Thanksgiving Break

My thanksgiving break was not all that interesting. Of course I went to my aunt and uncle's house for thanksgiving day and ate plenty of delicious food but there was nothing that was particularly exciting. However, my sister's best friend came home from college for break and I spent a lot of time with her and my sister. Erin has been a good friend of ours since we were just little kids. It has always been Becca, Erin, and I going places together. Erin goes to College of Charleston in South Carolina, so when she is home we try to spend as much time with her as we can. My sister, Becca, and I went to Erin's mom's house Friday night and watched movies. I didn't mind just watching a movie because we still have fun whether we are out or at home. Saturday, my dad had a party for the Ohio State Michigan game and Erin came over for that as well. Although we unfortunately lost the game, we still had fun. That night my sister and I went to Erin's dad's house to help her pack for her 5 o'clock flight the next morning. We stayed for dinner and then drove to Worthington Hills where Erin's mom lives. Once we arrived, we decided we could play a game before Becca and I left. Along with Erin's brother, mom, and step dad, the three of us played a card game called Pitt. It was the first time I had ever played but it was definitely not the last. I was terrible at it, so I would like to play it more often and actually win. Becca and I left around 9 in the evening because Erin needed her sleep before she woke up early Sunday morning. We said our goodbyes but we were hopeful because she would be home again in less than two weeks for winter break! Sunday was spent doing homework and finished up college applications. Last night was very exciting because the new season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York premiered! It was a really good episode and I understand why Kim and Kris are now getting divorced. They are not meant to be. I can't wait for the next episode!

Why are they not meant to be together? Why do you follow them? Why are they so interesting and exciting?

Shrek and Satire

The clip from the movie, Shrek, deviates itself from the typical formula of a fairytale by showing that the woman is able to save herself in a situation. Fiona did not need Shrek's help to keep the men away.

Exaggeration: The man dance and sing to Fiona and saves herself my using all sorts of self defense moves.

Incongruity: An example of this in the movie clip is when Robin Hood's men pop out of no where and the accordian player comes down from the trees.

Reversal: Fiona saves Shrek from Robin Hood and his men rather than Shrek saving himself. Women rarely save themselves in these sorts of situations in fairytales.

Parody: Fiona fights Robin Hood and his men in slow motion.

Veteran's Day

Every year, our school has veterans come in to discuss their experiences with the students. Every year there are new stories to listen to and amazing people to talk to. Their experiences are remarkable and the courage they have displayed is eye opening. On Thursday, I had the chance to listen to two World War II veterans, and something they said really touched me. One of the veterans was speaking about the hardships they had to endure and he interrupted his own story and exclaimed, "As hard and difficult as it was, I would do it all again because I was fighting for you. You all are living in a free country because of what we did and I would do it all again for you."
When he said this, I was truly touched. It made me remember that, because of these extrordinary people, we live in an amazing, free country. I believe that America, as a whole, does not give veterans the recognition they deserve. They sacraficed their time and lives for us and we need to remember and embrace them more than just on national holidays such as Veteran's Day. I love being able to listen to their stories, because not only are they sometimes funny, but they remind me of how lucky I am to be living in the United States.

I Want..

During high school is when most adolescents are pushed by society to mature. They are expected to get good grades, have a job and maintain a social life all at the same time. I think about this very often at times and realize that my teenage years do not have to be such a sturggle if I have parents that help me.

I want parents who will wake me up in the morning for school. I want parent who will make my bed for me every morning. I want parents who will make me breakfast everyday and have a glass of orange juice waiting for me on the counter. I want parents who will clean up after me, even though I am fully capable of doing so myself. I want parents who will give me lunch money weekly, so I will not have to pay for lunch with my own money when I go out. I want parents who will pay for my gas, insurance and if need, pay for traffic violations or other expenses. I want parents who will have a snack ready for me when I come home from school, one that is healthy. I want parents who will prepare dinner for me daily, even when they have to work. I want parents who will take my siblings to religion class, even when I have time to do so.

