Awesome.

Being a real journalist is starting to feel like real life.

I do realize I'm not there yet, but I can feel it. With the hockey season now in action, my classmates have been given the opportunity to intern at Jets home games.

Awesome.

Not only awesome because they get to watch Jets games for free from the press box. But awesome because I saw Lauren's face on TSN! How awesome would it be to have your face on TSN? That is my dream. To have my very own face on TSN every weekday. Heck yes.

Besides the fact that I've seen many of my classmates on tv already, it's cool to see where the year before us is now. For instance Krystalle is with CBC already- ballin'. That is honestly the coolest thing ever.

Another thing that is nice is the media in Winnipeg. They treat us like real people. When we're out at a presser and go for the huddle of reporters and cameras in the scrum those guys will let you in.

It really makes you respect the program you're in when you see how seriously it's taken by the industry we'll eventually work in.

The other day I was out shooting a story for Broadcast J and screwed up my stand up about six times. I was getting frustrated because I'd nailed the first one perfectly, but someone walked through my shot at the end and ruined it. Mitchell Clinton saw how pissed off I was and was like, "it's okay! It took me like nine times too!"

That put a smile on my face. What an awesome guy. He didn't have to encourage me at all. But he did. Because he's a part of the CreComm mafia. He knows what's up.

While on the very same shoot ChrisD snapped a picture of Mark and I and tweeted it out. Calling us "hard working." Also awesome. Everyone knows ChrisD.

Maybe one day everybody will know me.

"@ChrisDca: Hardworking #CreComm students shooting a story on the warming huts @TheForks earlier today. @RRCLiveat5"

Crazy legs and scrambled eggs.

I can't believe so much has changed since we started CreComm last fall.

Our first J assignment was the standard 400 words +/- 10% and it was a nightmare.

We all sat there and stared at the computers with writers block. Too many thoughts going through our heads. Soon enough we were all running back and forth from the printer to our computer to the printer back to our computer- working up a sweat for no reason.

"How many people do we quote?"
"How did you spell her name?"
"Does that need to be capitalized?"
"Is it says or said?"
"I'm gonna auto-fail."

Did I mention it's probably about 7:30 pm and our story isn't due until 8 am the next morning? What's with the freak out?

Today we were given the assignment of going to the law courts, sitting in on a trial, and then writing a paper on it by 6 pm tonight.

Most of us didn't leave the courthouse until 4 pm and still managed to get our stories in with time to spare.

What has happened in such a short time frame? How did we go from scrambled eggs to calm, cool, and collected?

I'm not entirely sure, but I can guarantee you it probably had something to do with paying attention in J class once or twice.

If all I get out of this program is how to organize my thoughts then I'm ok with it. But part of me hopes I kind of get a job too...

To J, with love.

I fell in love with journalism again.

I think I've said this before. For real though. I did.

Tonight I volunteered at the Creative Communications info night at the college. When all the keen first year students had taken their tours away I was lucky enough to take three stragglers on my own tour.

As I walked around the campus with them filling them in on things about the program and building I began to realize,

"Dude, I am talking a lot."

But then I realized,

"Dude, I love storytelling."

I love being able to paint a picture in someone's head. I love being able to give people information. I love being able to be a resource to someone I don't even know.

I understand I may not be the best journalist in the world- in my class even. I could quite possibly be the worst journalist in the world or in my class. But I do know that there is always room and opportunity to grow. No matter where you are in life and no matter what you may be doing- you can always learn from your experiences.

I saw the excitement in these hopeful future CreComm students. It made me excited to see them excited about something I was telling them about.

Storytelling is so rewarding when people pay attention.

Somedays (most days... Everyday) I feel like I'm rambling and nobody is listening. I think, "this isn't for me." And then BAM someone looks intrigued by my story and I'm sucked in all over again.

This relationship is rocky, but what relationship isn't at the beginning? It'll be smooth sailing eventually. I just have to tough it out.

Time to work!

The lockout is over. Thank the mediator (that is my new substitute for goodness right now.)

113 days of missed hockey until the two sides finally came to an agreement. Tentatively.

I was finally starting to give up hope of having a season. I was ready to throw in the towel and just call it quits.

I was sick of hearing about the countless proposals that were false hope every time they were put on the table. One minute it'd all be looking good and then BAM! One of the sides ripped it apart and said, "no way Jose, I'm not agreeing to that."

It was very disheartening to be honest. This last week of negotiations I just stopped paying attention all together. Every newspaper article and twitter mention and radio story I heard or saw about the "ongoing negotiations" got tuned out by me.

So there I was. Done with the lockout. Done with the positive idea of a potential half season when once again a BAM moment happened.

4:02 am - late Saturday night for some people, early Sunday morning for others- I received a phone call from a coworker of mine.

I answered the phone very groggily, not sure if I was actually dreaming this phone call or not, when all I heard was,

"ALLISON, TIME-TA-WORK!"

Click.

Huh? What just happened. He hung up on me.

Well now I'm awake so I look at my text messages and have four from said coworker all along the lines of,
"The Lockout is over!" "Check twitter!"

In my future as a sports reporter I hope I never have to report on such a thing. Lockouts suck. I have missed hockey more than I ever imagined I would.

I end my post with an exciting picture. Super excited to put this uniform back on soon!

Flight Squadron is back in action!