TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow is graduation. I'm really excited! After graduation tomorrow, I will probably go eat with my family then go to a bar-b-q that my friend is having for her graduation. My cookout will be on Saturday. One of my friends from Louisiana came into town last night. I was really happy. Some of my family members from Louisiana and Kansas City will be here today and my older brother and sister will be here tomorrow.

Despite not actually having a job yet, I just did an interview with Target and have another one with Radio Shack on Monday. I'm still applying for jobs and hope that I hear back from them soon.

Well, I'm logging off now but I will post graduation pictures sometime this weekend or Monday!

Not So Sure Anymore

So, it's about that time to start packing up my things and moving to the next phase in life. Graduation is 2 days away and I'm starting to get nervous. I'm not sure I'm ready to be done with school. I don't want to base my year on a January to December schedule. Ever since I knew what the months were, my year went from August to May. I don't know how well this is going to work out.

My family has already prepared me for the tears that they will shed at graduation on Friday. I just hope I can contain myself. A few of my family members from Louisiana arrived today. I'll be happy to see them when I get off work.

Although I am a bit nervous, I am also excited. My final papers are just about complete and I will turn them in tomorrow. I'm taking my online final exam tonight and then I will be able to completely relax.

No More Classes!!!

I had my final two classes yesterday. I turned in two big papers and I'm so excited to be done! Although I'm not completely done, it feels good not to have anymore classes. I have three final stories to turn in for Advanced Reporting. Two of them are done, I just need to go through and make sure all the spelling and grammar is correct. The other one I'm struggling with so I'm going to work on that a lot tonight. I have one final test for my online class. I think I might take it tomorrow night so I can be done with it, even though I have until the 18th. My final stories are also due on the 18th but I want to turn them in early so I won't have anything to do after graduation.

I'm checking out of my room on the 20th but I still don't know where I'm going to stay yet. I haven't found a job and I can't get an apartment until I find one so I'm getting really nervous. That's a week away so hopefully something will come up by then. I've applied for a lot of jobs online and called several places. I will let you know if I hear something back from any of them.

2 Down, 3 To Go

Today is my last day of my Opinion Writing class. Yesterday was the last day for Portfolio. The end is really near. I have 3 editorials to turn in today and take a quiz then I'm done with that class! After Monday, I'll be done with History and Theory, which isn't so bad, and Criticism and Analysis - and that's class I'm really ready to be done with. Hopefully I will get both of those papers done early so I can be done this weekend with those two.

The last class I have is Advanced Reporting. I don't have too much left to do in that class, just to finish editing my stories and turn them in by the 18th. I'm going to turn them in early, though. That way I won't have anything to do after graduation, which is next Friday.

Since I'll be done early next week, I hope to spend a majority of the time looking for a job. I'm finding out it's true what they say, looking for a job is a full-time job!

Even Closer!

Time is passing and deadlines are getting closer. So far, I'm having luck meeting those deadlines, which is a good thing.

Last night, I went to a PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) professional mixer. It was a lot of fun. I met with a lot of professionals within the Wichita community. I received a few business cards and handed out my resume. Today, I e-mailed several of the people I met and I'm hoping to hear back from them soon. I'm hoping to find a job with one of them. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Tonight, I have to finish, and by finish I mean start, three papers for my Opinion Writing class that are due tomorrow. You're probably thinking three is a lot, but it's not that bad. They're only about a page and a half each and it's my opinion on whatever topic I choose. See, not that bad. The worse thing I have to do is my papers that are due on Monday. Then I'm home free! I'm getting really excited about graduation. I'll keep you posted until then.

I'll Procrastinate Tomorrow

I've always been a procrastinator, but 95% of the time, I manage to get everything done on time and to the best of my ability. However, I was sick for about a week and a half and when I tried to do homework, I would fall asleep. With this being the last week of class for me, and I need for my grades to be in order so I can graduate, it wasn't the best idea to put off my homework until the last minute.

