Sunday, November 19, 2006
Down the Stretch
It's been a long, long week, and it's been a long long time since I last blogged. First, something about my absence from the blogosphere.
1. I was in Kansas City for a conference Nov. 8-12. And didn't get much of a chance to blog.
2. Plus Nic is the other reason I'm self censoring a little more these days. I know she hates it when tongues wag within the gay grapevine and everyone knows everyone else's business. And she wouldn't exactly be pleased if she knew I were doing this on the internet instead. I like the girl. The extent of this feeling wavers at times, but the bottomline is that I still like her, and am still working on my shot at advancing our relationship past the friends stage. So that said, I think it's only fair that I respect her feelings enough to not keep putting every little detail of our friendship up on my blog. For now at least.
3. Last week was hectic. I've been doing a lot of work for the WC, and trying to help Nic with the excessive amout of work that she's taken on as well. So hectic was an understatement. In fact, between Monday night and Thursday night, I'd gotten exactly 22 hours of sleep.
But yes, that's why I've been gone. Now, categorized updates. That will make the daily process a lot easier to follow.
School
School plays a minute part in my life. I do the bare minimum to stay afloat, and I think I'm doing a relatively good job of that at the moment. At any rate, I'm holding on to my GPA, though just barely. And hope to hold on to it long enough to close out the term. Because next term's going to be a lot less hectic.
From next term onward, I only need two classes a term to graduate. So I can spend more time on my thesis, and more time working. Here's my winter term lineup:
1. The second creative writing class in the year long sequence that is the Kidd
2. J412 Sex Love and Media
3. Macro Econ (because I have to take it to graduate from the J-school)
4. Indoor soccer
I only have class M,W,F. Which is good because then I can work T,Th.
Work and Looming Career Options
On the work front, things are going well at the paper, and at the WC. But I suddenly find myself with the possibility of being confronted with a slew of new options that at this point are all could-happens. And each thing is contingent on the other.
1. My boss at the WC offered me a permanent job the other day. Our current office coordinator is leaving, and so she wanted to know if I'd like to take over next year. Staff position, access to all university facilities, full benefits, and I'd get the security of being able to stay in Eugene where I still have a lot of friends, and knowing exactly what I'm going to be doing next year. The only problem is that it's not a writing job. It's very logistical, a lot of organization. And I don't think I want that. I want to be a journalist. And that's what I told my boss. Though I'm still keeping this as a backup option if all else fails.
2. I had a pretty good interview with the editor of the Spokane newspaper a week ago. He seemed pretty positive, and I'd be surprised if I didn't get it. So I'm waiting for a call back to see if I got the job. And if I did, I'd be off to Spokane at the end of Spring term.
3. I was working the football game from the press box yesterday when I ran into Ron, the sports editor from the Eugene newspaper. He said that one of his part time reporters might be leaving soon to take up a permanent position in Salem. And he also said that if that happened, I was pretty much first in line for that part-time sports reporting job. Which would be great because it's a real job. The kind that I could juggle with school for the rest of this year, but keep working on beyond graduation, for all eternity until I found something permanent at another paper.
But here's the thing. If Ron offers me that job before the end of the school year, taking it would mean that I'd have to leave the Emerald. And I hate the thought of having to do that. I love the Emerald. Love my beat. Love the added creative license that having a column affords me. Love the fact that I'm covering college sports because I know that when I really start my career as a sports journalist, I'm going to be covering high school sports for a long, long time before I accrue enough seniority to work my way into covering college sports again.
So I hate the thought of leaving the Emerald. But at the same time, I can't imagine turning Ron's job offer down just to stay at the Emerald. It'd be stupid to turn down a real job to keep a temporary position that will expire as soon as my student status runs out. And if I did turn him down, it'd be virtually impossible for me to go back to him asking for a job again once my term at the Emerald is up in June.
So I would pretty much have to take it. But it breaks my heart to think about having to do so. I love the Emerald. I love being so involved on campus that I practically live at the EMU and shuttle between the Women's Center and the paper. Hectic as it is, I love my life right now, and don't particularly want it to change.
And then of course there are also a host of other less-certain options that are still options which I might have to consider. One of the soccer players' moms works for ESPN. And she's given me her business card and told me to get in touch with her when I graduate because she might be able to help me out. Plus I met the AP sports editor yesterday and got her card too. And then I know another sports reporter at the Portland newspaper whom I might try and prod to see if I can find any sort of job opportunity with. And there's also the internship application that I sent into the women's sports media association. If I got that internship, I'm almost certain I'd take that over Spokane.
