Where is the happy medium in our careers?

I had one of those unexpected free moments a couple of Sunday's ago.

(The moment where you are finished with a current task but don't want to begin the next before something else. That moment of killing time. )

I flipped through Marie Claire May 2010 issue on my coffee table.

The article that caught my attention: The careerist: The workplace trend no one is talking about

Generation Burnout they called it.

What use to be a condition psychologist saw in women in their 40s is now hitting mid-20 year-olds in the the work place: career burnout.

The article paints the picture of women finding themselves in fastpace jobs with intense demands needing an out. The article does not say the women are under qualified, bad management or laziness as an issue to why women want out. The recession was named as factor but no other reason was given to why the movement of women suddenly quitting their jobs. However the article goes on to quote a psychologist who quotes a former patient.

"I had a 24-year-old client who worked for a news organization, and it was understood to get ahead, she needed to forgo holidays, give up vacations, and work until all hours of the night."

I know the feeling.

I can't lie. It is tough. I have experienced a similar feeling. Actions speaker louder than words. While I have never verbally been told this, I've been told I need to make deadlines and that means due whatever you may need to do. (I.E. Work late, work at home, give up personal time, skip a lunch break, don't clock hours, work on weekends).

Nearly two weeks ago, my female co-worker sat at her desk working with a Subway Sandwich next to her. It was lunch time on a deadline day.

"It is really great that your enjoying your lunch right now but you have to finish your story by 3 p.m." (Boss said to her in an annoyed voice)

My co-worker did not respond. Nor did I. Moments like that lead to career burnout.

Where is the happy medium?

Where is the position where we are able to be creative, work under pressure but not become over-stressed, over-worked and hit that point of no more?

Tips from Marie Claire on how to avoid career burnout : (Click Here)

**Notice their advice is take lunches, take advantage of personal days and do work at work. But Marie Claire, what about those that can't do that? ***

{Stay Tune}

Connection...

(First of all, let me apologize once again for a lack of posts...if you still read this blog - Thank you!)

For the past two weeks I have wanted to share this and haven't been able to crank it out to the blog world.

Mid-March: I was out on assignment for the newspaper interviewing a women who runs a local non-profit. The women told me it was best to drop by her truck-parts business and interview her during the day. However, if she had a customer she would have to help them and than come back to the interview. Fair enough.

Six minutes into interview: A man walks in and ask to make a custom order for something on his pick-up truck. I casual listened in as the interviewee took down the man's information and quoted him on the price. He had brought his dog into the store and I patted the dogs head. The man asked when the order would be received because he would like to have it before his trip to Topeka. She said she would contact him. He left with his dog thanking the interviewee for help. The man's name was J.B.

End of March (busy deadline day in the newsroom): Police scanner screeches a semi and pick-up truck collide on north U.S. highway 54. Scanner calls for all medic units, local police, ambulance and more. The newsroom beings to busy with should we send some one (we often arrive on the scene of accidents, write a story and take photos.) The publisher and managing editor conclude no - accident is way out of town, the paper has to be finished at 5 p.m. and we can't spare anyone.

The following day: I hear a report on the radio. The man driving the pick-up was taken to the local hospital and didn't make it. One of the other reporters rights up a small story and it appears in the newspaper.

Maybe two or three days later, morning in the newsroom: Local funeral home worker comes in with a photo to be scanned for the Obituaries page. I glance at the photo - a man, about fifty, with a boy-scout about 8-years-old. The two are smiling and happy. The boy hold a trophy. The funeral worker asks me to crop the photo so only the man's neck-up is used for the notice. The name he gives me to save it is J.B. Esser. At least it is not the boy-scout I think to myself. Nothing else has clicked.

Later that day: Editing the Obituaries page - reading over the obit of J.B. Esser. Died in an automobile accident. Originally from Topeka. A father and a grandfather. Leaves behind his trusty dog. It clicked.

I had met this man about 10 days before he died. The rest of the day, my mind couldn't escape having seen this man and his dog. He was perfectly healthy, happy and seemed like a genuine guy. How fast can life be over?

