The Kite Runner Review

1.

role of women- The role of women throughout the majority of the story are for men to mate with and try to have a son with them. 

Betrayel- The Taliban betrayed the people and reaked havic in the Afghan society.

Brothers- Ones' brother can be ones' best friend their entire life.

Guilt- Hidden- Was baba's guilt of not being able to accept Hassan as his som. Open- Amir's guilt of not being able to stand up for himself all of his life.

Redemption- Amir Redeeming Sohrab's attention at the end of the book.

Exodus/Joruney- Amirs journey to find his brother's son and return him home.

Father-Son - A father needs a son to take his wealth and his name after he dies.

Class distinction- the Puhstan was seen as a higher class and he Hazara was seen as that of a servant class.

2. 

Parrellism- Hassan and Baba booth stood up against their enimies. They both help those who were in need. They both were humble.

Character Foils- Rahim Kahn and Baba. Rahim wanted Amir to know that Baba loved him and that someone was their to support him. Baba wanted the best for Amir, but was saddened that he was not growing up to be a man like him.

Foreshadowing- when Amir see Hassan and Ali leave he thinks his life will be easier. But in the long run Amir was never happy until he ran into Assef.

Flash Back- The author shows Amir thinking about Hassan being raped in the alley by Assef. Also he (Amir) has dreams of him and Hassan playing as children.

Positive- It shows that no matter how bad Amir treated Hassan, that Hassan always loved Amir. Negative- I didn't find any.

3.

1. Time- 1964

    Place- Afghanistan

    Culture- Patshun and the Hazara lived peacefully together

2. Time- 1981

    Place- Afghanistan

    Culture- the people were running from the invading Russian.

3. Time- 1980's

    Place- California

    Culture- The escaped Afghans live in a society and they are now considered lower class.

4. Time- 1990's 

    Place- California

    Culture- The people of the US are now accepting the Afghans and are buying Amirs books.

5. Time- 2000-2001

    Place- Afghanistan

    Culture- Taliban are the highest class and Hazaras are slaughtered if they own property.

4.

1. Soraya- Amir's wife

2. The General- Soraya's father

3. Beggar in Afghanistan- Told Amir about his mother.

4. Amirs mother- Bore Amir into the world

5. Farid- Taxi/escort for Amir on his return. 

5. Symbols 

Love- The love between Hassan and Amir, Hassan and his wife, Amir and Sohrab, Baba and Hassan

Trust- The trust between Sohrab and Amir. Sohrab trusted in Amir.

Dirt- Hazara's were considered poor, "poor as dirt". They always lived as servants even that was for them was a great feat.

Friendship- Baba's friendship with the General Allowed Amir to marry Soraya.

Fear- Amirs fear of meeting with Assef. Amir's fear of his father's life when he stands up to the Russian soldier. Amirs fear of not being accepted by his father.

My blogg works

Wow this is the first time it has worked in the past week. Man am i messed up for English.

Nut Allergy Ruff draft

Allergies affect many people in the United States, which in turn affects the United States’ Health Care system. Statistics show that over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies which in total are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States (Allergy Statistics). Allergies cost the health care system about $18 billion annually (Allergy Statistics). Of the many different types of allergies, food-related allergies cause about 150 Americans, mostly children, to die from anaphylaxis each year (Allergy Statistics). Within the subgroup of food-related allergies, more than 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with allergies to nuts and this number seems to be rising each year (Rubin 2009). As a result, awareness concerning nut allergies is becoming more important in today’s society.

There are many types of nuts, all of which grow on trees. The most common types of tree nuts that are available for purchase in the United States are: pecan, almond, walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, and macadamia (Saunders). There are many more tree nuts that come from around the world. Peanuts are classified as nuts for packaging reasons, but they grow underground. Peanuts are the most common nut that people have an allergy to.

A peanut is not really a nut according to its family. The peanut belongs to the legume family, which also includes peas and lentils (KidsHealth). The proteins in peanuts are similar in structure to those in tree nuts (TeensHealth). “For this reason, people who are allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to tree nuts, such as the ones mentioned above” (TeensHealth). The peanut does not grow on a tree. It actually grows underground like that of a potato or carrot. The crop is also a major farm source for the southern states. The peanut has many different names which include: Nu-Nuts, monkey nuts, beer nuts, earth nuts, goober nuts, and ground nuts (Peanut).

There are many ways for an individual to have an allergic reaction to nuts. The symptoms occur right after one has either ingested the nuts or has been in some kind of contact with nuts. Allergic reactions to nuts have even been covered in the news. One famous reaction that caught the eyes of people across the nation was about a girl who had kissed her boyfriend. The boyfriend had recently eaten peanut butter. She had an allergic reaction right after they kissed. The girl ended up dying from the deadly kiss (Parikh 2009). An individual can easily walk into a room, inhale the nut dust, and have an allergic reaction immediately.

There are many symptoms that show up when someone is having an allergic reaction. When an individual is having an allergic reaction some symptoms include: itching around the mouth, hives, abdominal pain, swelling tongue, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea (Peanut). If symptoms of the reaction have been recognized early, an antihistamine such as Benadryl can be given to alleviate these symptoms. In cases where Benadryl is unavailable or not give soon enough after symptoms begin anaphylactic shock may occur. Anaphylaxis is most commonly caused by peanut allergies. “Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe, potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction than can involve various areas of the body (such as the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and the cardiovascular system) (Saunders).” Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires treatment with an epinephrine injector and a trip to the hospital. Some symptoms of anaphylaxis include: shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness, lightheadedness, or loss of consciousness (Mayo 2009). When an individual is having an anaphylaxis reaction, they should not be moving around because this can speed up the response (Saunders). This movement would cause the blood to move faster, thus making the nut proteins circulate faster. “The individual should lie on their back with their feet/legs elevated so more blood will remain close to the vital organs (Saunders).”

