In Memory of Diana Losciale

Yesterday that terrible disease called cancer claimed Diana Losciale.  She was not only a co-worker but a very dear friend and mentor. Even though we lived hundreds of miles apart we talked several times a week and got to see each other 4-5 times a year.  When we did get to see each other we made time to have fun.  We went to restaurants and book stores.  We talked and laughed, we laughed at lot.  We had a lot of inside jokes, including a stuffed monkey named Marcel and speaking liking lGollum. We shared our frustrations with work, our opinions on books, music, tv shows and movies, and stories about our friends and family.  Diana loved writing and reading, music and movies, flower and photography, food and fashion. But most of all she loved her family, her husband Richard, daughter Lea and son Christian.

I can’t believe she’s really gone. The last time I spoke with her was before Christmas.  Since then I’d been mentally cataloguing all the things I wanted to tell her the next time I talked to her and it breaks my heart to realize it will never happen. I’ll never be able to tell her about the book I just finished or find out what she thought of the new season of Downton Abbey. I won’t be able to tell her that a park she took me to when I visited her in St. Louis was in an old Sandra Bullock movie I watched last week.

The last time I saw her was in June.  She came to town for work and we drove up to Mt. Evens after work so that she could see the mountains.  This is Diana at Echo Lake and it’s one of my favorite photos of her. We drove halfway up the mountain and then down to Evergreen where we had Mexican food and margaritas at The Whippletree.

Even though I’m devastated with sadness right now, I still know how lucky I was to have had Diana in my life. She let me bitch and cry about some of the most stupidest things, she gave encouragement and guidance in my professional life and in my aspirations. When I was down she could always make me laugh.  She was smart and creative and wise and I felt smarter, more creative and wiser just from knowing her.

 

Diana, I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.  I will always miss you.

It's Too Soon

Have you been in a store lately?  Any store, a department or a grocery?  They are playing Christmas music already!  (Before you answer think about this, try going to work every day and being force to listen to Christmas carols for eight weeks and see how you like it.) It’s bad enough that every store already has Christmas decorations on display and/or on sale.  We haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet.  And for crying out loud, it’s not even winter.

What has happened to our society that we have to celebrate a holiday two months before it even happens?  I’m not a scrooge, really, I’m not. It’s just that when all this stuff starts happening earlier and earlier every year by the time Christmas comes around I’m sick of all the decorations and Christmas carols.  It’s no longer special, just a capitalistic holiday defined by stuff, lots of stuff. 

It used to be that the Christmas season started the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Even that was too soon for me.  Now stores like Wal-Mart, Kmart, Sears and Toys ‘R Us are going to be open on Thanksgiving. I’ve worked retail at Christmas before and my heart breaks for those people who work retail on Thanksgiving.  We have become so consumed with stuff that we can’t even allow people to have a holiday where they don’t have to work and instead can spend a day with their family and friends.

I know the economy isn’t what it used to be and everyone is looking for a deal but have we gone too far?  What is more important, getting 20% of the new PlayStation or spending time with your family?   Think about it if you find yourself in a Wal-Mart on November 28.

America's Prettiest Towns

Forbes recently came out with a list of the 15 prettiest towns in America.  I’ll admit, some I have never heard of.  Fish Creek, Wisconsin?  I had to look at a map to find that one.  Of course, everyone has their own idea of what is pretty.  Mountains, water, trees, flowers, architecture, etc.  There is only one town on the list that I’ve actually been to and it’s the one in my home state (Breckenridge).  But later this month I’ll be heading to Maine and will be staying in Camden which made the list.

The towns on the list are all over the map, from Hawaii to New Jersey.  Criteria consisted of things that would draw tourist: attractive main streets, idyllic settings (mountains or water), fun activities.  Any towns you’d add to the list?

