Out With the Old, In With the New

For the last two years I've written a humor column called "U've Got To Be Kidding" for a Florida family magazine. Last week I sent in my most recent column only to receive an e-mail from the editor that said, essentially, "Oops, guess you didn't get the e-mail that the magazine folded."

Ah, no, I didn't.

But that's fine--assignments come and go.  I'm kind of wondering if I'm in a "go" phase. Aside from this, two of my columns for other magazines didn't appear last month. I e-mailed both editors to ask if there was (ahem!) anything I ought to know, and both assured me content had just run high that month and they'd had to bump the columns for that one issue only.

I've been extremely fortunate in that I've had long runs with several magazines, writing marketing or humor columns for them for years. There's such a high turnover in magazines that when an editor leaves, it's not uncommon for a "housecleaning" to occur, and new columnists brought in to freshen up the content. 

While I'm sad to lose this humor column, I believe losing one thing often opens the doors for others to present themselves. For example, I've just started ghostwriting two online articles a month for a new editor and I love the assignment.  I've also had bites at new project areas that I'm hoping to develop. So in essence, while it always feels safer to stick with what's known, letting go of comfort zones has always worked to move my career in new and unexpected directions.

I've had the hairs up on the back of my neck for almost a month now that change was in the air regarding my standing assignments. Losing this column might be the start of that. But I'm optimistic that whatever is lost, great gains are around the corner...

"I See A Blackberry in Someone's Future..."

The title of this blog flows from the perhaps prophetic words of my friend Trisha to an earlier post I made about wanting a Bluetooth. She noted I might soon make the technological leap to a Blackberry as well. I've always been quite content with my current paper system but... I'm having twitches of interest toward the little black boxes.

I was in my satellite office yesterday (Panera, Wendover Avenue) meeting with a new client. Fantastic woman full of ideas and energy. She's also high tech, as evidenced by her work and the high-powered laptop she pulled out when we needed to review some web sites. As the meeting drew to a close, I pulled out my beloved "month-at-a-glance" paper calender and for the first time ever, felt slightly foolish.

But why? Isn't it more important that a system works versus what it looks like? I've never missed a deadline or appointment and I like being able to see my month laid out. It helps when scheduling appointments. I know if I'm already driving into Greensboro 3 days a week that even if I h ave a Thursday open for appointments, the last thing I'm going to want to do is to make another drive, and so I know to schedule on a day I'm already in town or for the following week. Can a month or week at a time be viewed on a Blackberry?

I also fear turning into one of those people who have the compulsive need to glance at their Blackberry every five minutes. I find it rude to the nth degree. Either have a conversation with me or don't, but if you are, put the damn box down and focus.  The constant glance under the table where you're holding your Blackberry isn't fooling anyone...

Maybe I'll just cave all at once and get a Bluetooth, Blackberry, and MySpace page.  Then I can hang out with the cool people... as long as it's on a day when I'm already scheduled to come into Greensboro.

Paid In Fudge

It's like God dreamed up a work assignment just for me. Tomorrow morning, I visit a homemade fudge/candy factory to write a business profile for an area magazine. How happy am I? Breakfast, Dena? No thank you, I'm on my way to my assignment at the fudge factory.

Of course, there's no guarantee I'll be offered fudge. But I feel a little taste testing is essential to my job of reporting the whole story. I'd hate to come up short.

The store is almost two hours from where I live, but I'm being comped for my time.  Plus, the weather here is fantastic this week--80 degrees, sunny, no humidity. Perfect for a drive to Virginia and a drive back home with fudge.

Hard sometimes to believe I get paid for this...

Bluetooths - Fanny Packs of the Cell Phone World

I'm ready to be assimilated. And by that I mean I think I want a Bluetooth. You've seen them... the God-awful metal phone protrusions hanging from people's ears that make them look like they've been assimilated by the Borg from Star Trek.  I think they're ugly, pretentious, and overused... I must have one.

I was talking to my friend Trisha on my cell this afternoon and trying to type at the same time. I had the 90 degree head lilt going, holding the phone between chin and shoulder and could feel neck spasms building as I did so. I mentioned my desire for the Bluetooth to Trisha.

"Oh my  God," said my oh-so-subtle friend. "Please. Those things are the the fanny pack of the cell phone world."

I see her point. You start off using it for one or two calls at home, vowing never to become one of those people surrounded in an air of self-righteousness as they hold fascinating conversations standing next to you in line at CVS, chatting about what an ass Phil is at the office, how they blew their diet this week, how exciting it was to get their Toyota Hybrid up to 60 mph this weekend, and finally circling back to poor Phil to reiterate yet again what a complete and utter ass he is.  (I don't even know poor Phil and I'm inclined to like him more than the person standing next to me in line, disparaging him.)

I'd start off just using it in the house and then maybe just once in awhile at Panera. For work. Soon I'll be standing in line for more coffee, chatting into thin air about how I'm about to blow my diet with a cookie, car repairs that are coming due soon on the Lexus, and what an ass Trisha is because she thinks Bluetooths are only for fanny-packin' losers.

Beam me up, Scotty.