Biting off more than I can chew.

I have a feeling that being food editor is going to be like a Sour Patch Kid. Really sour to start, then really sweet. (I don't have an analogy for the gummy part.)

One of my first "assignments" is to create an online database of restaurants in San Joaquin County. Oh. My. God. I thank the lord for the education that kept me from being a data-entry clerk. But it'll be worth it when I get to put on my resume that I created it from scratch. And didn't go catatonic. And it's frustrating, because there really is a lack of diversity in the Stockton scene. I mean, sushi is still trendy here. There's like four Thai restaurants and a million Burger Kings.

But it's fun to really have a say in what goes into the section. My editor is pretty laissez faire about the whole thing, so creatively, it's a great outlet. I want to start a column where people taste two different items and give them a review, like the Supertaster on Chow.com. And also, we're thinking about getting reporters and readers to submit their favorite recipes, and stories to explain why they love them. Like, "This was my grandmamma's best roasted chicken, and every Sunday before she got drunk on moonshine she'd show us how to carve it up!" Fun.

Oh, and I may actually get to expense alcohol! Doesn't that just seem wrong? I'm doing a story on cocktails for New Year's, and I asked if I could really make the stuff so we could do studio photos of the drinks, and my editor said yes! It's amazing how quickly they'll agree to forking over $20 for a bottle of vodka if it means they don't have to hire a new writer. Score on that one.