Winter.....Wait...What?

Well time really flies when you are enjoying your senior year of college. October was a crazy month filled with road trips and football. After the sad Saturday in South Carolina, I spent a weekend in Kentucky with my Momma. We toured Keeneland and even bet on a few horses. It was off to the races!

Keeneland

Horse Racing in Kentucky

Next it was onward to the game. Although it ended in a closer score than expected, the dawgs finished the drill and won.  I got the opportunity to visit my UK sisters and tour their home. As a gesture of thanks, I brought them hand made doughnuts that were super delicious to share.

Pop the Gamma at UK Deeg

The next weekend it was onward to St. Simmons and the GA/FL cocktail party. We enjoyed a rambunctious day at Frat Beach with the entirety of the Bulldawg nation and ended the day  with some fresh Cajun shrimp. Saturday it was off to the War for the Oar 2012, better known as the greatest college football game I've ever seen. 17-6 Dawgs.

We rode the victory train back to Athens in time to celebrate Halloween (I was a NFL replacement ref) semi formal and homecoming.  I had a wonderful week with some of the greatest people. College life and friends are the best! I am now looking forward to spending a weekend in Atlanta and Auburn with some more awesome people and watch the dawgs clinch the SEC East. And thats how the East was won!

A Little Too Emotionally Committed To The G

Football, Football, Football! This is literally the only thought going through all the heads in Athens, GA for the last six weeks. It seemed like this was the year we were gonna come within grasps of that all revered Waterford crystal trophy.  The first five games went according to plan.  We cheered. We smiled. We watched our beloved Russ rise to the title of UGA IV. We won.

Last weekend, we traveled to Columbia, South Carolina to watch one of the biggest games of my college career. Our #5 ranked Dawgs were battling the #6 ranked Gamecocks in the ESPN game of the week. We were nervous and excited. Most importantly we were ready to support our Dawgs. We even got to the stadium an hour early, although there was a very slim to zero percent chance anyone would take our nosebleed seats.

That hour before kickoff was the last moment of happiness seen by the Bulldawg nation. The coaches and players were distracted and unprepared. The fans left early in a state of anger and disappointment. We lost the game. On the far less enthusiastic ride home, we learned sad news related to the Bulldawg fans. Someone had egged and rolled the house of our players. A little later it was revealed that a star member of the Dawg's team was suffering a family crisis when his father was diagnosed with cancer. As a dedicated follower of the Georgia Bulldawgs, I was extremely saddened for the men, who took the field for us. I love the game with all my heart, but a loss should never end with such awful words and vandalism. Those boys on the field already have it tough. The fans, who supposedly stand behind them, should never display such mean-spirited actions toward the same team that is already down. We are all in this together. We should show our support, but never be so overly committed to the G that we forget basic human kindness. 

Fast Forward to Fall

Here is what has been happening in my life these last few months.

I said good-bye to all of my Wilmington friends and made my way back to the great city of Athens, Georgia just in time for sorority recruitment with all my favorite Delta Gamma sisters. *I love deegee so will you if you drop your anchor too!*

After an amazing recruitment, I celebrated the first week of school and my 21st birthday with my amazing friends and family! There was an exciting trip to Terrapin, a few wonderful nights downtown, some fabulous birthday dinners, and of course a delicious cake!

The Fall season truly began when the Dawgs teed it between the hedges. My Saturdays have been full of red and black sundresses, tailgating and some "Grown Man" football. I was also able to witness the ever faithful Russ receive the collar and official become UGA IX with my parents at Delta Gamma's Parents Weekend. Such a great moment! IN RUSS WE TRUST! The Dawgs are 4-0 so far and ranked #5. This is our year! GOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC 'EM.

It has been a fun couple of months as I have been flying through the last fall semester as undergraduate. I am loving every minute it! 

Carpe Diem

After a very scary incident this weekend, I am slightly banged up but very happy to be alive. Its amazing how quickly things can happen, and I am so happy everything is okay now. No one was seriously hurt and nothing damaged that can't be replaced. A big thank you to everyone who acted quickly to get the situation under control and saved our lives. I spent the day reminiscing on my last few years by looking back through some old photos and remembering all of the amazing times I have had these last few years. It is amazing that in less than two weeks I will be on my way back to Athens, planning my long awaited 21st birthday and going though my last months as a collegiate. Its crazy that I have made it so far in life so quickly, and I am looking forward to this upcoming school year and all of the wonderful adventures that will come with my entrance into the real world. Here's to the future! Carpe diem!

