Tropical Heat Wave

We're having a heat wave folks! This week it could reach 58 degrees!!! Last year at this time we were running with our shorts off at track, this year we are still in sweats. This cold weather won't go away. 58 will feel so good compared to the 30s we have been feeling. If only we could have a tropical heat wave and get up to the 70s...then we would be talking!

Running track when it is in the low 40s is less than desirable so a little (or big) warm up would be very very very nice. Then we can start doing things outside and improving. The cold weather has stayed around to long. Now watch, we will get to mid July and have 100 degree weather with no rain in the foreseeable future. That's when we will be wanting the 40s back. It's funny how our Iowa bodies at this time think 60 degrees is awesome but in Florida they would be in wool coats.

Also, a warmup means all of this snow and water in our backyard will disappear so I can let the dog in without having to whips his paws. No matter what the reason, it is time for these cold temperatures to disappear and a warm front can move in and stay. But, that is wishful thinking. We will be lucky if it is 65 degrees by then end of April.(WC 238)

Found Memories From Mexico

As many of you know, I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico over spring break. That is right up there as one of the best vacations I have ever been on! The weather, people, adventures, activities, food, and atmosphere were all unbelievable. We left Iowa a cold morning where the thermometer in the car read 10 degrees. We touched down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (after a stop in Dallas) six hours later where that thermometer read 85 degrees! A 75 degree change…I’ll take it!

I want you to picture paradise. Shut your eyes (after this sentence of course) and imagine what paradise feels like and looks like. Now that they are open…that’s where I was! Everything about it was like paradise. The view from our suite was of mountains, palm trees, sand, and the ocean. The sand on the beach was smooth, and the water was a comfortable spot to cool off. We could not get over the fact that we are there, in real life, the definition of paradise.

On this vacation we did an activity a day, as well as a lot of beach time in the sun. Each night we had a fantastic dinner, and then would lay on the beach again at night. The first full day in Mexico we went zip lining. There were 14 different lines and one was 300 meters long suspended 700 feet over a canyon river. I went upside down on that one! That was a fantastic activity for the whole family.  The next day we went on a large speed boat out to deep sea, and went whale watching. All of us were very unoptimistic, and right as we began to doubt we’d see a whale…one jumped out of the ocean right in front of our boat! The third full day everyone but my mom went parasailing off the beach at our resort. That was super relaxing and cool to see the whole city. The last full day there we went into town to do some shopping, site seeing, and then ate some authentic Mexican Topas!

The only set back of the trip was the fact we always had to drink bottled water. Other than that the trip was one to remember. I would go back in a heartbeat. We met so many people with such heartfelt stories that we didn’t want to leave. They might have convinced us to go back next year! One guy in particular named Rueben was awesome. He was our waiter at dinner the second night we were there and we got to talking with him. He works so hard, and is one of the sweetest guys. He always does whatever you ask of him, and is always willing to talk about his culture. We ended up having him as our wait a few more times. The last night we had another exceptional guy, Tomas, as a waiter. He asked us when we were leaving, we replied, “Tomorrow.” He told us to hold on one moment. He walked inside and came out a minute later with Rueben. Rueben had written us a little note and wanted a picture with us before we left. This sealed the deal, and made this vacation, the best ever. (WC 540)

Who Writes Letters Anymore?

In a sense, social media is ruining our communication. Not only because we are drawn in to it, and consumed in the latest tweets, and posts, but we are using social media as a main source of communication. For many people, if they haven’t seen a friend in a long time, they hop on Facebook, see what they have been up too, and send them a quick personal message. A decade ago, that wasn’t a thing. People would write those friends letters and send them in the mail, not over the internet. Sadly, hardly anyone actually uses a pen and paper for communication these days.

The reason many people don’t write letters is because it isn’t fast. It would take at least two days until they got the letter and another two days for a response. It is so much easier just to get on Facebook, twitter, or email, and shoot them a message there. The problem with that is it isn’t exercising our social skills that much. When you write a letter on paper, it takes a lot of thought. If you mess up, or decide you don’t want to say something, you have to start completely over, so why not just use social media?

Whenever someone gets a personal letter in the mail they usually get pretty excited. On Facebook if you get a message, it is just another day. You get Facebook messages way more frequently than letters. Because of this, a Facebook message doesn’t hold the same amount of meaning as a letter. If I were to write a letter it shows I care about that person and what they are doing enough to take the extra time and hand write a letter. By doing that I open myself up for them to see my imperfect spelling, imperfect grammar, imperfect punctuation, and imperfect handwriting. That all adds to the meaning of a letter.

Social media takes that meaning away. It allows us to escape all imperfections and talk to someone with not much thought at all. In twenty seconds you could write a comment, hit post, and it is for all to see. In a letter, it is an intimate conversation between the writer and the reader, not the world. That is how it should be. We all should take some time, and the next time we want to send a message via social media, stop. Sit down, write it out on paper, and send it in the mail. I bet that conversation will be one of the best you have had in a long time. (WC 432)

Speak English, People!

