Maybe It Won't Be That Bad

With graduation and everything coming so fast I am kind of overwhelmed. Not only do we have finals next week but we also have the regional baseball tournament. After that there is graduation and then I head straight to work. It's all coming at me like a 90 mph fastball.

Now that all of my complaining is done, it's time to look at the glass half full. My finals this year actually won't be too bad. Creative writing is going to already be done before finals week so I can check that one off. Gym and independent living finals will probably be really easy like they usually are. After those three and off hour I really only have three finals to take. I love baseball so I don't even know why I complained about that one. There go two of my problems.

Graduation is always given the stereotype of being a hectic day, but I honestly think it will be relaxing and exciting. For those who don't think it's possible to be relaxed and excited at the same time, it is. I have no idea when graduation starts or when we're supposed to be there but I do know that I'm sleeping until I have to get up. After the ceremony there'll be a bunch of pictures and then off to my open house (right across the street). Here it will be fun conversing with all my friends and family, eating, and best of all getting gifts. I don't see how this day will possibly be bad. Off with problem number three.

Finally, the big kahuna, work. It's tough to be optimistic about this one, but I figure "How bad can it really be?" It might be tough getting up so early but I used to do that for red flag all the time; and that wasn't even for money. Money is the motivation. Not only is it for money but it also seems like it won't be too hard. I predict that most of the time I'll just be sitting on a riding lawn mower cutting the grass. Once put like that it doesn't sound like work at all. Ok, now I can calm down. Everything has been put into perspective and it's looking good.

Maybe It Won't Be That Bad

With graduation and everything coming so fast I am kind of overwhelmed. Not only do we have finals next week but we also have the regional baseball tournament. After that there is graduation and then I head straight to work. It's all coming at me like a 90 mph fastball.

Now that all of my complaining is done, it's time to look at the glass half full. My finals this year actually won't be too bad. Creative writing is going to already be done before finals week so I can check that one off. Gym and independent living finals will probably be really easy like they usually are. After those three and off hour I really only have three finals to take. I love baseball so I don't even know why I complained about that one. There go two of my problems.

Graduation is always given the stereotype of being a hectic day, but I honestly think it will be relaxing and exciting. For those who don't think it's possible to be relaxed and excited at the same time, it is. I have no idea when graduation starts or when we're supposed to be there but I do know that I'm sleeping until I have to get up. After the ceremony there'll be a bunch of pictures and then off to my open house (right across the street). Here it will be fun conversing with all my friends and family, eating, and best of all getting gifts. I don't see how this day will possibly be bad. Off with problem number three.

Finally, the big kahuna, work. It's tough to be optimistic about this one, but I figure "How bad can it really be?" It might be tough getting up so early but I used to do that for red flag all the time; and that wasn't even for money. Money is the motivation. Not only is it for money but it also seems like it won't be too hard. I predict that most of the time I'll just be sitting on a riding lawn mower cutting the grass. Once put like that it doesn't sound like work at all. Ok, now I can calm down. Everything has been put into perspective and it's looking good.

Best Summer Yet? Doubt it.

"I really think you should take it. It's a great opportunity," my mom pounds it into me.
"Well I think you should take that offer and shove it," I say to myself, "ain't nobody got time for that." Don't worry I didn't say that out loud instead a soft, "Sure," came out.

Every summer for just about the past five years I have run my own small lawn mowing business. Only three or four lawns, until last year when I took on seven! To me that was enough. I felt like I never had any time between mowing and baseball. Now I realize what a luxury it was. This summer I am working out at Otter Tail and let me tell you what, I am not looking forward to it at all. Sure the money is good, but it's just not worth it. "It'll look good on applications," they say "a great experience, you can get some money built up for college." Oh cool, now that you put it like that I'm so darn excited to blow my senior summer working.

If you couldn't tell, I got a little sarcastic at the end of my last paragraph. But come on! I'm still a kid in my books and I deserve to be as free as an eagle in the summer. However, now that it's pretty much set that I'll be working I've made a plan for how my week will go during the summer.

First off, I'm working 10 hours a day, four days a week. On top of that I will have practice Monday through Friday if not a game. So there goes four days of my week. On days that I work, I plan to be boring. I know that will be tough for me but that's how it has got to be. I start work at six and end at four. After that, practice will probably start at 5:30 and run until about seven. After this I will head home and eat supper, no matter what fun activities present themselves. I will set my bedtime for nine so I can get nine good hours of sleep. No one wants to go to work tired.

