Fall is Here! And so is TV.

The first official day of Fall was three days ago, the 22nd of September. Now, with Fall comes cooler weather here in Florida, the changing colors of leaves, college and NFL football, but for many, television season premieres are the highlight of Fall. America loves its football, and we love our TV. Colleges across the United States thrive on football season and the University of Florida is no different. Every game day in Gainesville, the town shuts down and turns completely orange and blue. People come together for the common love of the Florida Gators. I've never seen anything like it. Oh, wait. Yes I have. Every game day in Tallahassee is the exact same, except with garnet and gold. (Much prettier in my opinion).

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights, America sits glued to their televisions watching anxiously as each and every play unfolds. This year, the replacement referees of the NFL have been causing quite the controversy as many of the calls have be clearly wrong and caused the wrong outcomes of games. During the week, however, television shows tend to dominate the evenings. This year, some of the noteworthy shows on television are:

1. NCIS. Returning for its 10th season, the #1 drama on television will undoubtedly captivate millions of American's attention, mine included. NCIS is one of my favorite shows on TV, if not my favorite, and I am anxious for it's return.

2. Modern Family. On Wednesday, Modern Family will return to ABC. Modern Family heavily dominated the Emmy's and it's no secret why. With a brilliant cast and possibly more brilliant writers, Modern Family is a comedy that's impossible not to love.

3. The X-Factor and the Voice. I group these two together for the purpose of categories. Both are signing competitions and competitors. The preference toward one or the other will most likely come from which judge panel the viewer cares for more.

4. The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper, the genius scientist, makes this nerdy comedy a show for the entire family. Well, if your family is composed of nerds. The canned laughter and the science jokes create a rather cheesy sitcom, but I absolutely love it.

5. New Girl. New Girl is back for it's second season and I couldn't be more thrilled. With a character named Schmidt, I automatically love the show. The quirky humor and charming Zooey Deschanel keep me coming back each Tuesday night for another round of laughs.

6. Revenge. Now, I have yet to see this show, but from what I have heard it is amazing. Revenge is an intense drama based on avenging the death of a loved one, and it's season two premiere has been highly anticipated.

7. Glee. Broadway on TV, almost. For those that love to sing and dance, Glee is the perfect one hour escape to sing along with the talented cast and pretend to be a Hollywood star. At least that's why I watch it...

8. The Office. This Fall, The Office will premiere its final season on the air. After 8 seasons of laughter, tears, and joy, Dwight and Jim will have their final feuds before saying goodbye to their fans. Many people have stopped watching The Office for the past year due to the departure of Michael Scott (played by Steve Carrell), but it still holds a strong fan base that I believe will carry through it's final season.

This Fall, it's clear that there are tons of television shows to watch and keep up with. Pick a few, but don't forget to spend time with friends and family or head outside for a little bit. And if you're a student like me...remember to study!

Michelle Obama Speaks at UF

Yesterday, the 17th, the First Lady of the United States made her way to the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The word that Michelle Obama would be in town spread like wildfire last Thursday. Callie (my roommate) and I waited in line for over two hours to get tickets to see Michelle Obama speak. The line was short, but moved incredibly slow. We were bombarded by people trying to get us to register to vote in Alachua County (no thank you) as well as making sure that we were indeed registered to vote somewhere. When we finally made it to the front of the line, we provided volunteers with our name and address before receiving our free ticket. We filled out the bottom as requested by the volunteers and made our way home.

The First Lady was scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 17th. As this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I skipped my final class of the day to go wait in line. Callie, Justin, and I arrived at the O'Connell center at 2:00 p.m. However, by this time the line had already wrapped around the parking garage and through much of the parking lot. It took us over an hour before we made it in the building. While we were waiting in line, we learned that you could not bring backpacks inside which was unfortunate considering that I just came from class. Justin, (Callie's boyfriend) kindly volunteered to take our things home and miss the speech. What a good boy. Part of me thinks that he really didn't want to go or wait in line any longer, but we won't hold that against him. ;) As Callie and I neared the front of the line, a family of four cut in front of us (and about a thousand other people) and scooted under the rope. I didn't say anything to avoid starting a fight, but I thought it was rather rude. Secret Service personnel screened us just like airport security before we entered the building. It was absolutely packed. However, the organization of this event was less than efficient, particularly the seating arrangements.