I re-read the article the newspaper printed on the accident. J.B. missed a stop-sign. His pick-up collided with a semi-truck. The driver of the semi was unhurt.

While this little connection, little coincident, ironic event has made me realize more than ever how we should really live each day to the fullest - I can't help but hope J.B. made that trip to Topeka. According to the obituary his parents, sisters and brothers all resided up there. Maybe he got to have a nice time with family. Maybe he got to tell his family he loved them. I hope he did. For that boy-scout, I hope he remembers the good times with his grandfather and how happy and proud his grandfather was on the day of that photo.

{Stay Tuned}

Mistakes we try to avoid in the newsroom

Yup, we try to avoid these "simple" mistakes.

(These clippings are not from The Southwest Times)

{Stay Tuned}

News in Liberal?

Questions concerning my job while home for the Christmas holiday was "Is there any news in Liberal?", "What do you find to write about?", "What kind of news comes out of small towns?"

The answer is: there is always news in Liberal and I would imagin it is the same as anywhere else.

I admit there are some slow days in the newsroom. However, Liberal, Kansas is like anywhere else. We have car crashes, we have fires, we have a city and a county government, we have a court system, we have criminals, we have locals doing good, we have visits from politicians, we have festivals, we have (occasionally) new businesses coming to town. I could keep going.

I meant to blog about this awhile ago but a sales associate in Wichita said the same thing to me. While paying I said I was from out-of-town, Liberal area. The individual asked me, why live there? I responded a job brought me out there. A reporter position, I said.

"Is there any news in Liberal?" He asked.

Yes and here is some news from Liberal I think anyone might enjoy.

{Her First Novel} Local author publishes her first novel after years of working and raising children. She finally found time to write a novel and inspiration for a story.

{Baker Art Center is deep 'Inperspective'} An art center that is working with at-risk juveniles.

{Liberal's 94 year old fire bell rings again }

{Stay Tuned}

An emotional roller coaster of a day

I realize I haven't blogged a "decent" post since January. I also realize that it is March. I also gave considerable thought on what to blog about for when I finally took it up again.

An emotional roller coaster of a day was not it.

However, that is where I found myself on Tuesday, March 9. I was looking back on a day of ups and downs. Silent accomplishments made by me.

(I had a great interview with a lawyer in which I sounded confident and asked all the questions I need to. I signed up for my first online course. The course cost $55 and promises to make me a better writer. I thought the inspiration of an online instructor and exercises might help me out. I got a very sweet thank you note in the mail from a local author I interviewed last week. "I was impressed by the article," she wrote. I want to write her back and say I was impressed with you. As she told me last week, she had to retiree in order to follow her dream. At 65 she published her first novel.)

But like I said Tuesday was a day of ups and downs. There were some downs.

(My editor tore apart my lead to the article I wrote for Wednesday's newspaper. Granted the sentence did need some re-writing. I was told I needed to work on my page design skills and was asked if 'I rush through things?')

I could dwell on the negative. I could block it out and only concentrate on the positive but that is not how lessons are learned. That is not how we improve.

While a bit on the mentally drained side, I found myself inspired more than ever. Weird, right? I want to do better. I know I can do better. When I get better I know those ups will only get higher. The uneasiness look on the cartoon character will go to a smile.

{Stay Tuned}

I am happy to report Wednesday was one of the most productive days I've had in awhile. I really truly believe a bad day on Tuesday encouraged me to work harder than ever Wednesday.

Life lesson of March 9: The best inspiration can come from a bad day.

P.S. The cartoon is from a menopause website.

48 Hours Mystery called

I have been meaning to post this for quite some time.

A few weeks ago I reported on a murder in Liberal. It was the first murder story I had ever written. While it was intimidating at times, it ended up being quite educational. The crazy thing is how unusual this murder was. It ended up getting national attention being broadcasted on CNN and being posted on CBS' 48 Hours Mystery.

A husband and wife were reported missing on a Wednesday night by family members. Police were given permission by the family to search the house. Upon entrance to the house police find a note saying the parents had gone to Garden City, Kan. The bedroom door was locked. Police broke the door open and found two dead bodies. The coroner told me the wife had been suffocated by a pillow. Her body was covered with the bed spread. The husband body laid next to hers. He had bleed to death after taking a saw cutting his legs open. The coroner said time of death was four days earlier.

