Last Minute

Oh how I love traffic jams. There is absolutely nothing more exciting than spending time in a traffic jam. When you can see the sign of the store you want to get to, you are about half a mile away, at a stand still. Horns are beeping as if anyone has any control over the situation, people swearing, and birds are flying. I find it humorous, as I'm sitting there, calm, cool, collective. Im taking in the thrill and joy of Christmas rather than rushing everywhere I go. Traffic jams make us slow down and just think for a moment.

With the busiest shopping weekend in one day, traffic is expected, yet people will still loose it. Take your time, go the back way, and plan on being slow. Its not that hard to figure out people. Don't take Blairs Ferry and don't take Collins and you at are set. The south side of town isn't nearly as busy, so go to target, and other stores on that side. Or, a nice alternative would be to get your shopping done now, and just relax at home with family and friends this weekend. Thats what i Plan on doing. Well actually maybe not,

I do like last minute shopping because it forces me to get something and rather quickly. I really don't care about sitting in traffic or waiting in lines this weekend. I don't have anywhere to be so i might as well just jump right into the holiday shopping insanity this weekend! the best time to go is like 20 minutes before stores close. Most people are leaving, i can sometimes then get a deal that was really meant for tomorrow, and i don't have to wait in line. Plus in stores that have a 30 return policy, if I get the gift on Christmas Eve, and give it on Christmas, the recipient still has 29 days to return it if they so desire.

Pretty much there is going to be long lines and a large population of vehicles out this weekend. Either plan on sitting in a traffic jam or don't go out. Or, if you still have to shop and don't want to go out, today is the last day to order stuff online and get it here by Christmas! I like driving when it's busy, so I don't mind it either way, but for those of you who are impatient, and eager, get your shopping done today, and limit the amount of road rage tomorrow, thanks. (WC 420)

School Tomorrow = Pointless.

As I'm sitting here on this much needed snow day, I look outside and see that we got no where near 12 inches of snow like projected. We didn't even get 8! It really bugs me when the weather man/lady says we are supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow and we don't even get close to the lower amount of that range. C'mon, you can do better, cant ya?

I just got in from clearing snow the first time and I am already dreading the second, and possibly third time I will have to go out. It was definitely a good called snow day, but now we have to go back to school tomorrow for one very unproductive and unwanted day of school...bleh.

Tomorrow we will watch movies, eat candy canes, do crafts, and other busy work that I could very well not do and spend my time better by finishing shopping, or cleaning the house for company, or maybe even cleaning my room. Tomorrow is pointless no matter how you look at it. Many teachers don't want to be there either. One of mine told us if we have school on friday, he's taking the day off. I completely see his logic. Tomorrow is pointless.

Another reason why tomorrow will not be worth it is because right when we get done doing our coloring sheets, the teacher will assign us some homework over break. I would rather of done that in class than do it over break. Thats a waste of time and very unappreciated. Our teachers are paid to teach, not put DVDs in the DVD player. I might as well stay home, watch Elf, and eat cookies, and I will have been more productive than most students and teachers will be tomorrow.

Well instead of ranting anymore about how stupid it will be to go back to school for one day, I might as well enjoy the rest of this snow day. I can't go anywhere, and I'm guessing our power will go out soon, as many in the Cedar Rapids area are without power. Ive got our candles stocked, food ready, driveway cleared, blankets warmed, and fire wood set. So whatever this blizzard brings, I really really hope it brings us one last snow day tomorrow. That would be the ultimate christmas present, and would be much appreciated by everyone! (WC 398)

Snow Days

     Snow days are a high schoolers cup of tea. Ones that we anticipate are the best, because them homework gets spread out over a longer time, and we can sleep in. I am hoping for one tomorrow.

     With Iowa's first snowfall of the year expected to hit later tonight, everyone will go into a panic. It seems about 80% of Iowans forget how to drive in snow. With this being said, tomorrow is a for sure snow day. With over a foot of snow projected and high winds, we are under a blizzard warning!! This means lots of shoveling, but also lots of sleep.

