You might be a big fish in a little pond...

I have a ginormous mound of homework. And, in classic Autum style, am avoiding it until the last possible second.

I feel like each individual day this week has gone by really quickly and has been an absolute blast. The week on the whole has been one of the longest of my academic life. Yet, I came out of it with a 96 percent average - woohoo! I have this sinking feeling, however, it's about to get more challenging. I'm kind of excited.

In fact, for the first time in my life - this might be a good time to sit down - I, Autum, have failed. I received what is known at NU as the "Medill F" this week for a factual error I made on a story. It doesn't matter if you get the day of the week wrong, accidentally spell someone's name wrong once or get even the tinest detail wrong; at Medill, every factual error means an automatic F. Of course, I was not alone. Pretty much the majority of my class already has one or two under their belts and it's only the first three days of newswriting. Hehehe. It's almost sort of a weird goal for some people in my class seeing as mostly everyone eventually gets one. It's really just a matter of time. For me, it was because I assumed the "Candlelight Bar and Restaurant" was spelled in the traditional way and not "Candlelite" (the white trash neon sign way) as I later found out. I will never assume AGAIN.

Overall, though, I would deem this first week a success. "It's a mess, it's a start, it's a full work of art," as Snow Patrol would put it.

Another highlight of my week was our Medill Happy Hour at a bar called Nevin's after class last night. Everybody showed up, put back a few pints and shot the shit with each other - even the profs. Take that UP - I CAN drink with my teachers. In fact, it's encouraged.

One of my favorite "that's what she said" moments of the week came from last night as well. We were talking about how women my age are more likely to say they are older than they are than younger.

"Yeah," I said innocently, "I usually lie up rather than lie down."

(My friend Mike nearly snorts beer out his nose at this.)

"Um, that's what she said," he replied.

"DAMMIT!" (me)

Today I went to town to run a few errands (also in an effort to avoid homework) and COMPLETELY hipstered it up. I was repping the P-Town hood, what can I say.

On my way throughout town, however, I began to make a list of things I miss about Portland versus things I will probably miss after leaving Evanston.

Things Portland has that Evanston does not: COFFEE (Holy BAJEESUS I miss good coffee. Even Starbucks sucks more than usual here), microbrews, cheaper meat, closer grocery stores, taverns, fresh vegetables, bridges, elitists, Ian, Mom, Dad, Dani, Haleigh, fashion sense, warm (I know, funny) weather, rain, puddles, homeless people, green trees, mountains.

Things Evanston has that Portland does not: Cleared streets when it snows, forced layering of clothes and pretty snowboots, a waaaaaaaay better university, awesome pizza, Panera bread, SNOW, jews, no rain, cell phone service, smart people.

It's becoming a pretty interesting list.

In other news, Skokie, Illinois, is now my beat for newswriting. I visited Herm's Hotdog Palace (I KNOW) to interview some locals and get the lowdown on the 'burb. It was actually pretty interesting, which is good considering I will be spending a crap ton of my time there over the next quarter. Yay. I'm glad I like the people in my group.

In other news, it snowed a couple more inches totaling about a foot in places (according to my leg-in-the-snow measurements). It's pretty rad to see so much snow and people going about their usual business in it. Learn a lesson Portland. I'm also mastering my new local news talent of measuring the snow with my hand and other household products. I think I'm practically an expert by now. (See picture at left, where I am ingeniously sticking my entire arm, minus gloves, into the snow.)

I wouldn't recommend moving here if you don't like the snow. Especially if you can't handle being pelted in the face by hard snow pellets on a regular basis. Ouch. I took to wearing the faux raybans today to keep from getting snow in my eyes. It worked. And I looked cool.

Also, the final countdown is on for Ian's visit next week and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to have him all to myself for a few days. He's plotting and planning something that he refuses to tell me about though - suspicious. Maybe I'll get something out of my parents after he goes to dinner with them tonight. That's highly doubtful though considering my mother loves a good lie fest. (That's what she said.)

I hope you all are well!

Peace, love, snow boots.