What you see is what she is.
If meteorologist Stacey Donaldson was nervous about her debut this morning on KCNC-Channel 4, she didn’t show it when we talked late last week.
She’s the epitome of a Colorado woman – loves the outdoors, hates pretensions and is ever ready with a wisecrack and a smile behind it.
She took to the air this morning after the mandatory three-month no- compete since her departure in November after four years at KDVR- Channel 31. She’s doing the morning and noon news weathercasts, trying to live up to her idol, Ed Greene.
She’s up at 2:30 a.m. to be on the air by 5 a.m. and do 20 weather reports and updates over two hours. She says she loves the weird hours. “It’s nice to be awake in the dark when no one’s around. I’m much more happy in an off-time schedule.” This, of course, means she’s usually in bed by 6:30 the night before, cutting down on her dating. “It’s a ‘grandma schedule.’ If I need to date somebody, I’ll eat a lot of lunches.”
She’s so loose she’s got the courage to look back at video of her early on-air appearances in Yuma, Ariz., the ones with the Buster Brown haircut. “Ohmigod!” she shouts, laughing. “It’s shocking to see yourself!”
Things you don’t know about her: She’s big into snowboarding and knitting. Yes, knitting. And she gets fan mail – a lot of it from the jail. “I don’t write back.”
The weather is more than her livelihood; it’s her passion. “You’re always monitoring the weather. People are always talking about if you’re right or wrong. I take it personally if I’m wrong. We’re right a lot of the time.”
She’s cool, too. She didn’t even wince when I asked her an “ET” question: “Who’s taller? You or Kathy Sabine?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met Kathy.”
Around the dial
Call in, ask Gov. Bill Ritter a question when he makes his monthly visit to Mike Rosen (10 a.m. to noon today, KOA 850-AM). He’s standing by at 303-713-8585. … It’s official: Reporter Ginger Delgaldo, unable to agree on a work schedule with her bosses at KUSA-Channel 9, departed the job on Wednesday. Looking for work. … New Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella goes one-on-one with Bryant Gumbel on “Real Sports” (8 tonight, HBO). … Quotable: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” John Ruskin
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
