Reflection...

I enjoyed most of what we were assigned to write about in our blogs.  I especially liked the enneagrams.  Other than that, the blog was fun.  However, I do believe that most of what we wrote about was pointless other than just getting ourselves more familiar with writing in a blog.  I did not particularly like some of the topics.  Overall, it was okay.

Next to last

I don't know of any recent form of art that I've discovered that has changed my life or anything like that, but about five years ago I was watching TV and I flipped over to PBS and a group of women from Ireland were singing on for a large audience, trying to make a name for themselves.  The group, Celtic Woman, is now a world renowned, chart topping artist.

The reason I chose this as something I would recommend to my classmates is that this moment was one of the things that changed my life (cliche, I know, but true).  The melodies and passion these women brought to the music were and still are amazing.  They came through Missoula right before this semester started, and I was lucky enough to go and see the concert.  It was my second show of theirs I'd been to.  They are by far my favorite musical group.

The music they sing ranges from traditional Celtic to more contemporary songs.  A lot of the songs are covers, and some are originals.  They sing anything from songs from Van Morrison to Sting.  I definitely would recommend checking out their music to anybody who enjoys a softer side of life.

Thanksgiving Break....

I didn't do anything special on my Thanksgiving break... I had an early dinner with my family Thursday morning.  I also worked every day, and after tonight it will be eight days straight of work.

As for my plans for the rest of the semester, I plan on revising all my papers, especially the MLA format of the first research paper and the structure of my life-place essay.  My life-place essay needs to have more about how Missoula shaped me, as well as needing to be more organized.

Stories Blog

Morbid much?  It seems like everything and everybody dies in The School.  It's just overall very depressing.  Dead snakes, dead garden, dead puppy, another person knifed...  dead dead dead, morbid morbid morbid.... I also read the story by Molly.  Molly, you have one fucked up mind.  People planning and attempting to kill a dog and ending up drowning themselves.... Damn... Make sure I never ask you for life advice....

So... Here's my story....

The Bet

It was a cold November day in Missoula, Montana.  The wind was howling, and the leaves were frozen on the ground.  The weatherman predicted overnight temperatures to drop into negative numbers.  This was exactly the type of weather Jason's friends were waiting for.

Jason was sitting around his apartment late last summer before his junior year in high school with a group of his buddies drinking a couple of beers when someone mentioned how hot the biology teacher, Ms Jenkins, was.  There were a few running jokes being told about who would want to fail the class and have to go and ask her "if there was anything they could do, anything at all, for extra credit" to improve their grades.  Jason's friend Mark came up with a plan.

I'm going to purposely fail the class and stay after the final and "beg" for a better grade, Mark said.

That would never work, said Jason.  I'm going to be the model student, and also stay after class every day to help Ms Jenkins out.  When the year is over, she'll be so in love with me that she'll do whatever I want her to do.

You would, said Mark.  Only you would think of something that stupid.  She'll never do anything with you if you already have an A in the class.  There wouldn't be any reason to ask for a little "extra credit".

Like your way is any better, said Jason.

Oh yeah, said Mark.  I bet you I'll be the one who ends up getting into her pants at the end of the year, while you get to be the loser who will be laughed at for our entire senior year.

Their conversation had peaked the interest of their friend Jordan, who was listening more intently now.

Why don't we make this interesting?  Jordan said.  If one of you succeeds, then the other has to jump into the ice cold river water the first day the temperature drops below zero here in town next winter during our senior year.  If you both lose, then you both have to jump in.

Sounds fair to me, said Jason.

Sounds like you are going to have blue balls twice next year, said Mark.

Dream on, Jason said.

It's a bet, both Jason and Mark agreed, shaking hands.

Throughout the school year, Jason helped Ms Jenkins out with everything he could think of.  He helped with science labs the freshmen did.  He helped clean up after all the other classmates had left.  Ms Jenkins praised him for everything he did.  Meanwhile, Mark was doing everything he could to make sure his grade was just below passing.  Ms Jenkins scolded him and kept encouraging him to do better....

When the end of the year came, Jason was first to have a go at Ms Jenkins.  During the last week of class after all of his classmates had left, he stayed behind like always.  Ms Jenkins could see that something was bothering him.

What's the matter Jason? she asked

Ms Jenkins, have I ever told you how beautiful you are?  Jason replied.

Well, thank you Jason, Ms Jenkins replied with a smile.  It's always nice to receive compliments from my students.

Your welcome, Jason replied.  Not knowing what to say next, Jason moved closer to Ms Jenkins and put his hand on her shoulder.  Ms Jenkins smiled and said, Jason, you're one of my favorite students.  You've been a big help all year.  Is there anything I can do to thank you?

I can think of something you could do, Jason said.

With a laugh, Ms Jenkins replied, Jason, you're making me blush.

Ms Jenkins put her hand on Jason's cheek, and then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.  After a couple of seconds, Ms Jenkins broke the kiss and with a smile said, Thank you.  She then turned and walked out of the room.

Jason, dejected, turned and walked out upset that he didn't say anything else, knowing that he just lost his bet with Mark.

