Professional Freelancer

I got paid to write an article for the Los Angeles Times Health desk. See it here. Also see the sidebar, on the web as "Related Stories." It's about artificial lungs and was super fun to write. Hopefully it is also interesting to read. Hopefully I get paid again sometime to write. Then maybe I could pay the bills.

The Life of an Unemployed Woman, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Live Like My Sister. Only Without a Gainfully Employed Husband.

You might be wondering what it is I do all day. I wonder that too. And yet I feel like I am always busy.

Matt beat me to the post about my parents' visit. See it here.

Since my last post I have received two more rejections - one from the CDL camp and one from an engineering company that apparently discriminates against hydrologists. I've also applied to about 20 other jobs. That brings the total up to at least 65 in Albuquerque alone. I have lost count. No joke.

I have an article going in the LA Times health section this Monday (and hopefully they will give me another assignment despite my need for extensive editing). I have a story lined up for High Country News if I can get Duncan Hunter (California Congressman running for President) to speak with me. I might also have an article with Plenty or This Old House. So at least there is some money coming in. Maybe. Eventually. Certainly not enough to pay the bills.

My lovely sister and her husband sent me a natural food gift basket to feed me in the hard times. Aren't they sweet? I am particularly excited about the cookies. And the cheese puffs. Luckily Matt will be gone for three days so I don't have to share with him.

In other news, I have to iron a tuxedo shirt tonight. I don't think I have ironed since I left my parents' house. Any tips?

New Blog

I added a new blog to my links: Peace, Love and Understanding. This is by a girl who was on fellowship at the LAT with me, and she is both hilarious and insightful. Enjoy!

Wrapping up LA

3 more days of work. I think I am going to miss it. This job keeps me busy and entertained with constantly new topics, sudden assignments and deadlines, and adjusting to numerous editing styles. My beach report story, done today in a few hours, received the least editing of probably all my stories so far. Which is good because I don't even know this guy and I was worried he wouldn't realize I was an intern and would think I was really bad. Why can't the Times just hire me?

Anyways, soon I will be trekking back through AZ. If I have any blog readers out there, let me know when you are available. (Hello? Bueller? Bueller?)

Well I think it's about time, don't you?

Sometimes I worry that I will alienate my ever-dwindling blog-reading audience by not posting for 12 days. After all, I could probably just talk to Matt and Karen and catch everybody up on my life (that is if my lovely sister would ever get on Skype).

But I like to write. Sometimes I am just too tired from staring at a computer all day and then coming home and staring at a computer to try to apply for jobs, and I think maybe I should just stop blogging, but I am not ready for that yet. (I have to blog so I can write really long sentences and use parentheses - both of which I cannot do at the paper - although I can use dashes.)

My time in LA and at the paper is nearly up. I'm not sure what to think about that. I'm certainly not excited. I'm also not really sad. I have no idea what I should do with my life. How can I be content at some water-related consulting job (which has not yet been offered to me) when there are so many great opportunities for environmental and science communication out there? How is it possible for people to have two-career families? I know they do it all the time, but it is just so difficult. I feel like if I don't get into the writing and communication field right now, it will never happen. I feel like I have momentum now. What will happen in 2 or 3 years? Maybe I will want to do something completely different anyway - that has always been the case until now.

Anyways I am currently jobless and aimless and heading toward penniless if things don't change in the near future. But I am glad I got to have this experience. I am glad I got some me-time (in a good way, not in a sitting home alone in Socorro and feeling sorry for myself kind of way). Hopefully the future will fall into place as it always has for me before.

I also want to bring 2 dogs home with me. Of course I can't do that since we don't know what we are doing with our lives, but I would like to. I will try to remember to take pictures of them another day. One is an elderly dalmation who needs more attention and an owner who believes in vets. The other is new to the doggie hostel, a young shepherd who got hit by a car and broke her leg. She loves playing ball and would be excited for people to play with her more often and take her out walking and running. And maybe train her. And she doesn't bark - big bonus. However, she's not even fixed so that's a problem. I can just see all the vet bills piling up. But they're so cute. Matt thinks maybe we should try having an animal before we decide to have kids to see how that goes.

