Featured picture: http://www.aleksa-aleksandraaa1.blogspot.com
by Doug McIntyre
https://mentalandbodycare.com/
Name me Lazarus.
Final Thursday, a small group of pals, household and colleagues believed I is likely to be lifeless. I’m not lifeless. I do know that may come as a disappointment to “Ralph from Sunland,” a habitually offended reader of this column, however info are info.
In my different life as a morning drive radio gasbag I’m required to rise up at 3:40 AM, two hours earlier than the morning time, one hour earlier than this newspaper plops within the driveway. I’ve been doing this efficiently for a number of many years till final week when an ideal storm of blunders resulted in all six methods I may be woke up failing.
Sure, I’ve an alarm clock.
In truth, on the nightstand I’ve a set of alarm clocks, some electrical, others battery powered, all set for 3:40, with one — the doomsday clock — set for 4:30, absolutely the newest I can bounce away from bed, throw on pants and drive from my stucco field within the West Valley to the radio station in Culver Metropolis and nonetheless make it on the air by 5:30.
But, in some way, final week each clock both failed or was rapidly silenced by my lightening fast reflexes adopted by the deadly choice to shut my eyes for, “simply 5 minutes.”
At 6:30 the out of doors cat clawed me awake whereas doing a four-paw faucet dance on my chest.
“Go away”, I mumbled, shoving Doug Jr. to the ground. However I blinked myself into semi-consciousness and instantly seen one thing was off — daylight!
I actually stared in disbelief on the clock farm subsequent to the mattress unable to conceive how 5 alarms may fail concurrently. I stumbled away from bed and checked my cellphone nonetheless charging within the different room. 5 voice mails and 11 textual content messages.
“The place are you?” “Haven’t heard from you.” “Name ASAP.” “Are you okay?” And on and on they went, first from my radio present producer, Nathan Baker, then from the boss, after which one from the last word boss, The Spouse, who was in New York tending to her Mom.
“CALL ME!” she wrote in all caps.
With the ringer shut off on the bed room telephone, and no spouse to poke me awake, Poppa Bear slept by the a number of telephone calls to the home and it was as much as the cat to do the job of two Westcloxs (one with a double alarm), 2 Seikos, and two clock radios, a Magnavox and a few low-cost off-brand no one’s ever heard of. Now the cat usually tries to roust us about 4 AM and must be locked within the storage however, after all, on the at some point I wanted his assist, Doug Jr. determined to sleep in. No marvel canine are man’s finest buddy.
Shuffling into the hallway I made the primary name to work and jibber-jabbered some form of apology after which rapidly referred to as The Spouse in New York. “Thank God you’re alright!” she mentioned with a reassuring sincerity, particularly given my paltry complete life insurance coverage coverage. “I gotta run” I mentioned grabbing for my automotive keys earlier than realizing I used to be nonetheless in my pajamas.
And right here’s the place I get to elucidate why it’s an extra-good factor I put on pajamas to mattress.
Standing on the entrance steps peeking by the little window on the high of the door, I noticed my buddy Kirk Sullivan wanting proper at me. Behind him was our neighbor’s son, Alex, and developing the driveway, my boss’s boss, Daybreak, who had by no means been to my home earlier than and will need to have referred to as HR to get the handle. That’s when the LAPD arrived. This was no time to be bare.
“I’m fantastic!” “Nothing’s mistaken!” “I simply overslept!” and different embarrassed yak-yak gushed out.
However somewhat being irritated on the panicky early morning telephone calls from The Spouse asking them to see if I used to be alive, all of them, even the LAPD, appeared genuinely pleased I hadn’t died in mattress from a coronary heart assault or been dismembered in some grizzly TV re-enactment present model homicide.
After all, with the disaster having handed, there was nonetheless the matter of the radio present.
In contrast to most jobs, it’s onerous to slide in unnoticed whenever you’re three hours late and host of a radio present referred to as “McIntyre within the Morning” and also you occur to be McIntyre.
After all, I obtained all of the anticipated ribbing and sarcastic feedback about how the present by no means sounded higher, “thanks for dropping in”, and so on. Nonetheless, there was one thing else I didn’t anticipate and didn’t admire till now — precise affection.
My co-workers had real concern. They had been truly pleased I used to be okay. From The Spouse in New York to the parking zone man at KABC Radio, there was honest reduction one thing untoward had not occurred and that I had merely over slept.
Daily households and pals get alarming telephone calls that produce a really totally different end result. Whereas I used to be blissfully counting sheep first-responders shoveled by mud and particles in Santa Barbara County in search of the scores of lacking after final week’s rains produced devastating mudslides. The newest rely is eighteen lifeless. That quantity is more likely to rise. Each one of many victims leaves behind scores of people that want they might hit the off button on an alarm clock and discover out it was all a foul dream.
I received’t quickly neglect the look of concern on the faces of the small crowd gathered on my doorstep or the emotion in The Spouse’s voice when she heard mine. It was like a costume (or undressed) rehearsal for the inevitable day all of us should face. These had been frightened eyes wanting by my window. Sometime all this might be humorous however at this time I simply really feel fortunate to have so many individuals in my life who cared sufficient to assist.
Doug McIntyre’s column seems Sundays. Hear him weekdays 5-10am (when he doesn’t over-sleep) on AM 790 KABC. He may be reached at: Doug@KABC.com.
Siurce: http://www.dailynews.com