You can get the story on The Southwest Times or on 48 Hours Mystery. (If you look closely, you will find my name on the CBS web site.)

There are still so many unanswered questions. Why did this happen? Was there any drugs involved? Why didn't the teen children suspect something earlier?

I am sure a follow up story will follow. The last two weeks I have attempted to get the coroner's report. (Which become public records after being filed). It still has not been entered in to the county record system.

(Stay Tune)

P.S. You could say, I like my job a lot. Something new everyday.

OH my my...who do you think investigates murders in Liberal?

CSI Liberal?

Liberal Police Department?

Well, they do but so do I.

Thursday and Friday have been ludicrous for me.

Thursday morning I was out on the scene taking photos and attempting to get police officer interviews. Thursday evening I talked to neighbors on the deaths. Friday I attempted to get more police comments and get updates on the case. At 4:40 p.m. Friday, I spoke with the coroner and got the scope. Liberal's first murder in (and don't quote me on this) 10 to 15 years.

This is a big deal in Liberal and else where. A husband murders his wife by suffocation then takes his own life by making large cuts to his legs to bleed to death.

Currently I am snuggled up on my sofa with mac & cheese, Rolling Rock and channel surfing to hear the news stations from Wichita and Amarillo tell the story. Check it out on {The Southwest Times}, {KSN}, and {KFDA}.

{Stay Tuned}

Photos of Southwest Kansas/Oklahoma Panhandle 1/15

I don't know the back story on this photo but I can tell you this is the look of the Southwest.

There once was a time when newsrooms didn't have Mac's, digital Canon camera, voice recorders, email communication or scanners.

Instead...

Newsrooms had typewriters, dark rooms, note pads and pen, face to face communication and the only scanning done was with your eye.

My newspaper, The Southwest Times, has boxes upon boxes of old photographs that appeared in the paper decades ago. Old photographs? At one point it wasn't as easy of snap a shot on a digital camera and digitally input the photo on to the newspaper page on a Mac program like Quark.

What's to be done with all these photos? I don't know but they are sure fun to look through and post on the blog. Expect more in the coming months.

{Stay Tuned}

Despite my New Year's snow...I didn't blog

Despite the snowy and cold weather this weekend I did not get caught up on bloggging.

I was off from work for 4 days: Thursday - Sunday and I didn't blog.

Instead I had a fabulously relaxing weekend. (Something I haven't had since moving to Oklahoma). I cleaned my house, caught up on magazines, finished my (now belated) Christmas cards, watched movies, made dinners for the Cowboy and caught up on sleep. For example exhausted me only stayed awake till Eastern Standard Time New Year's. I couldn't make it till midnight.

This time of year people make resolutions. I usually don't. However, some year's I just call them something else. Thinking back to last year (2009), I made a 'goal' to be in a different place. (Not locational speaking, but at the time I was struggling financially and was in a career path that left me unfulfilled, unappreciated and beyond exhausted daily. Needless to say, I did reach that goal and can happily report that is no longer the case.)

My goal this year is to blog. I really enjoy this blog and hate that I have deserted it for the past two months. There is so much I can share and expect to read about it all in 2010.

{Stay Tuned}

Photos of Southwest Kansas/Oklahoma Panhandle

There once was a time when newsrooms didn't have Mac's, digital Canon camera, voice recorders, email communication or scanners.

Instead...

Newsrooms had typewriters, dark rooms, note pads and pen, face to face communication and the only scanning done was with your eye.

My newspaper, The Southwest Times, has boxes upon boxes of old photographs that appeared in the paper decades ago. Old photographs? At one point it wasn't as easy of snap a shot on a digital camera and digitally input the photo on to the newspaper page on a Mac program like Quark.

What's to be done with all these photos? I don't know but they are sure fun to look through and post on the blog. Expect more in the coming months.


This would be from the Liberal High School Homecoming parade. Unsure of what year but the marching band is traveling down Kansas Ave. in Liberal the main street in town. If you look closely on the right hand side you'll see a sign labeled Bingo. It is still there today and I pass it daily.

