A Thought and a Half | Southern Food & Lifestyle Blog

Technologically Speaking

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This week, my mom made the leap into smartphone-land and bought
an iPhone.  My dad and I both have
iPhones, and we’ve been using Apple products for years now.  The iPhone is more complex in
comparison to her old phone, an LG En-V 3.  And since non-data phones are becoming hard to find and increasingly obsolete, she went for
the iPhone.


 Technology is ever-changing, as we all know, as are its effects on
society and how people operate.  As a communication major, this is
something I’m almost wired to notice in any situation. How can you not,
especially in the 21st century?  You really can’t miss them.  Allow me
to elaborate.


Remember when you had to call someone on a land-line phone?  And hope you didn’t cut off their dial-up Internet?  That’s barely an afterthought these days.  Cell phones make it ten times easier to reach someone via a call or a text.  In fact, more people choose to text than call, for any number of reasons.  Before the texting wave hit, the medium of choice was instant messaging on the computer.  Remember AIM?  I believe that the increase in technological means of communication is leading to a decline in face-to-face talk, or at least making it more difficult.  Here’s why: people become more comfortable behind a screen, forget how to make eye contact with others, and eventually find it difficult to carry on a real conversation.  Some people say things in a text or computer message that they would never dream of telling someone face-to-face.  It’s also easier to bend the truth this way, because people can’t notice your body language or pick up on physical cues.  In many cases, sincerity is also lost.

And that’s not even touching on the effects on language and writing skills.  One of my biggest pet peeves is and always has been “chat speak”: using “u” in place of “you,” “ur” in place of “your/you’re,” and the multitude of other abbreviations that I have to decipher every time I see them.  Originally, chat speak was created to reduce the cost of texting when each character had a cost attached to it.  Hard to believe that’s how it started, isn’t it?  Admittedly, I use “lol” or “idk”  every now and then, but I try my level best not to let it or any of the other abbreviations work their ways into my daily vocabulary. 

Part of it is the nature of electronic communication, perhaps with the exception of email since it allows for lengthier messages.  At one time, a text message on a cell phone could only contain so many characters…160, I believe.  Twitter is the same way; tweets are limited to 140 characters (that’s my biggest annoyance with it…just 20 more characters, please?).  Status updates on Facebook were once limited to 160 characters, but that has since expanded to well over 60,000.  With restricted character limits, you’re almost forced to commit some terrible grammatical mistake just to fit it in the allotted space.  Sentences are choppy, and often aren’t even complete sentences.  Again, users become well-adjusted to these formats, and sometimes it overlaps into other situations when better and more professional writing and speaking skills should be used.

With that being said–and I’m about to go all super communication-major on y’all–I cannot stress how essential it is to be good, solid communicators, in both written and verbal contexts.  In fact, good communication skills, written and verbal, and the ability to think critically are top qualities that employers look for in hopeful applicants.  You have to be able to communicate your ideas, thoughts, results, etc in a wholesome, clear, coherent manner so that everyone can understand what you want to say.  You have to be comfortable doing that, too.  Discomfort leads to a more difficult time communicating, which leads to all sorts of confusion and trouble down the road…but I digress.

I hear it almost daily being a communication major, especially in public relations.  Admittedly, it gets a little old, but that doesn’t take away the importance of the message.  Part of the reason I’m studying communication is so I can help people become better communicators.  I’ve said it before, but I really cannot stress it enough: be a good communicator!  It will do so much for you! 

Our relationship with technology is of the love-hate variety.  It’s convenient, but sometimes it gets away from us.  Think about it: when was the last time you saw a non-data phone?  Every time I pass by the Verizon stand at BJ’s, I look, and in the past year, I have not seen a “regular” cell phone.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone to the moon and back, but when I think about how accessible it makes me, and how easy it is for me to find someone or something…it really makes me wonder: what’s next?  And only time will tell.

World TeamTennis is World-Class

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It’s mid-July, and my internship with the USTA Middle States is in full swing.  Since beginning on May 30th, I have written several articles about local events and tournaments, worked at those events and tournaments, and I’ve conducted a handful of interviews, one of which being particularly important!  I’ve got two longer, feature-type articles in the works, and am hoping to have those posted on the Middle States blog by the end of the summer.