For an allergic reaction to take place, the individual has to have some kind of contact with that allergen. The three ways an individual to come into contact with nuts are: direct contact, cross-contact, and inhalation (Mayo 2009). With any of these contacts, the reaction can vary based on the degree of exposure to the nut allergen.

When an individual comes in direct contact with a nut, they usually have eaten a nut or a food containing a nut (Mayo 2009). This is the most common way an individual can have an allergic reaction to a nut. Another form of direct contact would be for the individual to have skin contact with peanuts. This can cause a severe allergic reaction.

When an individual has cross-contact reaction, they have come in contact with peanuts on accident. For this to happen the individual has either picked up a food with nuts in it or the food eaten has come in contact with another food that has nuts in it. This usually happens in an environment that the individual is not accustomed to.

An allergic reaction can also be caused by the inhalation of nut dust or residue. The individual can inhale products such as peanut flour or peanut oil cooking spray (Mayo 2009). For example, if an individual is driving past a pecan farm that is being cropped, the dust being produced, if inhaled, can cause an allergic reaction.

An individual can be diagnosed with a nut allergy two ways. It can be done by having a skin prick test or a blood test performed. Both tests are effective in showing if someone is allergic to a certain nut.

A skin prick test is done by pricking the skin (usually on the back) with small amounts of the proteins found in that nut to see if the individual has a response. If a response happens, the skin will raise forming an itchy bump (hive) at the test location. The testing is usually performed by a specialist in an allergy testing center.

The alternative to the skin prick test is a blood test. Blood is drawn from a healthy vein and sent off to a medical lab for testing. The medical lab will measure the amount of certain antibodies in your blood stream that react to nut proteins. Some people tend to be squeamish at the sight of their own blood, so these people will probably choose to have the skin prick test.

Reading food labels is the best way individuals can prevent themselves from having a nut reaction. When an individual is diagnosed with a nut allergy, the reading of food labels become a natural instinct when opening packaged or processed foods. Most companies put warnings on their packages to let the consumer know that the product either has nuts or was made with the same machinery that works with nuts. The companies will put a statement at the end of the ingredients saying “may contain nuts” or “made on equipment that also processes peanuts” (TeensHealth). When eating at cuisine restaurants individuals with nut allergies have to be extremely careful when choosing what to eat. Some examples of ethnicities that use nuts in their foods are Japanese, African, Thai, and Chinese. When in doubt, it is always best to ask if the food ordered contains nuts.

Some people are very allergic to nuts and this makes them take extra safety measures when deciding to go out in public. Most people wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace to let others know of their medical condition. For some who are severely allergic, use of man’s best friend, dogs, to protect them has become popular. Since our canine companions have such a strong sense of smell, they can be trained to smell nuts. These dogs are trained to search for nuts just like dogs that sniff for drugs.

One might think that avoiding nuts is easy, but it really isn’t. There are many recipes that call for nuts, and ingredients made from nuts. For instance, some chili recipes call for peanut butter to be added as a thickener. Candy is the most common food that contains nuts as an added ingredient. Some ingredients that are associated with peanuts are: nougat, marzipan, and hydrolyzed plant/vegetable protein (The Cleveland). Ingredients that are associated with tree nuts are: almond paste, nut butters, and artificial nuts (The Cleveland). Some foods that contains nuts are more obvious like cookies, ice cream, energy bars, cereals, and grain breads. Foods that are less obvious that contain nuts include salad dressings, cultural foods, arachis oils and some chocolates (Mayo 2009).

There are two treatments available that are being used to possibly cure the nut allergy. One of these treatments is allergy shots. The shots given to the patient contain small amounts of protein that eventually the body becomes immune to after about 4 years of shots. The patient begins to wean off of the shots through these four years. At present, these shots are the most effective means of treating nut allergies. The other treatment that doctors are using to lessen the effect of a nut reaction is to very slowly give children very small pieces of nuts in intervals of time. This approach also helps build up the immune system against the nut proteins. Though 20 percent of children outgrow their peanut allergy, these children should still be very careful around nuts (Rubin 2009).

People with nut allergies are at risk for an allergic reaction everyday of their lives. They are constantly looking for ways to keep themselves from having an allergic reaction to nuts. In the southern states, with all the peanut and pecan farming, it is harder for people to stay nut and nut dust free. The eight most common food allergies, which account for 90 percent of the allergies in the United States, are: dairy, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, peanut, tree nut, and egg allergies (Groce 2009). Although peanut and tree nut allergies are not at the top of the list, they both play their part in bringing in patients year-round for allergic reactions.

The slow introduction of nuts to children and allergy shots are the treatments available to desensitize those allergic, but these approaches are not infallible. Nut allergies are very dangerous and should be taken seriously to prevent a reaction from occurring. Antihistamines are helpful in preventing an anaphylactic reaction, but only if given in a timely manner. Nuts are a very lucrative and tasty crop for the United States, but in those who are allergic, a severe reaction may cause death.

