Broadcast training, part one.

Had my first class under Rachel Kaub in Studio C. After I'm done with the classes I get tested. If I pass the test I'll be board certified -- meaning I'll basically get to be in the Control Room on my own.

It was very helpful. There's a lot yet to learn but it makes a lot more sense, to me, seeing someone do it than just looking at diagrams of faders, knobs, and buttons. It's ingeniously laid out and very sensible. Getting familiar with default settings seems to be the first hurdle. I swear, the first time you set foot in Control it just looks like the board of the Enterprise. Once you start to understand what controls what -- inputs and outputs, mostly -- where the sound's coming from and going -- it makes *much* more sense. Little frustrations aren't a problem like they used to be. Like knowing how to switch input functions. That -- literally not knowing which button to push -- once screwed me up, bigtime, on downloading a news story. There was no one around to ask at the time so the story just didn't get done.

Learned to cross-fade smoothly, which I guess is the accomplishment for the day.

Also cooked courgette soup. Delicious. Used yellow squash rather than zucchini and put in generous lashings of heavy cream at the end. Divine, and it'll feed me for a week.

Made ratatouille the other day, too, from Julia Child's recipe, which is identical (but just a lot more thoroughly detailed) as Paulette's. (Paulette's the lady in the south of France who gave my mother the recipe for courgette soup. Amazing stuff. Very festive. Utterly delicious.

Time to clear out of the studio.