Ready for Christmas!

I am so ready for christmas! I love our real tree and I love decorating our house! I can't wait to be out of school for winter break and to be done with all my finals! I am kind of excited for next semester though, and to see how I am going to like my classes:) Hopefully I will and I hope it will snow again this year!!!Good luck on finals everyone!!

Kite Runner Assignment

Topics-
Role of Women: The women mentioned in this book are looked at like they are good for nothing and unworthy.

Betrayal: Amir betrays hassan by always tricking him and asking him hard questions, never acting like a real friend, and not helping him in the alley that night.

Brothers: Though we find out in the end that Hassan and Amir and actually brothers, through the whole book it seemed as though they were brothers anyway.

Guilt: Amir struggles with the hidden guilt of not helping Hassan when he needed him and sometimes he wished people did know soo he wouldn't have to hide it anymore.

Redemption: Amir finally starts to feel a little redemption at the end when he is able to save Sohrab and finally do something for Hassan that a real friend, or brother would do.

Exodus/Journey: Amir does leave Afghanistan with his father and part of his journey is in America and he does find out a lot about his family after they are gone.

Fathers and Sons: We find out towards the end, why Baba always treated Hassan like a son because he really was, sometimes even better than he treated Amir.

Class Distinction: In this book: where you live, what your job was, what religion you were, and what your culture was influenced very much what your class distinction was.

Style-
Parallelism:

Character Foils: Amir and Hassan are alike and different in many ways. They both like to do the same things, they live nearby each other, and their fathers are friends. They are also different because Hassan and his father work for Amir and his father and Hassan exibits loyalty and bravery, traits which take Amir a while to acquire.
Ali and Baba also could be compared. They are both hard workers and care for their sons, but Ali is more patient and understanding than Baba.

Foreshadowing: The author uses foreshadowing in the very first chapter to let readers know that there are somethings in the narrators past that are painful, but he will have to face them to find redemption and finally learn loyalty.

Flashback: Amir has flashbacks a couple times of him and Hassan and of the night in the alley. These will always haunt Amir because of the guilt he feels and what he owes to Hassan.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Writing: Amir loves to write and read stories and Hassan loved to hear his stories, but Baba on the other hand wasn't so fond of Amir's stories and his habit of reading all the time.

Settings-
Amir was Pashtun and Hassan was Hazara(culture), this demonstrates some of the cultural differences between the people in Afghanistan and sometimes this was why Amir treated Hassan the way he did. Also the Sunni Muslims and the Shi'a Muslims(religion), Prestige and honor, the differences in where Baba and Amir lived and where Ali and Hassan lived, and the differences in their attitudes.

Minor Characters-
Hassan- taught Amir about friendship and loyalty.
Assef- taught both Amir and Hassan about the bad things of the world and that everything was not always going to turn out good.
Rahim Khan- taught Amir the things that Baba couldn't.
Soraya- teaches Amir and helps him and helps him through tough situations.
Sohrab- a way that Amir can finally help Hassan and be a real friend.

Symbols-
Pomegranate tree- Amir and Hassan carve their names in it and this shows their bond, but when amir visits it later and there are no pomegranates this shows their separation.
Slingshot- both Hassan and his son use the slingshot on Assef to show that they will stand up for themselves, this also connects Hassan and Sohrab.
Kite Running- first represents what Hassan would do after Amir fights the kites, bu tin the end Amir becomes the kite runner for Hassan's son.
Reading/Storytelling- Hassan loved to hear Amir's stories and this symbolized how Hassan looked up to and believed in Amir even when Amir didn't stand up for him.

Final Draft of Research Paper!!

So glad that this is done! Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving!

