More writing.

I'm really bad about updating this blog. I was better at blogging last summer.

- Young Chautauquans depict Civil War
- Groundwork propels concrete canoe team to victory in engineering contest
- Story time and crafts focus on princesses
- Event designed to bring people together
- Nevada expects biggest cicada infestation since 2002
- City serves up volleyball fun
- 'Green' awareness fest enjoys 2nd year

Working on a Sunday.

It makes me sad.
More thoughts on journalism later, after I've written up my story on the Envirolution Experience, a green festival. EVERYONE wants to be green these days.

The writing.

I haven't been very good about this, but here's what I've written so far that I haven't linked to yet:
- School offers new house for sale
- American Indians meet in Sparks, talk national issues
- Doctor finds alternative ways to heal
- From officer in the Marines to teaching at Sage Ridge
- The Rock Church to expand kids' educational programs
- Ferraro stresses education at event
- Kids explore science, creativity at summer Camp Invention
- State officials call graduation rate study inaccurate
- Principal wants Gomes to be up to par with new schools in area

RIP.

So everyone's heard the news by now - political journalism great Tim Russert died last week, and our field and "Meet The Press" will never be the same again.

I had originally planned on blogging about that, but something much more near to my heart has happened since then.

My grandma Ester died yesterday. She was 73 and had been battling cancer since March. The doctors caught it late, so it was already spreading by the time they'd found it.

I can't lie - her life is a mystery to me. Everything is in bits and pieces.

But this is what I do know.

I know that she was the second-to-last born in her family, out of eight children. I remember she told me a story of how strict her father was once.

I know she married my grandpa Ludias, though I don't know how old they were at the time. I've seen the one photo from that day though - she looked beautiful and so young.

I know they were still in the Philippines when they had seven children, my mother being the firstborn. One died after falling and hitting her head. Not too long after that, my grandparents moved to the United States, bringing their young family with them.

I know they moved here to Stockton, where I am at the moment. They eventually bought the house that I'm currently sleeping in. After I was born in 1988, they nearly had a new grandchild born every year for a while.

I know she had a falling out with my grandpa, and I haven't yet asked what it was about. I don't know if I'll ever have the courage to.

But I also know she never took off her wedding band, despite all the anger she felt towards him. And I do know that they reconciled before she died. He came to see her in the hospital Saturday afternoon, and they talked for a while.

I know that my grandma worked hard for everything she had. She had a work ethic that isn't evident in a lot of people anymore, myself included.

I know her family loved her. I've seen my mom's sister and brothers, as well as cousins I don't remember meeting before now. They're all here for her.

I know that she's in a better place. I'm not exactly the most religious person, but I do think she's gone on to a better place where the cancer isn't plaguing her anymore.

And I do know that I'll miss her. I know that I'm not going through my mother must be going through - I can't imagine that, losing my own mother - but it still hurts.

I've done quite a bit of crying since yesterday morning, and I'm sure the crying will continue through the week during my impromptu break. I've yet to e-mail the editors about why I'm not going to be at work this week, though I did leave messages to give them the basics.

But it's things like this that make me remember that there is more to life than work and success and getting ahead in life. There's family and there's love. And while I do want to be successful someday, I can't let that get in the way of being there for my family and having one of my own someday.

That's what I learned from her, you know. And I'll always be grateful I did.

Evaluation of week two.

It was honestly a lot like week one.

I don't think I was much busier than last week, though. I think I was actually less busy this week. I really need to come up with some enterprise stories to work on, because much as I love daily stuff, it only keeps me busy for so long.

This week's observation:

They're trying to put more emphasis on the Web. What I find fascinating is that a lot of them don't know how to post updates, or put together galleries or even upload photos from a digital camera. Granted, I am not an expert on any of those things, but I certainly could do it if I had to.

It's just kind of interesting, watching old-time journalism encounter new journalism, right before my eyes. The editor will know what's wrong with this structure grammatically, or how it can be tweaked to sound better. But the younger reporter knows how to put the emphasis in their blog, or how to post the update as soon as it's edited.

I have to give them credit for trying. I don't think the newspaper I did my last internship at has a Web site yet.

I haven't figured out who I need to talk to to get more involved with Web stuff. That's another goal for next week.

I feel like I need to keep talking myself into challenging myself. Because otherwise, how am I supposed to learn?

I think it's interesting

How depending on the editor, you get a great assignment or a crappy one.

I seem to matter now.

Mostly because I finally have a trash can underneath my desk.

That's all.

I miss the coffee fairies from my last internship. Oh well.

Three assignments.

And yet, I still don't have anything to do at the moment.

Sometimes, I wonder what is too much to ask for. I figure I'll make a list for the two stories I'm working on for the neighborhoods section, and then I'll call the guy back for the construction brief...and then I'll ask for more to do.

The people who do the lists for the paper - calendars, etc. - sit right behind me. I remember doing that at my internship last year. I absolutely detested it, because it was like newspaper busy work.

But anything to do would be nice right now, before I start re-planning my life in my head.

I wonder who I should talk to about learning multimedia stuff while I'm here...another thing to add to my to-do list.

On the bright side - I have caught up on reading the paper and a bunch of AP stories on the elections this morning.

Conclusion.

I have decided that sitting at my desk, waiting for something to do or someone to call back, is pointless.

Therefore, I am now leaving and am going to go research a story, because sitting at an office waiting for a phone call from a park ranger who doesn't seem to exist doesn't get anything done.

That, and I am also bored out of my mind.

So I'm off.

First 1A story.

It's pretty nifty: "Contest brings unprecedented attention to tribes"

Already finished the neighborhoods CP for tomorrow. Am currently on lunch break, wishing I could take a short nap.

List of things to do:
- Keep bugging scholarship office, since they don't seem to understand that my "scholarship" is actually my wages for the summer, and I need them. To eat. And to buy furniture. And to pay rent.
- Grocery/necessity shopping.
- Keep looking for furniture.
- See how much wireless routers are.
- Call Charter to set up Internet at the house.
- Take out all the trash at home, since it seems I have a big trash can outside after all.
- Figure out why I have three cats living in my backyard.

Alrighty. Back to work...

Recap of the last few days.

Friday: Wrote Native American story. Reported and wrote tax rebate vignettes, which sent me to mall, post office and Starbucks. Always pluses. Took photo for story I worked on that could hypothetically appear in tomorrow's paper. Then went out to Gold 'N Silver for Amy's last night in Reno before she left for Philadelphia.

Saturday: Drove Amy to airport. Was woken up hour later by people who were redoing concrete steps in front of the house. Was woken up hour after that because forgot to turn off alarm clock on weekend. Spent day watching a lot of Sex and the City, since I'm broke and can't afford to see movie yet.

Sunday: More Sex and the City and cleaning. Floor to my room is now visible, and boxes are now empty. Need to start furniture-finding process.

Today: Haven't the slightest clue. Had fabulous dream, though.