Wilmington Adventures

I have absolutely loved living in the Port City for the last eight weeks, and it seems unreal that I will be leaving at the end of the month to return for my last year in Athens. Don't get me wrong,  returning to the Classic City will be amazing. I have missed so many of my favorite Athens friends, and it will be awesome to be close to home again. I just think I will be so bored trying to be in school again after having such an incredible experience in the working world. This summer has definitely given me the direction and motivation in life I had been stumbling around trying to figure out the last three years.  I feel that having a plan and a goal to work towards this year will make my final go as a collegiate that much better. I am so thankful for all of the support and opportunities I have received this summer, and I am so thrilled to be planning and working toward my future endeavors.

So This Is How They Make TV News

Life status update!
Previous Weeks....
After completing a surprise test, a 60 page screenplay, a 2000 word essay and a final story package, I finished up my third year at UGA with some good grades. I then took a few days off to relax by the pool and enjoy Cinco De Mayo. At the end of the week, I went to UGA graduation to watch some of my favorite people turn their tassels and finish their time in Athens with a fireworks show. A few grad parties later I bid adieu Athens and some of my favorites for the summer and headed for home a few days before making my way to Wilmington.  
Present Week....
This week has been eventful to say the least, and its not even Friday yet. After a long drive through a few flash floods and terrible South Carolina roads, I arrived in Wilmington on Tuesday night. My apartment was not available until the next day, so I got a hotel room for the night. All settled in, I watched the 11pm news show and then read more about the 50 Shades romance before calling it a night. Bright and early Wednesday morning, I woke up excited to begin my first day as a news intern. I hit the ground running by arriving early to the station early and meeting most of the staff at the morning meeting. I went to work shadowing a reporter, Katie, who took me into the field for a story on a book written about a WWII gunner on the USS North Carolina Battleship. The story was extremely interesting, but sadly it was raining the whole time making filming more difficult.  We were able to get the story though and went back to the station where I observed Katie putting the package together just in time for deadline. I, then, watched the entire news show from the production studio.
After finishing up my first day at the station, I headed to  to my new apartment for the first time ( I had been able to pick up my keys on a short lunch break that involved eating a Wendy's jr. bacon cheese burger from the drive-through). I met my roommate and her friend, who were watching episodes of the Vampire Diaries when I arrived at apartment 2A.  After some brief hellos, I got to work hauling in all of my stuff, which was quite the task. Exhausted, I looked up story ideas and then went to bed ready for another day at the station.
Today I arrived early and met the station receptionist, who supplied me with a badge and a parking pass. I felt so official walking into the newsroom with a badge. I was surprised with a Chickfila biscuit as I sat down for the morning meeting. My day was made, but far from over. I shadowed Katie on another boat story. This time the story was about a tall ship that had been used in multiple movies was docked in Wilmington. We went abroad and talked to the ship's captain and some tourists around the ship. Next we covered a scholarship fundraiser luncheon. Both stories were extremely interesting. On lunch break, Katie showed me around Wrightsville Beach after we ate some really good Mexican food. After the fascinating tour, it was back to work. I learned a little more about video editing and writing for TV, which is very different from newspaper and magazine writing. Katie had a live report on the tall ship for the 5 and 6 o'clock shows, so I went with her to the location. We were joined by a camera guy named Ryan, who taught me how to use the camera and film for the show. It was all so interesting. I have only been working 2 days, and I have already learned so much while having a wonderful time! I am excited to go back to the station tomorrow for my last day of work before the weekend. Life has been pretty good so far. I hope the rest of the summer will be just as fun and educational. More life status updates to come later!  

