They say all good things must come to an end….and that end is very near….in just hours we find out who will be the next Rhode Show co host. 

I have said it many times through this almost 8 week job interview that win or lose…it has been one of the greatest adventures of my life.   It has reignited my love for broadcasting, given me a sneak peak into the world of live television.,  forced me to get up to speed on the computer, and has  allowed me to form  friendships with  some of the nicest and most talented people I will ever meet. 

They also say things happen for a reason…and I think whatever the outcome, there is a reason…It is out of our hands now.   But what I can hold on to are the memories….and I think to myself….what a wonderful world…..

The holidays bring to mind so many lovely terms….”Black Friday…Cyber-Monday…Advent…..Soccer-Mania….yes, I said “SOCCER-MANIA!”  It seems that with long holiday weekends or holiday breaks… many families, like mine,  are in full sports mode…traveling near and far to tournaments…in my case, soccer tournaments.  The kids are loving it….the parents are stressing it….and there is always the panic over finding cleats and clean uniforms…water bottles and snacks…as the car turns into a mini hotel on wheels for a few days.  We are just coming off one such  crazy weekend…and to add even more excitement to it all….we have a  new soccer  player in the family…can you guess who?

 Maybe Melissa can give us a 2 for one deal….”soccer wife” needs to get in shape as well!

I’m still eating Thanksgiving dinner….yes…days after the holiday….it seems as if the meal goes on and on and on… turkey salad, turkey pot pie, hot turkey sandwiches……and by Monday,  if anyone mentions turkey…you want to hit them with a drumstick.(or probably the big turkey leg that’s still sitting in the fridge).  I actually don’t even like turkey…I will eat a “bit” of it, of course….but it’s the “antipasto” that is always the star of an Italian Thanksgiving, and every holiday for that matter…For those of you who are Italian, you know exactly what I am talking about….for those of you who aren’t…let me paint the picture for you.

I can remember being a little girl and watching my mother take out her huge silver tray as she prepared to make this Italian classic many times each year.    It begins with some romaine lettuce fanned on the platter…the cushion for the plethora of meats and cheeses that will lie upon it.  One then begins to roll the cold cuts….the salami, mortadella, capacolla, prosciutini, prosciutto, and soppresatta. The meats are then positioned into a pinwheel type design and interspersed between the meats are wedges of sharp provolone, Muenster and sharp cheddar cheeses.  Layered upon that are pickled peppers, roasted red peppers, hot cherry peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, and marinated mushrooms.  In the center of it all…Italian tuna piled high with anchovies and sardines….getting hungry yet?  This massive Italian salad is then dressed with the finest of olive oils and balsamic vinegars…We like to finish it off with a beautiful loaf of Italian bread..  Is there a need for any other food when you’re having antipasto?   As my father in law likes to say…”It’s what they had at the last supper!”   I say to heck with Michelangelo’s David…the antipasto is truly a work of art…Feast your eyes on one fine  “Italian masterpiece!”

I’ve been letting the dust settle from the Oprah announcement that she’s quitting so I could collect my thoughts about the big decision.  I have always been a huge Oprah fan.  She has been on the air for more than half my lifetime…she was a mentor of sorts…the woman on TV who was smart, funny, self deprecating, insightful, inspirational,…someone I could relate to as a young woman pursuing a career in broadcasting and now she is getting ready to say goodbye.

It makes me appreciate even more the one day back in 2003 when I traveled to Chicago to see the Oprah Winfrey Show” for myself.  It was a surprise 40^th birthday gift from my beloved husband, who after hearing me say for years that “all I wanted for my fortieth was to see Oprah,”….came through and made it happen. It was a cold morning in November…right around the time Oprah normally tapes her “my favorite things show.”….the one where she unveils all the amazing items she’s found and then gives every member of the audience one of each!  I could barely contain myself.  Was this going to be the week that I fly back to R.I. loaded down with expensive gifts and gadgets from Oprah???? As I stood in line with a sea of other women inside Harpo studios, all hoping for the same thing, we quickly learned “that” show had been taped weeks earlier.  Our show turned out to be “conquering your fears!”  I’ll tell you one thing…I was trying hard, at that point, to conquer my fear of crying my eyes out because I wasn’t going home with any loot!

