Finale

To be honest I did not like keeping this blog one bit. I felt to forced on when to write which was every week. If I were to give someone some advice about a blog I would definitely say do it on your own time. While doing this blog in this class I felt like it was too forced because we had to have at least one blog every week. If you did your own blog you would be able to write whenever you want. In my opinion I feel like whenever you would want to write you would have something to write about. Whereas for this class we had to come up with the topic almost every week. Me personally, I never really had anything exciting to write about. All in all the blog was not extremely terrible, it kind of is a nice stress reliever. You do not have to worry about you say or anything. In conclusion, I would just say if your going to do a blog have fun doing it. Make it as least stressful as possible. GO REDBIRDS!!!

Normal

In my opinion the town of Normal is not a very interesting place to live in. However, there are some areas that can be very fun. If you were visiting the town of Normal for a weekend I would definitely say that you would have to check out some of the bars, depending if you are twenty one of course. The bars that I would say to check out would be Nv Ultra Lounge, Chasers, and Mulligan’s. This would give you an excellent example of some of the people who live in the town of Normal. The majority of the people who live in this area go to school hear at Illinois State University. Another thing that I would recommend doing is taking a nice stroll around the campus. During the spring time the campus is fantastic. The trees all have bright green leaves and there are flowers that are in full bloom that give the campus an excellent vibe to it. If you come in the month of March try and come during Chi Omega’s March Madness. This is simply one of the best events that happens on campus. It is a dance competition between the fraternities and sororities. The event takes place in the Braden Auditorium and has sold out for the last five years. The auditorium holds roughly five thousand people. This event gets very intense. As for anything else I would say just do what you want to do. Explore the campus and find what you want to find. In my opinion the town of Normal is what you make it. It can be fun if you make it fun, but it can also be boring. Get out there and explore. Go Redbirds!!!

Rec Center

So, I just got done working out and now im waiting for the bus to come and pick me up. This is one of the things that I hate about being at school I do not have a car! So instead of going to the gym for an hour it takes me almost two hours. In my opinion in college two hours is a lot of time and lets face it not many people have that time to spare. The reason being is they have homework, they need to study for test, write papers, eat, sleep, and even just relax. This is why I can not wait until next year when I have my car down here and I can have the luxury to actually get things done in a short period of time. Rather than have to wait on a bus system, that is not always on time lets say. I have to take a bus from my dorm at tri-towers to Waterson and once I get to Waterson I still have to wait another ten to fifteen minutes before the bus comes that goes directly to the Recreational Facility that is not even on campus!! Then if I happen to be running late and I miss the bus i have to wait around another half an hour and wait for the next bus to come. Overall I just hate it going to the Recreational center. Even though I love working out and it raises my self esteem, because of all the happy endorphines I get, it is just a pain in the butt to get to and from. Long and short of it I just wish that I had my car down here. The NCAA tournament is about to be on so I am going to

ISU

More towards the beginning of the year I attended the fall pep rally. This event was a huge event there were thousands of people here and it was actually quite fun. They had music, food, and there were some games being played by students. I went to the event and I only knew my roommate and a couple of other people. I felt very young here at this event because there were a lot of older people at the rally. Another thing that I remember from this event was that the cheerleaders were doing their cheers and trying to pep everybody up. It did not work too well. I did not end up eating that much here due to the fact that I had eaten at the dorm about one or two hours earlier. Following this event I went to my future fraternity house and met a bunch of new guys who eventually turned out to my brothers. While at the house I was immediately drawn there because there were a bunch of cute girls there and all of the guys were really cool. A couple days later school started and I went to all of my classes and thought that most of them were very interesting and I actually met a few new people and had a few people that I already knew in my classes. I have also gone to a coup0le of basketball games. These games were pretty fun because I went with a big group of friends and had a great time. For all of the games that I went to we won!! Go Redbirds!!!

Spring Break

Well, we just got back from spring break and it surprisingly was actually pretty fun. I enjoyed getting to see my family and a couple of my friends even had the same spring break as me. The schools that they go to are Penn State and Bowling Green State University. It is ironic that these two guys both had the same spring break as us at Illinois State University because they are two of my best friends. Over the break my friends and I really did not do much, we kind of just hung out and went out to eat. One night we actually went to a pretty nice restaurant called Hugo’s Frog and Seafood Bar. I wanted to try something new at this dinner and I ended up trying three different kinds a food that I never thought in my life I would ever have. The first food that I tried was an oyster. The oyster was not that bad. The texture was a little gross and it tasted very salty however the overall taste was actually pretty good. The next extravagant food that I tried was frog legs. This made me laugh because my dad always jokes that we are having frog legs for dinner tonight. For once I actually did. You would be very surprised if you had frog legs, they are actually very tasty. The last thing that I tried that was different was what I ordered for my meal. I ordered swordfish, can you believe that. I would have never thought that I would ever have swordfish. It was actually extremely good sword and all, haha not really. Oh I forgot I had one bite of my buddy from Penn State’s mahi mahi. That was extremely tasty. This dinner was probably the highlight of my break. Can’t wait till summer though!!!

