Christmas Movies

Each year around this time, you start to see an assortment of the different Christmas movies being aired on the television. You see classics such as The Christmas Story and It’s a Wonderful Life. You also see the more recent films like The Grinch and Fred Clause. When I see these movies, they always remind me of the times when I was younger and always get me into the Christmas spirit. When I was real little, I remember watching the Christmas Story and always being amused by the young man who got his wish when he got his bb-gun. Then I always remember when the boy goes out to shoot his new toy and end up hurting his eye, just like everyone said he would if he got that gun. I was able to relate to this movie quite well because I too always wanted a bb-gun when I was younger. I can recall several Christmas’s, that after I got finished with all of my gifts, I would search around the house in hopes of finding the gift that was hidden like his was in the movie. Unfortunately, I never found my hidden bb-gun. This was probably a good thing though because, I would have probably followed up just like the movie did and ended up shooting myself in the eye. Another movie that is more recent for me is The Grinch. This movie is one of my all-time favorites. I love this movie because it was more modern and just always makes me laugh with all of the dry humor. One movie that we as a family always watch is Christmas Vacation. This movie makes me and my family laughs every year. It seems that every year we watch it; it just gets funnier and funnier. Chevy Chase is a terrific actor and does an excellent job portraying what the average family man goes through during the holiday season. These movies always put me in a great mood and that is one of the great things about Christmas.

Buffalo Bills Comeback

The Buffalo Bills have been in a slump for the last ten years. In 1999, the bills made the playoffs, since then, they have yet to return. After 1999, the bills have gone through five different coaches and a hand full of different styles. People have had a difficult time finding a way to win in Buffalo. Growing up, I have only known the bills to be, at best, a five hundred team. I missed the glory days with Kelly and Reed and Tasker and Smith when the bills were the team to beat. I have missed the days when fans would actually be excited to go to the game because those games meant something, and they knew that they would be in for an exciting thriller. These days, it hurts to say but the attitude in the stadium is just not the same. Each year at the season opener, a glimpse of that excitement comes back in the stadium but quickly fizzes out. The attitude that I receive when I enter the game now is that it is a pre-season game and fans are just waiting for next year. It is said to think that a great football town like Buffalo has had so much difficulty winning. Each year, games continue to sell out here which tells me one thing. That one thing is that there is still hope in this town. I have faith that one day, the Bills will turn things around and when that day comes, the fans will be here, ready to go. And when the Bills become the top team again, all the bills haters will begin to jump on the band wagon and all the true fans will laugh as these people try and convince us that their heart was always with the team. We will always know who the true fans are. The Bills Will Be Back!

NFL Draft

I often think about what it would be like to be a professional athlete. Every year I watch the NFL draft where college athletes are selected by teams in the NFL. Each year, ESPN does a background story on a number of the players involved. When I watch these stories, I see a lot of similarities between the average kid and these young men who are starting their careers as professionals. They start these stories off by beginning from their childhood. They show what these young men went through when they were kids and what their lives were like. Some of these men were blesses to be in a great situation where they had a great family who was supportive and dedicated. An example of this type of player would be like Peyton or Eli Manning. When they were kids, their father was a quarterback in the NFL and for them; it was easy to see what their future could be like. When they were in high school, they had a lot of connections from their father and they were easily acknowledged for who they were. The other half of the players that you hear about were not as fortunate. Often times, these young men were brought up in violent neighborhoods where they had hardly any family support at all. Sometimes, you hear about young men who got caught up in the gang life, and were fortunate enough to be touched by someone and were able to change their lives around. An example of this would be Tyrone Wheatley. Tyrone Wheatley grew up in Michigan and lived with his mother. His father was not in the picture and he lived in a bad neighborhood. He was forced to grow up at a quick age and learned to be a man. Tyrone became a tremendous football player and was also a 3-time track and field state champion. He earned a full scholarship to the University of Michigan and was a first round draft pick in the NFL. When I watch these stories, I see how much these men went through in their lives and it inspires me to be the best I can be.

Poem

Friday Night Lights

14 to nothing,
Before the half
All the games, but one, have passed
Seasons ending early, due to injury
Compares nothing to the loss of a brotherhood; a family.
Friday night lights
So many dog-fights
In the end, we all sacrificed
To me football is a thing of the past
Just one more thing I wish would last

Stepping out on the field one last time,
Brings a tear to my eye
A half-hour past nine
Time to pack up, and head back home
Never again will I touch that end zone
The big hits are gone
No more players of the week
No more happy valleys
Or Thursdays to eat; before the game
No more fame

I’m proud to have played football for this team,
For that I’m not ashamed.

Donnie Brush

When I first read this poem, I immediately was able to relate to it. For the past 18 years of my life, high school football has always been a part of it. Growing up, I started my football days on the sidelines, acting as the ball boy for his high school team at Akron. When I was old enough to play, I remember my first practice at AJF football. I remember going home after practice and talking to my dad about how it went. I remember numerous Friday nights when I would finish my practice at little league and my mom would drive me out to Akron, making it just in time for kick off. I remember watching the games from the sidelines and watching how the players acted. These guys became my role models and from that time on, I dreamed of the day that I was the big high school football player, wearing his school colors. That day came before I knew it and now when I think about those days, it is nothing but memories. As I got older, I started to learn the bond that a football team develops. Football is like no other sport in the aspect of teamwork. To be successful, you need to be working hard throughout the entire summer. Every day at 8 am, high school football brings young adolescent men together in the weight room, when a majority of the other students are still in bed. Football is a demanding game and it teaches people a lot about life. You’re going to get knocked down in football and things aren’t always going to go your way, but if you get back up and try it again, that’s what is important. Football teaches young boys to become men and I could not become more thankful for this great game. With my high school days over, it is sad to think that it has gone by this quick. Walking out onto that field under the shining lights is something that I will never forget and will always cherish.

