Going the distance...

Today was quite an interesting day...I was assigned a story about how our local community college received a $50-thousand dollar grant to launch a Wind Turbine Technician Program. The fact that all across the country, our dependency on foreign oil has pushed us to seek education and  interest in alternative energy such as wind generated turbines.  I interviewed the dean about this exciting moment for the college and he told me they were competing against 16 other colleges in the state for that grant money and they had the best proposal.  Did you know with a 2-year degree in this technician program you can start making $18-dollars an hour...not bad for people who want to live out in the country. I did manage to hit a stump as I was looking for a turbine technician because no one seemed to return my phone calls. People need to learn that in the journalism business, especially in television...we work under DEADLINES! So I waited until my photographer got back from another story to show me where to head our for wind farms. We ended up in Dodge County at a wind farm that operates 41 wind turbines. After interviewing one of the technician coordinators, her boss arrived and told her that we could not use that interview nor speak with any of the technicians due to "corporate" regulation. I asked him to get corporate permission and as always they did not return his phone call either. Luckily one of their customers or owners that property, an operational manager was working on of the turbines as I was there and he told me he was happy to talk to me, but I had to wait about 20minutes until he got down from the 236 foot turbine. I told him we can do the interview up there as he worked. But then I remembered I had a skirt and my pink stiletto shoes. The manager began to tease me and said, "if a woman who was 7-months pregnant climbed these stairs so can you." I accepted his challenge and so I agreed to go up. However, my older photographer made a quizzical face at me and seemed hesitant about my idea climbing 236 feet. I motivated him enough to strap up a harness as I did and we placed the camera equipment in a bag and lifted up. All of a sudden all the young technicians decided to "accompany" us as we climbed but I think they we're shocked seeing a woman in a skirt strapped into a harness climbing a turbine...or they were trying to look under my skirt. I managed to make my skirt into shorts as the harness held me in. My photographer only made it a quarter of the way. I don't blame him since he's not in the healthiest of shape. I, on the other hand followed along the technicians and managed to climb step by step in my 3-inch heels. About half way I took a few minutes to wipe off my sweat and jumped right back on the ladder. As I made it to the top the manager couldn't help but smile and said, "I was just joking about you coming up here. I would've done the interview when I was done working up here." I told him that I didn't want to disappoint him since he challenged me when he told me about the pregnant woman's climb. He even took pictures of me as I was holding the camera, the microphone, strapped in my harness as I was trying to balance myself on top to shoot some video.  He told me, he never saw a woman in a skirt with heels so eager to climb inside a wind turbine. I told him "it's all part of the job." Unfortunately, they don't pay me extra to be daring or strive for a creative story but it's a personal accomplishment and I'm glad I did it. My biceps and wrists were soar from gripping on to the ladder and my work out at 5 this morning didn't help either. I was having trouble with my filters on the light because it was really sunny up there but I managed to take a few good shots and interview my person. Despite my muscle soreness and my red throbbing blisters on my hands the view was magnificent! The air was so rich and clean at that altitude and it felt like a catharsis once you looked over the turbine and onto the open fields. At least climbing back down wasn't so bad. Our competition, a NBC news station had arrived on the scene moments after my climb. And the manger wanted the reporter to make that climb and told her if I could do in a skirt and heels so can she. The reporter just smiled and didn't answer him. Once I got back to the news room my photographer told everyone what I had done and how everyone said I was great for doing an outstanding job. I even mentioned to my news director that he had to pick up my dry cleaning bill because my pink blazer got a little greasy and sweaty from my little climb. He just laughed and told me that next time I had to be prepared with extra clothing and gym shoes. And next time I will! Oh yeah, as I was wrapping up in the editing room corporate decided to call me back and said I couldn't interview anyone from their business. I told her, "Thanks anyway I'll make sure I'll call you a week in advance when I have a story assigned to me due on the same day..."