My weekend update

Finally the rain leaves but then the wind stays. If anyone reads this look up land slide in Polk County, TN and you'll see a rock the size of a house going across the road and then down the mountain. Atlanta got 4.5 inches of rain while we got 3. The wind is knocking off all of the leaves on our bradfer pear tree so when it turns it won't be as beautiful as it is every year. Along with the wind comes chilly weather so everyone get out your warm clothes we will need them this weekend. Well tomorrow I am expecting Mrs. Aiken to be back at school and let her look at our resources. Alot of people I know are getting the swine flu so I encourage you to go get the shot. I haven't done one of these in awhile because the rain has been keeping me busy with my cattle and horses. By the way i'm allergic to horses and if you didn't know Clint Eastwood is also allergic to horses. Makes you wonder how he made all those western movies. Well i'm out for now see everyone tomorrow at school.

Ahh!!! More rain!!!

I'm really tired of this rain. I wouldn't mind if it came with a strong storm. When a storm comes it usually knocks  limbs, which then gives me work to do and money to earn. But with just this steady rain usually comes with grass to be cut. I don't mind cutting the grass but cutting a tree up with a chainsaw is a lot more exciting. So with grass to cut this week and weekend this week will be very long. BUT i get payed so it all comes out good in the end.

October 21/ Get the flu shot and your likely hood of dying this year goes away!

Today has been a very long day. I woke up two hours earlier this morning so i could get to Macon to have my yearly MRI done. After that I went to school for math, but luckly i didn't have american government. When I got home I went out to my grandmother's house to cut her grass. After this was done, I went back home to take a shower. When I got home my mother said "to hurry up we are going to Macon." I fell asleep on the way up and didn't know where I was when we got there. Since my doctor moved her office to Riverside, I had no clue where I was. When i got inside the office there was mass confusion so that gave me a headache. I was finally called back and my mom said pull up your sleeve so you can get your flu shots. I don't have problems with shots since I had been getting allergy shots for the past four years. The H1N1 shot did sting a little but everyone needs to get this. There way too many people dying with the flu at the hospital in Macon. The flushot doesn't hurt so i encourage everyone to get it. IT IS IN MACON SO ASK FOR IT.

Comparing and Contrasting Southern Coasts Rough draft

Vacations to the beach are one of the more popular trips to spend time with family and friends. At the beach, people sit out in the sun, go swimming in the ocean and take relaxing walks. People who live in the Southeastern states, particularly in Florida and Georgia, have the choice of going to beaches on two different coasts. These two coasts are the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast. When choosing which coast to go to for a vacation, there are similarities and differences of each coast that a person should consider before deciding which coast to visit.

When visiting the Atlantic Coast, it is common to see more people on the beach. One factor that contributes to this is that at low tide the beach can be as wide as almost 100 yards wide giving people a lot of open beach area. However, with more people, the amount of trash found on the beaches is greater. This trash mostly includes red Dixie cups, napkins, beer bottles, and children’s toys that get swept away by the waves. While these beaches may have lifeguards and other people who volunteer to keep them clean, there are far too many people who create trash for the volunteers to keep the beaches clean. Along the Atlantic Coast beaches, surfers can usually find waves large enough to ride year round. This coast has nothing blocking the waves that travel across the ocean.

On the Atlantic Coast, the water is always colder than the water in the Gulf. But, because of this the beaches on the Atlantic Coast tend to see less hurricanes than the beaches of the Gulf Coast. Since there are fewer storms to hit the beaches on the Atlantic Coast, many beaches have stayed the same for a long time.

The sands of the Atlantic Coast beaches vary in different shades of gray. The color of the sand depends on the color of coral and the kinds of shells common to that area of the coast. On the Atlantic beaches, the shells tend to be broken because of the force produced by crashing waves. This contributes to the color of the sand on the beaches. Overall, this gray, grainy, and sometimes shelly sand does not help in building sand castles.

The other coast that is available to choose from is the Gulf Coast. This coast contrasts to the Atlantic Coast in many ways. Most of the differentiations are noticeable and can be felt by touch or seen by the eyes. In my opinion, the beaches of the Gulf Coast are better for vacation than those on the Atlantic Coast.

The pan-handle part of the coast of Florida goes by the name of the Forgotten Coast. Here the beaches tend to be less crowded during most parts of the year. One of the most famous beaches on the Forgotten Coastline can be found at Panama City, Fl. Although this beach tends to be crowded during the Spring Breaks and the summer seasons, the rest of the coastline is far less crowded. Since these beaches are less crowded, the organizations that take care of the beaches are able to keep the beaches clean. Although, after storms come through, the beaches can have some trash on them. But, it is easy to clean up.

The width of the beach is generally shorter than that of the Atlantic Coast, but rarely changes due to the tides. Since the beaches stay the same size, people are able to spend more time on the beach. Also, the sizes of the waves at Gulf Coast beaches are typically very small. While this is good for children wanting to play in the water, you will not find any waves suitable for surfing.

As stated above, the Gulf Coast water is usually warmer than the Atlantic Ocean year round. Since the water is warmer, the Gulf Coast has more hurricanes and tropical storms every year than the Atlantic Coast. The storms that come to these beaches can be very destructive and have been known to kill. Although this coastline is damaged every year by storms, the people who live there are accustomed to it and bounce back right after the storm has passed. This excludes New Orleans, since the city is below sea level. A drawback to the warm water is that it brings predators closer to the beach. The most common sharks found here are Bull and Tiger sharks. Every year there are shark attacks in these waters. However, these warm waters also bring dolphins close to shore which are enjoyable to see.

