me. I'm feeling tired and think I'll be able to sleep fine. I love you, Wally." He said "I love you to CJ Walters, and a I look forward to having you wake me up from the television tomorrow morning!"
I slept very well, as I did not even feel Wally join me in bed. I woke up in his arms, and gently removed myself from his grip. I did a quick shower, shaved, brushed my teeth and changed into my suit. I gave one final look in the mirror and said to myself "very nice, looking handsome this morning!"
I went back into the bedroom, and Wally must have gone to the living room. He was at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee. He stood up as I entered the room and said "my God, you look damn fine and so sexy this morning." I grinned and said "yes, I do clean up well, don't I?" He laughed and said "you sure do stud. Remember, I am with you always. If you get nervous, just think of you and me in the shower together to calm yourself down!" I cracked up and said "I don't know if that will calm me down or show my full erection on television!" We both laughed, and he got a travel mug out of the cupboard. Wally filled it with coffee and walked me to the door. He leaned into me, gave me an extended kiss and said "I love you CJ. You're my heart, my soul and I am so happy to be with you starting your new journey. Go show St Petersburg what you're made of! Call or text me later this morning if you can. Now, you get going, watch the traffic and have a beautiful day." I gave Wally another kiss and said "thank you sweetheart, I will have a good day and talk to you later this morning after the morning show is over."
I got to the station at 2:10 am and pulled into the parking lot. I entered into the newsroom and found several people already there. The morning producer, Nicholas, greeted me and said "are you ready for your second broadcast CJ?" I smiled and said "I am Nicholas. What instructions do you have for me this morning?" He replied "first, call me Nick. Second, please go ahead and start your morning segment. I understand from Melissa that you have mastered the weather graphics system. Please get your lineup set up. I'll have someone start working with you at 4:00 to get them loaded up in the order you want them. We'll pass that on to the director. Think about an intro teaser for the 5:00 and 6:00 show introductions. Finally, the co-anchors will be doing a `welcome CJ' feature after your 5:30 and 6:30 segments. It will be about a minute each time with general questions for you."
Nick stood up and said "you have any questions for me CJ?" I replied "I am good Nick, but if I run into anything I will give you a call." He said "sounds good. Relax and have fun today, you're going to do a great job -- I can tell already."
The time went by very quickly. I had my lineup and teasers ready to go before 4:00 am. The assistant producer, Angela, approached me slightly before 4:00. She said "hi there CJ, remember me from lunch?" I replied "I sure do Angela, it's good to see you again." She said "I'll be loading your lineup for you each morning into the master control switcher. Are you ready to begin?" I said "yes I am and here is my intro teaser for the 5:00 and 6:00 kickoff segments." She said "great, let me put this into the system. Now, show me your various shots you want and in what order they should appear."
I started in "first, I'd like the live camera shot of the pier to start off with. Second, I want the current conditions to fade in on the pier shot. Third, I want to go to the bay area radar then fly out to the state radar. Fourth, we'll go back to the current bay area temperatures and then swipe to the expected highs for today. Fifth, we'll go back to a state map showing a stationary front entering the panhandle today. It will shift to the south and I'll explain what that means for us. Finally, we'll go to the daily forecast graphics, followed by the seven-day forecast and then fly in the 10-day forecast."
Angela said "boy you are good! You made this extremely easy for me, and I like all of your choices for the segment presentation. As we continue to work together, I may give suggestions which we can either go with or you can overrule me!" I laughed and said "I welcome any suggestions you have since I'm the rookie here." I continued and said "here is my throwback statement to Ross and Vicki." Angela said "did Nick tell you about the question session during the 5:30 and 6:30 shows?" I said "yes, he did. The time should be about one minute, correct?" She replied "yes, and the questions will be general such as where is your hometown?'; what school did you attend?'; `what you like about St Petersburg? etc."
I said "sounds good Angela, anything else I should be aware of?" She replied very quietly saying "watch out for Vicki as she goes off script sometimes and can frankly be a real bitch, but you did not hear from me!" I cracked up and said "how is Ross to work with?" She said "Ross is a pussy cat. You two will work fine together."
Angela continued on saying "after your segments are done, including the two interviews, throw the show over to Ross and Vicki. They'll turn it over to Jennifer for a traffic report."
I looked at the clock and we had 35 minutes before the 5:00 show. I went into the makeup area and the assistant said "I think your darker complexion will look good. Let's just go with some powder for hot spots and we'll adjust in between shows if needed."
