Summer's in sight

I've been taking on too many challenges lately, to the detriment of projects already in hand, including three blogs that are getting far too few posts added to them. Three months have gone by, and it's already late May. The end of summer term can't come too soon for weary professors (I'm not naming names) but for those of us on a 12-month schedule, summer simply means shifting down a few gears and catching our breath a little.

But while some things slow down, other projects gain momentum. It took me the entire Memorial Day weekend to get caught up on my weeding, and I'm far from done with outside projects. Things are looking good, but there's always something more to do.

Adding a handsome pair of outdoor chickens has kept us busy, but now that they are settled in, there's not much to do other than keep them fed and watered and clean out their house every couple of days. We're using the chicken manure to add richness to our garden, and by fall we'll start getting eggs, which will be pretty exciting.

Summer beckons with a promise of some warm and lazy days ahead. The hard part will be remembering to stop working on making things perfect and just enjoy what's all around.

That groundhog can bite me

Today's sunny weather brought out a bunch of blooms in my garden that have really lifted my spirits. Halfway through February and everything's starting to come back to life. Here are a few of the friendly faces that caught my eye today.

Will t.v. news benefit from the demise of print media?

My friend Dennis sent this link my way, and I find it interesting that there's an assumption that television news can thrive without newspapers, or that they're better positioned to weather the recession than print media. In my experience, local television stations are cutting back staff as well, and considering they already have much smaller news teams than newspapers do, the lack of warm bodies is becoming more evident.
And because their news-gathering abilities are limited due to lack of staff, they are becoming even more dependent on gleaning (stealing) news from newspapers and either reading it directly from the AP or other sources and claiming it as their own, or sending a news crew to cover a story based on what they've read in the morning paper. If newspapers die, so does that constant source of local news. Considering Corvallis has no local television station, and Eugene stations are less and less willing to invest the gas money to send their crews north, if the papers here disappear, there is really no one left to cover local news.
Just some things to consider as the fate of newspapers becomes all the more uncertain.

Recharging the batteries

One of the most dramatic things I notice about not being in the newsroom is the novel feeling of not constantly being on deadline. Not only does a daily deadline tend to produce a steady undercurrent of stress, but if you're always focused on producing for the next day, it's really hard to plan ahead. Because my deadlines are now stretched out over longer periods, I'm much more able to see the bigger picture and be more conscientious about how I approach stories, what elements I can include, and how to best present them.
I have small daily deadlines, little things I must tackle each morning, that keep me busy, but only for short periods of time, and after I accomplish those each day, I can then set my own pace. It's not a matter of being lazy, or even of not being busy, as I'm steadily working all day long, and often for longer hours than I worked previously. But it's about changing my viewpoint on projects, and feeling a different kind of pressure, one to do good work, and take the time to do it well.
Meanwhile, a trip to the beach yesterday helped me feel even more positive about life and this new way of looking at work. These kids were having a lot of fun keeping away from the rising tide, and enjoying some unseasonably warm coastal weather.

Getting used to orange

I apologize for letting this thing go for so long. You see, having made the transition out of journalism into the "other side," I have one, been really busy concentrating on doing a good job, and two, felt a bit guilty about bemoaning the state of journalism in my blog and then admitting that I've bailed.
The good news is I'm feeling really happy with my decision. I love the university where I now work. The people are incredibly supportive and welcoming and have made the decision to move so much easier. Additionally, I'm doing so much writing, photography and layout that I feel like my creative side is being tapped in a way that it hadn't been for so long, as I slogged through the drudgery and low morale of being in a shrinking, sad newsroom where everyone felt scared and insecure.
One of the many things that newsroom prepared me for was working under pressure, and making changes on the fly. That has come in handy in surprising ways. While my deadlines are now totally different and ever-changing, what has thrown me for a loop is the number of new technologies I'm tackling, things that I am having to learn quickly and which, once learned, simply lead to new challenges. I've had a lot of those in the past month, and I feel like my ability to adapt and absorb is in large part due to my training as a journalist. I think we are asked to have a certain type of brain flexibility in our work that makes us really valuable no matter what we end up doing later. I'm hoping that kind of thing is what helps me fight dementia when I get older, as they say using your brain in new ways is the best weapon against the onset of the kind of memory loss and confusion my grandmother is now facing.
And because most of the people I work with come from newsrooms previously, I feel the same kind of camaraderie and understanding that I did in my former place of employment. I've settled in, painted my office, hung a bunch of my photographs, and even have gotten into wearing orange and black each Friday (hey, it involved shopping, so it's not all bad).
I will try to be better about this blog now that I feel I have my feet under me in a certain way. I'm not planning on talking about work as much as creativity, my continuing observations on the industry, and perhaps seeking suggestions as new technological and editorial hurdles present themselves.
(PS Blogger isn't letting me post photos so I'll try again later)

Jon Stewart makes us sad

It's funny because it's true. Too true.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - Final Edition Edition

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Getting a little distance

It's been less than a week since I've been away from the newspaper, and I'm already having dreams about working there, filling out photo slips and going to assignments. I guess my brain is wondering what is going on and when I'm going back to "normal" so it's compensating with dreams. I'm keeping in touch with everyone via email but even that is sporadic as I'm trying to focus as much as possible on my new work and training and all that important stuff. I feel weirdly disconnected as if I'm going to be called at any second and yelled at for not showing up at an assignment or something. It's a strange feeling.
Meanwhile everyone at my new job is extremely nice and supportive and makes me feel even more eager to do a good job and learn things as fast as I can. I know I need to take my time but I'm kind of used to being in control of the situation, and newness can be scary. I'm grateful I've got the time to learn things and not having to jump into big projects without a parachute. Meanwhile I watch the newspaper's stock dip further and further into dangerous territory and I get sad, and scared for everyone still there.