The sands on the Gulf Coast beaches are mostly a pure white color. This lighter color makes for a much clearer water color. The pan-handle area of the Gulf Coast is also known as the Emerald Coast because of its clear and aqua blue waters. The white sands attract a lot of photographers and couples who want to get married at the beach. Since the sand isn’t full of shells, it is easier to walk on and play sports on. Shells can be found up and down these beaches that are intact. The sand is also excellent for building sand castles. If there is a sand sculpting contest on the Atlantic Coast, the sand comes in a box, and most likely came from the Gulf Coast.

Since people tend to go to both of these coasts for vacations, they both offer some of the same qualities which are usually left out in decision making process about which coast to visit. Both of these beaches are the homes of many types of turtles. The loggerhead and leatherback turtles are found on both coasts. The loggerhead turtle is the most common turtle found on these coasts and the leatherback turtle is the least common found. I, myself have seen both of these turtles on the coasts. Both of these coasts have sharks, but they rarely attack humans. Avoidance of sharks is usually not a reason people consider when deciding to go to one coast or the other. Both coasts are home to jellyfish. However, these stinging creatures are unpredictable as to when they will be present, but are usually more common when storms out in the ocean create strong tides. The fishing is great on both coasts. Most beaches at the larger cites on both coasts have piers that allow fisherman to fish. Both coasts have sand dunes to protect the homes and communities from tidal surges. They both have waves, though of different sizes. Some are able to be surfed and others are not. And of course, both of the coasts have people at their beaches year-round.

My family has spent summer vacations on both coasts and we have enjoyed each visit. As described above, there are definite benefits to each coast and drawbacks as well. When deciding which beach to choose for your next vacation, I hope that you will take some of these comparisons into consideration.

Columbus Day Weekend

This weekend i was in Helen, Georgia. I was enjoying all of the things i did at Oktoberfest. My family and I stayed at Unicoi State Park for the weekend. It is a very nice park and has great hiking trails that offer some great spots for trout fishing. I would have to say that everyone needs to stay at least all of the parks in Georgia; wether it is in the lodge, camper, tent or cabins. These are very nice parks to relax at and they are close to home. While we were there we went to see Anna Ruby Falls which we took pictures of and at. I was able to take some awesome shots of the nearby waterfalls and some of the streams nearby. I had to come home early so that I could go to class. But i was happy because on the way home yesterday there was a dead stop on the interstate because of the rain. My mother who stayed, said the drive home yesterday was awful sometimes they said they couldn't even see the front of their car. So coming home has its perks and negatives. This was my weekend in a nutshell.

Reviewing the essay

I did not find this essay hard at all. I guess it comes from my high school teacher who did a great job in making her class like a college class. Writing has became easier to me now that I am in college and I really enjoy these essays. The easiest thing in writing this essay was finding my examples. The hardest would have to be how to place them in the paper. My advice would be to start taking in every moment that happens to them and even if they don't think it is great there is always someone out there that will think that topic is great. So write about your experiences and remember that if the comments you get back are nice you will feel better about your writing.

Using example final Draft

Ryan Woodham

Professor Aiken

English 1101

6 October, 2009

Fast food can’t win over Home Cooking

Fast food can never measure up to the pure enjoyment of a home-cooked meal. Although fast food is convenient when someone is in a hurry or when there is no time for cooking, it usually lacks the taste and satisfaction of a meal from your or someone else’s kitchen. Fast food restaurants, through their television commercials and newspaper coupons, try to make their food look very appetizing. But when you finally buy their food, it never is as good as advertized. One comes to the conclusion that they don’t really care about the quality of their food; they just want your money. However, when it comes to a home-cooked meal, the cook cares more about making sure that the meal is enjoyable, rather than hurrying you out of their house.

We all can remember bad experiences at fast food restaurants. I recently visited a fast food restaurant, stepped to the counter and placed my order. At this particular restaurant, I was able to see the people in the back prepare my meal. The cook was just slapping the meat, lettuce, onions, and pickles onto my burger. The whole time the cook was preparing the burger, it appeared that he had not once looked down to see if everything was in order or that he really cared at all. When the number on my receipt was called, I took my food, filled up my drink, and found a seat hoping to enjoy a good meal. I knew that I should check my food since I had just witnessed the sloppy way in which it was prepared. I pulled out my fries and they looked fine. After all, it is kind of hard to mess up fries. I then got my burger out and opened it up. As expected, it looked like it was just thrown together. It didn’t look the least bit appetizing. The lettuce was limp and pale. The burger looked like a piece of leather and the bun was flat. Somehow the version of the burger from television didn’t quite make it to my tray. I couldn’t bring myself to eating this poorly prepared burger, so I tossed it in the trash can and finished off my fries. I then headed home to get something good to eat. While not all of my visits to fast food restaurants end this way, more often than not I leave less than satisfied with my meal.