I went back out to the newsroom and re-introduced myself to Ross, Vicki and Jennifer. All three welcomed me and each said "I'm looking forward to working with you on the morning team." Ross and I will be doing the noon broadcast together. I was pleased when I heard this based on what Angela had told me about Vicki.
The time arrived as we were told to take our positions on the set. I felt a knot in my stomach build, but I quickly talked myself down. The show kicked off and Ross gave the introduction saying "Good morning, St Petersburg and Tampa Bay. Here's your St Petersburg in sixty to kick things off this morning." Once the St Petersburg in sixty ended, the camera shot went to me and I gave my intro teaser very enthusiastically! I did it, the ice was broken and I had this broadcast under control.
Jennifer tossed it back to Ross who started in. He started off with "Yes, there is no need to adjust your tv sets this morning. We have a new face with us this morning. Starting today, CJ Walters will be covering the bay area weather for us. We'll spend some time with CJ later this morning so our audience can get to know him.
Ross and Vicki covered the stories. There was a commercial break and the shot came back to the anchors to finish up the morning stories. We went to another commercial break and the shot returned to Ross who said "now let's get a check on morning traffic followed by CJ's debut on weather." Jennifer went through her information and said "and now, let's welcome our new meteorologist to St Petersburg. CJ, take it away."
I kicked in once the camera went live on me and said "good morning, St Petersburg. I'm excited to be here and look forward to bring you the weather each morning so you can plan your day accordingly. Taking a look at current conditions in St Petersburg .....". I continued on through the segment shots that Angela and I had reviewed earlier. I had one technical glitch with the clicker, but I recovered fine.
I felt as though the segment flowed well, and I do have to say I looked damn fine on camera! I gave my throwback line to Ross and Vicki and the camera switched to them. Ross said "thanks CJ. We'll be chatting with CJ during the 5:30 and 6:30 shows this morning, so stay tuned to learn more about our newest meteorologist in St Petersburg."
The 5:00 show wrapped up and I felt very good about my performance. We had about two minutes before going live again. Bailey walked into the studio and headed straight for me. He shook my hand and said "way to go CJ! You nailed it and everything looked good. Keep it up you stud!" I cracked up and said "thanks Bailey -- it felt good for me this morning."
The 5:30 show kicked off with no introduction and I later found out that the station does the St Petersburg in sixty at the top of every hour only. Ross and Vicki went through their stories again. After the second commercial break Ross tossed the show to Jennifer for the traffic report. Jennifer wrapped up with "let's check in with CJ now for our weather forecast. CJ ...."
The camera went live on me and I started in with the rundown. I felt more comfortable with this repetition and was glad to wrap up the 10-day forecast. Now it was time for the interview. I made my way over to the anchor desk and said "so the 10-day forecast looks hot for the area, and there a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms each afternoon as the humidity builds each day." I turned it back to Ross who said "well hopefully you have noticed our new addition to the morning newscast. The station has been running introduction segments on him, but let's take some time this morning to get to know CJ Walters. CJ, welcome and tell us where you're from and where you were at before coming to St Petersburg.
I kicked in and said "Thanks Ross. I'm CJ Walters and am originally from southwest Ohio near Cincinnati. I'm a recent graduate of Maumee College which is a small liberal arts college between Cincinnati and Dayton Ohio. I majored in Radio and Television broadcasting and was able to perform at the college television station all four years."
Ross picked it back up and said "wow, your first job and you ended up here in St Petersburg. How did that happen for you?" I replied "my family always vacationed in the St Petersburg and Tampa Bay area while I was growing up. I grew to love the area and determined that I wanted to end up in a Florida television market. I was lucky enough to get called in for an interview here, selected for the position and now I'll be waking up with St Petersburg every morning bringing all of you your daily forecast."
Ross went back to my college and said "Maumee College, I'm not familiar with that. What's the mascot and is it bigger than Brutus Buckeye?" I cracked up and said "Maumee is the home of the Fighting Muskies, but no there is nothing bigger than Brutus in Ohio." Vicki chimed in and said "I have to ask, what's a muskie?" I grinned and said "a muskie is a large fish in the pike family. They're common in the great lakes and midwest region. One of you anglers out there can call or email me and inform me if there are muskies in Florida so I will know."
