Erin's Journals

Wow – Friday! I know, as someone enjoying reWirement, the days of the week don’t carry the same weight as they used to, but boy, we’re glad to reach the weekend. The previous week, it was about appointments and scheduled social events. This one looked wide open, but boy, were we wrong! So, I thought I’d wrap up this crazy week, in which we got four freelance voice jobs in four days, with a few stories from home.
 
One of those voice jobs caused a calamity in our lives, but nothing we couldn’t handle with a little juggling. On Sunday, I was preparing to host a whole bunch of family (including two tweens and two toddlers) for a plates-on-your-lap kind of casual barbecue. I’d done my prep work on Saturday and never was I more grateful for that earlier work than at 1 pm Sunday when Rob chirped, “You got a job!”
 
Passing his computer, he noticed an email from a voice agency we subscribe to: we pay an annual fee and they send us auditions for which we’d seem to be a fit. The funniest ones are described as wanting someone middle-aged – like late 20s, early 30s. We always get a guffaw out of that, and some of them I even get!
 
In this case, the client (for whom I’d auditioned months earlier) needed a 14,000+ word job done by that evening. The voice they’d chosen was unavailable. Um – what? It wasn’t being second choice that was scary; it was the time allotted to do the job. We responded that we could get it packaged up by the next day and then negotiated a more reasonable deadline of noon OUR time. This vast continent and its many zones make hitting deadlines a bit more of a challenge out here, as so much of the work comes from the east.
 
Rob printed up the massive script, only to find that certain boxes of narration were cut out. Okay, off my computer screen it would have to be, even though we worry about the hard surface bouncing sound back into the mic. (Usually I do jobs off my smart phone). As Rob went into his booth – actually a walk-in pantry – and I into mine, I frantically messaged our guests asking that instead of a 4:30 arrival, they try for 5:00 and everyone was fine. After all, messing with little people’s schedules can be pretty tricky. 
 
Long story short, we managed to record half of it, dive into the shower and get ready, and have appetizers out and ready to serve by the time everyone arrived promptly. Three hours later, we said goodbye to our company, finished cleaning up and headed back into the studio. We called it quits at 11 pm, Rob got up at 4 am Monday to start editing and they had their job on time and loved it. Whew!
 
That’s a little insight into the life of freelance voicework. The pay on this one made it worth the frenzy, but we’ve been lucky to get some smaller jobs this week, too. It’s not enough to live on if we had to, but I told Rob I only wished for enough to cover the bills. We’re not there yet (might be if we stopped traveling!) but it’s just a sidebar. A hobby that unites us in a task we can both work on together.
 
Granted, Rob has the heavier lifting – editing, taking out breaths, making segments fit the time allotted – and the poor guy is listening to me ALL DAY! If it’s not us talking, it’s me in his editing earbuds. I don’t know how he does it!
 
I’m still hoping an audio book or two comes my way and wondering if we’ll do one for Mourning Has Broken. The publisher doesn’t seem to be leaning in that direction, but for us it’s a no-brainer. Plus we can use actual audio when we refer to Lauren talking or singing. It’ll be an interesting project, for sure. So, we’ll see! Lots of irons in the fire where this book is concerned; makes me wonder what we’ll do next. 
 
I hope you’ve got some great weekend plans and I’ll be back with you here on Monday. Take care and thank you for sharing some time here every day!
 

Sometimes when a friend does something extraordinary, you shout it from the rooftops. This will be better, since I hope you’ll pass this on! 
 

 
I can’t tell you how many times in my career I was approached by people who thought they or their clients would make great guests on our radio show. Usually, I would pass them on to our senior producer who would gently say, “No, thank you,” and that would be the end of it.
 
Sometimes, the person reaching out would be persistent, as in the case of the PR giant in Toronto who hounded Ian “The General” MacArthur year after year to have his clients, Playboy bunnies, on CHFI to talk about god-knows-what. Uncharacteristically for Ian, that annual ordeal ended in a screaming “F-off!” from both sides. But it was within Ian’s right to protect our show’s best interests and only serve up what would be valuable, entertaining and appropriate for our listeners. It was always “what’s in it for the listener?” and “tell us a story.”
 
Then there were the times that people who were running a charity would hope we’d give them air time to pitch a golf tournament or a run or a lemonade stand or a dance-a-thon. Wonderful causes were behind every single one of these events, but we couldn’t put them all on the air. Fortunately, as technology evolved, we could point them towards Facebook or I’d ask them to email me, so I could post something for them here and help get the word out.
 
