WEEK 13

Ladies & Gentlemen,

This has been one of the longest weeks of my entire young adulthood for many obvious reasons. First of all, I have two of my best friends from Vermont visiting my new South Carolina home, so it is safe to say there has not been a dull moment since they arrived this past Tuesday. On a similar note, I don't recall there being a solitary moment of sobriety since Kevin and Justin hopped off the airplane. These past five days have been filled with vague and drunken memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. With all of that hoopla being said, I keep reminding myself that graduation is less than a month away and I can't afford to make too many irresponsible mistakes. There is a little voice in my head that keeps telling me to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize. This semester has been a crazy rollercoaster ride, especially trying to balance it with my work life down here, but it will all be worth it in the end when I catch that flight up to the University of Vermont this coming May 21st and step onto that stage when my name is announced as a college graduate. I have been dreaming of that very moment for a long time and it has motivated me to overcome all of the hardships I have experienced all along the way these past five years. I have grown and matured a lot over the years and I've learned that if you truly have your heart set on achieving a particular goal, you naturally push yourself past the limits of your comfort zone and do whatever it takes to succeed. I know that in my heart of hearts that I will fulfill my vow by putting that cap and gown on and I'll smile back at my proud family and friends who helped me achieve such success each and every step of the way.

Cheers!

Z

WEEK 12

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Good afternoon folks, I am currently writing this blog post from the caddyshack on Kiawah Island because I still don't have Wi-Fi connection at my apartment complex. This problem has been very inconvenient for me as of late because I have had to use my iPhone to answer my classmates questions and responses. This week the weather is extremely hot and sticky on the course, the wind is virtually non-existent, which is a recipe for the death of a caddy. Although the remainder of this week will be a drag, I'm looking forward to this weekend's festivities because my sister and her friends are coming to visit. This will be Matti's first time visiting the Charleston area, so I have to give her the full tour and show her around the town. I plan on taking her to some of the most popular bars and night clubs that me and all the other caddies go to cut loose. I also will be taking her and her friends to all of the nearby beaches like Island of Palms, Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach. The most important thing I must keep in mind this weekend is to be safe and use caution when it comes to drinking alcohol and drinking. There will be enough of us this weekend to make sure that one of us is a designated driver who will be responsible each evening. That being said, there will not be a dull moment this weekend, especially because all of these guests will be sleeping in my one bedroom apartment so it should be interesting to see how all of us squeeze. I have a feeling that my electric bill will be quite a bit higher after this weekend, but the memories will be priceless if you know what I mean.

Cheers!

Z

WEEK 11

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

This week is a very special week, arguably one of the most exciting weeks of the year if you're a golf enthusiast like myself, it's MASTERS WEEK. For me, this week is equivalent to Christmas, I'll feel like a little kid again waking up this coming Thursday morning for the opening round of play. Aside from The Masters and all of its glory, in all honesty it will be a very difficult week for me to focus on my classwork. However, I hope that my peers can understand that this famed tournament only comes along once a year so it is very special and a high priority for me. That being said, I will try to do my very best to not get caught up too much in this beautiful distraction, but if I do falter then you know the precise reason. However, in reality I probably won't be able to watch as much live coverage as I hoped due to the fact that I'll be caddying out on the golf course the next few mornings. I am depressed to say the very least that my work schedule conflicts with viewing pleasure. On a related note, I am very proud to say that I am not gambling on The Masters this year which is quite an achievement in itself. Ever since I have been living on my own I have recognized the value of the dollar and have been more responsible by refraining from bad habits of the past. All of my buddies from back home in Vermont have been trying to make bets with me on who will win and put on the coveted Green Jacket, but I have elected to take the path less traveled and that has made all the difference.

P.S. If I were a betting man, full disclosure, I would bet the house on Rickie Fowler (biased opinion)!

Cheers!

Z

WEEK 10

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

So far this week has been a very tough one and I pray it gets easier as I ease into the weekend. I have been suffering from allergies and sleep deprivation. All of the pollen in the air coming off these South Carolina pine trees has my head spinning from so much nasal congestion. Also, it probably does not help that I spend my entire day caddying on a golf course surrounded by hundreds of pine trees. Anyways, the whole sleep thing is entirely my fault (Lol). My sleep schedule is bi-polar and changes everyday, but to be fair my work schedule changes daily so it has been difficult to adjust a proper time to go to bed. Most recently, I have been staying up late because I am a night owl and then waking up before sunrise and this has made me a very tired human as of late. I think what has messed up my biological clock the most is probably when I come home from work and proceed to take a three to four hour nap into the evening. Right now I am more wide awake than I probably should be and I should try to avoid doing that all together and just go to bed at an earlier hour, but what can I say I'm a young and stupid college kid at heart. That being said, my goal for this coming weekend is to not stay out with my buddies too late and get to sleep at a decent hour so I can be well rested and avoid getting sick from lack of energy. In the meantime, in order to get my school work done, I will continue to look like a zombie from The Walking Dead and stay caffeinated on coffee and other sugary substances until I can make time for relaxation in my busy schedule. Cheers!

