I debated whether I should share this story.  But so many people think it’s so hilarious, I decided to let everyone else know about the night I will never forget.

It was Tuesday night, June 17, and the Boston Celtics had just defeated the LA Lakers for the NBA championship.  Because the game was televised on RTV 6,  our 11pm newscast actually went on well after midnight.  By the time I left the station, I was tired and eager to get home.

Now since I call myself “Openwheel Wallace” you can assume I like speed.  And on this night, when my bed was calling my name, I, uh, perhaps, maybe, was going just a little too fast.   I saw a police car, in the dark, under an overpass on 465.  I slowed down just a bit but figured there was no way I would get pulled over.  I wasn’t going THAT fast.  WRONG!!!!  I was almost in the far right lane and had managed to slow down to a cool 75 mph but it was too late.  That officer caught up to me in less than 10 seconds and  pulled me over.

He asked where I was coming from and I told him I had just left work.  He said “Work?”  I said “I know it’s late, but I work at RTV 6 and we went on late because of the game.”  He says “Oh yeah.  I just finished watching you.  And great game!”  Yeah right.  I’m happy he enjoyed it.  I must say that he was very friendly and what made him even nicer is that he only gave me a warning.  Whew.

So I continue on my way but because I was pulled over I missed my exit.   I went to another exit, turned around, and drove so slow you could run next to me.  I even thought “I’d better get in the far right lane, the slow lane, just to be extra safe.”  So I did.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car comes roaring up behind me, again.  By the time the lights started to flash I said to myself “You’ve got to be kidding?!?!?!  Not again.”  I pull over and wait for another officer.  I rolled down the window and I heard him laughing.   He approaches the window and asks “Did you just get pulled over? Ha Ha Ha.”  “Ah, yes officer, I did.  How did you know?”  He said because the trooper that had pulled me over a few minutes before had gotten on his radio to let his colleagues know he had just stopped Todd Wallace from RTV 6.”  This second officer told me he laughed because he recognized me as he approached.  The first officer had not shared what kind of vehicle I drive.

The second officer said he pulled me over because I didn’t put on my signal light when I went into the right lane.  Picky picky. He also told me that at that hour, they’ll pull just about anyone over because they’re looking for drunk drivers.  We had a laugh and he sent me on my way.

What a night.  Listen, I support our police officers and I’m happy they work to keep our roads and neighborhoods safe.  I just wish they’d “spread the love.”  I had enough for one night! 

Well, here I am!  Good as new.  (maybe not quite)  I’m so glad the worst is over in terms of recovering from the sinus surgery.  I would not recommend it if you’re looking for a nice, relaxing week off.  Try a cabin in the Rockies or a beach in Cancun. 

  Anyway - huge thanks to all of you who’ve written on the blog or emailed to wish me a speedy recovery.  I’m amazed at how much better I feel now than I did a week ago.  Sorry to disappoint any of you who expected to see me somehow transformed. Nope. Same old nose - just sorer.

   Today my headache is much more tolerable than it was yesterday.  This can make or break your day if you happen to work in a newsroom.  Think lots of loud voices and police scanners, walls lined with TV’s showing a variety of flickering images, rows and rows of people typing furiously on deadlines, phones ringing - not quite where you want to be when a migraine comes knocking!

   BUT - it is good to be back in the loop, back in the routine, and back with my hilarious co-workers. I have missed the snide sarcasm and absurd (if sometimes a little sick) senses of humor that permeate this crew.

MEETING SPONGEBOB

   My kids have been DYING for me to get better to do all the fun stuff they’re used to.  Before you start feeling sorry for them, please realize that they have been MORE than well-entertained over the past 2 weeks by my husband and by their former-cheerleader babysitter, Kelsey, who’s got way more energy and (probably patience too) than I do even on my best days.

   But sometimes, you just want your mom.  I get that.   Today I put on the rally cap and along with our sitter and my friend Kristina and her kids, took them on an outing to City Market to meet his royal highness, SpongeBob Square Pants. Cal was up at the crack of dawn asking me if it was time yet. I told him S.B. was still in bed and he should be too.

      Some kids, like Todd’s little girl Kennedy, are understandably freaked out by costumed characters.  Kristina’s kids didn’t want much to do with this flourescent, pourous, wide-eyed and rectangular dude, and I don’t blame them.  Mine, however, had to be pried away from him when their photo was done. 

    The line was unbelievable (as you see here) and they were moving people through pretty fast.  I have new respect for Sponge Bob - he’s a true movie star.

    After our quickie photo Calvin shook his hand and declared “It feels spongey!”  Clara went back for one last poke to confirm it.

As we were politely ushered away Cal said, “Wait!!! I didn’t get to ask him a question!!! WHY does he like crabby patties???”  It was too late. Our time was up. 