Beauty

What is beauty? Beauty for me is something that a person takes a great deal of pleasure in. Sometimes when people look at something, they instantly see the beauty in it. By this, I mean that they see something that is spectacular for them. They see something that is flawless and it just captures their attention. Every time they look at it, they are swept away by what they are looking at and are always amazed. They see it as something spectacular and it always sticks with them. When somebody sees someone who they believe is beautiful, they are intrigued by what they are looking at. They can’t help but admire what they are looking at. Also, beauty can come in other things rather than appearance. Some people may be considered to be beautiful on the inside. If a person has a great personality and has great moral beliefs, one may consider this to be beautiful. People also find beauty in nature and the outdoors. Often times, images a person sees in the outdoors are just extremely captivating and steal the viewers’ attention. These images can often be described as breathe taking and always stay with that person. Beauty is often times compared to ugliness. Ugliness is defined as being unpleasant to look at. Ugliness is told to be the opposite of beauty and is often times compared with beauty. Ugly can also be described as awful or horrific. For example, if a basketball team loses a game that they should have won or are expected to win and lose; people may describe this as an ugly game. Everybody has their own definition for beauty and ugliness. This is what I think of when I hear these two terms. There are many things in the world that consist of a lot of beauty.

Blog 1

One thing I have learned about myself as a writer in this class is that I have an easier time writing about things I have an interest in. Often, I get assigned these blog topics that I know nothing about and I have a horrendous time trying to come up with three hundred words. It is almost painful trying to write about some of these topics because I just don’t know anything about them. I sit in front of my computer and cringe trying to think about the next word to type. Now, on the other hand, when I get assigned a topic to write about that I have an interest in, I fly through it. The words just pop into my head and a get the topic done in no time. My writing process is somewhat simple. I think about the topic in my head and try to write about it in a logical process that flows together nicely. A couple things that I like to write about are sports, athletic events and things that I am a part of. For example, I enjoyed writing about the athletic association and the pep grant because I take part in both of those groups. Things I don’t like to write about are art, beauty and other things like that. For me, I have no idea what any of those things are and I find it difficult to come up with three hundred words describing it. I must say though, since taking this class, I believe I have become a better writer. With all of the writing we do, it has become easier for me to write about things. I believe that my work has more flow now than it ever has and that it is easier to read. Online publishing has helped me in many ways.

Gnome

One day I was in the back yard admiring the beautiful garden my neighbor had planted when I noticed that the gnome was walking towards me. Stunned at what I was looking at, I stood completely still and watched this figure walk towards me. When he arrived at the base of my feet, he looked up at me and said that he had a lot to tell me. The first thing that he told me was that in the winter time, it gets very cold outside and he would appreciate it if someone would have enough decencies to take him inside when it gets cold. He said that he doesn’t enjoy spending the entire winter buried in snow while everyone else is inside by the nice warm fire. The next thing that he told me was quite interesting. For a while now, our family has had trouble with our garden being torn up by animals. We always thought that it was just the deer ruining the plants and that we would just have to put a fence up to keep them out. The gnome told me that while we were busy thinking that it was the deer causing all of the problems, we forgot to think of the possibility that our dog was the one who was causing all of the havoc. He told me that when everyone is gone at work, the dog gets so caught up in his play, that he forgets where he is running sometimes, often it’s in our garden ruining all of our plants. Silly of us, we never thought that our dog was the one who was causing all of the trouble. Thankfully, we had the gnome on lookout for us.

Over the Top

Growing up in a sports family, most of my games I played usually involved some sort of physicality. One of my favorite games to play when I was a kid was “Over the Top.” This was a game that my brother and I created after watching a little bit too much football on T.V. The point of this game was to stack a bunch of blankets and pillows on the couch and floor to make for a large obstacle to hurdle. Also, these blankets and pillows were put there to stand as a little bit of cushion to prevent any serious injuries. The object of the game was to have one man running the ball, and another one or two men, sitting in front of the couch on their knees, waiting for the runner to attack them. When the runner began to move, the defenseman would prepare to lay a hit on the ball carrier as he sailed through the air, trying the hurdle the tacklers and reach the couch. The couch represented the end zone and the pillows and defenseman stood as the pile of defenders that is created when there is a goal line stand. If the ball carrier successfully reached the end zone, he would be able to run the ball again. If the ball carrier got stuffed, he would then go to defense and a new runner would get the ball. This game was a lot of fun because there were usually a lot of good hits that took place. Over the Top was defiantly my favorite game growing up and sometimes I get the urge to play it again.

Favorite Shows

Growing up, there were a lot of shows that I enjoyed watching. Some of my top favorites were Franklin the Turtle, Ninja Turtles and Bugs Bunny. I liked these shows for a variety of reasons. For starters, I liked Franklin the Turtle because Franklin was always very nice to his fellow turtles and I guess watching turtles just amused me. I remember thinking to myself that I found it weird that a turtle would be talking but that never steered me away from it. I liked the Ninja turtles because they were always an exciting show to watch. They were always action packed and they I had cool names like Michelangelo and Raphael. Plus they always used cool weapons and they always saved the day for people. I often wished I could be a Ninja Turtle after I watched this show. Bugs Bunny was one of my favorite shows of all time. Everything that Bugs Bunny did just made me laugh. The way he looked, the way he moved, the way he acted when Elmer Fudd was trying to shoot him were all things that cracked me up. I tended to laugh most when I saw Elmer Fudd chasing after the elusive creature calling him a siwwy wabbit. All of these shows took up a lot of my time and really enjoyed all of them. Cartoons were something I always loved and they always made me laugh. Franklin was a great turtle and the Ninja Turtles were awesome. They were my favorite.

ART

Art. I don’t really know what to say when it comes to this topic. Many people throughout the world live for art, while others live without it every day of theirs lives. I myself am one of those people who live without it. Growing up, I never really struck an interest in the subject. I always had a difficult time succeeding in these classes and I believe that was because of the fact that I was just not all that interested in it. For other people though, art is something that they live by. From my experiences, art is a way to express your thoughts and feelings through visually presenting what is in your head and body through drawing and images. Many times in paintings, you see artist drawing about something or painting about something that signifies an important moment in their lives. Other people use art as a way of relaxation and therapy. Some people find an interest in the outdoors and wildlife and decide to take pictures of these incredible sites and publish them so the rest of the world can see this beautiful footage. Other people consider art as creating things such as sculptures and statues. People every day find different ways to create art using different materials and different supplies. Some people consider architecture as a form of art. In this day in age, there has been a new style of design in the creation of buildings. Although I have never been very successful when it comes to creating art, I have always been interested in seeing what other people can create. I enjoy seeing the sorts of statues and sculptures that people have created throughout the world that are located in famous museums. I also enjoy seeing the new extraordinary buildings that people are designing these days. That is my take on what art is.