Your Nocturnal Friend,

Z

WEEK 9

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

As I lay here and type my weekly journal entry, I am halfway through eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Tonight has been a very lowkey and lonely Friday night. I was supposed to go downtown to a sports bar with a buddy Sean who is a caddie from the golf course, but we both decided to stay in and rest up due to our lack of sleep the night before. Nights like tonight make me reflect upon the downside of living the bachelor lifestyle, which is the reminder that I'm living alone with no roommate or significant other to share a conversation. I'll admit that it's tough mentally to convince yourself that you're not sad about not having anyone to share life's little moments with because in reality it tears your heart to pieces. Although tonight has ended on a rather somber note, I am looking forward to tomorrow night because I am indeed going out with the boys for a night on the town so it should be quite memorable. Also on Sunday, my buddy Jon from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is driving down to visit for a couple nights. Jon and I will be teeing it up at a few local "hack courses" nearby as well as playing a round at one of the private courses we caddie for on Kiawah Island. Boys weekends are nice because they help get my mind off my past relationship with my ex-girlfriend who still happens to live nearby with her new boyfriend. We have only been broken up for not even two months yet and it seems just like yesterday we were in each other's arms. Well, enough of that talk, this heartbroken feeling can be mended temporarily with good alcohol and better company if you know what I mean. I know that many of my fellow classmates can relate to this whirlwind of emotions I am going through at the moment and I pray that these rough times pass quickly because life is too short to dwell in the past. I must keep calm and carry on.

Cheers mate!

Z

WEEK 8

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

As I type this blog post I'm grueling over a hangover from yesterday's St. Patricks Day festivities. I'm sure many of my classmates can relate to that feeling. It seemed like a good idea at the time to drink all of that "green beer" as I pretended to be Irish, but now I am paying the consequence ten fold. I came to shocking realization this morning that I wasn't in Ireland last night, but rather in America drinking cheap domestic alcoholic beverages with green dye. This weekend my best friends Kevin and Jack visited me at my new bachelor pad and this is when the fun began. We started our day off with a round of golf at some nearby hack course called Shadowmoss Country Club, where we all preceded to get intoxicated while riding around on golf carts (don't try this at home kids). After shotgunning several Natural "Natty" Lights and shooting arguably the worst round of golf in my entire life, we decided it was time to take this party downtown to commit more mischievous deeds. On the way back home to my buddy's house, we stopped at a wing shack and polished a couple dozen buffalo wings and slammed a few more draft beers. Afterward, my best friend Kevin drove (designated driver) us to his house to change and get ready for the clubs on King Street in downtown Charleston. By the time we finally arrived downtown it was nearly last call and believe me when I say we didn't need anymore alcohol intake at that point in the night. We finished the night with a large cheese pizza to balance the alcohol consumption throughout the day. I don't recall the remainder of the night, but it is safe to say that I had a night I can't remember with people I'll never forget. To be continued...

Cheers!

Z

WEEK 7

Good afternoon class,

Today is a wonderful day because it is my first day off from work in the past two weeks! I finally got to sleep in and treat myself to a nice homemade breakfast of scrambled eggs with toast. Today's agenda will consist of lounging around the apartment in my pajamas and playing my Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game on my X-Box 360. later this afternoon I have to drive and pick a friend up from the airport. My friend Kasey will be staying with me for a few days and sleeping on my couch in the living room. It is his first time ever visiting Charleston so I will be showing him around town to see all the sights and attractions this historic city has to offer. Tonight I plan on showing him Isle of Palms, which is a beach town where a couple of my good friends bartend at the bars, one is called The Dinghy and the other is The Windjammer. This weekend I will show him all the cool shops and places to eat downtown. By this I mean real southern barbecue and seafood joints. During my friend's stay, my goal is to show him the best local parts and stay away from the touristy side of South Carolina because I want him to experience true southern hospitality at its finest.

