Forget Style, Strap on that Helmet

I took a major fall today, maybe the worst I’ve ever taken.

I had just finished a difficult run and was at the bottom of the mountain when my ski got caught, I’m still trying to figure out in what.

I was going pretty fast in slushier snow (my first mistake), so when one ski lodged, I was propelled forward, my other ski flew up, I did somewhat of a twist somersault in the air and crashed, my head smacking hard against the ground.

I laid there in shock for what felt like forever but was only a minute. My brother and a family friend were at my side in two seconds, they had watched the entire thing, and were worried.

I’m actually a pretty good skier and have been zipping down the slopes with the boys for the past few days, so it’s ironic that I crashed on flat ground at the bottom of the mountain. Others have taken some spills in much cooler places.

“Are you OK Nat, you hit your head really hard,” my brother nervously asked while I lay on the ground motionless and contorted. It took me a minute to respond and another minute for them to get me up.

All I can say is THANK GOD I was wearing a helmet. When I first got to Aspen, the guy who fit me for skis had to force me to rent one, he even gave it to me for free; I complained like a child for hours about having to wear it.

You have no idea how long it took me to pack cute ski outfits, I means it’s Snowmass, but after today, you won’t hear another peep out of me about that helmet…lesson definitely learned.

Two hours later, I've still got a little headache, feel weak in the knees when standing and look like I've just seen a ghost. I'll have to be more careful tomorrow.

CBS 2 Here I Come!

Last week a good friend of mine texted me and said I had to tryout for a morning traffic reporter position at CBS 2 in Chicago.

Ironically, I applied for a similar job more then two years ago before I landed an anchor position in North Carolina. About a week after moving to Greenville I received an email from human resources at CBS asking me to come in for an interview. It just wasn’t meant to be. I had relocated my entire life several states away and was seven days into my new gig, so I passed.

This time around things are a little different. Not only am I living in the Chicagoland area but I work from home, which makes for a pretty flexible schedule.

Right now CBS is having an “American Idol” like competition to fill its morning traffic reporter position. Just to fill you in, that shift’s from 3:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., brutal I know. But you can’t get very far as a journalist these days if you’re not willing to work some (or all) odd hours.

Tryouts consist of submitting a 30-second video on why you’re right for the job. That’s basically all you had to do. So, I did it.

75 candidates will make it past the first elimination round and will head into the studio for a proper interview. After a traffic test, contestants are narrowed down to ten and then it’s pretty much up to the viewers.

The winner receives a three-month contract with CBS for $25,000 with a possible extension. Not exactly the type of job security I’m looking for, so if I happen to beat all odds and dominate the competition, I’d want to keep my current position in addition to the new one. I’m not sure my sanity would be in tact at the end of the three months but I think it’s worth it. Plus, I’m really happy at Patch and wouldn’t want to give up my role there.

Why traffic? Why not, I say. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be hired as a general assignment reporter by a Chicago TV station anytime soon. As much as I’d like to think I’d be an asset to any local network, it’s simply an extremely tough job to land without someone on the inside. So, here’s my attempt at getting in.

I also think I’d have a lot of fun with traffic. I’ve put in some major hours on the road in the past couple of years and don’t dread sitting behind the wheel anymore. I actually enjoy driving now and can see myself making others morning commutes a little bit more enjoyable too.

To see if I’ve got a shot, check out my video below. I’ll let you know if I even make it past the first round.

Sometimes It’s Fun to…Just Wing It

I was in Madison last weekend covering the protests at the capitol. My good friend that lives there was out of town but I still stayed at his apartment since it’s right on campus.

He suggested, after I finished my work, I go out with some of his friends instead of spending the night alone. I figured, I might as well make the most of my mini road trip.

Take note, I only knew one of these friends of his from visiting a couple of weeks ago, so I was basically walking in blind…but let me tell you, it was so much fun.

I think as we get older, we get stuck in our same group of friends and get comfortable doing the same types of things.

I headed to this Madison bar, spotted the one person I knew and flung myself into conversation with the four other guys he was with. I had no other choice, sink or swim baby.