Lindsey Mitchell
Professor Aiken
English 1101
24 November 2009
Age Discrimination in the Workplace
One who works hard enough to acquire a job and keep it doesn’t want to lose it because of a petty issue like age. Some might even say they never got a chance at the job because they were discriminated against because of their age. There are many types of discrimination; The one that appears the most in the workplace deals with age. Age discrimination in the workplace not only affects the older population, but it affects young job seekers as well.
There are various laws that protect the workforce from being discriminated against because of their age. The ADEA or Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects the older group of workers, specifically those who are forty years of age or older (“Your Rights: Age Discrimination”). Age discrimination can occur in many forms. Some of these being: denying benefits to employees, not hiring because they are “under qualified” or being let go and replaced by someone more “qualified” (“Age Discrimination: Impact on Young Workers”). It is against the law to discriminate against young workers also. They do not have as many laws protecting them as the older workers (“Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace”). The OWBPA or the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act modified the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and restricted the type of discrimination that involves not offering benefits to older employees (“Age Discrimination in the Workplace”). Like the previous law, the EEAR or Employment Equality Age Regulation mostly pertains to older workers, but this regulation does protect younger workers too (“Age Discrimination: Impact on Young Workers”).
There have been many cases of suspected age discrimination brought to court; Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. is a sufficient example of what could be age discrimination in the workplace. In 2001, Jack Gross was Claims Administrator Director at FBL Financial Services Inc. (Gross v. FBL). In 2003, when Gross was fifty-four years old, he was reassigned to a new position as Claims Project Coordinator (Gross v. FBL). He considered this a demotion that had to do with his age, because of an individual in her early forties took a similar position and some of his responsibilities. They were both receiving the same pay, so Gross filed suit (Gross v. FBL). In April of 2004, Gross stated that his “demotion” disregarded the rules of the Age Discrimination of Employment Act. The jury’s first decision was that the company had violated the ADEA and granted Gross approximately forty-seven thousand dollars of lost pay (Gross v. FBL). FBL Financial Services Inc. did not agree with this outcome and appealed the decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals said that there would be a new trial, a new jury, and a new judge because the previous jury had been instructed wrongly under the decisions made in another case, Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. The Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins case decided the applicable way decide what kind of proof was needed to reach a verdict (Gross v. FBL). The jury was instructed that this was a “mixed motives” case. This is a case in which there are legitimate and illegitimate applications, when there really were not. They only needed to decide if Gross could prove that his age had anything to do with his employer’s decision (Gross v. FBL). The regulations that were made in the Gross v. FBL Financial Services Inc. did not last long. These rules were overturned shortly after, with a new bill called “Protecting Older Worker’s Against Age Discrimination Act” (Simon). This bill hopes to make all discrimination cases the same. This means each case must provide the same proof and be treated fairly (Simon). Simon stated, “Let’s hope that this important Congressional fix gets passed soon” (qtd. Simon).
Discrimination cases are some of the hardest ones to prove so the laws dealing with these cases need to be fair and just. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published that 25,000 age discrimination cases were filed last year; this number will only go up if the economy stays the same or plummets further (Simon). The figure (Fig. 1) below demonstrates how age discrimination claims have risen in the last few years (ADEA in green) (Miles). Miles also notes, “ADEA claims will continue to rise dramatically and 2009 will be a record year” (qtd. Miles/Chart of EEOC Claims Data).