The first two events I worked were the Middle States Sectional Qualifying Tournament, and a day at the ResortQuest Pro Women’s Open.  At the Sectional, players competed for a spot in the US Open National Qualifying Tournament, where they would then compete for a place in the qualifying draw of the US Open in New York.  I worked the final day, so I got to see the championship matches for men’s singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles.  It was fantastic tennis, and I wish the victors the best of luck in the next round.  The ResortQuest Pro Women’s Open is one of three USTA Pro Circuit events held by Middle States.  This tournament was held at Sea Colony Tennis Resort down in Bethany Beach, Delaware.  I was there for our USTA Member Appreciation Day, and got to see the semi-final matches.  These events were both held back in the beginning of June, and we had not had any big events since then…until now.  It’s World TeamTennis time!

World TeamTennis was co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1974.  There are eight teams across the nation: Philadelphia Freedoms, New York Sportimes, Kansas City Explorers, Springfield Lasers, Orange County Breakers, Sacramento Capitals, Washington Kastles, and Boston Lobsters.  Each team features about five or six players from different tennis backgrounds and levels, but usually each team has at least one legend, one current star, and one rising star.  Each match features a new and different headline player.  Matches are a little different from what you normally see on tour.  They’re played in sets, but it’s not a “best three of five”-type deal.  Instead, a match is won based on total number of games won in the individual sets.  The sets are scored as the first to five games by two, and each game is scored as the first player to four points, with no ad scoring.

The WTT season isn’t that long; the Freedoms only have seven home matches in a span of about two and a half weeks.  They’re held at the Pavilion at Villanova University, which is a pretty good venue for something like WTT.  Tonight was the third match I worked, and it was definitely awesome, for several reasons!

Middle States sets up an information table and two 36-foot kid courts in the back of the Pavilion.  Each night, kids, specifically kids 10 and younger, are invited to come hit around at the courts and learn from the pros from local clubs who host the little hit-arounds.  Tonight, we were finished setting up about an hour early, so I was hitting around with my fellow intern Drew, and our supervisors Michael and Kate.  A bit later, four guys from the Villanova football team came by and asked if they could play, too.  Of course we said they could! It was obvious they weren’t trained in tennis, but they knew enough to keep the ball in play.  They were so entertaining and fun to watch.  There is surely no age limit on fun!  They even took a picture with me afterward:

Next to the Middle States set-up was a table with representatives from Philadelphia’s MLS team, the Union, and a few of their players.  They had some little giveaways, information, and the players were signing autographs and taking pictures.  I don’t know a whole lot about soccer, but I still thought it would be neat to have autographs and a picture from players Brian Carroll and Chase Harrison.  When I went up to their table and handed my phone to a Union rep to take the picture, Chase noticed the VT emblem on my phone case.  “Hey, VT!” he said.  “Yeah, I go there!”  “Dude, no way!  Hokies!”  At this point, I was ecstatic; as many of y’all know, I love meeting Hokies anywhere and everywhere.  Chase said he played soccer at VT when he was in college!  He graduated in 2005, though, so he was there way before I was even thinking about college.  I think I might go to a Union game one day, just to see a fellow Hokie play!  Who wants to go with me?

Brian Carroll, me, Chase Harrison

Hokies throwin’ it up!

Tonight’s headline players were world-class doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan for the Kansas City Explorers.  They held a press conference before the match, and Drew, Kate, and I went for the last five or ten minutes of it.  Those two guys are incredible on the court together.  They’re just on the same brain wave or something…unbelievable.

There are three more home matches for the Freedoms, and I’ll be at two of them.  I can’t wait to see the match this Friday, which will feature legends John McEnroe and Martina Hingis for the New York Sportimes!  But still…let’s go, Freedoms!

Me with Freedoms mascot, Spirit, from Saturday’s match

The Alaskan Wonder

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At 2:30 this morning, after a long and frustrating day of travel, my parents and I arrived home after spending the week exploring the inside passage of Alaska and Canada.  We left Philly early on July 2nd, and landed in Seattle around 11am pacific time.  After catching a shuttle to the port, we met the magnificent Disney Wonder ship and one of our Disney Adventure Guides, Robyn.  We got a couple of hours to enjoy the view of the Puget Sound from the ship’s deck while our state room was being prepared.  Later that evening, it was “bon voyage!” as the Wonder set sail for the Inside Passage!

