Finally Finals are Over

My first official semester is over at CSUF. I think overall it's been fun. I didn't meet as many friends as I anticipated, but the very few I did, turned out to be passionate students -- like ME! I crack myself up sometimes.

I always try to have a "buddy" in each of my classes just in case if I had to miss a class (which is super RARE), I can refer to this go-to person for any notes. But, what I learned early on in the semester, which surprised me greatly, was that even at the university level, students (or shall I say "younger" students) aren't any different than say the junior college-level students, in that they still skip classes, only show up to turn in papers/projects or to take mid-terms, tests and finals. So...I couldn't rely on them even if I wanted.

I found that out to be true for my COMM 361 and COMM 346 classes. Oddly enough, my RTVF 375 Documentary Film class is where I found the two fellow-classmates, Elayne and Tony to be serious students. Thankfully, we were able to hold two study-groups before the final and bounced information off one another during our intense study sessions. I found this to be very helpful for the final. I'm bummed we didn't do this for the mid-term.

Overall, I felt okay with each of the finals. I know I have at least strong Bs (hopefully As) in all classes. My kids have all said, "that's great Mommy!" :-( I wanted all As. Overachiever, I know.

Now...I have at the very least 5 weeks ahead of nothingness. What will I do with my time? I could take up walking again -- unlikely though in this Alaskan-weather we've been having. While I welcome the downtime, I don't welcome the idleness. I'll take a few weeks off mentally then it's time to prepare for the spring semester. I'm looking forward to it. I'm a nerd that way, I suppose.

Final #1 Done

I should be asleep by now but instead I had the urge to blog.

Well, one final done and two more to go.

Tonight's final was a little more difficult than I expected. I circled those questions I wasn't sure about or that I hadn't answered at all and made one pass through the entire exam. Fifty questions. That's all. Fifty.

I panicked when everybody in the class started to file up one by one returning tests and placing their fresh new scantrons on the table in front of me. Cheaters!

"Hurry up, Annie," I thought.

Okay...so a few deep breaths and I was so over the stress! I didn't care that I was the second or third to the last person in the room.

I went back through the questions I didn't answer initially. After a quick once-over, I was finally done.

All the fear subsided and my color was slowly returning to my face. My equilibrium was straightening out and my levitated body was returning to its upright position!

Final over!

Like you've never felt like this before?

Comments?

Two Down, One More to Go

Yes, I'm making great progress!

The only drawback is I deprive sleep...but that is par for the course during finals week. I went to bed about 3:45 a.m. and woke up at 7 a.m. in order to make breakfast for Christopher before his game. He's playing in a pick up game for one of the Mustangs team. Good thing he already plays on a Mustangs team, huh?

It wasn't all that bad having to wake up that early and what would have been my natural reaction to go back to bed to get more sleep, I decided against it and am glad I did. It's close to 9:50 a.m. and I'm already done with two of three study guides. I'm tackling the last of them now: COMM 346 Entertainment and Tourism. The questions seem reasonable. I did however, call my professor to get clarification on one of the questions. You know, you can never be too sure about these things.

By the way...last week our media person for Team USA sent me an email about a writer from Rivals.com, David Biderman, wanted to interview Christopher about Team USA and their trip to Guatemala and asked questions about trying out in 2009, as he is one of two players eligible to return. Christopher had that interview yesterday. Exciting! I was shooed out of the room because Christopher didn't want to get nervous while answering questions. I was told by David the interview will be posted online in a few weeks and I will be contacted with the link - which I'll post here and on my other blog as well. Should be interesting!

Enough of this for now. Off to studying.

Finals Weekend (Again)

I'm amazed it's been one year to date since I last wrote in this blog, and for this I am ashamed. Boasting as a communications major, I did poorly in communicating. Now, isn't that irony?

This is indeed finals weekend and believe me when I say, I have been sitting on this piece of pine for almost 12 hours straight now, studying.

I was in a reflective mood and felt the urge to write about my experiences about this semester, my first at Cal State Fullerton.