As a reminder to myself, I will need to keep up with my homework in the midst of all these fun activities. It's a good thing I've already done all my class work for this week, the material on Medieval Sermons from a blog perspective was quite interesting. The most important thing I've learned this week while dealing with Prothemes and Exemplums is that journalistic principles apply to all formats whether secular or religious. These structures have helped me better understand the nature of such biblical discourses which are extremely fascinating, regardless if you're a church-goer or not. Take care and I'll be checking in with y'all next week at this time, Godspeed and God bless!

Cheers,

Z

WEEK 6

Class,

Good afternoon ladies and gents, this week has been a very tiresome hardworking one in every sense of the word "grind." I have been caddying full-time at the private golf courses on the beautiful Kiawah Island overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I must admit I'm extremely blessed to call my work office out on the lush green pastures of Cassique and River Course golf clubs. I highly recommend visiting these resorts if you are ever in the area, I promise you the views are breathtaking and are guaranteed to blow your mind. That being said, it is safe to say that I have finally come into my own and I'm beginning to earn the respect of my peers. Since my time down here in South Carolina, I've learned that hard work truly does go a long way and employment opportunities such as the one I've been given must be taken advantage of and never for granted.

Off the course, in the classroom setting I have learned a great deal about the nature of Inverted Pyramid schemes, a lesson that will serve my written product in the journalism field for the years to come in my young career. Since my undergraduate days of writing in such types of format, I have gained a further knowledge for the fine details and intricacies that distinguish the subtle difference between a catchy storyline and a dull one. As an amateur journalist I have expanded my horizons about the internal makeup of such articles and analyzed the key elements necessary to maximize the face value of such a type of article.

In closing remarks, this weekend I will be engaging in some nightly social activities with my dearest buddies, such as going on a 'Brew Tour' in Charleston to sample some of the finest craft microbrews the historic city has to offer. I am overjoyed to finally be able to relax and enjoy several adult beverages in good company. I will do my best to be on good behavior and not do anything my other classmates wouldn't do if you know what I mean (LOL). :P

Yours Truly,

Z

WEEK 5

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I must say this has been one of the best weeks since I've moved to the gorgeous state of South Carolina. I am officially moved into my new one-bedroom apartment that I'm proud to say I'm leasing on my own with no help from my parents. Although I did have some help from nearby friends who gave me a helping hand with furniture during the move. Also, this week I started my new job at the luxurious Kiawah Island caddying for super rich old folks. I must say my spirits have been lifted to an all time high after my recent breakup with my girlfriend. I have never felt more accomplished and independent to be making it in the dirty south on my own. In the following weeks I will be truly tested in terms of paying my bills on time and taking care of myself off the course, but I can't think of a better way to spend this spring and summer than doing the things I love the most. Meanwhile, I'm taking this online course along with two other English courses to complete my undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont which I will be flying up for graduation this coming May. This process has been very tedious and I have learned a tremendous amount, especially time management. In the past few weeks I have been given unconditional support from my family and friends who have helped me cope with this major transition. My perspective on living has changed drastically and I am beginning to understand what it takes to get the job done with nobody else around. This weekend I am looking forward to grinding hard on the course to make a living, but also finding time for myself by relaxing by the pool on these long hot days under the Carolina sun. In hindsight, this experience has taught me that if you want something in life you need to do whatever it takes because nobody will do it for you. The fruit lies on the end of the branch and those who are brave enough to stretch out for it will reap its benefits.

God bless,

Z

WEEK 4

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this week has been very promising to me so far, everything is starting to go in my favor and I couldn't be happier. I just landed a sweet spring and summer job as a golf caddie out on Kiawah Island, South Carolina making big tips to tend for rich folks golf clubs. Also, I was approved for a single bedroom apartment downtown so I will finally be moving out of my family friend's house and have my own place to call home. I only signed a six year lease because I'm under contract to work for the golf course for four months and I'm also working at Dick's Sporting Goods as a golf assistant. This is a big turning point in my life that will truly test my ability to be independent and fend for myself so to speak. I suppose what I'm looking forward to the most is being my own parental figure and making the calls on things such as food and curfews. I can do whatever I want whenever I want. However, I will also have a lot more responsibility in terms of paying my bills on time as well as cleaning and cooking. This coming Saturday, tomorrow, my best friend is coming down from North Carolina to help me move in and unpack my belongings into my new place. I am beyond excited to kickstart this new chapter in my life and impatient to see what's in store along this journey. Although there have been many downs recently in my life like losing my girlfriend last week, things are looking bright again and I feel more motivated than ever before. I feel like I have been given a new lease on life with endless opportunities and I am more than ready to seize the moment. I will not take this opportunity for granted, but I will most certainly take advantage of these blessings that the man above has been presenting me with. Godbless!

