IMD?

I had a chat with the editor today. The IMD job is a most-likely in January.

Here's what I know about it.

1. Significant pay increase. We're talking 30 percent.

2. Significant responsibility and authority increase. I would go from a mere copy editor in charge of myself, to IMD coordinator with a hand in management over all the reporters (basically the news editor of the Internet).

3. Constant exposure to video, audio and story creation. The job is basically to maintain Statesville, Lake Norman and Mooresville Web sites with breaking news updates and multimedia. I'm working up a proposal for a way to reach new audiences through a Web-only platform (the audience being young adults, the holy grail of newspapers around the country).

4. Occasional front page designs. The editor wants me to stay sharp in design, so he'd give me 1A every week or so.

5. Lots of travel and training. The one I know of right now is that UNC Multimedia Bootcamp in May. Added bonus: in my free time I can hang with Sarah in Raleigh!

I'll keep you updated. I am extremely excited about the possibilities.

Turkey Day

Thanksgiving was everything it was supposed to be and more! Kitchens collided at the Norman home in Charlotte (meaning the poor Norman slave, Queen, was relieved of daylong kitchen duties as the cooking chore was spread around between her, Bumps and myself).

Did I mention how much I enjoy cooking? I don't get to do it much, especially when I'm married to a carnivore.

After lots of food, a nap, lounging and a little sleep, Queen and I initiated Mission Shop. We synchronized our departure time for 4 a.m. First stop: Carolina Place Mall. Not too crowded, no one visibly grumpy or downtrodden. OK, so maybe there were two exceptions: 1. The line that wrapped around the old-person walking track beside GameStop, where I can only assume people were vying for one of four PS3s sitting in the window. 2. Sears.

Sears opened at 5 a.m., and offered $10 gift cards to the first 200 people. We thought the crowd at the door was hungry for free money. When the chainlink gate refused to open and the crowd saw other people browsing Sears before them, a hysteria began. God forbid!

Some were scrambling to get up the stairs to the second-floor entrance. Queen and I didn't understand: why would they be so upset over $10?

We didn't know where to get our $10, but we figured if we followed the crowd they would lead us to the mother lode. Once the gate opened, two-thirds of the crowd rushed to electronics and the other third darted to tools. Losers.

The gift cards were at the merchandise pick-up entrance. We had to go outside to get in the back of the line. I was #198 and Queen was #199. Woohoo! We made it!

It was a sign of good things to come. Traffic wasn't as bad as last year. Men weren't as grumpy, and there weren't nearly as many small children being dragged by their mothers because their strollers were full of packages.

The second stop was to Dick's Sporting Goods. We considered purchasing another fire pit since last year's got such rave reviews from the recipients. Nah... (I cannot go into great detail of our stop because it may divulge more than I should.)

The third and final shopping stop was to Kohl's. I am a fan of this store. Quality clothes for the boys, cute stuff for the home, and a super sweet $10 for every $50 bonus! The lines once again wrapped entirely around the store, but a woman told us the upstairs lines were considerably quicker. So away we went!

The stop was a complete success, even though I had a run-in with a rude man (who let those creatures out on such a day anyway?)

I just have to tell you about it. Queen ran into one of her friends as we were looking for a Kohl's exclusive near the toy section. This man rolls his shopping bag with wheels next to me and says "oohhhhh K, I need a horn on this thing." He starts to run me over with the thing! I look him right in the eyes and say as coldly as possible "excuse me works too." He just rolls off.

Seriously, it was the only blemish on an otherwise fantastic outing. Once again, women, leave the men folk in bed where they can't get in the way.

We returned, successful in our operation, at 8:30 a.m. Of course, we had to get a super huge breakfast first. It's only proper; we'll call it "debriefing."

It was off to bed for a few hours, then off to work (where I now sit waiting on the press operators to tell me the newspaper is running so I can go home).

Happy Thanksgiving! Remember, your leftovers are only good for three to four days (I learned that today from the advance Sunday health page).

On the horizon?

I was told this week that the new Web site position in Statesville was approved through various corporate meetings. I found out because, upon telling the editor about my recent seminar in Richmond, he mentioned trying to get corporate to pay for half of the annual UNC multimedia bootcamp in May. The response? Since the IMD (interactive media division) job would be open in Statesville, and I would probably get it, then they would pay the entire bill to send me.