I was very anxious to finally transfer to CSUF and over-prepared during the summer. Once I arrived here, I felt somewhat "let down" in that the other students weren't as serious or perhaps they lacked motivation. I found that to be a downer, really. I also felt a little intimidated about being an "older" person in college, but quite frankly, after the first few weeks, I got over that inhibition and realized there were more adult re-entry students at CSUF then at first I thought. What a relief. But that still didn't change my perception about the students in some of my classes. I would think at this level, a junior (and for some - seniors) school was a little bit important. But I got over it. Everybody is different. There could be underlying reasons why students weren't attending classes. Who was I to judge? There could be medical reasons, work related issues, or family emergencies. Who knows.

Let me tell you about my classes:

COMM 361 - Principles in Public Relations
I absolutely love this class. There is so much information and really, I can see how some of this info could be overwhelming to students, especially those who are full-time students; those who don't work (lucky!). But having already been in corporations for most of my life, much of the material we're learning are what I have or continue to encounter daily. It's good to know my company is in compliance with its business and social responsibilities. Kudos! My professor is very knowledgeable (Dr. K.) - a little hyper but in this profession, or any profession really, if you are that passionate about your work or your career, why not be hyper? His tests are half multiple choice and half true and false. No essays. He grades on a curve, which is good. However, the more you read the better you'll do on the tests! Plus the information you obtain will help you in you career! So learn and absorb the material!

COMM 246 - Entertainment and Tourism
This class teaches about the vast forms of entertainment. Movie buffs, entertainment lovers, and the like will enjoy this class. Mr. Blair doesn't lecture from PowerPoint slides, which I find odd, but he certainly knows his stuff. Pay attention though, because his mid-term is a little difficult since his questions are essay-style. He lectures from bullet points which he hand-writes on the white board. His explanations are questionable. I think I'm more critical because I've been in entertainment for over 15 years and much of what he discusses are things I've already encountered. Some of the things I find interesting are how little the students know about entertainment or how closed-minded some of them are. This is due largely in part to the age differences, but personally, I want to say to them at times, "Listen...if you expect to do well in this field or industry, you have to be more open minded."

RTVF 375 - Documentary Film
This class bores me to tears! Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but put it this way. I'm one to usually sit in the front row because I hate distractions and don't want to know what's happening behind me. For one thing, this class is poorly designed because there are hardly any electrical outlets for the laptop-toting population. Because we are always watching documentaries and it's obviously dark, I refuse to strain my eyes and write encrypted notes. I started to bring my laptop to class, at first I didn't, but after a few weeks, I resorted to hauling it in. I figured since I take notes for my other two classes, why is this RTVF class any different. The only issue I have is now I've resorted to sitting in the back...the very last row, at that. It isn't bad, really. I met a lady named Elayne, which after this class and this semester, is her last at CSUF. We share notes and will be meeting this coming week to study for finals.

I often wonder, though, if my professor (Mr. Ward) is experiencing "burn-out?" He seems a little disinterested, distant and non-communicative. He doesn't return email messages promptly and his web site is ancient. He hasn't conformed to the university's Blackboard online portal like most professors. He does, however, have decent PowerPoint lectures, but honestly, he should change it up a little. The theme is the same throughout, unlike Dr. K's, whose presentations changes for each chapter, which makes it interesting.

Overall, this has been a stressful semester, mostly because there were many other outside factors with which I was dealing (i.e., my son leaving for Guatemala; the twins started junior high school which meant their homework load doubled; plus trying to keep Christopher grades up so as not to be ineligible for sports - not that he has ever had a problem with his grades...he's a good student athlete). Plus, Christopher and Aaron played flag football their first quarter of school. Gosh, as if I had anymore to worry about - I now had to worry about potential injuries. Stressful.

Break time is over...back to studying! It's now 12:26 a.m. and I'm almost done with COMM 361 study guide. Tomorrow, I'll tackle COMM 346 study guide. RTVF 375 study guide is already completed. I finished that Wednesday night.

Signing off for now...

