On finding my stride

I graduated from college with a fantastic liberal arts education and a passion for community journalism. I worked hard to get my first reporter job - on a small, six-day-a-week paper in very rural New Mexico. I worked harder than I ever had before, faced a lot of frustrations, was routinely in over my head, and loved every minute of it.

But moving to a larger paper as the bottom was falling out of the economy and the nation was tolling the death bell for the printed newspaper was not as good an experience. Daily I was faced with the not-so-nice side of reporting, and the harder I worked and the more I failed, the more I realized I wasn't cut out for reporting. At least not in the way I would need to work for several years before I could, possibly, get back to the kind of writing I really loved.

So I hung up my press pass, went to grad school, and embarked on a very different career path. Since starting grad school I've had two jobs I loved and two I didn't.  And somewhere in there I started this blog. For the past several years I've not-so-jokingly told people I'd like to blog and work in social media for a living. And right now, in a temporary capacity, I am. And it's awesome. I've definitely found my stride. And it (mostly) shows in both my attitude towards work, and in the work I'm doing.

But this job isn't mine, and I'll eventually have to give it back to its rightful owner. I'm at the point in my temporary relationship with this temporary job that I have to start thinking about what's next. Hopefully, the answer is more of the same. I'm counting on the specifics working out when the timing is right. In the meantime, I'm really enjoying being excited about what I do at work. It's been a long time since that's happened.

Things I'd forgotten

I'd forgotten how much I love the desert.

I'd forgotten how much I love watching the pre-game festivities.

Maybe I'd even forgotten how much I love the game.

A few days in Scottsdale and three Spring Training baseball games helped me remember.

But is it a dry heat?

It's 82 in the desert today, with lots of sunshine. I'll be getting a side of Vitamin D with my baseball this week. And I couldn't be more excited!

A blip in the forecast

Mother Nature has revoked summer. Hopefully this is a temporary state of atmospheric unrest. But the rain is good for the flowers. And for getting inside projects done without the sunshine to distract me.

Latent Creativity

I'm not quite sure what's happened to me, but my somewhat latent creative tendencies have exploded lately. Maybe it was selling a photo at my art show last month. Maybe it was my friend's baby shower decorations that started it. Maybe it was some time spent with my camera a few weeks ago. Whatever the cause, the results have included well-organized drawers and closets, a few home improvement and decorating projects, joining the Pintrest craze, and launching an Etsy shop to sell some of my photos.

I'm still adding photos, and I've only gone through a small portion of my collection so far, but I'm pretty excited about it. I won't ask you all to buy photos, but maybe just take a look at my pretty pictures.

I'm planning another baby shower, and more handmade decorations. I promise this won't become a crafting blog. But I'm thinking of making these, and I may need some guidance.

Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap

My grandfather wore a sleeping cap every night. He'd lost most of his hair as a young man, and in my lifetime he was appropriately grandfather-bald. He had some white hair around the sides of his head, but the top was bereft of hair. As a result, he was never without a hat. Or his sleeping cap.

As a kid, I didn't think much of this. In fact, I haven't given the image of him in his nightcap and dressing gown (a holdover from his Italian parents, I think) much thought until just this week. I've been so cold at night, and even with the heat on I've reached for a hooded sweatshirt in the middle of the night. And I've pulled up the hood and fastened it securely around my head.

But here's the thing. The sweatshirt is too warm. I really just want the hood. Or some other appropriate head covering. And none of my pajamas comes with a hat. I can't be the only one with this problem. How do you keep your head warm at night?

The worst part of vacation

Oahu, New Year's Day 2012

Is that it always leaves me wanting more.

Little joys

I'm pretty thankful I didn't puke on myself on Friday until after I'd gotten home from work. I set a new personal low last week. And I pondered that as I stopped to puke along a retaining wall while walking from my office to the bus stop. It was a beautiful day, and I was pretty sure every runner who raced past me in the Presidio thought I was just hungover from Thursday night.

I almost wish that had been the case.

But, with a few days in bed, and a lot of Gatorade, I'm now feeling a little better. I'm not surprised I got sick. My trip to NY wore me out. It was hard. Really hard. But some really good things happened last week, too.

We hosted a dance party in our living room, and I got to watch the daughter of one of my oldest friends spin like a dervish while we talked and laughed. The past few years have been pretty brutal on some of my relationships. But I've been able to reconnect with a few old friends, too, and I'm so thankful for that.

We're making progress on the house. It's hard and it hurts and I'd rather we not have to divvy up the china and the Christmas ornaments, but we're doing it. Slowly. In the way that's best for us.  I'm so immensely proud of us.

Ugh

There's a bad stomach bug making its way around San Francisco (and a bunch of other places too). A local high school had so many kids and teachers get sick that they shut the school for a week. But the worst of it seemed to be over. And I seemed to survive unscathed.

Until Friday. I haven't had a stomach virus in about 10 years. And I don't ever remember being so sick.

So I'll be hanging out on my couch for a few days, hoping my stomach muscles recover enough that putting on pants isn't painful, and being thankful for all the friends who offered to bring me soup. I think I'm ready to eat it now.

The best part of traveling is coming home again

I spent some time on the beach a few weeks ago, soaking up a beautiful winter day in preparation for a trip to NY to handle some family stuff.  I love to travel, but sometimes the best part of going away is coming home again. This trip was hard. I am very happy to be home.