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efel45fhdf/new-iberia-louisiana/

 

New Iberia, Louisiana

Camden, Maine
Anna Maria, Florida
Decorah, Iowa
Breckenridge, Colorado
Fort Benton, Montana
Athens, Georgia
Lambertville, New Jersey
Kapa’a, Hawaii
Edgartown, Massachusetts
Asheville, North Carolina
Leavenworth, Washington
Galena, Illinois
Holland, Michigan
Fish Creek, Wisconsin

Nostalgic Summer Nights

Driving home tonight with the windows down and the radio on I got a little nostalgic for the summer nights when I was in college.  I always came home for the summer and worked summer jobs.  But on the weekend nights friends and I would drive to the Denver suburbs (usually in my eight year old burgundy Honda Accord hatchback) to a dollar movie theater.The ceilings of the hallways had strings of flashing blue lights.  After the movies we’d drive down the road to Taco Bell for 59¢ tacos.  We'd sit in the car in the parking lot with the windows down, radio on and eat our tacos and talk.  The cost of the evening was usually under five dollars (that’s including gas).  We were young and innocent and the air was sweet with the fleeting moments of youthful freedom.

 I miss those nights.

Getting Back the Happy

It’s been a very stressful couple of months for me and the results have affected me physically, mentally and emotionally.  What I really need is a vacation.  That’s a long-term plan, but in the short-term I need to get back to the things that make me better and happy.

Reader’s Digest listed 20 simple ways to get happy that I thought I’d share.

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment and don’t waste the moment by dwelling on what’s happening later.

2. Laugh out loud. When I’m at work I often laugh because the other option is crying.  Laughter is so good for you.  You on your next break take a moment to read/watch something funny.

3. Go to sleep. I know when I don’t get enough sleep, especially over several nights, my mood changes and not for the better.  Turn off the distractions (computers, televisions, etc.) and get a good night’s sleep.

4. Hum along. Listening to music improved my mood and makes me happy.  I have to do that more often.

5. De-clutter. It may seem daunting at the beginning but the end results feels so good.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren’t necessary and that you don’t enjoy.

7. Make a list. I made a grocery list last week but forgot to take it to the store. Not much good if you don’t look at them or take them with you.

8. Do one thing at a time. I multi-task so this may be hard.

9. Garden. I know this works for some people but not really for me.  Yes, I like to look at pretty garden flowers but I don’t have a garden to plant.

10. Tune out the news. I tend to watch about 30 minutes of the news in the morning and check the news on the Internet throughout the day.  As a former journalist, it’s what I do.  But when something happens (like the Boston Marathon bombing) where the coverage is non-stop, I don’t have any problem turning the TV off.

11. Take a dog for a walk. I don’t have a dog but my sister does, two actually.  When she travels I house/doggy sit and, while I love her two dogs, I really don’t like walking them.

12. Scent the air. It only takes one Yankee Candle (the best smelling candles out there).

13. Ignore the stock market. Done.

14. Visit a quiet place. I like to read during my lunch hour but there isn’t any place to do that in my office so, weather permitting, I drive to a park.  It makes a difference.

15. Volunteer. Would like to be able to do more of this but don’t have a lot of time.

16. Spend time alone. I probably spend too much time by myself but I'm content with my own company.

17. Walk mindfully. Apparently “mindfulness” is a mental technique to bring about a relaxation response, a physiological response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops (when walking this means paying attention to footsteps, counting one, two, one, two, and to visualize the numbers in their mind). Not sure about this. If I become too “mindful” I can walk into a wall.

18. Give priority to close relationships.

19. Take care of the soul. Studies have shown that actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises.  Having a faith can provide a support community, a sensing of meaning in life, and different/clearer perspective on life.

20. Count your blessings. Every day!

Dessert, Glorious Desserts

First, let me apologize to all those reading this who do not live in the Denver metro area. If you like desserts, you'll understand why I'm apologizing.

Last week I went to the D Bar in Denver (D stands for Dessert).
http://www.dbardesserts.com/
One of the creators of this wonderful place is Keegan Gerhard, former host of Food Network Challenge.  While this restaurant has a regular food menu it specializes in desserts.  And oh, they are wonderful!

There are two dessert menus, one for daytime and one for nightime.  During the day you can get cake and shake, milk and cookies, creme brulee, molton cake, cheesecake, bread puddin' or a bag "o" dounuts.  At night the menu gets more elegant with some of the daytime items but also orange-ya glad this souffle has booze!?, tropical fandango (key lime pie), and pink! (buttermilk panna cotta with raspberry cloud, prickley pear sorbet). 

I went one night after work with a friend who was visiting and were lucky enough to sit at the bar.  But this wasn't you're ordinary bar where alcohol is served.  Nope, by sitting at the bar you got to see one of the chefs plate all the desserts.  That was as exciting as the actual desserts.

