Week 15

I’ve never been that good of a writer. Throughout my English classes in high school and the few I’ve had in college, I have never felt like I was “in my element.” We learned about many different kinds of writing techniques and practiced them by writing prompts after prompts. The one type of writing I didn’t seem to have a lot of trouble with was Vignettes. It was a new writing technique that I had never heard of before let alone attempt. However, I think that they might have been one of the easiest things we were assigned.
The most important thing I got out of English this semester was to break my habit of thinking to much while writing. I used to have to think for awhile about what I was going to write and it would usually lead to writer’s block. Now I find myself thinking less and less about what I’m going to write about and just let my fingers type what first comes to mind. I’m hoping that if I continue with English classes, I will just keep improving with my writing.

Week 14

#1

           Cell phone alarm goes off at 7:00 am. She gets up when her second alarm goes off at 7:20. Class starts in a half an hour. Shower, get dressed and dry hair. Take a few minutes to take care of the dogs. In the car at 7:45 and realizes she doesn’t have a school book. It takes another few minutes to find the forgotten book. On the road and on route at 7:50. Traffic crazy as usual and it’s a scavenger hunt to find a parking spot. Walking into class at 8:10. Late…..as always.

Week 14

#2

Things Girls Lie About

1.) “I’m in the car right now.” Otherwise known as she hasn’t left the house yet.

2.) “I hate drama.”  Every girl likes a little bit of drama whether it’s reality or on television.

3.) “Sorry I haven’t called you back I’ve just been really busy.” She really just hasn’t felt like talking to you.

4.) “I don’t need directions, I know where I’m going.” Every girl doesn’t want to admit they’re wrong especially when it comes to directions.

5.) “Of course your haircut looks good.” Girls always lie about how their friends look so no one’s feelings will get hurt.

6.) “I'm a great driver." It's common for a girl to have at least one fault when it comes to driving.

7.) “I swear I’m not mad at you.” Oh yes she is.

8.) “I won’t tell anyone.” She will tell someone, most likely her closest friend, within a few days.

9.) “It’s not you it’s me.” The famous line to the end of a relationship that is such an obvious lie.

10.) “I never lie.” Yeah right. A white lie is still a lie.

Theme 13

Just last year I was going to school at Bangor High. A building with six wings of classrooms and one wing for offices. I had grown up going to school with most of the students in my grade. Every student had either met or heard of every teacher or other student at the school. Rumors spread like wild fire throughout the day creating drama. Whether a couple broke up or a party was busted by the cops, there was a new story every day. Now I attend classes at Eastern Maine Community College. A school with eight buildings; five with classrooms, two dorms, and a gym. There are so many people with a variety of ages that go to the school. I’ve haven’t had two classes yet that were anywhere near each other. I’m constantly seeing new people I’ve never seen before around campus. College is a whole new world compared to high school.  

Prompt #66

Everybody dies. In order to accept the death of a loved one, people hold a funeral to remember the life of the deceased. Funerals are far from rare since people are dying everyday.  Some people can do nothing but cry because of the loss of a friend or family member. Other people smile at the recollection of the great life the deceased had. The first funeral I went to was my grandfather’s. I was five at the time and didn’t really comprehend the concept of death. I don’t remember much about the service except that I wouldn’t let go of my grandmother’s trembling hand.

In Class Work Week 13

          My jewelry box on my bookshelf holds tons of untouched jewelry. I can’t even remember the last time I opened the lid. The box contains necklaces, earrings and rings that I’ve most likely only worn once. Some items were given to me as gifts from friends and family and others I bought myself. There is one item of jewelry I can’t go a day without wearing. I absolutely treasure my one and only thumb ring. It’s made from the handle of silverware. The ring is still as shiny as it was when I got it. My mother gave it to me for Christmas two years ago before we had a falling out. The ring has barely left my finger since then.

Prompt #69

A newly paved road. A slight cool breeze. A quiet neighborhood out in the country. The houses are huge and beautiful. Trees are scattered along both sides of the road. Overhead, birds flock together in one direction then circle around the opposite way. Many people are out walking their dogs. My two pugs trot along beside me. Their little pig tails are wagging nonstop as they always do when they go for walks. They love going for walks just as much as I love taking them. There is nothing better than taking a little time to get some fresh air outside on a nice day.