Finals Week

This is the start of finals week and I'm panicking! I have no laptop because it's at Circuit City getting cleaned. That's what I get for letting the family and husband surf the net on my computer. After all I preached to them about it being my personal laptop that I needed for school and blah blah blah. Now here I am going into finals without my trusty laptop.

Luckily one of my finals is over - Advertising where we presented a really cool campaign and were the ones to set the precedence for the class. Now all other groups are presenting with just one more group to go and then we're done. Woo hoo!

My other final is Saturday - Interm Algebra. This is the class I absolutely MUST pass. I have a "B" now and hope to keep it which means I must do well on the test! Wish me luck!!!

The class I worry about is Digital Video where my one and only video copy resides on my laptop. Sadly I can't afford to pay for the service yet not until my next pay period this Thursday but by then it might be too late. Sigh. The video lab is only open until Tuesday where all projects must be completed. I might just ask Circuit City tomorrow if they will allow me to come down and copy my video onto a flash drive so I can take it to school and render into a Qucktime movie in various speeds. I have to give two types of self launching videos made into a DVD to my professor for my final. In addition to that I have to give him a data disk so he can copy onto his laptop to use for future classes as examples. He even mentioned something about entering students' work in the Newport Film Festival. I don't know if he'll find my video worthy to enter or not.

So...I am at a standstill right now. I'm so sad. I miss my laptop! Boo hoo!

"intentional Walks" defined

Global definition: Used by managers and coaches in competitive upper level divisions or professional baseball as a tactic in which to strategize either for or against game-winning situations; or in most scenarios"respecting" the batter's ability to connect on a pitch for a likely homerun or a run-scoring base-hit.

My definition: Teaching [pitchers] adolescents the art of avoidance and not challenging themselves to face adversities much like in real-life scenarios. Rather than resolve conflict, hold up four and dismiss it.

A Year Gone By

It is truly hard to believe a year has gone by since I started my blog. Wow...happy anniversary blog! It might not seem like much to some, but to me it is surely something to celebrate.

I hear about blogs left and right. Some people start a MySpace or Facebook or similar type of web page or blog to jot down their treasured thoughts, share photos, and write about anything under the sun. I never thought I would be able to maintain a blog given my very busy schedule, family & life details. Who would have ever thought?

So, cheers to another year to come! I have to shoot for smaller goals these days as it seems things are not always set in stone. I feel as though I need to declare a resolution of some sort, but instead I'd rather set goals for myself:

1. Get to Cal State Fullerton
2. Take more photos and learn from the best sports photographers
   
3. Network and cover more events for newspaper articles, reviews & interviews
   
4. Get to Cal State Fullerton
5. Pass my classes this semester; and "walk" this May at graduation
   
6. Buy or fix our second car (anyone out there willing to part or sell their car????)
7. Get to Cal State Fullerton
8. Become a great photojournalist
9. Spend more quality time with my family
10. Get to Cal State Fullerton

There! That about sums it all up!

Photo Composition

In learning to take composition photos, I have put together the following sequence of Christopher's first at-bat against the Angels this week. Clarity, definition and content are my three major focuses. While although this at-bat the batter reached first base on error, it displays the power behind the swing and the intensity in Christopher determination to get a good cut off of the pitch.

>

BPALL Opening Day & A's TOC

In case you have not picked up a copy of the Event News or the Independent News, which by the way, covers the Cypress, Anaheim, La Palma, Buena Park, Stanton and other surrounding cities, here are some of the photos I shot during Buena Park American Little League's Opening Day Ceremony held Feb. 24.

Cool Slideshows

College Moment Podcast

Bookmark my College Moment Podcast page and start listening to news, sports updates and coming soon college sports broadcasts.

College Moment Podcast

Kicker Flash

Going through my archive CDs of sports photography, I came across this photo of a local high school kicker on special teams in his extra point attempt. The flash from a camera in the background illuminates a "spot light" as though he were a lone performer on stage delivering his monologue. Notice the intense focus of the players, coaches and fans from the opposing team as they hold their collective breath in hopes the kicker foils his feat.

What Tree Did You Fall From?

