Cars

“Come on, let’s take a drive,” Sally offered to Lightning McQueen.

“A drive?” asked Lightning.

“Yea a drive; don’t you big city racecars ever just take a drive?” she asked.

“No we don’t” he replied with a cocky little grin. Just has he answered her the old blue gas pump dinged to let him know that his tank was full. Sally gently revved her blue Porsche engine and slowly left the gas station. McQueen revved his racecar engine and followed after her. As the other cars watched to see what he was going to do McQueen looked at the empty and deserted highway that would lead him to freedom and out of this hell hole known as Radiator Springs.

“Now what should I do? I know I can beat any of the old clunkers here. I could make a run for it and be as free as a bird. Or, should I stay and…” Just as he was reasoning through his thought process Sally revved up and asked him if he was going to come with her. He quickly got his mind of the free-winding, call-to-freedom highway, backed up his car and followed Sally into the beautiful canyons and rocks.

Sally and Lightening raced along their own deserted highway like a couple of wild horses that had just been set free. They felt as though the world was theirs. They raced through dense green forests, cool streams of water, and past a waterfall whose water looked as clear and beautiful as glass.

“How could I have ever wanted to leave this place? The mountains of rocks were as high as he could see. They were the most vibrant colors of reds, yellows, and oranges. The sky was the bluest blue he had ever seen with the most abundant and beautiful white clouds filling it. It was as if he had left Earth and drove straight to Heaven.

“I don’t ever want to leave this place.” He decided. From that point on Lightning had his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs so he could always return when he was not racing.

My Own Harper's Index

1. Dr. Peppers I drink in a day: 1
2. Number of stuffed animals my daughter owns: 10
3. Number of months I have lived in MN: 21
4. Times I have been married: 1
5. Times I have been divorced: 1 (thank goodness)
6. Hours of sleep I get each night: 5-6
7. Total it costs to fill up my car: $50.00
8. Number of kids: 3
9. Times I have gotten a speeding ticket: 3
10. Total number of elementary schools I attended: 5
11. Years I played a musical instrument: 6

My fears, wants, and turning points

My Worst Fears
1. Drowning in a car
2. Suffocating
3. Being alone
4. Something harmful happening to my children that I cannot prevent.
5. Getting into another failed marriage.
6. Not getting married
7. Not being able to finish school.
8. Not being a good role model for my children
9. Being out at night alone.

My Wants
1. Acceptance to Nursing program
2. Becomes successful and independent again
3. My own home
4. A new car
5. A significant other (at some point)
6. Visit Texas again

My Turning Points
1. Moving into My Father’s House, Lubbock
2. My pregnancy with my daughter
3. Meeting my birth mother for the first time
4. Moving to Minnesota

Picture story

It was a warm fall afternoon when John and Boy Scout troop 583 went to Stone Mountain for a weekend adventure including camping, hiking, fishing, and other exciting events. No one knew that their weekend would end so quickly and so dangerously. Look at what two sticks rubbed together will do.
The troop arrived at the campground around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. They came loaded down with pillows, sleeping bags, pajamas, and an eagerness for the adventure to begin. They started out the weekend setting up camp and getting the tents set up. That in itself was an adventure, watching eight and nine-year-old boys trying to set up camp. It was quite comical.
“All right boys, now that we have camp set up we need to get our canteens so we can go on a nature walk” John said. The boys screamed with excitement. What would they find as they walk through the trails? “I hope we see some really cool bugs and spiders!” exclaimed Sam. “I bet we will see a bunch of different spiders” added Matt. “Okay boys, let’s move out” John ordered.
About two hours later the boys return to their campsite. They never knew that there were so many different bugs and animals in the forest.
The sun was beginning to set and it was getting close to dinner time for the boys. Michael began to get the campfire ready for hot dogs and s’mores. It took a few strikes but he finally got the campfire going. As he went over to his Den leader to let him know that the fire was ready he turned around and saw that the fire had escaped from the fire pit and had already reached the big tent.
Michael did not know what to do. He told his Den leader and they all quickly rushed out of the campground to notify the park ranger. As the Cu Scouts looked on from a distance, all Michael could feel was total and complete guilt. He felt that he was the one that was responsible for the fire and putting all of the animals in danger.
How could he ever forgive himself for what he had done?

