“Nothing is permanent but change.” (Elbert Hubbard)

For this Type A, stability craving, middle aged gal change has been tough. It has taught me a great deal though – we’ll get to that later. The most recent gear shift is my move to 92.9 The Wave. People ask a lot of questions and by people, I mean even people in the check out line at Harris Teeter! I get things like “Why did you leave television?”, “Why would you go back to radio?”, “How old are you?” and “How many dresses do you have?” I am always polite and just say something vague yet brief. So, I thought my first blog might be a fun way to fill you in if you are curious or just have a minute to read about my saga.

Let’s get started! I may as well begin with why I left WAVY TV-10. That’s the first thing I should clarify, really. I LEFT. It was my decision. I was not fired, I was not asked to leave and there was no drama at all. I loved being employed at WAVY. The team works tirelessly to do their very best for viewers and I am grateful for my time there. I walked away with some very dear friends. The main reason for my departure is I simply didn’t want to work as a traffic anchor long term. That, coupled with the 1:50 a.m. alarm blare, is what made up my mind. I miss the people at WAVY tremendously, but they are a phone call away and I still connect with them on a regular basis.

Now, to the radio question. It is not a lesser media outlet or a demotion. It is still an incredibly viable industry. Just like television, we consume radio much differently than in the past. However, I believe in radio, its ability not only to entertain and inform, but to touch people and support our community. 92.9 The Wave is a perfect place for me to land. It is a fun music format that works beautifully for families, businesses and commuters.

Most wonder why I didn’t go back to 97.3 The Eagle? I sat behind a mic in that studio with Jimmy Ray for 19 years. Returning was not right for me and I am enjoying my independence – so to speak. Oh, and to address the “elephant in the room”, I/we were FIRED four years ago from that gig. The reason? Money, the economy, and business are honestly why. I was desperately hurt and confused at the time. I knew I had not done anything wrong and wanted to crawl in a hole. The Eagle listening family was incredibly supportive and reached out through social media quite often. The more difficult part was local newspaper reporters, one television station, and a media gossip spewer nagging at me for a while. They were looking for me to spill my guts and that’s not who I am. I am pretty private and wanted to be left alone. It also bothered me when my, then, 8 year old daughter was asked at school why her mom got fired. Didn’t see that one coming. Ouch.

I didn’t allow myself to sulk or dwell on being axed for very long. It did help, I had a few job offers right away. Get this, I was terminated on a Monday and on Thursday of the same week, WAVY TV-10 called. I started a month later.

When I reflect on it all, being fired was one of the best things to happen to me, professionally. I had to go it alone. I worked with a partner for nearly two decades and it was time for me to stand up on my own. At first, I only acted like I believed I could, but after a while I owned it and didn’t have to act anymore. I am stronger and a little wiser for it.

So, about the dresses and my age….

Viewers regularly asked where I shop and how many dresses hang in my closet. I buy most of my clothes online because I detest shopping. I tend to say that’s why my husband married me. I am embarrassed to admit I have close to 300 dresses. I know, it’s ridiculous, over the top and they take up way too much space. I only know the approximate count because when we moved, the movers counted them. (Insert face palm here)

The age question? Not dropping that number, friends. I don’t talk age, weight or politics 😊