Now the fun part, here's where having a four-day week will come in handy. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night I will stay up as late as I can and make sure I am always hanging out with friends. Friday and Saturday will be filled with all sorts of fun lake activities. Then, when Sunday rolls around I can just nap all day and prepare for the next week of work. You see, I'm just trying to make lemonade out of lemons here. Just because I have a job doesn't mean I can't have fun. After all YOLO!

Tecca Nina

I will start off by apologizing for this being so late. I went to a Tech N9ne concert tonight and didn't realize it would be so long. I probably should have done it yesterday but hey, I'm doing it now.

Now, for the good part. My topic of choice for this week is obviously my experience at the Tech N9ne concert. It was an awesome time and definitely worth the 40 dollars I paid for the ticket.

First off, it ended up being about four hours which is a lot more than I expected. The other thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of talent that was there other than Tech N9ne.

It started off with a guy named Big Reeno who was actually from Bismarck. I had never heard of him but he really impressed me. It's crazy how he started from the bottom and now he's here. They did a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the concert.

Then came the big guns. All of the lights and lasers on stage were turned on and the show began. Rappers Ces Cru, Kutt Calhoun, and Brotha Lynch Hung came to stage one at a time. I had heard some of there music before so I was amazed that they were actually in front of me playing it. It made me realize how big of a difference there is between live and recorded music. It was simply amazing. If the show had ended there I would have been pleased. However, it was far from over.

Finally, the grand master arose accompanied by Krizz Kaliko, who was a show all by himself. He was constantly making funny faces and doing crazy dances. They performed some songs unfamiliar to me at first but then got into the "fan faves." The most popular songs included Am I a Psycho, Dysfunctional, and Caribou Lou. They got the crowd jumping.

After a while, they slowed down. They took more time between songs but they did do a great job of making the crowd laugh. Even after they did slow down, they kept going. Finally, after about four hours of madness they finished with a brilliant ending. It is called the Tech N9ne gun salute and it got my adrenaline going as I left the building.

Spring Fever

Every year it late February the wave hits me. I start getting jitters. Sportscenter starts showing highlights of spring training and I can't help it. I jump out of my chair an yell, "I want baseball!" Ok, maybe I don't do that, but I have to try really hard to contain myself.
I see that first special baseball edition Eastbay magazine and I'm off to the basement where I won't be seen for the next two hours. Although I rarely ever buy anything, I still scavenge through the pages and make my list of "things I would buy if I was rich." Then come the first baseball Sports Illustrated's, which I actually read instead of just look at the pictures.
My next assignment is to get my gear ready. I dust off the mitt and make sure it's nice and oiled up. Then, I dump out all of the dirt left in my shoes from the past season. Now the wait begins. I pray that the snow will melt as fast as possible.
Finally, the first day of practice rolls along and I'm more than ready. Too bad it starts indoors. Yes it's still fun, but it's just not baseball if it's not outside. For about the first week the indoor practices quench my thirst, but after that, I need more. I just can't contain myself anymore. I'll go out there with a blow dryer if that's what it takes. I just want to play some baseball.

I'm a Fanatic

I'm sure all of you have heard about the recent opening of Fanatics. It is behind the AmericInn in the old Looney Bin building. It is a sports bar and grill type of restaurant equipped with plenty of TV's in the main dining area. In the back there are a couple of bigger tables for larger groups. Also, a pair of electronic dart boards and pool table are nestled in the back. If you haven't been there yet I suggest you check it out.

I may be somewhat biased toward it since I am a die hard sports fan, but overall it is a really great place. I'm not sure on the exact numbers but I think there are five normal TV's and three huge projector ones. A sports fan's dream! However if you are not into sports, I still think it's an awesome place. If you don't want to have the loud music or sounds of the games you can ask to be seated in the back.

A couple things that I do think could be better are the menu and the seating. The menu seems somewhat small so I would like to see that expand. Seating is also pretty minimal, and maybe it is just packed because of its recent opening but I dont think any extra seating would hurt. Even with these two small complaints they really don't push me away. The items on the menu may be few but they are fantastic. It also looks like they are adding more seating in the back so I don't think that should be a problem for too long.

