LadyGypsy.net – the blog of Kimberly Dowd of New Jersey

On Sundays, WM and I go to Starbucks for breakfast, where I purchase a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte (3 points), a Vanilla Mini Sprinkle Donut (3 points) and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hold your horses…of course I subscribe to the C-P, but I do buy the Inky on Sundays so I know what advertisers to shun. I also like their crossword puzzle.

Here is a problem with newspapers…

Literally, TMI.

At the ‘Bucks, I had to pull over a second little round table to accommodate the newspaper overflow. Else I’d have half the paper on my lap and the other half half-dangling off of the table. Or an alternative would be to have WM move to another table so I could use the entire round table and his empty chair, but then I’d be deprived of his company, which simply won’t do.

Newspapers today are smaller than ever — have you ever seen a newspaper from the ’70s? They could be tents! Yet they’re still large and unwieldy in a world that’s rapidly closing in on one’s personal space.

E-readers like the iKotex iPad and the Nook* are solutions to the paper’s large footprint.

But I still like purchasing a newspaper, so that’s out for now. And what about the inevitable newspaper ooze where the sections slide out from inside as you try to pick out what you want? A smaller newspaper (thickness, not footprint) would be pretty nifty, too.

I’d LOVE to only buy the sections I read (Section A, the South Jersey section, Arts/Entertainment, Currents, Jobs & coupon inserts) and not have to deal with Sports, Cars, Homes, Parade magazine and the dinky little special sections.

That’s the model I use when reading news online, after all. I don’t have to click through high school sports stories to get to the advice column. I go right there. In my personal online news world, where I am the executive editor, I don’t ever have to read about car shows or the Eagles (pro team or aging band) or school budget news from a town I don’t live in.

But then it’d be a nightmare to sell to and lay out each section. Auto dealers are a large part of a newspaper’s ad base, and I think making their section optional wouldn’t fly. But then again, you’d guarantee that anyone who BOUGHT the Car section would be interested in their product.

And it’d be a nightmare to distribute.

Ay yi yi. I guess I’ll stick with annexing tables.

*I want a Nook so badly, but I want my e-reader to truly be a reader of all media, not just book pages. I want magazines too, but I won’t pay to read them in black and white. So I’m trying to wait until readers are affordable and come in color. I also want to make sure that I’m not going to run into a situation where Martha Stewart Living is only on the Kindle and Real Simple is only on the Sony and Beadwork is only on the Nook.

My nine year anniversary at the newspaper was yesterday.

I begin work at 9am. Most of the rest of the non-news folks start at 8:30am. I’m not even sure why I’m a 9:00 start, but I cherish the extra sleep. Take a look at the map below, which compares where I had to park at 9am 4 years ago, versus today.

Depressing, isn’t it?

In late October we were informed that Gannett would be culling 10% of payroll (or positions, still not completely sure yet) the first week of December. With three weeks behind us and two weeks ahead of us, morale is quickly fading. Do you blame us?

And I’m getting paranoid. I’m reading into things I shouldn’t. Like…

Two major projects that I have a part in. One has to be done now now now! And the other has to be done by December 1. And even though I can tell you that December 1 is the first day of the month on Gannett’s fiscal calendar, I can’t help but think it’s because I’ll be gone by the end of the week.

Or the big department move to a much quieter corner of the room. (Yes, I am still coding in the middle of a noisy sales floor with phones constantly ringing and sales reps yelling over my head.) It was going to be a month ago. Then the project was suddenly stopped in favor of another project. My stuff has been in boxes since before Halloween. When will our move be complete? I’m told mid-December.

And objectively, it’s November. In November, projects are likely to be done in December. The impending layoffs are finally starting to get to me.

Everyone tells me that I’ll be fine because I’m online and online’s the future. But I have to disagree. Salespeople will always be cherished most of all because they bring in money. My position is support staff, I produce things, I don’t sell them or bill them. What I do can be done by someone right out of college for far less money than what I’m making now. The creative stuff can be easily outsourced, too.

I don’t think anyone is safe this time around. Either way, I just want it to be over.

So, Boss gave his two week notice on Monday. He’s leaving the venerable newspaper biz. Can’t really say that I blame him, given the current situation. I wish him well. I’ll miss working with him. He’s good people.

Longtime readers will remember that once upon a time, I had his job, and he worked for me. Then I gave up that job so I could be techy again. Now it’s open again. And in my hot little hands, I have a self-nomination form.

And so the debate begins. Do I go for the management job? I’m going to be frank and it’s going to sound pompous. I KNOW that job. I can DO that job. Well…except maybe the sales part, since they’re looking for a sales manager. And I’ve never been good at that. Then again, I’m not terrifically sure that I want to train a new manager on the reports, the tech, etc. Might be easier just to do it myself.

So I prayed on it (yes, I do that) and I did some research. I’m telling you, people. Keep a blog. Even if you keep it private. Even if it’s in one of those old-fangled paper journals. Do it. Because I went back and read between the lines of my 2005 and 2006 work-related entries and remembered just how much I HATED that job.

In conclusion, I’m going to give up the opportunity to regain the “fame”, “fortune”, parking spot, master key, and seat at The Big Weekly Meeting. Because I like my job JUST the way it is right now.

In other news, tomorrow I’m heading to the Boston area for BlogHer. I’m a bit apprehensive about the meeting because I won’t know anyone there and what I want the absolute LEAST is to sit by myself the whole time and have no one talk to me. I am still just as insecure as I was when I was 12. When nobody talked to me. Le sigh.

Other than the social paralysis, I’m stoked to be in a meeting with a bunch of bloggy chicks. I want to be a better writer. I want to polish this little website of mine until it shines like a sapphire. And in the grand tradition of networking…I created business cards!

Other than the font, which I will use until I die since I spent $30 for it back in 2003*, you’ll notice it looks nothing like my site! Huzzah for design continuity!

Le sigh.

BUT…I ordered them on Monday from nextdayflyers.com. I paid $40 for them – mostly shipping. It would be about the same had I picked a crummy black and white stock design from Office Max and waited a week to get them done.

I will try my best to blog from BlogHer on Saturday. If I can get a seat near an outlet, I’m golden. Otherwise the lappy battery won’t last more than 2 hours. There should be plenty of outlets. I hope. Wish me luck!

(if you’re going to Blogher Boston, please talk to me. or email me at the address on the business card image. thank you.)

* When I die, if I end up with a headstone, I’m going to request THAT font be used to engrave my name on it. Years later I can’t believe I spent $30 on a font for personal use. That’s what happens when you marry a pharmacist, people. You spend money on crazy shit.