Figure 1. Number of Discrimination Claims in the United States (1997-2008).
Source: Philip Miles, Chart of EEOC Claims Data, McQuaide Blasko Attorney Firm.
2009. Web.
Age discrimination in the workplace can affect anyone seeking a job. When someone thinks of age discrimination, older workers are usually come to mind. Most employers want their business to thrive and to be successful. It should not matter how old someone is, as long as they are skilled at their job and are an asset to the company (“Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace”). After workers have been at their jobs for a while, benefits, pension, and raises are expected. Some older employees are seen almost as an expense if they are compared to younger ones who don’t qualify for these benefits (Doyle).
Unemployment is presently at a high rate especially with high school and college age students seeking jobs to earn a little extra money (Collyer). Most people do see young people as the stereotypical ‘lazy and only cares about themselves’ type of person. In reality that is only true for some of the youth population. That stereotype could prevent a young person from getting that part-time job or first “good job” as it is sometimes referred to. Most young adults who want a job bad enough are going to work hard and show a lot of initiative if it is something that is important to them. Age discrimination against the young has been called “reverse age discrimination” (Collyer). General Dynamics land Systems, Inc. v. Cline is a court case that helped settle a reverse age discrimination issue (Collyer). The Court said, “If Congress had been worrying about protecting the younger against the older, it would not likely have ignored everyone under forty” (qtd. Collyer/”Can Employees Discriminate Against Younger Workers?”). After this case in July 2007, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission declared a rule that said employers could not discriminate against young workers and hire older workers instead (Collyer). This new rule was added to the ADEA and also set up some guidelines for “help wanted” signs. If the employer is seeking a worker with a higher education or more experience, the employer should state this as a job requirement; therefore, eliminating the chance that one with less education one experience can claim discrimination (Collyer). If young workers do feel as if they were discriminated against because of age, claims for them are welcomed like ones for older people (Age Discrimination: Impact on Young Workers).
Discriminating against people of any age group is definitely bad for business. Any intelligent business owner should know this. All business owners want the best for their businesses and experimenting with employees of different ages and giving them a chance at various jobs is the only way to find out who would work best in the position (Collyer). Age discrimination can make employees feel intimidated and feel as if they are always in competition at work (“Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace”). “Extensive research has found no relationship between age and job performance” (qtd. Doyle/ “Age Discrimination: How Old is too Old?”).
Age Discrimination is definitely becoming a greater problem, especially with the slump in the economy. If the workforce can learn to recognize age discrimination; they can protect themselves and take the necessary steps to receive just treatment in the workplace (“Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace”). This means that students looking for jobs will have to work even harder in school to have an accredited resume and good references for their first job. As for older workers, they have a little more going for them because they should have previous work experience. Even if someone does not get a job, it cannot be because of their age, since there are many acts and regulations that protect them from age discrimination.

Research paperrrr!

I am just taking a little break from taking notes on my research paper topic.."Age Discrimination in the Workplace". I didn't know if I would be able to write five pages on any topic, but I think that I can come at it from two sides..discrimination towards older people and discrimination on younger people too. I know how hard it is to find a job when you are only sixteen, so some first hand experience gives me more insight on this topic. I think also, with the economy in the shape it is in, lots of people of ALL ages will be looking for their first job, or a part-time job to go a long with their full-time job! Good luck to everybody on their research!

Comparision/Contrast Final Draft

The President to the Homeless
When most people think about the president of the United States they think power and prestige; Homeless people have never been placed in this category. When I think about the president, these things come to mind: lives in the White House, always wearing a suit, has to make really important decisions that affect a lot of people, and everyone knows who he is. When I think about homeless people, I think of these things: they have no permanent residence, they appear dirty and helpless, they beg from others, and they have no job. These characteristics definitely could not be interchangeable and that’s what makes these two very different. I did find though, even with all these differences they do have a few similarities.
Most average people, every day, wonder about what others think of them. The president definitely has to; because his career depends on the support he gets from the public. In a way a homeless person depends greatly on the support he/she gets from the public also. Almost all people either like the president or they don’t; the same applies to a homeless person, either you feel sorry for them by giving them your spare change or act as if they are invisible. I also think that the stress level associated with both of these lifestyles is high on the charts. The president has to worry about keeping peace in his country as well as with others. He has to make big decisions that could make the whole country either upset or satisfied. A homeless person doesn’t have to make these kinds of decisions, but they have their own worries too. If I didn’t have any stability, didn’t have a place to live, or anything to eat, I would probably be pretty stressed too.
The differences in these two people make both of their lives really difficult. One big difference is their lifestyle and social status. The president has people that plan his day and that he can go to if he has issues that need resolving. On the other hand, homeless people don’t have anybody to go to and might not be sure when their next meal is. Most see homeless people as worthless and invaluable; People see the president as very valuable and look to him at him as a leader.
Responsibilities are another area where these two are very different. The president has responsibilities including: his job, his family, and his political standings. His average day probably consists of things like: meetings, trips, conferences, speeches, and campaigns. He also has to work with other committees and individuals to keep the country running smoothly and effectively. Responsibilities that apply to a homeless person are not nearly like those of the president. An average day for them probably looks like this: wake up from wherever they slept, could have been outside, then probably beg for something to eat or look for something lying around. Besides looking for food, finding a place to sleep, and asking for donations/food from anybody they can, the lives of the homeless really don’t involve much responsibility.