My friend and I split the d=mc2 which was milk chocolate three ways with mousse, salted carmel, peanuts and praline, rice krispies and ice cream.  Here's what it looked like:

Before

After

Yes, it was lick the plate delicious.  So if you live in Denver or plan to visit, make a stop at the D Bar, it's worth it.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part - Part II

Well the waiting is over.  I had applied to attend a rather prestigious artist retreat in Saratoga, NY called Yaddo where I was hoping to spend two weeks working on my writing.  The place offers residencies to professional creative artist to work on literature, film, choreography, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture and video.  I didn’t think my chances were that great because technical I’m not a professional writer (I’ve never had anything traditionally published).  Yesterday I got a form letter from the Admissions Committee saying I hadn’t been invited to attend.

It’s not my first rejection letter and it won’t be my last.  I am only slightly disappointed since I didn’t have high expectations to begin with.  But you can’t accomplish anything unless you try.

Letter to U.S. Congress

Dear Members of Congress,

You better shape up because you’re not doing a very good job.  I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, your behavior has shown that you are more concerned with politics than with people.  If you were in any other job this kind of work performance would probably get you fired.

You seem to have forgotten who you work for.  You do not work for President Obama.  You do not work for Speaker John Boehne.  You do not work for the wealthy individuals or corporations that funded your campaign.  You work for me and the rest of the American public.  You are supposed to be working for our best interests and so far you have failed.

I think it’s safe to say that the American public is tired of your complaining and blaming others for not being able to do your job.  Stop it.  We all know the economy stinks but we are expecting you to take action to make it better.  We understand that it won’t happen overnight and compromises will have to be made.  But nobody seems to be making a real effort to accomplish that.  Buckle down, start communicating, and get the job done.  If you don’t, you’ll eventually be out of a job.

Sincerely,

One of Your Bosses

American Citizen

#2 Ain't So Bad

Gallup put out a well-being index score for U.S. states recently.  The data was based on daily surveys done from January to December 2012 calculating on a scale of 0 to 100 (100 being ideal well-being) areas such as emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, outlook on life, job satisfaction, and work environment.

Want take a guess as to which state ranked #1?  Go on, I bet you can guess.

Yes, that’s right.  Hawaii.  I believe my well-being would be pretty high if I lived in Hawaii. 

But I shouldn’t complain because Colorado came in at #2, then Minnesota (#3), Utah (#4) and Vermont (#5).  At the bottom were Arkansas (#46), Tennessee (#47), Mississippi (#48), Kentucky (#49) and lastly West Virginia (#50).

Here’s a map of the U.S. and the rankings.  How is your well-being?

No pain, no gain, right?

According to WebMD, when you exercise your body releases endorphins and these endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain.  Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body (sometimes described as “euphoric”).  Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, ward off anxiety, boost self-esteem and improve sleep.

I must be doing it wrong.  I got a gym membership in May 2012 and have been going to the gym regularly (3-6 times a week, 45-50 minutes each visit) since then and I haven’t once felt “euphoric” after a workout.  I feel sore, tired and sweaty.  All those wonderful things that are supposed to be happening aren’t.

I still feel stressed and have anxiety.  My self-esteem isn’t any better and I’m not sleeping all that great.

The photo above had the caption, “Nothing beats that post-workout glow.”  Bullshit.  I have never, ever, had a post-workout “glow.”  I look like crap when I’m done working out.  My hair is all matted with sweat, my clothes are sticking to me and I usually walk funny because I’m sore.   I’m still waiting for those endorphins to kick (anytime guys).

THINGS that Matter

We surround ourselves with things, cars, furniture, clothing, electronics.  And if we are honest, we all probably have too many things, things that we don’t really need.  But there are things in our lives that matter, for various reasons.

Some of the things that matter to me have to do with memories of people and places.  I have photographs all over my home.  Photographs of my family and friends and places I’ve been, and all of these things matter to.  I have things that belonged to my father and grandparents that matter, a desk, a ring, a contact lens case.  Books are also things that matter to me and I have books cases filled will books I read when I was 12, signed books by my favorite authors, and classics that I read over and over again.

The window in the photo is another thing that matters to me.  It was given to me for my 40^th birthday by a very dear and close friend.  It hangs in my living room and it makes me happy when I look at.