In contrast to my fast food experiences, thoughts of home-cooked meals bring happiness to my heart or more specifically to my stomach. One example of a good home-cooking memory is the annual trip our family has taken to north Georgia state parks. These trips involve seven families who stay in three cabins for the Columbus Day weekend. Our activities during this weekend include hiking, fishing, and white water rafting, all which are great fun. But, my favorite part of the trip each year is enjoying the home-cooked meals prepared by the families in each cabin. Each family picks one night to prepare dinner for the entire group. Each day we are there, the sounds of dishes clanging and the smell of home-cooked food fills the air around the cabin. By the time dinner rolls around, everyone is tired and hungry from the day’s activities. Everyone meets in the house that provides the meal for that day. Upon entering the cabin, conversations about the current football games or some special event that took place that day are heard. Amidst these conversations are wonderful smells that greet everyone entering the cabin. The family who prepared the meal welcomes everyone with a smile on their face. When the food is finally on my plate and the first bite has been taken, there is a satisfaction in my stomach that only a home-cooked could bring.

Another example of a good home-cooked meal would be at my Grandmother’s house on a Sunday after church. When I walk in the door of her house, I am greeted by the smell either of mushrooms frying on the stove or a casserole in the oven. While I wait in the den, watching the NFL football game that is showing, I can’t help but feel the growls in my stomach as my mind is preparing me for the delicious meal about to be consumed. The wonderful aroma of all the food that has been cooked soon overtakes me and I can’t wait any longer. When my grandmother says that dinner is ready, I jump up and run to the table to see the feast that has been prepared. After the blessing, I then fill my plate with a portion of everything she has cooked. After seconds and thirds of my favorite dishes, my stomach is soon filled to capacity and then some. No fast food restaurant can come close to competing with a home-cooked meal at grandmother’s house on a Sunday after church.

It is often said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. However, the way to this man’s heart is not with just any cooking. Don’t bring to me food prepared at a fast food restaurant if you want to win my heart and my stomach. It had better be a home-cooked meal.

More Rain

The more it rains the more tennis i miss out on. The more it rains the harder it is to fish. The more it rains the more i get to spin my wheels. The more it rains, the more grass i have to cut. The more it rains the less happy the day is. The more is rains the more it cools off outside. So when it rains there are positive and negative effects it has on my days

essay #2 using Example

Fast food can’t win over Home Cooking

Fast food can never measure up to the pure enjoyment of a home-cooked meal. Although fast food is convenient when someone is in a hurry or when there is no time for cooking, it usually lacks the taste and satisfaction of a meal from your or someone else’s kitchen. Fast food restaurants, through their television commercials and newspaper coupons, try to make their food look very appetizing. But when you finally buy their food, it just never is as good as advertized. You could almost think that they don’t really care about the quality of their food; they just want your money. However, when it comes to a home-cooked, the cook cares more about making sure that the meal is enjoyable, rather than hurrying you out of their house. This is why home-cooking will always win over fast food.

We all can remember of bad experiences at fast food restaurants. For me, I recently visited a fast food restaurant, stepped to the counter and placed my order. At this particular restaurant I could watch the people in the back prepare my meal. The cook was just slapping the meat, lettuce, onions, and pickles onto my burger. The whole time the cook was preparing the burger, it appeared that he had not once looked down to see if everything was in order or if he really cared at all. When the number on my receipt was called, I took my food, filled up my drink, and found a seat hoping to enjoy a good meal. I knew that I should check my food since I had just witnessed the sloppy way in which it was prepared. I pulled out my fries and they looked fine, after all it is kind of hard to mess up fries. I then got my burger out and opened it up. As expected, it looked like it was just thrown together. It didn’t look the least bit appetizing. The lettuce was limp and pale. The burger looked like a piece of leather and the bun was flat. Somehow the version of the burger from television didn’t quite make it to my tray. I couldn’t bring myself to eating this poorly prepared burger, so I tossed it in the trash can and finished off my fries. I then headed home to get something good to eat. While not all of my visits to fast food restaurants end this way, more often than not I leave less than satisfied with my meal.

In contrast to my fast food experiences, thoughts of home-cooked meals bring happiness to my heart or more specifically my stomach. One example of a good home-cooking memory is the annual trip our family has taken to north Georgia state parks. These trips involve seven families who stay in three cabins for the Columbus Day weekend. Our activities during this weekend include hiking, fishing, and white water rafting, all which are great fun. But, my favorite part of the trip each year is enjoying the home-cooked meals prepared by the families in each cabin. Each family picks one night to prepare dinner for the entire group. Each day we are there, the sounds of dishes clanging and the smell of home-cooked food fills the air around the cabin. By the time dinner rolls around, everyone is tired and hungry from the day’s activities. Everyone meets in the house that provides the meal for that day. Upon entering the cabin, conversations about the current football games or some special event that took place that day are heard. Amidst these conversations are wonderful smells that greet everyone entering the cabin. The family who prepared the meal welcomes everyone with a smile on their face. When the food is finally on my plate and the first bite has been taken, there is a satisfaction in my stomach that only a home-cooked could produce.

Another example of a good home-cooked meal would be at my Grandmother’s house on a Sunday after church. When I walk in the door of her house, I am greeted by the smell either of mushrooms frying on the stove or of a casserole in the oven. While I wait in the den, watching the NFL football game that is showing, I can’t help but feel the growls in my stomach as my mind is preparing me for the delicious meal about to be consumed. The wonderful aroma of all the food that has been cooked soon over takes me and I can’t wait any longer. When my grandmother says that dinner is ready, I jump up and run to the table to see the feast that has been prepared. After the blessing, I then fill my plate with a portion of everything she has cooked. After seconds and thirds of my favorite dishes, my stomach is soon filled to capacity and then some. No fast food restaurant can come close to competing with a home-cooked meal at grandmother’s house on a Sunday after church.