The flu, a broken digital camera, a country singer, an OK Thanksgiving and a smiling city girl

The flu, a broken digital camera, a country singer, an OK Thanksgiving and a smiling city girl...

Those would be the updates

• Flu: I caught the flu the day before my birthday and it lasted for five days. Of course the day I had it the worst was my actually birthday. A birthday that was to be spent with my Cincinnati mom flying into Wichita for the weekend. Although it was the worst timing, the weekend didn't turn out that way. Got to go shopping and spend time with my amazing mom! (The best of both worlds.)
• Digital Camera: When charging the camera on Thursday night before I was to leave for Wichita the lens jammed. My trusted digital camera that I have had for five years is beyond repair. How am I to take my Christmas Photo?
  
• Country Singer: Jerrod Niemann is a country singer in Nashville that just had his first single of his country album released. He happens to have graduated from Liberal High School and I happened to interview him via phone on Tuesday. His story is running in this Sunday's newspaper. He was very awesome on the phone and I hope he makes it big. Check him out {here}.
• OK Thanksgiving: My Oklahoma Thanksgiving was great. Met the cowboy's family. (Big family.) I had a nice time and I really think it went great. Something tells me, he thinks it went well too. Maybe I'll get invited to another family function...we will just have to see.
  

With no more flu, no major holiday and things going so well I hope to be blogging all week. Watch out bloggers I am a smiling city girl in the Southwest.

{Stay Tuned}

Your opinion matters most. Set the bar high...

There is nothing worst then when you are disappointed in yourself.

You can make the situation better in your mind if you acknowledge your struggles and losses.

You can also make the situation better if you know how to change it in the future.

Like I said, I have been disappointed in myself. Myself or rather my writing and work for this week. The newspaper is printed three times a week and for each issue I am responsible for writing a story. Completely do able. On top of that I have other tasks but first and foremost I am a reporter. My job is to produce stories. Stories that are good. Stories that are thought provoking. Stories that go above and beyond.

My story for Wednesday's paper was not like that. My story for tomorrow's paper was not like that. I can only hope Sunday's story tells it different.

The truth is the stories weren't horrible. They both ran in the paper. No body told me they were terrible. But just reading them makes me cringe because I know they could be better.

Wednesday's story about the wedding planner and her business was just fluff. Although, interesting I only explored one angle. I didn't ask her questions about the first years of her business or struggles she may have seen in this economic time? Maybe couples in Southwest Kansas are holding back on certain wedding necessities to save money? I didn't ask those questions. I didn't think to.

Tomorrow's story is a numbers story about the births in Seward County (the county Liberal is in). Through research I found out that American's and Kansas' as a whole are reporting less births each year. Basically, couples and women are choosing to not have children. That is not the case in Seward County which has been welcoming more births each year. Interesting right? Not to mention over 52% of the mothers are out-of-wedlock. (I can tell you through looking into other counties and the state of Kansas that is really high. Most counties see 30% out-of-wedlock mothers). Naturally, I contacted the state public health PR person and she emailed me some additional facts, quotes. From there I contacted the only hospital in the county for comments. I called. I emailed. I went into see the PR women for the hospital. She couldn't talk to me. Too busy. I should of been more persistent. But there was a deadline.

The story was written but in my mind I saw holes where there should of been quotes from the hospital.

Which brings me to the story I am to turn in tomorrow for Sunday's paper. It has to be kick-a** and it can be. The Secretary of Transportation for the State of Kansas, Deb Miller, was in town and gave a presentation about plans. This is good and it has to be good for the newspaper.

I leave you now, as I will be transcribing over 50 minutes of tape from earlier today. Reading through government documents and laying out a story to write for tomorrow.

It is going to be kick-a**. Promises all around, I've set the bar high.

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. The Canadian television show, "Being Erica" was on Soap Net last Spring. (Pause for all laughter imagining me curdle up watching Soap Net next to my orange cat on Thursday nights. ) But in one episode someone tells Erica that when it comes down to it, it only really matters what their own opinion is. No body else's.