Michelle Obama did not take the stage until 4:00 pm. 30 minutes later than scheduled. I'm sure there are  reasons why she was so late, but I was still a tad peeved to be waiting for so long. When she did walk out on stage, the crowd roared. We all stood and applauded for the First Lady. I listened intently as I want to make an informed decision this November. Here are some of the points that she made that stuck with me: 1) "We don't get anywhere on our own".  Now, I'm sure this wasn't meant to be insulting, but I thought it was a little bit of a risky statement following her husbands "You didn't build this" comment. She continued to say that for every time that we accomplish something, we have a community to thank, a special teacher, or someone that helped us along the way. While that is not entirely false in my opinion, I think the statement she made was a little bit too strong. 2) The Obamas will always tell us the truth, even when it's hard to hear. Very false. No politician, Democrat or Republican, will ever tell the people the entire truth. They have a campaign to win. Politicians have two goals in life: Get elected, and get reelected. Many times, the "hard truth" wouldn't allow them to get elected, so they tell the people what they want to hear instead. That comes as no surprise to me. That's part of politics. I watch the news knowing that there is no way that I am getting the full truth and I have come to accept that. So, the fact that I am getting lied to doesn't bother me nearly as much as politicians insisting that they are telling me the truth. 3) When President Obama took office, the newspapers were using words such as "meltdown" to describe the state of the economy. Interesting. During President Obama's term, we were minutes away from a government "shutdown". 4) The slogan of "GM is alive, Osama Bin Laden is dead" continues to be used heavily through the campaign trail. 5) Women. The First Lady made many appeals to the women in the audience, countering Governor Romeny's "War on Women". 6) With ObamaCare, children can stay under their parent's insurance until the age of 26. To me, that seems a bit ridiculous. In many ways I'm sure that is helpful, but I find it to be more enabling and crippling than helpful. I don't think that that encourages independent young adults.

Florida is a battle ground state. Our votes in this election are critical. I believe this is largely why Michelle Obama came to Gainesville to speak, and Tallahassee later that same night and I don't blame her. She knows that we will have an influence on this election and she wants to make her case for "4 more years". I think Michelle Obama is a wonderful speaker, just like her husband. I also think that she is a loving, dedicated wife and that speaks volumes to me. During these last four years at the First Lady of the United States, she had made great progress in the effort to fight childhood obesity and I admire that. Following this speech, however, I am not sure that I agree with much of what was said yesterday and will be eagerly watching the debates that will begin shortly.

Happy Tuesday! Make it a great one!

The Democratic National Convention

President Obama and his fellow constituents took the state in Charlotte, NC for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Speakers included, but were not limited to, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, and President Obama. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the First Lady's speech, but I heard that it was rather good. That doesn't surprise me one bit. I have always liked Michelle and found her to be a genuine lady.

One of the more interesting moments of the convention was during the attempt to put God and Jerusalem back in the party platform. When asked for the majority vote, it was clear that there was no majority. However, the speaker tried again, and a third time to attempt to determine a 2/3 majority. No majority could have been determined from the vote, much less 2/3. Despite the failed vote attempt, the speaker read off of the teleprompter that already stated that God and Jerusalem would be reinstalled in the Democratic party platform. Following this verdict, there was a significant amount of booing among the audience as I'm sure they felt unheard and cheated. Unfortunately, this incident took up much of the "highlights" of the convention and received more attention than many of the speeches.

I did get the chance to watch Former President Bill Clinton speak prior to President Obama's address. In my opinion, at 50 minutes, it was rather long. Whether it was the length, or the content, I was not particularly impressed with Clinton's speech. However, the audience clearly was. The delegates laughed and applauded almost as if Clinton was still the President. Critics and analysts have stated that Clinton is actually rather Anti-Obama and is merely putting on a good show not to burn any bridges for when his wife runs again for President. My opinion on this, is irrelevant. Political standings aside, Clinton provided great entertainment for those in attendance at the convention as well as millions of viewers across America.

Following Vice President Joe Biden's speech, Michelle Obama gave a brief, but sweet, introduction for her husband, President Barack Obama. President Obama walked in to loud applause, cheers, and smiles. No matter your political party of preference, it's hard to debate that Obama is a wonderful speaker. He captivates the audience from the first line of his speech all through the last. In my opinion, Obama's speech was a good speech. Despite the excellent delivery, I did not find anything "new" in the President's speech other than the tone. Excellently delivered, interspersed with jokes and inspirational statements, and delivering a message that Obama is hopeful for the United States of America, rather than his previous campaigning tagline of hope and change. 