It is often said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. However, the way to this man’s heart is not with just any cooking. Don’t bring to me food prepared at a fast food restaurant if you want to win my heart and my stomach. It better be a home-cooked meal.

AHH this rain needs to go away

My yard is flooded, our street was washed out, and i need to get to school tomorrow. I hope i can find a way out of here. Well if i can i'll be at school. I enjoy the rain but this is just too much.

The greatest challenge I had with writing this paper was trying to figure out how to get my jump drive out of a Mac. I stayed in class for about twenty minutes and still couldn't figure it out. So i finally called my dad at Warner Robins Air Force Base. He went around to all of his employees til he found someone who owned a Mac personally and asked them how to take it out. So now i know how to work this computer and i'm learning everyday. 

I enjoyed reading the other blogs. I got to know the people who i might not have met before in my life. I never received any comments  on my blog even tho i fixed the commenting problem so I didn't need to look back at it. I just saw that one of the people i was assigned hadn't have their essay up til that Sunday but they still got it up before the next class so i did get to complement on theirs after they fixed their complementing problem too. But i really enjoyed writing this essay and look forward to writing more.

9/11 Rememberance

Today is a day when you remember the people in the World Trade Centers and Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. When you see someone in Uniform tomorrow tell them thank you becuase i wish i could tell my good friend John Thank You again. So today I will be ...remembering him and the thousands of other troops killed in the War. Even in the airport it makes a army or marine's day to hear you say "Thank You".

Just got my paper back

Boy do i have some revisions and corrections to do.

what a morning

Today I woke up ten minutes before i had to leave so I could get to school to get a parking spot. I got ready in what seemed to be the fastest ten minutes ever. On the way to school I was almost hit by a car that crossed my  lane without even looking. My car has a powerful engine that makes my tires spin everywhere. It is even a front wheel drive although i have to admit i do try sometimes to do it. Except, this morning my car did it right in front of a cop and all i could do was old my hands up saying i didn't mean to and keep on going. Finally i get to school scarf down my chocolate sundae pop tart and make my way to class. Man what a wet thursday morning it has been for me.

Labor Day weekend

My labor day weekend has been great. I got to see my family from all over the states. I found out that one of my very good friends became my cousin a couple of weeks ago. I went to see the excellent Inglourious Basterds movie, it was also a bit of a comical movie. Labor Day or today we cooked out and ate some good hamburgers. I missed a rodeo in Alabama this weekend to be able to see my family but i am ready for the nest one that comes up.

essay Final Draft

A Night to Remember

The date was 3 December, 2005. As memories go, this was one moment in time that I will remember forever. While the date itself may fade from my memory, the events of that night and those that led up to it over the preceding week are just as fresh to me today as they were three years ago. I am sure that one day I will even tell my kids about it. It was on this particular night that Peach County High School, my high school, achieved the ultimate goal in athletics. We were crowned state football champions for the first time in our school’s history!

While the actual game was played on that particular night, the events that I will remember actually began the Saturday before. The semi-final games were being played at the Georgia Dome. My family and I were cheering for our team, but at the same time we didn’t know if we might be watching what could be our last football game of the season. The opponent was LaGrange and we just didn’t know if we were good enough to beat them. Somehow we ended up winning that game with the score of 35 to 17 and that meant we were going to be playing in the championship against Dougherty County. Everyone in the stands was cheering and air-horns were blowing. I knew that it was a big deal to have won the game, but I hadn’t realized just what had happened and what it would lead to at the moment.

The next week at school you could tell that things were different and that this would not be just a typical week. There was a change in how people acted and even in how they did their school work. All the football players were trying their hardest in all their classes so that they would have a chance to play in the game. The halls were covered with black and gold ribbons hanging from the ceiling tiles. Large paper banners covered the walls, some saying “Let’s go Trojans” and others saying “We can do it, bring it home Trojans”. Every day was filled with excitement and anticipation of the big game.

Finally, Friday had arrived and it was game day. That day at school I saw the biggest pep rally ever for a football game. The band was wearing their gold and black uniforms and their hats were black and had a feather on top. I could barely hear what my friend was telling me because the band was playing so loud and so strong. The excitement of the week had built up and everyone was totally psyched for the game. We couldn’t wait until it was game time. After the pep rally everyone went home to get ready to travel down to Dougherty County High School for the big game.

When I got home my parents had already started to pack up the car to get ready to leave. My mom had a big smile on her face and was almost as excited as me. She had graduated from Peach County High School many years before and was looking forward to seeing her team hopefully win a state championship. My dad was excited too, but was a little stressed from making sure everything was packed in the car. I went inside and was immediately greeted by the unmistakable and irresistible smell of Krystal sandwiches on the table. After everyone had finished eating we met up with my aunt who was riding with us and started our way down to the game which was being played at Dougherty’s home field in Albany, Ga. Much of my thoughts on the way down were on the game. I do, however, remember looking out the window as we passed someone’s land that had just been burned to clear out the old crops. The soil was black and every few spaces you would see bright green grass poking through the soil. About fifteen minutes after passing the fields we entered Dougherty County.

