Walking around campus, I usually find some interesting things. This umbrella was found abandoned in Neyland Stadium’s Garage (G-10). It was apparently not rainy enough.

Is it sad that someone in my JEM class had to remind me to blog?

It’s true.

But it did make me realize how the stress of school pushed back a lot of my other “extracurricular” activities like my blogging. To be blunt: school is stressful. All the time. Every day.

What’s interesting about journalism classes this year, however, is that the course content is a reaffirmation of a lot of what I’ve been doing for years.

For example, one professor told the class that we should register our own domain name.

Done.

Another prof advised me to “brand myself” utilizing the same “screen name” or “handler” often in order to lace all of my work online together.

Done.

One lecture discussed the important of familiarizing ourselves with social networks like Facebook, Twitter and using them to our advantage.

Yeah, done.

In the very compeitive world of journalism, it is also important to know our way around a Web site including knowing basic HTML, web design and photoshop.

…Uh huh. Done.

AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A BLOG.

Yay. Done!

Anyway, I’m not knocking the advice or anything, but it does make me wonder how so many of my peers didn’t catch on “The Internet,”, you know, when we first learned how useful it could be? Remember, guys? “Information super highway?” Spark of commercialism? Dot Com Boom?

It’s sounds so snotty now, but when my class mates were “wikipedia racing,” I had already produced several of my own Web sites and was learning flash. It’s not that hard. My first Web site was on Yahoo! Geocities in the 7th grade. I used glittery animated .GIFs for icon links.

If I have to endure another lecture/lab learning how to make an < img > tag, I’m gonna fall asleep.

lol school ramblings.

Dear Mr. Google,

I love you. Thank you for combining of my horrible addiction to pop news and regular ol’ important (mainstream) news,  feeding my insatiable appetite for information, making “cute and hilariously inappropriate” articles tailored to a a college student’s taste easily accessible and finally, for giving me a reason for living.

Haha, okay maybe I’ve exaggerated my appreciation for this wonderful RSS feed aggregator, but you’ve gotta admit, it’s really useful.

I have my Google Reader split up into different sections (as I’m sure any OCD journalist would). I’ve got my local news, my national news, I’ve got my “pop” news (ONTD, lifestyle, entertainment, celebrity news, etc), a tab for all that blogs I follow and I’ve got a miscellaneous tab with basically everything else I like (niche magzines and the like).

Overall, Google Reader is a perfect necessity. It keeps all my favorite news in one happy place, which in turn makes Google Reader MY happy place.

And I couldn’t be happier. <3

Had lunch with the BFF today at a Japanese buffet in West Knox. I wanted to share with the world how goofy best friends can be.

See this picture? Notice something? Yes, my goofy friend ate only the filling of the sushi. She left the seaweed and rice behind. Why, you may wonder?

“I was too full,” she says.

“But you ate only ate the inside!” I exlaimed.

“Well, that’s the  best part.” She shrugs.

College students at UT are the only people who would begin the new term starting riots, burning mattresses, break and enter, and then, throw a party to commemorate it all.

Oh, it’s good to be a Tennessee Vol.

Went to the hospital today and had meh procedure done. It was a pretty strange experiencing considering I’ve never been to the hospital before, but it was just like the movies. Got the embarrassing gown with the butt showing, cute little socks, got to lay down on a stretcher and watch a million people walk by as I waited for my turn. I had to get my arm stuck with an IV (ugh, not pleasant..considering I have tiny little veins).

I got sedated, which was kind of interesting (not that I could have taken notes or anything, haha). I just remember the doc saying, “All right. Let’s get you sleepy” and then I was awake in another room with my parents. Haha.

Good news is that I am A-OK. Nothing to worry about. I’d rather not publish too many details here, but all is well.

…Except the fact that I spent my last two days of freedom (before school starts tomorrow) laying around the house STARVING and SLEEPING. Boooooo.

That and Lane Kiffin dumped the Vols for USC. School is going to be SO interesting tomorrow. Ahahhahha, chaos.

Okay,I’m all about following directions: drink only liquids, no solid food, nothing red, take a million pills, etc. I am also all about doing things for my own good. But what’s so great about torture? Because seriously,what’s so great about taking an “average pleasant 20-year-old woman” and turning into a cranky malnourished hot mess because she hasn’t eaten all day and is drowning in clear liquids?

Prep or no prep, I hate it!

I am no good with medication or any kind, but geez. Funny thing, the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of what I’m going to eat tomorrow. Seriously, it’ll be like, the BEST MEAL on the planet. I’m thinking IHOP, mountains of pancakes, or tacos or Italian…wahhhhh

Oh and by the way, I am swearing off Gatorade for life. =(((((

Here’s to my good health.

Went out with the co-workers tonight and it was pretty fun. Here’s a bit of our misadventure at dinner.

We were ALL (11 of us) supposed to go out for our work XMAS party, but plans changed. Luckily, a few of us still went out and it was a really great time. It’s not often that we all get to cut loose from work and have fun.

Yes, I have one. Two, actually–though I’m only using one now (for school and such purposes). I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard keeping up with a Twitter. Updates on what you’re doing. All the time. Too often and you’re a Twitterwhore, too little and you CLEARLY have no life.

I mean, I’m not really an exciting person, so how many of my “140 character statuses” can be that interesting?

Well, I guess my owning a blog isn’t much evidence to my exciting life either, is it? haha.

But recently (due in part to J and D’s visit), I’ve actually been doing stuff. Thus, updating my Twitter. Who could imagine one little page in the internet universe summing up your abridged entire life? Meh, my thoughts on Twitter.

Shocking news report. It’s snowing outside.

And not just a flurry either! It’s full on Winter Wonderland complete with bad roads, frozen windshields, and people freaking out because it NEVER snows in Knoxville!

It’s remarkable that I managed to get home without a scratch. There were so many cars just kind of sitting in the middle of the road, not able to get up the hills. Luckily, I was close enough (went to Borders) to make it home safe! I’m glad I wasn’t on campus trying to get home!

Snow is simple. Isn’t it often used as a metaphor for starting over? It blankets everything in pure white goodness. Maybe it’s a sign, for me and people I know to just let go of whatever cold dark hard thing we’re latching onto. Let things change and let something else take over.

Snow is simple, isn’t it?