Interesting Picture

When I first saw this photo, it instantly grabbed my attention. One of the first things I noticed about it was how blue the water looked. Something about the color of the water and the amazing clarity of it just attracted me. As I looked at it more closely, I was amazed to see how crystal clear the water appeared and how refreshing the water appeared. Next, I noticed the black material at the bottom of the canyon. For a while I thought about what it could be and why it almost looked like an oily substance. The next thing that caught my attention about this photo was the snowy canyon surrounding this river. The whiteness of the snow just blended well with the color of the water and really contrasted each other nicely. Also, on the right side of the canyon, the shape of the snowy cliff just looked really interesting and was somewhat incredible as to how much curve was naturally made by the snow. While looking into the background of the picture, I wondered if any animals had ever traveled through this territory and if so, what kind of animals were they. I also thought about how steep the canyon really was and if it was almost an optical illusion. Staring at the snow, I wondered if the water I was looking at was actually frozen and had become ice or if it was still in the liquid form. I also wondered if there any fish or sea -like creatures living at the bottom of it. This picture really made me think a lot and really interested me. I liked this picture because of the cast color change and because how it just instantly grabbed my attention. I would surely like to see this exact image one day in person.http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/best-pod-october-2010/#/ice-canyon-greenland-balog_26744_600x450.jpg

Wolf Pack

I was a one man wolf pack. I stood on top of the mountain and glanced out into the horizon, thinking to myself if I had any brother wolfs who were feeling the same things I was. I felt cold and lost and was in need of my fellow wolfs. I thought to myself about where I wanted to head on my journey. I debated about whether or not I should return from where I came from and pick up the life I had left or if I should continue to embark on my journey and see what the rest of the world I had to offer. I stood here for a while and really thought hard about this decision. I was in the Nevada desert and it was quite cold before sun down. I had left my family in search of new opportunities but had started to feel lonely and wanted to return to my home. Knowing that I would let my family down if I returned home, I decided to continue my travel to the land of Las Vegas in hope of finding new members to join my wolf pack. It would be difficult but I knew from that moment on that that is what I must do. I dreamed of my wolf pack and I having a glorious time in the city of Las Vegas and being able to run freely throughout the city with no worries in the world. I imagined us being the best of friends and becoming the best wolf pack in the world. I pictured us being loved by everyone and everyone laughing about the silly adventures that we embarked on. Most of all, I pictured the members of our wolf pack growing up and becoming married and starting families and when we got older we could all return to the city of Las Vegas and relive are best days. I knew that this was what I must do, and I continued my journey to the land of Vegas.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2010/entries/wallpaper/week-10/#/ngpc-wp-wk-10-14_29515_600x450.jpg

Fear Builds Walls

I feel that fear does build walls. When people are scared, they tend to stick to their normal habits. They don’t like to stray from their normal habits because they feel that new experiences may bring upon new fears. I believe that when people live their lives in fear, that they are essentially missing out on a lot of the great opportunities that life has to offer. I feel that people should live life with no regrets and take in everything it has to offer. When people do this, they tend to realize that the things they were once afraid of are things that should never hinder a person from doing something. Also, when people begin to become frightened by things, the fear usually tends to spread amongst other things. I think that in order to prevent people from being scared, they must stay active and explore as many areas as possible and keep things in their life exciting. I think that it is crucial to stay active with your friends and maintain a good social life amongst your peers. When people go out and laugh with their friends, they tend to forget about their fears and are able to overcome them. That’s why I believe that people say that it is so important to have good friends in your life and that it is critical to maintain a great relationship with your peers. AS you can see, this is how I feel about the saying that fear builds walls.

top ten of Nate Zobrest

1. Nate’s extremely manly deep voice
2. His sense of humor
3. His Height
4. His strut
5. His blonde hair
6. His normally long hair
7. His drawings
8. His double peanut butter sandwiches
9. Employment at McDonalds
10. His love of University of Southern California football

Favorite Holiday

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I like Christmas the best for many reasons. First of all, Christmas is one time throughout the year where I get to see my entire family. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day, everyone gets together and it just feels great to catch up with everyone and share a few laughs. Secondly, I love the time prior to Christmas when you get to go and buy stuff for everyone. Another thing that I really like about Christmas is going and picking out the tree and getting all of the Christmas decorations out. Also, I really enjoy seeing how excited the little kids get around this time of the year. It reminds me of when I was little and how excited I would always get thinking about Santa and all the gifts that he would be bringing. One thing that especially love about Christmas Eve is the surf n’ turf dinner my grandparents serve at their house. Every year we have filet mignon and lobster tails and I always end up stuffed after this meal. After my grandma’s house, we open gifts and then head over to my uncle’s house on my dad’s side of the family. It’s here where we have dessert and exchange gifts with that side of the family. On Christmas morning, we open our gifts at our house and then we go to breakfast down at my grandparents. They always have a huge spread of eggs and bacon and fruit and we always get to talk with everyone and see what kind of gifts everyone got. Christmas dinner is always at our house and my mom always makes prime rib. Everyone comes over and it is just an exciting and enjoyable couple of days. I love seeing my family and that is why Christmas is my favorite holiday.

