NancyLoo.net

Hair spray: No help at all today!

Most Chicagoans know the Windy City nickname is linked to blathering politicians and not the weather.   But today, we had very windy weather in the Windy City making it tough to look composed while I reported outside the Willis Tower.  Soon after my first live report at 6:30 this morning, a viewer commented on twitter, “I can see from your hair that it’s very windy outside.  Don’t blow away!”

It’s tough to control the elements but our Fox Chicago crews do what they can to deal with them.   Camerman Stuart Orlin (who’s camera shy) used  sand bags to keep the light stand from blowing over.  Then, he positioned me behind the live truck so it would block most of the wind.  But that meant I had to stand on the light kit box since I was down on the street and Stuart was shooting from the sidewalk.

Making the best of a windy situation.

He couldn’t do anything about the gusts swirling around the skyscrapers.  For me, that meant hair flying everywhere and many strands getting caught in my lip gloss.

The wind is nothing compared to the elements we’ll have to deal with in just a few more weeks.

ABC7's Charles Thomas doesn't need hair spray.

Snow and sub-freezing temperatures are far tougher to work in.  Many of us will be breaking out the parkas and serious winter gear soon.

As I messed with my messy hair, ABC7′s Charles Thomas stopped by the truck to say hello.  Of course, he never has to worry about his hair blowing around.

Cameraman Ed Flynn & Patrick Elwood, reporting from where I had stood just 15 minutes earlier!

Learning to share is something we stress to children but it’s clearly a valuable lesson far beyond childhood.  This morning, I shared a live truck with my noon show co-anchor Patrick Elwood as we both reported for “Good Day Chicago”.   Once in a while, that’s just how it works out.  It’s an efficient way to get more live reports in the newscast while establishing more of a presence on the streets.

Cameraman Ed Flynn set up the live truck near Union Station.  Patrick was covering the White Sox and the surprise trade of Jim Thome.  I was covering the state’s new tax on candy and liquor.  Viewers on the streets were surprised to see me and Patrick in person, at the same time.  But I wonder how many viewers at home noticed that we were fronting different reports from the same location.

Charles Thomas of ABC7 Chicago stopped by the truck to say hi.

For my report, I bought sour gummy worms, candy bars and Twizzlers to illustrate how the new tax applies to many favorite items.  I only shared a little.