This week, the week I officially fell off the planet, was my first covering my new beat/county. And it would be a rather large understatement to say I was "busy." (In fact, I'm "off" today, but already filed a Sunday feature before 10 a.m., and will likely file another this afternoon. YIKES.)

We of the Medill fall '05 class are all pretty new at our jobs, so it's safe to say we all should still be bringing a sense of excitement and energy to our jobs for some time to come. But if it's possible, I have a renewed sense of it already in this new position. And it's largely due to the spirit of competition.

I, two other reporters and one editor were sent to a nearby county to help boost copy and cure fledging circulation in the area. Our orders: write. Write. Write. Almost nothing is too small, too insignificant. So we're writing. A lot.

I had one of those stereotypical running-out-the-door-to-get-the-news days, and for such a random story. A teenager wearing a homemade sandwich board was picketing outside his own home for four hours, as a punishment his family gave him for getting suspended from school. Awesome. Ran out, got in my car, drove to the scene. Competing paper reporter already there. DAMNIT. Chat chat chat. Notes notes notes. Thanks, good luck, kid. Go back, write story. Go home, sleep.

Now I find that the first thing I do the next morning is read not my paper, but the competition. It definitely keeps the stress level high, but the work exciting. So all in all, I guess it's a good thing, to keep me sharp.

Also keeping me busy is The Guy I'm Dating. This is how I will refer to him - TGID - until I am comfortable enough to call him what many around him are referring him as, my "boyfriend." Yeah, not so comfy with the terminology or meaning behind it yet, seeing that it's only been a month. But he's great, still waters, smooth sailing, other boat references. Which is probably why I'm so....I dunno...reluctant to label. I mean, I'm used to drama, fighting, the passion that comes with arguing. And....there's none of that. Stay tuned.

** Also, on my semi-day off today, I just saw an MTV "True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater." The question MTV is hoping to answer in their probing one-hour show? Are these athletes, or just indulgers?

Fucking America.

(Although the reigning world champ is Japanese, I think. Oh well.)