Winning

Winning is being able to proud of things that you have accomplished. Winning is not always determined by the scoreboard but rather by yourself determining whether or not you can look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you left it all on the field or whatever competition you may have been a part of. For example, if you are playing an opponent in which you know you are expected to beat by a large margin, winning the game might not exactly be winning in your mind. If it is a game in which you should have no difficulty beating your opponent, you should want to focus on playing a perfect game and doing the little things better than usual. Also, many times in sports, winning can be determined by the amount of effort a person puts into the game. In a game, if a player gives his best effort and yet still loses, he might still feel as if he won. Thinking about all the time and effort he put into preparing for the game and everything he ever did to make himself better, he might feel that he did everything he could and that in his eyes, he is a winner for everything he has accomplished. For me, I think that winning is determined by the amount of effort that one puts into preparing for something. If a person is dedicated and puts numerous hours of work and thought into something, than I feel that if they give it all and never give up that they are entitled to be crowned winners no matter what the outcome is. No matter what the sport is or whatever the event is that the person is preparing for, if they are dedicated and work hard than I will see them as a winner in my eyes.

Things I'm Grateful For

One thing that I am especially grateful for in my life is my family. In my eyes, I have the best family in the world. Growing up, my mother and father have always been there for me. No matter what I have ever done, they have always been there to support me and mentor me. They have always given me everything I have ever needed to be successful. When it came to sports, they would have made sure I had the equipment I needed and would always make sure I had to a ride to every practice and every game. They would spend their money to send me to camps and clinics to insure that I got the best opportunity to become the best player that I could be. Academically, they have always made it clear to me that grades come first and if I ever forgot that, sports would be out of the picture for me. My brother on the other hand has always been there for me in ways that my parents sometimes couldn’t. Whenever I wanted to go outside and toss the football around or shoot some hoops, I always had my little wingman following right behind me. Over the years, it seems that he has also become one of my greatest supporters as well. One thing that I was surprised to learn this summer was the work ethic that my brother has developed. On a Saturday night in the summer when I would be sitting at home watching T.V., my brother would be getting his stuff ready to go to the field and workout for the upcoming season. It really hit me then that I kind of started to look up to my little brother and all that he has accomplished. No matter what I have ever done with my life, I have always had my family there supporting me. My grandparents and uncles and aunts are at every one of my games and I couldn’t ask for a greater family.

3 people

If I could have lunch with three people, they would have to be Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Jon Gruden. All three of these men are highly respected as athletes and as people with high character and I believe that I could learn a lot from them. Peyton Manning is known to be one of the headiest quarterbacks in the history of professional football. The man has broken several records and is a true competitor. With all the success that he has had, he still continues to have one of the hardest work ethics throughout the league. Derek Jeter has solidified himself as one the greatest Yankees of all time. From the moment he has been on the field, he has made a direct impact on the team. Over his career, he has become one of the best leaders in the history of baseball. Off the field, Derek Jeter has started charities and has always been a very generous person and is very well respected. Jon Gruden has been an NFL coach for a number of different teams. He has always been successful and has leaded his team to at least one super bowl. He has been known as a coach who rarely takes a minute off. In one of his books, he noted that he would average around three hours of sleep a night. The man is a great coach and an even better person. I feel that if I had an opportunity to eat lunch with these three gentlemen I would leave there a better person than when I arrived.

Favorite Quotes

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.
William Arthur Ward-
I like this quote because it speaks the truth about athletics. In every sport, players are faced with adversity in some sort of way. The way this athlete responds to this adversity is what truly defines their character. Some people see this adversity and back down from it and rarely succeed. Others see this adversity and look at it as a challenge and accept the challenge. These people that do this are the ones who are truly winners.
The more I practice, the luckier I get.
Jerry Barber-
I like this quote because it is right on when it comes to the way people think about sports. So many times you will hear about people accomplishing something great and all the critics respond by saying that it is just luck when really it is practice. In anything that you do in life, if you practice at it, you will always be more successful at it than before. A good performance is a direct indication of how well that individual has practiced. The moral behind this is that the more time you put into something, the more you will get out of it.

The minute you think you've got it made, disaster is just around the corner.
Joe Paterno-
I like this quote because it always reminds me to never settle for anything. People who always think they have things made always tend on losing things that they cherish most. So many times you see professional athletes who think they are invincible, get in trouble with the law and spend the next couple years locked up. This quote helps me to stay focused on the task at hand and not get distracted with things that are not important.
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
The will to win i

Thanksgiving

The way my family celebrates thanksgiving is probably pretty ordinary compared to other families. The day usually starts out with the guys in our family meeting at our cabin early in the morning and hunting. Everyone always has off from work on Thanksgiving so we usually are able to get a lot of people up there and we always share a lot of laughs. Around eleven o’clock, we start to gather are things together and head home. When we get home, we are greeted with the scents of numerous foods and desserts being baked. This immediately puts us in the Thanksgiving mood. Around 12:30 we head down to my grandma’s house which is right down the street and meet up with the rest of my mom’s family. The guys watch football and the ladies cook and prepare the food. Around 3:00, we are called to the dinner table and the feast begins. Turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, corn, rolls and cranberry sauce are usually what I start with. I usually can get in another plate like this before I get full. My favorite part of this meal would probably have to be the broccoli casserole. Something about it just makes me wanting more and I always end up eating more of that than anything else. For dessert, we always have an assortment of different flavored pies and a slush cake. With a nice cup a coffee, these dessert cap off a wonderful meal and usually leave me ready for bed.

Respect

Respect, what is it? I feel that respect is a number of things. First of all, I think that respect is something that is earned and not given. Respect is when people look at you and honor what you do. They see how you have performed or acted and really admire it. They care about what you say and how you feel about things because they admire the way you act. Respect is something that can be earned and can also be lost. Respect is often earned when people see how you react in certain situations. When things get tough and everyone loses focus, but you are able to stay level headed and do what is expected of you is one way people come to admire you. They see that you stay on task and are discipline and people like that. Also, trust is a major aspect that goes into being respected. If people know that they can trust you and that you will do what you say you will do than people take not of that. Also, respect is somewhat odd in which someone can respect you but not like you. For example, someone can respect a player because of the way he plays and because of how good they are but on the other hand; they do not have to like them. They can respect what they do on the field but not necessarily like you off the field. Respect is something that is taken for granted and is a big part of our society today.

