My organization publishes a quarterly newsletter for our members. My job description states that I am responsible for gathering, editing and laying out the newsletter with assistance from staff and others. Gathering consists of me reminding the board prez and the director that I need their articles, requesting the applicable content from M, the office/travel manager and others, and then filling the rest of the pages with news and content. I try not to edit the first two so that their messages have a distinct "voice". The content I provide is already edited as I write and insert it. Most of the content from M does not require editing because it just lists the information from a database. The travel section however is a freaking nightmare every time.
First of all, she sends it to me already formatted. This is a pain because it is formatted for Word, but not for the program I use to publish. So I spend too much time changing the formatting to fit the publication template. Second of all, she does not like me to edit the trip descriptions at all, even though when I do it is to make the listings uniform (heading, date, description, price, etc.) or so that I can avoid a widow or cut a line for space. You know, for pics and content more interesting than heading, date, description, price. Third, she expects me to include an entire column of content describing the travel program itself.
This last is the most annoying. First, it takes up too much space that could be used to tell or show the actual trips. Second, she uses a narrative style instead of easy to read bullet points to give basic information. It is poorly written with incomplete sentences and info like the web address and phone number buried in the middle of a paragraph. Third, one whole poorly-written paragraph is a testimonial for our travel agency. This would be less annoying if she didn't have a regular hissy fit about people trying to use our publication to get to our members.
For this last issue, she sent it to me and pointed out that she had rewritten the descriptive column. It was worse than before. I entered all of the trip listings first so I would know how much space I had to work with, and then I tackled the column. I tried to compromise, leaving some of it like it was before and adding the new content she had provided. It read OK and fit the space, but she was not happy about me changing it and let me know it.
I explained everything I said above, but stopped short of telling her that her writing was terrible. So she "tweaked it" and sent it back with the comment that it should fit the space as written, as if that was the problem. This time she included a closing and her name.
With her rewrite, she included the original trip descriptions. This time, I cut and pasted everything exactly as she had written it. The only changes I made were to the formatting so that it at least looked like it should. I did not spell check it. I did not correct her punctuation. I did not inquire about missing info on one of the descriptions. I cut and pasted everything exactly as she had written it, including her signature.She glanced at it long enough to see that I had put her column as written and never looked at the rest of it because her material doesn't need edited.
Part of me is glad that we got the issue out in time, in spite of this and several other challenges. But another part of me is angry that I put out an issue that wasn't as good as it should have been. As the editor, that is my job too. Even the board prez and the director actually want me to double-check them and make them look and sound good. Part of me hopes no one reads it that closely or thinks poorly of my editorial and publishing skills when they do. The b*tch in me dares her to say anything about the "errors" so that I can point out that they were her errors, with her signature, and that I tried several times to fix them.
This is both true and not true. I did try to fix them in a way that was satisfactory to us both. Her refusal to compromise on even one word, in spite of the fact that I am the editor and it is my job, defies logic. I keep telling myself that it is her signature on it, not mine, but that is not entirely true either.
June 6, 2016
The Usual
Ugh. So I haven't posted in for evah. Partly because I have been busy, partly because it is hard work to maintain and partly because I basically whine about the same things over and over any way.
To whit: L is gone, B is your basic adolescent a-hole, L is at grandma's, D is outside playing dodge the kickball and M is the biggest spoiled baby of them all.
The breakdown: Dodge the kickball is played when you do not have enough players to play a real game of kick ball. The players take turns kicking the ball and trying to run to the other base and back while the other players try to nail them with the ball before they get back home. My kids and the neighbor kids play this game often. No one has gotten hurt...yet.
L is at grandma's house because her cousin is in town for the week. She didn't really want to spend the night but I talked her into it because Lily is here for the whole week at the last minute, and grandma needs help entertaining her. Never mind that I have already paid for the week of camp and that we already had plans. I compromised and said if she would spend the night tonight she could come home tomorrow for swimming and the zoo.
D has practice starting tomorrow night for the all-star team. He will miss the tournament this weekend because we are going to OK, but he'll be back for division tourney and state if they make it that far. He prefers playing catcher but does pretty well in the outfield too. I kind of wish he had been able to do the travel team, but am also kind of glad we didn't go for it.
B will be home from her house at any time. He was mowing their lawn, which is cool. He will need to mow a bunch since he hasn't had much success finding another job and he has about a month to come up with enough to pay a ticket.
In the latest battle of wills between M and me: she probably thinks she "won" because she got her article exactly as written. I prefer to think of it as making her work for it. More in a separate post.
Oh yeah, and I got another Miata. It is red with black stripes. It has both a hard and a soft top. The body is a bit rough, and it has a few things wrong with it, but it I look awesome in it while driving a stick and getting 30 mpg.
To whit: L is gone, B is your basic adolescent a-hole, L is at grandma's, D is outside playing dodge the kickball and M is the biggest spoiled baby of them all.