The frames in the other photo are something I just recently started.  In those frames is sand from different beaches I’ve visited.  They hang next to my bed.  I look at them every morning when I wake up and every night before I go bed.  They remind me of happy times and that one day I want to live close to the beach and the ocean.

In the last couple of years I have really tried not to buy things that don’t matter and that I don’t need.  Yes, there are things that are necessities but what about everything else?  We all know we buy things to make us feel better; because we saw it in a magazine, or it’s the newest, trendiest thing, but do these things a really matter?

I recently saw an Nate Berkus interviewed.  He is the interior design who became famous after being on Oprah and who lost his partner in the December 2004 tsunami.  He wrote a book called “Things That Matter.”  He said a couple of things that stuck with me.  First, surround yourself with things that bring you joy.  Newest gadget may be entertaining but do they really brining you joy?  And second, stop a moment before you purchase anything, a piece of furniture, clothing, toys and think about whether you really need it.

Why do we hold on to so many things that don’t really matter?

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

As a child, didn’t we always seem to be waiting for something?  We waited for Christmas or summer vacation.  It seemed to take forever to arrive and then they were over before we knew it.  We waited for birthdays, especially the one that allowed us to see an R rated movie, get a driver’s license or buy a drink.

As we got older we still waited for things, things that seemed more important than movies, and over the years we developed patience as well the ability to deal with disappointment.  Sometimes that patience serves us well and sometimes it doesn’t, and some disappointment weighs heavier than others. 

I am waiting for something.  It is by no means a life altering event, just something I am hoping will happen.  I know, approximately, when the waiting will end and for now I just try not to think about it.  That is my way of being patient and not getting my hopes up.  If this thing I’m waiting for doesn’t happen, I will be disappointed but not devastated.  I know you can’t accomplish anything if you don’t at least try.  And if you fail you still learn from that failure.  I truly believe you can’t grow as a person if you don’t experience any failures during your lifetime.

My waiting will end sometime near the end of March and if the news is good I will share it.  In the meantime the waiting is the hardest part, and in this case, will be probably be harder to endure than the disappointment.

Hooked on a TV show

With some time off at the end of last year I've gotten hooked on a couple of new shows.  I say new, as they are new to me but have been on TV for a while, but without cable I don't get a chance to watch the original air dates.

Homeland - I know, I'm late to the party on this one.  Watched the first season on DVD over three days.  It's so good.  The writing is good, the acting is good.  The whole is "he or isn't he" kept me going along with other suspicious events.  Can't wait for the second season to come out on DVD.

Being Human - When I heard the premise for this show when it started a couple of years ago I was skeptical.  It's set in Bristol, England (yes, that's a draw) about a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf living together.  I kind of feel like the whole vampire/werewolf fad is coming to an end but I really like this show.  It's got some humor to it and somehow it works.

Lark Rise to Candleford - This a a BBC costume drama and I can't say no to those.  It ran from 2008 to 2001 (four seasons) and is about a girl from a small English hamlet at the end of the 1800s who goes into town to work with the postmistress.  It's very family friendly (think "Little House on the Prairie" but it's got some good actors that, if you've ever watched BBC or Masterpiece/PBS productions, you'll recognize.  Just first the first seasons and got season two and three from the library today.

Merlin - Okay, this may not seem like a likely show I would pick but I actually got hooked on it when the first season aired.  I just finished watching season four and am waiting for season five.  That will be the final season and the Internet has spoilers all over the place about how the show ends.  Of course, I couldn't resist taking a peak but I won't share what I found out. But I am still looking forward to watching the last season.

So it looks like I'll be busy for a while...

Book List - December 2012 & Year in Review

38. Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel. I ended the year on a fluff book about how lives have changed after an earthquake in San Francisco.  No a lot of drama, rather goodie goodie but okay read.

I watched more movies this month than I did the entire year.  And I didn't read as many books as I normally do but that is due to some lifestyle changes.

Here have been some of my favorites:

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesley
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
My Mother was Nuts by Penny Marshall

Books I'm looking forward to reading in 2013

Three of my favorite authors will have books coming out in 2013.  Unfortunately, one will be the very last  book as Maeve Binchy passed away in 2013.  Here's what I can't wait to eat...

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
Family Pictures by Jane Green
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Happy reading!

Observations from the Gym

During the week I go to the gym after work.  On the weekends I go in the morning, usually 30-60 minutes after I get up.  Here are some observations I've had while I'm been there….