Giving credit where credit is due, although in this case, I don't know whom to credit? This is a great little self-realization test I thought you might enjoy reading.

(If I've posted this before or perhaps it looks familiar as something I may have posted before, please forgive me in advance...I've been having many senior moments lately and its pretty scary).

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?

Find your birthday and then find your tree with definition below. This is really cool and
somewhat accurate. Then send it to all your friends, including the one that
sent it to you, so they can find out what tree they fell from

Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 - Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal,
and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous,
sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender
partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate
partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive,
demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, restless
lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love
and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks,
materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good
leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion,
keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant,
friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors
the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of
imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt,
likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to
look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often
impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy
optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature,
impressive,well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner,
born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard
worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely
family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes
what Life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be
content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and
affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied,
faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain
knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes,
modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but
not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others,
noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed,
honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker
when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few
sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great
intelligence.

Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well,
loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them,
hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness
after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many
friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very
demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting
impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite
moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of
judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks
and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as
possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and
acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom
happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its
decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life
dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good
ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough,
but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for
family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them,
can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but
extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of
imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud,
self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many
complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to
impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting,
independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground,
person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings,
reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful,
calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of
jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and
harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry,
not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in
love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self
esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not
very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and
pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great
artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable
in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without
egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even
complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, extremely
generous, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts,
often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions,
spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon
partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very
jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family
life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything
beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless,
capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when
pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they
find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

Do the Math

No matter how often I try and convince myself that Math is my friend, the more I realize there's a reason I hate it altogether - it's purely evil.

I am reminded of its practicality in real-life situations and work-related scenarios but quite frankly, it ranks up there with cleaning house or doing laundry - I simply despise it!

Intermediate Algebra is the (new) death of me. How on Earth am I going to get passed this class, I ask myself constantly. Just when I think I understand a concept, I get thrown another curve ball. Linear equations, domain, range, functions, graphing, etc.

Give me something to write, to photograph or something on which to report and I'll have it to you in 10 minutes flat. But put a hideous equation in front of me and expect me to know off the top of my head which formula to use for a given situation, I just want to spit.

The tutors in the Math Lab are cringing each time they see me come through those doors. They always make you feel two-inches high. I was 5 feet tall (sad, I know) upon arriving at the Math Tutor Lab but when I leave school I feel as though my brain got fried, tied and baked beyond recognition.

Will someone explain this stuff to me? I can't take it anymore.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration and a wonderful New Year thus far.

As I reflect back on 2006 I am overwhelmed at the many hurdles the Riveras have overcome. It's been a very rough year but a great one nonetheless.

Where do I begin? First of all...my Fall semester is behind me now and I must boast about my accomplishments. With a grueling 18 units (1 unit shy of the 19 unit cap), I obtained a 4.0 semester!!! Six (6) straight A's. I'm thrilled to death! I owe it all to one professor in particular, Mr. Mercer, who pushed me to my limit and allowed me to discover hidden talent I knew was just itching to be unleashed. Alas, it has earned me a spot as an editor for our school newspaper publication, an internship at the Event News (a city of Cypress newspaper publication), and the title of Producer for our online newscast - CyChron Newscast.

I must also thank my photography professor, Mr. Burchfield, and another photography professor Mr. Lester for recognizing my artistic potentials and for recommending me for the Sports Photographer internship.

Mr. Degrassi has made my Physical Geology class very interesting and I have learned so much. You ROCK!

Thank you Teresa Wang for trusting my creativity as your photographer. I hope you were truly satisfied with the photos. I had tons of fun! (please see some of my photos on http://arivera626.deviantart.com).

Thank you L'Oreal and Frank at the Event News for giving me the opportunity to report, photograph and write for you! I enjoyed every minute of it! You taught me the importance of meeting a deadline and for producing your best work the FIRST TIME around!

Thank you Mr. Ghamsary for your help with Algebra. Variables are now my best friend!

