Christina's Weekend Farewell

By this time next week, for the first time in many years, I will not be frantically slapping on make up while simultaneously checking last minute temperatures.

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By Christina Campbell

Story Created: Jun 26, 2011 at 5:13 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 27, 2011 at 8:49 AM AKDT

 

By this time next week, for the first time in many years, I will not be frantically slapping on make up while simultaneously checking last minute temperatures, doing the ever redundant mic check "test...test...1...2...3.... mic check....1...2...3...", and changing outfits at least five times only to settle for the trusted black or red shirt with black slacks.

This TV meteorologist (weekend for the past seven years) will officially retire tonight after nearly 22 years of TV broadcasting that began in the little UFO town of Roswell, NM (when my spaceship dropped me off and evidently forgot to pick me up).  
 
I’ve been doing this for so long that as I began digging through old airchecks (for my farewell rewind) it occured to me that I have a generation of tapes that span from 1" quads, to 3/4" tapes, to beta, to dvcpro, to electronic files. It makes me giggle when I mention "quads" to young broadcasters of today who give the "dear in the headlight" look and ask "is that film?" 

Of all the TV broadcasting I've done, weather has been the most fun. Covering it in the "land of the midnight sun" in second to no other place on earth!  It comes as no surprise that most broadcasters, including myself, retire in the summer.  I now get to spend my free weekends fishing and acting like a tourist.
 
And, in just a few weeks (when winter gets here), I'll use my weekends to ski on the beautiful mountains of the Chugach Range under the romance of the northern lights.  How fortunate to live in a state where the weather is not so "severe" but constantly changing.

I must say I'm going to miss the constructive feedback from my loyal followers making sure that I know they received 10 inches of "partly sunny sky" on their driveway. I'm also going to miss the ladies who chase me down in the post office to let me know that "I look sooooo different without my makeup!!"   

What I won’t miss are the pleading requests from my two sons to stay and watch them play til their games over (instead of always leaving at half time to prep for the weather). Or the late night drives after the 10 p.m. newscast to Big Lake just to enjoy a few morning hours the next day with my fiancee (before rushing back to prep for the 5 p.m. newscast).
 
Weekends should be enjoyed with family. And I am looking forward to doing just that (even at the cost of leaving a career that I love at a station that has been a safe haven and a great place to work for just about my entire adult life!)
 
I’m happy to leave with an excellent forecast: Sunny skies with highs in the 70s (ok…so that’s only if you live in Haines, Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell, and Ketchikan). Otherwise, my departure may have angered Ma Nature as wet and windy weather may be making a comeback over the rest of the state. But hold tight… it gets better as we transition into the month of July.
 
And lastly, incase this farewell is taking you by surprise, rest assured I’ll be back to fill in on occasion (last I checked I’ll be in for practically the whole month of July)!!

So until then, farewell my friends. My spaceship has finally returned.   

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