Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Adelaide’s birthday party weekend went well.  She had a small party with three friends (and Jack) on Friday afternoon.  Although acting cool with that idea, evidently she had some concern that a small party would also mean minimal presents.  Fortunately, she also received gifts Saturday at the tailgate and then again Sunday at the separate party for family.  In all, she made out like a bandit.  A strange bandit, probably wearing pink, that really liked American Girl, but still, a bandit.  Pictures of it all are here.

One of her gifts was an iPod touch, which through the wonders of modern technology also allows her to send/receive e-mails and text messages (and evidently making phone calls too, soon).  A big hit.  I was a little worried that it would make her a zombie, watching videos and playing games all the time, but the texting aspect thus far has been educational.  She’s been going like crazy, relatively speaking, but needs help spelling the words, etc.  It’s been all good.  The texting is free (to us) but has a crazy number, so if you happen to get a random text from area code 515, it’s probably her.  I’m not giving out her email address wildly, but you’re probably able to guess it if you try hard.

In other news, I’ll be blogging semi-regularly on the Columbia Daily Tribune website starting soon.  They’re starting a section called “Family Life” and I’ll be filling the role of single dad.  It’s a classic case of not what you know, but who you know and what they can ask you to do for free.  With the minimal guidance I’ve received (read: slightly more than none), my early expectations are for it to be strikingly similar to some of what I’d typically post here.

I’ve felt rather odd about the whole thing, since being asked to do it, to the point of pretending like I might say no.  It’s one thing to post my random spewings here, where generally only people that know me might read.  It seems different to write for an official audience of some sort.  The Columbia Daily Tribune masthead is intimidating, don’t you know.

Also, I have a strange guilty sensation.  I know people that are paid by the Tribune to write.  By and large, they’re excellent writers.   I don’t want to pretend to be them, or have my virtual reputation enhanced by associating with them.  Or more importantly, I don’t want my real reputation to cause them difficulties.  Beyond all that, knowing the state of the newspaper industry, I wonder if they shouldn’t just give those guys a raise rather than investing any resources in showing me how to post a blog on their website?

I guess I can rest easy with the knowledge that it wasn’t that big of a deal, probably took 5 minutes total to show me, they’d likely be insulted with that trivial raise anyway.  But that doesn’t mean I’m staying in the hotels they make those guys stay in on football road trips.