The Dolly Daily... except it's really a weekly :)

This summer, I've been working full-time at my local newspaper. I realized today that I hadn't given you the promised post chronicling my adventures, and the summer is almost over!

So, where to start? My job has involved a whole host of different things, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. (That and the fact that I get to be a techie... but you already read about that!!)

This summer, I got to start a new feature column that we've been running every other week. Rather than filling it with my deep dolly insights, I've been interviewing various people in our coverage area about cooking. The column includes a picture of the featured chef, a profile of them, and three of their favorite recipes. Often, I've gotten to meet someone at their home, eat their incredible food, and get paid to ask them questions about it. No... I haven't put on any extra stuffing... don't worry. :)

Another of my little "projects" has been visiting the area library and looking at microfilm. I've been reading about what happened in my small town 10, 25, and 50 years ago. It's been pretty interesting... from the winners of a beard growing contest to the price of a subscription 50 years ago. And did you know that my hometown theatre showed the movie "Portrait in Black" in color when it first came out?

In addition to my normal responsibilities as a feature writer, I've gotten to explore photography a little more as well. Actually, I've probably done as much photography as I have writing this summer... which isn't normal for me! I've found that a good camera makes it much easier to take good pictures, and I actually enjoy photography now.

I've loved the newspaper this summer -- the teamwork in the office, the chance to meet new people, the rush to complete a project before the deadline (okay, so our deadlines aren't THAT intense, but still!), the challenge of finding the perfect angle for a story, and the constant reality that the product I'm producing is so much bigger than I am... :)

With love from an absolute doll,

Erin Joy