The whole day had been cold and wet as rain showers had moved through the area. By the time we had got to Albany it was already dark outside. I can remember my aunt saying to my dad, “Jim try to find the closest parking spot you can, this area doesn’t really look too safe”. We found a spot on an overcrowded street filled with every type of car. When I stepped outside the vehicle the cool crisp wind greeted my face and started to make my ears cold. But, I also could hear in the distance the sounds of the bands and see the lights from the stadium. My heart started to beat a little faster as the excitement of the moment was setting in.

After a short walk we reached the ticket gates going into the stadium where my mom said, “I hope we will be able to find some seats”. The stadium was old and was actually built down into a valley and very much like a bowl made of rock. We could hear the sounds of the fans already in the stadium, but we could not see anything because of the white concrete block walls that formed the outer areas of the stadium. About the only thing we could see was that on either end of the field there were rock walls about 60 feet tall.

We finally got our tickets and made our way into the stadium. Once there we could see that there were people everywhere. The stands were filled to capacity and there were still people coming in. Since I was just a freshman in high school, I had never seen so many people at a high school football game before. When we were standing outside the gates I couldn’t fully imagine the size of the stadium. I told my mom that there had to be over ten thousand people here. It almost felt like I was at a University of Georgia football game just on a smaller scale. My dad took off hurriedly looking for some seats and in a few minutes returned to us and said, “I have found some seats down near the field.”

When we finally squeezed through the crowd and reached our seats, that was when I could finally see what I had come to. It was going to be a very special night, if only we could win. The noise of the crowd only grew as game time approached. We could feel the spirit in the air when our football team stormed the field. The air temperature was not too cold, but just crisp enough to make it good football weather. The smell of hotdogs coming from the grills and the scent of warm apple cider coming from my mom’s thermos filled the air around me and made it feel that much more like a football game.

On the opposite side of the field we could see the tightly packed fans of our opponents dressed in blue and silver waiting for their team to enter the stadium. Even though it was a home game for them, I could easily tell that there were more people at the game from Peach County than there were of Dougherty. About five rows in front of us there were two men from Dougherty who thought it would be fun to sit on our side of the field. Through all of the pre-game activities they were standing up telling everyone around them how their team was going to win and how bad we were going to lose. I guess they thought that their team would win easily and that they could celebrate in front of us all night long. Needless to say, they were not welcomed at all by a large number of Peach County fans who were sitting around them.

Shortly after 7:30pm, the game finally got started. Our seats were next to the Peach County band so even when things weren’t going well the band always seemed to bring back the excitement. Our band was either playing or shouting something to the fans. The crisp night soon began to turn colder as the wind picked up. With the wind swirling through the stands, we sat there freezing our ears off to watch this wonderful football game. Luckily, my hands were now accompanied by a hot pouch which we all had in our jackets. Every once in awhile there was a man sitting down in front of us who would blow a duck caller and that sound would put a smile on everyone’s face.

For much of the first quarter the game remained very close. About five minutes into the second quarter it started to sprinkle but that didn’t make anyone move and give up their seat. We sat there with the cold light rain watching the back and forth game. Through the skill of our players, the score began to turn in our favor as our team took a ten point lead into halftime. The men in front of us had finally sat down and we were finally happy to watch the halftime show without someone yelling at us.

During halftime it was time for our impressive band to take the field and give a wonderful show. Peach County has long been known for its outstanding bands, but tonight they performed as never before and kept the excitement of our fans going. The other school’s band was good and their cheerleaders danced provocatively, turning many peoples’ heads on our side of the field. But like their football team, they couldn’t compete with the kids from Peach County.

After halftime the football game got back underway and everyone knew that the state championship would be settled in the next twenty-four minutes of football. Our team continued to play well and soon turned the ten point lead into a fourth quarter twenty point lead. The men in front of us finally got up and started to leave. While they were leaving, everyone within ten rows of them, including my family, started to sing “Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Goodbye” and at that time it finally hit me that we were, for the first time in our school’s history, going to win the championship. When the sound of the final buzzer went off, the stands erupted in celebration that was louder than ever, it was something I will never forget. The score was an amazing 35 to 14 victory. People were jumping up and down, giving hugs and high-fiving people that they didn’t even know. During the celebration, my mother had gotten a call from my granddad telling her that UGA had beaten LSU in the SEC Championship football game that same night which only made the night that much more exciting. My mother said to me, “I am so happy that both of the schools I attended won big games this very night!” No one cared at that moment how cold it was or how cold our ears and hands were. Everyone just knew that we did it! We won the championship. Everyone shouted, “We are the Trojans, the mighty, mighty Peach County Trojans!”

After the game we bought a championship car sticker from someone in the stands, got all of our game gear together and headed off to the nearest McDonalds to get some sweet tea and something to eat. On the way home no one could go to sleep because we couldn’t believe what our eyes had just seen. We honked our car’s horn every time we passed a school bus full of Peach County students and players. When we finally got home, I ran from the warmth of the car to the house to avoid the cold breeze outside. That weekend everyone could not stop talking about what had happened.

The Monday morning at school, after that marvelous Friday night, people were still talking and celebrating our victory. Before the morning announcements began, the office played the song “We are the Champions” throughout the whole school. What a moment that I will never forget! The next year’s football season was just as great as this one. We won the state championship again, but that is another story for another time. I am so glad that I can say I was at Peach County High School when we won our first ever state championship.

My Memory Essay super rough draft

A Night to Remember

            My family and I were sitting at what we thought was going to be our last football game of the season. Somehow we ended up winning that game and that meant we were going to the championship against Dougherty County. Everyone in the stands was cheering and air-horns were blowing, and I hadn’t realized what had happened at the moment.