That is not to say it was all bad.  The show I saw was very inspirational.  They gave us Kleenex boxes beforehand knowing that the stories and guests we’d be seeing would make us cry and they did.  I guess I was more struck by how Oprah came around to talk to us after the show and people began to break down into tears as if she had this cult like force, this amazing power that is hard to describe unless you are in her presence.

But it is understandable.  Here’s a woman who has interviewed people from every walk of life, big or small…funded causes, created her own causes, given people new homes and new cars, new leases on life.  She’s helped people recover from addictions, healed their afflictions, inspired people to read, and motivated us to lose weight.  She can take down the beef industry with one comment or boost a book to the best seller’s list with one review.  If she wears it, we want it . If she likes it, we like it. 

If she takes you under her wing…you will soar to new heights…just look at Dr Phil, Dr Oz, Rachael Ray or Nate Berkus…they all have Oprah to thank. We all have Oprah to thank…for blazing the trail for female talk show hosts….for giving me some of the greatest television of my lifetime….and while I will soon miss her presence every afternoon, I believe it’s probably the right time to say goodbye.  25 years, as she said, just “feels right in her bones.”  It’s time for Oprah to end the talk show, but not the talking.  She will no doubt continue to be a huge media force at her Oxygen network and a publishing mogul with her “O” magazine and more.  It’s time for the next generation to fill the void she will leave behind.  Oprah is well aware that the door she closes on her show opens a window of opportunity for someone else.  But until then, thanks for the memories Oprah…they’ve been “O” sooo good!   

I must admit I am still recovering from my birthday earlier this week….What better way to mark getting another year older than on live television in front of thousands of people who can really see how much you are aging thanks to the wonders of HDTV!  I think the HD is code for “Holy Christmas…do I really look like that!???”  I did take comfort in spending time with Lilly and Vince on the set of the Rhode Show for my big debut.  Both were so very warm and welcoming…birthday cake and all…  …along with Shawn and Courtney who humored me about my new rap song, which I somehow mustered up enough courage to sing on live TV!!! 

The celebrating of one’s birthday also means gifts!  I love birthday gifts…they don’t have to be big and expensive…it truly is the thought that counts.  That’s why I loved the new dishwashing gloves I got from my friend Cathy.

Dishwashing gloves

Cathy, like me, knows the importance of keeping that new manicure perfectly in tact, while doing the mounds of dishes that we, as housewives, must wash.  Did you notice the gloves even come with “bling”….strategically placed on the glove’s ring finger…so darn cute!

Bling!

My friend Debbie was so sweet to give me a great new set of notecards with a snappy little saying on them…complete with a lipstick pen….I bet I’m the only mom with that!

Note Cards

And then there’s hubby’s gift….Let me preface my comments with the fact that I love him dearly….but, what is it about husbands who think a great gift for their wife is something she can use in the kitchen?????!!!!!!  As I was opening the big long box,  I was thinking….ooohh, could it be a new pair of Jimmy Choo boots?…maybe a box filled with a rainbow of colored cashmere sweaters…..not even close…..

The Gift

I think he might have noticed my mouth drop as I opened my new “3 slow cooker buffet and serve!”  He honestly thought it would make Thanksgiving a little easier for me since we are hosting this year.   I know I said earlier…it’s the thought that counts…so I will let that thought “warm my heart” and tell you that I can’t wait to see what he’s got cookin’ for Christmas!

The countdown is on….just one day to go and I will be co hosting the Rhode Show….I feel like Jack Bauer in 24…with that darn clock ticking away….as he tries to make it to safety before blowing up….I haven’t been this nervous since giving birth…that knot in my stomach… those sleepless nights…as a matter of fact…I look like I could be pregnant from eating like a maniac from all the stress!  I have so many thoughts going through my head as I prepare for THE DAY!   I’ll give you my top 10….David Letterman style…

As they say…it is what it is….or should I say “let’s get this party started”…or maybe “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to!”  How ‘bout just see ya 8:00am tomorrow (11/19/2009) on the Rhode Show!