This was our third cruise as a family; we took two others, both on the Disney Wonder, when I was in elementary school.  Those were 4-day Bahamas cruises, which were great fun, but now that I’m older, we wanted to explore a different part of the country where I could really appreciate the beauty of the land and the simplicity of the ports we visited.  I don’t want to write a huge, long post that shares every little detail of our trip, so I will share the best highlights.  I’m more than happy to share more if you ask!

TRACY ARM: This was our first “stop” on the cruise.  Tracy Arm is a series of fjords along the inside passage that ends with the Sawyer Glacier and its accompanying ice field.  What amazed me most about this was the quiet beauty of the passage.  The water was greener than summer grass and still as glass.  Icebergs floated along in the water; they looked stunning blue against the green water.  If you looked closely, you could see a harbour seal chillin’ on an iceberg, or a bald eagle flying from island to island.  It was worth being nearly frozen in the wind and light rain for the sights!

ROBYN & KRISTIN: Our wonderful Disney Adventure Guides!  They were so full of energy and smiles, and were always willing to tell us a story or share some interesting facts about the places we visited, or their past experiences working with Disney in LA.  I’ll never forget Kristin’s story about how she met Johnny Depp, and how my dad made them both almost hysterical with a comment about one of our tours (Robyn and Kristin, if you’re reading this: “Hot Dog!”).  The most awesome part?  We all had these awesome animal hats.  We even talked my mom into buying one, too.

THE MEALS AND FOOD: Every night (except the last night, more on that in a bit), we ate dinner at one of three amazing restaurants on the ship: Triton’s, Parrot Cay, and Animator’s Palate.  We had two servers that rotated with us each night: Sedat, from Turkey, and Nyoman, from Indonesia.  They were both really great and always had smiles on their faces.  Sedat even gave us a puzzle every night!  Watch out, my engineering friends…I’ll be showing those to you once we’re back at VT!  I tried to branch out and try some new foods during this trip.  My favourite “new” food was elk.  I had it the first night at Parrot Cay.  I really didn’t know what it would be like, and all I knew about it was that it was red meat.  It was incredible!  Elk is very lean, and it tastes a lot like beef steak, but it’s not as fibrous as beef steak.  I also tried reindeer and venison.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t push myself to try any of the fish…I’m just not a seafood person at all.  Aside from dinner, every morning at breakfast, they had this all-natural, low-fat yogurt.  I know it sounds really plain, but it was delicious, especially with some almonds and strawberry compote on top!


WHITE PASS RAILROAD: After venturing up to the Yukon Suspension Bridge in Canada, we took the White Pass Railroad back down to our port in Skagway, Alaska.  This train followed the White Pass, which many used during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898.  For a good chunk of the hour-and-a-half ride, I stood out on the platform at the front of the train car for the incredibly fresh air and breathtaking views of the mountains and falls. I don’t even know how else to describe it.  It was just beautiful.



ZIP LINING IN THE RAIN FOREST: It’s been on my bucket list for a few years now.  Our last port in Alaska was the town of Ketchikan, which is one of, if not the rainiest city in the country.  We took a bus ride into the rain forest, which is absolutely nothing like the rain forests you see in textbooks.  I was a little nervous about zipping, but I was determined to at least give it a try before I turned around.  I went all-out and chose to go on the Eagle Creek line, which is the more advanced line of the two (the other was the Bear Creek line).  I had a little trouble breaking, or slowing down to land, at first, but after the second line, I got it down almost perfectly.  Zip lining is the scariest but most awesome thing I have ever done.  I think I would do it again, especially if I’m doing it somewhere it’s not raining and there’s some sun. 

VICTORIA, BC: As a final stop before we returned to Seattle, we stopped in Victoria, British Columbia for a few hours.  We were on our own, but we met up with Robyn and Kristin, and another family in our Disney Adventure group, and we went to this wonderful little place for dinner called The Local Kitchen.  Robyn had been there before and suggested another visit.  At her recommendation, most of us ordered their “fall-off-the-bone” BBQ ribs with mac and cheese.  Oh my goodness.  They are very true to their name!  My fingers smelled like the maple glaze for a day after.  The mac and cheese was so rich and creamy.  I also learned that Canadians make their Shirley Temples with orange juice and lime with ginger ale instead of grenadine and cherry.  I’m not complaining, though; it was still good!  We had a little time to explore downtown Victoria after dinner.  We couldn’t see much, but from what I could see, I want to go back.  Downtown was really cool!

