Week in Review
SUMMER ARRIVES WITH NO SHORTAGE OF PROJECTS

My first full year of higher education ended Wednesday, signaling the summer's long-awaited arrival. I'm relieved to have my freshman year out of the way and look forward to some much-needed time off.

Blogging has been sparse as of late because when I'm not too busy to post, I'm often too tired to do so. But there are no great revelations to report. Yesterday I slept in and watched Comedy Central for awhile, did some work around the house, went shopping, cooked dinner and read before turning in around 2 a.m. Not exactly the stuff of legends.

Today I had to scrap my initial plans to pick up my sister from school after she called home sick. On the way home, I stopped by the Sun Journal to pick up my internship contract and some new assignments for the advertising department. I'll be piecing together New Bern's 2004 AnswerBook, a tabloid guide to local utilities and services, in addition to writing a series of business profiles. My corkboard is filled with assignments and special projects; they'll definitely be keeping me busy.

Earlier this afternoon I took a lengthy walk through the neighborhood until I reached the banks of the Neuse River. The sun-dappled scenery was awe-inspiring, with evergreens at full hue and the bright blue water rippling gently along the grassy riverbank. For a moment, I wished I had toted my camera along, but I knew that film couldn't capture the scene's impact.