     On a snow day I get up early and help my dad clear the driveway. After that I go back inside and go back to bed for an hour. After that I usually do some stuff round the house, get my homework done, then just relax. It is usually a great time, and a perfect unplanned break.

     However snow days do have their negative side. Having to make them up is what we a
dread. If we have tons of snow, we could be going to school in mid June! This doesn't appeal to anyone. Also, snow days mean the adults count on us kids to get the driveway continuously clear, and the house spick and span. One last negative, is the confusion. Sometimes we wonder when the test will now be, or when certain assignments are due. This can quickly ruin a snow day if it is spent doing homework the whole time.

     Overall I would have to say snow days are a plus. Unexpected breaks are always welcome. The only time this really sucks is when we expect a snow day, have our off day planned, and then we don't even have a 2 hour delay. However, I'm pretty certain we aren't going to be roaming the halls of our designated schools tomorrow. And if it is going to be as bad as the trusty weather man says, we might be out of school for 2 days. Having the 2 days off before break would be awesome! And extra long Christmas break is just what I need! With so much more shopping to do for family and friends, I really need these next few days off so I am not scrambling on Christmas Eve trying to pull some gifts together. (WC 400)

Packers Clinch

The NFC North Division has been won by the Green Bay Packers. Today with a 21-13 win against the Chicago Bears the Packers clinch the NFC North title as well as a playoff berth. The Pack is not done. If the San Francisco 49ers lose one of their last three games, and the Packers win their next two, they can clinch a first round bye in the playoffs. Which would be fantastic, or would it be?

Last year the Packers had only lost one game going into the playoffs and had the first round bye. They were the first seed and considered the most dangerous team in the playoffs. However when they played their game against the New York Giants in the second round, they came out flat. With everything the Packers had done that season, everyone expected them to come out and dominate. They ended up losing and it wasn’t pretty. That was devastating, and was a horrible end to a great season.

The year before that, the Packers had to win their last two games (which they did) and have the Philadelphia Eagles win. The Eagles were down in their final game of the season. Their only hope to win, and the Packers only chance in making the playoffs was if the Eagles returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The kick was caught and 13 seconds later, the Eagles found themselves in the end zone. They had won the game, and the Packers squeezed into the playoffs as the last seed.

In the first round of the playoffs the Packers played the first seeded Atlanta falcons. They won by over twenty points. This sent a message to everyone in the playoffs. The Packers made it to the NFC championship game against the Chicago Bears. They had their odds stacked against them with all of the injuries they had suffered. The Packers prevailed and they were headed to the Super Bowl! They played a great game against the Steelers and pulled off the win. The underdog, sixth seeded, Packers – world champs.

For the Packers going in on top might not be the best option. Maybe going in as a 3^rd or 4^th seed would be better than going in as a second seed and having a first round bye. Although I can’t get too picky, we are in the playoffs and that is what matters. Without further ado…Go Pack Go! (WC 402)

Tragedy Strikes Once Again

This morning tragedy struck once again in this country. The news broke that 27 people have been confirmed dead after a man opened fire in an elementary school. Teachers, administrators, and young elementary students, were now dead. No one in the right mind does this. Young innocent lives, will never be lived to the fullest. Some only had five years to make their presence known, and others a few more. Either way, lives were taken to early, way way way to early and in a horrible way.

Evil roams this earth. This week there has been two bodies found that were missing for 143 days, two people were gunned down in an Oregon Mall and now, 27 lives conformed gone in a Connecticut ELEMENTARY school. Not long ago there was a movie theater shooting in Colorado, and in 2008 a massacre at Virginia Tech University. Evil is roaming this earth and it is a very very scary thing. To know that tomorrow I will walk into my school knowing at any moment in time someone could pull a gun. Last year I did some research on school violence and discovered that on average, in each school, at least one person has a gun. That is a very scary thought. It makes us rethink exactly what we are thankful for.