Now there’s a concise little book out that every person who wants to pitch themselves or a client for an interview – on any medium – NEEDS TO READ. It’s called Make the Media Want You: An Insider’s Guide to Creating Persuasive Pitches and I devoured it in a few sittings.
 
Lisa tells you what the media need from an interview and she pulls no punches. She does a morning show in London, Ontario (although you may remember her from the 680 News morning show, as well as news on our show, too, at CHFI). In a pared-down cutback radio economy, Lisa and her radio partner have to book, prepare and execute live radio interviews – several per show – and she’s waded through the worst and plucked from the best, to help guests know what they need to do to pitch, prepare and present well. 
 
I can’t stress enough what a powerful tool this book is for everyone: from a city councillor to a volunteer spokesperson, from a proud parent to a seasoned public relations expert. EVERYONE who wants a spot on a radio show (or TV, or wherever) should read this book. Even if you think you know how it all works, there are insider tips that could help you get that coveted few minutes to share your story and your message and to stir up interest in the community. 
 
I’m honoured to have contributed a chapter to this book (no, I’m not getting paid, nor did I expect to!) and should point out that Lisa is donating a percentage of the book’s profits to her own personal favourite charity in memory of her dad, who died last year of Parkinson’s Disease.
 
Please, please, please share this journal today. Whether you hope to get fifty more people for your town fair this fall or are booking drivers from the Honda Indy, everyone who wants to get close to a microphone – and a bigger audience – has to read Make the Media Want You. Here’s the Amazon.ca link. 
 
Congratulations, Lisa. You’re doing everyone a service here. Now, can I talk about my book on your radio show? See, it’s about this woman who’s a little loco….
 
Talk to you here tomorrow.
 

Every now and then, when we’re on FaceTime with Colin several provinces away chatting with him, or when I only take my phone shopping because I have my Visa card in it and need only tap it to pay, I marvel at the technology in this age in which we live. 
 
This week, I came to embrace new technology even more and I’ll fill you in on an Ontario angle for it in a moment. First, here’s what’s up.
 
I take these enzymes called tryptophan. You’ve heard of them because they’re in turkey, warm milk and bananas and have been known to kind of just chill your nerves. Not sure why they need an RX, but I have used them to help me sleep and to aid me in dealing with stressful situations. They’re like meditation in a capsule. That reminds me: get back to meditation. 
 
Anyway, on Monday, I realized we have a trip to the US coming and I’m very low on tryptophan. (Not that the destination and the RX are related, but you never know!) I went online to my local Shoppers and, sure enough, just as the label said, I was out of refills. Reluctant to book precious time with a doctor so slammed (as they all are) that he’s no longer taking patients, I remembered being told by my new island pal Nancy about Skype- or Facetime-style doctors’ appointments.
 
She uses Medeo; having forgotten its name, I Googled and found Viva Care Medical Health. Here’s how it works: provided you aren’t looking for special care like disability leave extension or prescriptions for narcotics or controlled substances, want to consult them for travel-related concerns or get lab requisitions for certain issues, you can book an appointment to talk with a real honest-to-goodness doctor. 
 
All I wanted was a re-up on my lapsed prescription, so I filled out an easy application (including my BC Health card, pharmacist’s fax number, previous prescription and dosage, etc.) and made an appointment time – for TEN MINUTES FROM THEN!
 
I could hardly believe this was real. I put on some lipstick, sat by my phone, expecting a call. I got a reminder text a few minutes out. And then waited. And waited. 
 
About fifteen minutes past my appointment time with a Dr. Wu, I checked my emails and D’OH! I’d missed a response saying I needed to download an app and join an e-meeting site. That’s okay – I knew how to do that – and with Rob’s help I got into the virtual waiting room. No cheesy music piped in, no old germy magazines. Just my own! 
 
A few minutes later, a very cheery (human) receptionist told us that the doctor had just finished up with a mom and her two babies, and would be getting to us soon. Some online poking around showed me that Viva Care has actual real offices and clinics, so yes, they’re juggling online patients with in-person visits. (Made me even sorrier that I’d stood up Dr. Wu because of my oversight).
 
The receptionist, if you will, was wonderful and told me to go about my day but leave my video camera on – I guess, a reminder that if part of my day included inappropriate scratching or working on my pole dancing abilities, I might have to be aware there’s a camera. She promised I’d see and hear the doctor when he or she was ready. (It turned out to be a “he” as I guess he took whoever was next in the virtual waiting room). 
 