Motivation During Finals

I always seem to write these post in the middle of the night. Its the hours before going to sleep that I do most of my creative thinking, and my mind is filled with thousands of ideas. I have composed entire novels and screenplays after hearing a brilliant line from a tv movie or reading a paragraph in a book. My saved documents are a collection of outlines detailing all of my ideas. Some day I hope to set aside the time to embellish my saved outlines. I am working now on an idea I love. By the beginning of May I will have completed a large portion of the writing. I will continue to tinker and perfect and work on the piece until I can no longer bring myself to look at the words. Once the process I is completed I hope I will have the confidence and courage to share my writing. I would love more than anything to make a living writing novels. The ultimate dream is to live in the New Orleans garden district specifically the former residence of Anne Rice. I would live there with a sparky tabby cat named Barlow, who could lazily lounge in the corner of my study while I type my stories. The Crescent City is calling my name. This is the dream that helps me to struggle through the final, grueling weeks before the start of summer. It is the hope that builds when thinking of a dream that allows me to progress through mountains of papers and finals. All of my work will move me closer to living out my dream. In the words of the little train, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

Athens: The Land of the Ancestors

In a recent email from my grandmother, I recently discovered that my distant relatives lived in Athens, GA in the early 1800s. I find this information extremely interesting since this relative is from my Daddy's side of the family. My Daddy has a true hatred of Athens and the University of Georgia after growing up in Atlanta as a die hard Auburn fan and graduate. I can now justify my attendance at UGA as a return to the land of my ancestors. The new information confirms that I made the right choice by going to UGA. Although I did not carry on my Auburn legacy, I did choose the home of my distant ancestors. That makes Athens all the more a second home to me. The email which I received follows:

This quote came out in the "The Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly ". Originally it came from J.B. Little (author of 1885 History of Butler County) who interviewed local residents who lived through those times in Butler County, such as Warren A. Thompson.

"This old citizen of Butler was born in Clark County, Georgia, May 10, 1802. His father died in 1807......Thomas Hill took Warren and adopted him. When Thomas Hill came to Alabama Territory in 1816, he brought the adopted child with him. Warren spent the earlier days of his life driving cattle for this good old man, and worked faithfully for him until his death in 1821....As he (Warren Thompson) came to this county in 1816, he is well acquainted with everything as it was then, relates with pleasure the things of most interest to those in search of historical events. He went with Captain John H. Watts and Thomas Hill on their many explorations through the county, and was with them when they named many of the creeks in the county. He was in Fort Bibb in 1818. He was personally acquainted with William P. Gardner, Daniel Shaw, Thomas Hinson, Captain William Butler and James Saffold, and saw them the morning when they started on their way to Fort Dale."

I did not know all of this about Warren Thompson. In fact, I have read in the Thompson File in the Historical Society Room at the Greenville Library that Warren Thompson came to the Alabama Territory in 1813. I thought it was interesting that Warren A. Thompson came from Clark County (Athens), Georgia. In the Thompson File it is stated that he came from North Carolina. I also wonder why he did not take the Hill name if he were adopted by Thomas Hill. In the Thompson File it states that his family could not afford (support) him, so he was given to the Hill Family. If his father died in 1807 when Warren was five years old, the entire family probably had a hard time. We do not know when Warren went to live with the Hill Family. Was it in 1807 when his father died or was it later and closer to 1816 when the Hill Family moved from Georgia to the Alabama Territory? I have not come across this information. Also there is no additional information on who his parents were and how many brothers and sisters he had. As far as our Thompson Family is concerned, it starts with Warren A. Thompson in the Alabama Territory( Butler County). Alabama became a state in 1820 and Butler became a county in 1821.

Captain William Butler, Daniel Shaw and William P. Gardner were killed in a horrible manner by Savannah Jack and his group of Indian warrior outlaws ( referred to as "bloodthirsty savages" in the book) near Butler Springs on the morning of March 20, 1818. The others with these three managed to escape. Thank goodness that Warren Thompson stayed at Fort Bibb and did not go with these men to Fort Dale that morning. Warren Thompson settled on The Ridge at Pine Flat (Forest Home), married( Mary Hays Danvis December 19, 1829), raised a family of nine children, and lived to be 89 years old (died July 4, 1891). He is buried at the Thompson-Little Cemetery at Pine Flat (Forest Home). Taylor and Amanda went to the Thompson-Little Cemetery one time when they were visiting me in Greenville. I can not remember Jim's ever going to the Thompson-Little Cemetery; I will take you out there one day when you are visiting in Greenville. Not only is Warren A. Thompson and Mary buried there, but John Jefferson Thompson (Warren and Mary's seventh child and Jim's great grandfather) and Seaborn Asbury Thompson (Jim's grandfather) are buried there.