For the 2012 Presidential Election, I truly believe that both candidates are genuine people with America's best interest in mind. Why would one run for President if you didn't love the country that you  were running to govern? Both have seemingly stable and great families with loving, supporting, and intelligent wives. To me, it's not a question of candidates as people. Or, at least not the deciding factor. Rather, it is a matter of policy, which I believe is how all elections should be. People are entitled to their own opinions and allowed to vote as they please. That's the beauty of America. Over the next couple of months, we will see many debates between President Obama and Governor Romney, and come November 6th, our country will have to make a decision for the next President of the United States of America. Which slogan do you best align with: "Forward." or "We Built It."?

The Republican National Convention

 This past week, Mitt Romney and his fellow campaign members took to the stage in Tampa, Florida at the Republican National Convention (RNC). I will be able to vote in this election, which has spurred a sudden interest in politics for me. So, for four days, I sat in front of the TV and watched the RNC. The following is a brief overview on what I took away from the convention, trying to be as unbiased as possible.

Going into this convention, Romney and his teammates had a huge task ahead of him. The goals of the RNC, to me, were to humanize Mitt Romney as well as appeal to the women across America. My favorite speech of the entire RNC did not come from Romney, but from his wife, Ann. Ann Romney struck me as a very genuine woman with good intentions and a strong belief in her husband and his capabilities. I found her speech very effective in not only helping Mitt appeal to women, but giving the impression to America that the Romney's are a well rounded family that deeply care for one another. I was intently listening to her speech from beginning to end. I also rather enjoyed Condolisa Rice's speech and applaud her for not using a teleprompter. Brava. Seems to me like the women dominated this convention, at least speech wise.

In an attempt to humanize Governor Romney, two couples told their heartfelt stories about how Romney had helped them through some very rough times in their lives, such as helping a 14-year old boy write his will to make sure his skateboard would be delivered to his best friend when he passed. To me, this was the most successful part of the Convention. These stories were very genuine and heartfelt and gave the audience a deeper and more personal look into the life of Governor Romney and his contributions to the community.

Clint Eastwood made a guest appearance just minutes before Romney made his speech, and I must say it was rather interesting. As a Hollywood star, one would assume that he would be pretty liberal in his political views. However, Eastwood spent most of his speech talking to an empty chair where Obama "sat" in an old fashioned style comedy routine. While it was very entertaining and kept me tuned, Eastwood delivered some pretty harsh blows to the President. Some analysts were worried that Eastwood may have taken the spotlight of the entire convention, but I disagree. Although it was a nice comedic relief and distraction, I didn't think that Clint Eastwood stole the spotlight.

When it finally came time for Romney's speech on the last night of the convention, I was pumped. I was really looking forward to what he had to say and gathering more knowledge for the upcoming election. Although the speech didn't have much for me to criticize, it also was not particularly captivating. I found myself drifting off in thought, unlike in the prior speeches. However, I paid attention enough to catch some of his main points. With a few subtle attacks at President Obama and a few more that were a little harsh, Romney made it clear that he is ready to change the operations of the White House. He mentioned a "5-step plan" to get the economy on track, reduce the deficit, and create 26 million jobs...but he did not give any specifics to the audience. While I know that policy was not the primary goal of this convention, I was slightly disappointed not to hear any specifics from the Governor. I suppose that I will have to stay tuned for the upcoming debates as this election process continues.

Overall, I think that the RNC was a success. The Romney and Ryan families were presented as well grounded and genuine and confident in one another. I really enjoyed the RNC's slogan, "We Built It" as I thought it spoke accurately and directly to both the Republican ideals as well as a retort to President Obama's comments. This week, President Obama and Democrats will take the stage and you can bet your booty that I will be watching all four days of the convention. Stay tuned for my thoughts next Monday. :)

An Overview of the Semester

Well, I'm back in Gainesville. The thrilling and adventurous European posts are over; now it's back to my daily life in Gainesville. Hopefully I can figure out how to make this just as exciting ;) Today began the second week of classes here at the University of Florida. Classes began last Wednesday and I started my second year of college. For those of you that don't know, or may have forgotten, I am a General Business major with a minor in Mathematics. The plan (as of now) is to one day become a math professor. So, that means that this semester I am taking Calculus II, Financial Accounting, Business Statistics, and Age of Dinosaurs. The last class is just a general education requirement, nothing special. It looks like it is going to be a very challenging semester, but hopefully doable.

