I am a reporter, that is what I do

I have started to write again for the Walnut Weekly News. For some reason, the publisher decided to change the masthead and it is now called "Our Weekly Newspaper" but most people still call it the Weekly News.

I may be a small fish and not working for big media print outlets like the L.A. Times or the OC Register, but I feel that I still make a contribution in my industry and chosen profession.

It's interesting, while reporting at the OC Register this summer I had a backstage view of the goings on in the newsroom and their plans to expand to Long Beach. Shout outs to my many friends fighting the good fight there like Raymond Mendoza, Alma Fausto, Jackie Moe, Evan Lancaster and a few others.

The next few weeks into the holiday are going to be busy with projects to end the year and with my thesis and research for CSUF, but I feel pretty good about the upcoming year, 2014 is looking up. I maintain optimistic about the future. I will be T.A.ing Dr. Gail Love's section of history and philosophy of mass communications, while continuing to freelance for various news outlets like the Walnut Weekly and (hopefully) an online news agency like the Voice of OC.

The Register continues to post from time to time stories that I wrote during my tenure in Santa Ana and Tustin, here is a link to the latest:

Five questions with family caregiver Josefina Ortiz

Well, that is all for now, I will post again sometime, I am on my way to cover a city council meeting

-30-

Back to work in prep sports

Well, it has been a long hot summer thus far and I regret the lack of blog posts. Truth is I have been battling a lot of personal demons and trying to fix family problems, but somehow I am still standing and looking forward to what promises to be a very busy time in my life.

My car has been running sluggish so I took it in to the mechanic only to find out I had to overhaul the entire break system (pads, rotor, drums) and the tires had worn out, down to 10 percent, so I had to change all 4 of them. The joys of driving a used car kids. Set me back nearly $700 parts and labor!

I am on my way to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newsroom to pick up my CIF pass for fall 2012. Even though I start classes at Fullerton in less than 2 weeks, and am moving into the area to be close to school starting this weekend, I can still drive back on weekends to visit the parents and family and to cover prep games.

Week zero is just around the corner and I have written a football preview of Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista HS for patch.com. Tomorrow I am heading over to the field to take some snapshots of their scrimmage to go along with my story.

I am still struggling with trying to write more creatively and with trying to come up with a writing schedule and regiment in order to produce some literary work, but truth be told when it has been so hot in the valley, all I ever want to do is sit in front of my fan or escape to the local coffee joint to read the paper, sip some lattes and/or partake of the A.C. So what of my summer bucket list I formulated around early June? How faithful was I to my goals/wants/plans? Glad you asked:

• movies- saw a few blockbusters, the Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Ted (yea I know it was funny)
•  photography-I'd say 50/50 would have lot to have been further along by now, but I made quite a number of prints at the summer program @Tri Community and I also got more familiar with Adobe Light room.
• One trip to SD/Vegas/Portland- Comic con doesn't count, it was way too short, and most of these fell through because of the car situation and other financial demands. (books for school etc)  Stupid car problems!
• study chess: Every time I crack a book open to study I get sidetracked by wanting to play an mmo, so I go play DAoC or DDO. At least I got to hang out last weekend and play all day with my Citrus buds.
• 3 months to mmorpg: still mmorpging, but I want to try to level up my mage again, wow is so time consuming, I won't have time to raid once school starts up 
•  beach and other miscellaneous fun: haven't been out to the beach once. Gas is pretty steep, but now that I will be in Fullerton, it's at least a bit closer.
• local freelancing assignments and internship: Calwatchdog allowed me to do the story I wanted to write, and working on one more before the season ends.  I would say didn't work out quite as planned, especially this month because the Patch freelancing budget isn't what it once was, which is why I am glad:
  football is back!

I am looking forward to the fall season and to settling into completing my masters. I will also be brushing up on some skills I did not get to work on as an undergrad at the local JC such as video editing and page design, if all goes as planned. May the force be with me!!