That stuck with me. I disagreed. I believe it does matter what my parents, family, friends and co-workers opinion's are about me. But thinking about it, what opinion will stick with one the most? Today, I agree it is my own. And while others will always matter and have an influence on my life. I am the only one who's opinion can change my actions. Think about it?

I look at this daily

This ended up on my desk on Friday afternoon from my co-workers. Apparently it is a random trophy that no one can explain in the office. And humoring to all that it has found a home on my desk.

It's Tuesday night and I can attest that the trophy is still there. I am not sure what I should do with it. First of all it is rather dusty. Second of all it says "best in show". Third of all the trophy man has large hands. Look closely and you'll notice the hand is larger then the knee.

I am all up for awards on desks but I haven't even brought out the photo of Tiger Lily or my Ohio snowglobe. I wonder for others that don't work in the news room but pass through think the new girl must be full of herself to place a trophy on her desk week 2.

Hope that brings a laugh to you.

I moved to KS, met a munchkin, was invited to Church, became front page news, got lost twice and LOVED every minute of it

There is nothing like moving and starting a job all in the same week.

May I mention that the move happened to be over 1,000 miles away from everything I've ever known and the job was everything I'd ever wanted but never experienced. Yes, stress was on my side to say the least.

But I pushed through and the week went perfect. As I type, I glance over at the clock to see it has officially marked a week in Liberal.

Let me give you the highlights:

The Job: From my opinion, I am doing well. I did ask a ton of questions this week and had some glitches on the computer. But I am pretty sure I didn't mess anything up. I had a story for each paper and edited quite a lot of pages. Not to mention that I even built my first ever page. (Weird accomplishment if you have no idea what I am talking about.) Although, the first day was a little rough and well, Wednesday when I couldn't figure out how to work the camera. Oh and then there was Friday, when I had to call the office because I had gotten a bit lost while out on assignment. Other then those moments of feeling like an idiot and wondering if my co-workers were thinking "Why did they hire her?", I have to say the week went great. Plus I really like what I am doing and can't wait for more to come.

The Housing Crisis of 2009: For those that don't know I am currently living in a hotel. The newspaper has been nice enough to pay my stay at a hotel for up to 14 days. Although, I never imagined I would take them up on the whole 14 days it has since become that way. I spent much of my downtime this week looking at places, driving around and discussing my options with my parents. It came down to the townhouse that I really liked and a house that was just so-so. But there were problems with each. The townhouse was unavailable till November 1st. Then there was the landlord who quoted my mom on the phone at $525, quoted me in person at $595 and then, when I checked out his website it was listed at $575. I don't play numbers games. I asked him about it and he shut me down saying it was $595. I felt really uneasy signing a lease for it because I felt like I was getting ripped off. Who's to know what he might make me pay for later! My mom credits the fluctuating pricing based on how I was dressed when I met him. Perhaps if I had shown up in jeans and a Kansas City Chief's t-shirt it would have been $525. But my heels, dress pants, sweater set and nice sunglasses said $595. My dad said it was small town and that the landlord must figure he could get away with it. I just felt like it was a no win situation. Plus it was more then I had originally planed on spending.

On Thursday, I put the application in for the house which was available for move in. The house was older but it was nicely kept up inside. Outside, another story. But, I am not trying to be on the cover of Midwest Living. Friday, I called the office to check up on my application. I had figured 24 hours would be a sufficient time to do a credit check and call references. But the women went on to tell me that she should of told me the following: they had leased the house to someone else on Wednesday and it was no longer available. Should of told me? Heck yes, you should of. And the fact that I had to call. What if I had passed on something else for this house?

My head was spinning at work the rest of the day as I got off the phone with the relator for the house. What was I going to do? There was hardly anything available to rent in this town. There aren't too many apartment units. Liberal is mostly composed of neighborhoods with homeowners. I spoke with my parents on Friday evening and it was a tough conversation. They were upset to hear the house hadn't worked out and none of us were happy about the townhouse. But we did make a game plan. A listing to appear in the Sunday paper (thank God I have access to that stuff) was for a 2 bedroom, one bath, washer, dryer apartment for $475 and included water. I called Friday night. My mom called Friday night. Saturday morning he got back to me. 1 p.m. Saturday I saw it. PERFECT! Great sized bedrooms, nice kitchen, built 14 years ago, decent bathroom, large living room, available next Saturday and nice neighborhood. Although, it isn't official yet, this could be my new residence.