Now that we have this excellent restaurant in Beulah I hope we can keep it. Sure Country Kettle and The Grand View are good places to eat but it gets old after a while, and I'm not made of money. Fanatics gives I good price range and quality that is sandwitched right between that of the other two joints. I think it is just what Beulah needed and I hope it gets the support it needs to stay running.

March Madness Baby!

"Yeah baby!" Dick Vitale's raspy voice echoes through my ears. It's march, you know what that means. March Madness! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "March Madness", or just don't really know too much about it, it is the nickname for the NCAA Division I mens basketball tournament at the end of the year. Another common name is "The Big Dance."

It usually begins in mid to late March, hence the name "March Madness", and continues into early April. Sixty-eight of the nations top teams get a chance to play in the tournament. They can qualify in two different ways, either by winning their conference tournament or by being picked by the selection committee. After that they are ranked 1-16 and placed in one of the four divisions: Midwest, South, East, and West. Two teams from each division are given the same seed and must play in the first round of the tournament. It's sort of like a play in game, but don't call it that, the teams in it might get offended since they are actually "in" the tournament already.

After the first round teams must remain undefeated through six games to crown themselves the champions. Lose and you're out. Each round gets more gets more difficult as weaker competition is filtered out. Although the championship is every teams ultimate goal, the winner of each division advances to the Final Four which is a great achievement for any team.

Every year I prepare myself for March Madness by watching conference tournaments and a littles extra Sportscenter to decide who's in it to win and who's not going anywhere. I normally don't watch much college basketball but it is necessary for me to watch "The Big Dance." My reasoning, Bracketology. Bracketology is a common practice of millions of Americans. It's really simple, all there is to do is grab a bracket and fill out who you think is going to win. Some people do it for fun, just to see how much of an expert they really are. Others, however, do it for money. I am actually in a $5 league right now.

Each person has their own unique strategy for picking their winning bracket. Some of the more popular ones are following the experts, going with the higher seed, or picking ones' alma mater. Other, less famous, but still popular strategies include flipping a coin, picking which mascot would win in a fight, or picking favorite colors. Mine is to just go with my first instinct. No matter what strategy you use it's always a blast checking how your bracket's doing and rooting for the teams you picked.The fun action-packed tournament always brightens up my March because with 67 games in a 20 day span, I never have the excuse, "There's nothing to watch."

The Future is Now

Researchers at Google have been working on a project that will change the world of technology.  They have completed the design, but it is still in the testing phase.  Glass is an innovative piece of technology that is worn just as you would a pair of glasses.  It is completely hands-free, but can do so many tasks with just voice commands.

"O.K. Glass, record video," is all one would have to say while wearing it.  Glass would then begin recording a video in 720p HD, which is quite stunning considering it's size and weight.  Not only does the product record video and take photos, it also has a variety of other features.  Searching Google for pictures, information, and translations are just a few of the other features.  It can even stream your recordings live as well as send messages and photos to friends.  Glass uses Wi-Fi or it can be tethered via Blue tooth to a 3G/4G capable device.

Although the product hasn't hit the shelves yet, a few lucky individuals were allowed to test the product.  Applicants needed only to post a message on Twitter or Google+ with the hashtag #ifihadglass.  Google then selected some people to test-run their product for further innovation.

Other types of this product have been produced in the past, but now that Google has backed up a smaller, lighter, and more durable product, it is sure to be a hit.

Too Much Pressure?

Just go with me on this one. It's only Wednesday so the region championship game hasn't been played yet. However, I'm guessing most people won't be reading this until sometime after the game. I'm hoping Beulah won but if not, who cares. "What? Did he really just say that? Who cares? I care!" many people might be thinking. The reason I feel this way is simple. In a few years, all it's going to be is a cool story to tell to your friends.

Of course I want them to win. I want them to win very badly. I'm going to cheer until my voice goes out and after that I'll have to just keep clapping. However, at the end of the day, win or lose, life goes on. There are so many more things to look forward to. I wish everyone realized this, not just the players. Fans and parents put too much pressure on high school athletes.

Pressure can be one of the biggest influences on someones performance. People crack under pressure. It happens. Some people may play well under pressure but that doesn't mean they're better with it. I feel bad for the players that have the pressure of an elephant on their back. Maybe they can deal with it well? I just know that it affected me in wrestling and that's not even close to as big of a stage as basketball.