But of course, that's what I've done. Now this week will be very stressful because I have so much to do, on top of catching up with homework from when I was sick. So, on my "To-Do" list for homework, I have: one 5-page research paper, one 12-page research paper, final versions of: Death and Dying story, CAR story, Student Featurette, four editorials, and one online test. Yeah, I know, that's a lot! Most of it is due on Monday so I'm hoping to have it all completed by Sunday night so I can relax and spend all of next week looking for a job and an apartment.

On a happier note, Saturday was my sister's prom. I helped her get ready and did her make-up. She said she had a lot of fun and I enjoyed helping her get ready. We haven't been able to spend much time together lately so it was good to bond. We spend a majority of our time laughing and taking pictures. I'll post some of them later.

Also on Saturday, I took my graduation pictures. I'm supposed to get them back tomorrow then choose which ones I want, just like senior pictures. I hope they turn out well. I'll write more later.

Two Weeks Exactly!

I have exactly two weeks left until graduation. The countdown has begun. Final projects, papers, and tests. It's all coming into perspective now and getting more frightening with every day. I think I'm ready though. I've been given the best education I could get, and had a lot of useful advice. I think it's time to head into the real world. I'm excited!

Now all I have to do is figure out how to rewire my "year long" thinking. I will no longer measure the years from August to May, now it will be January to December. Gee, this may take some time getting used to! 

SICK!

I've been sick for the past couple of weeks but it really hit me Tuesday. I'm still a bit sick, although I've feeling a lot better! I had a bad headache, couldn't stop sneezing/coughing, it was hard to breathe, and I think I went through two full boxes of kleenex! 

The past couple of days I've missed classes and work. It's really bad to miss this close to the end of the year but with all the illness, and the scare of the Swine flu, I'm sure they understand and want me to wait until I get better. 

School update: TWO WEEKS LEFT!! I'm excited for graduation but getting more nervous with every second. Still haven't found a job yet, but spent a lot of time today looking online for jobs. I'll keep you posted!

Back to the Drawing Board

I had an interview yesterday with an insurance company. It wasn't what I expected. It was one of those "need money to make money" deals. The interview consisted of listening to a presentation, and I was with other people who wanted the same position. It sounded like a good opportunity at first, but I quickly changed my mind when I found out I needed money, more than $300, to get started. So, it's back to the drawing board for me.

I've posted my resume on several job search Web sites, but have not heard back from any of them yet. I really wanted the job in Enid, OK. It's a reporting job at their newspaper. I hope to hear from them soon. I plan to spend a lot of time this weekend searching for jobs.

Getting Old

This past Saturday was my birthday. I spent Friday night with my friends and Saturday afternoon with family. Friday night, we just hung out then went to IHOP, where the waiter paid for my food. He was really nice. Saturday, my family wanted to take me out to lunch but instead I wanted a home-cooked meal so my grandma fixed tacos, which is on my top five list of foods. We had cake and I opened presents. I was really excited that I finally got a Wii! I've been wanting one for a long time! And of course, we all took a bunch of pictures.

That night, I went to Cheddar's (my favorite restaurant) with some friends. We all had a really good time laughing. We were going to continue our evening by having a dance party in my room but everyone wanted to go home because of the storm. It was still a really good weekend though.

Tomorrow, I have an interview for a job in the "real world". It's at an insurance company. I'm not really a "desk" type of person, but I figured I would go to the interview and see what it's all about.

Also, my grandpa is having surgery on Friday so please say a special prayer for him.

It's a Conspiracy!

When you're really busy and stressed, it's often hard to see the good that will come out of all your hard work. I'm sure all of this hard work will help me establish a better future, it just gets to be a little stressful at times. It almost seems like teachers get together and plan when they're going to give students tests, assignments, and papers. Last week, and especially these last few days, I've been extremely busy! So busy, I didn't realize I hadn't eaten anything yesterday until late last night. (It's rare that I miss a meal so I must have been really busy, ha ha).

Today has gone well. Busy, but well. I had my portfolio interview today which was really good. I met with a reporter from The Wichita Eagle and she really liked my portfolio and examples. I had a test today, which we won't discuss until I get the results back. I also had a story for Advanced Reporting due today. I did the interview last night and wrote the story before class, but I must say it is probably one of my better stories.

