On the front page of this week’s Leader, I wrote a 53″ story on a gay couple raising their children in Bellevue.

As such, my editor received more than 30 calls from people irate that we’d run such a story in their “hometown newspaper.” (As if labeling us as a “hometown” paper we’re not allowed to cover controversial stories.) We had one business pull their advertising, and close to 15 people cancel their subscriptions.

To be honest, I’m amazed at how small-minded Bellevue has become. As a newspaper, we are not asking our readers to support the gay lifestyle by publishing this article. However, all of the angry callers suggested such. Little do these people know that newspapers never endorse anything, except on the editorial page.

I remain frustrated at the reaction of the Leader’s readers. I imagine most of these people didn’t even read the article in its entirety.

My editor Jason said it best: We need to remind people every once in awhile that we are, in fact, a real newspaper.

Here’s the story: http://www.bellevueleader.com/index.php?u_np=8&u_pg=975&u_sid=1068796

I found this LJ icon earlier this morning. I love it and am creeped-out by it at the same time. Not sure why, though. Hmm…

Tomorrow night in Lincoln is the annual Nebraska Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. All the weekly newspapers from around the state compete in a handful of categories. Our whole newsroom is going, sans our editor (who’s in Florida visiting his daughter). My three-part adoption series is up for an award, as well as a handful of other articles I wrote in 2003. The evening should be fun. I even found a cocktail dress for the snazzy event…for $9 at Gordman’s! Here’s a photo. It’s an A-line, black with baby blue satin trim.

I’ll report back on Sunday how I and the rest of the staff performed at the awards! Wish me luck.

My car has been making this terrible noise since Easter Sunday. It’s a scraping sound near the front of my tires. The guys at work diagnosed it as bad brake pads. As such, I’m taking my car into the shop this morning for some work. The front brake pads are being replaced. I also need an oil change. I’m hoping I don’t receive a phone call in a few hours from my car guy, telling me my Acura needs something else. Oy vey.

How I wish I lived in a city such as San Francisco, where public transportation is clean, affordable and abound. Now that’d be easy. I’d take my iPod with me, as well as magazines and books to pass the time, as I rode to and from work each day. I wouldn’t have to fight rush hour or snowy streets.

The Easter Bunny (aka my mom) was very good to me this year. In my basket, I received a few cans of chicken noodle soup, pudding cups, shampoo, Girl Scout Thin Mints, chocolate chip cookies, all sorts of candy, cash and Strawberry Shortcake socks. I’d say I did well for 2004. We had dinner at my mom’s house. Always a good thing.

Today, I’m spending the afternoon at UNO, sitting in on a communication workshop. Current communication students will sit and chat with me and other local media people (most of whom are UNO graduates) to discuss jobs after college. I did this last year, and it went OK. We’ll see how today’s response will be. It’s going to be a gorgeous afternoon weather-wise, so I could see some of ’em skipping out. I sure as hell would.

It’s my stomach. I really should’ve stopped at the grocery store after work last night and bought some cereal. I have the new honey graham Life, but I’m sick of it. Corn Flakes has a new cereal, with bananas in the box. Now that looks delicious. I saw a commercial on TV for that this morning, and it made me even more hungry. Maybe I’ll have peanut butter and toast. Oh, scrambled eggs would be good, too.

Too bad I’m too lazy and comfortable to visit the store this morning. Such is life, but that’s OK. Soon enough I’ll be eating more than I should at my mom’s house. Bring on the ham, baby.

This is the first Sunday in months when I haven’t had to work. How wonderful! Nu-Trend is closed today, so I’m spending the morning in my PJs, robe and slippers, sitting on my green couch and surfing the Web on my PowerBook. Life is good.

Speaking of Nu-Trend, I discovered the online games page at Yahoo yesterday. I played five or six games of checkers. I suck, but it was fun. I think I’ll play a few more games today, before going over my mom’s house for Easter.

Chocolate bunnies are good. Mmm…

At last count, I have six — count ’em: six — separate email accounts. Insane. Just insane. I only actively use one of the accouts. The other ones, I only have as a back up, should something happen to my primary account.

I have an account with:
Yahoo
Cox
AOL
UNO
Bellevue Leader
And my primary account, off my Web site.

Jeez…

For lunch today, I brought a frozen ziti and red sauce pasta dinner, chococlate chip granola bar, cherry yogurt, crackers and a bottle of water. I’m already hungry, probably because I didn’t eat breakfast before coming to work.

Duh. When I’m at the paper during the week, I answer the phone: “Hi, this is Wendy.” But at Nu-Trend, I answer the phone: “Thank you for calling Nu-Trend.” Someone just called here at Nu-Trend and I said, “Hi, this is Wendy.”

Duh. Duh. Duh. Duh.