Realization and Domination

Tonight, I tried that new Buffalo Wild Wings place.

I realize its not NEW NEW, but it's new to me so therefore, its that new place.

ANYWAY. I decided to be brave and order the next to hottest wing sauce they had there...WILD SAUCE (cue "wild thing" music...you know its playing in your head right now...don't lie to yourself). So needless to say, I had my challenge before me.

Here comes the realization part. And if you knew this and think less of me because of what I'm about to say, keep it to yourself, cause I'm really proud of this realization. And those of you who eat really hot wings truly understand the meaning of this. When you're eating wings so hot that you feel like hot sauce is coming out of your pores, your nose is running, and your eyes are on the verge of crying, what do you grab to give your inferno a break? Not your water, CELERY! I now understand why they give you celery with hot wings. SOMETHING about it cools your mouth down after a lava-esque hot wing. Don't judge me if you knew that already. Because I didn't. Let me have my moment. Thanks.

So now comes the domination part. I never knew that eating 8 wings could be so hard. I started off strong...chipping away at my challenge one wing at a time...making sure I had a methodological bite of celery in-between each wing so as to not melt my mouth off my face. Everything was fine til it came down to the last 2 wings. I had to literally give myself a pep-talk...and I had to talk to the wing too...thank God I was with a friend because if not, I could have been escorted out for talking to my food...and myself...at the same time. ANYWAY, I digress. I decided speed was the best strategy for these last two. So in a few swift bites, the last 2 wings were done. HOT WING DOMINATION.

Speed may have been the best choice for the short run...but might not have been the best strategy for the long term...Pepto Bismol anyone?

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

The title of this article basically sums up the happenings of my day today.

To start the day off, a happy little tune was played on my phone at 6am as a sign that I needed to wake up. However, this happy song sounded like a death song due to the fact that I had gone to bed at 1:30am, what only felt like minutes before. I was dreading the fact that I had so much to do today, and was sure that my little bit of sleep would not last me long.

Then, I had a small breakfast...which was a HUGE problem. Hunger for me is like a perpetual itch...it's always there, it's annoying, and I constantly want to do something to make it go away. So I knew my little breakfast would not go a long way.

Next, I had just a little bit of time to shoot my entire journalism story. I'm reporting about an event that happened on campus today and today only, so the pressure was on. Now don't get me wrong, I was totally completely 100% in favor of skipping class to film my story, but I don't know how much my Spanish professors would love that. So hello pressure. I feared that my little bit of time that I had to shoot my story wouldn't be enough to get everything done. My plan of attack was to get in, shoot my video, talk to a couple people, and get out of there as fast as I could.

So I take on the day full speed ahead, and Jesus totally rocked my world today.

First, I've had enough energy today to shoot video for two hours before class, attend and participate in two classes, shoot video for another hour after class, begin editing, AND attend my jazzercise class. My little bit of sleep = went a VERY long way.

Second, I interviewed some gentlemen from a booth at the event on campus today, and they gave me a free bag of the home-made kettle corn they were selling. My grumbling stomach was settled when those nice gentlemen gave me a snack after our interview. Little bit of food = long way.

Third, today was the most productive video shoot I've ever had. I shot about 15 minutes of background video, as well as 5 interviews, AND my reporter standup...all in three hours. I went to my shoot with no plan, no clue as to how my story was going to unfold, and it wound up growing into a story that completely touched my heart. (You'll see it once it's finished!) So again, my little bit of planning and my little bit of time on the shoot = REALLY went a long way.

But what I think was most touching about today, was a compliment I got from one of the gentlemen I interviewed today. Unlike some other interviews I've done, today I took the time to really get to know this family before I shot. We shared some laughs and I saw through a little window into what this family's life is like. After the interview, one of the gentlemen thanked me for being so nice to them. He explained to me that other news media in the past has been very cold with him and just got what they needed and left, and that he really appreciated my being so nice to them. That really touched me, because my little bit of time spent getting to know their family went a long way with them, and made them happier. When I left them after a fun shoot, the Dad said "Thank you so much! God Bless!" That went a long way with me.

The Lord took all of my little things, and grew them into big things that when all put together, made for one HUGE day!

Don't underestimate the way God can take all of your worries and make everything okay. Remember that all of your little things can be used for the greater good of others.

Spring Fever

People around these parts always say...if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes and it'll change. That statement is completely true. Last week I was wearing my big coat one day, and lathering up by the pool by the end of the week. What's up with that SC??

When its freezing cold outside and rainy and miserable, I don't mind being stuck inside all day. In fact, I prefer it. It's those kinds of days where you want to stay inside more than anything in the world. Imagine...hot chocolate...fireplace...a good book...and snuggling. Perfect! Too bad this little scenario goes flying out the window as soon as one ounce of warmth comes around. We here in the South are so obsessed with Spring coming around that we almost force ourselves into Spring mode before its necessarily appropriate. For example, I went to one of Carolina's first baseball games of the season. It was gorgeous out...sunny, 63 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. It was then that I started getting my first symptoms of Spring fever. I wore a tanktop, jeans, and flip flops. The sun was so intense that I even got a hint of a tan line...talk about THRILLED! Too bad that the second the sun started going down in about the fifth inning, the temperature dropped RADICALLY...leaving me with goosebumps the size of peas all over my skin. Case and point of forced Spring mode. I believe it snowed again that next weekend. We live in a weird state...

I've also noticed that temperature is completely relative. That particular day at the baseball game, 63 degrees and sunshine was heavenly. However, this past Friday, my roommate and I tried to force Spring mode again by laying out by the pool in the cloudy weather. No matter how hard we wished, those clouds weren't budging. It was kind of like they were laughing at us every time the wind blew..."Haha stupid humans you aren't getting sunshine today!" Anyway...that day it was 69 degrees out and I distinctly remember my roommate saying, "oh my gah its SO FREEZING!"...when the weeks before we were reveling in the 63 degree day in our flip flops and tank tops. Weather is an interesting thing.

Anyway, I say all this to say that my Spring fever is in full swing as of this week. No clouds and 75 degrees or higher every day. It's torture sitting in class and work when all I wanna do is go outside. It will take all the strength I have to not skip class and work to be by that pool. God help me. Four weeks til Summer break. Do I hear angels singing?

It's been a long time!

Hello blog world...

It's currently 1:32am...so this entry will not have much (or any) thought put into it at all.

I made this blog site a few years back for an assignment, and tonight I decided I'd bring it back to life.

A couple people have asked me, "You have a blog? What are you going to blog about?" And my answer to you people who ask this is...ANYTHING!

I have no plan, no goals, no nothing to achieve when it comes to this blog. Just simply that I can get my thoughts out and share them with you fine people. All 33 of you who looked at my blog posts between 2008 and now...guess I'm going to have to work on some readers.

ANYWAY. It is now 1:35am (I wasn't kidding about the no thought into this post thing...) and so I think I shall go to bed.

More to come soon!

-ST