The last big difference that I found between these two is: their plans for the direction of their lives. The president probably isn’t too worried about his life after his term(s) in office. You could probably get any job you want, with “The President of the United States” on your resume. Actually, he probably doesn’t have to think about a job after being president. With all the perks and the benefits after his presidency is over, he most likely isn’t too worried about what he will do with his spare time or money for that matter. I think the most upsetting thing for me, if I was homeless, would be not knowing the direction of my life or if I was ever going to not be homeless. When I think about it, after they have been homeless for awhile, is there really a chance for them to get their life back by themselves? Even if they thought they could do it, the odds really are not that good of someone hiring them if they don’t have a permanent residence, any job experience, or a nice personal appearance.
Even though these two people are very different, they really do have things in common; one reason being that they are both human beings and should be treated with respect and given support. There are a lot of people that don’t agree with the decisions that the president makes, but if you think about his job and what he has to do every day, he probably deserves a little more support. Most people probably don’t like homeless people as a whole, but you never know what some people have gone through and how they got where they are.

Rough Draft #3..Comparision/Contrast

Lindsey Mitchell
Mrs. Sharon Aiken
English 1101
October 17, 2009
The President to the Homeless
When most people think about the president of the United States they think power and

prestige; Homeless people have never been placed in that category. When I think about the president, these things come to mind: lives in the White House, always wearing a suit, has to make really important decisions that affect a lot of people, and everyone knows who he is. When I think about homeless people, I think of these things: no permanent residence, they appear dirty and helpless, they beg from others, and they have no job. These characteristics definitely could not be interchangeable and that’s what makes these two very different. I did find though, even with all these differences they have more similarities than one would think.
Most average people, every day, wonder about what others think of them. The president definitely has to; because his career depends on the support he gets from the public. In a way a homeless person depends greatly on the support he gets from the public also. Almost all people either like the president or they don’t; the same applies to a homeless person, either you feel sorry for them by giving them your spare change or you act as if you didn’t even notice them. I would think that the stress level associated with both of these lifestyles is high on the charts. The president has to worry about keeping peace in his country as well as with others. He has to make big decisions that could make the whole country either upset or satisfied. A homeless person doesn’t have to make these kinds of decisions, but they have their own worries too. If I didn’t have any stability, didn’t have a place to live, or anything to eat, I would probably be pretty stressed too.
The differences in these two people make both of their lives really difficult. One big difference is their lifestyle and social status. The president has people that plan his day and that he can go to if he has issues that need resolving. On the other hand, if you are homeless, you really don’t have anybody to go to and you might not even know when your next meal will be. Most people see homeless people as worthless and invaluable; People see the president as very valuable and look to him at him as a leader.
Responsibilities are another area where these two are very different. The president has so much responsibility including his job, his family, and his political standings. His average day probably consists of things like: meetings, trips, conferences, speeches, and campaigns. He also has to work with other committees and individuals to keep the country running smoothly and effectively. Responsibilities that would apply to a homeless person are not nearly like those of the president. An average day for them probably looks like this: wake up from wherever they slept, could have been outside, then probably beg for something to eat or look for something lying around. Besides looking for food, finding a place to sleep, and asking for donations/food from anybody they can, the lives of the homeless really don’t involve much responsibility.

The last big difference that I found between these two is: their plans for the direction of their lives. The president probably isn’t too worried about his life after his term(s) in office. You could probably get any job you want, with “The President of the United States” on your resume. Actually, he probably doesn’t have to think about a job after being president. With all the perks and the benefits after his presidency is over, he most likely isn’t too worried about what he will do with his spare time or money for that matter. I think the most upsetting thing for me, if I was homeless, would be not knowing the direction of my life or if I was ever going to not be homeless. When I think about it, after they have been homeless for awhile, is there really a chance for them to get their life back by themselves? Even if they thought they could do it by their self, the odds really are not that good of someone hiring them if they don’t have a permanent residence, any job experience, or a nice personal appearance.
Even though these two types of people are very different and you would think they have no similarities, they really do have things in common; one reason being that they are both human beings and should be treated with respect and given support. There are a lot of people that don’t agree with the decisions that the president makes, but if you think about his job and what he has to do every day, he probably deserves a little more support. Most people probably don’t like homeless people as a whole, but you never know what some people have gone through and how they got where they are.