I am a camera

As I sit at my desk I listen to all the chatter throughout my office. Next to me I can hear Rachel giving directions for a testing facility to a candidate with such a calm and friendly tone. At the same time another representative is having a funny conversation with another co-worker while drinking coffee from her large, black coffee mug. As I listen to my co-workers another two walk out the door. One is a rather short man in a black jacket and glasses; the other is a taller woman with black pants and a pink top. I think it is kind of funny to see a tall woman and a shorter man walking side-by-side. In the background of all this I can hear the air-conditioner quietly humming. I can also see the rain softly falling on the windows. For being such a busy office it is a rather quiet and calm setting. As I continue to sit and watch my co-workers it is interesting to watch them interact with each other. I see to of the upper management talking together and I wonder what they could possibly be discussing. Could it be about work or about what is going on this weekend? With the way they are acting I would say that it is not about work. I will continue to watch through out the day and see what other interesting things I can see my co-workers and all of their different behaviors and actions.

Ron Carlson Reflection

One section that I liked was The Idea of the Story Idea" and that if it is important to you then it is worth writing about. One example of this would be my parents. They wrote a book a few years ago. It wasn't fiction but more of a testimony of what they have been through in life. It was far from a best-seller but the people that have read it have been positively affected by it. When a person writes a book, it may not make the New York Best-Sellers list but even if it has an impact on one person it is worth it.

Week one

When it became clear that Alec Webb was far more ill than anyone had cared to tell him, he tore up his English life and came down to die on the Riviera. He had always wanted to visit the Riviera but he never thought he would move there to live the last few months of his life at the age of 36. He had always thought that he would live long enough to do all that he wanted to do.

Alec was a well educated man from a well educated family. He went to the best schools that his parents could afford. He graduated from Cornell University Magna Cum Laude with a law degree. He was recently named a partner in a prestigious law firm in New York.

In January he went to his doctor for a regular check-up but instead he was given the news that he had Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. He was hit with the information like a ton of bricks. As he sat in the doctor’s office all he could think about was his life and accomplishments. How could someone with his education and background be diagnosed with such a rare disorder? The doctor gave him options to weigh carefully.

Alec did not take long to make his decision. He packed his bags, grabbed his passport, and took himself on the greatest adventure of a lifetime. He spent the last three months of his life sitting on the sandy beaches drinking margaritas in the Riviera. He possibly could have lived longer with chemotherapy or radiation but he could not have had the time of his life sitting in a hospital room receiving treatments. What would you choose, a life of chemotherapy with all side effects that come with it or live your last moments doing the things you always dreamed of but were to afraid to do?

101 Words

It is September third and I cannot believe that it has been almost two years since I moved to Minnesota from Texas. Prior to moving here I had never even visited the state. This was a blind leap of faith when I moved up here. The only people I knew were my parents. How crazy could I have been to move 1,200 miles from everything and everyone I knew to start a new life? Obviously I must have been fairly crazy because I did it. I am so grateful that I made the choice it has benefited my family so much.

Closer to Memory

The first house I lived in is still my favorite house to this day. I lived in Midland, TX. One of the strongest memories I have from that house is one Christmas morning. I think I was around the age of nine or ten years of age this particular Christmas. Outside the temperature was not extremely cold but there was a chill in the air. Of course, since it was West Texas it was another brown Christmas. I can still smell the aroma of my dad’s freshly brewed coffee. I can see the living room as if I was there just yesterday. We had two brown, large rocker-recliner chairs and a couch that was multi-colored. It was a very homey and comfortable living room. We had the Christmas tree positioned in the corner of the living room between the couch and one of the recliners. I was sitting at the end of the couch closest to the Christmas tree when my mom handed me my next present to open. I ripped through the package as fast as I could. It was exactly what I had wanted, a Cabbage Patch Doll. Now, getting a Cabbage Patch at that time was like getting the big demand toys of this year. To top of my excitement my mom told me that she had to drive “all the way to Odessa” to get the doll. To a nine-year-old Odessa was like going half way around the world to get a doll, when in actuality it was a 30-minute drive. I felt so special when I opened the present. I can still smell the scent that a new doll has when you first take them out of the package.

First Sentences

1. I can still remember the feelings I experienced when I received the unexpected telephone call that day.

2. “What were you thinking?” my mom exclaimed with total shock.

3. I had always dreamed of how my prince charming would propose to me, I never thought what happened on that day was ever conceivable or could even possibly happen to me.

4. Being a mourning widow she fooled everyone with her cheery misdemeanor and brightly colored attire but inside she felt as though she was being torn apart from her heart and her one true love.