In Class Work Week 12

Plaid

Boot

Linoleum

Mouse

Fan 

Teacher

        My cat sat in the corner of the room watching me make a fool of myself. The mouse ran back and forth across the linoleum floor. I was shaking in my boots. I hated mice. I held the broom in my hand, intent on getting it out the back door. A small fan had already been knocked over in the chaos. The mouse ran toward me causing me to back up into the kitchen table. My grandmother's vase crashed on the floor spilling water on the plaid tablecloth in the process. All of a sudden, my cat pounced and caught the mouse under his paws. He walked over and looked up at me, the limp rodent in his mouth. The student had become the teacher.

In Class Work Week 12

Acrostic

"Tired"

        The class is almost over. I can't wait to go home and relax. Read a book or watch T.V. End up falling asleep on the couch. Dreaming of something that I won't remember once I wake up.

In Class Work Week 12

Reverse-lipogram

        The cat wanted to get outside through the gate. Steve, completely aggravated at that point, struggled to untangle the stuck cat.

Prompt #57

My Summer Vacation

           
            Nicky and I were city girls and had never gone camping before but our aunt and uncle insisted that we go camping with them for a week. We hated that we didn't have cellphone reception. We were disgusted when our uncle wanted to take a picture of a dead moose. We complained constantly about the cold weather. We refused to swim in the unclean lake. We despised the millions of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. We were terrified when a bear strolled into the middle of our camp. Our aunt and uncle could barely get us out of the camper for the rest of the trip.

Prompt # 54

By the time he made it to bed, the birds were beginning to awake and sing. 

There were ten of us. Seven girls and three boys. None of us really knew each other. The only person I knew was my cousin Nicky. Everyone paid eighty dollars in order to go to Adventure Bound for two days. Our supervisor thought a ropes course, and white water rafting would bring us closer together. We were all happy about the trip and the activities but seemed to be more excited about pulling pranks.
As soon as we got there, we schemed on pranks to do with one an other. All night the girls and the boys put their pranks into affect. Keys to the cabins were taken and hidden. All the mattresses were thrown into the middle of the cabins. Tape sealed the cabin doors shut so nobody could get in. Toilet paper was hidden in both bathrooms. Some kids made scary noises in the woods behind the cabins. It wasn’t until five o’clock that everyone finally fell asleep. To keep the pranks going, the girls used an air horn to wake the boys up at eight o‘clock. The boys returned the favor by throwing a small smoke bomb in the girls cabin.
Pranking each other brought us closer to together than the teambuilding activities Adventure Bound offered. None of us could stop laughing until we crashed of exhaustion.

Prompt # 50

She never got along with her mother. Everyday was filled of pointless fights and insincere apologies. She always told her friends that she couldn’t wait to move out of her mother’s house. She wouldn’t have to constantly find reasons to leave the house in order to get away for a few hours. She wouldn’t have to listen to yelling everyday. She wouldn’t be blamed for every little thing that was misplaced. Once she was legally an adult, nothing could stop her from moving out of that house.
The day of her eighteenth birthday, a friend helped her pack up all of her stuff and move out. Between the two of them it took only a half an hour. She had told her mother of her plans to leave that day and wasn‘t surprised when her mother left at the crack of dawn. She tried to rekindle her relationship with her mother for months but wasn’t able to. To this day, her mother barely talks to her anymore.