We said our hellos, he asked what I wanted (although he was reading from a file on his screen that told him), checked the dosage and after a forty-five second chat, I had my refill. They faxed the prescription to my local pharmacy. Just like that. FOR FREE. (Of course, the actual pills aren’t free, just the whole seeing a doctor thing.)
 
They provide this service to BC residents no matter where in the world they may be. I’m a fan and am looking forward to getting further re-ups on prescriptions.
 
Now, I know that doctors’ appointments are important and I have every intention of keep up with visits and exams with my doctor in Victoria. But why should I take up his time when there could be someone who’s actually sick, who needs an appointment and then can’t get in ’cause I’m in the examination room having a nice chat? I think that, at least in our situation, this was absolutely perfect.
 
Knowing that many journal visitors are in Ontario, I reached out to my pal Lisa Brandt and asked if she knew of such a service there (Lisa’s in London). She said they just did an interview on her station with GOeVisit and sent me a link; you can learn more at goevisit.com. It costs about $4.25 a month to subscribe plus each visit is $25. (It’s also available to visitors to Canada but that’s at $49.95 per visit). That made me appreciate Viva Care even more!
 
I’ll reiterate here the importance of seeing a doctor in person, which I’m sure Viva Care would do, too, for regular hands-on (literally) examinations. A doctor you have known for years can look you in the eye and ask if everything is okay, and that’s an exchange that can be worth its weight in gold.
 
But consider this: Viva Care, and others here like it, offer counselling appointments for depression, addiction and other issues that a prospective patient might find difficult to discuss with a doctor in a non-video way. And today they sent a list of services available via video ($95 hourly sessions) with psychotherapists. Counselling from the comfort and privacy of my own home, in my jammies? Sign me up! 
 
I’m just stunned at how well this worked for us and what an incredible tool this is going to be going forward, especially when we’re away for longer stretches and we inadvertently mess up on prescriptions and refills. Best of all, I hope I’ve done my part to help ease the congestion in our overworked health care system by freeing up a doctor to do real medicine instead of rubber stamping a prescription. 
 
I’ll be back here tomorrow with some news about Lisa that I think you’re going to want to know and share, especially if you’ve ever asked, “How do I get some publicity for this?” Take care.
 

I love learning things – and hearing your opinions – both of which I got to do yesterday, thanks to social media reaction to my journal about cycling and just what rules of the road apply to those of us who like to ride on two wheels.
 
As I expected (and know) the same ones that apply to motorists should also be followed by cyclists. But just as we know drivers don’t always obey, neither do riders. @TorontoMike is a radio fan, podcaster and blogger – as well as avid cyclist on the sometimes mean streets of Toronto – and he taught me a term I’d never heard before. Here’s Mike’s tweet. 

Many of us cyclists practice the Idaho Stop. Basically, stop signs are treated as yield signs and red lights are treated as stop signs.
We pick our spots, of course…and safety (of us and others) always comes first. But if it’s safe and there are no cars you stop as you would at a yield sign. So if there are no cars, pedestrians or cyclists, you slow down and proceed. If there are, you stop.

Which is exactly what we did not see from the large group of cyclists who passed through a three-way stop when we had just cleared it. (There were other vehicles stopped at the intersection.) Mike’s honest perspective attracted some criticism that he was basically breaking the law. One wrote:

I still have a couple of scars from a cyclist who practiced the Idaho Stop and rolled right over me crossing legally at a stop sign in Mimico. I apprecate it but similarly to vehicles there aren’t enough people doing them properly and it can be dangerous.

Thanks, Mark. I thought about our recent adventure and realized that our little foursome had – single file – also participated in the Idaho Stop. We were along country roads; we slowed, all looked in both directions and then proceeded through the empty rural intersections. Am I in violation of the law? I believe so. But in spirit of the law? No. I can see both sides here.
 
As for the issue of being passed and whether I was being overly wussy by hoping someone might let me know that was about to occur (besides our fellow travellers) here’s what Barbara wrote. It gives you hope.

I still get a chuckle out of an incident that happened to my walking buddy and I a couple of months ago. We were on the walking path in Osoyoos. A young boy, thinking 7 or 8 years of age, came up behind us and as he approached, rang his bell and called out “on your left.” As he passed, I thanked him. He stopped his bike, turned to me and said, “it’s the law, you know.” Serious as could be.

I told her how he must have been the product of good parenting, and reflected on what we had taught Lauren, just as we would show Colin if given the opportunity. Stop always at stop signs and proceed with caution, walking your bike in crosswalks. But, of course, adults don’t always practise what they preach. Guilty (on a lesser count of a very rare Idaho Stop) as charged.
 
