What's better than no work at all? Part-time!

Here we are, too many months without a word.

Last time I posted, I was reflecting on two years of unemployment. And with a trio of solid prospects in hand, I thought I'd surely be on someone's full-time payroll before too long. WRONG!

So just after Labor Day, I took a part-time position (12 hours per week) that finds me collecting newly filed civil lawsuits in several local courts. Because I like document-based reporting -- I.F. Stone has long been an idol -- I'm used to trying to decipher the not-so-plain English found in suits, which is part of this job. (Do law schools actually teach students this kind of dense writing?) And to boot, news nuggets can be found in the cases, which I've been able to pitch as freelance stories on a couple of occasions.

I'm still far from a full-time paycheck (or even "gig" nirvana), but it's something. A column I wrote (click through to page A12) on being a so-called "involuntary parttime worker" explains more.