Running Errands

      It seems that I've become the "Man of Grass".  Ever since I mowed with diagonal stripes, my parents want me to mow every weekend!  My bragging probably also prompted their assumptions that I will mow the lawn for them.  Hey, I have to help out around the house in some way!

     The weather today is just right for outside work.  It isn't raining, and it isn't sunny so there isn't a constant squint that hurts your face over time.  "Today was born for Ultimate!", and so I played ultimate.    

      Becca seems to be enjoying the little spurts of sunlight through the fog.  She had quite the exhausting day after her meet and greet with her summer "babysitters".  Greyhounds are the epitome of the word "awkward".  They basically stand around and ignore each other's existence, occasionally breaking up their isolation with about 30 seconds of social interaction before returning to their thoughts and understanding.  

      We got a brand new monitor considering ours broke.  My parent's monitor in the back actually broke, but I convinced my dad to grant us the new widescreen monitor because we use the computer much more than they do.  Sadly, I think my mom will insist on having the larger screen when she returns from her endeavor to York, Nebraska (I bet you've never heard of that before!  Luckily I get to visit there over the summer...with slight reluctance).

     My first time on the expressway went smoothly and uneventfully.  It was quite the day of driving for me, but that's not a bad thing.  Every time I drive, I get even more excited for the day when I can drive myself in my own car to my own job and park in my own garage.  I know I shouldn't be wishing away my childhood, but I shouldn't be obliviously ignoring the future.  The future is coming fast, and the fact that Freshman year is almost over is proving that statement more and more true.  Seniors 2015!!  That'll be here before I know it.

Deep Grievances

I deeply grieve on the inside
Grieving of what was, but is no longer
It is just a memory upon which I confide
From which I recall an idea to make me stronger
Death does depart two souls
That cannot be reconnected again
They no longer share goals
They no longer talk or drink gin
The memories of what we had were great
And I'm not letting this burden affect me
I know you would want me to remain in your estate
You would want me to continue to look and see
I won't forget about you
I will always think of you.

Sam Nutt


~A poem I wrote before going to sleep. A poem for the representation of departed souls and the overcoming of the burden the departure causes.

What I do When I Skip Ultimate

Math homework with a pen?  This is mutiny!

Despite my enthusiasm for this wonderful sport, I decided today to reconcile my attendance to accommodate my homework and comfort. If I decided to attend the Ultimate games, then I would have been very hard pressed for time just like I am consistently throughout the week. Ultimate consumes the time directly after school, and Ultimate is usually followed by a musical ensemble's rehearsal that I must participate in.  On this very specific day, however, I wished to remove this time pressure because of my homework load and the fact that I had a concert with an arrival time of 6.

What a stylish pair of sunglasses.

     What did I do with this extra time?  Well, of course I did homework!  Now, I did not have a terrible amount of homework.  In fact, I could have probably finished all the homework I was assigned with the limited time I would have had if I participated in the Ultimate Games.  So, what I did with the extra time I had involved a nice run.  First of all, the weather was very impressive considering it was in the middle 80's.  I couldn't help embrace my ambitions to run in the heat.  Last summer, I had extreme problems running in the heat because I would get horribly sick.  I was upset to learn that this was heat exhaustion and the only way to overcome this is to run in the heat!  I went for four miles and my shirt was becoming soaking wet, so I succumbed to the desire and took it off.  I instantly felt better despite the near debilitating cramps I felt.  I also got to sport my new Iron Man sunglasses that I was given for Easter from the "Easter Bunny".  They are very comfortable and qualitative.

Green?  Green?  Purple is my favorite color!

     After I returned from my run, which was miserable to say in the least, I took a nice cold shower.  The feeling of cool water on my skin was bliss.  I read somewhere that taking cold showers reduces your risk for stress related problems and just relieves stress.  The cool shower made me relaxed and stress free to conquer the Sequences and Series for my advanced math class.  Then, after all that wonder, I dressed up and made my way to my percussion concert where I played the Triple Cellos in the Steel Band.  