Mandy, if you and Taylor want to ever join the United Daughters of the Confederacy, you are a direct descendant of John Jefferson Thompson who was in Company C 17th Alabama Regiment as a Private and on September 25, 1861, marched to the front lines of battle. After he returned from the war, he became a farmer like his father at Pine Flat (Forest Home), and married Amanda Campbell and had a family of thirteen children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood. I have been invited to join the UDC here in Greenville, but I do not know of any Alfords or Rhodes who were in the War Between the States, and one has to be a descendant of a Civil War veteran to join the UDC. I thought this information would be interesting to you.

Love you,

Jean

Road Trippin'

From New Orleans, LA to Wilmington, NC, I have basically driven the entirety of the Southern states in the space of one week. I had an amazing time on my road trips, but I am thrilled to have a weekend in Athens.
Mardi Gras was fantastic! I got to spend time with two of my favorite deeg alum, who look like they are doing fabulous in the real world. New Orleans was also amazing as always. Rain put a slight damper on the parades, but I still collected more than enough throws. I also got to experience some fantastic moments that could only happen in NOLA. We were in our own brass band parade Friday night after the krewe parades ended. The band played down the street and all around the small, two bedroom town house before settling in the large backyard. And then the cops came. Apparently a neighbor turned in a noise complaint, and the party was over, but it was damn fun while it lasted. The food in New Orleans was also fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed stuffing my face with fresh Cajun seafood, Po-boys, and king cake. I brought one mini king cake back to Athens with I ate for lunch on Fat Tuesday. I was also extremely excited to finally stop into the Jamie Hayes Gallery and find a replacement key-chain. It was an extremely successful Mardi Gras.
I spent time at Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington last weekend. The area is beautiful, and I am so excited to be spending my summer there. I was able to meet with my future employers and learn more about the station. I was invited to sit in on the 11 o'clock news and the local sports show that followed. I think I will be able to learn a lot about television and journalism from this internship. I am so thankful that I have amazing friends that help me in my furthering my future career.
This week has also been eventful thus far. I have made some new foreign friends in Athens. It is funny that Aussies would come all the way to Athens on holiday. I was also able to get some interviews for my classes and try out for a MTV reality show. Another experience to mark off the bucket list. I am happy to retire my suitcase and spend this weekend at home. Although, I am already planning for my next trip. Spring break is a week away, and I will be spending my vacation at the Seaside beach before moving on to Savannah for St. Patrick's Day. Plenty of exciting travels to anticipate. As Seneca said,“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”

Tory Burch's Bad Boy Valentine Runway Show

Tory Burch unveiled a collection this Valentine’s morning that would easily fit into Blair Waldorf’s closet. The idea for the collection and the show was the “prim girl with the wrong boyfriend and the hotel where they meet.” A sea foam green carpet runway and floral back drop made for the perfect ritzy hotel setting while the collection demonstrated a sophisticated, polished style that hinted at sexy, seductive tone. Classy cashmere cardigans were trimmed in pearls and made to sparkle with sequin embellishments. Ruffled, romantic tops were paired with sleek, skinny pants and shinning, glitter skirts. “My favorite piece is this sort of fisherman coat that was based off a fisherman sweater with stitching and deconstructed shoulders. I also love this paperweight peplum jacket,” said Ms. Burch. Accessories were also a show stealing part of the collection. Handbags were in bold plaids and fierce snakeskin. Best of all were the bags with tortoise and floral details. The collection was chic and subtly sensual in keeping with the theme. Through this collection Ms. Burch spun a new twist on the elegant woman in love with the bad boy.

