NotesFromtheVoices

It is Friday. It means I can sleep in tomorrow before I cover an arts festival in the afternoon. But also means it is time for the Friday Five. Favorite Song at this Moment--Waiting Room--Fugazi I can't get this song out of my head. Favorite TV Show--Grey's Anatomy I will trade events with fellow reporter's in order to see this show on Thursday nights. Last Movie Seen--Zombieland It was what I needed on a really bad day. Food I couldn't live without--chicken nuggets with ranch dressing from Chick filet Guilty pleasure--Watching Gossip Girl while eating chicken salad straight from the container with crackers. Person who always brings a smile to my face--My son Daily Dose 1. Attending a health and wellness and bring back a ton of swag to the office. And by swag, I mean pens, notepads, water bottles and stress balls. 2. Being able to polish off a 12 piece chicken nuggets without breaking a sweat. Well, maybe just a little. 3. Knowing my work is done and I can do what I wan...

The Red Cross was having a blood drive down the street from the newspaper today. So I ate breakfast (biscuit and gravy), lunch (quarter pounder value meal) and dinner (ham and cheese combo)to make sure I was prepared. In order to donate, I have to pass the dreaded iron count check. The first prick revealed a 12.3 iron count, which is good if I were at a doctor's office. The American Red Cross will accept 12.5 and higher. So two little points kept me from donating today. The nurse was so impress with especially after I explained about my ED history and my goal of donating blood. She gave a cool little flashlight and a list of upcoming blood drives. Before this year is over, I will donate some blood. Daily Dose 1. I tried to donate blood. 2. Found some great books for 25 cents a piece. 3. I ate three meals today without stressing or worrying.

Today, I am in a good mood. I had a great weekend. I covered three different events on Saturday. I am living my dream. I am tired but very happy. On Sunday, I went to Pickle Land to visit my friends there. I had a wonderful time. I still miss being there but I have finally made peace. It is okay to visit and return home. My friend T and I went to Target. There is no Target where I live. We didn't do much but I enjoyed it. Then I went with my friend S to an Eagle Scout ceremony for another friend's son. It was just so nice to be around friends. I will definitely have to visit more. Today, I met an author named Sheila Moses. I do love my job. After covering the event, I treated myself to an eight piece chicken combo meal from Chick fil let. Yes, today has been a good day. And now I have three stories to write but I am looking forward to it. Daily Dose 1. Meeting an author! 2. Having a good lunch topped off with a cookies and cream milkshake. 3. Eating the best homemade pimento ch...

Every Friday, I have decided to do the Friday Five. Five quick facts about me. I hope others will share with me some about them. Lately, my life feels like an episode of Grey's Anatomy except my McDreamy is a little cuter. I caught my reflection in a store window today and didn't flinch or cringe. I thought wow that girl looks confident and happy. It has been a longtime since I felt that way about myself. I am so glad I had the opportunity to take this job because I foresee more changes in the future. And now, the Friday Five 1. Favorite Time of Day--It is at 3 a.m. I love the silence of the world at rest. It is so peaceful. 2. Web obsession-- Hula. I love watching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They bring back so many good memories. 3. Must have in desk at work: A chocolate Chex mix cereal bar. A delicious snack. 4. I wish I could... play the drums. I think I would have been good. 5. Dream job--Writing for Glamour magazine

I spend my day at a local high school today doing stories. It brought back memories of high school. I am not one of those people who wants to return and relive their high schoold days. High school wasn't bad but it sure as hell wasn't comfortable. I worked on three stories for the newspaper. I also had a chance to speak to a high school class about journalism. Public speaking isn't my thing but I think I did okay. The questions they asked were very good. I tried to give them a realistic view of journalism. I did good today considering I didn't sleep very well last night. The teacher said conveyed how much I loved my job. And I do so much. In high school, I wasn't popular. I was kind of a loner floater. I had friends in different groups. I was mostly teased by other African American kids for acting "too white". The reason was because I had excellent grades and a plan for the future. I survived high school, got the diploma and haven't been back. Not even...