So many half options, nothing for sure yet. I know there are worse places to be: try NO options at all right? But to a certain extent, I enjoy having predictability in my life. And that's not happening right now.
Social Life, Love Life, or Lack Thereof
My social life is both a boom and a bust right now. I have fun, and I spend a lot of time with Nic. But I've also taken flak for not emailing people back... (yes, I know, guilty, guilty and guilty again...) and not seeing some of the people whom I used to see more often last year.
It's hard. I'm walking a pretty thin line here trying to find enough time to get homework done, do everything I need to do for work, and find time to see my friends, and to work out the Nic situation in my head. There are only so many hours in a day.
The Love Life took an interesting turn at the conference last week though. I forged an intense 48 hour connection with this girl from the midwest. She's 29, but didn't look any older that 22. Beautiful long curly brown ringlets, so femme, so intelligent, oh, and she has a girlfriend. Wayyyyy out of my league. We ended up hooking up, despite the fact that throughout the experience, both of us kept saying that it was wrong and that we shouldnt be doing that.
After the conference, I thought I'd never hear from her again because I knew she felt guilty about all and that she had essentially cheated on her girlfriend.
But she called me last night! We talked, exchanged email, and she emphasized over and over again that she wanted to keep in touch. Which is great. I do too. Because girlfriend or not, I genuinely liked her as a person. And it's good that she wants to keep being friends.
Don't you love it when that works out?
On the more local front, the Nic situation is convoluted at best. I'm not going into details. But in terms of us, the conference started out horribly, ended on an awesome note, kept improving this week (because we spent a shitload of time together) and then took a downward arc toward the end of this week. And I'm not quite sure where it's at now. We'll see.
I might come back to the U.S from winter break a week early to stay with her family in Utah and drive back to school with her.
Again, we'll see. Everything's in flux. Because that's Nic's nature. She's a free spirit and it would be impossible to corral that. I understand that much at least.
Okay, that's my mammoth update. We'll try to keep subsequent updates to bite-sized portions. Promise.
1. I was in Kansas City for a conference Nov. 8-12. And didn't get much of a chance to blog.
2. Plus Nic is the other reason I'm self censoring a little more these days. I know she hates it when tongues wag within the gay grapevine and everyone knows everyone else's business. And she wouldn't exactly be pleased if she knew I were doing this on the internet instead. I like the girl. The extent of this feeling wavers at times, but the bottomline is that I still like her, and am still working on my shot at advancing our relationship past the friends stage. So that said, I think it's only fair that I respect her feelings enough to not keep putting every little detail of our friendship up on my blog. For now at least.
3. Last week was hectic. I've been doing a lot of work for the WC, and trying to help Nic with the excessive amout of work that she's taken on as well. So hectic was an understatement. In fact, between Monday night and Thursday night, I'd gotten exactly 22 hours of sleep.
But yes, that's why I've been gone. Now, categorized updates. That will make the daily process a lot easier to follow.
School
School plays a minute part in my life. I do the bare minimum to stay afloat, and I think I'm doing a relatively good job of that at the moment. At any rate, I'm holding on to my GPA, though just barely. And hope to hold on to it long enough to close out the term. Because next term's going to be a lot less hectic.
From next term onward, I only need two classes a term to graduate. So I can spend more time on my thesis, and more time working. Here's my winter term lineup:
1. The second creative writing class in the year long sequence that is the Kidd
2. J412 Sex Love and Media
3. Macro Econ (because I have to take it to graduate from the J-school)
4. Indoor soccer
I only have class M,W,F. Which is good because then I can work T,Th.
Work and Looming Career Options
On the work front, things are going well at the paper, and at the WC. But I suddenly find myself with the possibility of being confronted with a slew of new options that at this point are all could-happens. And each thing is contingent on the other.
1. My boss at the WC offered me a permanent job the other day. Our current office coordinator is leaving, and so she wanted to know if I'd like to take over next year. Staff position, access to all university facilities, full benefits, and I'd get the security of being able to stay in Eugene where I still have a lot of friends, and knowing exactly what I'm going to be doing next year. The only problem is that it's not a writing job. It's very logistical, a lot of organization. And I don't think I want that. I want to be a journalist. And that's what I told my boss. Though I'm still keeping this as a backup option if all else fails.