My Relationship with V-Day

For years, I have been involved in a love-hate relationship with the lover's holiday. When I was a little girl, I loved collecting cheesy notes that had small chocolates and candies taped on the inside. As I got older, I craved cheap flowers and stuffed animals from school "boyfriends." Now I find myself dateless on Valentine's Day for the second year in a row. For my first singles day, I popped a cheap bottle of champagne with a best friend and felt sexually deprived while watching Sex and the City. At the conclusion of the movie, I vented my frustrations by playing darts and eagerly awaiting the valentine's day chocolates to go on sale. This year, I have not yet made plans to celebrate v-day, but I have a feeling it will include the champagne and pearls my mother gave me. I have also purchased a beautiful pair of nude heels that will perfectly match the elegant outfit I intend to wear while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. After watching the Grammy's last night, I am assured I will be in good company as a single woman, but since I can't sing to save my life this blog post will have to suffice as my man-hater decoration to the public. So to all you single girls out there, enjoy the day! Its an amazing excuse for more wine, chocolate, and romance even if it is with something battery powered. Happy Valentine's Day!

Reflection on the New Year

The first month of the new year is over, and I feel that I am in a state of transition. I love my internship, and school is going well. Career wise everything seems to be falling into place nicely. I am excited for future opportunities. On a personal front, I have felt very disconnected from people I have been close to in the past. I am not sure what has changed in these friendships. Could friendships be like relationships in that we have just grown apart and fallen out of friends or is the effort for friendship been lacking on both sides? Again, I am not sure what has changed, but I am sadden by the results. In a more positive light, I am reassured that true friends would defend me during stormy times. I am grateful to have such an incredible support group. I am happy to move forward in my life without a single regret. I stand by my choices in both personal and work related issues. There is no need to waste time worried or upset over an unchangeable past action. Life happens, and it is better to accept events and move forward in a healthy frame of mind. "Keep calm and carry on." It is amazing to see how far I have progressed in a year by maintaining this slogan. Intimate moments and relationships have shaped me into a stronger, happier person and I am gratefully for those. I love the person I am, and I am excited to see the direction my life is taking. All is well, and I can only see good moments in my future.

My Atttempt at Creativity

ACT I

Scene 1

A woman in her mid-20s named Elle is walking around the streets of Hollywood on a job search. She is carrying a large mocha latte and her resume in a leather folder. A large, Mary Poppins tote bag hangs from her arm.

ELLE:

OH MY GOD! Harvey Levin! Mr. Levin!

Elle takes off wildly running down the street after the creator of TMZ. She nearly tackles him to the ground as she spills her coffee all over his dry clean only shirt. She juggles the folder, but catches it. She then fishes around in her purse while talking.

ELLE:

Hi, hi Mr. Levin. Oh my god! I am so sorry. I didn't mean to knock you over. I just got a little excited. You are definitely my icon! I am so sorry. Here let me help you.

Elle backs Harvey Levin into a corner as she dabs at a his shirt with a tissue she found in her over flowing purse.

ELLE:

I can't believe I am talking to Harvey Levin. I absolutely love TMZ! I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself. My name is Elle, and I have wanted to meet you since 2005 when you started TMZ. Working at TMZ is definitely my dream job.

Mr. Levin, to me, celebrities are like mythical creatures in the same category as unicorns, Big Foot, and the Loch Ness monster. Sightings of celebrities are typically rare for most people, and photographic proof is always a necessity. Those normal people, who are lucky enough to achieve celebrity photos and autographs through various methods of harassment, treat the prize like a pot of gold. I keep all of my celebrity memorabilia in a special scrapbook I made. It has autographs from the Backstreet Boys, pictures I took of Tina Fey when she was eating dinner, and a lock of Jennifer Aniston's hair that I found on eBay. Anyways, I have to tell you, Mr. Levin, TMZ is the greatest public service that could ever be provided to these regular people which is why it is my dream job.

Although, I do have to confess, Mr. Levin, I am completely celebrity obsessed! I always know the rehab facility du jour and the boy dilemmas of all the A-list "it" girls. You could ask me anything about any celebrity and I would know it. Ninety percent of the time I would know it long before E! News or Perez Hilton. You see, Mr. Levin, I was born to work at TMZ! I know and love everything about celebrities, and my credentials are perfect with a double major in photo journalism and speech communications from an ivy league school. I was made for this job! Please, please hire me! My life will not be complete without the opportunity to photograph and report on Lindsay Lohan from the bushes outside her halfway house. I would gladly be run over by Kim Kardashian's SUV if it meant I got the perfect picture of her ring less finger. I am begging you to hire me! I could even use the money from the job to buy you a new shirt. I am so sorry about that again, but what do you say? Are you going to hire me?