“But - I didn’t get to feel his tie!! I want to feel his tie!”

Thank goodness right then, a musician poured out a HUGE assortment of percussion instruments for the kids to play with.  Calvin tried every one of them (as did most of the kids in our group)

Clara danced wildly with her “best friend” Maeve.

The girls are pretty good at posing for pictures. To save them from embarassment, I won’t show you the ones I attempted to get of the boys.

Maeve’s mom, Kristina and I posed for this self portrait.  When we turned the camera around to see how we looked, the screen didn’t show us our photo.

It said “Change the Batteries.”

We could’ve taken that as an insult, but decided instead that it must mean the two of us were simply too much for the camera to handle.

  To cap off the morning, we walked right past the famous Elvis plaque at the former site of Market Square Arena.  I can’t believe I was the only one who wanted to pose for a photo next to the King. 

Thank you, thank you very much.

Trish

THE FUN NEVER STOPS

I’ll be off the air for a little while now.  Maybe a week or so.

I wish I were heading to the beach, or maybe mountains, or even just my back yard, but I have much more exciting plans: 

I’m going to get my sinuses drilled.  

I’ve had trouble for the past 15 years, but recently it’s kicked up a few dozen notches to the point where I am constantly either battling a raging sinus infection, or on strong antibiotics.  A CAT scan confirmed, I am a mess.  “You’re a really fascinating case! Very unusual,” my soon-to-be surgeon explained as she showed me my films.

      Isn’t this picture terrifying?  All those sharp things so close to your brain - yikes. While I’m not looking forward to being knocked out, poked, prodded, hollowed out, and then waking up stuffy and swollen, I AM looking forward to finally having “normal” health after this is all done!  

   I have a theory that this will be a piece of cake for me since I’ve given birth to two children (one without any pain meds) AND been through pretty massive surgery before (spinal fusion with Harrington rods for scoliosis when I was 13 - good times as you can imagine.) I’d like to think I’ll be able to handle this without too much whining.  You’ll have to ask my husband, Ian, if this theory pans out.

      And if you’re curious - nope - I’m not having any cosmetic work done while they’re in there.  As imperfect as my nose may be, I’m not up for any alterations.  I’ve gotten pretty used to this profile over the years, and it is what it is. (Although I keep threatening Todd that I’m going to come back with a Michael Jackson nose)  

     So - the world will continue spinning while I lay low for a while with stacks of DVD’s, bags of frozen peas on my face. My patient husband to keep the house running while I recover.  Our tireless sitter will make sure the kids have lots of really fun stuff to do besides climb on Mom, and I know Todd and the rest of the team will hold down the fort at RTV6 just fine.

   One favor to ask - if any of you have had surgery like this, would you mind just telling me the helpful  and nice stuff?? 

Tell me how much better you felt a month or two afterwards.

Or how the pain and stuffiness wasn’t REALLY as bad as you expected.

Or how good ice cream tasted once you could smell again.

I’d really, really appreciate it.

      I promise to update this blog and let everyone know how it went once I’m coherent again.  

BACK TO IOWA

     Before I check out from blog I have a few photos to share from a trip we took last weekend back to see our friends and Ian’s band in Iowa.

    The flooding followed us there - The Nadas were supposed to play in a beautiful amphitheatre on the river but it was underwater.  They moved it into a club downtown Des Moines, and our kids got to come see sound check.  Calvin was thrilled to get to be in a “bar place,” the usually-forbidden venue he hears about when Daddy has a gig that he’s not allowed to come to. (”But I promise I wouldn’t drink any beer!” he has begged in the past.)

  Here’s Cal staring up at his rock idol, Mike from the Nadas, as he plays the Gold Les Paul electric guitar that Cal coveted so much, Santa finally brought him a small version this past Christmas.

  Clara is so smitten with Mike that she couldn’t look him straight in the eye.  She’d get all woozy and shy with tears in her eyes when he came near, then as soon as he left the room she’d babble non-stop about Mike, Mike, Mike, her favorite friend. (God help us if she’s this boy-crazy at age 15) Here she is dancing in circles to his music.

   We snuck in plenty of quick but fun visits with old friends, but Calvin’s biggest memory from the trip will be learning how to do cannonballs in the hotel pool.  (”Can we come back to the hotel tomorrow? Can we come back Monday?  Can we stay here forever?”) 

     Anyway, I’m glad to have had one last hurrah before being a boring, bedridden mom for a little while.  Thanks for reading, and I’m hoping to see you all on the air very soon!

For  now - nighty night.

Trish

Just a quick note of thanks here!

  As I write this our storm relief event with the Red Cross is underway, and our collection is around $80,000.  The power of the tornadoes and floods was stunning, and it is our great privilege to offer a way to channel people’s desire to help.   Our telethon from 7:30-8:30 tonight includes some nice surprises, as well as some of the stunning photos and footage of this historic flood.  I hope many of you will have a chance to see it.