To MaNerriza, Jason, Hung, Alex,and Sandra....the BEST newspaper editing team in the west! You guys made my semester a fun one! I am going to miss you MaNerriza and Jason as you move on to bigger and better things -- UCI and UC San San Francisco. I'm so envious! I want updates! Tell me all about your experiences! I can't wait.

Thank you Jessica for being my intern buddy. You crack me up! You're the best!

To Nicole -- for always sharing in my accomplishments! I know you would truly appreciate how hard work is rewarded with good grades! You inspire me!

To Professors Bryan Seiling, Melanie Nabahani, Barbara Marshall, Susan KIein (thank you for the scholarships!), Mark Mayo,....oh my goodness...I know I'm forgetting someone (please forgive me)...to those who I have inadvertently omitted....THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and pushing me to my fullest potential.

To my counselors: Velia, Renee L., Renee S., Penny, Dennis, Alan, Jane and others...without your guidance, I would be wandering around aimlessly.

Thank you Mike Yolo -- my former work buddy for all of recommendations. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for your encouragements and for believing in my talents! You go with your Masters!!!!

A VERY BIG THANK YOU, HUGS AND KISSES to my family -- Steve, Christopher, Elysse, Aaron and Ariana for putting up with the biggest control-freak, anal and demanding wife and mother. Thank you for allowing me to be ME and for giving me "breathing room" and study periods around the house! I owe you EVERYTHING!!!!

Thank you Mom, Dad and Ronnie -- for having faith in me. You are the backbone of my foundation!

As I embark on the last semester-and-a-half at Cypress College prior to transferring (FINALLY!) to CSUF...I must say - I have had the time of my life here. I look forward to another productive semester.

With my deepest gratitude,

-Annie

My Semester's (almost) Over

Wow...I'm having withdrawals. I feel as though I should be doing something like going to class (it's only 9:29 a.m.?), working on a paper or an article, shoot sports photos (oh, that's Friday, whew!), or studying.

I've had the busiest semester ever in my career as a student. But it's also been the BEST semester ever. Looking back, I really can't tell you how I juggled everything. It's really been stressful but rewarding as well.

Assessment:

Journalism 101 - Reporting and Writing: A/A-
Journalism 110 - Mass Media Survery: A/A-
Visual Journalism 228 - Online Broadcasting/Newspaper Production: A/A-
Photography 101 - A/A-
Geology 100 - A/A-
Algebra Review (credit/no-credit only): CREDIT
Sports Photographer, internship: Completed

Other:
Reporter/Photographer - Event News (city of Cypress newspaper publication): Completed

I'm so happy and so proud of myself...what an accomplishment, don't you think?

Oh, and the best part? I start a new job on Monday at Yamaha Music in the Music Marketing Group, working in multimedia, PR, web research and web content, etc. I'm thrilled about that!

Some things to look forward to next semester(s):
Algebra and Statistics
ACG 135 - Digital Imaging
Journalism 226 - Online production
PE 250 Sports and the U.S. Society - Cultural Pluralism (required for my AA)
CRTV 145 - Radio/TV Sports Broadcasting

If all goes well, I'll be transfering in the Fall 2007, which is less than 1 year from now. Spring and Summer semester here I come!

I'm really looking forward to another jam-packed semester. I thrive on busy-ness!

This has been the longest day

I kid you not, this has been the longest day ever. It began when I woke up at 5:15 a.m. (actually 5 a.m. but who's counting the snooze button?). This is always the case. I set the clock only to wake up the rest of the family, particularly my husband because he doesn't believe in setting his alarm clock. What a schmuck...so I become his instant human alarm clock. (boo!)

Next, I had to make breakfast for the entire neighborhood (or so it seemed), when all I wanted to do was go right back to bed. Aaron (my 10 year old twin boy) did just that. He inhaled his pancakes and snuggled back up with his blanket and it was snoozeville until about 10:30 a.m. I was envious!

