Fake Break Snapshots

It is break. I DID IT. And it feels amazing. Now, Ithaca College, if you could give me my grades please that would be fabulous.

I thought I'd provide you with a few snapshots for you to understand how great break has been in just a few short days. Not that I actually have pictures. I totally left my camera at home after Thanksgiving break, because I would do that. Guess I'll just have to write a thousand words or whatever.

Here's a non-existent photo of Ashley and me saying goodbye. I am probably inexplicably tearing up and envisioning a whole month without Glee dance parties and cheeseburger conversations. Oh, and there I am smothering her in a hug.

Here's one of me loading insane amounts of junk into my grandparents' pick-up truck. Note their stunned faces in reaction to the amount of stuff I thought I'd need for a month.

And then there's this great one of Amma, Pappa and I all dressed up, heading into the Buffalo Club. Now note MY stunned face at the amazing Christmas decorations. It is almost the same face I had when I saw the chocolate cake for dessert.

Here's one of these insanely flexible Christmas-ornament people from the Cirque de Soleil Christmas show. My face is a mix of wonder and fear, because these people are totally going to fall and die, I KNOW it, bodies don't bend like that, OH MY GOD DON'T DO THAT STOPPPP, oh....well, that was actually awesome! They survived! I am enjoying this.

Here is a picture of Amma and me bowling. That stank face I have on is merely a natural reaction to the fact that I was losing. Repeatedly. It was actually a blast though.

And then there's Amma, Pappa, and me at the Sabres/Penguins hockey game, only a few rows away from large men being thrown largely into the glass over and over and over. We are extremely happy because we got to eat cheeseburgers AND have awesome seats. I am wearing my hat because it's kind of cold but for the first time ever I am actually dressed appropriately.

I know, right?

Here's one a stranger took of me sprawled in the airport for forever, because DC decided to get buried under snow for forever. But I got there! And then waited for Claire for forever, with my Dad.

And in this one my Dad and I are sitting in the car and he is exasperated already and trying to convince me my eye isn't going to explode just because it's a little irritated. I'm not buying it.

Here's Claire and me with our girls in the back room with a fire. We are eating brownies and cool whip and watching and providing running commentary on this year's Lifetime Christmas movie. Which is totally not about Christmas at all. "What the hell!" asks Laura, "WHY IS IT JULY IN THIS MOVIE?"

And here I am, blogging in my bed, getting ready to head up to the great New England for Christmas.

If I don't blog before, have an amazing, happy, and healthy Christmas.

I refuse to complain any more about finals

I do.

Things are great. Ish. I mean, I really shouldn't complain.

I did go a little crazy this afternoon when the two fake-ly tanned orange girls next to me in the computer lab wouldn't stop squawking at each other in Jersey language. I even stopped working on my paper for a minute and tweeted about my anger. I then realized I for a split second I was that jerk in the computer lab on Twitter. Sigh.

I also finished News Writing and Reporting I today. Forever, WHICH IS AMAZING. The name was totally misleading because it should have been called "Fight With Irrelevant and Useless Technology to Say Something Kind of Sort of Coherent That You Could Have Just Written About in 500 Words and Been Done With It for a Semester...I." Obviously I am not in line with the times. Why did I sign up for this again? Oh right. To be a writer. To seek truth. Etc.

Sigh. Again.

Anyway, I emerged from the cave of News I after listening to 2.5 hours of presentations and found the ground entirely covered in snow! I was gleeful. I am not going to lie to you. There was more than a little frolicking occurring on my way back to my dorm.

Now I'm watching the snow fall and semi-writing my last paper. Then, tomorrow I'm buckling down for my last exam on Thursday.

Yes. Cue the final countdown music. Or some sort of dramatic montage of my past accomplishments. Fade out on a picture of me on top of some sort of mountain, gazing out heroically on a gorgeous future of couch-laying and wood stove fires.

So maybe my brain's a little fried.

Guess What I'm NOT Doing Right Now

Oh, that's right. I'm not writing papers.

You see, as I was reading through my sources for my next paper, I decided I did not feel like writing it at all.

In the past week I have presented on extraordinary rendition and written 10 pages about torture policy. Last night I started my 8 pager on hate crime legislation. Now I'm working on a final essay about witnessing injustices in the West Bank. THIS IS NOT CHRISTMAS.

