So I wrote my first story today as a full-time, paid reporter for The Times of NWI. And it feels good to get that first one under the belt....even if it was an assigned, non-enterprised, cutesy little piece about high school students serving up free turkey for poor folks. We all start somewhere, right? Hopefully more creativity will soon seep into my story ideas.

I must say, though, even though it wasn't a real tough one, I did churn it out rather quickly and was done with writing for the day by about 2:30 p.m. The rest of my afternoon was spent calling a bunch of different people in hopes of starting to juggle about 3 different new stories. Ah, the life of the GA reporter. Juggling multiple stories at once was never something I was terribly good at, but those last few months at Medill made me much better.

So here is a random listing of the things I'm most liking about my new job (in no particular order):

* I work for a real company, unlike the 7-person, rules/laws-bending firm I slaved for in DC. Insurance set-up is great, huge discount at a great gym, and Lee seems like a great group to work for. I don't foresee any bounced paychecks (ahem, last job) in my future. (Although the constant references to "what Corporate wants" throughout the HR orientation was a bit off-putting. Another two-hour session on sexual harrassment, drug use, etc., is scheduled for Monday.)

* My editor is super nice and ultra encouraging. (I realize the constant reminder of how happy she is that I'm there and that I'm going to be great will wear off soon, but I'm relishing until they do. Let a girl relish.)

* The community knows/respects my paper. Unlike being in Washington and explaining to non-Hoosiers what The Times of NWI was, here I just, well, say I work for "the Times." And the response is usually something like, "Oh, yeeeaaahh, we get The Times." I like that. It's a simple, small thing, but hey, I'm a Simple Girl.

* I'll be getting a paycheck. One of these days. And then two weeks after that, I'll get another one. And so on...

* Although I seem to be the youngest reporter by a couple of years (haven't checked everyone's IDs, but still), there are some cool, young folks.

* Most of these cool, young folks live in Chicago. And can afford to. And commute. Happily. This gives a girl hope.

* I have a big desk. Not a cube, so no little walls. But hey, Simple Girl + big desk = smiles.

* 75% off all employee subscriptions. (Sure, I can get the thing for free at the office, but Simple Girl is Old Fashioned Girl and likes to feel/open/read the paper that's delivered at 6 a.m. to her doorstep. And, ya know, Simple Girl needs the weekend editions.)

In other, non-related news, KM will soon be the latest of my uber-lucky friends to meet my infamous grandmother, when she joins the Kralys for Thanksgiving this Thursday. My parents and I have done our best to warn her about Nana's, um, unique personality (i.e., she's a lunatic vulture bitch - SM, that was for you). All kidding aside, she'll likely be on her best behavior, trying to make up for the fact that she showed up late to my sister's wedding.

Well, unless she brings the Rascal, and then it's anyone's guess...