I am living with Callie at a new apartment this year. Callie went to Leon High School in Tallahassee and I met her through her boyfriend, Justin, who rowed on the crew team with me. Both Callie and I are very organized and a little bit OCD, so we get along great. We are living in a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. So far, I'm loving it! It's on the third floor and there is no elevator...so, I get to work out my quads a few times every day by climbing the stairs. We have a full sized kitchen so I am looking forward to cooking a lot of meals this year :)

CrossFit begins the 1st of September and I am eager for it to resume. I am so out of shape and need the routine of working out back in my life. However, I know that the first few weeks are going to be absolutely awful as my body loses some fat and starts to rebuild the lost muscle. Oh well. No pain, no gain...right? I am planning on working out three times a week in the mornings before class, so around 9:00 a.m. I am hoping that this will be a good start to my day and I can develop a healthy habit of waking up at a reasonable hour and getting my day started.

As far as clubs and involvement on campus goes, I have not started looking into clubs intently...as classes just started. My goal is to join at least one organization on campus this semester. Possible candidates as of now are Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Toast Masters (a professional speaking club). I am also looking to volunteer at a local school to start developing contacts, connections, and experience in the education world. Through volunteering, I hope to eventually be able to tutor some kids for a little bit of extra spending cash.

It's raining here in Gainesville, and I'm sure most of you in Florida are experiencing similar weather. Although I don't particularly like walking to school in the pouring rain, I do love looking at all of the students with their different colored umbrellas. I imagine that if one was to take an aerial shot of the campus during this rainy week, it would prove to be a pretty cool picture. Tropical Storm Isaac looks like it will miss most of Florida come time for impact, but stay dry anyways! Happy Monday, make it a great one.

That's a Wrap (August 7th)

On August 7th, I returned to the United States of America. My morning began with a 45 minute taxi ride to the airport. As I rode out of the city of Rome, it hit me for the first time that I was leaving Europe. As excited as I was to go home and see my friends and family, I was also very sad to be leaving Rome; it proved to be a remarkable, unbelievable city that I had the privilege of spending my entire summer in. I arrived at the airport immediately after two gigantic groups on Astro buses. Perfect. Fortunately, they were not flying on the same airline as I was or else I might have missed my flight home. I checked in with US Airways and watched Pirates of the Carribean 2 on my laptop as I waited to board my plane to Charlotte, NC. The plane was an hour delayed leaving Rome. I can't say that I didn't expect it, but I was still an unhappy camper. When it finally came time to board the plane, a mob formed and we all pushed and shoved through to board the plane from the tarmac. During my summer living in Rome I learned how to push, shove, and weave better than most Americans; I was through the mob and on the plane in no time at all.

The plane ride to Charlotte, NC was 10 hours. This flight home seemed shorter than the ride over there and I was grateful for that. Although we made great time to Charlotte, we arrived an hour later than scheduled due to the delay and I was most likely to miss my flight. I tried to be patient through the long line at customs, but spent most of my time in line bouncing up and down. When I made it through customs it was 5:20. Boarding began in 5 minutes and my flight left in 40. I sprinted to the baggage claim where I had to pick up my luggage and re-check it. The lady at the help desk suggested re-booking my flight due to the time, but I said "No thank you. Please put my luggage on the flight, and I will see it in Jacksonville at 7:00 p.m." I was determined to make my flight. To my unfortunate surprise, I had to endure another security checkpoint and time was growing close. It was now 5:40. 20 minutes until departure. A few understanding people let me cut them in line and made way for the anxious girl trying to make her flight. As I made it through security, I threw everything in my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, hopped into my shoes, and sprinted to my gate. Literally. I passed dozens of people on the moving sidewalks and a few shouted "You can do it!" or "Good luck!" as I passed by. I made it. With almost no time to spare, I boarded the plane and we took off within 10 minutes. I was on my way home. I was seated next to four Florida students...what a small world! The hour plane ride flew by with conversation about the University and Gainesville.

I scurried off of the plane after it landed and sped walk to the baggage claim to see my parents who would be greeting me when I arrived. As I turned the corner, I saw two signs labeled "Kristy" and "Schmidt" being held up by two young men. Around them was a group of 15-20 high school and college aged guys. I tried not to show my confusion and scanned the group for familiar faces. None. As I walked towards this herd of men, I had no clue who any of them were. When I get about 20 feet away  or so, they began to chant "Kristy! Kristy! Kristy" and divided into two lines to form a tunnel. I decided to go along with it all and ran through the tunnel of cheering boys to find my parents waiting for me at the end of it. What a greeting! I was so confused, but also so happy to see my parents. As things settled down, I learned that they had been waiting on their friend Scott who had just returned from a month in Spain. After they greeted him, they said to my parents, "We're waiting for Kristy Schmidt" and asked for the signs. My parents had no idea who this group was, but they said yes. Of course. Well it made for the most interesting, exciting, and unique greeting I will probably ever receive at an airport. We picked up my luggage at the baggage claim (all of it!) and headed to the parking garage after a farewell to my new friends. I was finally home. Almost. 3 hours later, I would arrive in Tallahassee, Florida...but Jacksonville was close enough. With Zaxby's in my belly for dinner, I was a happy camper.

