Ass't sports editor, The Gazette (Laurel, Md.)

this has reopened, per the posting at jjobs.com.

 

The key is ramen. You can have a different flavor every night.

 

Ramen noodles and, if you're lucky, a can of Vienna sausages on the side.
Mmmmmmmm, what a meal!

 

Ramen, Vienna Sausages, potted meat, sardines and saltines. Now that is a meal!

 

You're overlooking Ramen's archrival, good ol' mac and cheese. Now just 35 cents a box at Aldi's!!!

 

That's expensive. Go to Sav-a-Lot.

 

If the Laurel paper was truly paying $24k for this position, that would be the biggest kick in the pants ever. I started at $23k in my last gig and I was paying $425 for a 1BR, not $600 for a room in a 2BR in PG County (you couldn't pay me to live there, even College Park). Even at $32k, that's barely feasible. I'd rather earn low $30s and live without a car in DC than add the burden of car ownership and live on the outskirts of PG County.

 

Oh, it's definitely $32K. They told me that last month when I was a candidate for this job, before I ended up somewhere else. But it's definitely not a wage you could live on in that area....even with a year's supply of Ramen in your cupboard.

 

Take it from someone who has spent several years in the area: $32k is feasible with C.O.L. in the area. You might have to get a roommate, but you won't be eating at soup kitchens. Real talk.

 

You probably would have to get a roommate if you wanted to live in a nicer area, closer to the schools you'd probably be covering. Especially if you wanted to make regular Wawa stops, as I'd be prone to do if I moved back down that way. (Millersville and Glen Burnie are the closest Wawas to Laurel, for those who are wondering.)

I'd also think that for the ambitious, chosen candidate, there would be plenty of freelance opportunities, being located between two decent-sized cities with six major-league teams and two major D-1 programs 45 minutes or less from your driveway.

 

Yeah, assuming this isn't desk work for the bulk of it, the following Division 1 programs are nearby: Maryland, Towson, Navy, UMBC, Morgan State.

Being exactly between Washington (Nats, Wiz, Caps, Skins) and Baltimore (Orioles, Ravens) would have its positives as well.

 

Jay, you might do some work with the colleges but chances are you'll do a lot of community stuff and that's cool. It's a job and that's better than being unemployed.