Tonight we have our Hippodrome performance. I'm going to relax a little bit before I go. I think it will be a lot of fun and I'm really excited.

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit...Hip Hop?

Okay, so for Opinion Writing class, we had to write a review over a new movie, new CD, concert, restaurant, etc. I chose to write mine over The Hannah Montana Movie. Now, originally I told the class that I was only writing the review over this movie because my little sister wanted to see it and I might as well kill two birds with one stone. Of course, the truth is, I really wanted to see this movie!

It reminded me a lot of when I was in middle school and I went to an N Sync concert. There were a ton of girls screaming when the movie first came on and even sang along to the songs. I think I had the song "Best of Both Worlds" playing in my dreams for two nights.

It wasn't the worst movie, but it wasn't the best either. I liked it, and I might watch it again if it came on TV, but it's not a movie I would go out and buy. I'm sure if you're a huge Hannah Montana fan, you'll love it. I've only seen her show a few times, but overall the movie was okay. It's one of those that you can get the plot and a feel for the characters even without seeing the show, unlike Sex and the City, for example.

My weekend was fairly busy. I had to get a lot accomplished but it still seems like I have a lot to do. I think after Wednesday afternoon, my schedule will calm down a little bit.

For Easter, I went to Hutchinson to go to church and have dinner with my family. I think I ate WAY too much, but there's nothing like a home-cooked meal. I also had practice for Hippodrome this weekend. There's another one today. We perform tomorrow night. I'm excited! If we make it to the final round, we'll perform Saturday. Oh, and by the way, that's my birthday!!! I'll let you know how it goes.

New Job

I think I forgot to mention that I recently started working with USD 259 as a substitute teacher. I started in the middle of March and have subbed at least once each week, mainly on Friday. Everything has been good so far with it. The first day I subbed was at an elementary school for a kindergarten class. Needless to say, that made my day even more interesting. I quickly found out that kids between the ages of 5-6 are easily amused and are the kings and queens of tattling.

I think one of my favorite lines for that day was, "Teacher, if you need help, I can help you, because I know everything." The rest of the day went just like that, she wanted to help with EVERYTHING! It was a good day though. I've subbed for a fifth-grade class, a senior class, and an eighth-grade English class. Surprisingly, the seniors and eighth-graders weren't as bad as I thought they would be. I haven't had any of them pull any "tricks" yet. I'm hoping I won't, with only a few weeks left 'til the end of the school year.

School update: I'm all caught up finally! I remembered to turn in my last column for Opinion Writing and I'm finished with my weekly online assignments. My portfolio is due next Wednesday and I have to present it to a reporter from the Wichita Eagle. At first I was nervous but then I thought about it and this is a really good opportunity for me to get advice about finding a job and what I can do to improve my portfolio in order to get a job. I will be spending a majority of my time doing that this weekend.

CrAzY wEeK

This has been one extremely busy week! I've had so much to do. Class, homework, two jobs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and friend's birthdays. It's been one of those weeks where your priorities and balance really need to be one in the same. I've had to make sure that I am able to accomplish everything that I need for school while still leaving time to drop by for my friends' dinners. It's been hard but it's making the week go by fast, which is a good thing.

Next week is Hippodrome. I'm kind of excited because I cut the music, which I can put into my portfolio. I'm not excited because one of the "potential" performances is on my birthday, which is next Saturday. I hope we do well though. There will be a cash prize.

I'm not exactly sure what I want to do for my birthday but it probably won't be much. I need to study and start preparing for major assignments that are due.

I've fallen behind in my Opinion Writing class. I have one assignment that I did not turn in and it was due on Tuesday. I hope he still accepts it. There are numerous things due for Advanced Reporting, I don't even know where to begin. My online class is starting to ease up but all the other ones are getting heavy with the work load. I hope everything starts to even out so I can have time to sleep!

So Far, NO Good

On my job search, I was recently told I was "too" qualified. I didn't think that was possible! All I want is a decent job for after graduation. Am I asking too much? I guess with the economy in a rut, I'm in the same boat as millions of other soon-to-be graduates.

