Best Life Barb

Last week was a slower week for me with interviews.  However on Friday alone I had 6 interviews to do.  As long as I do my show preparation, I am cool with it. 

Friday morning I was hooked up to interview Randy Bernstein, who is the CEO of castingduo.com.  They were interested in casting for a show called “Losing it with Jillian” with NBC.  After speaking with Randy, he convinced me that I should try out for the show.

The casting call was being held in Miami the next morning.

Hmmm…what to do.  Well, for those of you who know me, you know that I am not afraid to jump without a net or go on a new adventure.

I called my oldest son Brian (who happens to LOVE Miami) and asked him to accompany me.  The first thing he said was, “Ma, I don’t want to be on TV, but I’ll drive you to Miami”

As soon as my shift was done, I hurried home, packed a quick bag, drove up to Orlando to pick him up and we were off to Miami.  On the way, I discovered I had a few points from Hilton, so I was able to secure a suite for absolutely free near the airport.

As we were getting closer to Miami, I started losing my nerve a bit.  Here I go again.  Is this something that I can do?  This show is for families and I live with a roomate!  My son lives an hour away and he is not interested in doing a TV show.  Was I wasting my time?  Am I crazy?  Am I wasting my money?  Although the room was free, gasoline sure isn’t free and it cost me a full tank of fuel plus some just to get down to Miami.

It’s like having the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other shoulder.  That was the devil shoulder talking and I decided not to listen to the devil shoulder.

The angel said, what have you got to lose?  Its just another BLB adventure.

We went to the audition and met the sweetest women!  I met them and within a few minutes they decided to push me through to the next round.  I mean it was almost instantaneous.  The problem, is that I needed a family to be on TV with me and I didn’t have one that lived with me.  Alexis, the senior casting director decided to go knock on the drivers window of my car and talk to Brian.

Alexis asked him a few questions about being healthy, and to my surprise, within a few minutes, he was filling out an application to be on Losing it with Jillian.  They interviewed him, loved it that he drank Mountain Dew at every meal, and next wanted to talk to his beautiful wife, Esther.

To make a long story short, we are in, as of now.  Esther needs to send a video tape of  herself in to Alexis and Jax, the other casting director.  If they like her, and I know they will, I”m pretty sure we will be chosen.

Now, Jax assured me that if the family thing did not work out, she wanted to keep me in mind for the next Biggest Loser.  Pretty cool.  Wondering if that would be a better fit for me.  That may take me out of my job for too long, except if I get kicked off right away.  It would be phenomenal for publicity for Heartbeat Radio for Women.  And you know I’m the world’s biggest promoter of that station.  Biggest?  as in Biggest Loser?  LOL

I will let you know when I know.  Until then…all the best,

BLB

xxx ooo

My beautiful amazing daughter Rachael, mother of my grandson...:)

The trip to see Baby Cameron was definitely worth it.  I stayed in the house just about the whole time, playing with him.  He had a bit of a runny nose, but we had some fun.  I can’t believe how that little man is growing up so fast.  I will be back to be with my Valentine on Valentine’s Day.  I already have my ticket!

My daughter Rachael is working full time now.  She is the manager of a lottery and tobacco store and she is amazing.  I am so very proud of her.

Work is good.  Other than a few little hiccups that every small office has, everything is going smooth.  I have been really busy with my interviews.  It’s at the point where if I just have 3 interviews a day, it’s a slow day.  I am excited to be speaking  to Denise Austin, the exercise guru, on Monday morning.

I’m working well with Danny Cahill, the winner of The Biggest Loser Season 8.  He seems to enjoy his show.  I plan on going to visit him and getting to know him better.  He is a wonderful family man and has a wonderful vision to help people that are obese.

Talking about obese….I lost 15 inches last week.  I was surprised, but it did happen.  I am going to the acupuncture doctor, Dr. Janean Hamilton from Mount Dora and she is melting the fat off of me.  Now I know I have a lot more inches to go, but still…that’s amazing for me!  Dr. Janean is giving me some herbs to help with my thyroid.  I sure hope this works!

I have missing Loni a lot lately.  Loni is my daughter that I helped raise when I was with her father…and when I was married to him.  She is turning sweet 16 in a few days and I wish I could share that time with her.  I am trying to bless her father and Lord knows sometimes it’s hard because he is such an ass. 

I also miss Sweet Lou.  He kind of disappeared on me.  His sister Debbie just died and I know that’s probably really hard on him.  I just found out the other day that he was getting inducted to the Hall of Fame for his town.  Sweet Lou was a really good athlete.  I am so proud of him, and I’m hoping he comes back in my life very soon.  He is one of my very best friends in the world.

Miss Charlotte and Alex will be moving to Austin, Texas in the next few weeks and I can’t wait to visit them.  I love my Miss Charlotte with all my heart.  It seems that all of my good friends live so far away!  But to be honest, with my career so full right now, it would be very hard to have quality time with friends.

