ICPA conference this weekend

http://www.xanga.com/OohLala1983

Check my other blog for a list of awards we won. Photo (Stephen Haas and Danny Williams) did well, as usual, and Brian and I got second for our Thanksgiving issue of On the Verge.

Be proud! Our designer also won an award for one of our issue covers, the Evolution of the Bar Crawl. I like to think we (Brian, me and Danny) had a little something to do with it as well.

Here was my weekend:

Wed- went to bed at 3:30 a.m. Woke up at 4:30 a.m., met everyone in newsroom at 5 a.m.
Drive to Chicago. Have NSYNC dance party.
Stop in Peotone for McDonald's, courtesy of JR (DEN publisher) and student pub.
Arrive in downtown Chicago, park and hike it to the Tribune Tower.
Attend a Tribune Editorial Board meeting.
Get a tour of the newsroom.
Drive to Crystal Lake. Eat deep dish pizza, play Clue, sleep.

Thurs.- Get up at 5:30 a.m. Take train into Chicago.
Check into hotel.
Get job/internship interviews with Sun News in Waukeegan, Naperville Sun and Beacon News in Aurora.
Miss first session on in-depth reporting- which I actually needed.
Eat lunch at Chipotle, and have my first Dos Equis.
Attend session with Dann Gire, movie critic from the Daily Herald and old "chum buddy" of JR. Laugh my ass off.
Try to figure out how old JR is exactly. Estimates have hit 52. (I don't know why you guys care unless you read my last post. P.s. I'm not a psycho.)
Skip keynote (oooh they're- Joe, our adviser, and JR- gonna be mad) to hang out in hotel bar.
Get booze.
Get caught by JR- yep, mad.
Booze in Jenni's room.
Go to hotel bar to meet for dinner. Help Holly finish her booze.
Hike in frigid weather to Rock Bottom, where they brew their own beers.
Experience a wheat beer-filled bong, and gourmet mac n' cheeze.
Hike back.
Get drunker.
Pass out in room. I missed Meinheit's visit (Awww alum..... sigh)!!!!

Sat.- Get up 9:30 a.m. (way nicer...)
Shower, skip sessions. (yawn)
Eat free food and get awards at banquet.
Pack in Meinheit's car - CAR- with Greg, Holly, Matt (who is 6'5" ish or more), Thill, Amy and Erin...
Take train back to Crystal Lake.
Get Erin's car.
Turn around and get Jenni in Chicago.

And here I am. Somehow still awake and alive. They all went out- I'm barely able to keep eyes open.