Like moths to the flame…

Life was simple and good back in 1986.  I was in my early 20’s, fresh out of college and  working my first “real” job in media as a Television Sales Assistant at  WTNH “Action News 8” in New Haven, CT.

I made $16,500 a year which sounded like a lot of money to me back then as, up to that point, I was used to hearing how much I would make per hour, not per year…

As it turned out, it was enough money to afford me a $375 a month studio apartment in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, CT.   It was not, however, enough money for me to own a car, as that required maintenance, gas, insurance, etc.  Thankfully for me I lived right on the bus line so I could easily catch a bus to and from work.  To save money I brought my lunch to work and ate in the lunchroom, or outside on the New Haven Green when the weather was nice.  Dinner was simple:  Happy Hours!  They were everywhere back then and these bars/restaurants gave you real happy hour food, not chintzy bites like today.  Who could forget 368 State (Street) with their free juicy, delicious steak,  The Palms Restaurant (right next door to the Shubert Theater) with their appetizers of the Italian variety, or Boppers on Crown Street with their “free parties for you and 200 of your friends” which included lots of hearty appetizers and cheap drinks.   ‘Free’ was the operative word back then and me and my friends were on it like moths to the flame!

At work I typed contracts on a real typewriter using messy white out, sent out “twixes” to our rep firm in NYC and answered the phone for 3 tv sales managers, 6 to 8 Account Executives, and our new Research Director, ‘Tony Baloney,’ as I affectionately called him.  Tony started one year after me and we both reported to the General Sales Manager.   I can’t lie, I couldn’t help but wonder  what the heck was I doing with a college degree working as a glorified secretary when I had the talent and drive for bigger and better things (smile).

Then, in year 2, things got really exciting!   The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, a national television talk show arrived and would now be taped out of WTNH’s New Haven, CT studios…Our lives would never be the same…

It was the first real professional talk show I had seen up close and personal in our local New Haven, CT studios and it was sooooooo much fun to watch!

Every morning, when I got off the bus, I was greeted by a super long line of people the SJR Audience Coordinator, Jackee B., had arranged to be in Sally’s studio audience on that particular day.

Once I got upstairs, me and my co-workers would sneak back downstairs around mid-morning to watch the pros at work.   They had a full staff of people working on the show and we marveled at how they put together this 30 minute live show complete with a studio audience 5 days a week!    I also met and/or came into contact with a whole  bunch of famous people who were at the tv station to serve as guests on SJR’s show or as guests on our own Action News 8’s newscasts.  Phones did not take pictures back then or else I would have a whole bunch of selfies as proof (smile) as I had the pleasure of meeting then President Jimmy Carter and his wife Roslyn, Donna Rice, Suzanne Somers, Marlo Thomas,  and Dana Plato, just to name a few…

As a matter of fact, I’m thinking I stayed in the support position I was in for 3  1/2 years simply because I was having too much fun (smile).  Every day was unique and different and you never knew what to expect.   I get bored easily at work so this new change was very exciting to me.  Although I did not work directly for the show, I benefitted by virtue of my proximity.  And, as luck would have it, I worked with a lot of  like-minded fun and young people (Janna, Connie, Judi, Debbie), just to name a few.

As far as finances went, I had my  monthly rent, my student loan, my Sears charge card, food, laundry, miscellaneous and not much left over.  Vacations, in my mind, were an opportunty to put in more hours at work so I decided the only way I could afford a better quality of life was if I had extra income.  Hence I started  waitressing every weekend plus one or two nights during the week…

I was super busy but too young to notice (smile).

To keep up my energy level,  I was a member of Bally’s Fitness in Hamden, CT which only costs me $5.00 a month for unlimited aerobic classes.  Definitely fit my meager budget…

As I mentioned before, I took full advantage of everything that was free and/or at a reduced cost, especially when it came to my nightlife.

New Haven had a ton of Jazz and/or Blues clubs open back then (The Foundry, Jackee’s Blues Cafe, The Monterey) so me and my girls would enjoy live acts with free happy hour food and a small cover charge.

My girls: I’m second from the left…

We also went to free Jazz concerts on the New Haven Green which lasted all Summer long back then and were sponsored by one individual: Brian Alden (Furniture).

So here I am working full-time as a sales assistant at WTNH; waitressing part-time, and managing somehow to find time to moonlight on Monday nights.  I had previously completed a radio announcer training course at Yale Broadcasting Corporation after graduating from college.  This certificate allowed me to work as a Community Volunteer Radio Announcer at WYBC 94.3FM radio in New Haven, CT.   The end result was having my own show on Monday evenings  from 7p-9p, I called ‘Lovers Corner with Lajeune’ where I played a mix of R & B, Soul and Contemporary Jazz (love songs on vinyl) for my Greater New Haven listening audience.  This was strictly a labor of love and a “resume builder” as I was not getting paid to do it…

WYBC on-air crew:  I’m in the front row wearing the black sleeveless top…

Again, life was simple and good in the mid-80s.  It wasn’t always “Summertime,” but the living sure was easy…