The next week at school there was a change in how people acted about how they did their school work. All the football players were trying their hardest in all their classes to make good so that they would have a chance to play in the game. The halls were covered with black and gold ribbons hanging from the ceiling tiles. Large paper banners covered the walls, some saying “Let’s go Trojans”, and “We can do it, bring it home Trojans”.

That day at school I saw the biggest pep rally ever for a football game. The band was wearing their uniforms which were gold and black; their hats were black and had a feather on top. I could barely hear what my friend was telling me because the band was playing so loud. After the pep rally everyone went their ways home to get ready to travel down to Dougherty County High School for the big game.

When I got home my parents had already started to pack up the car to get ready to leave. My mom had a big smile on her face, and dad was covered in sweat from packing the car. I went inside and could smell the Krystal sandwiches on the table. After everyone had finished eating we met up with my aunt and started our way there. I remember looking out the window as we passed someone’s land that had just been burned to clear out the old crops. The soil was black and every few spaces you would see bright green leaves poking through the soil.

The whole day had been cold and wet as rain showers had moved through. By the time we had gotten to Dougherty County High School it was already dark outside and I can remember my aunt saying to my dad “Jim try to find the closest parking spot you can, this area doesn’t really look to safe”.  We found a spot on an overcrowded street filled with every type of car. When I stepped outside the vehicle the cool crisp wind greeted my face and started to make my ears cold.

When we reached the gates going into the stadium my mom said “I hope we will be able to find some seats”. There were people everywhere and since I was just a freshman in high school I had never seen so many people at a high school football game. We finally got our tickets and made our way to the gates. When we were standing outside the gates I couldn’t fully imagine the size of the stadium.

My dad returned to us and said “I have some seats down near the field. When we finally squeezed through the crowd and got to our seat that was when I could finally see what I have come to. The stadium was built into a bowl made of rock. On either end of the field there were rock walls about 60 feet tall. The stands were filled to capacity and there were still people coming in. I told my mom that there had to be over five thousand people here. It almost felt like I was at a University of Georgia football game. The noise of the crowd never really did settle down. You could feel the spirit in the air when our football team stormed the field. The smell of hotdogs coming from the grills and the smell of apple cider coming from my mom’s thermos filled the air around me.

On the opposite side of the field we could see the tightly packed opponents waiting for their team to enter the field. I could easily tell that there were a whole lot more people there from Peach County than there were of the home team. In front of us there were two men from Dougherty who thought it would be fun to sit on our side of the field. They were not welcomed at all by all who were sitting there. The whole game they were standing up telling how they will win and how bad we will lose. 

We sat next to the band so even when things weren’t going good the band always seems to bring back that excitement inside of you. Our band was either playing or shouting something to the fans going. Against the wind we sat there freezing our ears off to watch this wonderful football game. Every once in awhile there was a man sitting down in front of us who would blow a duck caller and that sound would put a smile on everyone face. At half time the game was close and finally it was time for our impressive band to take the field and give a wonderful show. The other school’s band was great but the cheerleaders danced provocatively and that turned many peoples’ heads on our side of the field.

After half time the football got back underway and now there was the smell of peanuts. My hands were now accompanied by a hot pouch which we all had in our jackets. About five minutes into the second quarter it started to sprinkle but that didn’t make anyone move and give up their seat. We sat there with the cold rain and our ears still cold watching the football game. After the second quarter we were up ten points and the men in front of us had finally sat down. We were finally happy to watch the game without someone yelling at us. 

We were now in the fourth quarter with ten minutes to go and we were up twenty points. The men in front of us finally got up and started to leave. While they were leaving everyone within ten rows of them including my family started to sing “Na, Na, Hey, Hey, Goodbye” and that put everyone in mood that we were for the first time in our school’s history going to win the Championship.  When the sound of the buzzer went off the stands were louder than ever and that is something I will never forget. My mother had gotten a call from my granddad who had told her that UGA had beaten GT. My mother told me “I am so happy that both of the schools I have gone to one this very night”.  No one cared at that moment how cold it was and how cold our ears and hands were. Everyone just knew that we did it, we won the championship. Everyone said we are the true Trojans, Peach County Trojans.

After the game, after we bought car stickers which still haven’t been used, we got our stuff together and headed off to the nearest McDonalds to get some sweet tea. On the way home no one could go to sleep because we couldn’t believe what our eyes had just seen. We honked our car’s horn every time we passed a school bus full of Peach County students and players. When we finally got home I ran from the warmth of the car to the house to avoid the cold breeze outside. That weekend everyone was still talking about what had happened.

The Monday morning after that marvelous Friday night people at school were still talking. Before the morning announcements began the office played the song “We are the Champions” over the whole school. The next year’s football season was just as great as this one. We won the State Championship again, but that is another story for another time. I am so glad that I can say I was at Peach County High School when we won our first ever State Championship. 

My Expectations in English 1101

What I want to get out of English 1101 is not only a passing grade but also to be able to write more efficient essays and papers. My expectations of this class is that it will be challenging and fun. I enjoy writing and reading. I never go into a class thinking that it will be boring and hard. I always try to make the best out of everything and make it as easy as possible to complete. I am thinking that we will be asked to write persuasive essays. This class is assisting me in getting the credit and furthermore helping me to write better essays.