The breakdown: Dodge the kickball is played when you do not have enough players to play a real game of kick ball. The players take turns kicking the ball and trying to run to the other base and back while the other players try to nail them with the ball before they get back home. My kids and the neighbor kids play this game often. No one has gotten hurt...yet.
L is at grandma's house because her cousin is in town for the week. She didn't really want to spend the night but I talked her into it because Lily is here for the whole week at the last minute, and grandma needs help entertaining her. Never mind that I have already paid for the week of camp and that we already had plans. I compromised and said if she would spend the night tonight she could come home tomorrow for swimming and the zoo.
D has practice starting tomorrow night for the all-star team. He will miss the tournament this weekend because we are going to OK, but he'll be back for division tourney and state if they make it that far. He prefers playing catcher but does pretty well in the outfield too. I kind of wish he had been able to do the travel team, but am also kind of glad we didn't go for it.
B will be home from her house at any time. He was mowing their lawn, which is cool. He will need to mow a bunch since he hasn't had much success finding another job and he has about a month to come up with enough to pay a ticket.
In the latest battle of wills between M and me: she probably thinks she "won" because she got her article exactly as written. I prefer to think of it as making her work for it. More in a separate post.
Oh yeah, and I got another Miata. It is red with black stripes. It has both a hard and a soft top. The body is a bit rough, and it has a few things wrong with it, but it I look awesome in it while driving a stick and getting 30 mpg.
February 19, 2016
General Update
I keep thinking I am going to get back to posting on a regular basis, but it feels like i never have time. I spent my two days off this week sleeping and feeling like crud. I think it is just sinus/allergy related, nothing contagious, but I am almost wishing it was the 24-hour bug and already over instead of this lingering junk. I can clear my sinuses if I want to, but the medicine that works makes me dopey and unable to focus, so not really ideal for days I work.
Work is OK. I finally made a label with "TPANYF - JDYFJ" and stuck it inside my desk. Anyone who sees it will probably think it's a password or something, when in fact it is a reminder that this is just work, nothing more. It helps.
Kids are just finishing basketball. D is playing point guard, which is interesting. He plays there because he is short and a bit cocky, but he will need to improve his skills considerably to play beyond peewee ball. L has already said that she will probably not play again next year, which is fine. One of her coaches runs cross country, and L is very excited to try anything that involves running. In fact, when her softball team fell apart, she went back to soccer because it was more running. I hate that she doesn't want to stick with softball, it being my favorite and all, but I think she liked it for the social aspects as much as for the sport. Unfortunate, as she was beginning to practice batting both directions, and she is a pretty good batter, but she is more competitive with herself than with others, so maybe running is a good thing for her. Just hope she doesn't ask me to practice with her!!! Baseball for D and soccer for L will start just as soon as basketball is over, so same busy schedule as far as activities go.
B and L are still a thing, but I think some of the new is finally wearing off. She is a nice kid, but a bit manipulative. I don't want to see him trying to change for someone else, but most of the time it justs makes him behave better :) He turns 16 soon, and provided the drug tests keep coming back clean, he can get his license. He has been giving some thought to jobs he is interested in, although choices for someone his age in our town are not great. He is hoping to start putting in applications soon, then following up with them after his birthday. Maybe he will have something before school is out and all of the other kids start looking too. I don't need him to work a lot, but enough to have some spending money and responsibility would be good. I can't find enough for him to do around our house.
Not that we don't have plenty to do, but I am back to looking for a new contractor. The guy we had doing things last fall completely flaked and disappeared. I can pick up business cards all day long, but would rather get a referral from someone who has seen their work. We have a contractor lined up for the garage, but I still have some things I need help with, like the second-story trim, framing a window, painting, and building steps. It is an ongoing project, but hopefully we can stay ahead of the next big disaster, which is a leak in the bathroom. Ugh.
On a positive note, the long weekend in Chattanooga/Nashville was fun. I am not as interested in Chattanooga as L is, but would definitely take the kids to Nashville for a weekend sometime. We did have a long talk about staying where we are vs. moving, and will probably stay where we are for the foreseeable future. I can live with that, as long as we are not just living in the same dump, doing the same things, with no change at all, until it is too late to do anything else.
How come the good change is always slow to come and takes work but the bad change is usually quick and unavoidable?
Work is OK. I finally made a label with "TPANYF - JDYFJ" and stuck it inside my desk. Anyone who sees it will probably think it's a password or something, when in fact it is a reminder that this is just work, nothing more. It helps.
Kids are just finishing basketball. D is playing point guard, which is interesting. He plays there because he is short and a bit cocky, but he will need to improve his skills considerably to play beyond peewee ball. L has already said that she will probably not play again next year, which is fine. One of her coaches runs cross country, and L is very excited to try anything that involves running. In fact, when her softball team fell apart, she went back to soccer because it was more running. I hate that she doesn't want to stick with softball, it being my favorite and all, but I think she liked it for the social aspects as much as for the sport. Unfortunate, as she was beginning to practice batting both directions, and she is a pretty good batter, but she is more competitive with herself than with others, so maybe running is a good thing for her. Just hope she doesn't ask me to practice with her!!! Baseball for D and soccer for L will start just as soon as basketball is over, so same busy schedule as far as activities go.