Below is a music video that I created while abroad. It features Jennifer and I around Europe in famous places such as the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, Florence, Venice, and much more! It is to the very popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Ray Jepsen. This video, to me, reflects my experience in Europe just as accurately as all of my blogs. Enjoy! Thanks so much for following me on my European Escapade! I am now back in Gainesville for another school year at the University of Florida and will resume my normal blogging routine this coming Monday. Have a wonderful Wednesday! :)

Venice (August 3rd- August 5th)

Our final trip in Europe would be a weekend excursion to Venice, Italy. Four hours by high speed train, Venice is a sinking island, and a beautiful one at that. We left on Friday after our final exam and arrived in Venice around 8:00 p.m. Our hostel was actually located on another island called Tronchetto, so all we planned on doing that night was eating and then heading to the hostel. After walking around for about 20 minutes or so, we found a place to eat. Seated at a table by the water, we ordered from a set menu that included three courses. After dinner we took the People Mover to the island of Tronchetto. Here we would catch a bus to Jolly Camping. Yes, we would once again be camping. This campsite was from the same company as our campsite in Florence. Appearance wise, it was much nicer with much nicer bathrooms and a better layout of the campground. However, the tents were placed so close together that one could hear every conversation going on in the tent next to you. Unfortunately for me, I can't go to sleep unless it's silent. Well, I have my sleep machine of course. After two hours of listening to these girls talk next door, I finally went over at 2:30 and asked them very nicely to be quiet. Around 3:30 a.m or so, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Saturday was our one full day in Venice. We started the morning off with some breakfast from the local supermarket: chocolate donuts and strawberries for me. Mmmm. We missed the shuttle to the main island so we were forced to take the public bus. No biggie; we were professionals. Following a 15 minute walk, we made it to the bus stop and headed down the island on a 25 minute bus ride. Once on the island, we just began walking. And walking. And walking. Venice is the perfect city for wandering. No big roads, just little back alleys. We stopped in almost each and every little shop, trying on the famous Venetian masks and looking at the beautiful Murano glass. Shelley, Jennifer, and I each bought souvenirs for family and friends. Through wandering in the back roads, we finally made it San Marco Square: the most famous square in Venice. We toured the basilica and walked up to the edge of the water. The water was absolutely breathtaking, with the gondolas perfectly placed along the shore and docks. San Marco's Square was overtaken by pigeons. Hundreds and hundreds of pigeons flew overhead and walked along the ground. I had to be careful not to step on one and kill it. Many children had purchased bird seed and would hold out their hands as pigeons swarmed over and landed on their shoulders, arms, and heads. It was quite the sight to see. Close to 4 p.m. we took a gondola ride through the back canals of Venice. Though it was rather expensive, it was the one "thing to do" in Venice, and it was worth the money. Our gondola man was friendly and pointed out little fun facts for us throughout the 35 minute ride. The rest of our evening was spent exploring more shops before catching the 9:30 p.m. bus back to the campsite.

Sunday was a half day. Shelley would catch a train home at 2:30 p.m to meet up with her aunt in Rome and Jennifer and I would catch the 5:00 train back to Rome.  We had one mission today: buy masks. Venice is famous for its beautiful masks and we each wanted one. After trying on dozens and dozens of masks and once I had about 10 pounds of glitter on my face, I finally found my perfect mask. And it was lovely. Jennifer found hers at the same place as mine, but Shelley still had not found "the one". Well, when Shelley finally found her perfect mask, she actually found three. Venice is Shelley's favorite place in the entire world, so three masks was a must. I'll admit, they were all beautiful. We had completed our mission and with an hour or so to spare. We searched for a place to eat lunch and found a smal bar/cafe. The Olympic Games were on so we spent a while watching the women's marathon before heading to the train station. One last gelato stop and we headed to the train station. Jennifer and I chose to wait in the train station; it was much too hot to be walking around and we had already accomplished all of our goals. The train ride home was rather long, but for a long stretch of it all I could see out the windows were fields of sunflowers. I was a happy camper. Jennifer and I arrived back in Rome at 9:00 p.m. Tomorrow would be my last day in Rome before heading home to America on August 7th. Gosh, time truly does fly when you're having fun.