Joe and I went to the movies yesterday to see a Harrison Ford movie.  It was ok.  Nothing phenomenal.  But Joe did take me out and we have fun together.  We are good for each other.

Ok back to work.  I’m working on helping tweak the Heartbeat Radio for Women web site and listening to my favorite radio station…heartbeatradiousa.com.  We only have a few years to be ready to slide right into Harpo’s shoes.  Its going to be Heartbeat not Harpo….trust me when I tell you!  When it happens, it’s going to be a blast…but I must say, most of the time, it’s a blast just being me.  And I love ME.

Wow-talk about progress…:)

all the BEST,

Best Life Barb

My little peanut is playin with the peanuts..:)

Today is Friday, the end of a very long work week.  I had a ton of great interviews and also reached one of my goals.  I will tell you more about that in an upcoming post.

About 8:00 am this morning, I got to start thinking about Baby Cameron.  I got weepy.  I am missing him really bad.  So I called Kiran, and asked her if I can take Monday off (she said YES) and I am jumping on an airplane early tomorrow morning and going to see my baby boy.

Rachael is happy because now she has a babysitter…LOL.  I’m hoping that my friend Natalie will come over tomorrow night and babysit with me, I haven’t seen her in so long!  Natalie and me always have a good time, we understand each other…lol.

Today is Joe’s 55 th birthday and he is working.  He likes his job and I’m happy about that.  He was so sweet, I had to work late today and he started all my laundry for me, cause he knew I was going away.

A lot of fun and exciting things are coming up with Heartbeat Radio for Women.  I am so glad to be a part of it!  I have worked my ASS off and now I think that it’s finally going to pay off.  Again, I will talk more about it in the near future.

For right now, I’m off to Pittsburgh with no computer, no radio show, no interviews, no phone calls, nothing except playing ring a round the rosie with my 14 month old little man.

I cannot wait.

all the BEST,

Best Life Barb

xxx ooo

Baby Cameron on Christmas Day 2009

Happy New Year 2010!

Seeing Baby Cameron for X-mas in Pittsburgh was great!  I slept with him every night, yes I stayed at my exes house and it couldn’t of been better.  NO, get your mind out of that gutter…lol.  I got to spend as much time as I possibly could with my grandson.

Since flying in on Monday night and working all week I have been going non-stop for a couple of weeks now.  Next week is a killer, also, all full with great interviews.  I was able to secure Danny Cahill, the winner of Season 8’s Biggest Loser to do a weekly show for me.  That is HUGE.

I’m thinking about cutting my hours on air to maybe 4 or 5 hours…NO ONE does 6 hours in this industry.  That may free me up to do some more show prep and tighten my show up.  I am also looking to work with Traci Brosnan on another project, having nothing to do with radio.  It has to do with something that is near and dear to BOTH of our hearts.  You don’t see much of it today and we are fixing to change that.  So for now it’s a secret.  I had a really good idea on the plane ride back from Pittsburgh and we are moving forward with that.  I cannot think of a better partner than Traci.  She is professional, smart and has a great WORK ETHIC.

Moving forward….the Steelers won today, however, need Baltimore, Denver and NY Jets to lose to be in the playoffs.  Hey stranger things have happened!  The Steelers screwed up for five games, but I will support them to the end.  I love my Steelers!  I did not end up going to the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game, I couldn’t bear to be away from Cameron.  Cameron got used to me, too, quite honestly, when I was leaving, I was giving him to his Dad and he didn’t want him.  He wanted me.  That made me feel like a million dollars cause I don’t get to see enough of him.

My vacation and personal days are all figured out now and I will be seeing Cameron again in about 6 weeks.  The tickets are already bought.  There are only a few things that give me true joy.  Cameron is one of them.  Can you guess the rest?  Well let me tell you, I am also working on a cruise vacation for all of us in our family, plus our friends.  I am taking the week after the fourth of July off.  Friends Jason and Michelle and the kids are thinking about going, Brodie and Sara and maybe even Brian and Esther.  Joe is requesting the week off.  I will be asking Charlotte and Alex and even Dr. Z.  He is family, now!!  Maybe Sweet Lou could come, too.  And Tina his sister…she’s awesome.

It’s freaking cold today!  High of only 53 degrees.  But in Pittsburgh it was much colder, but again, my darling Cameron was there with me.  Rachael was happy I was there, too.  I loved seeing my Randy Luke, he is so handsome and smart.  I wish he could attend culinary school.  It’s his dream.  Rachael is working now and starting to really mature.  Kinda.  She is feeling her oats a bit.  At this time, she is looking to be independent.

I miss Sweet Lou.   I miss him being around, it seems like we have really drifted apart as best friends.  But I guess he will always be there for me, and vicey versa.  We had so much fun when we both lived in Orlando and was doing the Best Life Barb Show.

Ok time for me to go to work.  I know it’s Sunday but I did get to goof off for a while this morning…I went to see New Moon…I’m an Edward fan…but that Jacob sure is handsome, too. 

all the BEST,

Best Life Barb

xx xooo