I want parents who will pay for my needs and desires. I want parents who will pay for my clothes when I want to go shopping, even though I have money to pay for them myself. I want parents who will pay for my makeup, feminine products, and hair products. I want parents who will buy me an $100 straightner when I have one that works perfectly fine. I want parents who will buy me something when I say I want it. I want parents who will buy me the newest technology out, because if they do not, I will not be up to date. I want parents who will give me money when I ask for it. I want parents who do not require me to have a job. I want parents who do not want me to work for what I want, because that needs time and effort. I want parents that understand that I am going to do what I want, and I will not always have time for them and my siblings.

I want parents that will do everything for me. I want parents that make sure that I will not have to lift a finger. I want parents that will write my papers for me when I do not feel like doing them myself. I want parents that will call me out of school when I do not feel like going. I want parents that will go into to school and talk me out of trouble, if I am in trouble. I want parents that will take care of all the paper work a high school student requires. I want parents that will fill out all my information required to play school sports. I want parents that will take me to get new running gear when I am tired of what I already have. I want parents that will go to every meet, rain or shine, and leave when I want them to. I want parents that will talk to college coaches for me. I want parents that will contact specific schools that I plan on going to. I want parents that will write my college application essays for me, because if I do them, they will not be up to par. I want parents that will do my college applications for me. I want parents that will complete the Common App for me, so I do not have to do it myself because it is very long. I want parents that will pay for all my college and not ask for one single dime from me. I want parents that will pay for out of state tuition, even though I know they do not have the income to do so. However, I do not care because I will go where I want to go. I want parents who will continue to care for me, even when I am out of college. They will call on my behalf, to work establishments and get an interview for me. I want parents that will continue to care for me til the day they die. I  want parents that will make life effortless, so that I will never have to grow up and become a responsible adult.

Wives

1. The essay does not have  thesis that is specifically stated, however the thesis statement that is implied is that wives are essential to everyday life.

2. As Brady repeats the words, "I want a wife", the effect of the repition is clear. It makes it obvious that the need or want for a wife is huge. Also that with a wife the stress of everyday life would be minimized.

3. She doesn't refer to a wife as her or she because she doesn't want to give them a human appearance. Brady wants the reader to believe that her writing makes it come off as if a wife isnt a human being but an it or material thing that you can retrieve.

4. No,  I do not believe that Brady wants this kind of wife and I do not believe that this kind of wife exists. The essay is just merely a description of a man's fantisy of a wife, or his utopian idea of a wife.

5. In the essay, Brady describes the wife as doing everything for the man. She organizes the essay starting with the family life, to keeping a man's social life in order, even to his sexual needs. I believe that this characterization of a wife is completely incorrect and somewhat sexist. A wife is never the person who is soley responsible for all the duties in a family. It should be a combined effort between the husband and wife together. With that said, I believe Brady characterized the wife like this to draw attention to how wives should be characterized and treated. She wanted to make it clear that this was not how a wife should go about her life and certainly not how a wife should be treated.

6. Dear Brady,
        After reading your essay, it drew my attention to how wives may be persieved. I certainly admire your blunt statements on what wives ar expected to be like. It almost comes off sarcarstic in a way and I think that it is witty. You made it clear about what men may expect in a wife and there is no need to have to meet at these demands. When you state, "I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about things that interest me and my friends," I was disturbed. For someone to write this, it is obvious that someone has thought it before. Wives are not slaves to their husband, and with this essay and its clearly stated thoughts, one would have to agree that it is wrong. I admire you for writing this because it draws attention to how wives should be thought of with its satire. Thank you for writing this very interesting piece.
                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                        Megan Neff

Halloween

Once upon a time..
It was Halloween and all the children in the neighborhood were extremely excited. There some dressed as a witch, zombie, and vampires. There was also a little boy dressed up as the ghost, Casper. All the costumes were interesting and fun to look at as the children walked by. As the dark night began to set it, the neighborhood became quiet as the children ran back to their houses. I got up from my chair and walked into my house. As I closed the door, I heard a loud bang on the wall of my house. I walked outside to see what it was and I stepped into something slimy. I looked down to see that someone had thrown a pumpkin and qourd at my house. I was very suspicious, and wondered if it was the evil kid thatg lived next door. He always caused problems in the neighborhood. In that moment, I remembered that I had an apple pie in the kitchen. I quickly ran in to get, ran back outside and threw it at the boy's house. Now he knows not to ever mess with me again.

