Things I do to remain sane at work

-think up as many story ideas as I can. Unfortunately, it usually turns out they're Verge ideas and won't do me much good this summer (but when I go back to school they'll come in handy!!

-update my blogs. Yes, I have this one, and I have my xanga. the entries are different, so if you ever feel like catching up with not only what I tell you but also the intricate details of my personal life, hit up www.xanga.com/oohlala (copy and paste it into your web browser.

-e-mail unknown amounts of people. I catch up with many of my friends who have left Eastern and the college life to go onto bigger and better real world reporting jobs and the such. I miss Kevin and April (and more but I've heard back from those two.) I'm going to e-mail you Thomas, but I need access to that story I want to send you and you'll have something to do then.

-check out every news site I can think of to catch up on worldly happenings
www.stltoday.com
www.chicagotribune.com
www.goedwardsville.com
www.thetelegraph.com
www.washingtonpost.com
www.people.com
www.newsweek.com
www.cosmopolitan.com
www.usweeky.com
.........................and much, MUCH more.

-Facebook. With people at home for the summer, there's not much happening with Facebook, but that doesn't mean its any less handy than it always has been. Thomas, if Maryville has facebook, you should hit it up at www.thefacebook.com and sign your ass up. OK I JUST CHECKED- Maryville does have facebook, and that means you need to GET ON IT. It'll give you something to do. Everyone else is on it as far as I know, since SIUC, EIU, WIU, SIUE and more also have facebook. Just check it out.

-Make lists. What does it look like I'm doing right now? I've also made lists of what to bring home, what I need to bring BACK from home, what there is to do in the Quad Cities, and more.

-I keep a heavily detailed agenda, and I update it more often than necessary. I can't go anywhere without it because it has written in it everything I need to do today, including "go home" and "update blogs." Sad, huh?

-Talk to co-workers. Mostly Aaron, he went to EIU with me. He actually should have graduated but he's holding on for a year to finish things up and to be the Editor-in-Chief in the Spring. I can't wait to go back to school and start everything again. I really hope you guys visit and get to meet these people. I'm actually going to do that now.