Money

I would definitely begin by traveling all around the world for as long as I could make the money that I received last. The first place I would visit would probably be somewhere in the Alps so I could go snowboarding because that is one of my most favorite things to do. After snowboarding for about a month I would travel around Europe and visit all the famous places and explore the entire country. I would spend probably about two to three months in Europe then I would fly to somewhere warm, perhaps Australia or Hawaii. The reason being would be so I could be able to go scuba diving, surf every day, and be on the beach 24/7. Again, I would stay in this warm tropical place for about two to three months then I would travel to random places that I never thought I would ever see. Probably the first place I would travel to would be Alaska. The main reason why I would want to travel to Alaska is that I love the snow and ice. Also, one of my dreams in life is to go dog sledding and have my own set of dogs that could be a part of my family. I just think that this would be so cool to have my own set of dogs that I could just take a cruise and see awesome land. After that I would probably just visit some places around the United States. I would definitely try and visit places and or regions that I have never been too. I want to this because I want to see what environment that I would like to live in best. Even though I could never really do any of these things yet these are my dreams and I hope to accomplish them some day. For now, stay in school!!

Surviving ISU

As a second semester freshmen here at Illinois State University I have found out pretty quickly that there are a few essential skills that you will need to learn in order to properly complete your college education. At the beginning of my first semester I did not think that it was any different than high school. However, this was before I realized I was low money and my grades were not up to par. So, the first skill that I would highly recommend you learn would be money management. As soon as you come to college you will learn that you must pay for more things then you have had to for in the past. Some of the major expenses may include food, textbooks, events, and whether or not anybody likes it but alcohol. If you successfully manage your money you will in turn be in a better mood and have that much better of a time at Illinois State University. The next skill that I would say would be a very high necessity in being successful at ISU would definitely be time management. The best way that I think would be to do this would be to devise a schedule for yourself including things such as your schedule of classes, eating times, exercising, as well as time to do your homework. The last skill that I would say would be to be outgoing. The reason that I say this is because if you do not make an attempt to meet anyone you will be miserable and not have any fun at Illinois State University. If you successfully master these three skills I can guarantee that your time at ISU will be the best four to five years of your life. Go Redbirds!!

PRISON BREAK

My favorite television show is called “Prison Break”. “Prison Break” is in its fourth season right now, however is on a break till about mid April. The first season of this fantastic show starts off with Michael Scofield’s brother Lincoln Burrows getting setup for the murder of a very important person from the city of Chicago. He is found guilty, even though he did not kill him, and is put into Fox River State Prison. Michael, Lincoln’s brother, is a very smart person; he has a degree in engineering and is an extremely intelligent person. Michael devises a plan in order to break Lincoln out of Fox River. In order for Michael to do this he must first get put into Fox River jail. Michael goes to a bank with a fake gun and pretends to rob the bank, even though all he really wants is to get thrown into Fox River with his brother. Even before the bank robbery Michael gets his entire back tattooed with a whole bunch of random tattoos that to the common eye make no sense what so ever. Once Michael gets put into Fox River he begins planning immediately. The viewers during this season are wondering how they are going to escape. The tattoos’ that Michael had gotten before he went to Fox River actually represent the blue prints of the Fox River jail. Each picture or numbers on his back represent a specific aspect to the escape from the barbed wired hell. As the first season progresses problems arise and new people join Lincoln and Michaels’ crew. One of the biggest problems the crew encounters is when Michael is out of his cell late one night and is forced to back against an extremely hot pipe. He suffers a severe burn on his upper left shoulder. The only problem is that is where the crew was in there mission to escape. Prison Break is an electrifying television series that I would definitely recommend watching if you want to see how Michael and Lincoln’s crew turn out. Can they escape from Fox River? What will they do next??

My Weekend

This weekend I decided to head home because I missed my parents and needed to get away from school for a little bit. So, I was supposed to leave at about one o’clock Friday afternoon but the guy who I was going to get a ride from got into a car accident the night before. I decided to call my friend who I knew lived relatively close to me. Thankfully, I got a hold of him just thirty minutes before he was leaving! I got home around four thirty Friday afternoon and my parents were extremely excited to see me. I was also very glad to be home, I felt as if all the stress that I had had from the previous school week had blown away in the wind. I was extremely glad to see my parents, my sister, and my dog. Another thing that was pretty cool was three of my best friends had actually came home that weekend and I had found out after the fact that I decided to go home. Friday night I went over to my buddy Adam’s house and we all chilled and had a sleepover. Saturday I just hung out with my Mom and my sister during the day. We ran some errands and rented a couple of movies that we would later watch that night. My Mom and I played cards for about an hour while we watched one of the two movies that we rented earlier that day. After the movie was over we had our special Valentine’s Day dinner. Every year my Mom makes heart-shaped meat loaf and pink mashed potatoes. Meat loaf is my favorite so I was excited for that. After dinner my Mom, Dad, and I turned on the other movie that we had rented earlier. The movie was pretty good, I was just happy to be home and see my parents. I woke up the next day and packed up all of my stuff and left for school around four o’clock. I was sad to leave home and to leave my Dad; he gave me a ride back to school. Even though I realized that I would see them all in two and a half weeks so I was not too sad.

