Originally uploaded by Big Blue Mess

Normally, I really don’t like imposing on my friends or asking for favors, but when a friend of mine started reading a blurb for an upcoming taping of “Overheard with Evan Smith” at KLRU, our local PBS station and my former employer, I was having a hard time reigning in my excitment. You see, P.J. O’Rourke was scheduled to appear and I kind of love him. Sure, I don’t always agree with his political views, but I completely respect his humor and intelligence from way back when I began reading his articles in Rolling Stone. So, after bouncing in my chair excitedly, I got the “come on down, you’ll see the taping, we’ll go have a nice long lunch” – the beginnings of a plan for a nice long weekend.

I got to the studio a little early and within minutes was hanging out with some of my favorite people. I can’t think of any place that I’ve ever worked where I’d either want to come back and hang out or feel completely comfortable and welcome except KLRU.  Getting to see P.J. O’Rourke was just icing. After the taping, the chatting, the hugs (yes, they are allowed to hug me – a lot of them have known me since I was 21) and managing to only hiss a little at my arch nemesis (to entertain the masses, of course – I couldn’t disappoint) it was time to move on to lunch (I think if I hadn’t moved in that moment, I would have stood in the lobby for another hour at the least). Yes lunch, outside in beautiful weather at a nice little “new to me” restaurant with a great friend who was making my long weekend possible. I really couldn’t ask for a better day.

Thank you, April! What a great start to what turned out to be a near perfect weekend.