Prompt #51

Nicky and I were running as fast as we could. I knew I hurt my ankle when I jumped but I didn't care. Neither one of us dared to turn around and see how close the fox was. It was bad enough we could hear its vicious growl behind us. I focused my attention on my back yard fence. Once I reached the fence, I didn't think twice as I jumped over it. Nicky was right behind me. The back door was still open the way we left it. Nicky pushed me through the entrance causing both of us to fall to the kitchen floor. Without waiting a second more, I kicked the door shut with my already sore ankle. We were safe.
It all started when my mom told us to go outside and get some fresh air. Apparently opening all the windows and the back door was not enough. To make my mother happy, Nicky and I decided to go swing on my old swing set in the back yard. We were probably only outside for a half an hour before it came.
“What the hell is that sound?”
I stopped swinging so I could listen for what Nicky was hearing. It didn't take me long to pick up a growling sound that was coming from behind us. I turned around to see a fox coming our way. Without even conversing, Nicky and I ran onto the adjoining steps and climbed on top of the monkey bars.
“Um…. Tenika? What do we do?”
“I have no idea.”
The fox had reached the play set and was right underneath us. Up close I could see the fox looked emaciated and had a bit of white foam coming out of its mouth.
“Damn this isn't good.”
“No shit sherlock.”
“I have an idea but I don’t know if it is going to work. Jump at the count of three.”
I took off both of my sneakers and threw one at the fox. The fox growled louder but turned its attention to my sneaker.
“What did you do that for? You just made it angrier!”
Ignoring Nicky, I crossed my fingers my plan would work.
“One.”
 I threw my other sneaker as far as I could into the woods.
“Two.”
The fox ran into the woods after my sneaker.
“Three!”
Nicky and I both jumped down from the monkey bars and ran.

In Class Work Week 10 

Part 2

            It was time for another veterinarian appointment for my dog. I had to switch vet clinics after my last vet started charging me more than usual. My new vet seemed nice and cheerful. I was assured that everything would go smoothly. They were going to clip Bentley’s nails and clean his teeth. The receptionist, not so cheerful, handed me as post-it that listed the information I asked for. Appointment fee: $330 to $345. Pick up time: 4:30.

***

            I stood at the lobby desk as I waited for my dog to be released. The receptionist was still not cheerful. She could probably tell I was livid. I was not notified before they started the procedure. My dog now had twelve less teeth than what he woke up with that morning. A vet tech stood beside me insisting they had to do it. The receptionist handed me my bill with a row highlighted in red. New appointment fee: $459.

            “Would you like to plan your next appointment for Bentley now?” The receptionist asked.

            Hell no.

In Class Work Week 10 

Part 1

            “Gross! His breath is starting to smell again. Get him away from me,” Nicky complained.

            “I know. He has an appointment at the vet later today to get his teeth cleaned.”

            About every three months, I take my pug to the veterinarian to have his nails clipped and his teeth cleaned. The last time I took Bentley to the vet, they charged me more than what they had before for no reason. As soon as I saw the bill, I knew it was time to find a new vet.

            The vet clinic I chose to switch to was the closet to my house I could find. The clinic was small and the staff was very friendly. The veterinarian was very nice and insisted that my dog would be taken care of. She told me it would be expensive because Bentley would have to be put to sleep in order for his teeth to be cleaned. I was quoted a $330 to $345 fee for the appointment. 

            It took six hours until Bentley was ready for me to pick him up and take him home. One of the vet technicians was waiting with Bentley at the receptionist's desk when I walked in. The receptionist handed me my bill as I pulled out my wallet. Highlighted in red was the total of $459. 

            "Why is my bill more than what I was quoted?" I asked.

            "Well it turns out your dog needed twelve teeth pulled. We didn't know how bad some of his teeth were until he was asleep. There is no way you could have known either,"explained the receptionist.

            "He had twelve teeth pulled?  You couldn't call me to inform me that you had to pull some of his teeth?"

            "The vet doesn't stop in the middle of her procedures. Your new bill is the result of those teeth having to be pulled. If you'd like, you could pay for half of it now and then pay the rest of it the next appointment you make for Bentley."

           "I'll just pay it all right now. I won't be making anymore appointments here." 

    

        

Prompt #35

Revised

  My three little cousins sat beside each other on the living room couch. They continuously glanced at each other nervously and didn‘t dare speak a word. My aunt and I stood in front of them with our arms crossed. Sitting on the coffee table was my uncle’s birthday cake which my aunt had spent three hours making. A half an hour before my uncle was due to be home, finger trails appeared all through the royal blue frosting. My aunt made my cousins sit on the couch until they confessed who ruined the cake. The three of them sat in silence, not one of them willing to open their royal blue lips to confess.