Response to Example Essay

This essay, for me was a little easier than the descriptive essay. I didn't have as hard of a time starting this essay than the last one. If I had to give advice to an upcoming English 1101 student; I would tell them to think of all their examples first and put them in an order that makes sense and then start to write their essay. I had the most comments about the order of my examples and that they needed to be in a little better order. After I went back and read it, I found that I really did need to go back and change the order of some of my paragraphs. I really did take and use the comments that I got on my blog and changed my paper to reflect them.
In reference to my blog and posting on it; I wasn't really too excited about it at first. Then when I started actually posting and receiving comments, it made it worth it. When I finally got my blog fixed and started receiving comments, they were good, helpful comments!

Example Essay/Final Draft

Each Family Has Its Distinctive Lifestyle
Culturally, socially, religiously and many others, are ways that make all families different from other ones. I’ve always heard that no two people are exactly alike. Wouldn’t that be true for families also, since people make them up? It’s definitely true. Take any two families you know, even your own and compare it to another, you will find many differences.
Lifestyle is really key in defining variations in families. Differences that come to my mind are, the way a family dresses, where a family goes on vacation, or what a family thinks is a healthy meal. I see my family’s lifestyle best, when I compare it to any other family, it doesn’t matter if we are related or if I don’t know them at all. There is really no way to measure what kind of lifestyle a family has or how good it is, it’s just their own and it’s very different from any other one.
I didn’t realize until probably about middle school that every family wasn’t like mine. Spending the night away from home is a very good way to experience another family’s way of life. The first time I spent the night away from home was probably at my cousin’s house, even though they are “family”, I still didn’t live with them. I didn’t know that their dog wasn’t supposed to go outside, or that we were to join hands when we said the blessing. I was used to doing things the way my family did.
Another way that shows a family’s lifestyle is in what they eat. It’s really interesting to me, going to someone’s house and seeing what they serve together as a meal. Just the other day we had friends over and my mom ordered a pizza. When we sat down to eat, we offered our guests applesauce. Everybody thought it was really strange that we ate applesauce with pizza, but we have just always done that. I know my family and every other family probably does odd things, like having breakfast for supper, but it’s what we are used to.
A television show that demonstrates my point exactly is “Yes, Dear”. If you have ever watched this show in the afternoon, you should know what I am referring to. If not, this is a quick overview: Greg and Kim own a home with the luxury of having a guest house in the backyard. Kim’s sister Kristine, her husband Jimmy, and their two boys live in the guest house. I would say that they just sleep in the guest house and spend most of their time in the main house with Greg, Kim, and their two children. Even though these two families are related and live together, they have very different lifestyles. Greg and Kim are always trying to teach their children manners and values, while Jimmy and Kristine don’t really do much parenting. It usually shows them at the dinner table, and Greg and Kim are telling their children to eat all of their vegetables or they don’t get dessert. Jimmy and Kristine don’t really enforce rules so their kids get to eat dessert either way. That just shows that families also have different rules, values, and morals.
I think if every family had the same rules, dressed the same, and ate the same things for dinner, there would be no variety in the world and everybody would be very boring. When I think about my family compared to other families, I usually think about other American families and never really think about what kind of lifestyles families in foreign countries have. It would probably be very shocking for me, but fascinating to see how they live in other parts of the world; I could probably write a whole book of those differences. I will end though, thinking about my family and what quirky things we do or say, habits that have formed, and why I wouldn’t want to live any other way!

homework complete..movie time!

I just finished reading and commenting on my assigned essays. I definitely enjoyed these better than the last ones I read. I think that is because I could follow an "example essay" better than a descriptive one, and probably because I could relate to most of the examples used. I really like reading other students essays. I think it helps me, by giving me a perspective on different ways to write and take on the next topic. Now that I have finished all of my homework and assignments, I am going to watch Sunshine Cleaning, one of my friends recommended it...I will let everyone know if it is good!

