Pete Nickeas

I’m gone from Springfield.

And, I thought the town was kind of dumpy when we arrived and moved in.

But after spending a year there, I’m convinced that it’s about as close to a good mix between urban and rural as you’re going to get. All the big city stores aren’t there, but we’re broke. So, that’s probably good. There’s a few nice bars downtown, and Floyd’s will always be near and dear to my heart. JP Kelly’s, too, if only for the few times we went there in the waning days of our (Public Affairs Reporting) careers.

The fact that it’s the hub of the immensely far-reaching Illinois political scene makes it all the more attractive. If it weren’t the state capitol, the metro area would probably be out around 20,000 state workers and their kids/families, and the town would shrivel up a bit. Springfield is nice.

The people I met there were great. As a rule, I generally don’t like people. But I met a lot of people here I like - in the PAR program mostly. It’s easy to “like” politicians but a lot of them are, well, I suppose politicians is the best way to describe them.

But in all seriousness, I’m geeked to have met so many cool people. I didn’t keep up with anyone from high school really and I don’t keep up with too many people from college but the people I’ve met here, I do think I will keep in contact with - be it mass email chains or random facebook activity. Good people.

So the only reason I can’t wait to leave Springfield is because I want my life with Erin to begin. And in Springfield, it can’t.

So it’s off to Wyoming we’re going. This may be the last blog for at least a week while we get situated but we will be checking in as soon as possible.

Until then … PEACE!

I spent the last few days in beautiful Wyoming looking for (and finding) a place to stay.

And boy have I got some stories. And pictures (this post will be updated).

But, let’s nail the basics down.

Newsroom
The newsroom is populated with young people from Illinois, so that’s cool. By all accounts, my editor is a no-nonsense boss who is universally respected for being a top-notch journalism guy. They seem to be cool with projects as long as you meet your daily responsibilities.

It’s certainly not Illinois
The culture is super different, and will take some getting used to. I saw a kid driving what looked like a 78 Ford Pick up with clean rims blasting Snoop Dogg. Only saw one Caprice Classic. I also saw a Haliburton truck, which was also weird. All you ever hear about them is how Dick Cheney is evil and he steered money towards his old company. They worship Cheney out there, and though I have no opinion of the man, there doesn’t seem to be any love lost for him around Illinois.

Living situation
Our apartment is expensive, but nice, and the other places we looked at were holes. The drive is long. There’s a weird feeling of isolation that is still kind of setting in. There’s a pool, but apparently it’s only really hot for like a month. There’s a common barbecue area and common laundry rooms. It’s a far cooler and dryer climate than Chicago, let alone Springfield. The scenery is gorgeous.

David Simon at the National Press Club.

So, there’s probably a dozen and a half of us up here on a regular basis, more during busy weeks, less now that everyone’s leaving for home and other jobs. We’re interns for various news outlets covering Illinois State government during a year that saw a failed plan to increase taxes, impeachment and removal of a sitting governor, campaign finance “reform,” ethics “reform,” and a monstrous construction plan.

Between that, we’ve argued about revenue models for newspapers, or bemoaned our papers’ lack of a web presence, or complained that we don’t make any attempt to incorporate blogs or social media into outreach efforts. Not everyone, but a few of us.

So, like 9 days ago, a buddy of mine sent me a link to a video of David Simon speaking to the National Press Club about journalism stuff.

Now, I’m not just regurgitating what he said. I’m not an expert, and I’m green, but what I hear from him is a more articulate and far better reasoned argument of what young people in the press room argue about when we’re not making “that’s what she said” jokes or talking about food (or both at the same time).

And, he really laid into the industry I think, and scolded newspaper management for being shortsighted profit-driven tools.

It’s inspiring because if what he says actually does happen - newspapers provide worthwhile content and move their readers to an online subscription model - all will seemingly be right and proper in the “newspaper industry.”

But it’s also saddening, and it’s hard to get your hopes up. His view on beat reporting, and how institutional knowledge is the key to being able to provide context and clarity to your readers, I don’t think can be argued with. I mean, you spend more time working on something, you’re going to know more about it. Right?

And in the Illinois State Capitol press room, I’ve seen that. There’s a few reporters here who’ve been covering state government for 10+ years, and a bunch of others right around that mark. Though the ranks are thinning (a few papers in the last year shuttered their bureaus and other bureaus have trimmed down) the people that are here have institutional knowledge. They know people, they know the process, they know what’s going on.

So, just being around people who have such expertise in their fields has been inspiring enough to solidify my belief that beat reporting is the foundation of journalism that matters - especially on a local level.

But the notion that one day, profit-driven newspaper execs and even middle management will see the light and start caring about public well being instead of the “seventh grade reader” Simon references is so incredibly idealistic and romanticized that I’m skeptical it will ever come to fruition.