Respect

Respect, what is it? I feel that respect is a number of things. First of all, I think that respect is something that is earned and not given. Respect is when people look at you and honor what you do. They see how you have performed or acted and really admire it. They care about what you say and how you feel about things because they admire the way you act. Respect is something that can be earned and can also be lost. Respect is often earned when people see how you react in certain situations. When things get tough and everyone loses focus, but you are able to stay level headed and do what is expected of you is one way people come to admire you. They see that you stay on task and are discipline and people like that. Also, trust is a major aspect that goes into being respected. If people know that they can trust you and that you will do what you say you will do than people take not of that. Also, respect is somewhat odd in which someone can respect you but not like you. For example, someone can respect a player because of the way he plays and because of how good they are but on the other hand; they do not have to like them. They can respect what they do on the field but not necessarily like you off the field. Respect is something that is taken for granted and is a big part of our society today.

Dream Job

My dream job would have to be a professional football player. I can only imagine how incredible it must be to be a professional athlete. Football is my favorite sport and I am a huge NFL fan. Every Sunday when I go to the Bill’s game, I think about how much I would love to be on that field warming up every Sunday. I think about how much I would love to be able to earn a living for doing something that I love. Football has always been something that I have been a part of and it has always been a sort of tradition in my family. My dad was a high school football coach for a long time and I spent many of my younger years as the water boy for his teams. I always would play football games when I was a kid with my friends before I was actually old enough to play organized football. When I was six years old, I played pee-wee football for Alden Junior Football. Every year since then I have been playing football and helping out whenever I could. When I was in middle school, I would help the varsity team out by compiling stats and lending a hand on the sidelines. Football is something that I love and it has been very beneficial to me. I have never had a problem with preparing for football or putting in the extra hours to make myself better. Football is something that I have always loved and I would be honored to be able to be a professional football player and make money doing something I love.

Ryan Pinkowski

Ryan Pinkowski and I have acquired quite a friendship over these past few years. I have been lucky enough to be in a few of his classes and got to get a taste of the real Ryan Pinkowski. One time in particular, I recall our law class being told to dress up for a mock draft. On the day of the draft, everyone showed up in formal clothing, except for Ryan. Ryan arrived in a white t-shirt and a pair of short-short cutoff jeans and sneakers. The best part about this was, when he was called to the stand as a witness, he walked up there with pride. This was when I got my first dosage of the Ryan Pinkowski experience. The question that I am supposed to be answering in this blog is, “what does Ryan do in his free time?” I had a hard time trying to figure out this question myself. The one thing that I have realized over these few years is that Ryan seems to be and avid music fan. I can recall many instances in our Law class when Mrs. Suita would have to yell at Ryan to get off of websites and to stop listening to music so he could get his work done. Funny enough, I have frequently heard Mr. Currin say the same things to Ryan in our online publishing class. Plus, in this class, I happen to be the editor of his articles and can’t help but notice that a good amount of his articles have been about music. After piecing together these similar instances, I have come to the conclusion that Ryan Pinkowski probably spends his free time dealing with music in some way. Ryan is a good friend of mine and I have a lot of respect for him and all the good things he does for this school.

Injury

One time when I was playing little league football, I suffered a broken hand and was forced to sit out for a couple of games. I was only in fifth grade when this happened and I was extremely upset because I thought that my season was over. It happened when I was running the football and got tackled with my hand getting stuck between two facemasks. At first, I thought that it was just a bad bruise so I continued to stay in the game. By halftime, the pain had gotten worst and I could barely move my hand and had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines. Fortunately, we won the game and that made me a little bit happier. After we got done shaking hands, I went home, got changed and my mom took me to the doctors. I was forced to take x-rays and they showed that I had a hairline fracture and that I would have to have a cast put on and that I wouldn’t be able to play for a week. This was good news because I was glad that I would get the chance to play again even though it wouldn’t be at quarterback because of the cast I had to wear. The game that I had to sit out of was against Lake Shore. It was tough to sit out and not be able to play with my team but I was excited to think that next week, I would be back out there. The next game was against CSRA and it was muddy. I had to wrap the cast with an inch thick foam pad to protect myself and other players from being hurt from the cast. It was a good game and we won. It was fun to play again and it is a moment I will never forget.

Blow 3 Look up too

One person that I look up to is Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter is an excellent athlete and an even better person. When Derek grew up, he was faced with adversity while having a white mother and a black father. He was discriminated against and picked on while growing up in Michigan. Never once did Derek ever retaliate or fight back even though this bothered him. Growing up and in high school, Derek always stayed out of trouble and avoided alcohol and drugs. In the classroom, Derek always maintained high grades and was a leader. In professional baseball, Derek grew up and played with the Yankees as a young kid while the rest of the team was mature veterans towards who were towards the end of their careers. When being called up to this team, the club gave him the number 2 which was only given to players with great standards. As a rookie, Derek made an immediate impact with the team. Over the years, Derek has become the official captain of the New York Yankees. He has broken many records and has never hesitated to dedicate his body for the sake of the team. When post-season play comes around, Derek is known to be Mr. Clutch. Whenever big games have gotten close, Derek has always been the one to step up and make a big play in the critical situation. This is one of the biggest reasons why I look up to Derek. When the game is on the line, he is the one who his team turns too to make a play. Not to mention that Derek looks forward to this situations. This shows that he is a true competitor. I have taken this attitude to heart in that when difficult decisions arise, people look to you for answers and that you should want to be the one to make a play when the game is on the line. This is why I look up to Derek Jeter.

Blog 3 Scariest Moment

One time, a friend and I were driving home late at night on a dark and isolated road. It was in the middle of the country and there wasn’t another car on the road. It was around two in the morning and the road was pitch black. When coming around a bend, our headlights showed the back side of an object standing on the wrong side of the road. As we got closer, we could make out that it was an actual person and that the man was standing slightly hunched over, facing the oncoming traffic lane. As we got closer, we were able to see that the man was not moving much but just continued to remain looking forward. While approached the man, we were able to see that he was wearing normal street clothes and still continued to remain motionless. When are vehicle passed him, the man instantly, bolted behind are vehicle almost touching it. I was not able to see the man run behind us, but heard the scream from my passenger who watched the man do this in our rear view mirror. At this point, we were both pretty shocked as to what had just happened and were slight freaked out. When I was reached my house, I thought my trouble were over. While I was talking to my friend on the phone on their way back home, I heard a frantic scream come from the other end of the phone. Frightened, I immediately ran out the door to head to my car because my friend wasn’t answering. Finally, they responded and said that the man who we had seen earlier was standing in the middle of the road and made my friend drive around him, never moving once and forcing my friend to slow down while doing this. We never figured out who the man was or what he was doing. This was probably the scariest thing I have ever had happen to me.

