Favorite Poem

My favorite poem is “Take Me Out Of The Bathtub” by Alan Katz. “Take Me Out Of The Bathtub” is a great poem because it’s a silly and reminds me of my childhood. Every time I read it, it reminds me of  the hundreds of times I’d read it before. The illustration with the poem (by David Catrow) really seem to capture the view of a child. Don’t let me just tell you about it though, read it for yourself!

 

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Challenge 2: Austin, Texas

Warm weather, live music, and friendly people— Austin is a great place to live.

First of all, music in Austin is great— we’ve been crowned Live Music Capitol of the world. Austin has an assortment of music festivals, including South-By-Southwest and ACL. You can’t walk more than two blocks downtown without hearing a local musician playing— if you’re lucky you may hear the occasional Willy Nelson. You can’t beat the music of Austin.

Even if you don’t like music, you can’t beat the kindness of Austonians. People enjoy each other so much that they write things like “Hi how are you?” and “I love you so much!” on the walls of buildings. It seems like at least ten strangers ask me how I’m doing everyday! Austin is by far the friendliest city I’ve ever been to.

If you ever find yourself in a bad mood —nothing a little live music and friendly people can’t fix— come to Austin. You may find yourself so in love with Austin that you want to move here! Don’t ever question it again— AUSTIN IS THE BEST CITY EVER!!!

The Treadmill (My Favorite Mistake)

I’m rolling on the ground; clutching my smoking, bloody mess of a hand. Throbbing in the back of my half-conscious head I hear my subconscious mind scolding me: you should have listened… you should have listened…

Backtrack five minutes, my Dad is strolling through the garage and sees my family and me using the treadmill as a slide.  It was just a simple game, harmless, fun, yet my Dad told us to stop playing on the treadmill.  Ignorantly we decided we knew better and just kept on playing.

Why didn’t we stop?  Not even five minutes later I was smugly pushing off after a rather successful ride when my hand caught in the space between the tread and the metal plate.  Ahhrrgg!!  The pain crept up my hand slowly – excruciatingly slowly – as if slow torture.  I felt each morsel of skin, each muscle melting as I sat helplessly clawing at the treadmill.  Time ticked slowly as smoke and blood fill the room.  My smirk melted into a mask of anguish.  I looked down and saw that all the remorseless treadmill had left of my hand was a bloody blob; I’m just lucky that I still have all five fingers.

Always listen to your parents.

Looking back I realize that listening to your parents is the best thing that you can do because they can teach you lessons, without you personally having to make the mistake (go through the pain).

Raptor

inspired by Jurassic Park
Why did I do this? I’m standing in a six foot deep bowl of mud, twigs, and three ginormous, green, spotted eggs. I slowly lay my hand on the sticky-smooth surface, that’s when I heard the tormenting- tortuous shriek. Then I saw it…

The raptor.

Her eyes bore into my skull, as if pondering which way to eat me would be most satisfying. Bloodshot eyes, razor sharp teeth, and a vicious snarl… the raptor was poised over me hungrily. My legs wouldn’t move, as if buried in concrete. My eyes were glued on the ferocious creature; its bloodshot, red hungry eyes were piercing the dark places in my mind where fear awaited.

All of a sudden life swung back into full motion, and the raptor came crashing down upon me. She pinned me down her humongous claws, I felt my shoulder pop out of place, and a red-hot liquid pour across my chest. Then the raptor quickly shifted her grip, pulling me up by my leg, and flinging me like a cat toy. A wave of excruciating- anguishing- agonizing pain erupted as the claws shredded the muscles of my leg. My vision blurred as the experience smashed my scenes , I heard the thunderous crack of wings, and it all went black…

The Shark Tank

Lately I have been watching a show on TV called The Shark Tank.  It is one of the only things that I like to watch on TV. Don’t stop reading right when you hear this, but it is about business.

Various entrepreneur’s come into a room full of people that are rich off self made money. They chose to either give them a deal, and invest in their company with their own hard earned money; or they’ll say “I’m out”, and the entrepreneur goes home very unhappy.

This show is amazing, and I think that everyone should watch it. It is really intriguing to hear all of the great business ideas.

 

The Shark Tank

Reading

Reading is something that I enjoy and probably couldn’t live without. One of my favorite sensations is when a book completely transports me to another time, another place, in another mind.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling is a book series that does this for me. Sometimes I sit down in my favorite reading chair, a comfortably padded western style chair in front of a large window, and time slips away. I have to admit that sometimes I haven’t quite wrapped up my homework yet when I sit down to read, and I go into a shocked frenzy upon hearing my Mom call for dinner. How could three hours slip away so fast?!

Every now and again I hear people say that they don’t like reading… rubbish! If you have ever said that then listen up! I have come to the conclusion that everyone, some way- somehow likes to reading. Though some people either think that they don’t have time for it, or haven’t connected with a book yet. It’s possible that you don’t like reading novels, so try reading short stories or magazines.

There is reading out there for everyone!  Just keep reading and you’ll find a book that transports you, you’ll think; “how could I have ever not liked reading?!”

Juicing!!!

Today I want to share with you something amazing, something that will go home thinking about, and maybe even what you do everyday.

About a year ago I was visiting my cousins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was was offered an oddly textured, orange drink by my cousin. I took a sip and was surprised that that it was… GREAT. Being a young, calculating type, I asked what was in the drink, and the answer surprised me even more… just carrots, oranges, and apples! My cousin started showing off this thing that he called a juicer, it looked like a mix between a blender, food processor, a box, and a pipe.

Carrot Apple Ginger Juice 2of3 JE95XL

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Food Thinkers via Compfight

That night we watch a documentary about about juicing called, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It is about a man who is, well, fat..sick…and nearly dead. He starts only drinking from his juicer for sixty days, no food! Then he…WAIT! I can’t tell you the ending, you’ll just have to watch it to find out. Lets just say that by the end of the movie I was inspired, and I think you will be inspired too. Just watch it!