openscarf

California must have the most backward gov't in the country. I wonder how much money they could save if they had direct deposit for unemployment instead of printing and mailing thousands and thousands of checks each week. WTF?  It makes me sick in this day and age to waste that much paper and resources to deliver to mailboxes. Of course the recipient has to mail back the little form with the appropriate boxes checked.  If one mark is wrong, they don't give you your money.  They mail a computer generated form 'explaining' what you did wrong and give you another chance, mail that back and wait for another computer generated statement demanding you call.  But the volume is so massive, they basically shut the phones off.  You can go to the website and request a call.  I wrote them a scathing email, it felt great.  Tomorrow since I have to go for my job counselling session (from these rocket scientists?)  I'll then stand in line to get to a live person on a phone.  Sounds like a great day.  I've only received one check from them, they're 5 behind.  I think it's ridiculous, but it also frightens me that they have this power to hold my money when there is no reasonable way to communicate with them.  They could see I'm not drawing income anywhere.  I'm furious, but I'll just join the others tomorrow.  Should be a very long, annoying day. 

My life as a community reporter goes on.  Thursday night I covered a meeting with the District Superintendent of Schools. I learned so much, I recorded it all, got home around 9 and worked on it for several hours, slept a little, got up early and worked another 8 hours nonstop.  It had to be turned in Friday.  On Sunday, the editor and I went back and forth.  I"ve learned a lot on how to tighen up and I thought I all ready knew how.  For instance, it turns out,  'the" and "that' are just filler so much of the time.  There was so much material.  We got it to something and it got published this morning.

In between all that, i was working on 2 other articles.  I was tired, but just in the zone.  I took on way too much and have just emerged. Working, doing something you like, is so different than the drugery that goes on in most cubilces.  Money has nothing to do with it.  And yet, I'm working harder on this than anything i can remember.  I'm hoping it's one of those things where the payoff, as yet unseen, will be great. I wanted to test myself too and see what I could do.  I did it.   

The site is doing well, gettting recognized.  I wouldn't mind more feedback from people other than the assistant editor, but there really isn't anyone else.  There are little frustrations like waiting for a story to go up, they said was going up almost 3 hours ago and isn't, and I told the subject it was...I just check in for updates and then try and let it go, it's very good for me to just let all that go.

Today is gorgeous.  I did yoga this morning and walked around the lake at lunch with a friend from my ex work place, one and a half times, good excercies to counter act all the stiffness of the last few days.  I think I'm going to up my walks to run/walks. 

Tonight, Happy Hour with another friend.