Greetings from Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - It's the annual trip to Florida for the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway, but we're making a pit stop this afternoon at my father's home in this beautiful city on the Atlantic Coast. I flew in from Pittsburgh International Airport (are there even any international flights out of that woebegone airport anymore?) this morning and had a layover in Atlanta.

My favorite part about flying isn't the long lines in security, the battle to find a space to plop your luggage in the overhead compartment or the postage stamp-size bag of peanuts they give you. No... it's bringing a newspaper to a foreign airport. I picked up my Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from my driveway this morning, went to the airport and read it on the plane. After landing at Atlanta's crowded airport, I dropped it off at the local food court, hoping someone from The ATL would read a few stories from the City of Champions. Then I went to the nearest newstand and bought an Atlanta Journal-Constitution to read during my layover. I was somewhat disappointed with the content, but it was very interesting to read the local stories, nonetheless.

Then I dropped off the copy of the AJC in Jacksonville's airport as I walked to my dad's Chevy Blazer. I think it's important to check out different newspapers to compare layout and news. It's refreshing to read another journalist's work. Regardless, it's race weekend and time to drop a resume at the Daytona Beach News-Journal...