The first and only time I've called with a radio station until today, I was in eighth grade. My friend, the brilliantly bossy Heather H, told me to request a song from a rock station I didn't even listen to. Just to say I did it, you know?
Around that time, by the way, I was vying for the spot of least popular girl in my Catholic school class with someone named after a handbag. I listened to 'smooth jazz' and classical music, and my bangs were most definitely not the cool, crispy, hairsprayed kind (see diagram).
"What song should I ask for?"
"Love Shack."
"I've never heard it before!" Sounded kind of romantic, but trashy. Was I about to make a fool of myself on the home of
San Diego's best mix of music, Q106?"Do you have any other ideas?"
The answer, obviously, was no. So I called, requested "Love Shack," and a few minutes later, heard that song for the very first time.
I felt strangely underwhelmed.
After a fifteen-year hiatus, I made my second call today.
My car, as you know, has been acting up (history: here and here). Yesterday, Mr. A replaced the air filter, since he suspected it was an air flow problem. A few hours later, the check engine light came on.
I've been listening to Car Talk for years, ever since I commuted between Boston and New Jersey every other weekend (to visit Mr. A at his grad school), and more recently on podcasts.
The brothers themselves greeted me on the voicemail, encouraging me between guffaws to leave a message with my problem and contact info. The staff selects a few calls "at random" to be featured on the show.
Random my ass.
I hung up.
What did I need to do to be featured? Sound memorable? Be concise? Be bratty? Tug at their heartstrings? I looked at their website, but there were few clues. So I thought about previous calls, I jotted down some notes with my problem and a few dashes of "flair," and called again.And I talked slowly -- which is very hard for me to do when I'm not nervous, let alone when I feel like I'm auditioning for a national radio program.
We'll see what happens.
Thank you, Lisette, for giving me idea to call Car Talk!
Gained: TBA
