A personal note tonight…

Perhaps by now my unbuttoned jackets have raised your suspicions…

Yes, I am doing my best to redefine “expanded” news coverage.

My family is growing. Baby Shepherd #3 should be arriving in mid-May and my husband Ian, Clara, Calvin and I are thrilled!

I feel pretty darned lucky to be surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers who are so supportive and so sincerely happy about our news. 

   I’m not expecting my juggling act to get any simpler, but I know I’ve become pretty good at making it all work somehow,  and  it will be well worth it when we meet this bundle of joy!

Have a great week-

Trish

It’s been one of the busiest news days we’ve had around here in quite some time.

The explosion of the tanker on I465 near I69 and the traffic situation already made for a wild day.  Then we learned of the Desmond Turner murder trial guilty verdict, and an FFA student’s fall over a 3-story balcony at Circle Centre Mall. 

    Into the evening we’ve sent crews to a bus crash, a fire, and now a late news conference. 

Days like this don’t happen often, but they do make me appreciate how hard our reporters and producers work to get the most accurate and up-to-date information on the air.  It takes a huge amount of team work and professionalism, especially when the stories involved are serious and sensitive.  I am proud to be a part of this team tonight.

Let’s hope Indy has a more peaceful Friday.

Thanks much for giving us the privilege of providing your news.

Trisha

It seems like our news lately has been especially full of hot topics.  And I really love hearing people with widely different views debate in a reasonable yet passionate manner!  I’ve been having a lot of fun with my new Facebook fan page – throwing out a topic and seeing what everyone has to say.   (search under Trisha Shepherd WRTV6 and become a fan!)

Flu shots?   Some are clamoring to get them, others are convinced they’re unsafe.

Rush owning an NFL team?  Our Rant line (635-RANT) went berzerk.

Banning smoking in Indy’s bars?  We got everything from “hands off my freedom” to “good riddance!”

    I just think it’s fascinating how our life experiences and temperaments lead us to such incredibly different “takes” on the same issue.  Gotta love the 1st Amendment  - we all have the right to say what we think. 

SHOWTIME!

Here’s a topic that’s probably a bit less controversial:  Showtunes – love ‘em or hate ‘em?  

OK, while there are probably a few who’d rather have teeth extracted than sit through a Broadway Musical, I fall into the “can NOT get enough of it” category. And I’m happy to report that my kids are becoming theatre geeks too! 

    Last weekend I brought Clara on a little girls’ night out to see “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Beef and Boards.  (She was a little disappointed that “Annie” is no longer playing, but this show also included kids in the cast, so that was a good thing.)  

     You never know what it is that will capture kids’ imagination the most.  I thought probably that colorful coat would be her favorite part. Nope.  It was when Joseph got thrown in jail “and he was weawing WREAL handcuffs!!”  as she reported to her big brother later. 

    Her other major observation, in addition to being a really good singer, Clara thought Joseph had really nice muscles. (“He is so stroooong….” she noted.) 

She is 4. Do I need to worry?

Seriously, NOT just the muscles wowed me. I am picky about my Josephs.  Having played the Narrator in a local production years ago, co-directed a different production of it once, and watched Donny Osmond in the role in Chicago, I know this show inside and out.  And this young actor, Rick Desloge, was an awesome Joseph.  He has a voice that really is impressive, and just perfect for the part.  A beautiful and incredibly strong performance!  The whole ensemble worked together beautifully, costumes were GORGEOUS, and the ending dance “remix” was awesome.  Go Go Go Joe!

Mini-makeover

    Got some new makeup advice this week – new HD friendly products will be coming soon.  It seems we’re going in a softer, more natural direction, which is really nice!  I’ve never been big on fire-engine reds and hot pinks on my lips or cheeks, but for a long time I was steered in that direction.  Hopefully the change to a subtler, softer look will be nice on camera… let me know if I look 10 years younger!

Have a great week – and as always thanks for being loyal to 6 news.

Trisha

FINALLY FOUR

“No!!” my daughter insisted as I tried to help yank her pj’s over her head last night. “I’m 4 now. I don’t need help.”

(Sigh) The “baby” of the family is growing up.  She got the “Orphan Annie” party she’d been hoping for, complete with the curly wig, thanks to a brilliant last-second save by my theatre friend, Jill! 

    See, I had ordered Clara  an Annie costume, but couldn’t find a wig that seemed right.  Running out of time the night before the party, I found a blonde curly wig at Walgreens, and got some orange hair spray.   The result was not cute. More like shocking. It came out – NEON PINK.  I left the atrocity  lying in the garage, looking like a murdered muppet.

    The morning of the party, with no wig plan in place, my phone rang – my actress-friend Jill was coming to the fiesta and bringing a long a REAL Annie wig from Beef and Boards dinner theatre for Clara to borrow!! 

          So here’s Clara showing what Annie is supposed to look like, and her big brother Calvin, showing what Annie would look like if someone stuck a murdered muppet on her head and put her in a black Spidey suit.  I want to frame this.

   I had a few grand plans for the party – musical chairs to Annie songs, pin the tail on Sandy, etc. – but as soon as the girls discovered Clara’s room had a collection of costumes, it was game over.  Where else do you find Sleeping Beauty, TinkerBell, Snow White, Annie, SuperGirl and SuperMan all in one room? 

     The rest of the party pretty much became a giggling fashion show, interrupted briefly by Annie cake, and hands clamoring to help play with newly-opened gifts.  Huge thanks to my parents for making the party a success, and helping shovel up the aftermath. 

BEHIND THE SCENES

     I promise I will work on a more thorough blog giving you some behind-the-scenes scoop on the TV news process. For tonight, would you settle for a tiny slice of night-shift life in the newsroom? 

   SIGHTS:

   Right now I count 10 TVs on the walls, and one on every reporter and producer’s desk, creating a constant flicker of color and light.   Like most, our newsroom is an open design, where we can all see each other, making communication easier.  Todd and Ericka are directly to my right, typing away.

SOUNDS:

    The police scanners are chattering at our assignment desk, while assignment editor Tom mans the phones (and sips the Coke left over from his Jimmy Johns dinner.)  Keyboards are clicking as reporters, anchors, and producers get scripts ready for air.  I’m hearing at least 3 different news programs from TV sets, trying to focus on the one on my desk. 

SMELLS:

     The smell of disinfectant wipes is drifting my way – like just about every workplace where people share spaces, we’re a little concerned about germs around here lately.   People are always heating up food here, so usually there are lots of dinner smells around too.  If I wander down the hall I’ll smell the coffee in the break room, and the hair spray near the dressing rooms.

THE CLOCK…

Says 10:06pm. Back to work!

Hope you have a great week.

Trisha