If you haven’t seen it, it’s not too late. We’ve got new shows all through November.

It’s been fun working with this new format, tip top. It’s new television technology at my fingertips. But of course, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Technology has its price. And while it may not be taking a bite out of my wallet, I think it has managed to take a good chunk out of the frontal lobe of my brain.

The one caveat to doing CT in hi-definition was that Mike and I would be putting the entire show together ourselves, top to bottom, front cover to back. Having creative control is usually a good thing, providing you have a grasp on all the elements you are responsible for.

One of my new responsibilities is performing the “post production” of CT. Everything you’ve seen in the past came from Mike’s words and my camera. I did all of the editing of the stories you see. But another person did the very end process where we put on the fancy graphics to dress the show up. The equipment I used to edit on couldn’t perform all whiz-bang effects.

Well, the key to the candy store is now mine and I’m the new Willy Wonka. The Gene Wilder version mind you, I didn’t care for Johnny Depp’s rendition. It’s a great opportunity and I’m learning on the fly. Except my first few days I felt more like an Oompa Loompa than the great Wonka himself.

It’s a brand new system and there are some quirks that really have slowed me down, and the others that use this machine. Yep, it’s not my machine so I have to be nice and share.

Part of my way to play nice is I come in to work around 4:30 am. I don’t know what you do for a living, but the roosters aren’t up in my neighborhood at that time. And a 90 lb. golden retriever named Kramer sleeping on my bed sure isn’t up. When I lean down to say good-bye his cold stare lets me know he doesn’t appreciate the sentiment too much.

Now I’m not laying brick or doing anything too tough on this job, but when you show up at work that early and there’s not a sole in sight working on the upper floor of our building, it takes a little more than the caffeine from my Pepsi to get the juices flowing. Unfortunately, there isn’t an on/off switch on the creativity button.

So I’ve been slaving away putting our new shows together for about 20 days straight. My next day off should be Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. I thought I was holding up well. But there are little tell tale signs that point to the contrary.

Mike and I watch the final version of the show each week to make sure we’re happy with it. His support comes in words and ideas only. I’m the one who physically has to make the changes. So while making a few adjustments here and there, I started to realize just what sitting in a dark room at 4:00 am for a month does to you. (Yeah, I said 4:30 the first time, I just slid it back ½ and hour for some extra sympathy).

Anyway, I’m zipping along making my changes and Mike speaks up. “Are you talking to me?” “Huh?” comes the reply. “You’ve been talking to yourself for a few minutes now,” Traveler boy informed me. Wow. That’s how far it’s slipped. I’m talking to myself out loud with other people in the room and had no idea. I think that officially constitutes a cerebral meltdown.

So all in all, I’m grateful for the new technology I’ve learned. It’s really opened my eyes. I’m just a little peeved that nobody told me this new found knowledge came with a price-tag: my sanity.

I’ve still got two shows to finish up. I’m now afraid Mike will come in to look at the next show and I’ll look like Jack Nicholson in “The Shining”. Yeah, I know “Cuckoo’s Nest” is the logical metaphor with going crazy, but that look on Jack’s face at the very end when he’s frozen solid sums up my mind right now. Thank god there’s heat in my edit room! That and I don’t want any Mike Redding/Nurse Ratchet comparisons.

Well, time to finish this ramble. I’ll just invite you to watch our next new show Saturday at 7:30. It’s pretty darned good.

And Mike, if you come in to help me finish the show this weekend and hear “Redrum” coming from the edit room, RUN!!!

Andy Benton
Carolina Traveler Sidekick