To be a rooster

Well, it’s been a while.

It seems that all that’s going on at WILL today is nothing compared to the crisis that I had to deal with this morning. First off, let me say this: I’m the most unlucky kid in the entire University today.

Here’s why: all electricity on only my side of the dorm room shut off sometime right after I went to bed last night. ONLY MY SIDE OF THE ROOM! My roommate’s computer was fine. His fan was still in operation. His alarm clock woke him in the morning.

I woke up to the sun…an hour late, on the last day of class no less!

This was not what I needed. I mean, seriously, how does only my side of the room lose all electricity, and nowhere else in the entire University? It just seems like someone wanted to make my life really difficult today.

Not only was a really late (and, consequently, quite angry), but the milk and everything else in the refrigerator I bought yesterday was rotting away. So I start my morning in a giant haze of confusion, running around pressing buttons, trying to see if this and that works, figuring out what the heck happened overnight.

All the while I’m worrying that I’m incredibly late for my classes.

Then I’m lugging this awkward fridge down the hall to the lobby where I’m not even sure if there’s power yet. I’m hoping that something in there can be salvaged if the power’s still working.

I’m banging on my RA’s door because he apparently has a key to reset the circuit breaker to my room.

He doesn’t.

I’m practically yelling at the tired girl at the area office who says my RA is the only one who can fix my problem. He’s gone off to class and doesn’t give a care about his residents in the first place.

I’m running over to the area office in my sandals because I apparently have to sign a form before they can get anyone to look at the electricity.

And I’m wondering how long ago the electricity would’ve been fixed it I was in an apartment this year.

And everyone else is waking up to their alarms. Their wonderful, wonderful alarms.

It’s over three hours later. A switch is finally switched, and my day is ready to begin!

And here I am again, and I couldn’t be happier. Updating the podcast, I smile at the routine that I’ve followed all semester. Everything in the newsroom works according to a well-oiled machine, which is like a panacea to my hectic day.

Let’s just hope (knock on wood) they don’t lose power. Otherwise, they might be bringing out the old rooster like me tomorrow morning.

The busy man rush

Whew, what a busy day for me!

Right now, I'm trying to do about 74 things, 73 of which I haven't really tried before.

Today, just a few things that I've been put in charge are clearing out the memory of a computer, editing, updating and archiving this week's and last's podcasts, cleaning up and editing digitized, deep archived Focus 580 programs (from the 1980s!) and adding to the WILL website.

Take a deep breath.

However, if I keep talking, my work here will never be done. Aight, wish me luck!

Ron Burgundy and me

You have to applaud my enthusiasm for WILL.

Today, I showed up a half hour early to get working on the nicest day of the year. I’ve updated both the Focus 580 podcasts and I’m still not supposed to be here for another 20 minutes!

Yeah, it’s that interesting sometimes here. The people are always great to the interns. Almost every time I arrive from a long day’s work at class, they have a HUGE slice of my favorite chocolate cake with tantalizing vanilla frosting waiting for me with 19 candles (yeah, this is one BIG cake!).

Oh yeah, and I actually do some work here, but even that is glorious in its own right.

As a matter of fact, as I write this, two copy girls are fanning me with big…fans, keeping me cool on the hot seat. In addition, my poor back is always feeling great with a six-man lineup of masseuses constantly working out the knots.

I’m getting my nails filed and manicured (yes, while I’m typing this). While I’m typing and getting manicured, I’m editing video using Sony Vegas and Sony Sound Forge.

These two programs are very comprehensive to the point where I basically became proficient just by looking at them for five seconds. Definitely worth the investment if your work involves editing video and/or audio.

If I had to pick one person this internship makes me think of the most, it most definitely, without a single doubt, has to be…Ron Burgundy. I am an integral cog in the academic powerhouse that is Champaign, Ill.

And if you think I have it good, just remember I’m just a measly intern. Wait ‘till you hear what the secretaries have…

Well, I better hold off on that for now (pist…the budget people at U of I might be reading). We’ll talk about all this on my LAST DAY of interning. Jeeeeaaaa.

I guess the only negative is that this all ends in less than a month.

Until next time...

It’s me again, y’all. I hope you’re not getting tired of me…because I’m going to be here for at least four more weeks.

You say, “Well, Ryne, I won’t be tired of you if I’m still here and you pretty much have nothing new to report in the newsroom.”

I would say you’re a very smart person and you just proved me wrong. Then I would say I need some more sleep.

Either way, our Internet director will be back next time, and hopefully, I’ll actually be doing something that’s worth saying on this blog. Actually, I’m sure I’ll be doing something worth saying on this site.

Cool. In the next three weeks, we’ll see how much I can learn about Flash and RSS/podcasting. All this will be very useful if I want to keep up The Full Nelson and other sites in the future.

Aight. That’s about it. Go out and enjoy the amazing day outside…without a coat.

Just a suggestion from a bad experience.

Peace.

33 hours and counting

All my inspiration and creativity have been sucked out of me.

All of my energy also seems to be sucked out of me.

Last night could’ve been one of the longest nights of my life. One of those times where you just lay there and lay there and lay there and wait.

For hours.

You get mad. You get furious at yourself for wasting time, but you know you’re just moving in a viscous circle – the more you worry and muss, the harder it will be to go to relax your body.

The mind plays much more of a role in your sleep than does your body. As a matter of fact, you mind plays a much larger role in the rest of life as well.

I feel better here in the WILL newsroom because of all the stimulation spinning through the room. It takes a man on his toes just to sort out what’s happening among the chaos.

No really. It’s not that busy around here…yet work does get done, and done very efficiently.

Even if the Cubs’ opening game is on the TV. Even if people are talking about their lunches. Even through I still can’t log into the program that updates the podcast…

Whew.

Point being, no matter what’s going on here (even if it doesn’t seem like much), you’re easily going to have an engaging time in the mind.

And that’s all I needed running on my 33rd consecutive waking hour. Peace!