One of my favorite little rhymes used to be: "When the road gets bumpy, don't be a grumpy, be optimistic, and just smile, Smile, SMILE, and be happy." However, I'm finding it very difficult to be optimistic when I'm looking to the future and all I can see are bills, bills, and more bills. It's almost depressing.

As far as preparation goes, I feel I've learned a lot at WSU and that I'm prepared to take on a job in the real world. The only problem is I can't seem to find one. I still have a little over a month before graduation, so I hope something comes up soon! I'm getting worried!

Spring Snow and other Misfortunes

Friday was my first day substitute teaching. I had a kindergarten class consisting of 16 students. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, especially being that it was an all-day class with kids ages 5-6 and no naps. It was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I had a lot of fun, and it's true what they say - kids really do say the darnedest things! They made me laugh a lot and I think they had fun and learned at the same time. I wouldn't mind being in that class again.

This weekend was also a "Winter storm" in "Spring". Very strange weather. I enjoyed going sledding and attempting to make a snow angel and a snowman. The snow was hard because of the ice so those activities didn't work out so well. It was still fun though.

Yesterday started out great. I got a lot of sleep this weekend so I was prepared for the week. That is until I went to my second class yesterday. I didn't do as well as I had hoped on my test last week and only pulled off a high C. I'm a bit disappointed in myself. And I received two tickets, so that's not good either. It appears to be the start of a bad week, but I'm trying to be optimistic about it, although it's not working out so well.

In my Advanced Reporting class, I'm having trouble finding Excel documents for my CAR story. I'm doing the story on college drinking. I found a lot of good information but none that I could place into an Excel spreadsheet, which is what this assignment is all about. If anyone knows a good place to get data that I could easily copy and paste into Excel, please let me know!

Other than that, everything is going okay for me. Still counting down the days to graduation and still looking for a job...

School Update

Since I got my cap and gown for graduation yesterday, I decided I should give you a detailed update of my classes...

I had a test in my COMM 631 class today. That's History and Theory of Communications. It's really not as bad as it sounds. I think I did well. I enjoy the class and the teacher puts a lot of effort into making it interesting. This is the same class I had to do the presentation for Coca-Cola in, which went well also.

Advanced Reporting, COMM 500, is starting to challenge me a little bit. I had a hard time grasping the C.A.R. information today. This is Computer Analysis Research where we have to find data from a government website, import it into Excel, and come up with an interesting story for the information. I have decided to do mine on the increase of violence in public schools over the course of five years. I've found some information but it's hard to find a PDF file that will easily export into Excel. I also have to find which angle I want to take with the story. Oh, FYI, this is the same class that requires us to do the Death and Dying story.

I'm still working on my portfolio for my Senior Portfolio class (COMM 472). It's coming along, I just need to spice it up a little and give it a cover page with a key.

Opinion Writing, COMM 550, is going well. It's probably one of the easier classes I have ever taken. My teacher is a tough grader, but it's easy because you write your opinion about a topic. I like it, but it's often difficult not to go over the amount of words I'm supposed to have.

My final class is probably my least favorite. It's COMM 535, Communication Research and Analysis. This class is online and I love the convenience, but I sometimes forget that we have assignments due until the last minute so it gets a bit intense. It's also difficult because of the extensive amount of research we have to do in order to receive a good grade. I've been struggling in this class, but I hope the paper I turn in Friday will boost my grade.

Well, there's my class update! I'll write more soon.

A Much Needed Break

Spring Break was the most relaxing week I have ever had. I spent a lot of time doing nothing, some of the time eating, and a little bit of time being productive. Although I still woke up around the same time as I normally do for class and work, it was nice to be able to stay in my room and just watch TV. One day, I watched a full day of marathons. It was great! One of my friends from KU came to visit and we had a lot of fun.

My birthday is coming up in about 3 weeks. I'm planning on going to Houston the week after to celebrate and see friends and family. I'm hoping the weather is nice so I can go to the beach in Galveston. I've never actually been to a beach so it should be a lot of fun. If I go, I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures.

Graduation is also getting close. I am going to order my cap and gown today. I'm really excited! As you can tell, this is a really important time in my life, and I'm ready for the next step; I'm ready to start a new adventure! I'll be sure to keep you up to date on everything that is going on!

