I should document this.

I apologize for my absence. While it is no excuse, there has been an immense amount of drama in my life lately. Typically the passive type, it hasn’t set well with me. I’ve been rather anxious and not interested in doing much else than what was required of my classes and jobs. Nonetheless, I came home this weekend. A surprise to my parents, I took the ferry to Long Island with a friend of mine, and one of my girlfriends picked me up and drove me home. I needed the escape, and it’s been nice.

On Wednesday, I had my final session regarding my honors capstone thesis. I learned, although I already assumed, just what a task it’s going to be. “Be prepared to devote 200+ hours to this in the next 14 months.” Uh, does that include the 10 I already devoted to preliminary research? Hope so.

But hey, fun fact, our first episode of Bryant News filmed and is up. I know, I don’t know why I’m looking at my hands during my banter with Court either, but I’ll definitely be cautious of that next time. Probably some nervous habit– it’ll be gone soon! Haha. Check it out! I make my debut about 8 minutes in

Due to the fact that I slept a total of 2 hours Thursday night (a nap really), I slept all day today. I got my nails done and just relaxed. Tomorrow, my brother is taking me shopping for my birthday present and so tonight, I have a date with my capstone research and my film notes. It’s 11 now, and so I think I’ll start with film and make the study guide for next week’s exam, and then move on to my proposal if I’m not exhausted. My proposal is due March 3. You can bet I’ll be hitting the bar directly after (I’m 21, remember? It’s okay to do that now).

I may get around to a post on some of the things I have on my post it note of blog ideas, but for now, the point of this post centers around a list of goals of sorts. I was talking with a friend the other night and I was asked if I’d ever read Crime and Punishment. I hadn’t but I had read tons of the classic novels out there during my AP Literature courses. So, tonight I set out to look for them in my room and I stumbled across a few I’d like to re-read. I figured, what better motivation than to post a list of books I want to read/re-read here?

1. Crime and Punishment
2. Wuthering Heights
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
4. Catch-22
5. To Kill a Mockingbird (we read it in Lit, but it was when my brother was sick so I was excused and I feel I really missed out)
6. 1984 (re-read)
7. A Separate Peace (re-read)

I think I’m going to pick up Crime and Punishment and attempt to start it soon, but worst case, its number one on my spring break to do list—that and ya know, ace that interview for that internship!

Alright, off to study cinematography and mis en scene. Speaking of, let me know if you have any move titles I should check out. The main assignment for the class is to pick 6 films, each of a different director and only 2 from one decade are allowed, and to watch them and write critique papers of them. I’m all open for ideas — let me know if there are any classics you think I should check out!

Productivity and disbelief.

I just ordered my textbooks for the spring semester. Ask me how much I spent, just ask! $191.98!

After last semester’s rant about how I was looking at a grand for books, I am so happy. I’m finally done with all of my electives and moving on to my core classes and the classes I want to take– and the books cost so much less than the business textbooks do! My most expensive book: my marketing research book– pft, like I said– the business books cost a lot more!

I’ve been slacking with the posts, I know. But I’ve been up to some great stuff:

1. I finished The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner– such a great read, but also such a tease from Stephanie Meyer.
2. I got Angies– yum, zitti slice.
3. I went shopping twice!
4. I made a list of potential internships, complete with requirements and deadlines– I’m hoping to get the resume and cover letter in shape and send all the applications out early next week.
5. I did laundry– I mean c’mon, we know how much I hate that.
6. I read the requirements for that manuscript due the 27 for my thesis– that should be fun. Lib date next week with myself to get that done and over with!
7. AND.. I read an entire book today in 2 hours. I was googling resume tips and stumbled on the book The Ten Things Employers Want You to Learn in College on Amazon and lucky for me, my local library had it. I checked it out around 5 pm and finished it up a little while ago– I even took notes. Bryant has seriously been preparing me so much without me even realizing it! I got some great insight for things to highlight in my updated resume and cover letter so I can hopefully snag a dream internship this summer!

I also checked out another Jennifer Weiner book Best Friends Forever– something about a girl working in broadcasting– I had to pick it up! Tomorrow, I’m heading into the city with my dad to see Greenday’s American Idiot! Billie Joe Armstrong is playing the lead for our performance– I got my dad the tickets for his birthday and I was so excited to hear how lucky we got with the date. I didn’t know that we’d get to see the lead singer of Greenday performing in the play, too!

