First name Amanda, last name Reed. And boy oh boy, do I owe her one.

Amanda, whom I often refer to as The River Reporter’s “graphics guru,” has once again proven her superhero status. Although she has rescued me and my ineptitude on more than one occasion, her last herculean effort to save my sorry, um, tush, was nothing short of miraculous, and I’m still relearning how to breathe.

Last Thursday, I spent the morning on air with Thunder 102 “radio guru” Paul Ciliberto on location at the new YO1 Luxury Nature Cure “wellness destination” in Monticello, NY, prior to TRR “news guru” Fritz Mayer’s arrival in time for the opening ceremony (see page 1.)

Station manager Ciliberto, Bold Gold Media news director Mike Sakell and (title-less) I interviewed a variety of spokespeople regarding the ancient Indian therapies of naturopathy, Ayurveda and yoga that are offered at YO1. The place is absolutely stunning (IMHO,) and I snapped several shots of the interiors, the landscaping and a very special guest: 15-year-old motivational speaker, musician  and internet sensation Sparsh Shah, who had traveled from New Jersey to sing the national anthem of both India and the USA.

I left the retreat just as throngs of media outlets and local dignitaries arrived, along with a large crowd of invited guests, knowing that I had a long day ahead, which would culminate with a performance of “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Forestburgh Playhouse. There I do double duty and not only review the show, but also photograph each production for producer Franklin Trapp.

Now that I’ve been serving in that capacity for more a few years, Franklin has become (uh oh) comfortable with my abilities, and even encourages me to be creative from time to time. As a result, I take far more photos than necessary, sometimes jumping on stage with the performers for those “up close and personal” shots that might be “kinda cool.” Arriving home after midnight, I heaved my sorry, um, tush, into bed, with plans to process the shots the next morning, using software that the “Amazing Amanda” had installed for me on one of her many house calls. Taking note that there were thunderstorms on the horizon, I attached a cable from my camera to the computer, pressed “send” and gasped with horror as a thunderclap reverberated in my home office, causing a brown-out. And before the lights flickered back on, my photos (I mean the Forestburgh Playhouse and The River Reporter’s photos) were gone. Not in the camera, not on my desktop, nowhere to be found. Vanished. Gone without a trace.

First I called Franklin, who was amazingly calming and (unlike me) non-hysterical, doing his utmost to quell my rising panic, while encouraging me to explore my options, which I counted as zero—until I called Amanda.

“Don’t freak out” she laughed. “Nothing is ever really gone, if you know where to look, but I need your camera in order to save your ___ (insert “tush” here). By the time I arrived at the office in Narrowsburg, everyone knew of my plight and were holding their collective breaths as Amanda waved her magic wand, utilizing all of the skills and expertise that inspire awe in others less gifted.

All in all, Amanda recovered more than 800 files, many that I had no clue were still lurking on my little chip-thingy. “It’s called the SD card” Amanda chided. “You really do need me, don’t you?” Relieved, I have to admit that I do. I really do.

To read my complete review of “Million Dollar Quartet” check out the Arts & Leisure section at www.riverreporter.com.