What have I been up to for the past 11 days? Not much. Mom came to visit two weekends ago.
We checked out the Getty

UCLA

Marina del Rey (boring)
and Santa Monica

During the week I went out to Borrego Springs with a photographer and got drenched in a monsoon - in a place that has recorded about 1/2 inch of rain in the last 12 months.

Matt showed up Friday afternoon.
We went hiking

visited CityWalk
drove through Santa Monica Mountain NRA and Malibu
tried to go for a walk on the beach but instead I got stung by a bee on the bottom of my foot (and I'm not yet fully recovered - thanks for asking)

went to a pathetic Tigers game.


This week I am writing for science and health since my editor is now gone. These stories are much shorter and faster - I wrote 3 in 2 days. Not quite as stimulating, but still good experience.

7 more days left of work. I have to apply for jobs, finish my fellowship reports, pack up my room, and have a little fun before I leave. Looks like I'll be a busy bee.

Death Threats Part II

Well I got another message from my friend this morning. This time he threatened my husband, my nonexistent child, Quentin Tarantino, Velvet Revolver, and possibly our very own president, George W. Perhaps he's just equal opportunity. Obviously off his rocker. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to talk to him. Maybe next week...

My mom is coming out to visit this weekend, arriving tomorrow morning and leaving Sunday afternoon. She has never been one to wear out her welcome.

And next week I get to go back to the desert - Borrego Springs. It's supposed to be a charming place, if a wee bit on the toasty side.

Death Threats and DiCaprio

This morning I arrived at work with a voice mail awaiting me. I heard, "I'm going to kill you tomorrow, how do you feel right now?" This was followed by much slurred gibberish involving movie stars and appeared to be in no way directed at me, but nevertheless it was creepy. I made Amber come over to listen to it and she confirmed it was creepy and later hypothesized via email that it was directed at Leonardo DiCaprio as all the movie stars were in some way connected with him. Finally Frank got to the office and after I made him listen to it, he called security. Security eventually came up to record the message at which time I determined that the first word of the message might actually be DiCaprio. At any rate, I filled out a report with security and really stopped worrying about it, although I was a bit concerned for my former heartthrob and fellow environmentalist.

Shortly thereafter, the editorial switchboard, which is about 10 feet from my desk, told me they had a caller on the line who sounded an awful lot like the guy who left the message who wanted to talk with me. She put him through and Frank picked up the phone. Apparently the guy was much more lucid and said something to the effect of, "Put that bitch on the phone or you, faggot, can come meet me on Hollywood Boulevard." Frank replied that it was too far to drive and said goodbye.

Then I called security to tell them about it and they said to transfer the next call to them. Switchboard received a call almost immediately, but the guy hung up when they transferred. Then security called me to see what happened and my other line started ringing, but I didn't get it in time and no message was left. That was the end of it for the day.

So here are the questions. 1) If the message was for Leo, why did the dude call back and ask for me? 2) If the dude was upset about my Sunday centerpiece, why would he ramble about moviestars? 3) How did the dude get my number in the night but then have to call the switchboard during the day? After hours security receives all calls, but my name isn't in the computer system so they should have been unable to transfer me.

At any rate, Frank made me get an escort to my bus stop. I felt this was unnecessary, but he did not give me a choice. At any rate, security picked me up in an unmarked black vehicle, drove me two blocks to the bus stop, and dropped me off there without waiting with me for my bus. Now pray tell, what in the world was the point of that? I kind of wish I'd gotten on the phone with the guy so I could have figured out if he actually knew who I was or if he thought I was in some way connected to Leo. Perhaps the saga will continue tomorrow.

More Updates. And Santa Monica. Again. With Pictures.

I have to apologize for my recent lack of posts - I have been without internet again and only finally got it back this evening.

In summary:

Last weekend Jackie and I went to the beach in Santa Monica yet again and then to the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. It was hot in the inland valley ya'll. Hot and humid. How do those southerners handle it?

Monday and Tuesday at work I had to help another lady with an article - it ran on A1 Thursday without my byline. Alas...

Wednesday I actually got the day off. My fellow fellows chickened out on the hiking owing to the heat, so I went by myself. I took the Sam Merrill trail to the Castle Canyon trail to Inspiration Point - gorgeous but bad view.


After that I drove down to San Diego to hang out with Laura and Kyle on the 4th. They were gracious enough to host me last minute so that I could get up at a reasonable hour to head to Imperial Valley on Thursday.


