NancyLoo.net

I'm as sick as a dog but not Nutty!

It’s no fun being sick.  Believe me, I’d rather be working.  But I’m starting this week with my first sick day in years.  In the eight years I’ve been with Fox Chicago, I think I’ve accrued over 50 sick days!  My parents always stressed working – people get left behind when they’re immobile so it’s better to stay on the move.

Good thing it’s just a cold.  I’ve blasted it with just about everything in the medicine chest. I always forget how potent NyQuil is until I take it again.  Is it me or is one dose equal to about half a bottle of Jack?  Now I’m waiting for the Zicam to kick in.  I started that on Friday when I felt a sore throat coming on.

Time to make more tea.  By the way, my parents are right about remaining on the sideline in the rat race of life.  Since I didn’t go to work today, I didn’t make my usual check-ins on foursquare.  What a downer to get this email: “Sorry for the bad news, but Eliza has just replaced you as mayor of Starbucks (225 N. Michigan)!  Don’t take it too hard – a few more checkins and you could be back on top.”

Many thanks to all of you who advised me to get well soon.  I will!

Report fast, return to truck!

Reporting on the streets of Chicago during the winter months can get downright painful.  This morning, we had wind chill factors of 21 below so just preparing for work took a lot of pre-planning.  I suppose that’s the case for every Chicagoan who needs to get anywhere on days like this.  But as a reporter, I often have no idea what I’ll be covering until I call into the Fox Chicago assignment desk.  I keep an assortment of hats, gloves and scarves in my work bag and at least two coats in my car.  Just about every reporter and anchor in town agrees that appearance is far less of a concern during the winter.  Dressing properly for the conditions is a matter of survival!

Depending on the story, it can get tough finding anyone to interview about anything.  When it’s this cold, people just want to get where they’re going as quickly as possible.  Those who do stop to talk with me tend to make their points quickly and then go on their merry way.  There are watery eyes and runny noses along with numb extremities.  We get what we need and jump back into the news van.

Cameraman Sean Gibbons under a lot of layers.

Thank goodness for my blogging pal Duong Sheahan.  The long, down parka I’ve been wearing is hers!  She didn’t care for it since it was so much coat to deal with while running her errands.  Well, it’s perfect for me since I spend much more time out in the cold.

Frozen equipment is another concern.   Sometimes, the mast on the live truck gets frozen into place after we’ve been at a particular scene for a long time.  There’s always suspense when we wrap things up on a cold day.  But it’s not a problem today and I get back to the studio in time to anchor the news at noon.

Actually, the next hurdle – my hat hair!