Exercise 2 Continued

Although some people believe these authors are taking aware their right to creative and personal writing, Graff and Birkenstein insist that they are merely trying to assist in the ways people structure their writing, rather than writing for them. In sum, then, their view is that their book will only benefit studennts and their writing techniques.
I agreewith Graff and Birkenstein. In my view, the types of templates that the authors recommend are very straight forward and can have any view point fit with them. For instance, in the example, "she argues that...., and I agree because,"can go with any view supporting or not supporting. In addition, you could use many other templates as well. Some might object , of course, on the grounds that the templates will only make their writing sound more robotic, than opinionated. Yet I would argue that the level of enthusiasm in the writing is soley based on the writer itself, rather than the templates. Overall then, I believe the templates that Graff and Birkenstein created, provide support and structure to opinionated writing-an important point to make given the fact that there are many opposing opinions surfacing in today's world.

Exercise 2

In the Introduction to "They Say/ I Say" : The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to assist students in organized their persuasive thinking. Specifically, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer truly improve the emotion and meaning in what people write and argue about. As the authors themselves put it, it is an "effective way of academic writing." Although some people believe

Exercise 1

There are many adolescents and parents that encourage high school students not to have a job while in school. They see high school as a job, and that is what they should be spending their time doing rather than making money. However, high school is very demanding and requires a lot of time and effort. On the contrary, many high school students enjoy having jobs. They enjoy having that extra money in the bank and being able to provide for themselves. For the truth is that having a job while in high school is a great learning opportunity. The student learns how to be responsible and balance their schedule with school and work. Sometimes these adolescents also participate in extra curriculars as well. In this essay, then, demostrates how having a job while in high school will only benefit the student, as it is preparing them for the future.

I Believe..

I believe in laughter..
I totally agree with what this woman wrote. I have certainly had my fair share of embarrassing moments and I am only 18 years old! The best way to get over something like that, is to laugh it off. I feel as long as you laugh, you will let people know that it does not bother you and they are bound to start laughing with you. Laughter is one of the keys to life, I think, and  I will never stop laughing.

I didn't wash my car last month..
After reading this passage, I see where this man is coming from. The rocking chair test is simple yet, very important. Everyone likes to have a clean house or car, but in reality, that won't matter when you're 80 years old and looking back on your life. Of course you should keep things some what tidy, but obsessing over the little things is not neccassary. The rocking chair test reminds you of what is important in life and what matters. Having a clean car every month is not something that matters.

Be Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude..
I have always felt bad for delivery people. No matter young or old, I always feel bad for them. Why do I feel bad for them? Because they spend their time driving around to other peopls' houses, bringing them their food. Pizza delivery people also get to deal with the attitudes of all the customers. After working at JoAnn Fabrics, I appreciate cashiers, waiters and pizza delivery people so much more. They have to do what no one else wants to.

