Jane went to Florida last Wednesday for a week - to Disney! - then the typesetter, Mickie, was called away for a family illness. So all of a sudden, I was the It Girl.
As in, that's it, that's all. The only person doing the paper. To explain: the publisher and the editor place ads, some stories and photos but Jane and I create the ads, fill the classifieds, update church notices, check insertion orders, edit of what's actually on a page - sometimes the biggest job - PDF the paper to the printer, and upload to the website. Not to mention Jane and I are the only ones who know how to build ads so basically, without Jane AND me, the paper wouldn't go out.
That's an awesome responsibility and I love it. It's a slow time of year so the best time for two people to be away. Charlie and I split Mickie's work: He took care of the community news (some of it comes in handwritten) and I did the obits. Monday was never rushed or crazy; just a steady day of good work.
"I try not to put all my eggs in one basket," the boss said to me. That's why he keeps Mickie on two half-days a week. "But it looks like you're the only egg."
"Just as long as I'm the good egg," I said.