Blog 2 Caped Crusader

October 30th was a cold night in the town of Alden. It was a windy night and leaves were blowing from left to right across the gloomy streets. It was late and the town appeared to be empty minus a few lonely cars passing by every couple of minutes. On the corner of Crittenden and Broadway stood Alden’s Crusader, Nathan Bailey. Dressed in a cape and tights, he intimidated any villain who tried to disrupt the peaceful town of Alden. While on his nightly watch, he saw a car pull into the Sunoco gas station. This was a car that Nate has never seen before and he thought that it was peculiar for a car to be out this late at night. The doors of the car opened and four men dressed in black jumped out of the vehicle. Nate noticed that they had Halloween masks on and felt that a robbery may be brewing. Instantly, Nathan got up from the bench and in a heroic effort, raced across the street without looking. While being caught up in the moment, Nathan lost focus and ran into a parked car. The caped crusader was dazed and had lied on the grown for a moment until he was able to collect his thoughts. By this time, the men who were robbing the store had taken the money and were already pulling out of the gas station. Nathan knew that time needed to capture these bandits was running out. He jumped in his Nissian and began in his pursuit of the suspects. Driving at high speeds, Nathan knew that these were no ordinary criminals. Just about when Nathan was able to get close to them, they made a quick left turn which left Nathan with no time to adjust and lead him to drive STRAIGHT THROUGH A GARAGE DOOR! Trapped in this collapsing garage, Nathan stepped out of the vehicle and watched the bandits speed away. Nathan did not know if he would ever be able to recover from this incident ever.

Blog 1 Nate Boss?

“Is Nate Bailey the boss,” a question which is asked commonly throughout the hallways of Alden High School. What does it take to be a “Boss?” Does Nathan have what it takes to be called a “Boss?” According to the Urban Dictionary, a boss is someone who is “Incredibly Awesome; miraculous; great.” Personally, I don’t know if Nate has what it takes yet. Although Nathan hasn’t hesitated to tell people that he is the Boss, I just don’t know if he has earned the title yet. When I ask Nate why he thinks he is the boss, he just says “I Just Am.” One time, I recall being at asked by one of his friends from another school if people in Alden really call Nate the Boss. Although it was hard for me to crush Nathan’s ego, I had to inform them that the only one that refers to Nate as the Boss is himself. To Nathan’s defense, he has made great strides over the past few months in earing the reputation as the boss. I have started to hear people throughout school refer to him as the boss but never were they able to say it without bursting out laughing. For me, a lot has to happen in order for me to call him the boss. By that I mean, the only way I will ever call him the boss is if in some miraculous way, I will literally being working for him in which then I could honestly call him my boss. Until that day, Nate will never be the Bo$$.

Blog 1 Favorite Songs

When thinking about my favorite song, I have a hard time just thinking of one. There are so many songs that I have really enjoyed listening too. One of the more recent songs like to listen to has to be “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne. I just recently heard this song for the first time the other day and really liked the beat to it. One song that I heard a while ago was “2012” by Jay Sean featuring Nicki Minaj. This is just one of those songs that always seem to put me in a good mood whenever I listen to it. One song that always makes me and my friends laugh whenever we listen to it is “Teach Me How to Dougie” by California Swag District. We always crack up when we hear it because it usually ends up with one of us trying to pull off the dance that goes with it and not being able to perform as good as the California Swag District does it. Another song that is like this for us is “Pretty Boy Swag” by Soulja Boy. The combination of the lyrics and the beat just seem to put everyone in the dancing mood. When I play football, I love being able to listen to “Thunderstruck” by ACDC before games. This is in my opinion one of the greatest pump- up songs of all time and really gets me ready to play. As you can see, these are just a few of my favorite songs that I like listening too.

Blog 2 Favorite Class

The best class in the world has to be online publishing. I love online publishing for many reasons. First reason is because I get to spend my entire 80 minutes next to Nate Bailey. Nate Bailey is so much fun to be around and he and I share many laughs together. Also, many of my other friends are in this class and make it a relaxing environment to be in. The next reason has to be because my brother is in the class and carries all my papers for me in his folder so I can usually come to class not having to worry about whether or not I forgot anything. The projects we do in class are enjoyable because we are usually on our own and have plenty of time to get them finished. The blogs that we are assigned to do are always on fun topics and make for good conversation during class discussion. Our articles that we are assigned to write about are always on subjects that we choose and usually are things that we can all relate too. Most of the articles are about events that take place in school and they get a lot of student’s recognition for good things they have done. Mr. Currin always does a great job of keeping the class loose and keeping everyone involved which makes me look forward to coming to class every day. Online publishing is my favorite class and I am thankful that I decided to take it because I have a ton of fun in it and I feel that it has made me a better writer.

Blog 3 Favorite Meal

My best meal ever would have to be the penne pasta at Chef’s restaurant in Buffalo, NY. At this restaurant, they always start you off with a fresh roll of bread and a variety of dipping sauces and an ice cold glass of water. For an appetizer, I ordered a dish of calamari which went well with the home-made bread. The calamari also came with a side of marinara sauce which had a nice kick to it. I also was able to try some of my brother’s garlic toast which was covered with melted mozzarella cheese and left me wishing we had ordered more. For my entrée, I ordered the “Spano Special” which was a penne pasta topped with a delicious red sauce. The sauce itself was extremely sweet and really made the meal. It came in just the perfect size and made me think about whether or not I wanted to order another portion of it. For dessert, I ordered a slice of cheesecake which was covered with cherries and I also ordered one cannoli for the ride home. The dessert was delicious and left me stuffed. I also ordered a coffee which went great with the sweet taste and topped off an extraordinary dinner. This was by far one of the best meals I have ever had and I always look to go back and have it again whenever I get the chance too. Everything I have ever tasted at Chef’s restaurant has been delicious and that is the reason why it is was of my favorite restaurant now.