Keep your fingers crossed. Funny thing about it. It happens to be in Oklahoma. (Not too weird though because Liberal is 3 miles from the border and well, the apartment is in Turpin, Oklahoma, 13 miles from Liberal.)

As for the rest of it:

• My first night in town I called Pizza Hut and asked for carry out. Got lost on the way there. Should of done delivery.
• This weekend marked the 70th year of the movie, The Wizard of Oz. I am in the home of Dorothy and it was OZFEST this weekend. One of the movies munchkins was in town on Friday and I went and took photos for the newspaper.
• I went to the local furniture store in Liberal looking to purchase a mattress. I found one and am having it delivered somewhere next weekend. The furniture sales people were very nice and got me free delivery. Of course, they did ask me if I had found a church community yet. This is funny to me because if you have scene the movie New in Town, Renee Zellweger's character gets asked the same thing shortly after moving to Minnesota. I said no but will keep that in mind.
• I did make the front page with not only the byline but on the actual paper. Which lead me to get remarks by four different people in town that they knew who I was. Although the photo is horrible, the story is not. Please check out my links on the right hand side under The Southwest Times for all articles I write and any that might included me.
• Stories from my week of work included prairie dogs, breast cancer awareness and 212 lbs. pumpkins. Ask me about any of those topics and I am an expert.
• Had that first glimpse of true small town life. I went to the grocery store on Friday night. I was a bit upset about the housing issue of earlier in the day and had worked till 7 p.m. So I picked up some mac & cheese, a Milky Way candy bar and a 6 pack of Bud Light Lime. Only to approach the check lines to see a very prominent politician in town that I had met only a few hours earlier. Thinking this would look bad in the sense of possible unhealthy eater and boozer, I ducked into the Hallmark Card aisle. I don't think he saw me. And really the mac & cheese just sounded good and heats up in a hotel microwave well, the candy bar was for my chocolate craving and the beer was for a beverage celebration of finishing up a week of work. Kill me?
• Saturday, I woke up early to cover the 5k Toto Trot. It was 29 degrees with ice all over my car and raining. I scrapped my VW Bug and spilled hot coffee on my right hand. I'm fine but thank you early season cold front. Can't wait to move next weekend.

If your still reading then your a very good friend, a very faithful blog reader, a bored individual with some kind of computer freeze going on, or a potential stalker. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the support. I've revamped the blog a bit for next week and have some new regular features beginning. As always...

{Stay Tuned}

Gee, I wonder how Laura is?

Find yourself wondering what Laura is up to these days? It is alright if you said no. But either way this post is filled with updates. So like it or not here are updates from my new career at {The Southwest Times}.

My first article was printed in Wednesday's paper and it was about Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. Interested? Well, if so you can check it out on the newspaper's website {here}.

Not interested in prairie dogs? Then here's something a bit more Laura for you. The newspaper apparently writes a story about their newest employee shortly after each new employee comes on board. So you guessed it. I made the front page. While the article probably includes many things you already know about me, the picture is a bit depressing. I usually can be found smiling or laughing but for this photo, I was told to look serious. (Personally, I always found serious photos of myself to translated as looking severally depressed and unhappy. I am just usually a smily individual and can take wonderful shots with my pearl whites showing.) Anyways click over to read about me {here}.

{Stay Tuned}

"Straight off the boat"

As I was driving back to my hotel room tonight I thought about today and summed it up in the words...I am "straight off the boat" and laughed a bit to myself.

If you've been around me you know I use the term "straight off the boat" here and there to describe people that act like they don't know. What I mean by "they don't know" is that they are new to our land and unfamiliar with our ways.

Well, I am new to this land and definitely unfamiliar in the ways of Liberal.

