Welcome baaaack...

Well, it's been almost a year since I've updated this site, and a lot has happened. I've been through two jobs, moved from the east coast of Florida to the west coast of Florida (where the sand is finer and the water warmer) and moved in with my wonderful boyfriend, Jeremy.

At the urging of some -- sadly, not many -- I've decided to pick up where I left off, publishing my columns on the Web so you can pretend that you're interested. (Hey, I appreciate whatever verbal petting I can get -- even the insincere kind!)

So I thought I'd begin with a general update. When we left off, I was moving to my paper's main office in Stuart. After six months, I left what turned out to be a very frustrating job as a religion/social services/features writer in pursuit of personal and professional happiness in Naples.

In May, I accepted a position as a general assignment writer for the Naples Daily News. It's been a fantastic challenge, because the area that I cover is more than 100 miles long (from West Miami to East Naples). Being that I'm general assignment, I get to cover a little bit of everything, so it's never boring.

Jeremy, Pickle and I moved into an apartment in North Naples, and it's going great. We have a guest bedroom, so anyone who wants to come visit is welcome anytime. In fact, for those of you up north, Southwest offers fares of $39 each way to and from Florida. Just a suggestion...

I no longer write personalized columns that run in the paper, and I miss it a lot. That was the greatest outlet I had for creative writing, which is why I've decided to continue doing that here for you bloggers to enjoy. My columns will be a lot like they were in The Jupiter Courier, but maybe a bit more personalized, since you all know me (or, hopefully, know of me). My goal is to update the blog with a column at least twice a week -- maybe more if I can swing it.

A lot of people have also expresed an interest in checking out the articles I write for the paper as well, so I will post those from time to time too (unless they're boring government pieces). If you ever want to read up on my work, the paper's Web site is: www.naplesnews.com. A search engine will be in the bottom righthand corner of the page. To view my articles, just type in my last name in all lowercase letters: brannock. You will have to register the first time you sign-in to view the articles, but it's free, and you'll never have to do it again after the first time!

Well, I'm off to work now. Just wanted to post a first entry. Please feel free to e-mail me with comments, questions or column ideas at JenBrannock416@yahoo.com.

Happy reading!

So long, farewell...
Read my farewell to the Town of Jupiter, here.

Ode to my sweaters...
Read about the "leafer" I have become, here.

Halloween "Whore-or" Nights...
Read about why hurricanes and holidays should come together, here.

Mind if I get a lock of your hair, Tammy?...
Read about my celebrity stalking, here.

Step aside Jim Cantore...
Read about my new language, here.

SPIT...
Read about how I entertain myself during hurricanes, here.

Thar she blows...
So some of you may be wondering if I have been blown off the face of the Earth by one of the many hurricanes that have invaded my home state. Just to let you guys know, I am here (not queer, get used to it), and (halleluia) I have just regained power at my home! Needless to say, the past week has been as rough as I have probably been looking.

The reason there wasn't a column last week was because The Jupiter Courier ceased to exist last week. Our presses were down, so I was writing articles for the daily paper up the road from here. But, good news! We are back in business, and there will be a column of mine to check out on either Wednesday of this week or Monday of next. Thanks for all the calls from those of you who were concerned about my safety! Hopefully Ivan will take a bite out of some other state this time.

Jen

Poker? I don't ever know her...
Read my plan for world peace through the dealing of cards, here.

Me versus Charley...
Read about my experiences during Hurricane Charley (and see a really humorous picture of me), here.

FORE...
Read about my first golf outing, here.

But it wasn't raining a second ago...
Read about my new outlook on tourists, here.

Almost paradise; how could we ask for more?...
Read and be jealous about my jaunt to the Florida Keys this past weekend, here.

Oh story idea...where for art thou?...
Read about wanton wenches and mortal fools, here.

That's NO...No sir...
Read about my obedience training, here.

Suck it up, you wussy kids...
Read about my grumpy, old man ramblings, here.

Just a little prick...
Read my non-gory story of platelet donation, here.

Logging In...

Some of you who read my column regularly may have noticed that you now need to create a login account to view my articles online. Unfortunately, there is no way around that. The setup of an account takes about two minutes. They will ask you to fill out a quick survey about yourself, so that they have an idea of who is reading our papers. Logging back in is easy once you have an ID and password. I hope those of you who enjoy reading my blogs will not be detered by the extra step. Thanks, and please let me know if you have any ideas for future topics you'd like me to cover. I'm always looking...

Jennifer
JenBrannock416@yahoo.com

Can't hear yourself think? Let's be best friends!...
Read about my concert friendships, here.

It's quiet...Too quiet...
Read about my family's antics, here.