Harry Potter

Throughout my teenage years there has been a specific set of novels that come out in a series. The mysteriousness, the action, and the adventure of the Harry Potter series is my favorite set of books by far. When you start reading the first book, the first character that you meet is a young boy named Harry Potter. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley. He lives with these people because his parents were brutally murdered by the dark lord Voldemort. Harry’s life with the Dursleys’ is terrible; he lives underneath the stairs and has to do all the chores around the house without the help from anyone. Until one day thousands of letters begin flying through every opening in the entire house, saying that Harry had been invited to attend the wizardry school Hogwarts witchcraft and wizardry. His aunt and uncle said that he would not be allowed to attend. It was not until Hagrid, he was somewhat of a giant, came to the Dursleys’ house and rescued Harry and brought him to the special school. At school Harry met his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron Weasley was not much taller than Harry but he had very distinctive red hair. Hermione Granger is what you could call a nerd but turns out to be actually decent looking. These three were always up to something. In the first book they must ward off Lord Voldemort because he is trying to steal the elixir of life, the sorcerers stone. This duo makes the books very interesting and I would definitely recommend reading them. For now, mischief managed.

Which tourney and course is it??

This golf tournament happens once a year. It is the very first major and all the top players attend this top tournament. This major is held normally around the weekend of April 12th. The golf course that it is played on is considered to be one of the most prestigious golf courses in the entire world. Each year there is some type of history made, whether it is the lowest score ever seen on this course or the record amounts of hole in ones in the weekend, it always happens. The fairways are lined with huge oak trees and the fairways are extremely narrow. There is famous bridge that is called the Hogan Bridge, which is named after one of the greatest golfers of all time Ben Hogan. The rough surrounding the fairways is typically around four and a half to five inches long. The putting greens roll about twelve point five on the stimp meter. A stimp meter is a measuring device that judges how fast the putting greens are rolling. Every hole on this golf course has name that represents a different type of flower. Nearing the end of the weekend the grounds crew that runs this golf course must begin to water the greens because they are becoming two difficult for the professionals of the PGA tour. This golf course is only open four out of the twelve months of the year and has only thirty members who are allowed to play this course. The waiting list to become a member at this course is over thirty years long. This course is one of the toughest courses that the professionals play all year. The greens are lightning fast, the fairways are narrow, the rough is thick, and the competition is fierce. Do you know what golf course and tournament I am describing? The link will reveal the answer!Masters.org

Inauguration

The inauguration is a very special time of year. Particularly this year because it is the first time that an African American has been inaugurated into the presidency of the United States of America. For this particular event I had class for most of the day so I was unable to watch all of the inauguration of President Barrack Obama. However, I did have an hour break in between two of my classes so I grabbed a bite to eat and sat down in the BK lounge and watch about thirty minutes of the lengthy process we call inauguration. Everyone around me was watching the forty two inch flat screen very attentively. Each and ever person was wide awake but speechless as the ABC news station filmed all the politicians and their wives entering into the vicinity of the Capital building, which we all know is located in Washington, D.C. Right about the time Barrack Obama was supposed to give his speech I realized that I had to be at class in less than ten minutes. The inauguration to me was very interesting and I was somewhat disappointed that I was unable to hear President Obama's inauguration speech.

Introduction (A little bit about me)

Well to start off I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan but I currently live in Naperville, Illinois. I am a very open person I love to try new things and do new things. However, I am particularly interested in a few different things. Golf is probably my favorite activity to do depending on the weather. I played four years of high school golf. Junior varsity my freshmen year and varsity golf my sophomore through senior year. Another activity that I am very interested in is snowboarding. Every year I plan a trip with my best friend to Colorado. We go to a different resort every year attempting to spend the least amount of money as possible. While on these trips my buddy and I always make a video of us snowboarding in the trees and shredding the terrain park. Many of these videos are found on youtube. Another one of my favorite things to do is to always have a good time. Whether there is nothing to do or even if there is something to do, I always attempt to make it fun. The way I see it is life is what you make it. I would also say I am very outgoing but at times can be very shy. I find almost everything in the world very interesting, one of my goals in life is to study abroad somewhere in a foreign country. The reason I want to do this is so I can see different parts of the world and to see how those parts of the worlds are different from the life that I live. My last passion is cooking. Someday I want to go to culinary school and later on open up my own restaurant. My personal philosophy is live life to its fullest.