"Let's Get Physical"

Happy Birthday, Olivia Newton-John... but that's not why her #1 song is my blog's heading today. Physical therapy has restarted.

After the usual paperwork and Q&A, Matt got to work on me... stretch here, stretch there... trying to figure out when/where my hip starts to bother me.

Then came the ultrasound... when I heard that, I thought I'd have to go over to the hospital. Then they wheel a little contraption in with all the gels, and there it was, a mini-ultrasounder (if there is such a phrase). It felt like getting a heat massage wth clear gelatin.

Finally, my exercise regiment. I think it's six different exercises three times per day.

I go again for more stretching tomorrow, then three times next week. So far, so good.

= = = = =

There's one word that's always tied to radio... immediacy. Any time there's a traffic tie-up or water boil advisory, we can usually get it on the air in a short amount of time.

Same thing with commercials... if someone wants to advertise now, odds are that we can get it on as soon as the spot (commercial) is approved. In most cases, we'll bill the client at the end of the month. As I type this, I'm awaiting approval of a spot that was just ordered an hour ago to go on air later today.

Being the Production Director, it's my responsibility to get everything up and running as quickly as possible. If I have any advice for potential and current advertisers, it's this... we can record a good commercial right away, but it takes a few days to create a great commercial. This is true if it requires more than one voice and sound effects.

(20 minutes later) The spot has been approved. Another miracle in a minute completed.

Remember, friends, miracles don't happen in a minute. Remind me I said this next time I'm stuck in traffic.

Buckle up,
TS

tee vee

I've always been somewhat of a local TV news junkie. Growing up in Wilkes-Barre, we had three choices... 16, 22, and 28. When we got cable in 1980, we also picked up 3 & 10 from Philly, and 5, 9, and 11 from NYC. At age 5, my folks let me have a little black and white TV in my room. I think that same TV is in Dad's bathroom. I would watch Keith Martin on channel 28 at 11, then Johnny Carson's monologue.

It's easy to remember people who you watch every night deliver you the news. Drop a name, and I can probably tell you which station they reported for. I grew up in the era of Nolan Johannes and Karen Harch on 16, Debbie Dunleavy and Derry Bird on 22, and Keith Martin, Dean Phillips, and Vic Vetters on 28. At the same time in Philly, you had Larry Kane on 10, Jim Gardner on 6, and Jerry Penacoli and Steve Bell (among others) on 3.

How about some TV did you know's...

Remember when Karen Harch married Alby Oxenreiter? They're working together in Pittsburgh at WPXI-TV.

WNEP's Scott Schaffer once anchored Super 2 News for Service Electric in Allentown.

If it seems like Tom Clark has been at WNEP forever, well, you're almost right. Remember who Tom replaced? If you guessed Paul Douglas, you got it. Paul is now at WCCO Minneapolis, and still looks younger than I do.

You're either old, have a good memory, or related to him if you remember that Sam Lesante co-hosted WNEP's local breaks of the MDA telethon.

Remember Barry Finn's rooftop weather? And the 4-degree guarantee?

The snowbird report.

"Vince said it would be like this."

Two words... Joe Zone. He's now in Hartford.

Last but not least... did you know where WBRE's Phil Schoener got his start? He started out right here at WPPA and T-102.

Finally, a good luck wish to longtime buddy Scott Stuccio. He's leaving WYOU to become play-by-play voice of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Good luck, Scott!

If you want some good local TV history, visit WNEP Interim News Director Carl Abraham's website... www.carlabraham.com. He's good a lot of old photos of WNEP & WYOU/WDAU.

Buckle up,
TS

"Hi, I'm here to see the vampire."

6:30 wake up call for blood work this morning... 12 hours without food or beverage, and holding up rather well.

I got to the place, same place where I had my MRI. When I sat in the waiting room, 30 seconds later I was up again. Wow, quick call in again.

A needle and two tubes later, I was done. I walked back to my car and thought, "What just happened?" lol. I was also lucky that I was a picture perfect day, with no clouds in the sky. Beautiful.

After Mom toasted two bagles and sent me onward, I headed back towards the same neighborhood. Got in and out of the allergist's office in record time. It's been a good morning.

Later, the test results come back.

My MRI shows that I have a 6 millimeter bone cyst on my right hip... and a degenerative condition in my pelvis. My blood work came back pretty well... my cholesterol is 160. My good cholesterol is a little low, and my SGPT is high. Time to give up red meat and excess soda for a while. Not giving up pizza or pasta for a while... yet.

I'm in decent health, but I have my aches and pains. Doctor calls me back Friday.

Buckle up,
TS

MRI, stands for Movement Really Inhibited

Part two of my hip pain diagnosis came today... an MRI. If you have never had an MRI, it's painless. The only catch is you can't move for about 40 minutes. Of course, this is when everything that can itch will, and any body part that can fall asleep will.