Each one of those families was getting ready for the holidays, excited, curious, and awaiting Santa Claus. Now, instead of giving gifts, they have received grief. A burden they will carry for the rest of their lives. The families of those who are now gone will grieve instead of celebrate. There is no reason those kids and adults deserved to die. It is sickening to know someone is that ill to do that.  

My heart aches and goes out to the families who have lost a loved one. I also am thinking about the hundreds of kids that heard what happened or maybe even saw it. Or maybe even made eye contact with the gunman, but survived. Those kids will be mentally scared forever. This will never leave them. But may God use them to make the future brighter, and tell their story and hopefully help make this world a safer place. Good can, and will beat evil. The battle has begun. (WC 381)

The Thought Put Into Giving

Sometimes I don’t think people completely understand the amount of thought and time that go into giving Christmas presents. I always think I have a good idea and then I see something else that is five times better. Only to realize I can’t return the other gift. So now I’m giving someone two gifts of great value, meanwhile they will feel bad that they haven’t spent nearly that much. People will deny that that is true, but it is. We always put price tags on things and when we receive a gift, we try and guess how much it costs.

                Lots of people have barcode scanners on their phones, they scan the bar code and the price pops up. People are missing the point of Christmas. Christmas is supposed to be a time of giving as we celebrate Jesus’ birth. However, many people, me included, get sidetracked from that. Each year we want more and more stuff. If we end up not getting what we wanted we end up disappointed. This year I have spent, and am giving more than I ever have, simply because I don’t know what to get! I have lists of items that I’m looking for, but sometimes I can’t find them and have to resort to getting other things. Now for each gift I’m giving, I have to think of a creative saying to go with it. I’m not that creative, so I have resorted to the creative minds in my classes to help me out. Each gift has to do with either an inside joke between I and the recipient, or something that describes who they are.

                For my dad, he wants a baseball stadium calendar. Well, it just so happens the store I always get it at doesn’t sell them anymore. So I resorted to a Cubs calendar. Right as I bought that, I get an email saying that store just got some in. Now, I have two calendars for him, and no one needs or wants two. And who likes the Cubs anymore? So what I did was cut out the pictures from the Cubs magazine and made a cubs collage. Actually I just had the idea, my sister did the work.  Christmas shopping when you aren’t creative gets very difficult, so for me, it really does take lots of thought. I will stand in an aisle for minutes on end trying to decide whether or not to buy something. Yesterday I was in the freaking hallmark store for 45 minutes. That just about exceeded my limit. Cards plus candles plus books plus ornaments plus candy plus songs plus women who ask me if I need help every 5 minutes simple don’t appeal to me. On the bright side, I left with two gifts that I am very excited to give. (WC 470)

Slow Start, Great Finish

The Packers started out extremely slow on Sunday night. They found themselves in a 14 point deficit midway through the second quarter. Finally with 10 minutes left in the half, struggling Packer kicker, Mason Crosby made a 48 yard field goal. Then shortly the Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford fumbled and Packer lineman, Mike Daniels recovered it and ran for a 30 yard touchdown. The tide had been turned as the Packers went into the locker room at halftime only down by four.

Coming out at halftime the Packers defense stepped it up only allowing three points. Our offense scored another touchdown and the Packers were rolling. As the fourth quarter approached the Packers needed another score to break the tie. On a 30 yard run, Alex Green scored another Packer touchdown. With the Packers up by one score, it still wasn’t a comfortable lead, then from 42 yards out, Mason Crosby drilled another long kick! The Packers were now up by ten which made the game a two possession affair. The Packer defense definitely stepped it up and was able to force the Lions into some three and outs. Overall, a great second half by the Packers.

With a 27-17 win over the Detroit Lions, and a Bears loss to the Vikings, the Packers take a one game lead in the NFC North with only three games remaining in the regular season. This is huge as the Packers go into Chicago to play the Bears. Even if Green Bay Losses next week, they still would lead the NFC North due to the tie breaking rules. However, if the Packers want to be the second seed in the playoffs instead of the third, they must win out. If they do that, and the 489ers lose another game the Packers would be the second seed and have a first round playoff bye.

