Nothing like a good windstorm to shake things up around here. I was amazed at all the damage I saw after we finally came off the golf course. Yes, I played golf in that mess until 1:30pm when the hard-core femmes finally caved. And thank goodness we stopped when we did because the worst of it came through between 1:30 and 3pm. The drive home gave me a good idea of just how bad things were everywhere. Including at our house, where a huge tree snapped and put the kibosh on our horse trailer. And that wasn't the only challenge we would deal with from Ike. Our offices lost power as well and by the end of the day Monday, we realized it wasn't just a "snow day" we were facing. It was a week, maybe two of operating without power and a lot of work that had to be completed, including a new business pitch at week's end.

I have to say I am very proud of my teammates. This wasn't something we had planned for and so we got everyone together for a status meeting on Tuesday-in the courtyard outside-and proceeded to figure out what had to be done. At least half of our employees didn't have power so the ones who did graciously opened up their homes and set up makeshift workstations so that those without could plow through and meet our deadlines.

Everyone grabbed their computers and hauled them to wherever they could find power.

I heard stories of folks sitting outside Starbucks to scab onto their wireless. Tumbleweed, our largest client, even opened up their conference room to us. It was amazing to see how everyone here at Current pulled together and got through the week. Some said they got more work done from home-or wherever they were.

And our web-based system, CurrentTrack, really helped keep everyone in the loop. We could stay up-to-date on jobs and "know-it-all" daily. We set up texting with all our employees so they received updates via their cell phones on the power situation at the office. Those who lived nearby took turns and came down to check the building, hoping for some light. We even used Kinko's for our new business presentation materials, something we had not done in years.

All in all, it turned out to be a minor inconvenience. I kept reminding myself of all the folks in Louisiana and along the Texas coastline who were suffering major losses and thanking God for what little we had to endure.

Well, maybe after reading Katy's blog from Friday, you got a sense of what it was like running this office without an office.

Reminds me of the Ancient Chinese Curse - May you live in interesting times.   Boy, was last week interesting.

I spent my Sunday dodging limbs and 100 year Pin Oak trees that were falling in my neighborhood.  Lights out at 1:00 p.m.

Monday brought the scramble to connect.  No electricity at the office either.  Like others on our account service staff who were left in the dark, I camped out at the corner coffee shop to keep business moving. I quickly realized the early bird got the power outlet.  Kati Parrish, our lone Account Exec with power, set up a mini-agency with an Art Director in her home.  Jacky, Allison and I were nomads.

As homes and businesses lit up throughout the community, CurrentMarketing's and my own were way down the list.  So every day, I'd get up and run to the coffee shop by 7:00 to ensure electricity -- less than 50 yards from my own back door -- and catch up on emails, make sure clients were getting the info they needed, deadlines got met.   Associates outside the company never even felt a bump in the road.

Yes, CurrentTrack was a godsend last week.  And so many other internal lines of communication -- email, phones (forwarded to cell phones) flowed just like an average day at the office.

My goal as leader of the account service staff is to make every client feel like our most important.  So in the end, clients who didn't know our predicament conducted business as usual with us.  Clients who did know, saw our efforts to perform above-and-beyond.

And isn't that what you want from your marketing company?

The first casualty of the day.

In front of my home.

Trees all around, but (thank God) only on my lawn, not on my house.

Just a couple of doors down from me.

Saturday Night Live generally begins it season with a bang, selecting the likes of Rob Lowe, Reese Witherspoon, Matt Damon, Jack Black, Ben Affleck and Steve Carell to open on a high note. With the exception of LeBron James, they typically tend to avoid the sports stars until later in the season when they can absorb the negative reviews brought on by the non-actor in the lead role. (For what it's worth, LeBron was actually a really good host - who can argue with the Mike Underballs' PSA and the 'Best of Solid Gold?').

On the heels of US swimming phenom Michael Phelp's success in the summer Olympics, SNL selected him to host the season opener this year. I should preface this by saying that I think SNL has had its share of bad casts and questionable writing choices...but, for me, it's been better the past few years. The additions of Andy Samburg, Bill Heder, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig and Seth Myers have done wonders for the energy of the show.

Choosing Michael Phelps for the season premiere was, in my humble opinion, a serious and easily predictable misstep. I say 'serious' because it's now set the tone for the reason. And need I remind the producers of the disasters named Nancy Kerrigan and Wayne Gretzky? Extraordinary athletes, yes...comedic actors, no. Bad timing, poor reading skills, no memorization of lines, missing marks...the list of tv faux pas goes on and on.

Michael Phelps didn't allay any of these past problems sports figures have presented for the show. With the exception of a few moments of brilliance, he was basically flat and read his lines off cards (and badly, I might add). The sketches without him were much funnier than the ones with him.
The opening sketch with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as Palin and Clinton was hysterical. I enjoyed Weekend Update, especially Fred Armisen as Nicholas Fehn, the fake political commentator. And, for some strange reason, the sketch with Amy Poehler and Phelps as a couple in a restaurant with a very colorful server had me in stitches, though I have heard arguments that the server character is ripped off from Nick Kroll's 'Fabrice Fabrice'.

All in all, not a terrible premiere, but could have been much better had they chosen a host who could act.

As most of you, our loyal readers, know, our city has been besieged by wind damage with downed electrical lines, tree carnage and a lovely shortage of gas, ice and cash machines with power.

Our building has been one of the casualties this week - power was off from Sunday afternoon until last night. A normal business would fold under the lack of personnel presence - its employees would take the opportunity to vacation for the week. But not at CurrentMarketing.

We have used texting, email, instant messaging and our phenomenal traffic system to keep our workflow, well, flowing. We set up a keyword with our text service provider and all subscribed to it on Tuesday. Each day, we've taken turns checking on the power and communicating the status to the team through texts.

