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I Burnt My Eyelids
I’ve heard if you like your job 51% of the time you’re doing pretty good. Well, for me, I like - actually love - my job about 60% of the time, so I guess that means I’m doing real good. I get to do something different every day (almost), I get to travel the world, I get to be on tv - which is something everybody secretly desires (I’ve learned this by sticking a camera in many faces), but I also have to deal with nonsense every once in a while, and that’s where the 40% comes in. Take last week for example…
Last Thursday afternoon, as I was packing my stuff to go home for a long four day weekend, I got pulled into my boss’ office and experienced a moment from Office Space: “Umm, yeah…I’m gonna need you to come in tomorrow…,” except it went: “Umm, yeah…I’m gonna need you to go home and pack your stuff, we’re sending you into a hurricane.”
Now, this is my job so I can’t complain too much. One of the reasons I love what I do is the opportunity to travel and experience different things. A part of me was even excited. I hadn’t done the traveling news stuff in a while, so I was kind of anxious to feel the “go-go-go” rush of it all. Plus, I had never been to mississippi, so why not? (there are many reasons why not, humidity for one). But another part of me was a bit unsure. I had never been in a hurricane before. All I know of hurricanes is what I see on the news and to be honest, I didn’t want any part of it.
But I went; I spent two days in Mississippi and spent most of the time trying to keep my shirt separated from my body or watching the news from under my covers, listening to all twenty news anchors tell me the storm was conveniently heading right towards me. So they moved us - I think that’s why - to Baton Rouge, where as the hurricane approached I cuddled up on a floor in a big conference room. We were then forced into “lock down mode” in an old convention center to wait out the storm, which wasn’t that bad anyways.
The second half of the story - similar to the first - is long and boring. A bit of destruction, power lines down everywhere, trees ripped up from the ground, and of course no power. The last three nights we were without power, which meant no restaurants were open, which meant no food, except MRE’s and/or crackers. Yummy. The worst part of it all however, was we were without stories, news stories that is.
A week spent in this nonsense and we had three stories. It wasn’t for lack of trying - we called at least 20 people a day, the problem was everybody had a different answer or a different direction for us to run. We also had three or four different people to answer to, none of which knew what they wanted. Talk about a headache.
Anyways, this is all to tell you that I got home yesterday and after unpacking went to the pool to relax and catch some rays. I forgot to put sunscreen on my face, and since I don’t wear sunglasses unless I’m driving, I burnt my eyelids. It actually looks quite funny.
which is something everybody secretly desires (I’ve learned this by sticking a camera in many faces),
Except for me. I hate being on camera.
I have to hand it to you Lee. As mighty whitey as I am, I have never managed to burn my eyelids. It takes real skill to do that
Go get some tea bags and put them in the fridge. Should help take the sting out.
Egads! You’d think with all the time you spent in Afghanistan that you would be acclimated to sunshine all the time. LOL
Say, whatever you do, I wouldn’t recommend spraying Solarcaine on them!
In the meantime, will they put you on camera regardless, or will they give you some (*snicker*) convalescent leave?