It is very settling knowing the Packers control their own destiny. The way they have played in six of the last seven games, I would say it is safe to say they will make quite a run in the playoffs. Super Bowl? Who knows, but they have a lot of work to do, and a lot of players need to heal in order for that to happen. There are a lot of really tough teams that the Pack could very easily lose too early in the playoffs. They must remain focused, remain a team, and remain healthy and we may see them in the championship game. (WC 417)

Dogs Have It Made

I would just about do anything to be a dog, especially our dog. The biggest stress in his life is worrying about who will knock on the door next. Other than that he lies around ALL day, eats once or twice, and goes for a walk. Wouldn’t you just kill for that schedule?  Every time I come home from school he is always lying on a bed, and rarely does he come great me. If I could just lay at home all day oh what a wonderful life I’d be livin’.

                Although laying around and not having to do anything would be super fantastic, I think I would get bored. I would probably be that dog that rips everything apart just so my owners get mad. But knowing my luck they would think it was cute, so then I’d go around ripping more stuff up, and eventually get put in my kennel all day. Now I don’t think that would be too bad. As long as I had lots of blankets, a pillow, a bone, and a tv, I would be set! No homework, no sports, no anything to get stressed out about. Well, except for the vet that is.

                I feel like going to the vet is the equivalent of final exams. A dog has to go to a place that it is not familiar with, get poked with needles, and be examined by an unfamiliar face. This is a big stress for a dog, and they always come home and go right to sleep, at least mine does. Now comparing that to finals, we get stressed out, our grades might suffer, and we come home and sleep. The only difference is we take finals on top of everything else we do; dogs go to the vet once every couple months and do nothing in between.

                Every time I see my dog, I envy his life. He gets unconditional love about 8 hours a day, gets cuddled with, pet, and is always comfy. I’d much rather do that than curl up and do homework. I mean, wouldn’t you? Most importantly dogs don’t have to put up with the sibling rivalries that take place. They just lie down and watch everything unfold as they try and get some more rest. Pretty much dogs, cats, or another house hold pet have it made. I really wish I could be like a dog and get away with it, but that won’t be happening ever. (WC 412)

 

 

Let It Snow

When is the last time you walked outside in a t-shirt in December, and weren’t cold? Well for most of us, we can say we did last week. With temperatures nearing 70 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of the state, it was a record braking day for sure. As we look at the forecast for December, it looks like these crazy warm trends will be coming to an end, and winter weather will be on its way!

                It is currently December 6, 2012 and we have yet to see snowfall. We have yet to see even a flurry, or even just one single snowflake. For some, this weather is perfect because it eliminates the driving hazards that come with snow, and with winter. For others, like me, this weather comes as a disappointment. I enjoy heavy snowfalls and the activities that come with them, such as skiing. Skiing isn’t the same when there isn’t any real snow on the ground. Skiing on fake snow when there is no resemblance of snow anywhere else around you is a bit eerie. I also like the challenge that comes with winter driving. Some days it will wake us up a bit more quickly, and allow us to be more alert. It always can present a challenge, one that I am excited for.

                The only thing I don’t appreciate about heavy snowfall is having to shovel. I can’t stand shoveling. It seems to take twice as long as it should, it hurts my back, and once you get done, the driveway is covered again. So instead of shoveling I resort to the snow blower. For the best 8 years we have had one of the world’s crummiest snow blowers; however my dad never understood because I was the one using it. One day last year I told him to snow blow for me because I was “studying.” He came in after completing the task and headed right to Menards to purchase a new one. He had finally understood where I was coming from. So now that we have a nice, big, powerful snow blower, I don’t mind going out and removing the snow. I just put my headphones in, and get ‘er done.  