I want it to. And I’m going to hopefully spend my life reporting. But I feel disenchanted with the whole news industry right now. Seeing speeches and commentary like this is inspiring, but at some point, everyone falls back to reality.

Hopefully, the distance between what news should be and what news isn’t can be bridged in the near future.

It is.

I’m leaving for Wyoming the morning of June 20.

That means that, today plus two more days of work then I’m gone for four days while I try to find an apartment for me and Erin. I’ll also get to meet everyone in the newsroom, which I’m geeked about, because they’ve been extremely helpful thus far.

I mean, I’ve got a place to crash when I trip out there to find an apartment, which is cool in itself. But I’ve been offered lines on two apartments, and they’ve offered to scope places out for me too. I’ve been in contact with people from the newsroom and the HR department too, and I can’t believe how nice they’ve all been.

So, needless to say, I’m excited.

None of them are mine.

(Lyrics to “Loyalty” by Blue Scholars)

It’s more than just a hobby or pastime! Cause 24/7 I’m representin’ the Massline. Daily grind, 85, wonder why, maybe I’m way behind lately been occupyin’ my mind, with the possibility this means we’ll all end with two albums, and a handful of people I call friends … And friends I call my comrades, and comrades who stand - together write a book till it ends!

Indeed as we be headed in directions getting whole towns polarized, either love it or leave it, indeed I’m giving credit to the fam who believed it, preceding the hype of the hyperbole of the media, even though some people abandon ship on the other hand some were skeptical quick, but now they quick to bandwagon up! Saggin’ my pants at the cocktail party with the mayor and later rockin’ a party with a thousand in the air, that’s a beautiful thing, and if you’re new to this thing, don’t front, ask a question, stay humble, do your thing!

But just remember you ain’t gotta prove a thing, stand up or fall down thanks for listenin’ y’all … Because I, got your back even if you don’t got mine, grind in the dark when the clock strikes hard times. We ain’t nothing if this bond ain’t solidified, five thanks in war time that people still alive!

Dignified soldiers who walk with the spirit of 12 million plus lost and found in this lyric, sound man turn it till the whole town hear it, either stand up or fall down now if you feel it! Stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down, while the record goes round stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down, shile the record goes round let the whole town know that it’s us!

Somebody tell me where the riders and the soldiers are! Before they close the door and go and start a colder war! I see ‘em posted up in corner stores holdin’ fort. hopin’ for a life from the crack of an open door!

And so the storm comes to cleanse without warn, while the youth play with fire just to keep themselves warm … In a cold world, cold people, playin’ cold songs … sold for spare change while the broke hold on. Why they call themselves right, but then act so wrong? Dollar sign challenged why the unemployment line long, no call for the blue collar gettin’ low ball! It’s a long climb just to get to petty bourgeois while we, gettin’ lifted but forgettin’ that we fall! Hit and shake cause your movin’ but without the roll call.

This is protracted struggle revolutionized patience … bump this on your right wing radio station. And maybe crack a top 10 daily rotation, but until then?
You can keep ignorin’ what I’m sayin’. But just remember you ain’t gotta prove a thing, stand up or fall down thanks for listenin’ y’all … because I, got your back even if you don’t got mine, grind in the dark when the clock strikes hard times. We ain’t nothing if this bond ain’t solidified, give thanks in war time that people still alive!

Dignified soldiers who walk with the spirit of 12 million plus lost and found in this lyric, sound man turn it till the whole town hear it. Either stand up or fall down now if you feel it.

Stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down while the record goes round stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down, stand up or fall down, while the record goes round let the whole town know that it’s us!

Let’s have a mid city fiesta with your west L.A. connection!

A break from real-life shit, how about, take a breather and enjoy the song.

I remember, when I was in high school, I wrote an article for the student paper at the end of my junior year. It was a review of the most recent J5 album at the time - Power in Numbers - and, I was just geeked to write an article about a group that I still consider among my favorites.

Anyway, so first issue of next year comes around, and there’s something in there about the People Under The Stairs album from this other kid. And I was like, damn, this looks kinda dope, let me see what’s up.

And I didn’t like it at first. But over time it’s become one of the few albums that stays in steady rotation.

I’m a simple man. I like beats and rhymes.

The production is always, always on point. And they know how to put words together. Really, what more could you ask for?

So, getting married is turning out to be, well, two things basically: an expensive proposition, and difficult to plan from 1100 miles from the wedding and reception site.

I don’t know how it’s going to work, but we’re still keeping our plans for a June 5 wedding in the south suburbs of Chicago. It’s still going to be a big ass party, and everybody is still going to be invited.

What blows is, I think there’s a pretty decent chance two of my brothers are going to be in Iraq. It sucks. I don’t hold it against them because they’re marines, that’s what they do. They go to Iraq. Hell, Mike’s already been there once and he’s trying to squeeze two more tours in before his five year contract runs out.

