For the second year in a row, I find myself signed up for the Illinois Half Marathon. You may remember my adventure last year, when I was relegated to walking the entire course because of a lower back injury.

What hints of springtime more than a baby farmyard animal? A whole herd of baby farmyard animals, of course! Last weekend I was able to frolic within whispering distance of black and brown and white baby goats at the Prairie Fruits Farm's spring open house/"kid" baby shower.

Having recently completed my last college application essay, I impart to all interested underclassmen the following timely tip: Beware the invincibility of spellcheck.

As Uni's numbers bounce back from last week's first major wave of flu-related absences, let us refrain from dwelling on the nasty specifics of swine flu. Instead, let us focus our efforts on sprucing up the aura of this horrid malady.

Every year, news outlets both large and small churn out their somber treatments of 9/11 and underline the importance of acknowledging the anniversary of those horrific events.

Looking toward a summer that will be defined by college visits, essay writing, and ACT test prep, I'm already searching for shortcuts to the answers that will shape my life.

Just when I thought that my family might have broken some new ground in the world of travel hijinks, I noticed online that some sprightly garden gnomes had already beaten us to the conceptual punch.

I have a track record of fainting. The sight of blood makes me nauseous, and I tend to look for ways out of cramped, stifling conditions.

As one of Erika Belmont's blog entries pointed out so well last year, most of us have fallen victim to the notion that "If it's free, you better get two of them before they're all gone, and then find out what it is you're grabbing later."

"1000 Places to See Before You Die." "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die." "1001 Foods You Must Taste Before You Die." "

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I personally think I'm a fairly unique person. At the end of the day, with all due respect to the extensive vocabularies of my family and friends, I absolutely believe it's a nightmare to dwell on this sort of thing. It's not rocket science, this study of words, but at this moment in time, I shouldn't of gone on such a tangent.

There, I did it again. I willingly committed myself to something that I know I will fight when it actually comes time to do it.

Yesterday morning, I went shopping for a few things at Schnucks with my dad. We ended up at the self-checkout lanes because it seemed like those customers were moving faster.

Regardless of whom you would vote for, you can’t deny that Barack Obama has energized a process that is boring to many and seemingly nonexistent to some.