Ross wrapped up with one final question asking "CJ, is there anything about St Petersburg you have found since being here and is there anyone special you want to say good morning too?" I answered "well Ross, the people of St Petersburg are so friendly and outgoing. Every place I have gone has been very welcoming. I'm looking forward to becoming part of this community and invite you to stop me on the street to introduce yourself. I do want to give a shoutout to several watch parties happening in Ohio this morning as well as the watch party happening at my condo complex. Finally, I want to send a special greeting to James Thompson, the chair of the Maumee Radio and Television Department. Without his guidance through my college years, I would have never made it to this beautiful area of St Petersburg and Tampa."
Ross continued on saying "well there you have it everyone CJ Walters will be bringing you the weather every morning and noon. CJ welcome aboard and we're very glad to have you here in the mornings with us. We'll be right back after this break."
Okay I really felt good now. I thought the interview went smooth. Ross and I are going to work out fine and time will tell with Vicki.
I went to get some water and returned to the studio. We had about five minutes before the 6:00 am show. Bailey slipped back in and kept a low profile. When we went to final break before the hour, he came over to me and said "nice job! You are a very easy conversationalist and you look damn good on camera! I won't be in during the 6:00 show, but keep up the good work. If I hang around here too long, Vicki will get jealous and fire a discrimination suit at me!" I chuckled and said "mind if I stop up later this morning to your office?" Bailey replied, please do and make it around 10:00."
The 6:00 show kicked off with the St Petersburg in sixty highlights. The floor director pointed to me and the camera went live. I said "Good morning, St Petersburg. I'm CJ Walters and we have a hot and humid forecast coming up for all of you later in this broadcast. Jennifer....."
Each time the camera went live to me, I felt more confidence building up in me! My segment went fine for the 6:00 show, and my remaining big task was to get through the second interview during the 6:30 show.
My 6:30 weather segment went very well just as the others had. As I was giving the 10-day forecast, I went over to the anchor desk for the second interview. Vicki led the interview this time asking the first general question of introducing myself and where I'm from. I gave a similar answer noting that I'm from southwest Ohio and a recent graduate of Maumee College. She then asked me "CJ tell us what your hobbies and interests are." I replied "Wow, Vicki I'll have to cut my list short in the interest of time. I enjoy playing golf, softball and baseball. I'm a weather geek and like to stay up on all the trends in the weather field. I enjoy reading, traveling, meeting new people, trying new restaurants and I also like to karaoke when time permits." Vicki said "oh karaoke. Have you heard about Mel's on the beach on their karaoke contests each week?" I smiled and said "I sure have Vicki. In fact, I have participated in the last two contests there and enjoyed it thoroughly."
Vicki ended with "what drew you to St Petersburg CJ, and do you have any special hellos for the viewing audience this morning?" I covered my answer to the St Petersburg question with similar information that I shared in the 5:30 broadcast. I continued and said "I want to give a special shout out to my family watching from southwest Ohio this morning, my friends from Maumee College and my new friends at my condo complex who are watching this morning. Please St Petersburg, if you see me on the street come up to me and chat. I'm enjoying the community and cannot wait to be fully immersed in it's fine and rich culture."
Vicki ended with "thanks CJ, we're so glad to have you with us on the morning show. Tune in every morning and at noon to follow CJ's forecast for the bay area. We'll be right back after this break."
We wrapped up the newscast with a final shot of the four of us at the desk. Ross threw it to me saying "CJ how does the week ahead look?" I replied "hot and humid each day with a slight chance of showers each afternoon Ross." He then asked Jennifer a traffic question. After her reply he ended the show with "Thanks St Petersburg for tuning into us this morning. Stay tuned for the national news and watch CJ and I again at noon for more St Petersburg news." The floor director said "cut" and the camera went off. Vicki did not say anything and left the stage. Ross came over and shook my hand. He said "damn fine job this morning. Keep it up, you are going to go far here CJ." I thanked Ross and could not help to ask "did I say something during the second interview to upset Vicki?" He cracked up and said "no, you said nothing wrong. She hates new talent and she especially hates it when you come in and do a good job. You'll get used to her. Do you have plans for breakfast? If not, care to join me at a local deli who makes outstanding breakfast sandwiches?" I replied "thanks Ross, that sounds wonderful!" Ross said "let's meet at 7:30 and we'll head over there."