I’ve seen way too many butt cracks (male and female, but more male).  Yuck!  People, please pay attention to what is going on with your clothes.  Can’t you feel the breeze back there?

During the week six of the nine televisions are on news channels.  The remaining three are tuned to a sports channel, a channel showing 20 year old reruns of Seinfield (haven’t we seen them all at least 10 times by now?) and one that shows almost exclusively hip-hop music videos (enough with the Beyonce and Jay-Z already).

On the first Tuesday of every month they give away free pizza.  Boxes of pizza are stacked on a table for anyone to eat.  That’s just cruel.

I’ve seen women in full makeup wearing dangling earrings, several necklaces and they are almost always wearing designer workout clothes.  Honey, do you know where you are?

Even though there are several huge signs on the wall that say no cell phones, there is always someone talking on their phone (and it’s usually the woman who gets on the elliptical next to me).

The signs also say no grunting but almost always there is some guy grunting (yes, only the guys do this).

Monday is the busiest day of the week.  And with each passing day the crowds get smaller and smaller.

There are some people who don’t wipe down the equipment when they are done. Disgusting!

The New Year Resolutionaries will start filling the gym soon.  They usually last until March or April.

And lastly, if you don’t sweat you’re not doing it right and you’re just wasting time.

Book List - November 2012

34. When it Happens to You by Molly Ringwald.  This was a collections of short stories about different types of betrayal.  I really like it better than I thought I would.  All the characters are intertwined in the stories. 

35. Broken Harbor by Tana French.  This author writes murder mysteries set in modern day Ireland (mainly Dublin).  The mystery parts are always well written with lots of detail and main character, always a cop, has issues as well (mostly related to the mystery).  This was a good book but I'd recommend some of her other books before this one.

36. My Mother was Nuts by Penny Marshall. I grew up watching Laverne & Shirley and I knew a couple of things about Penny Marshall. She started out in front of the camera and then went behind it. This was a entertaining memior of her life.  She knows everybody.

37. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown.  This a thriller about cryptology.  It was published in 2004 and reading it now in 2012 is dated.  If you can get past that it's not too bad of a read.

Book Signings

I went to my first book signing when I was in my early 20s.  I was working as a reporter in a small southeast Colorado town.  I drove over 1 1/2 hours to Colorado Springs to get a book signed by mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark (who I started reading in high school).  That's what started it all.

Authors, like rock stars and movie stars, have to promote their work.  Most don't go on TV talk shows but instead do books tours.  I am extremly lucky to live in a city that has an awesome independent book store, the Tattered Cover, that draws these authors.  In the last 20 years I've been to a variety of book signings that included Craig Ferguson (funny AND gorgeous), Sarah Ferguson (beautiful), Rick Steves (informative - he also runs a tour company and I asked if he was hiring - he wasn't), Jennifer Weiner (ranchy and funny), Jane Green (British delightful), and Jodi Picoult (this woman does her research), just to name a few.

Two book signing made a big impression on me.  The first was Judy Blume.  I don't know any women from my generation who doesn't know who she is and hasn't read one of her books. Back in May 1998 she came to town.  I was #19 in line to get my book signed.  She spoke awhile and read from her new adult novel Summer Sisters.  I got her to sign her new book and also asked her to sign my battered old copy of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, a book I had probably had in my possession for 18 years.  The price on the cover says $1.50.  She signed the book and the entire experience was trilling.

The second signing was Maeve Binchy.  She is the Irish author who wrote Circle of Friends which was made into movie. All her books are filled with wonderful characters.  She also came to Denver in 1998 to promote Tara Road.  During her talk she said she kept a notebook where she wrote down interesting names that helped her name characters, something I do as well.  When my turn came to get my book signed I told her I was an aspiring writer and also keep a book of names.  She asked my name and said she had a character in Circle of Friends named Heather (of course, I knew that because I read the book) and she made me promise that if I ever got published I would include her in the Acknowledgement.  I told her I would.  In my copy of Tara Road she wrote "Heather, I'll be waiting for your book! Maeve Binchy."

Sadly, Maeve Binchy passed away a few months ago at the age of 72.  She will be missed.  But she did leave us one last book to look forward to which will be released in February.  And if I ever get published Maeve Binchy, as well as Judy Blume, will most definitely be listed right there in the Acknowledgements. Until then, thank you Maeve & Judy!

