Subverting the Dominant Paradigm

or some days you just have to cut loose

Okay, so I've been really sucky with this blogging thang lately, because quite honestly I have not had anything fun to talk about. My life is deadly dull and boring, boring, boring.

Until today.

Today was like a free-for-all of fun and games at work. Really. It felt like when your regular, strict teacher was out sick and the mousy substitute completely lost control of the class, but was still trying to soldier on even as students stood on desks and threw spit balls at her hair.

That kind of big-time fun.

First of all, much to my surprise and glee (you can watch America's favorite new "feel good" hit Glee every Wednesday night at 9pm on FOX.) my best friend Beets-my cohort in crime and co-queen of irreverent behavior-was scheduled to share the robotics/prompter platform with me this morning!

The delightful downward spiral of decorum started early on with the First Birthday Baby pictures. Proud parents and grandparents send in pictures of the little nippers which we broadcast as the final element of a news block around 5:15am. The relatives set their VCRs to record their progeny for posterity. As long as the names are spelled correctly, everyone is happy. Under the baby photos we play this God-awful repetitive music that kinda goes "Da Da Da DA...DaDaDaDA" over and over and over and over...in obnoxious infinity. It's pretty gay, and reminds us of bad 70s Go-Go music. Come to think of it, isn't all Go-Go music wretched?

Anywho-years ago Beets and I started jumping up and Go-Go dancing, doing our best Frug, Swim and Bat-tusi, every morning when the little darlins are on. She and I rarely get to be in the studio together so today it was ON! I mean FULL ON, Baby. Even the new anchor team (whom I love! more on this later.) got in the act. The best was little Jimmy McParkway bounding around the corner from his Traffic cave busting a groove. I almost soiled myself. Seriously.

This outbreak encouraged our audiophile Dave, to crack open the Irish music to which Jimmy and the weather dude channeled their inner Michael Flatley and straight-arm River Danced in the chroma key, ala Mary Catherine/Molly Shannon for an entire minute, leaving the Weather guy gasping for air when he did his hit at the top of the block. Aaaah. Good times.

But wait, there's more...dancing that is. Today was all about the dancing.

During the long commercial break, Beets and I leaped off the platform to join Jimmy McP in front of the big beam for more frivolity. At this point the director's knickers were in a royal twist because we normally tape promos during this three minute gap and we were totally eating up the allotted time with our infantile shenanigans.

But, come on. Look at us. Are we not the grooviest? It's Traffic A-Go-Go, for God's sake. You can't stop us. Besides I was wearing the perfect shirt for cage dancing. And no, it's not a moth-balled 70s relic from my cedar chest. It's current, Baby!

Other acts of mayhem ensued. At one point a small, rubbery, lime green disc that looked like Shrek's wife's diaphragm was being flung about haphazardly, jokes were flying, songs were being sung off key (okay that would have been me). Whatever. It was chaos. Pure, unadulterated, free-spirited chaos.

I absolutely LOVE the madness of today!

Side Note:

It has been so much fun the last few weeks since the new anchor team came on board. Jen, who had left about four years ago to pursue other opportunities, is back and has added a lightness and wit missing since the departure of my dear Sonya. And Rick (from here on out referred to as "The New Guy" or TNG) fits right in. He's professional, warm, funny as hell, easy going and twisted just like the rest of us. Not unlike my beloved KJo, whom I miss every day. They're a good team, and we are having a blast.

Hey, let's face it, you gotta to have fun that early in the morning. Otherwise it is just a Zombie death march. Braaaaaaaaaains....

I swear if we aired the crap that goes on during the breaks, our ratings would go through the roof.

But I digress...

The best of this morning's happening by far, centers around our much loved Traffic reporter. He was running a little late for his hit. In his haste to get on set he rounded the corner a little too sharply, caught his knee on a set piece which went flying and crashed and... oh just watch this video*. It tells the whole story.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahahahah!

Okay, that makes me cry every time I watch that. I don't know what I find funnier, the re-enactment, Beets screeching "Holy CRAP, Marie!" from the wings or Jimmy McP snorting. But seriously. It was THAT loud on the air.

So to recap our day:

Dancing like morons: free

Getting hit in the face with Shrek's wife's green diaphragm: free

Scaring the Weather man into thinking he was shot on the air: Priceless

Yeah. Some days just call for cutting loose at the Special K. Now if we could only talk our boss into buying that Margarita slushy machine for the Studio...

*Note: no actual anchors or union members were harmed in this re-enactment. However, the set piece was rushed to the hospital to repair a number of fractures. We expect it to return after a few weeks of physical therapy. Thanks for asking.