Summer

I just bought a new jet ski about a week ago to take out this summer. I am very excited that this year I will have my own boat to take out and not have to always go with another person. The only thing I am worried about is that I will have a hard time getting the trailer down the ramp to load up and unload the jet ski. I never have to pull a trailer so this might be interesting to see how good I am getting the trailer straight and backing it in. Eventually I'll learn how to get it all together, It'll just take me some time. I just can't wait for summer and going on the river every weekend!

After SWIC..

I found out last week that I only need one more semester of SWIC and I can move on to a university. I thought that I needed to go for another whole year but it wont be that long. I will have to take an online class this summer, but it shouldn't be too hard, it is just an exercise science class. My major is exercise science and should enjoy the information that I'll learn over the summer. Somtimes I find myself looking up information on the internet for hours about exercise so it will probably wont be too much like homework to me. I will be graduating in the fall of 2012. In the spring semester I wont go to school, I'll work to save up money for college and start back fresh the next fall. I haven't decided where I want to go yet but I am considering going to Murry or Edwardsville. I want to go away and I think that Murry will be a good distance because its not too far away but its still about three hours. Either way I still have a pretty big decision to make on where or not I really want to leave home and go to school, or go away.

What influences you?

I would have to say that the biggest thing that has influenced me would be where I have grown up. I love the area that I come from and I know that it has made me who I am today. Growing up in a small town has been a huge influence on me in just about everything I do. I am used to waving at people on the back roads on the way down to my house, the few neighbors we have are like family, and when you go into town you are guaranteed to see someone you know. For example, I am used to never locking my doors, living anywhere else it would be hard to do that and feel safe. I have been away to different states and far away towns but I have never been anywhere that makes me feel as good as I do when I am in my own town where I grew up. Roots run deep and the memories last and even if I were to go away, eventually for school, I will always return to my home town. Where I grew up has influenced my habits, hobbies, interests, and simply how I view life.

Sunday Funday

This past Sunday was a blast for me! I took off work and went down to the river with my friends riding four wheelers and hanging out. It was obviously too cold to swim in the river but we have a really nice sandbar and a bunch of friends that come down and it’s always a good time. The river is my favorite place to be! It is so peaceful and away from everything. When it gets hot out we take our john boats down the river and go swimming, we usually have a bbq up on the beach and grill all day. I can't wait till summer finally hits because I can’t wait to go swimming!

What would you do if you didn’t have to work?

Well I am assuming that if I don't have to work that I am loaded and have millions of dollars so I would start off by buying a ton of land all over the country. One of the places I would buy land is in Pike County so I could shoot all the massive bucks that are out there, I would also want ground down on the Kaskaskia River because that is where my friends and I always are during the summer. If I bought land on the river I would of course need a boat and a couple sets of jet skis. For the times I am not on the river I would need a dirt bike or four-wheeler to ride around in the summer. Another place I would buy land is right here in southern Illinois, and I would make it into an area where I could have my own mud bogs. I would then need at least two mudding trucks, one would be an older Chevy that sits on at least 40 inch tires, and the other would be a lifted Jeep.Then even though gas is so expensive right now, with all this money I have I'm sure that I would be able to afford having a huge lifted Chevy and lifted Jeep as a daily driver so I would buy a couple of them. There are a ton of other things I could think to do with my money but one of the most important thing I would do it to have a nice piece of property close my by house with a huge pole barn for me and all my friends to hang out on the weekend and have bonfires. Well I've run out of time, this list could go on forever.. To sum it up I'd basically spend all my time NOT working and playing with all my toys out on my land with friends!

I need a new job!

So I need a new job that is Monday through Friday and possibly even Saturdays. I am not happy with the hours that I have at my  job right now because I have to work every Sunday and its always slow so I don't make good tips. So if anybody knows of a job that is hiring please tell me! I was thinking about applying to a few day cares because I like working with kids. Anyway, if anybody knows of anything that would be Monday-Friday please let me know! Thanks!

Quote

I just found this quote and it is absolutely perfect for today because it is the first day of Spring!
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams. I 100% agree with this quote because I LOVE Spring weather! It basically is slowly introducing us to Summer, which is the best time of the year! I live for summer activities and being out in the sun!

Fat Head

There is a movie that I watched when I was in Biology 151 called Fat Head, and it goes along with the book we read in class, In Defense of Food. The director of the movie makes nearly the exact same point as Pollan does in his book. If anybody was interested in what the book has to say then you will probably enjoy watching the movie Fat Head. Also, with the research paper we are writing in class, this movie might be a good resource for somebody who is writing their paper on nutrition and exercise.

Supercross

This weekend I am going to supercross! Supercross is kind of a big deal where I come from; there are about 30 of us all going just in my group, not including a bunch of other groups of people that we know that are also going. Every year it is a tradition for all of us to make a whole day out of supercross. The day starts off by everybody coming over to my house at around noon and we all BBQ. The event starts at 7:00 at the Edward Jones Dome so we leave at about 5:00 to go to the metro. We always get tickets way at the top so we can do what we want and we have the whole section to ourselves. We usually get back pretty late and once we arrive back at the metro we all head back to my house and have a bonfire. I'm really excited for Saturday!

My blogger got hacked..

Well I just got on here to check some stuff and post a new blog and I found that I must of not closed out of my Google account properly. I am not extremely good with computers and didn't realize that I left my account up. Somebody in the next English class got on here after I left and posted that last blog. I would of never said those things on my blog but now I know to double check that I am signed out before I leave the class room.

How are gas or food prices affecting you and your family?

Well first off, the gas situation is killing me personally. I drive a lifted Jeep Wrangler that gets a whole 11 miles to the gallon so at almost 4 bucks a gallon its pretty ridiculous. Because I love my Jeep so much and would never sell it, I pretty much have no other choice other than to buy a gas getter. I considered just getting a scooter type thing but that didn't seem very realistic for year around. About two months ago I got really lucky and bought a 1998 Chevy Malibu for $2,000 that only has 20,000 miles on it. That was a pretty big deal because I have now more than doubled my gas mileage. As far as good prices go, I eat a lot so regardless, I always spend a lot of money on food.

My Top 5 Foods

My Top 5 Foods!

(These are not in any particular order)

1.      Filets are definitely one of my favorite foods because I worked at Outback Steakhouse for a while and I ate a lot of them!

2.      Another food that I absolutely love is Creamy Onion Soup, which is also from Outback. It is probably the best soup that I have ever eaten.

3.      Cheese is up in my top five for sure because you can put cheese on almost anything! My favorite type is Colby Jack, Feta, and Cheddar.

4.      Chicken is my second favorite type of meat aside from Steak because there are so many different dishes that involve chicken.

5.      A good home cooked meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans is the perfect meal! My dad makes meatloaf all the time so it is one of my favorites!

I Am From

I am from a small town, from four wheelers and dirt bikes. I am from the same house since the day I was born, back on a dead end road in the country. I am from the Kaskaskia River whose water flows behind my house.

I am from horses and walks through the woods, from Bill and Melissa. I am from the Greeks and people who like to eat, health, and fitness. I am from a nondenominational church. I am from Granny Great and Papoo, from Greek hamburger dressing and meatloaf, from "the old country", and from birthday celebrations. I am from those moments that embody family and the outdoors.