                I’m hoping for snow in the near future (next week) but we will see. If nothing else I hope we have snow by Christmas. There is not much worse than looking out on Christmas and seeing dead grass. And there isn’t much better than looking out on Christmas morning and seeing new layer of snow. One can only hope. (WC 429)

A Sigh of Relief

The Pack is back. After a horrifying game for Packer fans last Sunday night, the Packers redeemed themselves with a win today against the arch rival Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are now tied for first in their division and ultimately beat out the Bears in the tie breaker. It is reassuring, as a Packer fan to know that we control our own destiny to the playoffs, hoping we get there.

                The biggest positive out of today’s game was to see Packer wide receiver Gregg Jennings back on the field. Jennings has missed the last 7 games with an abdominal tear that he later had surgery on. He is now back to full health and boy was it nice to see him out there. The Packers have suffered some huge injuries throughout the whole year so every player we get back is a step in the right direction. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson has been injured recently and left the game due to a hamstring injury. Clay Matthews is still out after missing three games, but I would expect to see him on the field next Sunday night. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga is out for the season as well as running back Cedric Benson. At one point in time this season had a total of ten starters on the sideline due to injury. The packers are slowly, but surely getting their guys back one touchdown at a time.

                The Packer offense was slower than usual today but they still got the job done, so no complaints there. The defense stepped up their level of play coming away with two crucial interceptions, one being in the red zone while the Vikings were pressing. However, there is one aspect of the game that might have been a turning point of the season. Mason Crosby. Crosby is the Packers kicker, and has done a horrendous job the past six games making 50% of his field goals. Today, after a 52 yard miss he went three for three! For the first time in weeks we saw a smile on his face.

                With the season coming to a close it is important for the Pack to take this momentum into the closing weeks. With three more divisional games, we need to come away with wins. I think the Packers still have a lot of potential that hasn’t been shown yet and I would expect to see that next week. Next Sunday Green Bay plays Detroit. It is a big game on Sunday night, and you can count on Aaron Rodgers having a break out game, mark my words. Go Pack go. (WC 434)

"The Sacred Acre" Review

Last year I read the book titled, “The Sacred Acre”. This book remains as my favorite book of all time. The book is a story of Ed Thomas’ life. Most of his life is spent on the football field coaching the Aplington-Parkersburg Football team. Aside from that, the book explains just how Coach Thomas became a hero and a legend in Parkersburg.  From rebuilding the city of Parkersburg after and EF5 tornado ripped through, to painting a picture of how Coach reached out to everyone in the community, the book goes in depth on all of those topics. The book also ends in tragedy and explains how the community had to rebuild from yet another devastating loss.

This book was by far the best book I have read in the past year. I liked it so much because of multiple reasons. One being because it relates sports into each chapter, therefore it is easier for me to relate. However another thing I found shocking about this book is how much it incorporates God and The Bible. I am very deeply rooted in my faith so to read about “God Moments” that happened throughout the book was really uplifting. Towards the end of the book, a lot of Bible verses are stated and Coach Thomas’ son gives a very impactful speech evolving around God’s word.

           One thing I wasn’t too fond of throughout the book was some of the repetitiveness. Sometimes I would see the same information appear multiple times only in different ways. It got somewhat irritating reading the same thing over and over but I guess it helped me retain the information. Another thing I found was that some of the views of people mentioned throughout the book were, at times, contradicting. After some thinking, I was able to find away to link both of the People’s views together.  All in all however, it was a fantastic book and would recommend it to anyone.

 The reason I was prompted to write about “The Sacred Acre” is due to the amount of violence we see in the schools, and surrounding community.. No one was expecting any such thing to happen in small town Parkersburg but it did. This murder devastated many, and over 5000 people attended the Visitation. It talks about the timeline of the murderer, and how he should have still been in the hospital, or if not the hospital, he should have been in jail. This just goes to show how important communication is. The police were thinking the hospital would notify them once Mr. Mark Becker was released from the Psych ward, but the hospital did no such thing. Instead he Becker was released, and killed the man who ultimately got Parkersburg on the Map. (WC 458)