Miss Positivity

Sorry for the month-long absence.

I've been anguishing over my article draft. And I may have been suffering from a case of the "winter-never-ends-here-crap-there-may-be-no-newspapers-tomorrow" blues.

I have, however, taken steps to address my condition: I'm habla-ing Espanol every Miércoles at my local community college, dragging my body to yoga twice a week, and finding creative ways to convince people at the newspaper to be my friend (I've found emails with subject lines like "Wanna grab lunch? I need some friends" to be very effective.)

I've even changed my blog title to reflect my new-found sense of positivity (and because some Hoosiers found the old title, "Grounded in God's Country," offensive. I'm sorry! It's not the Wayne. It's me!)

For those I haven't told: Last week, the Journal Gazette publisher announced that staff needed to take a six percent pay-cut to avoid lay-offs.

The atmosphere inside the newsroom is morose, yet I remain undaunted.

Who needs a journalism career when you can be a full-time nose model? During a sneezing photo-shoot a few weeks back, I may have found my other calling.

In other news:

My bedroom has been invaded by hoards of orange, lady bug-like insects that land on my face at night, crawl in the sheets, procreate constantly and never die. I've started to vacuum the floor every few days to curb the population; Darlyn is enjoying a few mid-day snacks. Neither extermination method has been particularly effective.

Otherwise, life ticks on as usual at the Haynie Writing Retreat/B&B.

The owners leave tomorrow to go to Florida for two weeks, so Darlyn and I may throw an evening bash: a few bottles of Pinot Noir, crackers and Camembert, Alaskan salmon dog treats.

We'll keep you posted.