Email, of course, has been our primary source of communicating with one another and our clients, especially when presenting creative and media plans.

For quick turnaround on answers, rapid project movement or general chatter, we've used instant messaging through our company gmail account.

And, CurrentTrack, our internal traffic system, and our amazing traffic manager, have kept our tasks on track for the week.

So, while we have lacked a certain personal contact with one another and the usual energy that brings our shop together when we are physically present, we've had a different sort of energy that's propelled our business in light of the natural disaster. All thanks to technology and our ability to use it.

Despite that aptitude, I do have to admit that it will be nice to get back to the culture that makes CurrentMarketing so special. I can't see Dennis Bonifer giggle like a kid through my cell phone. I can't hear Pam Kreutzer scream about a bug in the bathroom via email. And I am missing Kati Parrish's Spongebob-style laugh - can't get that through CurrentTrack. It's good to be back in the building.

It's only Wednesday and I've already watched 3 premieres this week! I love September!!!

First on the docket - Hole In The Wall, Fox's version of a Japanese game show in which contestants basically attempt to stuff themselves through a hole in a wall that is barreling toward on them on a track. If they miss, they're knocked into a pool of water. Classic slapstick. If this show isn't cancelled in just a few weeks, it will be featured on Comedy Central's Root of All Evil, VH1's Best Week Ever or E!'s Talk Soup...and not in a good way. The irony for me is that I really enjoyed the clips of its Japanese progenitor I found on youtube. The Fox version is Americanized - obnoxious hosts (particularly the floor commentator), green liquid in the pool and overly-caffeinated, idiotic competitors. My prediction: I need another episode of Hole In The Wall like I need another Hole In My Head. It will be replaced mid-season if it makes it that long.

Second - True Blood, HBO's Louisiana-based vampire drama. In the illustrious history of its HBO original dramatic predecessors (Deadwood, Rome, the Wire, Generation Kill - rest in peace, my television lovelies), True Blood picks up with the typical cast of bizarre oddballs, brittle dialogue and vivid imagery. Most HBO new series take me an ep or two to get engrained and really love what I see...True Blood skipped all that flotsam and sunk its teeth right into my jugular (pun intended). My prediction: True Blood, like 99% of HBO dramas, will reach its conclusion too soon for me.

Last - Fringe, widely characterized as Fox's new X-Files. I compare it less to X-Files and more to Lost. Of course, JJ Abrams is behind this one too, so that makes sense. The story is pretty good - I think it will get better after all the exposition is over. There were a few moments were I REALLY had to suspend belief and forget about reality - so, this brilliant madman gets released from a mental institution and within 15 hours has completely regained his sanity and saved a federal agent from a flesh-eating virus through the use of a mind meld? I chalk that up to just trying to get the back story told, though. Now that it's told, I have big expectations for episode 2. All that aside, it's the Abrams touches that I so love with Lost that kept me up past my weekday bedtime to see the conclusion of the show. He clearly loves symbology and writes a lot of that into his shows. He also loves mysterious back stories, particularly for characters played by Lance Reddick. My prediction: I really like Fringe, but the only way it will succeed is to keep the story moving (like Lost's 5th season), tie up loose ends (like the British version of The Office), create some realistic romantic tension between the two lead characters (like Dawson's Creek) and basically do all the things X-Files failed to do.

Donna Martin graduates!  Donna Martin gradu...Wait!  This is not the same Beverly Hills, 90210 that I know and love.  How could it be without Donna Martin?  Or Brandon, Dylan, Steve, David and the rest of the gang.

True, in this series, a couple of kids move to the world's most awesome zip from the Midwest, and there are still designer clothes, flashy rides and even Kelly Taylor hanging out in the halls at West Beverly, but it's just not the same.

Here's the deal.  Annie and adopted Dixon move from Kansas to BH with their parents.  Their dad is the new principal at West Beverly Hills High School, replacing Mrs. Teasley, I assume.  Annie becomes good friends with Naomi (who's kinda like the old first season's Kelly Taylor) and Silver.  Naomi is dating Ethan, who's on the lacrosse team with Dixon, although he's cheating on her with some dark-haired mystery girl.  You see, this is the kind of normal, juicy drama that I love.  If that's all there was to it, 90210 would probably have a nice relationship with my DVR.

Here's the bummer.  Kelly Taylor is now a guidance counselor at West Beverly.  What happened to Kelly Taylor Public Relations that she started after quitting her job at Donna's store Now Wear This?  And what about Dylan?  Kelly just got back together with him at Donna's wedding.  Next, Annie's friend Silver is actually Erin Silver, Kelly and David's little sister from the original series.  If you're still not feeling connected to the old show, don't worry! Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez is the host of Good Morning West Beverly.  So did Andrea finally decide to leave Jesse for good and move back to Cali and live with Grandma Rose forever?  Nat also made an appearance.  I'm not sure if he's still working at the Peach Pit, but he was serving up reduced fat caramel frappacinos at some fancy looking eatery.  And finally, here's the kicker.  Brenda Walsh is apparently back in town and decided to pop in and visit with her old pal Kelly.  When we last left the gang, Brenda and Kelly still weren't getting along, even when Dylan was out of the picture.

I just get the feeling that the show forces too many references to the original series.  If this were just the story and Annie and Dixon moving and going to school in Beverly Hills, it would probably be Gossip Girl-tastic.  It's got all of the drama that makes these kind of shows so great.  My problem is that the CW is trying to snag viewers like me, who are fans of the old show, but the elements that they are including are just not realistic.  Seriously, didn't we all learn our lesson when Joey tried to move out west?

In the words of Andrea Zuckerman, the show is more of a Pit than a Peach!