Just Doesn't Work Out

Okay, so you know my wonderful plan to continue working out, well, it hasn't been working out so well. As of today, it's been two weeks since I've been to the gym. However, I have been walking to class instead of driving. That should make up for something, right? Well, tonight I am going to the gym! I have to get back into shape. It's my goal, by the end of May, to lose 10-15 pounds. I'd be satisfied with just losing 10.

School is still going well, except I'm not sure I did my best on my first test I took in COMM 535. It's an online course and very difficult to keep up with at times. I sometimes forget about it because it's not a class I have to "physically" attend twice a week. There will be more test in there, though, and I will make sure I give it my all.

I turned in my first draft of my portfolio yesterday. My professor gave me a lot of good tips. I will be working on an online version tonight and tomorrow so look out for that one!

Difficult Times

Today, I went to my internship at the Wichita Magazine and found out that they were shutting down. I'm sad because I really liked working there; I was learning a lot and gaining a lot of beneficial experience. I'm even more sad for the ones who really depended on this job and now have to shut down by Thursday. It's unfortunate because it was a really good magazine and the entire staff was amazing. I'm sure they'll all find something within their field; they are all very talented. 

I'm working on starting an online portfolio, after realizing graduation was only two months away! I have to have a hard-copy for class on Wednesday so I should get a start on that as well. Everything is happening so fast; almost too fast for me to grasp it. I'm excited to do my portfolio. It really shows that the end is almost near. 

Just Stuff

I'm really starting to get nervous about what I'm doing after graduation. The economy is down and the job market for my field is laying off almost every day! I'm excited to graduate and move on to the next phase in life but also a bit nervous. 

Classes are going well, just keeping me busy. We're heading into midterms so things are getting hectic right now. The next few weeks will probably be the busiest of the semester.

Tomorrow I'm taking my Little to the Heskett Center to workout. This will give us both a chance to workout and spend some time together. 

Always Coca-Cola

For my History and Theory of Communications class, we chose partners and had to pick a product to analyze and give a presentation on. My friend Victor and I chose Coca-Cola. We figured this would be an easy product to do because there is so much information on it. I'm excited about this assignment because I love presentations, especially those where I get to make a PowerPoint or bring items in to demonstrate. With this project, I get to do both!

Today, I'm going to see Ronnie Jordan. He's a comedian that's been on Comic View and won several comedic titles. It should be a lot of fun.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to Hutchinson to give a speech to seniors in high school at a scholarship banquet. I received an award from them when I was a senior and now that I am about to graduate, they want me to come back and give some encouraging words. I'm not nervous but I should probably figure out what I'm going to say so I'm not stumbling over my words.

It's a Sunshine Day!

Today it's about 75 degrees...and it's still February! How exciting is that?! I'm trying to decide what I am going to do after work today. There's an option of going running, going to a park to take pictures of ducks for my photography collection, or I can get a head start on my homework. Although doing homework would be the most productive use of my time, but I would rather enjoy the sunshine while I can.

School is starting to become very busy! There aren't a lot of assignments but the ones I have usually contain multiple parts which can become very time consuming, especially since I'm not able to do any homework from 9-5 every day. I keep saying I am going to make out a schedule for myself but I haven't done it yet. Maybe I can take some time out at the park today and do that.

Readers, you should be very proud of me. I am keeping up with my workouts and even eating healthier. Today is our off-day for working out but I'll be back at it tomorrow (that's if I decide not to go running today).

This past weekend, we had a baby shower for my sister. It was a lot of fun. My nephew had a blast playing with the balloons, until they started popping. Also this weekend, we took a party bus out for a few friends' birthday. It was fun overall. I had never been on a party bus before but we had a good time. We ate cupcakes, danced, and took a lot of pictures.

End of the Week!

This weekend will be very busy. Today, I am going to pick up my Little and take her shopping with me. We're going to buy a few last minute items for my sister's baby shower tomorrow. She's having a girl and is really excited! She's going to name her Aubri. My sister has a son who is 4 and we don't want him to feel left out tomorrow so we bought him a few gifts as well. I'll be sure to take pictures so I can post them.