So the bridal party is thinning out on my side, it looks like.

On the agenda:
Good music (worry not, I’ll find a way to squeeze Jurassic 5 in there)
Optional car-bombs in the place of a traditional wine toast
No awkward hand-holding or dancing for people who don’t know each other

I’m hoping that we can fly back, get married, then go on a honeymoon. That’s how it works right? I don’t know. We basically have to concede a day of travel bot to and from Wyoming for the wedding and there’s probably going to be a couple vacation days used in there, too.

We’ll see how it goes. But we are less than a year away.

All I need now is a glass of single-malt, a notepad, and a nice pen.

Life would be so serene.

I totally forgot about this song, too, which is a shame in itself. I don’t know that I’ve … wait, I’ve listened to it at work. In fact, having the headphones on with Last.FM or Youtube in the background, listening to music while I wrote my articles up or for a few hours in the morning (or on the weekend as it were) while I just worked on stuff … turns out we’ve got a 5 gig a month transfer limit at work (who knew they still had these, anywhere?) so all that Youtubing and Last.FMing racked up our internet bill.

So, no more streaming audio at work - whether I’m here during business hours (9-6) or after/before work.

This edict came down from on high actually some time in February. A video here or song there doesn’t hurt anyone - we regularly watch stuff from a local political blog or from the Trib’s political blog - but streaming audio for three hours in the morning before everybody else gets here? Not happening, son.

Which brings me to my next point - working on the weekend.

The past month has been so wild - hell, even two months … ever since the lawmakers got back from their two-week break - it’s been RUN RUN RUN. No time to work on projects because we’ve been putting in 10-12 hour days with some regularity anyway, so anytime spent on projects is your own time.

Lucky for me, I spent a lot of free time and day-time working this project I’m trying to wrap up, just after the impeachment. I fed the machine with a bill-introduction story here and there, plus anything that broke throughout the day, but for a couple weeks, I spent nights and down-time at work doing project stuff.

So after months of this - and now that I have a free weekend … I find myself at work, bored out of my mind at home* and not having a real hobby other than reading. But since I packed all my books up, there’s nothing new for me to read (since I finished Generation Kill, an amazing book).

So I’m just going to deal with the fact that I’m far more used to reporting than relaxing, for now, and knock out this project in the next week and a half.

When I get to Wyoming, I’m hoping I can settle into a 40-45 hour work week. No more worrying about moving (or having to move after work), no more class, nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Just work, and life.

And I’m geeked about that, for real.

* - Home right now is Apt. 1107 of Lincoln Towers, where my friend Eric has so humbly offered me floorspace where I’ve created a “home.” It’s a mirror image of the other half of the living room - so we have two futons, two tv’s, two coffee tables, all right next to each other.

Before 1107, though, over the past 5 years, “home” was at 1360 W. Byron in Addison, and 313 Ryan Hall at Lewis, then Pope Hall at Lewis, 660 Natalie in Byron, 307 Ryan Hall at Lewis, DeLaSalle Hall at Lewis, an attached-apartment to a flower shop I worked at in River Grove, a Ramada Inn in Addison, Founders Hall at Lewis, and 641 Willow Glen in Addison.

So, this is going to be interesting.

I got a job. Hell yea! I got a job. And I’m heading out west sucka … cause I wanna be a cow-boy babbbyyy! Ok, enough channeling Kid Rock.

But for real, I got a job in Casper. The bosses seem cool, and since accepting, a couple other people from the company contacted me to see what’s up and see if they could point me towards apartments and stuff. How cool is that?

Anyway, I’m not a total stranger to the ways of the west.

Some of my favorite artists are from the west coast - Zion I, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, and Murs. If “west” is considered left of of the mighty Mississippi, then I’ve BEEN west. I’ve been to St. Louis. I’ve been to Minneapolis. I even took a plane to San Diego - TWICE!

So, I’m not at all worried about adjusting. Not worried about living in an dry and elevated climate with little annual rainfall and a lower average temperature than what I’m accustomed to. Not worried about the relative lack of diversity - something I’ve come to enjoy about Chicago and to a far lesser extent, Springfield.

I’m worried about learning how to fly fish though. I’m a good-old spin-cast equipment guy myself. Getting a pair of waders and walking into a stream … that’s gonna be different.

Anyway, the transition from urban-area to small-to-midsized-city to small-city-west-of-west … will most certainly become a central part of the blog over the next few months as we get settled. Thankfully, Erin is tripping out there with me. I wouldn’t go without her, which made the phone call with the job offer easier.

Casper (and real life) … here we come!

Hello hello.

Looks like I may be gainfully employed in the very near future.

Nothing’s been technically finalized - but there is an agreement in place - so I don’t want to spill the beans to the whole world yet.

I’m geeked though. Going through the process of finding a moving van or company to move our stuff, find an apartment, budget expenses, etc.

Man, I’m excited.