Where I went, they played relaxing music, plus the sounds of a waterfall and a frog ribbitting. The waterfall did not aid in my urge to use the rest room.

The x-rays didn't show anything abnormal... I'm starting to think tendonitis, because my right hip only bothers me when I sit and drive... the two things I do most.

If the MRI doesn't show anything, then I'll get physical therapy. I last got physical therapy for the osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease in my back. We'll see how this goes.


Plug time... don't miss the fantasytailgate.com radio show on WPPA Saturday mornings at 10:00. Good stuff! Listen live at wpparadio.com or on AM 1360.

Oh, and Kim Martucci asked me to give NEPA a big KISS. Well, my lips don't stretch 22 counties... but our tall weather friend from Washington DC sends her best.

Buckle up,
TS

It happened so fast...

I've been having a problem with my right hip recently... it only hurts when I sit and when I drive... the two things I do the most!

I make the one-hour trek up to Wilkes-Barre to see the doctor. The whole appointment took about 15 minutes. Weight's okay... I guessed 254 with clothes on. It was 253. Heart rate and blood pressure are good.

Next stop was the x-ray place. After I register, I sit and get my computer out. 10 seconds later, "Travis?" Wow, I got called in quickly. The nurse says I only have to take my trousers off and put the gown on.

Ha ha ha. Try putting a quarter into a dime slot. The gown was two sizes too small. I leave the changing room thinking I'll be with the three other guys in gowns waiting my turn. The nurse rejoins me and takes me right to the x-ray room. Another nurse smiles and says, "Hop on up, and lay down on the pillow." This is faster service than the McDonald's drive thru I got stuck at on Saturday (more on that at another time).

Three pictures later, and I'm back to the changing room. Not bad... I'm in and out in 10 minutes. Results come on Thursday. I have to go back next week for blood work. It's not the needles that bother me... it's the 12 hour fasting. Good thing that the place opens at 7AM.

Buckle Up,
TS

A Day at the Races...

No, not the Queen album, the actual experience.

I went to Philadelphia Park last Monday for the Pennsylvania Derby. It's amazing how much luck you can have in this sport, no matter if you've studied the past performances for the horses for a day, or just walk up to the betting line and make your wager without seeing much.

I looked at the odds board for the first race, and saw that the 5 & 12 were the two favorites. I bet the exacta 5-12 and 12-5. Wouldn't ya know it, they finished 5-12. I'm up $30 already...

Philadelphia Park opened their casino last year, with two floors of about 2000 slots. Plans are to build a separate casino and hotel a few years down the road. I was at Philly Park before the casino two years ago, and it was quite spacious... very good, considering Pennsylvania Derby Day is their biggest day of the year. This year, there's only room for race betting on the 5th floor and outside... the casino takes up the two floors that used to have race betting and simulcasting.

I spent $24 on a $1 trifecta in the 4th race, boxing four horses... meaning if any of those four horses came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, I'd win. I won $39.

By the time the 10th race, the Pennsylvania Derby rolled around, I lost all of it. Oh well, it was still fun.

I got Calvin Borel's autograph, he's the jockey of Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner... he's the real deal. Neither of his horses won that day, but he pleased everyone by signing autographs and posing for pictures.

The winner was Timber Reserve, a horse that was injured earlier this year and didn't run any of the Triple Crown races.

Some critics were quick to point out that there were no really big name 3-year-olds in the race running for a million dollar purse. That'll change soon. With how well slots are doing statewide, it's only a matter of time before the PA Derby raises the purse to $2 million... with a whopping 60% going to the winning connections.

This day was a personal thrill for me... armed with my press pass, I was able to walk into the winners circle afterwards. Here I am next to Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News, Bruce Casella of Comcast Sportsnet, and Craig Donnelly of the Philadelphia Inquirer... all respected journalists and horse racing media. I've watched and read their work for the longest time... I just shut up and let them ask the questions. I knew I couldn't ask anything different. Track Announcer & PR Director Keith Jones also conducted an interview afterwards... it was nice to meet Keith after having him on my Triple Crown preview in May and listening to his race calls for 20+ years.

I know you're tempted to say I want to work at a racetrack someday... you're right. I wouldn't mind dabbling in TV coverage someday. I may not have the handicapping skills of a Jerardi or Hank Goldberg. Heck, I totally overlooked Timber Reserve in the PA Derby... and paid for it. If the opportunity presents itself, I'll look into it. In the meantime, I'll keep hanging out with the railbirds and cigar smokers near the walking rings looking for how good a horse looks in the paddock.

My Seahawks won. I'm happy.

I'll be filling in for Dave Smith 2-6 this week... please join me in the afternoon. Buckle up.