I Have a Stalker

It never once crossed my mind that such a thing would happen to me. I am a normal human being, with a normal boring life. I spend hours at my crammed office space, arguing with my fellow employees about reality television, things that do not matter in life. I finish my longs, dreary days with a long run to let go of all the negative energy I may have.
On one of these very needed runs, I was running through the path surrounded by numerous trees. It was clear that autumn had made its make on this area. The leaves on the trees were a rusty, orange color and the smell of fall setting in was almost theraputic. While making my way through the woods, I was thanking God for this beautiful day when all of the sudden, I came upon a stray cat.The cat was almost an exact replica of Garfield, with the exception of its size. I had never once come across a cat that looked like this.
 Let me get this clear, I am not a big fan of animals, let alone cats. It looked very helpless, almost pathetic. I slowed to a stop, and starred at the little thing. To my surprise, it starred right back at me. I looked to the left, and it did the same. I looked to the right, and it followed as well. I soon became tired of this cat and began to run again.
As I turned the corner to get on my street, I saw an orange object appear. I knew it wasn't flowers becuase I do not have the time to plant any. I thought,"maybe it is the neighbor's mums." However, as I got closer i realized, with much dismay, that it was the Garfield cat. I was astonished. This animal had followed me home! I could the wave of anxiety encompass me, and I began to sweat. "Why would this thing follow me", I thought. I quickly ran to my front door, stormed into the house, and slammed the door behind me. I then peered out the window, only to see that the cat was still sitting there. It was almost as if the animal was stalking me.
I woke the next morning to the sound of nothing. It was definitly, quite eerie. I slowly walked down the windy stairs to the first floor. I noticed that the stairs were covered in dust bunnies. I made a mental note to make sure that the bunnies get taken care of. As I walked past the front door, I looked out to see if the cat was still there. I then screamed at the top of my lungs as I found three, dead birds in front of the cat. "The cat had killed them!", I thought. I ran to my kitchen, picked up a spoon (which was the only thing I could find) and ran out into the morning sun. I ran at the cat, telling it to leave and go away. As I continued to make a scene, some of my neighbors came outside once they had heard me screaming. "What are you yelling at?", they said. "This cat is stalking me!", I exclaimed. But as I turned around, the cat was gone. It was no where to be scene. My neighbors, I was sure of it, thought I was a lunatic. However, I still see the cat from time to time, stalking my existence.

Stairs

Every Monday, the cross country team travels to Highbanks. Highbanks is a park filled with paths to walk through the tree covered, woods. Although Highbanks is typically a very peaceful place to be, I dread going there every week. While the team is at Highbank, we run six miles through the hilly course. Some people run eight or four miles, depending on their training. I am one of the people that has to run six miles. The first time we ran at this park was also the first time I would run six miles without stopping. Needless to say, I was a little nervous. As we started running, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. There were very large hills, and plenty of them, but I knew this would only help me later on in the season. However, as we turned the corner to face the BFH, big freaking hill, I could feel my body preparing itself to double over. It was as if the hill was never ending! As I finally reached the top, my legs were cement boulders. It was a workout to even move them a step forward. With all the pain and exhaustion I was experiencing, I knew I stil had to go on. I continued through the gravel path, the winding turns, and steep inclines and declines till I finally reached the stairs. This was the most enormous set of stairs I had ever seen. I began sprinting up the stairs, taking two at a time. As I reached the top, the feeling of happiness encompassed me. I had never been so relieved to be done with a workout. "That wasn't that bad", I said to my friend natalie, "I am so glad we are done though." Natalie then said, "Oh no we have another two miles to go." The stairs and I continued to meet every Monday after that.

Chair

This chair was cold, dark and not in the slightest bit comfortable. Attempting to become comfortable was completely pointless. Sitting up straight was the most reasonable way to sit in this chair but, it required too much effort. I knew this chair would be my imprisonment for the next two hours, so I would have to get over myself. Time passed as slowly as the ant was crawling on the ground. The classroom became muggy due to the early summer heat. I did not want to take this exam seriously, but my grade depended on it. My legs were soon sweating, and sticking to the chair. I then thanked God that this chair did not have any sort of fabric on it because if it did, my legs would be irritated and itchy too. I knew, but did not want to admit, that i was lucky to have this chair.
As the clock struck twelve, I jumped out of the chair and ran out of class. Summer had finally begun! Just as I got out of the room, I realized the chair would spend its summer in the dreaded school. On that note, i ran back into the classroom, picked up the chair amd headed towards three beautiful months of summer. I thought to myself, "this chair got my through my last exam, the least I could do is give it a summer too." The chair has been with me ever since.

Ten abilities

Leadership- I am able to take charge and get things done but also lead people in the right direction.
Responsible- Being responsible will come into play when I am older and have an adult job. I will be able to get my job done and do it well.
Motivation- I motivate myself to do my homework and try and excell at everything I do in life.
Athletic- I enjoy working out and staying in shape. This is a great quality to posess because I will be able to take that with me as I grow older and continue to stay healthy.
Maturity- Being mature helps me in high school and it will also help me in college becuase I am bigger than all the pointless drama that goes on. I don't involve myself in it and I try not to make it a part of my life.
Caring- I am a mother figure to my little sisters and also my little brother. I know this will only help me be a better, more caring parent to the children I have some day.
Extrovert- I enjoy being with people and working with them. I believe it will help me out in the futture because I plan to go into a career that requires working with people.
Fashionable- I like to dress well and wear what fits my body the most. I don't like very tight or revealing clothing and that will help me as I grow older and wear items that are for my age.
Smart- I know I am intelligent and that will help me get through college and the rest of my life.
Self-Confidence- I believe in myself and I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. I encourgae myself and that also encourages the people around me.

