On the Road again...

I just can't wait... Uh...

Yes I can. I hate the road.

So it was a great day and a half. On my way back to San Francisco. Have a meeting within an hour of getting off the plane. It's how we roll.

For a bit of perspective.

It's -5 here this morning. Wind Chill is -26. Freaking cold.

I love my car. It's a 1993 Corolla. Has 165,000 on it. I bought it used in 1994 when I first started at Discovery. It still is great. Sat here at the airport in freezing temperatures for two weeks and started up like a champ.

One problem.

Thermostat is shot. The car thinks it must be warm - cause even with the heat on high - all that comes through the vents is cold air. Like freezing -26 degree air. I have to sit on one hand at a time to keep my fingers from freezing. And my face just freezes. I can't sit on it. Tears drip from my eyes for the whole hour it takes me to get in here to the airport.

And I thought I was being clever by packing in a tiny suitcase so I could check it before I get on the plane... but no. Even if you have liquids in your small bag - they can't go on. SO I had to check it.

It's a short week for me.

I'll be flying back home Saturday. This week I need to decide if I'm doing a mid month trip to China to meet with celebrities or not. If so - next week I'll do a Chinese New Year trip over.

No new news from LA - but I'm supposed to have a conference call this week with the people about the film in China.

SHOOT STORY OF THE DAY:

IN honor of the disastrous weather - here's a disaster story.

While working for Discovery - I criss crossed the entire United States - and shot in every State - except for Nebraska. As long as people kept getting murdered - I was there with a camera crew.

We did a series for a couple years called Prosecutors: In pursuit of Justice. Yeah. Sounds better than it was. Actually the show was pretty good - but the Prosecutors weren't all I thought they'd be. Some were great. Others were political animals.

Anyway.

We were in Oregon. I was on my way from the airport - when I was stuck in a huge traffic jam. Seems there was some sort of giant fire on the side of the highway that had things backed up. I could see flames and smoke everywhere.

A hint of what was to come.

I arrive at the location for the interview.

A 100 year old courthouse up in a tiny town in the mountains.

I'm with a local crew. Good guys. Out of Portland.

We go through the typical set up. They light. I make small talk with the Prosecutor - who in this case, seemed to be a good guy.

While I'm sitting there, ticking through my questions - getting ready - the building shakes.

I look up, perplexed.

Does this place always shake like that when a truck goes by?

I see the Prosecutor's eyes get big.

I look over to the camera man - who looks up from the camera - and literally does a EYE POP from the cartoons - and then throws his hands up in the air and runs.

The sound guy follows - and then the Prosecutor.

I am kinda slow on the draw. I still sit there - thinking - Is this really an Earthquake?

I've been through at least three Earthquakes as a kid in Taiwan. This is my first full on adult earthquake.

Things start moving - we're on the second floor - and everything is falling. I catch a couple lights and ease them to the ground. Books are coming off shelves - and everything goes down. I make my way to the doorway - and realize -

I'm the only one in the building.

I laugh - cause we have no life insurance...If I go - I'll still be an idiot.

For what seems like minutes - the building rocks and shakes like a roller coaster. And then everything stops. Eventually everyone comes back and we do the interview. They all thought I was crazy - so that bought me a little respect and they actually listened to me for a day.

Later we found out it was actually a 9.4. Not bad... :)

We lived through it. That day anyway.

So for today - here's hoping there's nothing dramatic about heading West.