Thank you for your participation in yesterday’s discussion; I’m always eager to be enlightened. And tomorrow, I’m going to share with you just the most amazing thing we did today. I’m embracing the future and its offerings with both arms but, of course, sometimes the learning curve can leave a mark. Good thing I had an online doctor for that….
 
Talk to you here tomorrow.
 

Well, what a weekend! Hope yours was filled with fun and family, as ours sure was. Yesterday we hosted two cousins, their husbands and children and my aunt and uncle for a big ol’ family get-together. Grabbed some grocery store chickens, ribs and salads, tarted up my own store bought/homemade potato salad combo and voilà! A recipe for a super day.
 
Saturday, we donned our cowboy hats and joined in a neighbourhood Stampede-themed party. No, there was no bull-riding or chuck wagon races; we just sat, ate burgers in the warm summer sunshine and caught up. It’s an annual event and my memory of names is highly challenged, but we welcome the chance to chat with people to whom we usually just wave as they drive by on our dog walks. 
 

 
Friday was a highlight of the year for Rob and me: we inflated the tires, checked the gears and headed out for a great, long bike ride. Some of it was in gentle breezes on paved paths along the ocean, some on gravel roads through fragrant forests and alongside verdant farmers’ fields (the last of which provided us with a cooling head-to-toe shower as we rode through the spray of an irrigation system). We even had a chance to shoot these beauties having a nice summer day as we passed by a farm. Happier ‘n pigs in mud, wouldn’t you say?
 

 
It just reminded us of how good a hot tub was going to feel at the end of our four-hour adventure. We stopped midway for lunch in a park, had ice cream at a local market and even did a bit of shopping. Perfection!
 
We obeyed the rules of the road, stayed upright and ended up logging 30 kilometres on our first ride of the year! No pain on Saturday, either (and, yes, this will be one GREAT BIG PLUG for my favourite natural anti-inflammatory SierraSil). All weekend I was grateful that nothing hurt. I certainly didn’t deserve it!
 
Let’s talk about cyclists for a second. I believe the majority of them – us – are respectful of the rules and our relationship with the four-wheeled travellers we so often share the roads with.
 
Your experience may differ, thanks to those who don’t: the ones who whiz past without so much as a word that they’re passing or perhaps even a ring of the bell. (Are bells only for us newbies? Because I’m nothing but grateful when someone lets us know with a ring that they’re behind us, whether we’re walking or on bicycles. The last thing I want to do is veer out into someone’s path and cause any dangerous situation.) 
 
I don’t believe in riding two or four abreast, and yet that’s what we encounter when we’re behind the wheel. I understand cycling can be social: we chatted or called out encouragement or plans to our fellow riders Charles and Nancy as we enjoyed our ride. How else would I have spotted the eagles perched in a nearby tree, as I concentrated on remembering how to shift gears?
 
The worst of cycling seems to involve a hoard mentality. On Thursday night, Rob and I were out in our Mini. We came to a stop at a three-way intersection, checked traffic and then made our turn. Just then, seemingly out of nowhere, a vast group of about 30 cyclists whizzed straight through that three-way stop we’d just cleared, and kept going.
 
Rob exclaimed his surprise and added, “And I think the lead guy waved his fist at me.” I told him he was probably motioning to the group that they were going straight through. And then I wondered, why? Why is it that the rules of the road don’t apply to all of us?
 
If we had been a cop car at that intersection, would they have come to a proper, legal stop? I don’t understand the mentality that somehow, because they’re a group, they have different laws. They ride two and three abreast on narrow bike lanes, causing traffic in both lanes to veer and dodge and move over the centre line. It’s not as if it was a bike marathon; clearly, this group was just out for an evening ride. 
 
I don’t get it. If you’re a cyclist and can enlighten me, I invite you to join today’s conversation on my FB page. I’m not bashing cyclists in general; I am one. I don’t like hearing people slamming a whole group of us for the actions and misbehaviour of a few. And believe me, when, after making a full stop and then proceeding through an intersection, I make eye contact with the drivers who’ve stopped and wave “thank you!”
 
It’s my hope and plan to be an ambassador for those of us on two wheels who have a healthy respect for (and even fear of) the motorists who share the road. I just wish we could remember to be civil to one another – in all ways, at all times.
 
Talk to you here tomorrow. And if I get enlightenment through those FB comments or via email erin@erindavis.com I will share those later in the week.