Later tonight, I'm going out to dinner and to the movies with one of my friends. It should be fun. I'm not sure what we're going to see yet though.

Tomorrow is the day of the baby shower and tomorrow night I am going out with friends to celebrate another 21st birthday. This will be my first time on a party bus and I'm excited to go! We're all supposed to wear black shirts/dresses for the night.

Sunday, my younger sister is singing a solo at church and invited the family to come listen to her. Of course, I'll be there with my video camera. The love of photography is very strong in my family but I bring out a new love for videos. It's fun to sit in my room and add special effects when I'm bored. It also gives me practice for future jobs!

Let's Try it Again

I went to work out last night for the first time in a few months. A couple of my friends play on the football team at Friends University so they showed me a couple of work outs. Not the best decision I've ever made. I felt fine last night and this morning I woke up a little bit sore but it wasn't what I expected. So by noon I was thinking, "hey, this was nothing. I have no idea what they complain about. I could do this in my sleep."

Now I regret saying that. I'm not sure what happened or if it just took a while for the soreness to catch up to me but now every muscle in my body aches and we only worked on the lower body last night. I know I'll be happy with the results but right now all I want is to take a nice long bath in a tub full of IcyHot (ha ha).

My main thing now is to stick with it. Sometimes I'll work out consistently for about two weeks then stop for a month or longer then do it again. I hope this time will work out for me. I have more time now and other people helping so it be better. I'll keep you informed!

All is Well

This semester is turning out of be a lot easier than any other semester I've had. I'm more relaxed and feel more prepared for class every day. I took my first actual test yesterday in History and Theory of Communications. I'm anxious to see what I got on it because it was really difficult. So far, I have two A's and a B+. I'm not sure what my other grades are like yet.

Oh, I got my graduation invitations in the mail Friday! I was really excited!!! I think I might send President Obama an invitation. He probably wouldn't be able to come but it be fun to send it to him anyway, just to see if he responds.

Today...

Today will be a difficult day. It's the day of the funeral for my friend's mother. I'm praying that everything goes the best that it could possibly go for her today. It'll be hard but I know through prayer and friends she'll get through it.

After I get back from Hutchinson today, I am going to pick up my "Little" and we are going to make Valentine cookies! I love baking desserts and I thought this would be a fun activity for us to do.

Yesterday was my best friend's birthday. We went out to eat at Cheddar's and we'll probably do something this weekend. We had a lot of fun last night and the food was good as well. Monday is another friend's birthday so we're going cosmic bowling at the Alley Monday night. It should be a lot of fun.

Grammy Awards

Although I didn't watch the Grammy Awards, and being a great lover of entertainment, I looked up highlights on various websites. I was utterly shocked that rapper M.I.A. performed while she was NINE months pregnant. Internet sources say her baby was due the day of the show but she performed anyway. I haven't heard whether or not she's had the baby yet.

Chris Brown and Rhianna were scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards but dropped out at the last minute. I'm sure this has been the number one search on Google this week by all Chris Brown and Rhianna fans. Allegedly, Chris Brown hit a woman and gave her a black eye. It hasn't been stated whether or not that woman was Rhianna or not. I find this very interesting, especially after reading other blogs of what people have to say on the matter.

Chris Brown had a commercial for Doublemint gum but they have suspended him. His court date is set for March 5. I'm very curious to see what happens in this case.

With Jennifer Hudson being one of my favorite artist, it was only right that I looked up her performance. It almost made me cry to see her tears and knowing what she's been through after losing three family members due to violence. I think she's a strong performer and an even stronger person for handling her lose in the way that she did. I wish her the best of luck in the future.

A Bunch of Random Topics

Well, a lot has happened since I wrote last. Some good, some bad. I guess we'll start with the bad first....

My friend's mother was killed in a fire this past weekend. It's a really sad situation but I know the only thing I can do for her is to pray and let her know I'm here if she ever needs to talk. Her mother was a very sweet person and extremely thoughtful. She will be greatly missed.

On another note, I moved back on campus Sunday. It's more convenient to live on campus and it lets me sleep in longer.

