Subject: Camp Feeding Tube: Day 5
Hey Y'all,
It has been quite a ride since last Friday with no end in sight. D*
* and I
are pulling some crazy hours and it sounds as if it might get worse.
After our 32.5 hour shift from early Sunday morning to Monday afternoon, we
got a break on Tuesday with a 14 hour day. After our shift, we B-lined it to a
mall in Tampa to pick up more clothes...(Dave got some summer shirts and I hit
Banana Republic for a pair of jeans and a collared shirt)...and headed out to
dinner with the rest of the crew.
Now what does stupid J*
** do? He decides to meet up with a few local
reporters for drinks. Hey, I can't come to Clearwater, FL and not have a pina
colada. So come 2AM I finally get to my hotel and set the ole alarm for 4:45.
At 2:35...the phone rings with my producer on the line:
"They've denied the appeal. We need you guys at the hospice now and ready to
go live at 5."
I only heard the "you at the hospice now" part.
4:45...Dave and I are set up and the clouds open up. Lightning, thunder, wind,
and a tornado warning in the county to the north of us. Absolutely miserable.
9:45...the rain finally stops just in time for a presser to announce the
Schindler family's plans along with a planned protest to enter the hospice with
water at 11:30. This will end up in multiple arrests and more work for us.
This has truly been an interesting 5 days. We are 75 yards away from a woman
the whole world is focussed on. The media blitz is surreal and has been a sight
to see. We count about 15 satellite trucks and 5 live trucks. The live shots and
pressers have been constant. Speaking of which, I have one in a couple minutes.
Here are the running totals for the trip:
Live shots: 83 (changing every half-hour)
Tapes shot: 32
Red Bulls consumed: 14
Pina Coladas consumed: 1
McDonald's McGriddles: 6
McDonald's Double Quarter Pounders: 3
Pairs of socks bought: 6
Hours of Overtime: 51 and counting as we speak.
Still Photographers I've yelled at for walking through my live shots: 1
Trips to the Beach: 1 (raining)
Camping chairs broken by Dave: 2
Amex Expenses: Hotel-$1500, Airfare-$550 (one-way), Car Rental (Cadillac
Escalade)-$1300, Misc.-$57
Times we've listened to Dave Matthews' "Ants Marching" on the Escalade's
Kick-ass stereo system: 11
Times we've listened to Larry The Cable Guy comedy on the Escalade's Kick-ass
stereo system: 1
Pet Chickens with Hairdos: 1 (you'll see what I mean later)
Outrageously crude T-shirts sold at a Clearwater Beach store: 1 (you'll see what
I mean later)
Number of butchered religious hymns: 13
Hours slept in FL: 20 hours (5 nights)
Times I'm thankful I'm not in Red Lake, MN covering the school shooting: 57