I went to my first day of work today to find my boss out on a sick day and the business manager to be not in. The typical fill out this paper work, sign an anti-sexual harassment form and be explained Human Resource required info did not happen. I was informed of a County Commissioners meeting I was suppose to cover in the evening and spent the morning reading the over 40 page agenda with proposals and documents. With main point of interest surrounding a black tailed prairie dog. An hour lunch led me to come back to gather more info for another possible story and to read through Kansas laws on open records and open meetings. So that's what I did at work today.

Later in the afternoon, I met with a relator that showed me a house for rent. As of right now it is my second choice and I told the relator I would touch base with her on Wednesday with my decision. I am viewing a townhouse tomorrow and am leaning towards it as of right now. (Townhouse has washer/dryer that I can walk to in housing area and no lawn care) Then I attended the County Commissioners meeting and went straight back to my hotel.

Can you say tired?

And that was when I chuckled and thought I have that "straight off the boat" look and feeling.

But the truth is "straight off the boat" is not bad. You have to have that "straight off the boat" experiences in order to become savvy, knowledgeable, trained, skilled and confident. At least that is how I see it. I have never gone into any job I've had before and left on the first day saying "piece of cake". It is challenges and something different each day that makes work teach us something and leads us to learn. I learned a lot today. I got a feeling for my new office environment, my possible stories for the next week and a flash of what my career here in Liberal will be like. I am ready for tomorrow where I will write the story of the black tail prairie dog. But first I need to get some sleep.

{Stay Tuned}

It took more then just clicking...

As one might guess it took more then just clicking my heels to get to Kansas!

It took hard work, hours on hours of driving, Pandora for Blackberry to bring the tunes, AAA trip tick, and fast food across America to get to Kansas. But I now can safely say myself and Tiger Lily are in Liberal, Kansas and ready to get this chapter of our lives going.

Last week, I did all the basics of getting ready for the move. I opened a new bank account, got a new cell phone, got my car checked out (oil changed), figured out travel, got my Nordstrom fix, spent time with family and friends, got my hair cut, called Realtors in Liberal, packed and well, the list could go on. Friday, I packed the car. But I should tell you I drive a VW New Beattle and well, packing that car can be a challenge. But I got all the things I wanted to get in. Clothing, shoes, handbags, cat, cat's stuff, comforter, limited dishes and drink ware, Mac Book, towels, sheets, little TV, DVD player, heater, my iPod stereo, books, a few DVD's, and a few other things. It was a tight squeeze but it all made it.

Friday, I spent the day making the 9 hour drive to Kansas City. I drove through Southern Indiana to Indianpolis, then on to Terra Haute to cross into Illinois. From Illinois, I followed I-70 to St. Louis. Once in St. Louis, at 5 o'clock, I hit traffic. But made it through to continue making the treck through the "Show Me State". Once crossing the border into Kansas, I spent the night at a La Quinta.

Saturday, I woke up to sunshine and in a very nice suburb of Kansas City. A stop at Panera insured good Hazelnut coffee and an egg and cheese sandwich. Thank God I filled up on gas because the once on I-35 to Wichita...there is nothing. Honestly, boring drive. No billboards, 30 miles to the next exit and just me and Tiger Lily thanking God for the invention of downloading Pandora on the Blackberry because there are no stations. (Actually we thank former roommate Courtney J for the text message explaining how awesome it is.) Once in Wichita I knew my way and got on Kansas State Route 54 all the way to Liberal. TL and I made it at 5 pm. Checking into out hotel room and calling it quits for the night.

Sunday, I drove around town and check out possibly living situations. I am currently in a hotel till I find something. The newspaper offered to bored me at a hotel for two weeks. I think I made the right call waiting and didn't line something up from over the phone. One house specifically today did not live up to potential. It desperately needed a new paint job and had yard work that yelled don't go to this house when trick or treating even if the porch light it on.

Today, I start work and well, that means I need to go.

{Stay Tuned}

Above are some pics from this past week. We begin with packing up my room, packing the car, the drive, a few highlights of Liberal and sleepy Tiger Lily. Click on image to get larger view.

Weekend Shout Out

I have to give a "shout" out and an "electronic" high-five to Kirstin!

