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Disclaimer: this is not an official communication from my employer. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is hiring a Web Communications Coordinator. The job will be in the Public Affairs office, and it looks like they’re looking for someone with a communications/marketing background. For more information, see the job posting.

My impression (which may be off base, as I am not at all involved with the hiring process) is that the job will not be a highly technical one — familiarity with HTML and CSS might be as rough as it gets — but will instead focus on site content and services, on developing the System’s web site to convey key messages and provide services for target audiences and constituencies. Perfect for someone who can write & edit worth a damn and who understands the pecularities and opportunities of web publishing.

Now is a good time to get in on a position like this, as the site is going through a major overhaul of both design and purpose, and the web is being integrated more thoroughly and conscientiously in marketing and communication efforts. I mentioned early this summer how for the first time our internal web team is implementing the design, so we can pay attention to crucial things like accessibility and web standards. This means, among other things, that marketing and IT are cooperating quite amicably. It’s been fun.

I imagine that most webfolk who read this blog either don’t live in Minnesota or are more on the technical side of things, but in case you or someone you know might be interested in the job, I mention it here. You see, I’d rather that they not hire a moron. :-)

Most of the day was spent in preparation for Owen’s birthday party. We’re having it tomorrow instead of his birthday because it was the closest we could come to matching folks’ schedules, and his grandma was in Sweden on his actual birthday (Tuesday). Can’t have his first birthday party without Grandma. His friend Jack came over this morning with his mom, and they helped bake a cake and played with Owen a bit. All in all, not a bad day.

Hopefully no one will notice until it’s too late that we scheduled the party to start at the same time as kickoff for the Vikings game. We are most decidedly not football fans, so didn’t know about the conflict until it was too late. Kiara’s brother already noticed, since he’s flying out to San Diego for the game. Rats.

And now we’re off to Mahtomedi for Kiara’s big band concert. She joined the band when we joined the church a number of years back, and even though we are no longer members (thank god), she still plays with the band because it is kick-ass. No, really. It’s a bunch of long-time musicians, many of whom played with the people who wrote the music. They know what they’re doing. The band plays at the church twice a year, plus a gig or two around town, so the concert’s a special event for everyone. In fact, Kiara played in last year’s fall concert only days before giving birth to Owen. :) We think that’s why he likes jazz and swing so much.

Games at work may be good for you.

Ain’t science great? Thing is, I’d never do this. I don’t like to play games.

My son Owen is one year old today.

Need I say more?

Well, yes, I probably do. But I’m at a loss for words.

I took the day off work and we did some of his favorite things: nap, read, eat pancakes, chase each other around the ottoman, run around so he feels the wind on his face, and laugh a lot. It was a good day.