Featured picture: http://www.aleksa-aleksandraaa1.blogspot.com
by Doug McIntyre
https://mentalandbodycare.com/
Name me Lazarus.
Final Thursday, a small group of associates, household and colleagues believed I could 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 information are information.
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 break of day, one hour earlier than this newspaper plops within the driveway. I’ve been doing this efficiently for a number of a long time till final week when an ideal storm of blunders resulted in all six methods I will be woke up failing.
Sure, I’ve an alarm clock.
Actually, on the nightstand I’ve a group 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 soar 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, by some means, final week each clock both failed or was shortly silenced by my lightening fast reflexes adopted by the deadly choice to shut my eyes for, “simply 5 minutes.”
At 6:30 the outside 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 observed 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 means of 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 person’s ever heard of. Now the cat usually tries to roust us about 4 AM and needs to be locked within the storage however, in fact, on the at some point I wanted his assist, Doug Jr. determined to sleep in. No marvel canines are man’s finest pal.
Shuffling into the hallway I made the primary name to work and jibber-jabbered some form of apology after which shortly 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 means of the little window on the prime of the door, I noticed my pal Kirk Sullivan trying 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 deal with. That’s when the LAPD arrived. This was no time to be bare.
“I’m superb!” “Nothing’s mistaken!” “I simply overslept!” and different embarrassed yak-yak gushed out.
However moderately being aggravated 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 glad I hadn’t died in mattress from a coronary heart assault or been dismembered in some grizzly TV re-enactment present type homicide.
In fact, 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 if 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.
In fact, I acquired all of the anticipated ribbing and sarcastic feedback about how the present by no means sounded higher, “thanks for dropping in”, and so forth. Nevertheless, there was one thing else I didn’t count on and didn’t recognize till now — precise affection.
My co-workers had real concern. They have been truly glad I used to be okay. From The Spouse in New York to the car parking zone man at KABC Radio, there was honest aid one thing untoward had not occurred and that I had merely over slept.
Every single day households and associates get alarming telephone calls that produce a really totally different outcome. Whereas I used to be blissfully counting sheep first-responders shoveled by means of mud and particles in Santa Barbara County searching for the scores of lacking after final week’s rains produced devastating mudslides. The most recent depend 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 overlook 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 gown (or undressed) rehearsal for the inevitable day all of us should face. These have been frightened eyes trying by means of my window. Sometime all this can be humorous however as we speak 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 will be reached at: Doug@KABC.com.
Siurce: http://www.dailynews.com