I spent that day in 120 degree heat checking out some canals and graveyards - story to follow later this week I hope.

Friday it was back to work, but I didn't accomplish much other than finding out I lost my job at Sandia. Yup. I am officially unemployed. Well, officially I am still on leave, but you know. So I have no idea how we are gonna pay the rent come August. Anyone have a lucky lottery ticket?

Matt showed up at the Greyhound bus station several hours late on Friday, but I'll let him relate his experiences. While he was here we:

• Checked out Pasadena
• Visited the La Brea Tar Pits
• 
• Drove through Hollywood
• Hung out in Santa Monica (again)
• 
• Hiked to a waterfall
• 
• Went to a Dodgers game
• Strolled through Griffith Park
• Had a beer at Good in Silverlake

Now it's back to the old grindstone. I think the pollution is catching up to me, as I can barely breathe right now. Time to take some drugs!

Santa Monica. Again.

Erin was in town for Lush this week, so I drove to work on Tuesday so I could head out to Santa Monica that evening. For a few minutes in the car, I had a fear that I would like driving better than the bus, but that fear was quickly conquered. Driving sucked.

Erin and I had a nice time eating, drinking, and checking out the Pier. She was coming down with an illness and was too sick to see me on Wednesday, but luckily she will be back in a couple weeks.

Wednesday night 3 of the other fellows and I went to Pasadena for dinner and entertainment. Luckily that doesn't require nearly as much driving.

Anyways, one article was in the paper today on the back page of the A section - not sure if that's good or bad. Another article will come out tomorrow morning I think. Today's is about Arizona, so ya'll should check it out.

Peace from the city of angels.

Updates

Okay folks, there will be another article published in the national section somewhere tomorrow, which means it will be buried in the paper. There should be another story on Wednesday as well unless it gets bumped.

Tomorrow night I am going to see Erin in Santa Monica, and Wednesday night will be our second weekly fellow get-together, this time in Pasadena, thankfully.

Liz and Glenn have been added to the potential visitor list. Yesterday was Glenn's birthday. He said he is old but he takes solace in the fact that my husband is older. How do you feel about that Matt?

In the News Part II

Well, my longer more controversial piece got cut drastically. I think I need to work for an advocacy magazine.

However, on the bus ride home some interesting things happened.
1) I had to speak Spanish and it just came rolling off my tongue without me thinking. Who knew?
2) I had to hold someone's very small child. Ya'll, I am not a baby person. At all. But when I got off at my bus stop, this lady was struggling with the child and opening the stroller so I offered to help. For some reason, she thought the most appropriate thing would be for me to take her baby. And then put the baby in the stroller. Ya'll. Have I mentioned I don't do babies? Seriously do not hold them. Seriously don't put them in strollers. Not for babies I know. But apparently for strangers. Oh well.

Then Natalie's mom took us out to dinner so that was fun.

Unfortunately, Natalie is running away to Mexico. So much for having a friend in LA. I hope she has lots of fun.

In the News

At 3 pm today I had my long-awaited interview with a certain high up government official in the environmental world. I had told his press people only that I was with the LA Times. When I talked to him he said, "So, I hear you're at the LA Times on a fellowship?" I said, "I guess you've done your research." He countered, "Oh, only a little."

Here is my question.
1) Where did they find this out? I hope it was from the LA Times themselves.
2) Because this is how my interviews go, where there starts with one point and ends up with 1044. What the hell else did they find out about me. Here's a thought. Maybe I should hide my identity on this blog.

Hmm I have just discovered by googling my name and Los Angeles Times that the article appeared multiple places in the websphere. Weird. I'm even on the American Buddhist net.

I may have a tiny boring piece coming out tomorrow or shortly thereafter, and then a longer more controversial piece hopefully this weekend. We shall see.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Check out:

My first article

Hello all! I finally got internet at about 10pm yesterday but after 10 hours at a newspaper desk I haven't felt much like blogging.

Anyways, my first story will be on page B1 of the Los Angeles Times tomorrow, Friday June 16th. Wohoo! Of course I got much help from my editor who is pretty awesome despite all the warnings I got about him. I'm having fun so far. At work. Not in my personal life. It is pretty unexciting. Me, 3 dogs, and a crazy landlady. Good times. I seriously do promise to catch up soon.