All the News that's Fit to Dish

August 02, 2004, 9:55 p.m.
A few weeks ago I flipped through a copy of one of Portland’s alternative weekly newspapers (you know, the ones filled with ads and movie listings and only a paragraph or two of content) and read my horoscope. Hidden among the cosmic predictions was a very useful bit of advice, which read: “If you have made it through these past few weeks with your sense of humor intact, you now have permission to give yourself a big shiny reward.” It was the best excuse I had heard in weeks to sip a cup of tea, grab a book, and turn off the computer for a few hours.

Work has been stressful and hectic, especially after a two-week break, but writing is fulfilling me in new ways and I am falling in love with my job all over again. Taking time off allowed me to step back from my work and make decisions based on what I really want, not what I think I ought to be doing.

Assessing my priorities and setting new goals has enabled me to say no to assignments that are not right for me, make time to reconnect with writers and editors from my past, and escape from my home office to enjoy great conversations and the fleeting summer sun with my wonderful friends. I feel renewed and energized and ready to tackle new – and grand – things.

A few very exciting things have happened in the past month. I will wait until the ink dries on the contracts to share most of the details, but there is a bit of news I can share: Parents accepted one of my queries which resulted in a short article that will appear in the November issue.

After a year of shopping around an idea about using the Internet to lose weight, I finally sold the article to Women’s Health and Fitness earlier this spring. I just picked the issue up on the newsstand and the clip looks beautiful. The editor was fantastic to work with and I am hoping to develop an ongoing relationship with the publication (look for another article with my byline in the November issue).

I was offered (and accepted) a four-week contract with the Beaverton Valley Times which will involve juggling writing, editing, and layout duties while the managing editor and senior staff reporter are on holidays. My goal is to make commuting, wearing pantyhose, reporting, and laying out a newspaper while working at someone else’s workstation look as simple as Martha Stewart making soufflé.

I am negotiating three contracts right now that I am really excited about (but too nervous to dish on for fear of jinxing them). The publications are beautiful, the editors are wonderful, and the articles are on topics that I am very eager to write about. More to follow…

In non-writing-related news, Thailand was phenomenal (pictures and details to follow), J and I are celebrating our fourth anniversary this week, and I will be another year older on Friday. My little sister is going to spend a week hanging out with me in P-Town at the end of this month, and our house is coming along beautifully. Life is good.