If you look closely, you can see the snow-topped mountains in the background!

Overall, our trip to Alaska and parts of Canada was a success!  I wish I could tell all of my stories, because there are plenty to share!  I will end by saying this: if you’ve never been to Alaska, go.  It’s truly beautiful.  And Seward was an idiot for buying and selling it so cheap.

Today, I tried something new.

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There’s a state park near me with a lake, and the park offers all sorts of boating and water activities.  We have season passes, and we’ve been going just about every Sunday after church since I’ve been home for the summer.  So far, we’ve taken out canoes, kayaks, and a small motor boat.  But today, I tried something completely new: paddle boarding.

I had seen other people trying it, and thought it looked fun, and fairly simple.  The board itself is about the size of a surfboard, perhaps a little bigger.  You sit or kneel on the board, and paddle like you’re in a canoe.  There was little wind today, and absolutely no waves on the lake, so today was my best option to give it a try.  I loved it!

My biggest fear was keeping my balance and not falling.  I’ve been doing lots of balance exercises in my workouts, and I hoped that would help me in this venture. 

I started with a mini lesson from one of the guys who works at the water sports part of the park.  When he showed me everything, it looked easy enough, but I know looks can be deceiving, especially in shallow water.  Once I got onto the board, I started on my knees to gain my balance.

After I got accustomed to the board and how it felt to be on the water, I rose up onto my knees instead of sitting.  This was a little more difficult than sitting, but I quickly adjusted my balance and paddled around a little more.  Once I was comfortable there, I paddled back into shallower water and tried to stand all the way up.  It was kind of wobbly, but…

I did it!

My parents were in a canoe, and they were taking these pictures while I was boarding.

It took me a little while to figure out the most comfortable way to stand and position my feet, but I eventually got it right, with my feet staggered a little just behind the center of the board.  I got the hang of it fairly quickly…I was actually surprised how easily I caught on.

My dad is a great photographer!

The life jacket makes it look like I have a hunchback, but I promise I don’t!

I loved paddle boarding!  It’s also a great upper-body workout…my shoulders are so sore right now.  Maybe once I really nail this, I’ll give windsurfing a try.

So today was an exciting day, and tomorrow will be, too: I have my first USTA event!  I’ll be working and covering the championships of the Middle States’s US Open Qualifying tournament!  I can’t wait for some great tennis, and the opportunity to meet and interview the champions.  More on that later this week!

One Big Day, One Big Thanks!

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There are a thousand and one things I love about my college.  School spirit runs rampant, especially from September through December.  We have an overwhelming sense of community, and band together in an instant during a time of crisis.  People aren’t afraid to smile and wave at strangers and offer assistance to visitors whenever needed.  Students are always willing to lend a helping hand in any way possible.  I think it’s the latter-most item that makes me love VT the most.  This weekend proved why.

Virginia Tech is home to the second-largest community service project in the nation, The Big Event.  It’s basically a giant, one-day mission trip that gives students a chance to say “thanks” and give back to our community.  Students form work teams and are assigned a project in the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area.  The projects usually entail some kind of yard work or home maintenance for a family that might not be able to do the work on its own.  I participated in the Big Event last year as a freshman, and enjoyed it so much that my friends and I formed a team this year, too.


Our project this year led us to the home of an adorable elderly couple about five miles from campus on the backside of Blacksburg.  The first task of the day was gathering prickly sweet gum balls that had fallen from the sweet gum tree in the back corner of their yard.  It didn’t look like a difficult job at first glance, but those little monsters are deceiving!  Not only were there hundreds of them, but most of them were lodged into the ground, and we had to dig them out.  After a good hour of battling the sweet gums, we completed the task, and moved on to task #2.  For the rest of the morning and early afternoon, we cleared their back gardens and corners of their yard of all leaves and loose dead grass, revealing a thick layer of bright, spring-green grass.  There were so many leaves!  It was like they materialized in the grass as soon as one pile had been taken away!  Regardless, the leaves were cleared, and the couple’s yard was the best-looking yard on their street!