Helen Keller narrative

After reading the Helen Keller narrative, it is easier for me to understand the struggles she went through. I can not imagine the strength and patience someone would have to have to handle being blind and deaf. Losing one sense would be tramatic, but to lose two, words cannot describe how difficult it would be. I admire her for not giving up and continuing her search for knowledge and to understand the things that are around us. She is someone to look up to and also a reminder that life could be a lot more challenging than it already is.

Use of Language

To inform..
There have been plenty of times in life where  I have informed people about a certain subject. However, I do recall a time where I informed a group of people about a specific person. For the final project in my speech class my sophomore year of high school, we were required to write a tribute speech. In this speech I informed my class that my sister is my best friend and I would like to pay a tribute to her. She is one of the the strongest people I know and I admire her for everything she does and has been through.

To convince..
My little brother has a radio for is ipod that he keeps in his room. The other week he accused my sisters and I that one of us brought it to the basement and left it down there. He was rather upset with us but we all knew that none of us had taken it from his room and brought it to the basement. I explained to him that I already have a stereo in my room and there would be no reason for me to take his ipod radio down to the basement. I also told him that I rarely ever go in the basement so it would not have been possible for me to take the radio down there. I did the best I could to convince him and I think it paid off.

To explore..
My great grandparents own a cabin at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. For the past couple of years the water has been down 40-50 feet due to work on the near by dam.While my family and I were vacationing there, we came upon an island that was sticking out of the water. My older sister was scared to swim over to the island and walk on it to see what was there, but she followed me and we explored the island. It was made of many rocks and there was some plant life on it. It was pretty fascinating.

Make Decisions..
My sister recently completed her first year of college at the University of Cincinnati. Although she enjoyed her time there, she did decide to transfer to The Ohio State University. Along with the transfer, she is also changed her major. She was in early childhood education but she realized it was not for her. I remind her that she must make her decisions based on what she wants to do and not to rush them.

Meditate, pray...
My dad is close to 50 and he knows it. He has been running recently because he wants to be in shape and feel good about himself. However, he does have a lot of stress in his life like every other parent in the world. I suggested to him that maybe yoga would be a beneficial thing for him to start. The meditating would calm his nerves and release the stress from this body.

Who are you?

At the beginning of the school year, many teachers require students to do an activity that allows them to explain who they are as a person. I usually say that I am outgoing, friendly and smart. These are very simple ways of describing myself but there is much more to me than that. I am seventeen years old but I feel as if I am thirty. The events that have occured in my life have required me to mature a lot faster that my peers. My mom died when I was thirteen and a new student in the Worthington School District. Although it was very very tramatic time in my life, I do not want you to feel bad for me or pitty me. I have learned so much about life and I am still so young. I have gained the best of friends from switching schools and I am so thankful I did. When my parents first told my siblings and I that we would be transfering to Worthington  Schools I was not very happy. I had gone to the same school for seven years and it was a very hard move for me. However, I made friends at my new school quickly and I seem to fit right in.
Now that you have some of my background I can begin to describe myself as a person. I am definelty an extrovert. I  love making new friends and talking to new people. Of course I enjoy alone time but with four other siblings, I don't get much of it. I am outgoing and funny. I usually end up laughing at my own jokes but I don't really care. I am really sarcastic too. Sometimes it can be a bad thing when people don't understand my sense of humor but they usually catch on. I am athletic, I love to run. I run cross country and track and field. My friends sometimes say I am like a mother to my younger siblings which is true but I love being with them. They are the loves my my life. I love enjoying life and trying to be a positive person. I have high expectations for myself in the future however I am not in any rush to get there. I love being a teenager and experiencing high school life. I hope you were able to learn a little about me through this piece of writing.