I went back into the news room and Nick and Angela were waiting for me. Angela just smiled and said "way to go you muskie! You kicked butt for your first show. Keep it up!" I said "thanks Angela, I hope my nerves did not show this morning?" Nick spoke up and said "no they did not CJ. You looked fantastic, sounded excellent and did an outstanding job. You also pissed off Vicki, so you have an A+ from me for today." I grinned, gave him a wink and said "I've heard from several people about Vicki today. I plan to continue to give her a run for her money." Nick and Angela both cracked up. Nick followed up with "has anyone invited you to breakfast yet?" I said "Ross did and we're meeting up at 7:30 to go to a deli." Nick said "okay, we'll do tomorrow or another day this week. Angela and I want to get to know you better. We also want to cover next week's schedule with you as you'll be doing two live remotes." I said "great, thank you both and looking forward to working with both of you on a daily basis."
Ross drove us to the deli. He informed me that a Latin American family ran the business and treats everyone from the station like royalty. We entered and it appeared that the breakfast crowd was wrapping up. A lady with a nametag of Cecilia came to greet us and said "Senor Ross how are you today?" He replied "I am doing well Cecilia and how are you?" She answered "I'm very good this morning." Ross said "Cecilia this is CJ Walters. He started at our station this morning doing the morning and noon weather reports." Cecilia smiled at me and said "welcome Senor CJ. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said "Thank you Cecilia. Ross tells me that you and your family make the best breakfast sandwiches in the whole bay area. I'm anxious to try one this morning." Cecilia seated us at a table and said "what can I get you both to drink?" Ross started by saying "I'll have a cranberry apple juice and coffee this morning." I followed with "I'll take a cranberry juice with coffee please."
Ross said "so how does it feel to have your first morning broadcast under your belt?" I replied "Ross, I feel so energized. I think the broadcast went well, and I really enjoyed our exchange during the first interview this morning." He then said "how old are you CJ? The way you handled yourself today I can swear you have five- or six-years' experience in the field. Please tell me you're 28?" I laughed and said "I'm 22 Ross, and I'll turn 23 in August." He just shook his head and said "my God, 22 years old and so much talent. You're going to go far in this field CJ."
Cecilia returned with our beverages and took our orders. I learned more about Ross. He's 42 years old and has a wife and two teenage boys. His career started out in Florence, South Carolina and he moved on to Augusta, Georgia. He spent a couple of years in Jacksonville, Florida and moved over to St Petersburg six years ago. Ross said "out of all the places I have been, I enjoy St Petersburg the best. The community is wonderful, there are plenty of activities in the Tampa Bay region and I've thoroughly enjoyed the station family here." I replied "so far, everyone I have met is so warm and inviting at the station. I'm going to like it here and I look forward to becoming more involved with the community." Ross said "don't worry about Vicki. I look for her to be on the road out of St Petersburg very soon. She is a good journalist, but a pain in the ass to work with. I actually was ready to throw in the towel because of her and Melissa. They were always trying to one up each other and the news room became quite hostile at times. I'm glad Melissa got a good opportunity to move on, but that is another item pissing off Vicki. She feels that everyone is holding her back in St Petersburg and she deserves a larger market with a better audience base." I said "wow thank you for sharing that with me. If I did not know to let her attitude roll off, I would have left here today feeling self-conscious about what I said to her."
Our food came and as Ross said, it was probably the best breakfast sandwich I have ever tasted. Cecilia refilled our coffees and asked if she could bring us anything else? Ross said "not now, but when we leave can I get a coffee to go?" Cecilia said "of course Ross. How about you CJ, do you care for one as well?" I said "yes Cecilia, your coffee brand is very delicious and I have enjoyed it tremendously this morning."
Ross said "we'll do a similar Q&A session on the noon news. Be sure and let me know if you want to hit anything in particular at that time. You'll also be starting out at the desk with me for the show intro." I replied "okay, sounds good Ross." We got up and paid the bill. Cecilia met us at the cash register with two large cups of coffee. I handed her a $5 tip and she said "thank you Senor CJ. I will watch you soon, and be sure to come back for more of our breakfast sandwiches." I smiled and said "thank you Cecilia. It was great and I'll be a repeat customer for sure."
We made it back to the station around 8:30. Angela and Nick were still out. I decided to go ahead and update my segment shots for the noon news. I changed the background from the pier to the skyway bridge. I left the current statistics with question marks and will fill those in closer to the newscast.
Angela and Nick returned. I told her what I had done and she said "great, we like to mix up shots during the day so always change your noon backgrounds to something different. For the noon show, you'll be starting at the desk with Ross. He will do the St Petersburg in sixty, and we'll come back to you. Say something like "I'm CJ Walters and it's a hot day in the bay area today......when you are finished toss it back to Ross. You two will do another small interview after your weather segment. When you are reviewing the 10-day forecast, head back to the desk and sit down with him." I smiled and said "sounds good Angela. What time do you need the graphics updated by?" She said "I'll get everything in place with you at 11:40."