We are several weeks now into this “search for a star” process and you might be wondering.. “how have the final 5 been getting along so far?…Do they talk?, do they even like each other?…is they any backstabbing…gossip…sabotaging?…Well, I hate to ruin it for everybody who wants to see tension and infighting….But we actually do enjoy each other’s company….enough so to plan a little dinner at the incomparable Twin Oaks the other night to catch up and more importantly treat our new friend Shawn Tempesta to his “last supper.”  We talked about the days on the Rhode Show and picked his brain about the job that one of us will have in a few short weeks.   It’s always so awkward…but as always, Shawn is so gracious about giving us advice and support.  I feel compelled to thank him, write a tribute, how bout a rap song for this soon to be ex Rhode show co host….

To Shawn: My brother from a different mother…

 “1” year on the Rhode Show
Where did the time go?
Wakin up with Shawn boy
Cute as a kid’s toy

Makin us laugh yeh
Always goin somewhere
Jacket and a t shirt
Lily in her tight skirt
Vince all serious
Courtney’s got us curious

Cardi brothers, Dunkee Dee’s
Twin River, if ya please
Checkin in with your peeps
Makin sure there’s no bleeps

Gotta shut the job down
Never let em see you frown
Running outta Rhode Show
Sad to see you go-go

Taking with ya memories
New job comin, like a breeze
Gotta goin on, PHAT
Luv ya Shawn, and all that!

Okay….if the rap version doesn’t do it for ya….how about our “other” goodbye song to Shawn…a little more conventional….but just as pathetic…

By now, you may know I have a fondness for radio.  I spent almost 20 years of my life working behind the microphone and to this day, I still love being on the air or listening to someone else on the radio.  So you can imagine why my recent Rhode Show assignment was so exciting and comforting…because it felt like home.  I got to spend an hour on the air at 92 Pro-Fm….the same building I used to drive my Renault Le Car (remember that thing…looked like a roller-skate-actual size) to the studio to work with Salty and Larry on the AM dial, sometimes Jimmy Gray on the FM and we’re talking all the way back in the year 1985… (Were my competitors even born yet?)

Luckily, long after retiring from radio in 1999, the nice folks at Pro-Fm called to ask me to fill in every so often for Kim.  How fun to spend a day here or there with Gio and Wil, get my radio fix, and go back home to being a mom.  The weird thing about going back to Pro-Fm this time was that I finally got to meet the very talented Kim Zandi and I was truly a guest with a mission…I needed to promote myself (very awkward).. get their votes…so I decided to bribe them with some homemade ricotta cookies and it just may have worked.  I learned a few things about this morning team “off the air”, including the fact that they all have a sweet tooth!  See for yourself…

I do want to thank Gio, Kim and Wil for a very fun filled morning….and also thanks to Jessica who not only does the D-J thing at Pro-Fm,  but is a wonderful contributor to the Rhode Show.  She also got me to tell her a few things about myself…on camera…I can’t imagine where that footage might end up…stay tuned for that!  Meanwhile, I just took my old fashioned camera and got a great shot of all of us to put in my radio scrapbook…SMILE and say RHODE SHOW!

Left to Right: Gio, Naomi, Will, Kim & Jessica

Boy, John Lennon’s lyrics have been playing around in my head a lot lately….…I hate to sound like a Hallmark card….but I feel blessed to have some wonderful friends in my life.  You see, I remember hearing about the Rhode Show when it just came on the air and thinking “what a great idea and wouldn’t it be fantastic to be a part of it somehow.”  But time passed and I got busy with life and kids and I never really gave it another thought….. until I got “ a little help”  from my dearest friend Lynne

  She and I go back to high school days…homeroom at Classical…good times…She was the math wizard, I was allegedly better at English and together we helped each other get through four years of college prepatory education.  We went to the same college…spent many a crazy spring break together in Florida…had the wild and crazy beach houses in Narragansett and danced the nights away at Club Promenade….good times…Lynne went into nursing…I went into broadcasting…and while our majors were different…we always stayed connected….many years, many jobs, and many kids later…we are still the best of friends.  I took Lynne with me on my recent assignment at Twin River and that’s when I had to thank her for getting me involved in this Rhode Show adventure.