Today I'm going to order my graduation invitations! This is really exciting. It let's me know I'm almost near the finish line, which is also a bit scary at times.

Classes are going well, but I haven't had any test yet to determine grades. A majority of my work consists of writing, hints my major, so I'm glad that I don't have many test. I still haven't found a subject for my Death & Dying assignment, which is my main focus right now. It's work 15% of my overall grade and I want to do well on it but as of now, I'm behind the rest of the class because I do not know of anyone in this situation. I'm sure I'll get it figured out soon though.

Random School Things

Today was a good day. I didn't do a lot and it was relaxing, despite the fact that I still have a bit of a cold. My classes are going well but I am still looking for a subject for a story in my Advanced Reporting class. I like all of my classes this semester and work is going well. My internship is fun and I'm learning a lot. Overall, I think everything is working out for me. I have a quiz in the morning so I will write more later.

I'm Back...Again!

Okay, so I think I'm done with trips for a while. I just got back from Louisiana Sunday evening and now I have a cold. The climate changes are starting to get to me. I had a good time though. My great-grandmother really enjoyed us being there for her 90th birthday. I was happy to see her. I was also happy to get all the good food!! While I was there, I went to the casino for the first time. It was fun but too smokey for me. I didn't win any money either so that made the experience a bit less enjoyable. Overall, I had a good time on the trip. I slept a majority of the way there and back. I did a lot of homework and reading while I was there as well, which is good. Now I'm caught up with all of my work.

I went cosmic bowling last night with my best friend. We had so much fun. At the end, she beat me by 10 points but I still had a great time. We got a lot of gutter balls, rode the go-carts and even had a few strikes! If you ever get bored on a Monday night, I suggest going to the Alley to bowl! It's cheap and fun!

I've done several stories for the campus newspaper in the past few weeks. It's good because this adds to material I can put into my portfolio. I'm not sure how soon I should start looking for jobs but I think it's about that time. I'll probably begin to look this weekend. With the economy in a bind, I hope I find one!

I'm Back

All good things must come to an end... I regret to inform you that I am now back in Kansas. I left 78 degree weather in College Station, TX to come "enjoy" falling on the ice in Kansas! Yes, I know, it's wonderful. (I hope you can read my sarcasm).

Anyway, I had a great time on my conference trip! I learned a lot about leadership, relationships, myself and how to work with others. The food was great, I made a lot of networking connections, and I met a lot of amazing people. Besides the sessions we had to attend, there were also fun activities. There was a casino night, a comedian, a step show, and a party. I think the highlight of my trip was meeting Omar Tyree. He is a really good speaker and I learned a lot about the publication business. Oh, and there was also a career fair which was really helpful.

I love these conferences because I always meet people that I keep in touch with. The food was really good and everyone was really friendly and helpful. I wish I wasn't graduating so I could attend the conference again next year, but maybe I can in grad school. I will upload a few pictures from the conference.

First Week

The first week of the new semester is over, for me at least. I like my classes but I can tell they are going to require a lot of time. My portfolio class will probably be my favorite; only because I'm excited that I will be compiling my greatest "works" for my potential employers to see. In my Advanced Reporting class, we have to write a HUGE profile over someone who is dying. This will be my hardest project because I'm sure it will be very emotional. I like the professor, though, and he said he will try to make this as easy as possible. He said the reason he gives us this assignment is so we will know how to handle this type of situation when we are reporting after graduation, which makes a lot of sense and I'm glad I'm tackling this barrier now. It seems like it'll be an interesting class, well, all of them should be interesting.

I have one class tomorrow but as I mentioned before, I'm leaving for Texas! I'm really excited. I've never been to College Station and Texas has to be my favorite state so just the idea of going makes me smile. I'm going to buy snacks for the trip later this evening so I'll be ready to head out in the morning! I'm going to take a lot of pictures so I'll be sure to post them.

Today Marks History.

Today marks two important events in my life. First, Barack Obama is now the 44th president of the United States! This is a really important part of history and I am pleased to say that the first time I voted, I voted for the one chosen to become president. I put my faith in him that he will carry out his plans as promised throughout his election to make this country move forward. I watched some of the inauguration as President Obama was sworn into presidency and I think I smiled the entire time!

