bad news.

today i went out with one of our meteorologists, who is also a reporter. we did a story about yard waste and figuring out what to do with it, now that the city doesn't have a sponsored program (as of just recently). apparently there's a place that will take your yard waste and convert it into biofuel. or the "lawn doctor" said that leaving your grass clippings on your lawn isn't bad because it can act as fertilizer.

so, carlos (my reporter / meteorologist) is fabulous and funny and awesome. just saying. he had such an easy time talking to people and everyone who talks to him thinks he is so cool because, well, he is. he works for the air force sometimes and does meteorology, and he showed me a video of him jumping out of a plane for basic training. yes, he gets to go sky-diving as part of his job. well, he's going to do more training in july, and then he'll be going back to the middle east later in the year for another little bit. my point: carlos = cool.

so we got back from the station and wrote the story. mostly, i just watched, but he was really interesting to watch. he has zero journalism background, since he went to school for weather, and yet he is in a 30-something market and doing stories and he does a great job. after writing, he voiced the track. while we were in the booth, the assistant news director stuck her head in and told carlos he should go upstairs for a sec when we were done. so he did, and one of the photogs asked me to go to the courthouse with him to go through some records, so i did.

and then i got back. and everyone had just gotten the memo:
carlos is no longer with the station.

OMG.

first of all, i was just working with him like an hour ago and he was with the station then. so what the heck?! everyone was totally dumbfounded and no one knew what to say. it was terrible. because really...there's nothing you can do. i wonder if he knew that the story we worked on together was going to be his last one. i wonder if anyone knows when their last time will be.

regardless...here's what i've decided. i never want to be in any sort of position where i have to fire people. eff that. i don't care if i don't get paid anything to be a reporter or a producer or something. you couldn't pay me to lay off the people that i work with and care about.

anyways. i miss you, carlos. and i'm glad we got to work together today.