I think people need to lay off high school atheletes. It's not the pros. No ones getting paid to do it. They're out there for fun, so just let them be. Let them have fun. After the game don't worry about who won or lost, go congratulate the players for all of their success and hard work.

The Harlem Shake

Watch "Harlem Shake NFL Combine-Style at IMG Academy" on YouTube
Thirty seconds of madness. The Harlem shake is the definition of madness. For those of you who haven't seen the Harlem shake, watch this video, this is my favorite one so far. Crazy, right? Well this is the new internet craze. Everyones doing it. Any college that's anyone has made one. I've even seen an underwater one created by a swim team. You should really check it out.

A Harlem shake video usually starts with one person wearing something on his or her head and doing a subtle dance with a few people standing by. It is always accompanied by the same music. The tune is an electronic beat that starts somewhat slow. After about 15 seconds there is a change in pace of the beat and a man yells, "Do the Harlem shake!" At this point the people instantly multiply and appear with crazy costumes and props. Everyone does there own mind boggling dance. I wouldn't so much call them dances,they're more like random motions. This goes on for approximately 30 seconds with a couple slow motion shots mixed in to match the beat of the music.

The rise in popularity of these new videos has got me thinking. What does it take to start the next internet sensation? Nothing. Planking? Owling? Tebowing? Oh and who could forget those two days when standing a broom was cool? And the most recent, and my least favorite, if i get a million likes, i get a puppy.

Now days its easy to make something popular on the internet. Look at planking. I wonder what events lead to the creation of that.
"Hey let me take a picture of you."
"Ok, but first I'm going to lay as straight as i can."
"Like a plank?"
"Ya!"
"Dude, that's a great idea! "
Maybe it didn't go exactly like that, but seriously how difficult could that have been. I don't have a problem with these fads, I just wanted to bring attention to how ridiculously easy it is for our generation to entertain ourselves.

Congrats Grad

It's almost here. Just over three months away. Graduation. I'm so...what's the word I'm looking for? Excited? No, that's not it. Sad. Yes, you heard me right, sad. While many people look forward to graduation, I do not. Don't get me wrong, I am relieved that I will be done with high school. Of course I am pumped for the endless freedom I will have. Seems great, right? You may be asking who wouldn't want that? Well, the answer is me.

Responsibilty. The single biggest reason I'm not ready. I can handle the responsibilites that I will be faced with, but the truth is, I don't want to. I like life the way it is. Going out and having fun, no taxes or a job, it's perfect. Life's good. I don't want it to change one bit.

The second reason is friends. We have grown such strong bonds with each other. Twelve plus years of playground fun, backyard football, and much much more. It's coming to an end, just like that. They can't do this to us. Plucking us like feathers and tossing us all around the globe. I'm sure I'll meet some great people in college and I'll get some new insight on things, but I just don't like change.

If it were up to me, there would be two paths at graduation. The first labeled "I'm Ready" and the other "Let's Do It Again". People that want to go off to college, get a degree, and start making the big bucks could go right ahead. Others, like me would choose the second path. It wouldn't take me back in time to get another chance. I would simply stay for another year, start new adventures, make the most of it. If I'm ready by the time next years graduation rolls around then I could take the first path.

I realize that this is complete fantasy and would never happen, but I just wish it could be that way. One of the main purposes of high school is to prepare students for college, which then prepares them for their desired occupation. I'm not prepared so why can't I stay just a little bit longer. This is my plea. Please, all I want is one more year, I'm not ready...yet.

Happy Sportsday

All I have left is this photo. Hunter and I playing baseball in the field across the street. this picture is the kid I remember. He always loved baseball and being outside. Whether it was 100 degrees and humid outside or a complete downpour, we would be outside doing something. The usual was baseball, his favorite sport. He was always a competitor and loved to win.

I especially remember this day. It was his birthday party. Most kids on their birthday want to hit a pinata, open presents, and eat cake. Not Hunter. He saw a birthday as the perfect opportunity to put together a game of baseball. He needed to try out the new bat he just got. That bat was his baby. I'm pretty sure he would have took it with him to first base if that was legal. Not all the kids had gloves so his parentshad to dig up some old worn out gloves and we'd have to trade between innings. The game didn't last long which was a disappointment to Hunter. He couldn't understand why no one else was as excited as him to play baseball. To him baseball was the best sport in the world and everybody loved it.

