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