I’m Twittering... because I’m in Rome?

Veronica Corningstone: But it's very important to me that I be viewed as a professional.
Ron Burgundy: Right. When in Rome. Hmm.
Veronica: Yeah. That, uh, expression doesn't really apply to what I'm talking about.
Ron: Oh. Oh, I'm--
Veronica: What I was saying.
Ron: I still don't quite understand what it means.
Veronica: Oh, no. You'll find it.

Throughout Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ron Burgundy could never grasp the concept of the phrase, "When in Rome". The idea eluded him, was foreign to him, he simply couldn't connect the dots. And so despite his best efforts, he was never able to master how and when to use it.

For the last year or two, this has been my attitude towards Twitter. I got it... but I didn't get it at all. What purpose did it serve? Did it offer any value? When would I use it? Why would I use it?

To these questions, I still don't have an answer. But like Burgundy, I've decided to dive in head first and hope for the best.

You can view and follow my Twitter feed here or simply follow my updates on the sidebar of this blog, buried underneath the "What is AK All Day?" section.* Maybe one day, like Ron, I’ll find it.

*If I'm really going to make a concerted effort to become a reputable member of Twitter Nation, this clearly needs to be more prominent on the blog's layout, which -- irrespective of this -- has remained stagnant for far too long. So after the 17 months with the same template, I may be looking to mix things up here in the coming days or weeks. You may have noticed a change in the width of the margins; hopefully I can muster a little more than that sooner or later.

Who has two thumbs and doesn't have TB?

This guy!

(Uhhhhh, I guess it's important to note that I'm currently pointing both of my thumbs at me.)

But yes, I had a chest x-ray on Friday and despite rumors to the contrary, it came back tuberculosis free! So for those keeping score at home, that's one step further away from deportation and one step closer to a work visa.

I've had a pretty bad chest cold for the last few days, so leading up to the exam, I was positive that I had somehow contracted tuberculosis. Kind of like how, at some point in all of our lives, we convince ourselves that we have cancer. So when the woman at the health center studied my x-ray for what seemed like a full minute, while she had seemingly glanced at every other one for a few seconds, I was fully convinced that I was on the next plane home in my own little plastic bubble. But no! I'm safe for now.

Despite this cold, I forged through on Friday night, determined not to let a little illness ruin my time here. (Let's look past the fact that it's not like I'm here for a week or two; I probably could have taken the night off.) And much like the news team brawl in Anchorman, the night escalated quickly. A few beers soon turned into a few cocktails, which soon turned into shots.

Flash forward to 7:30 the next morning when I'm woken up by the guys in the apartment I'm staying at because they're getting ready to play some cricket. And my throat is on fire. I can hardly speak. Genius, Andy. Really genius. Anyway, the rest of the day was spent trying to make it through the rest of the day. Which was quite the struggle. Needless to say, I took it easy that night, stayed away from the alcohol and even passed out before England finished off Australia in the Rugby World Cup.

Still don't have a place to live, but I'm seeing some more places today and hoping to hear back from a few others soon. Let's hope it comes soon... living on a sofa in the living room of an apartment for four isn't really my bag.