Author of the Year

Back in the fall, Dode submitted one of my blog posts to a magazine called Evergreen Surveyor.  The magazine goes out to everyone in Washington in the land surveying industry.  In early January, we found that they had published my "article" in the winter edition.  I was pretty excited when I found out, but I didn't blog about it because last year the magazine went from a print issue to digital delivery only.  Since I didn't get the thrill of holding the hard copy containing my article in it, I wasn't sure it was a brag worthy event.  Below are copies of the magazine pages.

If they're difficult to read, then click on them, you can zoom in until they're clear.

One funny thing about the way they formatted the magazine, the Jerry Peterson who is discussed in the article is the same Jerry Peterson who has an advertisement on the bottom of the final page.  He's still in the survey industry and still involved in monuments!

Each year, during the annual Land Surveyors of Washington Conference, they give an award for the best author to submit an article to the magazine in the last year.  And, a few days before the conference Dode got an email that they chose me!  I hadn't even known there was an award, just getting it published was enough of a thrill for me.  I was invited to attend the awards lunch on Friday to receive my award.  I asked Dode, "Do I have to pay for my lunch?"  Yes, $25.  So, I paid to receive my award!  We learned about the award on Wednesday and the award lunch was Friday so Dode did some last minute scrambling to buy me a ticket.

I was pretty excited while at the same time feeling a little odd.  I'm not a surveyor, just the wife of one.  The award lunch wasn't really my party.  It would be filled with Dode's "people".  Semi balding white men in button up shirts wearing comfortable outdoor ready shoes.  When I got there, I saw a few other females but we were definitely the minority!

The editor of the magazine, Aaron Blaisdell introduced me by explaining that the award winning author was not their typical author.  He explained that I'm not a member of the industry but that back in the fall, Dode had contacted Aaron and suggested he might be interested in reading one of my blogs that I talked about surveying.  Aaron thought it was publication worthy, so we adjusted a few things (for the new target audience) and submitted it.  As exciting as it was to be published in the magazine, it was way more exciting to learn I was selected as the best author of 2012!

Walking up to receive my award

I was expecting a certificate but instead I received a check for $500!  Wow!  Now I can say I am a published author and I even got paid for it!  Now the dreaming begins.  How to spend the money?!