As thanks for our work, the husband made us delicious Reuben sandwiches for lunch.  I had never had a Reuben before, and I must say my first experience was a good one!  The couple sat outside with us as we ate our sandwiches, and we all swapped stories about our childhoods, families, homes, majors, etc.  We were so fortunate to be able to spend our day with such a wonderful couple.  They didn’t have to make us lunch, but they were generous and kind, and we couldn’t thank them enough.  After lunch, the wife told us about a park and trail just down and across the street from their property, and even walked down there with us!  She let us on our own when we found the trail because her knees couldn’t handle the uneven ground for a long period of time.  Along the trail, we discovered an abandoned cemetery with headstones dating back to the mid-1800s and a vacant farm with all of its old buildings and structures.  At the end of the trail, there was even a playground!  Now that was fun!  I had not played on swings or had slide races since elementary school.  It was so nice to embrace my inner little kid and play like I used to in childhood. 

The entire day was a blessing in itself.  It’s hidden gems like the barn and cemetery that really make me love being at Virginia Tech, and love what I do while I’m here.  The couple we worked for was the nicest couple I had ever met, and they seemed genuinely thankful and grateful for our efforts.  And that’s a really rewarding feeling…knowing you made someone’s day by doing something as small as raking leaves and cleaning up sweet gum balls (although I do admit, I now have a little bit of a vendetta toward those boogers…I want to pick them up and throw them away every time I see them). 

One Big Day, One Big Thanks.  That’s how we do it here at Virginia Tech. 


P.S. Did I mention it’s only our eleventh year doing a Big Event?  Yeah, we’re champs.

Sayonara, Indy: My Thoughts on Peyton & the Colts

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Today, the sports world witnessed a sad event.  The legendary professional quarterback Peyton Manning has parted ways with his team of 14 years, the Indianapolis Colts.

I’m not even a Colts fan and I’m saddened by this.  I have watched Peyton Manning play football for years and really did enjoy watching him.  He is a classy man and a classy athlete.  You never saw his name in the tabloids, he stayed out of trouble, seems to be a real family man, and he truly knew how to lead his team.  Peyton came to Indy in 1998 as the first overall pick in the draft, and has been a Colt ever since.  

But perhaps my favourite thing about Peyton is his passion for the game of football and his intelligence on the field.  He knew how to call a play, and which one to call at the right time.  He knew when to pass and when to rush.  He knew who to pass to, and he had his favourite receivers.  A better question would be what didn’t he know?


His stats say it all.  Career 64.9% pass completion rate.  That’s 4,682 completions for 7,210 attempts, for a total of nearly 55,000 yards.  
Holy Jesus Lord.

It was hard to watch the Colts this season.  Everyone was so used to them winning that seeing them lose–sometimes embarrassingly–was disappointing and disheartening.  I really did feel bad for the entire team, but that is what happens when the team is heavily dependent on one person.  And now that Peyton is going the free-agent route, the team will be spending the next few years rebuilding the powerful team Peyton built in his 14-year tenure in Indy.

Here’s my honest opinion: I wish he would have retired after the 2010 Super Bowl, even though they lost to the Saints.  He had a fantastic season despite the loss, and should have retired on top, because let’s face it, at his age, what were the chances of him having another amazing season?  If he had retired then, he would have left his legacy at the team he built in a city that loves him.  He could have taken a year or two off to relax and be with his family, and then maybe come back and coach or work on the business side of the game.  I know it’s not his fault he got injured, and he couldn’t have possibly known he was going to get hurt.  But still…

I also know the Colts didn’t want to pay him $28 million or however much just to see if he could still play and perform well, but there has to be another approach.  Maybe pay him a portion of the money and see how he does, and if he performs well, let him stay, keep playing, and pay the rest; if he doesn’t play well, then bring him to the business/administrative side of the team.  I don’t know how likely that would be, but it’s a thought.

Regardless, the decision has been made, and it’s not going to be changed.  Peyton laid a great foundation in Indy, and will always be a hero there.  And he’s going to make some other team really happy next season.

Best of luck to you, Peyton.  We’ll miss seeing you in the blue and white 18 jersey, but you will always remain in the football world, whether you’re on the field or calling plays from the sidelines.

And because I couldn’t resist…

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