Once we picked up all the equipment we walked back to his house and he got a brilliant idea. "Let's play football!" he exclaimed. This caught everyone by surprise. We didn't really want to play football but it was his birthday. Then his Mom came out and explained to him that football wasn't such a good idea because someone could get hurt. I could tell he was distraught that he would now have to resort to normal kid birthday fun.

NHL Lockout

Yes! Finally, after 133 days it's back! I know, it was tough living without it. Wait, what? You don't know what I'm talking about? You didn't even know anything was missing? Well obviously it's the NHL. Yes, you know it, the National Hockey League.If you had no idea what I was talking about in the beginning, don't worry about it. You can join the majority of people who didn't know the NHL was in a lockout. I, however, am really excited for this season and am very relieved that the lockout has ended.

On Jan. 6, the NHLPA(NHL Players Association) and the NHL reached a deal ending the lockout which had surrendered 625 regular-season games. The season began last Saturday as 28 of the 30 teams faced off. The two sides agreed to a 10-year CBA(Collective Bargaining Agreement) which raised the salary cap to $64.3 million. The salary cap (amount of money a team can spend on it's players in a year) was probably the most important discussion during the lockout. The NHL wanted to have a cap of $60 million while the NHLPA was hoping for a $67 million cap.

The first thing I have to say is "C'mon man!" I think I am speaking for most NHL fans when saying I am disappointed about the loss of over half of the season. I don't understand why it has to come to this. Seriously, these players are getting paid millions of dollars but still want more. Sure they have a very rare talent that people like to see, but that is why there should never be a lockout. It decreases the fan base. Without the fans the players are nothing. Maybe people should just stop going to the games. I wonder how long it would take for all the teams to go broke? There are people who are really good at working a forklift. The reason they're not getting paid millions is because there aren't fans who pay to watch. The lockout is not only hurting the fans but also the NHL itself.

Sure the cons far outweigh the pros during this lockout, at least for the fans, but there still are some pros. The biggest one for me is just the flat out interest I have gained in the sport. In previous years I would see the occasional highlight on Sportscenter but never really paid much attention to it. However, this year, I'm not sure if it's because of the lockout or just a coincidence, I am following it closely and even playing it. Everynight I find myself checking to see if the Wild are playing, I am in a fantasy hockey league, and even in a real league in town. Not sure if we can call it a league but I'm going to anyway. All I wanted to point out is that the lockout isn't totally bad.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nhl-lockout-over-players-owners-reach-tentative-cba-102905515--nhl.html

The Man in the Leather Jacket

A black 1967 Chevrolet Impala, leather jackets, and Kansas (the band not the state). Anytime I see or hear any of these things one word pops into my head, "Supernatural". More specifically, I picture Dean Winchester, the leather jacket bearing, sawed off shotgun weilding, hunter of anything supernatural. Dean Winchester is played by Jensen Ackles in the long running TV series "Supernatural". Dean and his brother, Sam, travel around the U.S. with the purpose of saving as many people as they can. Dean is a master at killing evil things. He packs a punch but this is not the reason he is my favorite character. His biggest trait is his unselfishness, that is what makes him my favorite character.
When I started watching the series I really had my doubts about Dean. I was on Sams side all the way. Dean was just too mean. He was always yelling and getting on Sams case. Not only that but he seemed to only care about himself.
After about season three it hit me, hard. Dean was not the bad guy I made him out to be. Everything he was doing was to protect someone. However bad each situation appears I have not seen Dean do something because it would benefit himself rather than someone else.
Although Dean may have a tough time showing it he loves his family. In season six Dean gives a clearer meaning of family. "Just because you're blood doesn't mean you're family. You have to earn it." Deans family consists of random people from all over that he cares deeply about. Dean would do anything for his family. He proves this in a very unusual way. After being done with hunting for about a year Dean has found a woman that he is thinking about marrying. They live together with a kid (not Deans kid). When suddenly a monster finds him and endangers his family. Dean leaves. Someone might ask, "How is that loving?" Dean loved them so much that he knew they would never be safe living with him. It caused Dean enormous pain to leave them but he made a sacrafice that many people may never understand. Dean is a true hero because he will do anything to protect the well-being of others.