(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 15 - February 25, 2026)
More than
really being necessary, having a dedicated email address for Blood,
Sweat, and Pig’s Ears simply made me feel good. It also established a
buffer early on, as if this blog was more removed from me. I didn’t mention my
family, and I was several years deep before I even shared my first name. The
blog email allowed me to remain somewhat anonymous while still being accessible.
Plus, it made this site more of a creation from scratch that stood
on its own legs.
When I
first came up with my idea about connecting with people working for the home improvement
networks, I kept closer tabs on this secondary address. Although I checked my main
account daily, the one for this blog was one of those things that got away from
me a bit when I realized it wasn’t being used very much. But then a year and a half
into my delusions of having the attention of TV people, a noteworthy blog reader
emerged from cyber space.
Was
this some sort of joke? Were hidden cameras mounted in the living room, capturing
my excitement before someone would suddenly let me in on this well pointed prank?
Besides
being next door neighbors on our cable menu, I’d noticed how Nicole Curtis’ Rehab
Addict aired regularly on HGTV and the DIY network. And because of this,
getting an email from someone claiming to be a Director of Original
Programming and Development representing each channel, tracked.
My hunch
had been right. They did know about me.
This reach
out was dated September 26, 2013, but I didn’t open it until the second day of October.
After preliminaries, the TV scout flattered me by mentioning my blog, my enthusiasm
for renovating, and an appreciation for my approach and attitude toward my pig’s
ears. Then I was invited to submit an introductory video about myself,
something that included my family. Conversational in tone, this letter was full
of useful information I needed to make my decision about if and how
to respond.
More than
once, I’d received the well-known congratulatory letter from an international
esquire representing some wealthy distant relative who’d died with millions.
Midway through the Sept. 26th note, my mind went to these internet
fishing schemes. But then I looked at the sender’s email. Rather than one of
those alphabet soup type addresses that looked like a pet walked on the
keyboard, it was professional, matching the person’s first initial and last name
@HGTV.com.
I re-read this
message several times and then wrote a thank you note back that amounted to,
“I’ll put something together and send it to you soon.” Not a huge promise. Only
an acknowledgement that I’d seen and read the unsolicited email.
I gave it
several looks throughout the day as I thought and thought. I did some on-line researching,
and that sleuthing, coupled with the network email address, helped get me to
the point of concluding that it was a legitimate introduction and invitation.
Coming at it from many different angles, I couldn’t see a reasonable downside to
sending in a video.
Eventually,
after I talked it out with my wife Diann, she got right to the big question on
her mind: “Did this guy ask for any money?”
I shook my head to answer and then we began laying out a plan to submit something.
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