It was great, no one complained about anyone else because we don't know the same people and no one talked about what’s going on at the office because we don’t work at the same place. The conversation was easy and light-hearted, knowing I could really say and do whatever I wanted because 1. These people don’t know me and 2. They’ll probable never see me again.

Four hours and six drinks later (I don’t know why I think I can still party like I used to) I headed home with a huge smile on my face and decided I’ve got to start winging it more often!

(The picture is me doing a reporter stand-up in front of the state capitol the day after I went out, let's just say it was a rough morning).

I Caught the Bird Feeder Red Handed

For weeks my dad has been complaining about a swarm of birds that have taken up house on our front lawn. It's like the bushes attract every flying creature in a five-mile radius.

While I don’t mind the addition, it drives him crazy and he’s been determined to catch the culprit that’s been feeding them. Thankfully, I ran into this person before he did.

I happen to be staying at my parent’s house this weekend and was on my way home from a shopping spree at CVS when I spotted a little old woman with a ridiculously large bag filled with bread standing in our driveway. From down the block I could see her breaking off chunks and tossing them by the handful into our front yard. I couldn’t help but start laughing.

My mom who happened to be walking next to me said, “So, are you going to say something?” Apparently she didn’t want to do the dirty work.

As I approached, this woman had absolutely no shame and was mid-toss when I asked, “Could you please stop feeding the birds?” She quickly replied, “Do you live here?”

“Actually I do,” I answered as well as every other bird in the neighborhood I thought to myself. “Is it bothering you?” she asked which caught me off guard since I’m thinking, lady, this is private property, back off, but instead I politely stated, “Well my parents happen to spend a ridiculously large amount of money and time on landscaping and since someone’s been feeding the birds here, Chicago’s wildlife has wreaked havoc on all of their efforts."

I felt a little guilty since she looked like she was enjoying herself but then realized we’re about two blocks away from a magnificent park and I can’t imagine the birds not following her and her bag of whole grain bread there.

A Crazy Day in Madison

The plan was to have a relaxing weekend with one of my friends in law school. Eat some good food, enjoy some drinks and have a few dance parties. But that all changed when tens of thousands of protesters stormed Wisconsin's capitol.

For a journalist, my little getaway was perfect timing.

We spent the afternoon wandering around downtown Madison, my favorite sign read, "Hey Scott, I wanted to screw my 4th grade teacher too."

The capitol building was packed from top to bottom with thousands of people chanting and cheering. This is one of the pictures I snapped on my tip toes looking down on the crowd.

Come on LaGuardia

For the past 48 hours I was in New York City for a work function and picked up one of those disposable razors you get for like $1 at CVS (which was great by the way).

While repacking to come back to Chicago, of course I was running late, so with a quick swoop, shuffled everything from the bathroom into my toiletries carry-on (including the razor and several of those shampoo/conditioner/body wash freebies...I love those too).

Let me first say I hate LaGuardia's airport. I've spent some time there and it always makes me nauseous. It probably has something to do with the fact I feel like I'm in an underground bunker, that's always 10 degrees too hot, especially for professionals in business suites.

I remembered that razor at the last second and thought about throwing it away but decided to be a little sneaky and see if I could make it through, I mean, I only used it once.

As usual, I sailed past security, I've usually got pretty good luck when it comes to that kind of stuff. The Indian woman standing in front of me wasn't as lucky. Instead of searching my bad ass with a razor knowingly inside my purse they picked on her and her "Henna for Hair" product. Which was shaken, flipped upside down and then just eventually opened.

I decided to keep moving but felt a little guilty about the situation so have decided to dedicate my next shave to that woman...I hope that doesn't sound creepy (I'll keep it rated PG).

How does one recover gracefully from a fall?

I was shooting this heart-shaped hamburger at a restaurant when I slipped on the wet floor, tried to catch myself, but instead totally wiped out.

I've actually had my fair share of spills: A miserable trip during a basketball game in high school when I rolled over the ball; A catastrophe during prom when I tumbled down the stairs in my beautiful full length gown; a messy accident when I got my high heel caught in a crack and plunged in front of a packed restaurant in Las Vegas.

However, I've never seriously injured myself during any of these drops and have to believe they've all built character. But I would like to know if there's a strategy for recovering from these embarrassments gracefully?