My roommate and I were so fed up with the general crappiness of these past few weeks that we totally exchanged presents on like, Wednesday. We "wrapped them" in a sweatshirt and a towel. It was awesome. We also like to play music if we're not too focused, which means sometimes I was researching torture memorandums and she was studying fetal pig insides while listening to Christmas music. College, right?

But in general I think I have everything under control. I'm finished with classes. It's unreal because I'm pretty sure I just got here. Just like I just started crew. But somehow it ended up being a gigantic part of my life. One of the best parts, I'd say. It's certainly the sweatiest. Now we don't have practice January.

I have a week until I'm finished with this semester. It's go time. I'm locking down and finishing this stuff.

Switchcast and Other Stories

On Saturday morning I got my butt (and my poor, poor news director's) out of bed and went to film for my first news package ever. Not that I did any actual filming. We've discussed how much I fail at technology.

Anyway, I went to conduct the interviews. My third story option turned out to be the one in which a source would actually call me back. So we headed down to the Catholic Charities of Ithaca to talk about how they'd run out of children's clothing for their Share the Warmth drive in three days, and how the community had responded in such a big way. Hard hitting journalism. But it was a story, and I was happy with it. Plus, everyone there was super nice and accommodating, which is pretty much a breath of fresh air when you're a journalist.

When I got back to campus, I threw on comfy clothes, worked on papers and watched snow fall. Then I curled up with a book...well, essays debating neo-conservative foreign policy...and watched Florida lose the SEC championship. A quality day.

Sunday involved me sleeping in way past my alarm, mildly panicking, grabbing breakfast, and running over to Park to get started on my package. A senior journalism student (I know! Proof I'll learn useful things and be competent!) who is usually one of the anchors on Sunday showed me the basics of Final Cut Pro and helped me record voice overs on a linear editor. It was really cool, and basically a crash course in everything I'll learn in News II. Sometimes I think my parents are paying my tuition for me to learn everything in extracurriculars.

Sunday night I sat back and watched the absolute madness ensue. Really, Switchcast is always a mess, but I am pretty sure my package was the only thing that got onto air unscathed. It was absurdity. And of course, there are the pranks. One anchor actually had to read:

"Next on Newswatch 16, hamsters that could kill you and your cat wants some noms."

I have my suspicions about who wrote THAT one.

In other news, yesterday was my mother's birthday. She turned...like, 30, or something. It's an estimation. I tried to call her, but I guess she was too busy partying like the wild child she is to call me back. Or maybe I just called at too ungodly of an hour. I am a college student, and am not good at keeping track of these things.

I gotta say, I'm lucky that I've had her as a Mom for 19 years of her life and counting. She has handled all the crazy, all the late night stressors, all the homework, the sports events and college crises with grace. Not that those are entirely over, even though we're separated by a few states. Sorry about that, Mom. I love you. You are an awesome mom. I don't know how to say it in a non-cheesy way.

And...that's about it. Bring it, finals.

These Weeks are Seriously Depleting My Tums Supply

Yeah, and that's a problem, because I only eat the green ones. And they are in limited availability. In that, my Dad hates the green ones, and then gives them all to me. Because we are both five. Or maybe I'm just the immature ones, because at least he's willing to consume multiple flavors.

I never said I wasn't a psycho.

This week there is just SO MUCH DUE. And on top of that, I'm reporting for the first time for Newswatch, and I'm pretty sure no one is aware that I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. And no one wants to be interviewed. Or be able to film said interview if it is acquired. And then there's no guarantee I'll be able to find transportation to said interview and filming location with my hundreds of dollars of filming equipment. Which I probably won't be able to check out anyway, because I'm a journalism major and they don't let us check out anything yet, except like a fancy audio recorder. Which is about all I can handle, so I suppose that policy is wise.

Let me go find some more antacids.

Anyway, SOMETHING will be going on the air Sunday, theoretically. Not that I know how to edit it, or put it together, or anything crucially necessary like that. No.

On top of that nightmare I have two final projects and a final paper to complete this weekend. Then there is everything next week due. Then finals.

But you know what? This is college. I'm lucky to be here. Before I know it I will be passed out on my couch with all these classes complete and with absolutely no work to do. With gumdrops dancing, etc.

So for the time being, I'm going to have to focus on whatever I have control over. I'm going to run down to the boathouse for practice and I am going to be able to think about nothing for two hours. And even though when you're on the erg it's harder to breathe, afterward it's much easier.

Oh, and there are always internet distractions to make me giggle.

Like this.