The second thing is that today will be my last "first day of class" as an undergraduate student! My first class is at 12:30 and I am ready for this semester. Also, I went to get fingerprinted today for substitute teaching. It's not the most exciting thing in the world and it was almost embarrassing walking into the jail. I didn't want anyone to think I was a criminal and I'm glad it's over.

I will let you know how my first day goes!

Random Stuff

Last night, I went to the movies with one of my friends to see "Gran Torino". This is a Clint Eastwood movie. I've never been a huge fan of Eastwood but I must say, this movie was very good! I would recommend it to anyone.

The puppies my dog had are doing fine. They're attempting to walk and it's funny to watch. One of them, named Miley, will try to stand up then falls and rolls over. It's really cute. The other one, named Simone, has her balance but won't walk. That's also really funny. They're eyes are open and they're attempting to bark, amongst all of their late-night whining (ha).

My internship at the magazine is going well. I really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to my trip next week, I just hope that the weather is nice there, instead of snowy like it is here. I don't like driving when the weather's bad.

School starts in 5 days. This semester, I have decided not to purchase any books until I go to the classes. This way, I can see if I will actually need the books on the list. It will save time and money. I'm not sure why, but I have a really good feeling about this semester.

Everything in Kansas is Flat!

Do you remember the saying "Not Everything's Flat in Kansas"? Well I'm here to tell you, it is! The ground is flat and my tire is flat! Yes, that's right, my tire! With all the other bad luck I've been having so far this year (I received my second speeding ticket the other day), I now have a flat tire. It's getting fixed but it's frustrating. I know this year will get better though, it's just starting off rough.

On the brighter side, I start my final semester of college next Tuesday! I'm so excited to be done but nervous about what I'm doing when I graduate. Also, next Thursday I'm leaving for a conference in College Station, Texas! I'm really excited about that!! It'll be a new environment and give me a lot of opportunities to network and socialize with fellow college students. The should be really fun!

Healthy=Hassle

In light of the new year, and new resolutions, I have decided, like every year, to eat better. At one point, I was honestly convinced I was addicted to Burger King's whoppers. It seemed that I couldn't drive by a BK without stopping, even if I wasn't hungry. I would always come up with an excuse saying things such as, "Well, the more I eat, the higher my metabolism will be" or "The commercials say it's flamed broiled so it's probably healthier for me". All I got from doing this was several pounds of weight gain! Now, I am proud to say that it has almost been two months since I've even been to Burger King! And I stopped cold turkey (ha)! I haven't even had a cheeseburger since Nov. 17, and yes, I'm keeping track!

I've tried to eat healthier this past week but I'm not sure if I'm using the right combination of healthy food. For instance, I've been making a sandwich for lunch and eating yogurt for breakfast but by the time I get to work, I've already eaten half of my sandwich. So for lunch, I eat the other half of my sandwich and get a smoothie from Smoothie King (which is amazing, FYI). For dinner, I've had chicken stir fry, a salad, or Sloppy Joe's. Yeah, I know they aren't healthy but I love them! Hopefully by March I can break all of my bad eating habits and see some results in my energy levels. I'll keep you posted.

Almost Over

Although I started back working today, after a two-week break, I still have a couple of weeks before I head back to class. This will be an exciting semester for me. It's my last semester of college and I have THREE internships and 13 credit hours! It will be busy but I'm excited. I will also be going to two or three conferences this semester. My first one will be toward the end of the first week of school, from Jan. 22-25 in College Station, TX. I'm really excited because Texas is one of my favorite states! The other one that I am going to is in Lawrence at KU at the end of February. I also have a change to go to Atlanta at the beginning of February for a conference! That would be really exciting but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make that one due to airfare.

Besides the internship that I have had since July, I also have one at the Wichita Magazine and KPTS-8. I start at the magazine today so I'm not sure what my duties will be. For channel 8, I'm doing marketing research for them. It's very interesting the things you can find over the internet.

Oh, and my break has been going well. My dog had puppies on Christmas night. They are so cute! I will post pictures as soon as I locate my USB camera cord.