On Saturday, I went in to work. I’m doing a fun project that I will present on Thursday and I needed to do some of the easy legwork on it, so I thought I would go in and sort it out so that it will be nice and ready-to-go on Monday.

When I go to work on the weekend (which is not very common - don’t fret), I often turn the TV on to one of the radio stations - sort of to keep me company while I work. (Yes, we have TV’s at work, and yes we have radio stations on TV). The radio station I prefer is BBC Radio 6 - mostly because they always play something different. A lot of the radio stations here are dominated by Top 10 Chart type music, and I just HATE hearing the same song over and over again. Anyway, Radio 6 is a bit cooler than I am, but not so much that it’s alienating.

While I was listening, they played this little game in which a pretend little girl (it’s obvious that they cut and paste her voice together) plays a song on her xylophone, and listeners have to guess what song it is. It was Ebony and Ivory, and since I knew it was Ebony and Ivory and I was sitting at my computer, I shot an email over (it was one of their options) to say

“Ebony and Ivory
- Tiffany”

and my phone number, just in case they needed to call me if I won. I have never done anything like that before. Well, the did say my name on the radio - one of the 8 or so people who got it right, but that was it. Incidentally, that was weird and I felt like such a loser, because what kind of person sits around getting in touch with radio stations on a Saturday.

ANYWAY, a few minutes later, I got a phone call. I figured it was Andy, because who else would call me at work on a Saturday?

“Hello?”
“Hi, Tiffany?”
“That’s me.”
“Hi this is Adam from Radio 6.”
“Oh hi” (surprised tone)
“We got your email for the xylophone thing, and we were wondering if you’d like to do the BINGO thing instead?”
“What is it again” (I had no idea, except they said something about it on air)
“Are you still at your computer?”
“Yes hold on” (as I go to their website)
“Basically just open up that BINGO card thing, and we play just like regular BINGO, except obviously you’ll win.”
“Um, yeah ok.”
“OK just hold the line we go on in 20 seconds.”

So I had a chat with the DJ on the phone and it was on air. We talked about me being from Pennsylvania and how - being American - I was a potential terrorist (no idea - I just went with it). Then we talked about why I was at work and how I was actually just down the street from them, and then I played BINGO, which I completely messed up because HERE, you have to get ALL the squares, not just a ROW. So I kept saying, “Things that would make a better olympic logo than that CRAP one BINGO!” (London came up with a crap logo - I AGREE, although I didn’t know at the time - and these were comedic ideas for a replacement) and he kept saying, “NO you don’t have it yet!” That happened twice, and then I said, “Oh wait, Do I have to get ALL of them?” “YES,” he said, and I laughed and said, “Oh then you’re absolutely right I don’t have it.”

So then eventually I won, and they said I won loads of random crap prizes, and asked me to hold on so they could get my address. When they picked up the phone, they asked if I could actually just swing by and pick them up, since I was less than two blocks away. I said sure, but can I get them in a little bit - I was busy. They said they’d call me after the show.

Then I called Andy and told him that I was on the radio - he said I should have called him - I said I was on the phone, and then he reminded me that not only do I have my cell phone, I was also sitting right next to several of my colleagues’ phones. Ah, yes. Should have called.

I thought this was all very silly, but then it got more rediculous.

They called me up again a few minutes later and said, “Tiffany?”
“Yes?”
“We were wondering if you’d like to come down and close the show out with us, since you’re right down the street? We thought that might be fun.”
“Um, I look ABsolutely TERRIBLE.”(I really did, too. Properly greasy and weekended up)
“That’s ok, it’s radio. You should see us.”
I thought for a moment. . .
“Yeah, OK - I’ll come down.”

This time I called Andy before I left - see, I learn . . .and down I went.

The lacky DJ met me downstairs and we went up to the 4th floor, where they said hello and shook my hand, told me to sit down, said “There’s some headphones,” put the mic in front of me, said, “stay about 2 or 3 inches away,” and then we were live.

“We’re here with Tiffany, who has taken a break from working down the street to come see us. HELLO Tiffany!”
“Hi!”
“I have to tell you, Tiffany, that we have loads of people texting and emailing us to say that you sound hot.”
“WHATever.”
“No seriously, this guy says he likes your voice.”
“I see, so you guys brought me down here with alterior motives.”
“No WE didn’t, it’s just these folks emailing us . . . ”

So then they went to give me my prizes and thought it would be fun to pile them up on me quickly and see how many I could hold on to. This included a stack of CDs, a paper cup, the rubbish bin (which was huge and which they DIDN’T let me keep), and so forth. They said they were saving on postage out of consideration for the license fee payers (if you have a TV, you have to pay for the BBC here). I said that was very thoughtful of them. There was some banter about my company, which they knew a bit about and were mildly derogatory towards, and then a bit more chat about my “fans,” and then that was pretty much it.

What a BIZARRE day! I love it when you wake up thinking your day will be one thing and then something entirely unexpected happens. Anyway, I’m obviously a huge star now. (Radio 6 is the tiniest little digital radio station in the universe)

Actually, it’s a shame this blog is just visual - it would be much sexier if I read it to you. Sorry - you’re missing out.