Wednesday, April 06, 2005

My Civic Duty

Doug & Me
This is me and Doug. Doug is one of my favorite interviewers on the radio. Doug is politely looking on as I foam at the mouth.

So I signed up to volunteer at the April fund drive at ,KUER 90.1 FM…you know, the NPR station.

Important motivations of note…I wanted to:

1. Contribute to something I love in a meaningful, and tangible way
2. See the behind the scenes workings of a station I listen to EVERY DAY (I was surprisingly right on…except I didn’t see the big digital clock that ticks away, down to the tenth of a second, by which all programs, news casts, and announcements are timed…I know there is such a clock, I just know it!)
3. Work side by side with like-minded NPR loving individuals
4. See if I could get any of the free “swag” brought in by sponsoring companies
5. See where I will be interviewed when I am famous
6. Meet Doug Fabrizio (I’m a HUGE fan of the local host and sometime “Talk of the Nation” substitute…)

And each and every motivation was fully realized and satisfied, except for the big clock thingy…

One unexpected pleasure, I met and talked with some really interesting people while waiting for phones to ring. One girl, Portia, was also a Doug fan, and had a pressing question for him after his show. She wanted to know from Doug, after his interviewing of Martha Beck and two Nibley siblings, which party gave the most credible story. How juicy! Who WOULDN’T be interested in THAT response?

I waited in the hall while Portia cornered Doug and asked him the pressing question. I thought he would give her a quick answer which I could evesdrop upon and then bust in for my photo op, but instead he said, “That is a great question…Would you like to come in [to my office] and sit down to talk about it?”

Being incredibly intelligent, instead of introducing myself at that point and participating in the conversation (ah!...the chance to sit at his feet and hear his response!), I just interrupted and said, “Oh, hey Portia, before you guys get into it can I ask you to take a ‘fan photo’ of me and Doug? I’m Carrie Ann, by the way…

Doug: Nice to meet you, Carrie Ann.
Carrie Ann and Doug are standing next to each other facing the camera phone.
Carrie Ann: I forgot to wear my badge.
Doug: What badge?
Carrie Ann: The “Doug Fabrizio Fan Club” badge.
Portia: Where do you get a badge?
Carrie Ann: You make one…
Doug: Don’t tell me there really is a fan club?
Carrie Ann: No, but let’s just say you have quite a little following…
Portia: Yeah, and it doesn’t hurt that you’re so cute!
Doug: (laughter)
Carrie Ann: Oh, we liked you BEFORE we even knew what you looked like.
Doug: (Laughing) Oh really?
Carrie Ann: Yeah, I thought you were blond!
Doug: (Laughing) Really? You thought I was blond?
Portia: Not me, I prefer brunettes…
(Slight awkward pause…)
Carrie Ann: Well, thanks!
Doug (to Portia and Carrie Ann): Well, are you going to be here tomorrow? (Explains tomorrow’s show…New York Dolls interview…the drummer converted to Mormonism…sounded great…)
Portia confirms her pending attendance on the morrow, and Carrie Ann acts vague.
Carrie Ann: That sounds fascinating…Well, nice to meet you…

Portia and Doug enter his office (the inner sanctum) to discuss juicy topic, Carrie Ann exits the building…in no hurry… just moseys on out.

Now some of you might wonder: “Why didn’t you just stay and hear all about it?” To those of you who ask this…I have to say, “I don’t know.” But here are some possible explanations in list form:

1. Carrie Ann is socially awkward
2. Carrie Ann was just a little “star struck”
3. Carrie Ann does not like to appear like a foaming fan

So that’s it. You all should really listen to NPR more. It makes you smarter, but no less socially awkward. In fact, socially, the fact that you support public radio can be slightly irritating. How many times in a day can you hear “I just heard recently on NPR…” come out of my mouth, or anyone’s mouth for that matter?

Support you local NPR station. Donate generously.

14 comments:

kacy faulconer said...

Oh, I'm sorry. I wanted to comment but I'm so jealous I can't see straight right. The worst part is that now you and Doug have an on air private joke about him not looking like his voice sounds! I can't stand it. Lucky!

Melissa said...

Oh how I wish you had gotten in on Doug & Portia's convo. I would have emailed you for details...I have bordered on "obsessed" with that whole Martha Beck thing lately.

I think you are witty for saying the badge thing to Doug. V. funny.

Melissa said...

IDK why I wrote obsessed in quotes.

Anonymous said...

grow up seriously, ha ha

Nappi

mo said...

Darn! I really wanted to hear what he had to say about the Nibley interviews! I had my whole bookclub read "Expecting Adam" by Martha last year and now I'm really sorry that I contributed to her book sales by even that much. You get yourself into the most interesting situations--I wish I could hang around with you more often--even if you do freeze up sometimes--even that is interesting!

Suzie Petunia said...

I am THIS CLOSE to jumping on your's and Kacy's bandwagon and writing my own "I LOVE NPR!" post. I am embarassed how often the words "I just heard on NPR..." comes out of my mouth every day. I'm listening to Talk of the Nation right now and eating the "Nerds" I took from your Easter stash when I was at your house. :)

I want to volunteer, too! Maybe my next "mommy only" weekend can be planned around the next KUER fund drive.

Suzie Petunia said...

Why does it make me so uncomfortable when Terri Gross laughs too hard at her guest's comment? Is she flirting? I think I imagine she is. She just did that... Oh, yah...now Fresh Air is on.

Did you hear the interview with the writer/director of The Incredibles? His first writing/directing job was The Family Dog! He was also the voice of the dog, and probably also the female villain, 'cause she sounded a whole lot like "E" in the Incredibles (which he was also the voice for). I'm so full of useful information!

Carrie Ann said...

Next October...whoever wants to join me, I will be volunteering at KUER and having lunch with my new best friend, Doug Fabrizio...you all are welcome to join, I'm sure he won't mind.

Carly said...

All this time I thought it was called a "fun drive." I kept wondering why they were asking for money and not telling us to go out and have more fun. Am SO jealous that you got to talk to Doug. I also wish you had gotten the Martha Beck scoop. But alas, I'll have to ask him myself when I write a book and go on his show.

Christian F said...

I have a theory that they intentionally pronounce "Fund Drive" as "Fun Drive" to make it sound more appealing. Jenny Brundin says "Fun Drive" so clearly and she is never one to slur.

Anonymous said...

Doug is so self important and arrogant - just like that whole damn station.

Anonymous said...

KUER = Old And Busted
KCPW = New Hotness

Anonymous said...

KUER = Old and busted
KCPW = New Hotness!!!

Anonymous said...

You know that Doug cheated on his first wife with the woman who is now his wife, right?

You know that his first wife was pregnant when this all went down, right?

You know that his first wife found out and kicked his ass out of the house, right?

Nice guy, huh?