Obama...and wind burn

Yesterday, I went to see Sen. Barack Obama announce that he was running for president. My sister's friend Carrie was able to get us tickets so we were in the 'preferred seating' area, not just out on the street with the other 17,000 people that were there.

We got there at about 8:30...and it was 11 degrees. Even wearing multiple layers, it was flippin' cold outside! Thank goodness for the handwarmers and feet warmers I had bought the night before at Dick's Sporting Goods...five dollars well spent!

Here is my sister and I, freezing our butts off!



Barack Obama...announcing that he's running for president. Yes, we really were that close.



The snipers on the roofs around us, in case someone wanted to shoot Obama. I don't think I have ever seen snipers on roofs in Springfield before.



After the announcement stuff was over, we started walking back and Brian, a friend of April's friend Carrie who was with us, was saying that he had never been to Springfield's capitol building, as he is from Michigan..and had never really been to Springfield before. (He goes to Ill. Wesleyan). So...we had to stop at the capitol so he could see the rotunda and stuff.

Upon entering, I had to stop and check out the photo of my favorite politician....State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Hey, he's 30, single, and mighty nice looking.....




Laying on the floor looking at the Rotunda with Carrie and Brian....



All in all....good morning. Even though it took me hours to finally thaw out...my face is still wind burned. And my ankles hurt from standing on tip toe for hours.

I need some hot chocolate now.

so, I'm going on a "not a job interview" job interview in the morning. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I have a story in the A&E section. It's on the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Check it out as well!

This is Lucas. Guess what he did the other day?

Yes, that would be poop. It makes you all out there appreciate your own jobs just a little bit more, doesn't it?

Check out my story in today's A&E section:

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/ane/stories/106214.asp

totally ticked off!!

I am quite angry right now. Without going into details, let me just say that I am tired of working my butt off, giving my time and talents to something just to find out that I am not considered a part of the group. I am getting sick and tired of being used. I think I may have to take a step back and just take a break from everything for a while. I am really, really angry right now...I can't even see straight.

Bored with my social circles

Do you ever feel that you are just surrounded by the same people all the time? I was thinking the other day, and realized that I really don't have an opportunity to meet a lot of new people because of where I am right now in life. Same people at work, same people at church, etc., etc. I think I need to do something where I can meet some new people, but I don't know what that is. Any thoughts?

Various observations from the last few days

• Ok, so I've been doing this blogger thing a few weeks now, and the one thing that I miss that xanga had was the footprints feature. I like knowing that there was someone out there who had read what I wrote, and that I'm not just writing into cyberspace. I haven't found that feature here yet. If it exists, please let me know. If not, at least leave me a comment and let me know that someone reads this thing.

• I took Thursday and Friday off as 'mental health days'. They were fantastic. It was basically two days of sleeping in late, laying around the house, and not doing a whole lot of anything. I think people need days like that once in a while. Although it is possible to do that on weekends, for some reason it just seemed better when you know you are supposed to be at work and you're not. I wonder why that is?
  
  
• I really am beginning to hate this time of year. My seasonal depression begins to kick in, now that the distraction of the holidays is over. I am going to try something new this year....Relecore. It's supposed to help make you feel better with some all-natural combination, anti-stress, etc., and in turn, it helps you lose belly fat. So, if all goes well, I will be happier AND skinner!! How can you go wrong with that?
  
  
• Last night at youth group, my small group (senior girls) kind of got off track. Best quote of the night, from one Ms. Rebecca Herrington: "If I could be allowed just one major sin, it would be to do Tom Welling." Yes, that would Clark Kent from the show Smallville.
  
  
• I have a new show that I am semi-obsessed with (and please, feel free to laugh). I am sad to announce that I have, in fact, becoming addicted to Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel. The girl in it is Miley Cyrus, daughter of one former mullet poster boy Billy Ray Cyrus, and he plays her dad in the show, sans mullet. But, they often refer back to the mullet days. And, it's just good fun. Any show that features Billy Ray Cyrus, sans mullet, is just good television.
  
  
• Next post: A photo essay of Saturday. My Christmas present to Nathan was a day trip to Moline, the home of the world headquarters of John Deere. Saturday was the day it happened. Let me just say that when he goes to Disney World this March, it will seem bland by comparison to the excitement and awesome-ness (is that word?) of the John Deere World Headquarters.