    Thanks to everyone who has pledged and donated so far - we’re looking forward to an even greater total by the end of tonight!

 One more thing - we love to hear what’s on YOUR mind, so if you have flood stories or thoughts to share, I hope you will do so here!

-Trisha

Forgive me for the rather disjointed thoughts. 

There are a few things I’ve been storing up in this crowded head of mine to share here, so although they may seem pretty randomly thrown together, I need to get them out to make space for new stuff.

Better start with Friday night.

STORMS

WOW. Quite a few people have stopped me in the past few days to ask why I “drew the short straw.”  Actually, I stuck my hand up and volunteered to go storm chasing. 

First of all, I really don’t mind getting my hands dirty and feet wet for an interesting story. (More on the feet part a little later) 

   Second, it’s honestly LESS stressful to be out in a vicious storm or running through a tornado-ravaged neighborhood than it is to be in a newsroom during breaking news.  (If you could only have seen all that was going on with my colleagues in the newsroom that night you’d have been right out there in the washout with me given the same choice)

      Once the decision was made, I grabbed my rain coat (which it turns out isn’t quite waterproof) and my jeans, then - whoops - glanced down at my heels.  The rain boots were at home.  Photographer Doug Weathers (appropriately named for the occasion) was nice enough to run me past Walgreens to go “croc-shopping” on our way out to chase the storm.

       We headed west, making it all the way to Crawfordsville and back, seeing nothing worse than lots of lightning and heavy rain.  (Here’s Doug shooting lightning from a Walmart parking lot there) It wasn’t until after 10:30 that we got word about the east side tornado, and headed straight to 38th and Mithoeffer. 

   Doug and I walked, ran, and waded past some pretty unbelievable stuff, as I described in my out-of-breath phone reports, with rain pounding us head on.  Gas pumps yanked out and knocked over, siding wrapped around poles, the roof and side walls completely torn off the apartments, enormous trees down, power lines across the street, and what looked like a mile of flashing lights from fire trucks, ambulances, and law enforcement vehicles. 

    Then, the toughest part - the people.  Some were in tears describing the horror of their roof being ripped off while they huddled in a bathroom.  We saw the shock of the near-death experience on their faces, followed by the shock of the material loss.  I am hopeful that Hoosier hospitality and generosity will help provide necessities for these survivors because they certainly need a ton of support right now. (See our links section on the homepage for how to help.)

At the end of the very long night (even longer for some co-workers like Kevin Gregory and the producers who put together the special newscast Saturday morning) I was incredibly proud to work with such a dedicated, talented, and experienced news team.  If I were sitting at home watching, I’d certainly trust them to give me the right information and not leave me in the dark or confused!

SWORDS

     My 5-year-old son Calvin has had a fascination with Peter Pan for a few years now.  He especially loves to swordfight with his foam sword.  While I’ve explained to him about a million times why it would not be okay if this was a REAL sword, he loves to imagine the scenarios where maybe even squeamish and nervous Mom would be okay with his brandishing a real weapon.  So his favorite fantasy of late has been that he somehow has to bravely use his sword to come to the rescue of our family, fighting off “bad guys.”

       When I saw that the musical was coming to Beef and Boards dinner theatre, I jumped at the chance to take the kids to see Peter Pan on stage!  Ian and I brought the kids, Cal in his Peter Pan costume, Clara in her too-small Tinkerbell dress.  (Here they are posing by Captain Hook’s poster).  They LOVED the show.  And so did I - but actually it was intermission that provided the biggest highlight.

      Clara spent 10 minutes ”flying” like Tinkerbell back and forth across the lobby, hands straight up in the air, fingers spread, little legs pumping clumsily beneath her while all the other guests grinned.

    Cal practiced swordfighting with another little guy. 

Then it happened. 

Just as the lights blinked to tell us to get back to our seats, A REAL PIRATE from the show walked right past us.  Spotting Cal in his Peter Pan getup, the actor jumped into character.

“AARRRGGGHHH!!” He growled, showing Calvin his shiny sword.

Stone faced, my Peter whipped out his foam sword and bravely braced his feet for battle.

I think he could’ve taken him.

SUMMERTIME

    Summer (or at least kids’ summer, which starts whenever school ends) really made a dramatic entrance this year.  Friday we had Cal’s last day of preschool picnic, then a rousing round of nasty weather, then summer-like heat. We went swimming this morning, and as I stood in the sun, I almost couldn’t stop myself from bursting into a very high and operatic version of “Suuuuumertiiiime….and the livin is eeeeeeasy….”

Luckily for my kids I saved it for when I was alone in the car later.

Thank you for taking time to read… I’d love to hear your stories on storms, swords, and summertime!

Trish