After I get Steve (husband) and Christopher (that would be my oldest son) out the door on their way to their baseball tournament in about 10 cities or more away from here, I just couldn't get myself to go back to sleep. I was afraid I would sleep through dinner or something I guess. So I stayed up.

I made the decision NOT to go to Algebra class although I'll probably shoot myself in the foot later for doing so. I had emailed my professor the night before explaining that I would more than likely be missing class. So, it's not like I didn't tell him (my justification), right? With this the second-to-the-last class before finals...I think I goofed! Oh well too late.

So then the twins and I got ready to go to the Fullerton Museum for some extra credit for my photo class. I wouldn't have had to go to this museum to write an extra credit paper had I not done better on my photography final -- and I'm a photographer for crying out loud. I mixed up the days. I could have sworn my professor said we were going to have the final this coming Monday, Dec. 11 but instead we had the final last Monday, Dec. 4. I briefly thumbed through my spiral notebook for key items but nothing too serious to boot as studying! Gads! I was surprised.

Back to the museum...I get there and I find out the cover cost was more than I had expected and for some people $5 is chump-change -- not for me! I need every bit I can get. When you're poor and have no income coming in, you can't afford some $5 cover charge for some cheap museum (sorry). But think about it -- feed my kids or go to a museum? Feed my kids or museum? Feed my kids....what am I doing?

I fed the kids.

Yummy Taco Bell -- you know you love it too. Especially when you're starvin' Marvin...you take what you can get. Taco Bell is great bang for your buck and quite frankly I don't care to know what poly-urith-ismssss they use in their food -- as long as I can consume and it can be mass wasted, I'm fine!

So afterwards it was homeward bound for about 30 minutes. Steve and Christopher arrived back home after two games earlier in the day. Darn! Now the house is going to be noisy! But they told me they would be heading back to Chino Hills for an 8 p.m. game! Joy!!!!!

Aaron decided to go to the game so Ariana (my twin daughter) stayed with me. We went to church, I sang and then I rehearsed some Christmas play I don't ever remember auditioning for. Odd.

Then Ariana and I headed back home to see if perhaps my warden left me some money (that would be my husband -- laugh!). He did. Now what do we eat? We went to Busy Bee to order some Ramen Soup and what a rip-off -- $3.99 for bowl of soup. That's highway robbery. Who cares...Ariana needed it, she was starting to sneeze and cough -- the beginning stages of a cold, I assume. I didn't want Busy Bee for some reason, so I drove by Jack n' the Box and picked up some odd-shaped and odd-tasting tacos. Interesting combination -- Ramen Soup and Tacos. Don't ask.

By the time we arrived at home, our Ramen Soup was a solid mass of "wet noodles." The broth was completely gone -- zilch, evaporated. I was so upset. Then the tacos were grossing me out too. It wasn't a good eating experience.

And now I sit before my laptop writing in my blog when what should I really be doing? Homework! Arrrghhh! I'm only on question #6 in my study guide. Just 64 more to go!!!

This has been the longest day ever.

Final Fall 2006 Issue

Issue 7, the final fall issue of Cypress Chronicle for 2006, is posted. Please click here to be directed to our final issue or click the image below. Have a wonderful holiday! See you next year.

First Video Newscast

Hi All,

After numerous tries, batches of taping and re-taping, script after script...we finally have a newscast to boast.

See the instructions below on how to view the video podcast (best viewed on iTunes or similar software):

Video Podcasts

To subscribe to our video Podcasts:

1) Please Copy this link: http://www.cypresscollege.edu/~journalism/IntroTheater/cychronpodcast.xml

2) Open Itunes

3) Click Advanced and select Subscribe to Podcast

4) and Please Paste the URL into the window and press OK

Enjoy!

(P.S. Your comments are always welcome!)

---And yet another branch of Communications

The Latest November Cypress Chronicle Issue is Now Available

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Hope you are all doing well.

Below is the link to the latest November Cypress Chronicle issue - just in time before the holidays! Enjoy!

-Annie

The November 1st Issue of "The Cypress Chronicle" Is Now Available

Here is the latest issue of CyChron.com. Please see page 5 for my feature stories.