Essay #2 Writing with Example

Lindsey Mitchell
Ms. Sharon Aiken
English 1101
September 24, 2009
Each Family Has Its Distinctive Lifestyle
Culturally, socially, religiously and many others, are ways that make all families different from other ones. I’ve always heard that no two people are exactly alike. Wouldn’t that be true for families also, since people make them up? It’s definitely true. Take any two families you know, even your own and compare it to another, you will find many differences.
Lifestyle is really key in defining variations in families. Differences that come to my mind are, the way a family dresses, where a family goes on vacation, or what a family thinks is a healthy meal. I see my family’s lifestyle best, when I compare it to any other family, it doesn’t matter if we are related or if I don’t know them at all. There is really no way to measure what kind of lifestyle a family has or how good it is, it’s just their own and it’s very different from any other one.
I didn’t realize until probably about middle school that every family wasn’t like mine. Spending the night away from home is a very good way to experience another family’s way of life. The first time I spent the night away from home was probably at one of my cousin’s house, even though they are “family”, I still didn’t live with them. I didn’t know that their dog wasn’t supposed to go outside, my dog loves the outside and running around! I guess my dog didn’t cost four hundred and fifty dollars either. At dinnertime, some families join hands when they pray, in my family we just simple say the blessing without holding hands, and some families don’t do it all. It could be a habit, or laziness, or that they are just really hungry and don’t think they could wait another moment.
A television show that demonstrates my point exactly is “Yes, Dear”. If you have ever watched this show in the afternoon, you should know what I am referring to. If not, this is a quick overview: Greg and Kim own a home with the luxury of having a guest house in the backyard. Kim’s sister Kristine, her husband Jimmy, and their two boys live in the guest house. I would say that they just sleep in the guest house and spend most of their time in the main house with Greg, Kim, and their two children. Even though these two families are related and live together, they have very different lifestyles. Greg and Kim are always trying to teach their children manners and values, while Jimmy and Kristine don’t really do much parenting. It usually shows them at the dinner table, and Greg and Kim always tell their children to eat all of their vegetables or they don’t get dessert. Jimmy and Kristine don’t really enforce rules so their kids get to eat dessert either way. That just shows that families also have different rules, values, and morals.
Another way I think shows a family’s lifestyle is in what they eat. It’s really interesting to me, going to someone’s house and seeing what they serve together as a meal. Just the other day we had friends over and my mom ordered a pizza. When we sat down to eat, we offered our guests applesauce. Everybody thought it was really strange that we ate applesauce with pizza, but we have always done that and everybody in my family likes it. I know my family and every other family probably does odd things every day, like having breakfast for supper, but it’s what we are used to and it’s just our life. I think if every family had the same rules, dressed the same, and ate the same things for dinner, there would be no variety in the world and everybody would be very boring. When I think about my family compared to other families, I usually think about other American families and never really think about what kind of lifestyles families in foreign countries have. It would probably be very shocking for me, but fascinating to see how they live in other parts of the world, and I could probably write a whole book of those differences. I will end though, thinking about my family and what quirky things we do or say, habits that have formed, and why I wouldn’t want to live any other way!

Writing, Revising, and Finishing my essay.

The greatest challenge with my essay was probably writing the first paragraph. I've always had difficulty beginning essays or even stories that I already know how they begin. After I wrote the first paragraph, I went back and made changes until I was satisfied. Then the rest of the essay just came with the memories of the trip.

I really enjoyed reading other essays, because it was interesting and it helped me with my own paper. They were all very different and written from various perspectives. When I commented, I tried to comment on what was assigned and what needed improvement, if any, and then I would tell them what I liked about their writing. All of the essays I read were very interesting and I learned something from each one.

When I went back to my blog, I had only one comment. It was kind of frustrating to have spent time reading and thoughtfully commenting on others and not have received anything back to help me. Although, when I turned my rough draft in, we got them back with comments and corrections from the teacher. So I took her suggestions and revised my paper from those. When I was finished, I was pretty satisfied with my final draft.