On the last day of school, Mark looked down and his final grade and saw that he had just missed passing the class.  This made him smirk.  Everything was going according to plan.  Jason had already failed, and he could taste victory, it was so close.  He would wait until all of the other students left and then take his shot.

After everyone else had left the room, Mark approach Ms Jenkins with the saddest and most depressed face he could make.

Ms Jenkins, he said.  I just missed passing your class and I tried so hard to pass.  Is there anything I could help you with for extra credit to get a passing grade?  Anything at all?

Ms Jenkins smiled back at him and said, What do you have in mind, Mark?

Well, Ms Jenkins, you are such a beautiful woman, Mark said.  I'm very attracted to you.  I don't like girls my age.  They don't have any experience and don't know how to love a man right.  I've noticed how you look at me sometimes during class.  I know you are attracted to me too.  I would love to rock your world, if you let me.

Ms Jenkins got up from her desk and walked over to Mark and sat down on his lap.

Mark, she said, You are a very handsome young man.  I know it took a lot of courage to approach me this way.  I'll see what I can do about getting you a passing grade.

Then, without saying anything more, Ms Jenkins took Mark's face in her hands and kissed him on the lips.  After a few seconds, she broke the kiss, and with a smile, got up and left the room.

Mark, knowing that he lost his part of the bet, slowly got up and sadly left the room.

When the next school year came and with it, the cold winter weather.  Neither Jason or Mark brought up the bet.  One day, when Jason, Mark, and Jordan were all hanging out together throwing the football around, the subject of girls came up.

Man, Cindy's got to be the hottest girl in school, right?  Jason said.

No way, said Mark.  It's got to be Becky.

I have to go with both, Jordan said.  But I still think the hottest woman at the school is Ms Jenkins, the biology teacher.  Hey, this reminds me, you two made a bet about who could get into her pants.  Tomorrow after school, you two need to pay up.  The weather should be below zero.

Sure, Jason replied.

Okay, said Mark.

The next day after class, the three of them set off to find a good place for Jason and Mark to jump into The Clark Fork.  The boys had brought towels and blankets to make sure they would warm up faster after taking their short swim.

Who's going first?  Jordan asked.

We both go at the same time, Mark and Jason both replied.

The boys took off their clothes and on the count of three, jumped into the river.  Five seconds later they were quickly drying themselves off with their towels and wrapping themselves up in their blankets.

Something just wasn't right, Jason said threw shivers.  It almost seemed like Ms Jenkins knew about our bet.

I had that impression at first, Mark said, but after she kissed me, I just figured she was already involved with someone else and didn't want to get involved with a younger guy.

She's definitely into younger guys, Jordan replied with a smile on his face.  You two just don't know how to push her buttons.

And like you do, said Jason.

Of course I do, Jordan replied.  We've been fucking ever since last school year began.

Carver Assignment

1.  I'm not sympathetic to the main character at all.  He's someone who stereotypes and is ignorant to anything that is not the norm, so to speak.  My opinion of him does change a little from the beginning to the end of the story, since he started to put aside his pre-conceived notions about blind people.

2.  I think the wife is someone who needs to have a reality check.  It seems obvious that she is in love with Robert, and wishes that she was the one he married of the two that worked for him.  The info about her ex-husband goes to show that she was always jealous, and that the narrator does have a reason to be worried or jealous as well.

3.  The only metaphor I can think of for blindness is prejudice.  It's apparent throughout the story as the writer overcomes his personal issues with blind people, as well as with the comment about Robert's dead wife being a negro.  I have no opinion, good or bad, about this.  The outcome was very predictable as the story went on.

4.  I liked Carver's writing style.  I enjoyed the short, simple, and to the point way it read without all of the extra details included.  It was very easy to read and flowed really well, in my opinion.  I probably won't use this in my own writing because it doesn't really suit my personality very well.

5 tips on writing

1. Just write, don't think.  Start by writing down anything that comes to mind on a certain topic.  You'll find that it isn't as hard as it seems.

2. After writing a paper, take some time off before proofreading it.  A lot of times I notice things I missed if I take a short break.  It's much easier to proofread something a couple of hours later when I'm not thinking about the project or topic you wrote on because it's easier to focus on the actual writing.

3. Proofread your work multiple times.  Make sure that all grammar and spelling are both correct.

4. Relax and enjoy yourself.  The more tense I am about a project, the harder it is for me to write.

5. And last, write about something you are passionate about.

I'm a dirty rotten LIAR!

So two truths and a lie, huh?  This would be the third class I've played this game in.  Let's see if this class is better at guessing the lie than my other classes... Ok, how about this:


1. Throughout my life, I've always been the good kid.  I've never received bad grades, and never was sent to detention in high school, not even once.

2.I love to watch and play all kinds of sports.  I played 5 years of team basketball, was a little league all-star in baseball, and played 2 years of little grizzly football and 1 year of high school football before it became obvious that I was too small to keep playing.  I've always been pretty good at them, but football was/is my favorite.

3. My family used to travel around the western half of the United States so my older brother and I could compete in judo and wrestling tournaments when we were little.  We were both nationally ranked for our age and weight, with my brother winning the national title at age 7 and I finished 4th in the nation the next year when I was 7.

Can you guess which one is not true?