Lessons Learned by July 16th

Ok, so when reporting there are important rules to remember--these are lessons I've learned so far:

1. ALWAYS have a notebook and pens/pencils with you (even if you are just galavanting off to the lake with your girlfriends)
2. ALWAYS have a camera, even if its a tiny digital one, ON HAND--(even if you just plan to take pictures of you and your girls trying to catch fish with your hands in the lake and drinking terribly sweet spiked pink lemonade)
3. FOCUS your ideas while reporting, it helps when writing a story. Why do this? So you don't get yelled at by your editor