Once Upon A Bedtime

For some reason, the urge to write always seems to strike in the middle of the night. Stupidly, I drank something with caffeine only a few hours before the time I should have gone to sleep in order to get my seven to eight hours. Now even though I have attempted 30 minutes of dance and mediation yoga, sleep still evades me. On the plus side, I am able to enjoy a bedtime movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. A classic movie that combines two of my favorite people: Truman Capote and Audrey Hepburn. Capote is the writer of my dreams. He is descriptive and captivating. I also wish I had known him in life. He was a crazed party-goer and a scandalous faux New York socialite. Best of all he is a proud Southern. Basically the man of my dreams. Its a shame that he was gay, unattractive, and most conflicting of all dead. Hepburn is the woman I would love to be. She was strong, attractive, and insightful on top of having a beautiful figure and perfect hair. It takes a great woman to survive the starvation and torture of the German occupation of Europe and then move to Hollywood to become one of America's greatest actresses. The icing on the cake is that Breakfast at Tiffany's is a rom-com with a sexy novelist and a cat. So until the mediation of sleep makes it way to me, I will be lost in the dream world of a perfect movie. Good night from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Working, working, working

This semester will find me very busy. I have a full class load three of which are writing intensive classes. I also have a wonderful new internship that I am excited to fully begin tomorrow. I spent a small amount of time in the office today, and I believe this internship work is going to be a bright spot in my eventful days. I am starting to feel very adult. All of the responsibilities are overwhelming, and my lack of organization is building up in piles of clothes on my bed and floor. My small amount of free time tonight will be spent reading and cleaning. Time to get organized and stay on top of things. I am also excited to set up my new wii, so that I can start playing wii dance. It will be a good replacement to the zumba classes I can no longer attend due to school and work. The new life of a working girl. Let the busy games begin with interviews, meetings, class, and homework for tomorrow.

Carnival Season Kickoff

I hope everyone is putting their new year's diet on hold for the night and enjoying a delicious slice of king cake. Today is the kick off of the Carnival Season! I am becoming extremely excited for the festive trip to New Orleans. I am most excited to see a few of my favorite Deeg friends. To prepare for the good times, I painted my own Mardi Gras goblet for a special party cup and brought out my purple, green, and gold Perlis rugby shirt. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!
A few memories from last year.

The Bead Tree at Tulane
Wonderful NOLA Hostess
Bourbon Street

Get ready New Orleans! We are coming to you in February!

Its 2012 and I'm Still Kickin'

The first post of the New Year and the belated anniversary of my blogging adventures. Thus far the doomed year of 2012 has not been super doomed. I drunkenly and gleefully rang in the year in Athens with my wonderful friends. We partied hard for the dark morning hours, and then not so gleefully celebrated National Hangover Day. I spent the majority of the hangover driving to St. Pete, Fl. Hungover road trips are miserable, but they are made more entertaining with near death picture pit stops and mummified swap artifacts. To celebrate the end of National Hangover Day, I had the almost greatest day ever. Even though the damn Dawgs broke my heart in triple OT, football, friends, and amusement parks were a wonderful time. I guess the motto followed us to 2012... "It was fun until it wasn't and then it was fun again!" Hopefully there will be more fun times than not for the rest of the year.
Some exciting opportunities are beginning to take shape. I could possibly be working for an Athens fashion and culture magazine this semester should the Athens Carrie Bradshaw god be willing. Combining that with my hopeful internship this summer, I could be half-way to E! News or the New Orleans version of E! News. Then again if the whole journalism thing doesn't work out, I could always apply for a job with Haunted History Tours. I definitely would not mind getting paid to lead pub crawls for tourists while telling ghost/vampire stories. Not quite the dream job, but it could be a lot of fun. Still there is always the chance that the world could still end in December, and I wouldn't ever have to worry about the whole job thing. If that is the case I am so happy the first few days of the end of the world have been so wonderful. Cheers to more great memories and my belated blogiversary!