That's life

lone star summer, originally uploaded by Mr. Wright.

Not alcoholism, of course, even if I did just lose a job. That picture, though, says "Texas summer nights" to me as well as any I've taken, and for the last week or so it really has been summertime, living easy, etc.

I just realized that I never once mentioned on this blog that I was leaving the Washington Post. I guess actually the Post left me, and Austin. And I did tell anyone who would care about this news in person, anyways.

But it's now officially done. Adios, office by the capitol. Adios, sifting through endless news stories and answering phones. Adios, set schedule. Adios, insurance. (Hello, Cobra.)

Still got the Observer gig going, although I've already told them I'm almost certainly going to have to leave in mid-August. The lease on our apartment only runs through July, although we can stay at friends' and families' places around town for a couple weeks. But for now Amanda and I no closer to knowing what comes next than we were weeks ago.

I'm surprisingly non-worried about the whole deal. I sweated for a few days, then I said, eh, and started reading some good books (The Black Swan and The Corner, both highly recommended.)

And as for leaving the Post, it wasn't exactly gut-wrenching either. I was ready for a chance of pace, and it's weird working for a satellite office of a company (and industry) in flux and in a panic. From a distance, my impression of working in the D.C. newsroom could be equated to signing up for one of those prescription drug studies. Yeah, you might make out with some good dough, but it seems a little like walking into a social experiment. The politics and bureaucracy of such a high-profile institution sound like dubious waters to jump into.

That said, I enjoyed the job I had, and everyone I worked with, from my immediate boss, Sylvia (now back in D.C. with a new beat), to my editors to the other reporters I talked to on the phone were all real nice, professional, everything you'd expect. (And that's not just kissing ass in case anyone from the company ever stumbles across this blog, although that couldn't hurt.)

But the Post right now is all mixed-up, like most newspapers. It still produces some of the best and most meaningful journalism around, but it also produces a ton of bullshit. Like I said, weird to observe in bits and pieces from afar.

I could say more, but I don't know if it'd be interesting to anyone outside of journalism. I'll think on it. Sucks that already I've had to censor what I write on here because I want to be able to use it in job applications — and not have it ruin job references, for that matter. I mean, I've known the bureau was shutting down — excuse me, the company decided to reallocate resources to cover the 2008 presidential campaign — for like five months. I just couldn't say anything because it wasn't public knowledge in D.C. Closing bureaus, domestic and foreign, is a touchy subject in the industry these days.