B and L are still a thing, but I think some of the new is finally wearing off. She is a nice kid, but a bit manipulative. I don't want to see him trying to change for someone else, but most of the time it justs makes him behave better :) He turns 16 soon, and provided the drug tests keep coming back clean, he can get his license. He has been giving some thought to jobs he is interested in, although choices for someone his age in our town are not great. He is hoping to start putting in applications soon, then following up with them after his birthday. Maybe he will have something before school is out and all of the other kids start looking too. I don't need him to work a lot, but enough to have some spending money and responsibility would be good. I can't find enough for him to do around our house.
Not that we don't have plenty to do, but I am back to looking for a new contractor. The guy we had doing things last fall completely flaked and disappeared. I can pick up business cards all day long, but would rather get a referral from someone who has seen their work. We have a contractor lined up for the garage, but I still have some things I need help with, like the second-story trim, framing a window, painting, and building steps. It is an ongoing project, but hopefully we can stay ahead of the next big disaster, which is a leak in the bathroom. Ugh.
On a positive note, the long weekend in Chattanooga/Nashville was fun. I am not as interested in Chattanooga as L is, but would definitely take the kids to Nashville for a weekend sometime. We did have a long talk about staying where we are vs. moving, and will probably stay where we are for the foreseeable future. I can live with that, as long as we are not just living in the same dump, doing the same things, with no change at all, until it is too late to do anything else.
How come the good change is always slow to come and takes work but the bad change is usually quick and unavoidable?
January 15, 2016
Goodbye 2015
Wow, so much has happened since I posted last. For the purpose of clearing my thoughts so I can get back to work, I am just going to make a list of possible topics that I have thought about in the last year:
1. B - Where to start? He is 15, he has a girlfriend, he took the truck without permission and blew the transmission, his friends are all idiots and I don't think he has smoked pot again since he got caught. He is home from school today with a sprained ankle.
2. The twins - both mostly amazing, occasionally challenging.
3. L - still driving a truck. Life without him home is different than with. Not sure which I handle better. On a positive note, we are going to Nashville for the weekend in a couple of weeks. Hopefully good weather and a good time.
4. Work - I pretty much don't speak to M. After more than a year, I can't decide if D is brilliant or completely ignorant.
5. Football - the Broncos are in the playoffs, baby!!! Already arranging my weekend so that I can watch them play Pittsburgh on Sunday. Hoping for the best but will not be surprised if they blow it.
6. Family - K suddenly married to some random guy. T expected to be released next month. My brother engaged, no date set that I know of.
7. The 'hood - the house next door burned down right after Thanksgiving. No one was living there, and some question about whether they still own or the bank does, but clean up crew came this week and started to remove everything.
Speaking of removal, our garage is down to just a slab. We still need to haul off shingles, but hope to flag where new utility lines and outer walls are to go this weekend, if it will ever stop raining.
Have had to put painting off until spring, as weather has been either constant rain or freezing cold since November. Thankfully not both at the same time, although we are getting to that particular season.
Not much else is going on, just needed to vent a bit as I try to finish out my Friday afternoon. May come back and elaborate on some of these if I get a chance. If not, it's not like anyone will notice anyway.
1. B - Where to start? He is 15, he has a girlfriend, he took the truck without permission and blew the transmission, his friends are all idiots and I don't think he has smoked pot again since he got caught. He is home from school today with a sprained ankle.
2. The twins - both mostly amazing, occasionally challenging.
3. L - still driving a truck. Life without him home is different than with. Not sure which I handle better. On a positive note, we are going to Nashville for the weekend in a couple of weeks. Hopefully good weather and a good time.
4. Work - I pretty much don't speak to M. After more than a year, I can't decide if D is brilliant or completely ignorant.
5. Football - the Broncos are in the playoffs, baby!!! Already arranging my weekend so that I can watch them play Pittsburgh on Sunday. Hoping for the best but will not be surprised if they blow it.
6. Family - K suddenly married to some random guy. T expected to be released next month. My brother engaged, no date set that I know of.
7. The 'hood - the house next door burned down right after Thanksgiving. No one was living there, and some question about whether they still own or the bank does, but clean up crew came this week and started to remove everything.
Speaking of removal, our garage is down to just a slab. We still need to haul off shingles, but hope to flag where new utility lines and outer walls are to go this weekend, if it will ever stop raining.
Have had to put painting off until spring, as weather has been either constant rain or freezing cold since November. Thankfully not both at the same time, although we are getting to that particular season.
Not much else is going on, just needed to vent a bit as I try to finish out my Friday afternoon. May come back and elaborate on some of these if I get a chance. If not, it's not like anyone will notice anyway.
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