Kirstin and I worked together for a year at Southern Weddings/Bliss Event Group. And what a year that was! With desks right next to each other, being the same age, traveling together and being roomies for a month in May, it was only natural that we became friends. Kirstin is an incredible person and is so talented with event design. (So ladies getting married call Kirstin for your event planner.) But about two weeks ago she became the newest employee of{Weddings Unveiled Magazine} as the chief blogger for their fantastic blogsite {Completely Unveiled by Weddings Unveiled Magazine}. She brings a lot to this blog site and I can't wait to see it take off. I anticipate amazing weddings covered.

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. Kirstin and I use to joke and look through Weddings Unveiled and be so jealous of their layout, advertisers, weddings and more.

How did I land a job?

I was fortunate to get a few snippets of why The Southwest Times hired me as their newest reporter during my interview process.  I want to take the time to share it because I think it might be helpful for others in future interview process.  

1. Enthusiasm. They said I was the most enthusiastic person they interviewed during the phone interview process.  My reaction: I was nervous for the phone interview but I was excited I had an interview.  Plus they were asking me questions about my past experience and why I wanted to be a reporter. Hello,  I got to talk about myself. That was easy.  As silly as this next part is going to sound I am going to go ahead and type it.  When I worked at Target as the store operator, I was told to smile when I answered the phone.  They said the smile would come across into my voice. Try it sometime. It actually works. 
2. Getting the Scoop. For the phone interview process, I was given a few examples of a possible story and was then told to explain what I would do to get "the scoop".  I said I would first do research and find out what the background of the incident was.  Then I would contact all parties involved for an interview and from there have the story.  Apparently, in one example that was given to all ten phone interview candidates I was the only one that said I would begin with research and speak to all parties involved.  Everyone else just said they would only contact the main influential player.  Elon taught me that a creditable story is one with multiple sources and research.  That was such a standard answer for me and one I thought everyone else would give as well.  
3. Question Master. They said I asked questions and good ones.  I asked not only about the newspaper but about the community and the area. Well, considering I had never heard of Liberal till about a week ago that came natural for me.  And while, I guess asking if Liberal had been effected by H1N1 or the current economic downfall of this country sounded like I wanted to know about possible news stories, I actually just was curious if I needed to bring Purell and to brace myself for what kind of status this town was in.  

Bottom line, interview process was just very natural for me.  I answered truthfully and was myself the entire time.  I didn't try to be something I wasn't or present myself in a false light. And that's the best piece of advise I can pass on.  

{Stay Tuned} 

P.S. Only one reported case of H1N1 in the county and Liberal was not effected very heavily by economic hard times.  The main industry there is meat packing (think Kansas City Beef) and well, people aren't stopping to eat beef these days. 

Leaving Kansas...for a week

I am leaving today to go back to Ohio.  How things have changed since last week.  I am leaving Kansas with a whole new plan for the next week, month and year of my life.  I am officially moving to Kansas the Weekend of October 2nd and begin work on Monday, October 5th.  Basically in a week I will be back in Kansas.  My goal today is to figure out and make a decision on housing before I head out of town for the drive to Wichita. Flying from Wichita to Ohio tonight.  I'll keep everyone posted.  I have a few options that I did research a bit on Thursday. But need to do further research and make sure Tiger Lilly can live with me.  

I want to thank all my friends, Twitter friends, and blog readers for all their on going support and encouraging comments this week.  I did get some questions and I'll go ahead and answer them at this time.  

Yes, I will continue to blog.  Hello, exciting things are on the horizon and I want you all to know. 

No, I will not be changing my blog name. People know me as the Boomerang Lady and well, you could say I am boomeranging to Kansas. 

Yes, my parents are completely on board.  They have been very supportive and they can tell how pumped and excited  I am.  I think that helped a lot. 

Yes, still be guest blogging for {Stuff Under Twenty}.

Probably be pulling back on The Examiner and I did officially call the Gap store in Cincinnati and quit.  I only held that job for one week! Felt bad about it but it was always a "something in the meantime". 

Anymore questions leave them here and I promise to answer.  Anyways got to get a move on.  

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. Photo above from the entrance of Dorothy's house and below is Munch-kin land.