Blog 1 Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is probably my favorite movie of all time. This movie is about the 1988 Permian Panthers high school football team in the state of Texas. This movie is about how serious high school football is taken in the state of Texas.
In this movie, high school football is the one thing that the town revolves around. The kids in this movie are born and raised to be football players. Football is superior to academics and parents care more about their boys succeeding in football than school. The stadiums are enormous and the media attention is always on these seventeen year old kids. On game days, the entire town shuts down in preparation for the teams’ game.
At the beginning of the season, the team is projected to win the state championship. The pressure put on the boys from the town is incredible and the players know that anything less than a state championship is unacceptable. I love this movie because it relates to areas that I am familiar in. For example, the entire movie relates to young boys bonding together and facing up against incredible odds and becoming young men in the process. While being a high school football player myself, I can relate to what these men went through in the movie. This movie taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good teammate and how to enjoy high school while it lasts.

Blog 2 Coach Carter

The movie Coach Carter is one of my favorite movies of all time. This movie is about an undisciplined high school basketball team in a poor neighborhood of Richmond, CA. In this movie, Samuel L. Jackson comes in as the new coach who is a stickler about discipline and demands the boys respect before they can play. With Richmond being a rough neighborhood, many boys resent Coach Carter and end up quitting the team. The boys who do stick with end up becoming gentlemen rather than thugs and learn what its’ like to become a team and a family. This movie was very inspirational for me because it was a great example of how all different kinds of people can come together and become something great. It also was a good example of how sports can be so beneficial in a young athlete’s life. In one part of the movie, Cruz, one of the players that quit the team was involved in a shooting and watched his cousin get killed. This showed Cruz that if he didn’t change his ways, he would end up like his cousin. This part of the movie made me grateful for all that I have and lucky to have grown up in such a safe environment. Not to mention, it opened my eyes to the fact that shootings and tragedies actually take place like this and that I should be thankful for how lucky I am.

Blog 3 Remember the Titans

One of my favorite movies of all time is Remember the Titans. This movie is about a high school football team in Virginia that integrates with an all-black high school. This movie takes place when segregation was coming to an end and schools started combining. This movie shows the struggles of how difficult life was back then when everything was segregated. It shows what these young men had to overcome in order to be a team. Most of the players on this team came from families in which were very prejudice and had strong feelings of hatred against the other race. These men were able to bond together despite what others thought and became a team and a family. This movie was very inspirational for me because it taught me how to be a good teammate and how important football can be to a young man and a community. Also, in one part of the movie, an All-American linebacker is paralyzed and never gets to walk again. With the team gathering around him, he was able to move on with his life and stay positive about what he had to live with. This made me realize that sometimes life isn’t always fair and to never take things for granted. I thought that this was a great moving and was very inspirational.

Blog 3 interview

In my interview with Caitlin Whelchel, I was able to learn a little bit more about her. The first question I asked her was how she liked high school. She responded by saying that high school was pretty cool but she is scared about fast it is going by and how it is almost over. I can relate with her on this because I am in shock that at this time next year, I will be done with high school and in college. The next question I asked her was if she was involved in any extracurricular activities. She said that she was planning on being a part of the high school play this year as long as her schedule allowed it. After that, I asked her what her plans were after high school was over. She wasn’t quite sure yet because it depended on whether or not she decided on going to Colorado for college or staying in New York for college. Following this, I proceeded to ask her what she planned on doing for the rest of her life involving the work field. She hopes to find a job as being a director or a cook one day. The last question I asked her was what sorts of activities she enjoyed. She said that she enjoys singing and making art work and that her favorite types of music were alternative and screamo. I really enjoyed the opportunity to interview Caitlin and enjoyed learning more about her.

Blog 3 Seasons

My favorite season has to be either summer or fall.  I love summer because the weather is always gorgeous and I always have time to relax.  Most mornings, I would usually get a lift early and be back home before 9am.  I usually would relax for a bit and then either head to work or if I didn’t have to work, I’d go hang by the pool.  At nights, I would always either be out with my friends or spending quality time with my family.  Summer is always just a wonderful time for me and it always allows me to relax and get myself geared up for another year.  I also enjoy the fall season because it is always a fun time of the year for me.  For starters, it is always just at the beginning of school and you get to be back with all your fellow students you may not have seen over the summer.  Also, fall always involves football season which is a time of the year I’m just obsessed about.  Homecoming and Halloween are always during the fall and I just love the feeling you get from the leaves and the air this time of the year.  Plus, Christmas and Thanksgiving are just around the corner and it just puts in me a good mood.  Overall, I feel that these two seasons are my favorite times of the year.

Blog 2 Getaway

One place in which I have been recently is Myrtle Beach.  I went here last spring during Easter break and it was a wonderful get away.  When we went, the weather was in the high seventies every day and it was a treat from the weather that we had been experiencing in Buffalo.  After we drove down, the first thing we did was put on our bathing suits and relaxed out by the pool.  We spent a few hours here and walked around on the beach seeing what was near us and what there was too do during the evenings.  The first evening we were there, we went to a seafood place which was said to be the best one in town.  The meal was excellent and on the way out of the restaurant, we saw the legendary basketball coach, Bobby Knight.  He was a very big guy and it was an exciting part of our trip.  That night we went and played putt-putt and got ice cream after that.  The next day we started out with breakfast and went to the beach for the entire day.  That night we went to a very nice Italian restaurant where the food was delicious.  We also played putt-putt again and I was able to walk away with the victory that night.  The final day we spent by the pool and visited an amusement park shortly before dinner.  That night we went to a sports restaurant so we could watch the Sabre’s playoff game.  Overall, it was a wonderful trip and allowed me to spend a lot of quality time with my family.

