“Weekend Today” hosts Campbell Brown and Lester Holt face their fears in a special series called “Cold Feet.” Check out Lester and Campbell's thoughts on the experience.
• November 3, 2006 | 1:27 p.m.
Kiss the cook (Campbell Brown, “Weekend Today” co-host)
Let me begin by saying, I love my mother-in-law. Absolutely adore her. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am feeling a little bit of pressure. She is coming for Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving with my new husband. And my mother-in-law is coming, along with my husband's sister, my husband's niece and a gang of his cousins. They are staying almost a week ... and as the hostess, let me be blunt, I am TERRIFIED. I mean, heart palpitations and hyper-ventilating terrified. Look, I really am trying not to over-react and to be realistic here. These are really nice people I'm talking about. I mean, even if I serve the most-dried-out, impossible-to-chew turkey in the world and forget to buy toilet paper ... these people, my in-laws, would insist they were having a wonderful time. But somehow that's not any real comfort. And here's my biggest challenge: my mother-in-law is an AMAZING cook. AMAZING. And I don't mean that she has just a few fabulous dishes. Oh NO ... this woman can cook ANYTHING. Seriously ... she boils water and it is fantastic.
In stark contrast, her new daughter-in-law (that would be me) is a terrible cook. Though let me say in my defense ... I am getting better. At least I think I'm getting better. My husband tells me I'm getting better. But then we're newlyweds and he could be trying to spare my feelings. Maybe I'm not getting better after all ... arrrgghhhh!!! Okay ... deep breath ... this is how you drive yourself crazy. Let's get back to the point ... I have to cook a Thanksgiving meal for the ultimate cook ... and play host to the ultimate hostess — my mother-in-law.
Where do things stand? I am calling in the cavalry. All of my friends at the “Weekend Today” show knew I could not pull this off without professional help, and fortunately for me, they are coming to the rescue. We are teaming up with our pals at Real Simple magazine who are going to give me a hand. The countdown is on and in the next few weeks they are going to teach me how to become the perfect (or perfect enough to get through the holiday) hostess.
If you can relate or you have any anxiety or fear about hosting family and friends, be sure and tune in. We will be living and breathing it with you in the next few weeks.
Good luck to us all!! Campbell
• October 13, 2006 | 12:26 p.m.
Thinking about snakes ... on a plane (Lester Holt, “Weekend Today” co-host)
Snakes on a Plane? No, but does getting on a plane to pet snakes count?
I’m writing this at JFK Airport about to board a plane for Boston where I have been “assigned” to meet with an anxiety therapist to help me with my fear of snakes.
This was not my idea. In fact I’m not sure my so-called fear of snakes is unreasonable or irrational. As far as I’m concerned when the serpent gave Eve the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, snakes lost all rights to be tolerated.
This whole thing began this past summer when on the “Today” show about his movie “Snakes of a Plane.” Our set designers thought it would be fun to create a backdrop full of live snakes in aquariums. Jackson got into the spirit and agreed to drape himself in this six-foot long yellow boa constrictor in a brief “tease” before the segment. I informed Jackson I would prefer he not hold the snake during our interview. And so it began. My fear of snakes became public, and our executive producer thought my learning to overcome this fear would make a great story. I should have said I was afraid of a Hawaii vacation, or better yet, swimsuit models. I could be brushing sand out of my laptop at this very moment.
I am not a whimp. I have done stories dangling 90 floors above Chicago in a window-washing rig on the Sears Tower. I have pulled 9-Gs and done loops and rolls with the Thunderbirds and Blue Angles. Heck, a few months ago. But snakes are different. Somehow the fear has only grown stronger as I’ve gotten older. I think maybe I’ve seen one too many . Loved the “Anaconda” films, and squirmed my way through “Snakes on a Plane.” I can look at them, I just don’t want them in striking or strangling distance. I find nothing cute about draping oneself in some big ugly snake. I get the shivers just thinking about it.
Anyway I’m a team player, so off I go to meet the snake shrink, as I like to call him. At the Boston University Anxiety Disorder Center, they claim they can help me deal with my snake phobia, and that they’ll have me holding snakes within just a few hours.
I can only hope they close Kennedy airport for snow in the next 30 minutes.
Tune in to “Weekend Today” in November to watch the “Today” show crew overcome their fears.