There are two places in the United States where I, a caucasian male, feel like the minority. Those places being Disney World and airports. As I was walking through the Dallas/Ft Worth airport, I realized spanish would be a very good language to pick up.

Here in the airport I am sitting at my gate waiting to board. This Asian flight concierge worker repetitively said the same conglomeration of words over and over and over again. This got extremely annoying and to the point it was comical. Then it came time for our flight to board and the spanish concierge worker kept announcing boarding assignments. It would have been nice if I knew what she was saying, but i had to take my best guess.

To me, if I am in an airport, in america have you, the workers should speak english. In Mexico they should speak spanish, and in Germany, they should speak german. It really bugs me when I am am trying to order food in America and i cant understand a single word the worker is saying. This is America people, speak the native vernacular please.

Im not saying the workers cant speak spanish or any other language at all, but they should first speak the native language, then go into the translations. Just because i am going to Mexico does not mean i am able to speak spanish.

Disney world is a whole different story. There is barely anyone, worker or visiter, that speaks english. Its either spanish, or Chinese, or Vietnamese, or german, but rarely english. I just don't get it one bit! Why does no one speak english on vacations? Maybe if i traveled to like Wisconsin the would speak english, but then a gain, if i go to the Dells, they all speak spanish. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spanish, i just would rather they speak english here in America. (WC 319)

Spring Break Here I Come!

It is hard to believe that spring break is only a day away! I cannot wait for this time off, and time on vacation. This spring break my family and I will be basking in the warm sun of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! I can’t wait to get out of this bipolar weather of Iowa, and into the consistently warm weather down south. This is probably the most excited I have ever been to go on vacation.

                Last year my family went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon over spring break. That was a super fun vacation, however my spring break didn’t line up with my older sister’s college break, so we both ended up missing half a week, which really sucked when trying to make up work. This year our breaks line up so we won’t have to miss any extra classes. Vegas was usually between 60 and 70 degrees, which is better than Iowa, but still a bit chilly. We won’t have to worry about that this spring break. Shorts and a t shirt will suffice all day long. With highs near 85, we will be racing for the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.

                My aunt is currently in Puerto Vallarta and is informing us of must sees and must dos. She always talks about how great the food is and how much fun this town is. Each email gets us more and more excited to arrive in Mexico! On the first day we are there we are going zip lining through a rainforest. I guess they say the monkeys will literally swing right in front of you and other rainforest creatures are always around. I think that will be the best part of the trip, except for the food. I’m guessing that will be pretty great as well.

                Another activity we have reservations for is to go parasailing. I will be parasailing over the Pacific Ocean with my sister as my other sister is swimming with the dolphins. I think that will be right up there with zip lining through the rainforest, but on a different level of fun. Both will be exhilarating, but parasailing will have a very scary aspect to it, considering I’m over the freaking ocean!

                I hope all goes well in Mexico and this is the best spring break ever! Nothing can get me more excited than a week off of track, and a week in a foreign country for my first time! Not to mention the weather will be to die for! Leaving this 40 degree weather of Iowa will be so nice and to arrive to an 85 degree sun will be even better. I CAN NOT WAIT!! (WC448)

Dog Sitting, Always an Adventure

My friend and I wear many hats. We repair toilets, put in new floors, repair sinks, mow lawns, remove snow, and the best yet, dog and house sit. Dog sitting is by far the easiest money ever earned. It requires very minimal effort, and it can be a lot of fun!

When we dog sit we usually stay at the people's house. This makes it easier so we don't have to drive over three times a day. Often times, as long as there is food on hand, we charge the lowest rate in town. We find dog sitting more as a fun activity rather than a job, so the money is a nice added bonus.

This weekend we have a dog sitting gig. We are all the way out in Fairfax, so needless to say, we are staying there. Upon arrival of the home, we found a large basket filled with food with a note saying, "Ben and David, here are snacks to get you through the weekend, please eat them all. There is steak, hamburger, chicken, and rolls in the freezer, and pudding, jello, Arnold Palmer, fruit, cheese, and much more in the fridge...eat up!" This was much more food than we could ever eat, the basket was 2 and a half feet long and 2 feet wide, filled with snacks. We had it made, and we were still getting paid! It was as if we were getting paid to eat their food, and let the dog out every couple of hours.

Occasionally, we come across a rather needy dog. Its times like those that we feel we are actually earning the money. One time we had a dog that had 13 accidents in three days, yes 13. That was a lot of work to restore that carpet to its natural color, but we got it done nonetheless. We had to rent a carpet cleaner, so a lot of our earnings were put toward that. That experience made us question whether or not dog sitting was worth it, but we gave it another chance.

The dog we are currently watching is ALMOST the easiest dog we have ever taken care of. The only thing stooping him from being the best is he has to go pee every hour it seems, and they don't have a fence. So we have to take him out. Its not bad, just a tad chilly at 4:30 in the morning.