 And Sunday, the fam is coming to Long Island for the day and to enjoy some chinese food at grandmas! I’m pretty excited for this too, I love spending time with the fam– I’m real happy everything has been going so well. 2011 is shaping up to be a great year!

For now, it’s back to the resume/cover letter perfection and internship applications! I’ll post about where I apply and don’t worry– my new year’s resolutions, some thoughts on baseball and of course, the yanks, are on the way, too! (killer post for IIATMS is in the works, remember?!)

I’m positive there will never be a time in my life where 8 a.m. is acceptable.

At the risk of sounding like my mother, I am literally exhausted. The rents decided to spend the past couple days in Atlantic City. Now, this is all well and fine and I’m of course willing to help out; however, I just wish my darling younger siblings would help out more. I came home to a sink full of disaster, a living room in shambles and let us not even go into the vile things on the kitchen table– mind you I cleaned everything up before I went to work. Bre took care of that though, placing her dirty dishes in the dishwasher… with the clean ones. Her response: I didn’t know they were clean– gee, ya think the green light that says ‘clean’ was a give away… I digress from this rant.

Anyway, some updates on my life as an intern: I found out that the story I wrote on the Moving Wall Memorial, which took place in Lynbrook last weekend, is set to be printed in this week’s paper—Lynbrook/East Rockaway, check it out! There is also rumor that it may be reprinted the following weekend in all the Heralds—talk about awesome.

Today, after missing my exit oh I don’t know, three or four times on the way to work, I finally arrived at the office, and right away Mary handed me a potential story. She has been so great; I’m learning a ton and she is giving me so very many opportunities. Chris Vaccaro wrote a book which was published in September about the history of high school sports on Long Island. We were mailed a press release and a copy of the book and Mary had never gotten around to going through it and writing up a story. This meant that I got to do it. After going through the book it came to our attention that not only could this story be used in our paper, but also in the other town Heralds—another awesome stroke of luck.  I emailed the publicity manager of the author and she got back to me with Vaccaro’s number, so tomorrow at work hopefully I can finish up that story.

Not to plug his book, but I’m totally going to plug it. It’s called History of High School Sports on Long Island. Essentially, it is a pictorial timeline of sports on Long Island, following record breaking athletes from the high school field, as far as the Olympics. I was able to read through it rather quickly, and I truly did enjoy it. If only I could get myself to continue reading A Tale of Two Sisters—I usually speed through books, but this one is taking me a bit to get into for some reason. I won’t quit though, I don’t like starting a book without finishing it.

In other news, we were sent a great photo of Sen. Dean Skelos at the Moving Wall this weekend—apparently he had been searching for, and found, the name of his childhood friend. This had the potential to be a great story for the Neighbors section, so Mary asked if I could try to get into contact with him and get some information. Well, I called his offices and told his secretary why I was calling and who I was. She transferred me, and I was told by someone in his office that he would try to contact him in Albany and conference me back. Within a few minutes, I was chatting with the Senator and apparently making the entire office jealous due to the fact that they haven’t been able to contact him. I suppose you just have to sound like an innocent little intern and politicians will give you a call back, huh?

It was an all around exciting day for me at the office—I even finished that story by 4 o’clock in the event that some of the editors had space for it this week—but it will definitely be printed next week. I can’t wait to see my name published in the paper and start saving all of that—it’s such a different feeling then when I was writing/editing for my high school paper—I feel like I’m making more of an impact and that more people will get to hear what I’m saying—it’s awesome.

I felt as if I was ready to pass out by the time I got home—this weekend was my first weekend working back at Five Star, and I had that camp meeting on Saturday—I totally forgot how tiring it all is. Hopefully tomorrow night my head won’t kill this bad—the Yanks are playing the Phillies—certainly can’t miss that one. Speaking of the Yanks, looks like they’re finally back in first—tied with the Rays—but at least back where they rightfully belong. I won’t lie; I might be a tad more fearful of the Rays this season than ever before—maybe even more fearful of them then of the Sox… dun. dun. dun. I have complete confidence in the boys though, what other team can say that despite their top guys being out on injury for a good part of the season they are still on top? I absolutely can’t wait until playoffs start up and I’m back at school brawling it out with my Sox lovin’ friends.

The countdown is on: 11 days ‘til camp. For now though I think I’ll start that scrapbook I spent all my money on supplies for…

And one last thought, why is it that I hear more about Gary Coleman now that he has passed away? Let the poor man rest, the media frenzy is getting a little absurd.