My thoughts on college...

Well, my college experience so far has been a pretty good one. I've taken tests, taken notes, and written a essay. I know it's going to be a lot more work and it's only going to get harder. I got my math test back and I had made a 70 on it...well it is passing but I wanted a little better than that! I guess that gives me incentive to do better next time and spend more time on homework and studying! My U.S History class consists of a lot of reading...and that is something that I'm not too good at..I can read..I just don't like to read in huge amounts! Though, if I want to do better on my next test, I will have to read and study more! It takes mistakes and trying things though to figure out how much effort and time you have to put into it! It makes everything better when I think about: no friday class!! Enjoy the weekend(:

Descriptive Essay..Rough Draft

First Family Camping Trip

As my dad loaded the back of our old, red, Ford Explorer, my mom was shouting off essentials that we should have packed for our camping trip, but may have forgotten. When we were finally loaded in and the back was stacked so high that we couldn’t see to back out, with: tents, sleeping bags, and all the necessities needed for a successful camping trip, we were on our way. As we proceeded west down the highway we were getting closer and closer to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park.

When we arrived after a quick, two hour trip, we followed the winding road to pick out our perfect camp site. After a little evaluating of the flatness of the ground, the fire pit, and the accessibility of the bath house, we had found it: number thirty-two, our home for the next three days. We backed the car up and started to unload all of our things and equipment. It took a little while, but after we had fought with the tent and made a trek to the bathhouse, we all plopped down and enjoyed the great view of the lake right beside our campsite. The rest didn’t last long though, we had to gather wood, build a fire, and make dinner before it got too dark. Deciding what to eat is a struggle for my family if we are home or away from home, the decision was finally made on grilled hotdogs, baked beans, and chips. After we had all pitched in to help prepare the meal, it was time to eat. There was large, cement, picnic-style table where we ate our meals, the benches were pretty hard and uncomfortable, so we covered them with two quilts that ride around in the back of my mom’s SUV. That was a big mistake! Apparently, quilts that are made by your great grandmother should not be used as table covers, and are probably worth a lot of money; as we were informed by two elderly couples who were passing by in their RV. After we finished eating and put our “valuable, antique seat covers” back in the car, we decided to go on a walk around the lake. It was a small lake with a few ducks and birds that lived nearby. The campground wasn’t very crowded, but it was interesting to see what the other campers were doing and how they were living outside. When we got back, we all needed to go take showers and get ready to go to bed. We gathered everything together that we needed and walked to the bathhouse. It was pretty small and only had two showers, luckily there were not that many people camping at the same time as us, so we pretty much had it to ourselves. When I was finally in my tent and laying down, I realized it wasn’t that uncomfortable and I was pretty tired so I fell right asleep to the sound of a faint crackling fire and distant crickets.

The next morning, breakfast was kind of the same routine as what we had done to prepare dinner. The air smelled of coffee and fires that had smoldered all night. It wasn’t long until my sister and I had gathered more wood and started up another fire for breakfast. Our campsite looked pretty clean and organized; we kept things in the car that we weren’t using at the time and the rest in our tent. My mom tied a piece of string between two trees to hang our bath and dish towels on. I thought it was pretty ingenious, and it worked just like a clothesline.

The only surprise we had on the trip was a visit from a nearby raccoon. It slowly wondered up to our campsite and sniffed and pawed at the ground. It wasn’t extremely big or small in size, just a normal raccoon that was minding its own business. We were really in its habitat, so we took a few pictures and left it alone. It scampered away after a few minutes and our trip was near the end. It felt good to be going home and to be in a house again, but once in a while I think it is good for everybody to be a little closer to nature and the outside world.

Expectations of English 1101

This is my second day of English 1101 at Macon State College. I don't really know what to expect of this class, because I've never taken a college English class. I hope that it is different from the previous classes that I have taken in high school, because I haven't always enjoyed English classes. I think already, that I will enjoy this class, because we are doing something that I have never done before. I think I definitely will learn a lot better and a lot more. I hope we continue to do different things and explore many differnet aspects of English and Literature. I am excited to see what English 1101 brings next.