Overall the dog sitting experiences that we have had have been pretty top self. Easy, fun, and haven't had to take a dog, or cat, to the vet yet. We have a week long dog sitting job coming up in April, so hopefully that goes like the others we have done, and not like the 13 accident experience. We can only hope! (WC 471)

Melting Snow, Mud, and Dogs. What a Lovely Combo

This time of year is when it is horrible to be a dog owner. It consists of crappy weather, sickness, and mud....lots of mud. In my house letting the dog out has become a chore that no one really ever volunteers for. It takes more effort than you think to let your dog outside in-between winter and spring.

FIrst off, after every snowfall we have to shovel a path for the dog to walk and and do his business. Then, when he comes in we have to pull out all of the clumps of snow that have frozen to his fur. Not more than ten minutes later he will want to go out and play again. This is when the dog really starts to smell quite bad.

Next, we have to deal with the melting snow and rain. When the snow melts, the path we shoveled becomes a stream flowing through our backyard. Mix that with a continuous rainfall and now we have an outlet of the cedar river butting up to our back porch. Now when the dog comes in we have to not only get the snow out, but dry off half of his body because he is drenched. Then he decides to go lay on someones bed, so we have to change the sheets because no one wants to sleep on sheets that a wet dog cuddled up with. Ahh what a hassle.

Lastly, we have to deal with what happens when the water soaks in and we are left with a super saturated muddy solution in the back yard. Every time he comes in we have to pick up this wet, muddy, mess and give him a rinse off. He gets so dirty and it just so happens he has white fur by his paws....even more reason to have to clean him up. Getting the mud off of him is impossible to do without getting mud o you. So then you have to go shower and it ends up being a 20 minute ordeal just so the poor dog can relieve himself. (WC 350)

Making Up Snowdays..No Big Deal.

             Some people get so upset about making up snow days. I am not one of those people. People always complain about how now we have to go until June, or now we have to go back on a Monday for the last day of school. I honestly could care less. At the end of the year, two or three days will not make that big of a difference on the length and excitement of our summer break.

                I am always for an unexpected day off. I don’t care if it came two day after Christmas vacation, or five weeks after our last break, I always will take a day off whenever I can. I have to come here every day in the summer anyways for baseball, so I really don’t mind making up a few days.

                Snow days give me an opportunity to make a dent in some homework that is due in a few days, it allows me to get caught up on sleep, and they are very relaxing. On a snow day I never have other things going on because they all get canceled. No track practice, no other events, all the time to myself. The only obligation I have is to clear the driveway, and clear the neighbor’s drive as well. I usually get up early and get that done, then go back to bed for a few hours.

                I view snow days as a stress reliever. If they fall in the middle of a very stressful week, a snow day can make a world of difference on you and even your grade! Like I said before, I don’t care how many we have to make up, I fully enjoy the unexpected days off! They are even better on a Friday or Monday so then we get a three day weekend. We never get three day weekends anymore, so those are the times they are enjoyed to the absolute fullest. Even though we have had four snow days this year, I wouldn’t mind one more at all. (WC 340)

Where Has The Time Gone?

             Not that long ago, we were all little eighth graders excited, yet nervous, about turning to a new chapter in this book called life. We were about to attend high school. This was scary for everyone, and we were all intimidated and worried of what the future held. This is when everything we have done the past nine years of our lives gets put to the test. Our GPA actually matters now; we can’t get by with just going through the motions. Oh, I almost forgot! We actually have to study now….well sometimes.

                For many, high school was a wakeup call. For some of us that really didn’t have to try too hard to get great grades in middle school, now are learning that study habits are a huge part of our success.  For me, this was the toughest transition. Having to put forth more effort than ever to maintain good grades, and meet my expectations for myself. But as the year that really wasn’t as scary as once thought moved on, I learned what it took to achieve our goals.

                Fast forward two years and here I am, starting to narrow my college search down. Time has absolutely flown by. One year from now I will be starting my final trimester as a High Schooler, and looking forward to the next chapter in life. I cannot believe how fast high school has gone. I don’t know which is scarier: coming into high school for your first time, or trying to decide where you want to go to college. I’m going to say trying to decide where you want to go to college is scarier because it ultimately decides what you will be doing for the next 40-50 years down the road. Going into high school we know where we are going, and know what classes are needed to graduate. College is a whole different story. There are literally thousands of different paths I could go.

                A college decision is huge, but choosing your major is just as stressful. Business, Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Teaching are just a couple different areas I may choose. I am leaning toward business, which is great! But then I have to decide what part of business. Business administration, business economics, business development, business relations, or insurance agent are all different realms of business I could go into. At this point in life, once one decision is made, there are about 20 others that follow. It is one of the scariest things to have to wrap your mind around.

                It is incredible to think of how fast this high school thing has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was trying to decide what math class I wanted to take freshman year. Now I am deciding which city I wish to pursue my future in. If only the time could speed up just a little, although it has gone so fast, I am more than excited to make these though decisions and get into the “real world.” I know that time will come faster than expected, but I am still super excited to get on with my young life. (WC 525)