At the End of the Day

     A day is here to test your limits, and it's a measurement of time too short to cram in what you have planned.  Moods can fluctuate greatly in the span of a day, but rather they can change in the span of an hour or even a few minutes.  My days are usually great because I don't let bad things happen to me.  I don't spend time with people who would cause bad things to happen to me, and I don't make bad decisions (often).  I think this is a strength I have.  My strengths are selfish, within me.  I am not strong within my interactions with other people, especially my family.
     Just 30 minutes ago, my weakness was revealed between my parents and me.  I asked my mom to help me put my money for Relay for Life that I raised onto the internet so my team and I could see how it's helped.  It would help us keep track, but after telling me no and figuring out that $40 out of my $60 was mine, she began to hurt my feelings by stating the fact that I am doing a bad job at fundraising.  This made my weaknesses prevail in the sense that I couldn't let it go that she said no and insulted me.  I escalate arguments and take a beating personally, especially from my parents.  My dad's exclamations about my impotence don't help much either.  He's not a very supportive father, but I can't tell him that or else he gets ever more unsupportive and rude.
     My family is falling apart, and it's very saddening.  My mother and brother fight constantly because Joe doesn't respect her as a motherly figure.  "There's no place in my heart for you as my mother", says Joe almost weekly.  His bipolarity is impossible, and my mom supports it strongly.  Joe says horrible things, and gets away with it almost all the time.  Discipline was lacking, I presume from the beginning.  We grew up without discipline and now we struggle dealing with our parents, especially Joe.  I truly need to chill out and talk to my parents less because it's very hard to be kind to them.  They do not raise us well, and it shows in Joe.  I tell my mom "Good luck putting him through high school", and she agrees with my rationale.  It's sad in my opinion.  I feel bad for my mom because she's lost so much taking care of Joe that she has nothing left for me.

Note to self for future success: Chill out and don't let your emotions take over, especially with Mom.  She's very hard to deal with.  Stay away from dad.

Rain

      I can't say I complain about these kinds of days where most people would be complaining.  I think the rain is peaceful and symbolizes this.  These days make me want to sit inside and actually complete my homework (which is what I should be doing right now).  There isn't any temptation to go outside and throw a frisbee with a "I can do work afterwards" attitude.  I cannot wait for the big thunderstorms of June and July that shake my whole house like a giant subwoofer in a nice sound system.  The rain motivates me to back up my computer for six hours so that I can take it into the Geeks at
Geek Squad for surgery.  I may be a
computer kid, but I don't know one bit of information regarding computer hardware.  I sit here with a biology project in front of me, one that's not due until Monday, wanting to get a head start.  "Why am I going to do

I don't even play this instrument anymore!  Oh well, it's better than homework.

this?  It's not due for a while?  You'll have time later!".  Good one, Mr. Brain, but I know there isn't going to be any time later.  Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.  On these "I have nothing after school" days, I feel relaxed and lazy.  I think,"Shouldn't I be doing something productive with myself?  I could be getting a job, or finding places to volunteer.  After all, I do have to go to college in four years".  Consider that time period, Four Years.  Even when rationalizing my decisions in the form of a blog post, I still don't want to prepare for college!  That's all for Junior Year baby!  I'll save it all for when I'm drowning in AP United States History notes and AP Calculus.  Also, let's throw in Marching Band, Ultimate Frisbee, ACT test preparation class, eating, and sleeping.  Those last two might have to wait for a while, but they aren't that important anyways.  The negative thing about rain?  I have no motivation to exercise.  I could easily go into the basement and lift weights, but instead I'd rather sit here and type about how I don't want to lift weights.  Everyone, enjoy your rainy, overcast day, and hope that tomorrow is sunny.

Diagonal Stripes

   Helping out around the house is quite boring and undesirable, especially as a teenager like myself.  Something, however, I enjoy is putting hard work into something and seeing desirable results.  Diagonal stripes on your lawn show hard work while straight lines don't.  Of course, you cannot make fun of the person who mows straight lines because at least he or she is actually out doing work.  

 

Dinner and a Movie?

Joe, acting like on of the Three Stooges

     In this day and age, advertisers know how to make money.  A new website, one that has my mom 100% hooked, called Groupon, is becoming quite the "saving money" trend.  It's a lot like coupons, but companies give away their deals in bulk.  My mom gets Groupons for food, activities, and almost everything.  It provides us with opportunities that we don't even think of!  We got a horseback riding Groupon, we got a segway tour Groupon, and we got a movie Groupon.  There are Groupons for almost everything.  

Movie Posters and Bar

     Our plan was to see an animated pirate movie, but sadly the Groupon wouldn't with opening movies so we had to see "The Three Stooges".  It was actually a funny movie, which wasn't surprising considering I would be stretching quite far to say that people beating each other up isn't funny.  Hollywood Palms is quite old and has movie posters from every time period; half of the posters I didn't even recognize.  Another perk is that they serve food.  Dinner and a Movie.  Doesn't that sound just pleasant?  I believe that it would be hard to find anyone who thinks this isn't nice, and I'm sorry for the person who doesn't.  Now, you do have to put up with waitresses interrupting you, a blurry movie screen, and corny decorations to get this experience, and it costs a lot of money.

     

     Although movies are fun, I still think they are the most lame type of date.  Just, don't do it.  It's not a real date.  That, my friends, was some excellent advice from your fellow friend, Sam.