Book List - October 2012

33. To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carl McD. Wallace.  This was a rather interesting book about real American heiresses who married their British peers.  This book was one of the inspirations for Downton Abbey.

I Dreamed a Dream

Everyone has a dream, something they want, something they want to do, something they want to be different.  But let's be honest, most people's dreams don't come true.  They are just ideas that for a moment make you feel like something is possible.  You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket.  If your dream is to be on Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White and Pat Sajack aren't just going to appear at your door and beg you to spin the wheel.

Whatever you're dream might be, you have to work at it.  It won't just fall in your lap.  Last night I was watching Charlie Rose interview J.K. Rowling and once again I realized how much I am failing at my attempt to be a writer. Yes, I write and some people think by doing that I should consider myself a writer, but I don't.  My dream is to get a book I wrote published and until that happens I don't consider myself a writer.

The three Ds of writing are desire, determination and discipline. And actually you can say you need those three things to make any dream come true.  I have the desire and the determination but I struggle with the discipline.  Finding time to write is always difficult and making yourself write after you've worked an 8 hour day is hard.  At any writers conference you go you're told that you have to give something up in order to find time to write (sleep, watching TV, reading, spending time with friends, Facebook, blogging - wait that counts, doesn't it?).  If you can do that you're half way there.  The other part is where discipline comes in.  You have the time, now write.  It was kind of like when you were in school and it was time to study.  Who hasn't made their bed, cleaned out the closed, sorted their socks, before they could start studying (fondly called procrastination)? 

I am constantly struggling to find that balance.  There are things I won't give up, like sleep.  Waking up an hour early to write before work is not an option.  And even if I did, anything I would write at 6 a.m. would be totally unreadable,  Lately I've been trying to write during my lunch hour (time I normally spending reading) but it's hard.  It's a limited time period and part of that time is finding someplace quite and seclusive to work.  I know, I know, excuses, excuses.

So after watching J.K. Rowling last night I realized I won't ever have the perfect situation in which to write so I somehow have to make due with my current situation.  And if I want this dream to come true I'm going to have to work at it every single day (not just days when I feel like it or the time presents itself).  I am going to keep trying.  And whatever your dream might be you should keep trying too.  I've heard that all the hard work pays off.  We'll see....

What was your major?

Kiplinger’s just came out with a list of the worst college majors in terms of getting employed after graduating.  Unfortunately, a lot of them would be considered very creative career choices.  Here is the link to the list that includes unemployment rates, average salary, job growth, and (my favorite) likelihood of working in retail.

http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/10-worst-majors-for-your-career

And here are the top 10 worst college majors:

10. English

9. Sociology

8. Dram and Theater Arts

7. Liberal Arts

6. Studio Arts (painting, sculpture and other media)

5. Graphic Design

4. Philosophy and Religious Studies

3. Film and Photography

2. Fine Arts

1. Anthropology

I wasn’t surprised by most of these, although I didn’t expect to see Graphic Design.  I did expect to see my major, Journalism (my emphasis was in editorial, which meant I wanted to be a newspaper reporter).  It was hard enough back in the day to find a reporter job and now with so many newspapers going out of business it’s probably be even harder.  Plus, in my opinion, the quality of work done by journalists today, especially television journalist, is appalling bad, really, really bad.  My journalism degree did help me get jobs in other semi-related fields such as advertising, public relations and marketing (which is what I’m doing right now). 

Around my senior year in high school the only thing I was really interested in was writing.  I had a GREAT language arts teacher who was encouraging.  I had taken a creative writing class and was on the school newspaper.  I thought I’d have a better chance of getting a job with a journalism degree than with a creative writing degree (which isn’t even offered everywhere).

My senior year in college I interned at the Windsor Beacon (Windsor, CO), which has since been bought by Gannett, graduated and spend 9 months looking for a newspaper job before landing in southeastern Colorado at the Rocky Ford Daily Gazette.  That was the one and only journalism job I ever had (it lasted about 3 years – and that’s another story for another time).  While I did work at the now defunct Rocky Mountain News, that was in the advertising department.  Today, many, many, many years after graduating college, I don’t think I would want to go back to reporting but I do enjoy creative writing and hope to have some success with that.