Today, I covered a breast cancer awareness program at the college. It didn't seem like work because it is a cause close to my heart. My mother is a breast cancer survivor so I try to do whatever I can for the cause. It was a wonderful program and at the end of it balloons were released. I signed my mother's name on a banner for in memory of and in honor of. As I listened to the many speakers, I thought about how important early detection is for a woman. My mother knew months in advance that something wasn't right with her body but ignored it because she wanted to help my brother and I prepare for our unborn children. I am so grateful and blessed that she found out in time and was able to stop the progression of her cancer. It took two rounds of chemo, a round of radiation and surgery but for now things are good. I was fortunate to be there for her. Since I am thinking about her so much, I'll give her a call. Daily Dose 1. I am glad that my mother is still around to give...

This is my weekend to work and it has been a busy one. I didn’t get home until 7 p.m. last night. And today, I had to be at the Halifax Harvest Days at 9 a.m. Forty-five degrees weather and I do not get along but layering and hot cider can make a situation bearable. My plans for my one day off include sleeping, some takeout, more sleeping and maybe more sleeping. Sunday should be a very good indoor day. I would have Monday off but I have a county commissioner’s meeting that afternoon so duty calls. The life of a daily newspaper reporter is a busy one. Crazy busy with lots of contact with people. I am not a people person. But I have a job where people skills are a must. I just fake my way through it. I love writing and telling people’s stories and somehow I have managed to make it work as Tim Gunn would say. I have gotten hooked on Project Runway. I love fashion and couldn’t imagine being able to make some of the items they make. I’ll just stick to writing. It is Saturday night. I shoul...

While I didn't do anything but work on my birthday yesterday, it was great. I have a wonderful job where my co-workers are supportive. My family is very supportive of me being away from home. I just feel very blessed. My car is totally fixed which is great since I am responsible for Northampton County. So I am living out my dream of working a daily paper and gaining writing and life experience. And a few more weeks, I will have insurance. I am looking for a therapist so I can continue to recover. One thing I do know, my co-workers love to eat. Yesterday, my boss treated me to lunch for my birthday. Later, we had appetizers, cake and hot tea at a going away party for the publisher. Today, there was the company wide staff meeting with sausage biscuits, bagels, various cakes, various fruits with chocolate milk and orange juice. And with all of this I remained calm and not worried. So things are definitely looking up. I had a great weekend with my son and hubby. My son got a new Marvel...

After a crazy day yesterday, I made it back home to my hubby and son. Our house looks like a bachelor's pad with toys and animated movies. I was happy to see them and they were even happier to see me. I think me doing some cleaning before they got home helped also. I don't know what they have planned for my birthday but I am sure it will be great. There is a lot of whispering and smiles. Officially, my birthday is Monday but I have board meetings and other stuff then so this weekend is my birthday. I finally got my car back and have been super busy at work. I was a beat to cover in another county. And some of the towns I cover are at the end of the earth. But I am working on the balance of work, play and relaxation. Daily Dose 1. It is good to be home. 2. My son's cat thinks he is a dog. 3. It is great to be home.

Since starting my job, I have become a mild coffee drinker. This means I drink half of an eight ounce cup each morning. I like with lots of cream and sugar. Before this, I hated coffee. I wasn’t even a fan of coffee ice cream or coffee cake. However, I have a growing addiction to iced mochas from Burger King. This is a major jolt of caffeine. I guess all this stems from having to be up at 6 a.m. and be at work between 7 am and 7:30 a.m. All of this is much to early for me. I miss the days being at work at 8 or 9 a.m. I know I shouldn’t complain since I have a job. I am just not a morning person. Maybe mid-morning from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. I could sleep in and be home in time to have a life or watch Grey’s anatomy. But back to coffee, I have always loved the smell but hated the taste. What has happen? I'll tell you that it is because I am getting up so damn early. It is sad when you wake up each morning fantasizing about going to bed later that day. Everyday, I take a nap at 4:30 p.m. ...