Yours Truly,

Z

WEEK 3

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this week's post will be a very short and somber one, as I am currently going through a very difficult time in my life. Some may even call it an "Early-Life Crisis." Long story short, my girlfriend of one year informed me that I had the weekend to pack up my belongings and move out of the house we rented together. This life shattering news came straight out of left field, I never anticipated such heartbreak on the horizon. Thankfully, my friends who were visiting this weekend were able to help me load my things and bring them to a family member's house. I lay typing this entry from my aunt's guest bedroom asking myself how did things go so wrong? No pun intended, but things drastically drifted south in a heartbeat. I have laid awake the past several nights pondering the 'what if's' or 'could have's,' yet I lay restless without closure. I know in my heart of hearts that I did not commit any unfaithful act to deserve this hellish reality. Full disclosure, I did not cheat on her and it was not an abusive relationship in any way, shape or form. She left my high and dry in the coldest way imaginable, "I can't do this anymore. I need to work on me and I can't  do that with you in my life. It's not you it's me." Cliché. I digress, I apologize for sharing such a personally traumatizing experience, but it was something that I needed to get off my chest because it's been long overdue. Thank y'all for letting me vent in this forum as opposed to bottling up these thoughts all to my lonesome.

Misery Loves Company,

Z

WEEK 2

Good evening ladies and gents, I've had quite a fun day in the sun in South Carolina, the temperature got up to 80 degress (in February). Let's just say I've been playing more golf than actually working. I just got done playing a relaxing round of golf next door at the local course, Crowfield Plantation, it was just me and a six pack of beer. Afterwards, I came home to my lovely girlfriend who made an exquisite pasta dish and now I'm lounging in the recliner. What I just described to you is my daily routine in a nutshell. Life is good!

This week in class, the most interesting thing I learned was the difference between a dash and a hyphen. All this time as a sports journalist referencing to AP style, not once had a spent the time to study such a subtle yet crucial component of punctuation. In hindsight, my mind was blown after having overlooked this small facet that most commonly neglect. I learned that when it comes to any type of writing, whether it's journalism or an essay composition, grammar encompasses all of the little things that make the biggest difference in the quality of your writing as a whole.

As for this weekend, I have some big plans in store with my best friend from Vermont who is flying down to visit. I plan on showing him around the Charleston area, that is the golf courses and bars downtown on King Street. My goal this weekend is to spend more time on homework than consumption of "adult beverages," but we shall see. Although the weather forecast is calling for chilly temperatures (50-60 degrees) and rain, so perhaps we will take a raincheck on golf.

Cheers!

P.S. Sorry to all the New Englanders for rubbing the warm weather and sunshine in your face!

WEEK 1

I am a tad bit shaky at "ice breakers" but here is my best shot, my name is Zachary Edward Gilbert Giroux. Now that's a mouthful. As I said in my previous introduction, I am a Sports Journalist and a College Football maniac to put it passively.

Today I will share with you an extremely personal story that could potentially get me in trouble with the law, but ah what the hell. Two weekends ago, my best buddies and I traveled to the College Football National Championship in Tampa, Florida. My favorite team where I once attended school at Clemson University was taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As many of you know or don't because nobody probably cares, it was a rematch from last year, a grudge match. This made the ticket prices astronomical and unfeasible for normal people like me and you to purchase game tickets without taking out a loan. Seriously some tickets cost anywhere from two - five thousand dollars a piece!

My bros and I didn't travel all that way just to watch the game in the parking lot of Raymond James Stadium. So we devilishly devised a plan to sneak into the National Championship on the eve of January 9th, 2017.

My friend's dad who already purchased his family's box suite seats with the President of Sirius XM Radio worth $10,000 total, helped us scheme a plan for the ages. There was an ice machine right outside the ticket entrance so my friend's Will and Josh decided to each grab a bag of ice and act as if we were staff members for some fancy rich person's luxury suite. I held up the bag of ice, partially blocking my face and said to the older lady scanning tickets that I was bringing it to "Suite 323, ma'am." She responded "Yes sir, come right through this way." It worked.

At the time, I could not comprehend what just happened, besides the impending charges of grand larceny if we were caught. The last thing I remembered was dropping the bag of ice and scampering towards the droves of people piling into the stadium. I didn't have a ticket or a place to sit, but boy did I have one hell of a story to tell my friends back home...

P.S. The Clemson Tigers went on to defeat Alabama 35-31, it was the best college football game I had ever seen in my entire life, the best part was the experience was "priceless."