2. I had a pretty good interview with the editor of the Spokane newspaper a week ago. He seemed pretty positive, and I'd be surprised if I didn't get it. So I'm waiting for a call back to see if I got the job. And if I did, I'd be off to Spokane at the end of Spring term.
3. I was working the football game from the press box yesterday when I ran into Ron, the sports editor from the Eugene newspaper. He said that one of his part time reporters might be leaving soon to take up a permanent position in Salem. And he also said that if that happened, I was pretty much first in line for that part-time sports reporting job. Which would be great because it's a real job. The kind that I could juggle with school for the rest of this year, but keep working on beyond graduation, for all eternity until I found something permanent at another paper.
But here's the thing. If Ron offers me that job before the end of the school year, taking it would mean that I'd have to leave the Emerald. And I hate the thought of having to do that. I love the Emerald. Love my beat. Love the added creative license that having a column affords me. Love the fact that I'm covering college sports because I know that when I really start my career as a sports journalist, I'm going to be covering high school sports for a long, long time before I accrue enough seniority to work my way into covering college sports again.
So I hate the thought of leaving the Emerald. But at the same time, I can't imagine turning Ron's job offer down just to stay at the Emerald. It'd be stupid to turn down a real job to keep a temporary position that will expire as soon as my student status runs out. And if I did turn him down, it'd be virtually impossible for me to go back to him asking for a job again once my term at the Emerald is up in June.
So I would pretty much have to take it. But it breaks my heart to think about having to do so. I love the Emerald. I love being so involved on campus that I practically live at the EMU and shuttle between the Women's Center and the paper. Hectic as it is, I love my life right now, and don't particularly want it to change.
And then of course there are also a host of other less-certain options that are still options which I might have to consider. One of the soccer players' moms works for ESPN. And she's given me her business card and told me to get in touch with her when I graduate because she might be able to help me out. Plus I met the AP sports editor yesterday and got her card too. And then I know another sports reporter at the Portland newspaper whom I might try and prod to see if I can find any sort of job opportunity with. And there's also the internship application that I sent into the women's sports media association. If I got that internship, I'm almost certain I'd take that over Spokane.
So many half options, nothing for sure yet. I know there are worse places to be: try NO options at all right? But to a certain extent, I enjoy having predictability in my life. And that's not happening right now.
Social Life, Love Life, or Lack Thereof
My social life is both a boom and a bust right now. I have fun, and I spend a lot of time with Nic. But I've also taken flak for not emailing people back... (yes, I know, guilty, guilty and guilty again...) and not seeing some of the people whom I used to see more often last year.
It's hard. I'm walking a pretty thin line here trying to find enough time to get homework done, do everything I need to do for work, and find time to see my friends, and to work out the Nic situation in my head. There are only so many hours in a day.
The Love Life took an interesting turn at the conference last week though. I forged an intense 48 hour connection with this girl from the midwest. She's 29, but didn't look any older that 22. Beautiful long curly brown ringlets, so femme, so intelligent, oh, and she has a girlfriend. Wayyyyy out of my league. We ended up hooking up, despite the fact that throughout the experience, both of us kept saying that it was wrong and that we shouldnt be doing that.
After the conference, I thought I'd never hear from her again because I knew she felt guilty about all and that she had essentially cheated on her girlfriend.
But she called me last night! We talked, exchanged email, and she emphasized over and over again that she wanted to keep in touch. Which is great. I do too. Because girlfriend or not, I genuinely liked her as a person. And it's good that she wants to keep being friends.
Don't you love it when that works out?
On the more local front, the Nic situation is convoluted at best. I'm not going into details. But in terms of us, the conference started out horribly, ended on an awesome note, kept improving this week (because we spent a shitload of time together) and then took a downward arc toward the end of this week. And I'm not quite sure where it's at now. We'll see.
I might come back to the U.S from winter break a week early to stay with her family in Utah and drive back to school with her.
Again, we'll see. Everything's in flux. Because that's Nic's nature. She's a free spirit and it would be impossible to corral that. I understand that much at least.
Okay, that's my mammoth update. We'll try to keep subsequent updates to bite-sized portions. Promise.
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