I had some time to kill so I went to my office and began going through texts and phone messages. The first message was from James Thompson. He said "CJ it's James. No need to call me back today, but when you get a chance later this week, please touch base with me. Your broadcasts were outstanding the morning. Flawless and you looked wonderful on camera. I was very touched by your comments to me. Take care CJ and keep up the good work. I'll talk to you later this week."
The second phone message was from Wally. He said "I cannot believe you! CJ, you nailed every show this morning. It seems to come so naturally to you. I am at a loss for words to describe how good you are. Please know I am so proud of you. You look so sexy on camera, and I can't wait to get you in the sling this weekend stud. All my love to you and I'll talk to you later."
UD was the third message. He was trying to talk but Aunt Sally and the girls were so loud in the background. I was able to make out most of his message which said "CJ, you did such a wonderful job this morning. You look like you have been doing the weather professionally for 10 years or more. Your flow was absolutely perfect and you looked so handsome on the set. Good job son, and call us when you can. We all love you."
Ronny and Alex rounded out my messages both saying "you kicked ass and took no prisoners!" They both expressed their views of how well the show went and how proud they are of me."
It was 10:00 and I headed up to Bailey's office. I knocked on his door and he said "there's my new star, come on in CJ!". I went in and he shut the door. He came to the other chair beside me and took a seat. He said "first of all, what a fabulous first day. I usually have a sheet of comments to review with new talent, but for you I have very little to offer. Over time, that will change and we'll cover any improvement opportunities for you." I said "thanks Bailey. I felt at ease on camera this morning. It all seemed to flow well for me and I enjoyed working with the other staff members."
Bailey smiled and said "good I am glad to hear that. You and Ross have a good rapport going and we'll have to work on Vicki. Don't worry though, you did fine. She can be a tough cookie at times so watch your back with her." I said "I've heard similar comments from several other people this morning. It's too bad because I feel she is an excellent journalist." He replied "She is an excellent journalist, but a pain in the ass to work with and manage. If you ever have problems with her, come to me and we'll get them resolved. I don't want to end up with any on stage quarrels like I had with Melissa and her."
Bailey continued and said "as far as today goes, I only have two comments. One being continue to work with your clicker device. It can be sensitive and you can easily adjust slides too quickly or not quick enough. The second is to try and take brief glances to your side monitor to make sure you're where you want to be on the segment presentation. After the quick glance, return to the facing the camera and perform your gestures accordingly. With more practice, this will become natural for you but it's the one thing I noticed which can immediately help you. Other than that, you exceeded my expectations this morning! Congratulations on a job well done and you're only going to go up from here." I told Bailey "Thank you for that tip and I'll begin watching that. I feel so energized coming out of today and I know with each broadcast I will continue to challenge myself and make solid improvements for myself and the station." Bailey smiled and said "Goodness, I love your infectious attitude. Keep it up CJ!"
Bailey concluded the conversation with "I heard back from Alecia and she has accepted a job in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm not sure if she told you or not?" I replied "no I have not heard from her so thanks for the update." Bailey continued and said "I do have a good candidate coming in on Wednesday from Tennessee. I'll keep you up to date, but until the time when someone is in place for the weekend position, I need you to cover the weekend mornings on Saturday and Sunday. We do a show from 5:00 -- 7:00 am on Saturday, and a 6:00 -- 8:00 am on Sunday. Once you have the weekend shows wrapped up you can leave for the day unless there is severe weather in the area which might cause you to break in live. If the schedule gets too taxing on you, let me know and we'll give you a break by just covering radar shots only with the anchor. My goal is to get someone in here though to give you relief as soon as possible." I said "no problem, Bailey, the practice will be good for me."
I went back down to the news room and messed around with my segment shots more. Angela and I loaded them to the switcher at 11:40 with updated weather statistics for the midday report.
The noon show went off fantastic, just like the morning shows did. Ross and I had a great interview and I ended my first day feeling very positive about my performance and the outcome.
I headed out of the newsroom around 12:45 and got into the jeep. I let the air conditioner cool the jeep down so I'd enjoy the ride back to the beach. I smiled and told myself "One work day down, and so many more to go. I have achieved my goal of becoming a meteorologist at a television station. Life for me is good and I want more!"