I also want to “toast” another dear friend…Larry my computer tutor.  Much like Lynne, he is very humble and doesn’t want to appear on camera.  But I cannot go another day without thanking this extremely patient and kind human being who has been holding my hand through all my computer troubles and trying to teach me how to execute my ideas “technologically.”  I wouldn’t be “ getting by”  without him.

And then there are my radio friends…Giovanni Will and Kim….92 pro Fm is my next stop on this Rhode Show tour..tomorrow (Monday) morning from 8-9 am…Don’t forget to tune in and to steal a line from one of my favorite TV show theme songs…you guessed it…Friends…”I’ll be there for you!”

Well, kids, it’s been a little hairy on the home front lately to say the least.  I have been trying to dodge the swine flu bullet, run a little home business I have( that’s another blog), take care of the kids, and keep hubby happy ( that’s a whole other blog altogether!) And oh yeh…..the Rhode Show thing…how could I forget!   But thank heavens for the Rhode Show because my next assignment is the perfect remedy for this overworked and overwhelmed housewife!….LAUGHTER!

I get to head out into my hood….little old Lincoln…and make my way to the R.I. version of “the wonder of it all”….Twin River….and Catch a Rising Star to interview comedian Chris Tabb before he takes to  the stage.  I’ve been doing a little research on him to prepare for my 20/20 Barbara Walter’s -like interview ( okay so it’s more like 3 minutes and a little hipper, if I’m lucky)  I must say, Chris is a very funny guy!  That’s a good thing being stand up comedian.  He’s very Bill Cosby-esque..and I love Bill Cosby, so I am very excited to let this Boston native make me laugh.

The whole comedy thing, though, got me thinking about what really makes me laugh.  I remember a few short weeks ago, during the audition process for the Rhode Show, I was sitting before a tribunal of Fox executives who were firing all sorts of questions at me.  I believe it was the General Manager who chose to ask me…” what makes you laugh Naomi????”  I remember saying something stupid because I was so nervous.  Had I been a little sharper, I might have said what really makes me laugh….my kids and how they say and do the funniest things!

Not long ago, I caught my 7 yr old, in my black stilettos,  standing before the long bathroom mirror, pretending to be me!  In a high pitched voice, I heard him say….Hi,  my name is Naomi Salvatore and I want to be the next Rhode show co-host because I used to be in the business…my kids are bigger now…I wanna get back in the business”  It was hysterical…and he really did  sound very much  like his mother!

Halloween night, just before climbing into bed, one of the boys began his prayer with “in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy GHOST.  He said “ I think they should change it…you know at this time of year.”  It made me chuckle …makes sense right?     But one of the funniest lines came recently  as both boys were discussing how I am always blogging.  “Mom, they said….if this Rhode Show thing doesn’t work out, you could always be a “colonist.”  I lost it,  laughing at that one.  Let’s face it, they’re right…I do live in new England and own a “colonial home.”

Well, I’m sure it’s all much funnier to me since they are MY kids, but I know you will find one particular guy very funny.  He’s my favorite comedian (next to Ben Hague and Chris Tabb, of course!)   He’s the kind of comic that makes your face hurt because you are laughing so hard…At his shows,  .I’ve laughed until I’ve cried and had two raccoon eyes from running mascara to prove it!  I had the pleasure of interviewing this cherubic faced comic while I worked in New York.  His favorite subject, like mine, is FOOD and his name is John Pinette.  In the words of this newly hip computer using mom, he makes me L O L….I just learned that meant laugh out loud!  Hope you L O L too!