This was back in Austin, when she worked for the Statesman. I never met him, but she said he was a nice guy. I ended up with some TMCM stuff, including a couple mugs (which are different from the two shown on the site) and one autographed and doodle-upon-by-Shannon comic.
I certainly found the comic to be funny, but I didn't become a rabid TMCM enthusiast by any stretch.
Still, on evenings when Wolfboy is desperate for bedtime material, occasionally TMCM will end up in his hands. He particularly loves the panels about the death of TMCM.
(Posted without permission, admittedly. But I do heartily encourage you to buy some of Wheeler's fine work).
***
In 2003 we'd been gone from Austin for several years. I was no longer working for PBS TV stations, and in fact had made the move to commercial TV via the very Belly of the Beast, aka Belo Corporation.
My carefree Austin days were long behind me. Yes, there is a fine local music scene in DFW, and there are certainly any number of free spirits and artists and writers and the like. But the presence of these souls in no way creates an atmosphere like being in Austin.
I started blogging while working for Belo, as some of you probably know. It was miserable. Watching The Office was very much like being at work.
I had my TMCM mug with me, though. I liked having my little slice of individuality right there, my... reminder of Austin I suppose.
***
Our room at BACS (Belo Advertising Customer Services, a little division of the Belo brand, which is housed almost in the shadow of the Death Star, which is what they REALLY did call the corporate office tower) had 30-odd cubes, a few glass offices for management, and no windows.
Oh, you could go down the hall and look out the window, but this being Belo and all, that could prove to be a risky venture. On a snow day a bunch of folks went to check it out for a couple minutes. I'm no fan of snow, so I stayed where I was. I was stunned that by the time my coworkers returned about 120 seconds later, an email from upper management was awaiting them, telling them they had better things to do than look out the window at snow.
Really.
***
On the other end of the room was a little TV studio. It wasn't used for everyday broadcasts, but for "breaking news" sort of stuff. I can't recall specifically, but I suppose it was WFAA folks coming over to use it when they had "live from Dallas" stuff to broadcast nationwide.
I was in the men's room once, and between broadcasts their news guy rushed in and shoved open my stall door. I was not pleased to see him there, and I told him so.
In a place like Belo, a little time in the men's room could be the highlight of one's day.
***
Some big news came out of Waco in '03. A basketball player was missing. They had a suspect, who was also a basketball player, but no body or anything. Just a lot of suspicious circumstances.
Our little studio was being used rather frequently. News isn't nearly so impressive when it's being broadcast around you every day.
***
My dang TMCM disappeared one morning, and I was not happy about it. Yeah, any number of "World's Greatest Mom" mugs were there in the kitchen for my coffee, okay, but the idea that someone would run off with my mug just sort of added insult to injury.
I poured my coffee into one of those other mugs and stood there in a daze, just sort of cursing my fate in general.
Soon my eyes wandered up to the TV monitor, which showed the broadcast currently originating from our little studio.
They were interviewing a young woman whom the graphics identified as the girlfriend of the murder suspect.
I was only halfway watching when something caught my eye.
There, on national TV, the suspect's girlfriend was drinking out of my missing Too Much Coffee Man mug.
***
I was not amused.
***
The little set was sort of off limits to us, of course, but as soon as they were off the air I marched in without a word, grabbed my mug, and vowed never to just leave it lying around again.
It's currently on my desk at my current job.
***
The moral: Don't leave your favorite mug in the office kitchen.
***
Have a good weekend, y'all.
1 comment:
I totally agree. I guard mine with my life. If I saw certain co-workers drinking out of it, I would probably gag.
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