Blog1 Future 9/24

                In the future I hope to see myself being successful.  With my senior year I plan on making to most out of it and making it a time I’ll never forget.  After high school I plan on attending a four year college.  I am still undecided about whether or not I would like to go to school in New York State or if I want to travel and attend a school out of state.  When I pick the school I want to attend, I plan on studying and majoring in physical education.  I would also like to get my master’s degree in Health Education.  While at college, I hope to play football and compete for a championship.  After high school I would like to find a job close to where I grew up.  As well as being a physical education teacher, I would also like to be involved with coaching high school sports and eventually become a head varsity football coach.  Later on in my career, I plan on possibly becoming an athletic director and taking part in high school athletic committees.  While all of this takes place, I will to find a nice home and a place to settle down where I feel comfortable in raising a family.  I hope to have a couple of kids and give them great opportunities to be successful.  Overall, I just hope on living a happy life and being able to have a lot of fun with my friends and make my family proud.

blog 2 Present 9/23

As a senior, I am really starting to see how lucky I have been in growing up in such a great and caring environment.  Today, things could not be much better for me.  I have an amazing and healthy family who always looks after one and other and always will go out of their way to make each other happy.   I have a great group of friends who I know I can always count on.  One thing that happens as you get older is that you really begin to see who your true friends are and who you can rely on.  Since my freshman year, I have slowly been able to see what a good friend means and which of my friends have these qualities.   As sports go, football could not be much better for me.  I have always loved this time of the year and always have loved knowing that every Friday night, I will be spending my evening under the lights.  Another thing that I love about football in particular is how everyone in the community seems to gather around you and support you.  Every year as we have gotten deeper into the season, I have always been able to notice how you start to see more blue and gold throughout town and more“Go Bulldogs” signs hung throughout.  Being only 16 and 17 years old, it gives almost a sense of pride and accomplishment that you are doing something right and making a difference throughout the community.  This just shows how lucky I am to have lived my entire life in such a wonderful town.  I could not be any happier.

Blog3 Past 9/22

Back in the day, I can remember many fun times I had.  One time in particular is when all my friends and I would play basketball after school.  These basketball games consisted of two teams matching off in a cross town rivalry almost every day after school. This game was always hyped up by the promoted east side vs. west side rivalry.  Representing the east side was the Notorious Alexander James Blood and Myself Tyler Stoldt.  Sporting the west side uniform was Ryan Wimmer and Mr. I Think I'm Boss Nate Bailey.  For a week this vicious game took place each and every day and usually would carry over into school resulting in a middle school hate of each other’s team.  In the five game series, it was tied 2-2 going in to Friday’s battle.  Each game would alternate being played at each other’s courts.  With luck of the draw, the championship game would be played on the West Sides hardwood or as many know it, Nate's driveway.  Each game was played to eleven and when the score was at 9-7 west side, a heated argument broke out after a claimed to be foul call by Nate Bailey.  Fans in attendance knew that this self- called foul was non-sense.  Things got nasty and the game was ended with harsh feelings and the east team speeding out of there on their bicycles. Many people today say that this rivalry was never settled.  Let it be noted that this middle school conflict, led to the east side team and west side team avoiding each other for an entire weekend.....

Blog #1 9/13-9/17

Tommy was asleep and his mind was taking him on a scary adventure.  He was in a world he had never been before. In this world, it was only him, no one was around and he was terrified.  Tom felt like he had no control and that no matter what he did, he could not escape this fantasy he was in.  Everywhere he looked, there was debris flying past him and he seemed to have no control of which direction he was heading.  He felt as if he was trapped in the middle of a tornado that had just destroyed and entire town.  He was thinking about if he was in a dream and if he was ever going to escape.  He had himself convinced that this had been for real and that he would never see his family ever again.   This put him in a panic and he began to swim and kick but nothing he did helped the situation.   His heart was pounding and he felt himself in a great state of panic and all was going wrong when suddenly a hand was put upon his shoulder in a violent action startling him and pulling him from the tornado.  As he lay in bed and looked up at his brother who had just saved him from the horrifying experience, his heart still pounding,  he took a sigh of relief knowing it was just a dream.

Blog #2 9/13-9/17

It was a normal summer day in California and all was going well.  The Smith family had just returned home from a rough days work and was preparing supper.  The news had reported that there had been and earthquake down along the Mexican border but warned civilians of Southern California not to panic.  The Smiths didn't think anything of it and continued on with what they were doing.  It had begun to get hot out, real hot, and the sense that something was wrong began to emerge.  As Mrs. Smith was cooking dinner, she looked out the window and noticed that all the birds had begun to fly frantically all around the house.  A rumble started to come from what seemed to be the basement.  Naturally, the entire family ran down stairs to see where this noise was coming from.  When arriving at the base of the stairs, they immediately knew that the noise was coming from the ground around the house.  They sprinted upstairs to evacuate the house thinking the earthquake would ruin their house.  As they reached the top of the stairs, Mr. Smith heard the dog barking in the bathroom.  Instantly he ran in the room and grabbed the dog.  With the dog in his hands he took a step for the door when and explosion occurred knocking the man on his back.  Water had begun to spray everywhere and made the room a very scary environment to be in.  With the entire house shaking, the man knew that escaping the house would be difficult and decided to ride out the quake from where he was.

BLOG #3 9/13-9/17

It was a stormy night on the southern Atlantic as the ship set sail for America in search of new opportunities.  The crew had left in hope of good things but knew that tonight, something was wrong.  As the night grew late, the weather got worse and worse.  The wind began to pick up and the rain came down harder than it ever had before.   The crew began to panic as each crack of thunder seemed to be louder and louder as the one before it.  As the lighting crashed down the entire sky lit up, and all the men could see was a raging ocean full of anger and aggression.  The waves grew worse, the swells got larger.  In no time this dream of a new life had turned into a nightmare for the men aboard this ship and all of them knew that they were in for the most horrific night of their entire lives.  When dawn rolled around, all that was left to be seen was remains of the ship, floating about in the southern Atlantic.