Of course, what corporate says and what corporate does aren't always the same thing.

I haven't gotten my hopes up quite yet. But the idea of not only a new position with my name written on it AND a weeklong seminar at UNC (home of online journalism in North Carolina) excites me. I will have to get over the whole UNC thing. Eww.

So I haven't ranted in a while, and ... now that I got it out of my system it has been deleted. Sorry!

Tick tock...

How can I be expected to keep the maternal clock on snooze when the only photo assignments I've shot involve very cute children doing very cute things with their families?

Evidence A: Halloween in downtown Statesville

Honestly, sheis cute. And this little clown is one of about 400 trying to get me to carry on my genes during downtown Statesville's annual trick-or-treating fiasco. Of course, after a few teenage rogue militants with fake machine guns my instincts were thoroughly squashed.

Evidence B: Family Reading Night at Northview Elementary

I wanted to pull up a pillow and listen to this mom read her adorable boys a story. Instead I hassled a 4-year-old for his name (I have to get captions, don't I?).

So there you have it. If you're reading this Queen, don't get your hopes up yet. You definitely have the world on your side. Good thing I'm extremely stubborn.

RIP Ol' Yeller

I write this as I sit alone in a luxurious hotel in Richmond, Va. I say luxurious because they use those white stripe comforters and there are bath robes in the closet.

The R&L sent me to a one-day seminar on "Growing your Online Audience." So here I am, chillaxing at 7:30 on a Monday night 300 miles away from my kitties and my husband.

Speaking of husband, Brad is currently halfway through his first day at the R&L. I know he's going to love it. I do, even if there are a few bad apples (it could be a lot worse).

You ask, who is Ol' Yeller, and why did Jess name this entry after him?

Ol' Yeller was the larger, blue fish of my two fishies. I got them when I moved into my chocolate brown apartment, well before Brad and I began dating. That would make them a little over three years old. I had a red Betta, but he seemed lonely in his big tank. I bought two $0.25 Wal-Mart fishies to keep him company.

No one told me other fish will eat the long fins off Bettas. Oops. The Betta didn't last long, but the fishies did. Well beyond their expected lives.

Just before we left for King's birthday celebration in Charlotte, I noticed that the little blue fish was just sitting on the rocks at the bottom of his tank. Still breathing, but otherwise immobile. When we returned he was belly up on the other side of the tank. Petunia (the pink fish) was swimming over him, as if grieving her loss.

Brad chose not to attend the bon voyage funeral. I'd like to think it was because he was too emotionally distraught (although I think playing Madden '07 seemed like a higher priority than a fish he wish would have died two apartment moves ago).

Ol' Yeller blended in with the blue toilet water, and as he swirled away I said my final goodbyes.

I hope Petunia isn't so heart broken that she chooses to join him soon. What will I do with my super cool aquarium then? Wait... What am I saying?! How can I think real estate at a time like this!? And how could I flee the state when Petunia is in clear distress? I'm a bad human being...

My high school is gone

You know that high school that was all over the news? Yeah, the one that burned to the ground? That was my high school.

Eastern Guilford High School is no more.

I don't really have anything invested in that school anymore, except the $5 I spent on a senior block. Everything else is in my mind. I didn't plan to return for Homecoming or anything. Maybe that's why I'm more amused than saddened.

So here's the story you won't get from AP. Mr. Hefner teaches the not-so-good students. He was on lunch duty when a small fire started in his chemistry classroom. Mr. Riggs (my old marine science teacher) found the fire, tried to extinguish it and failed. He then pulled the alarm and helped everyone out of the building.






Apparently in 1974 when the building was erected, sprinklers were not a requirement. (Good to know I went to a school with no sprinklers, geez.) They just sort of forgot to install sprinklers once it became a requirement.

The auditorium where I gave PTSA speeches is gone. The commons where we met before school to do homework and watch the geeks play with Magic cards is gone. The senior blocks, the stinky locker rooms, the darkroom where I learned photography, the art room where I spent four years...all gone.


I'm not getting mushy or anything. It's just sad for the kids who have to be split up to finish up their school year.



Here are some photos: