Wednesday, March 5, 2008

I'm Coming Clean

This is supposed to be my professional blog. But then I realized - I don't want to write about my job - at least, not the technical aspects of it. Because I'm not a techie.

There, I said it.

I fell into this web thing by accident, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I like it. I like the technician aspect; I like making things, having something to show in the end. I'd be a terrible manager. I just don't find "technology" being that exciting to write about. Use, yes, but write about? I'll leave that to "Wired."

Maybe I'll write about the other parts of my job, like how I'm learning so much about plants and stuff, due to that being the point of the organization that I work for.

The web site that takes up most of my time is http://gardeninginaminute.com, for the one-minute radio show produced by my department.

But I also have Florida Master Gardener Program, Florida School Gardens Competition, and the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology.

As you can see, they all use the same template, and that's the template created by Solutions For Your Life, the public face of the University of Florida Extension Service.

My department works closely with the UF environmental horticulture department. What's "environmental horticulture," you ask? Good question. Stupid phrase. It means all plant stuff, except the stuff you eat. Flowers, landscape plants, turf (that's what the industry calls grass - they don't like the word grass).

But since we our show covers all sorts of gardening, we do the food stuff, too - fruits and veggies.

Like I said, I'm learning quite a bit. My coworkers are experienced in agriculture, botany, sustainability - and they're all writers. With masters degrees. Yeah, I feel a little stupid every now and then. But I try to take in every they're teaching me.

Maybe I'll write about that.

1 comment:

Alby said...

Wow, I didn't even know you were into gardening, botany and all that jazz... that's pretty interesting stuff!

As for you sometimes feeling dumb, news flash -- we all feel dumb sometime. Just 'cause Mr. Ph.D. knows more about this shit than you do doesn't mean anything.

After all, life's not meant to be a competition. It is to a certain extent, but to a very small extent b/c whatever job you hold today to make rent, you had to beat somebody out for, and so, yeah, that's important, but in your 73-year life expectancy, that job'll be not even 1% of the journey. Make sure not to forget to enjoy the rest of the ride.

There're 10 million ways to get through life without money (trust me, I know, I've been there), but there's no way to get through it without happiness.

And hey, for what it's worth: You know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I looked through your page and it looked like greek to me, so don't be doubting yourself too much, Jen, 'cause you really are a very smart woman.

Take care, sweetie!