Prompt #39 

My family surrounded the small bed. My grandmother laid there extremely sick. She was too weak to even open her eyes. My grandfather had his hands clasped around her hand. An iv stuck out of her arm with a piece of medical tape holding it in place. The room was silent except for the heart rate monitor that beeped. My father had one hand resting on my shoulder while the other held a bouquet of flowers.  

***

Hair had to be up. No jewelry allowed. Sneakers only. Tan pants or capris. Red and white striped shirt. ID badge had to worn at all times. I chose to volunteer at Eastern Maine Medical Center that summer. I thought it would be a way to get over my fear of hospitals. Three times a week I saw tons of sick people. Many reminded me of how sick my grandmother was when she died. Three times a week I volunteered eight hours to help people in the place that scared me the most and still, I didn't manage to conquer my fear.

Prompt #35

My three little cousins sat beside each other on the living room couch. They continuously glanced at each other nervously and didn‘t dare speak a word. My aunt and I stood in front of them with our arms crossed. Sitting on the coffee table was my uncle’s birthday cake which my aunt had spent three hours making. A half an hour before my uncle was due to be home, finger trails appeared all through the blue frosting. My aunt made my cousins sit on the couch until they confessed who ruined the cake. The three of them refused to admit what they had done even with their lips and tongues dyed royal blue as the frosting.

Prompt #34

It was a nice November afternoon to take my Pug for a walk. Leaves covered the sidewalk and rustled in the wind. My phone buzzed every minute as a new text message came in. Bentley tugged on his leash, surprising me so much I almost dropped my phone. Across the street was an elderly man walking with his Chihuahua. I pictured my Chihuahua George, who had to be put down two months before. This little dog looked identical to George. Bentley pulled me across the street and up to the man and his dog. He wagged his curly tail like he was greeting his old friend. The man looked at me harshly, picked up his dog and walked away. Bentley wouldn’t move when I called his name and tugged on his leash. He stubbornly sat on the ground and watched them walk away.

Prompt #33

All the seats were filled. I had to sit in the lobby with ten other people and watch the service through glass windows. Everyone blended in with each other with the common black attire. I didn’t want to pay attention since funerals were always depressing. I didn’t even know the person except that they were friends with my grandmother. I read the service pamphlet over and over again until my grandmother nudged me to pay attention. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. On stage, three women stood around a microphone with a collage of their mother’s seventy-nine years behind them. Their voices and cries echoed through the quiet rooms as they shared stories of their mother. Not able to talk anymore, the youngest daughter collapsed sobbing in the arms of her sisters.

In Class Work Week 9

#2

The sound of a text message woke me up this morning. I already knew what it would say without reading it. Knowing more messages would be pouring in, I turned my phone off and rolled over to go back to sleep.

***

The first thing I did when I woke up was check my phone. My inbox was lamost full due to messages from friends and family. My best friend was the only one who didn’t text me. I thought that somehow she had forgotten what today was.

***

I was wrong. My best friend thought it would be funny to pretend she forgot my birthday. She showed up at my front door with my favorite blueberry iced coffee and took me out for breakfast at Denny’s.

In Class Work Week 9

#1

        All the chairs were taken. I settled to sitting on the edge of a table. There was nothing I could do. It was too cold outside to take a walk. I couldn’t text because my cell phone was dead. The adults had everything covered in the kitchen. My grandmother wouldn’t let me help her decorate her cake since she didn’t want anyone to mess it up. The smell of corn chowder filled the air, making me hungry. Three little kids ran around me playing tag. I could feel a headache coming on as their little screams pierced my ears. These dinners my grandmother put on were always boring but that one topped the cake.

In Class Work Week 8
#3

“Don’t do it Nicky. You’re going to make a mess in Gram’s kitchen.” I watched as Nicky hid the second to last mountain dew in a kitchen cupboard. She took the last can and shook it before putting it back in the fridge.
Michael came into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge to get a drink. He was talking but my mind was focused on the green can he held in his hand. As he continued to talk, I slowly walked backward until I was behind the counter which I planned to use for cover. Nicky was trying hard not to laugh and made no movement to get out of the way.
As soon as I heard the hissing pop of the can, I fell to the floor. I heard Michael gasp and Nicky burst into laughter. Still on the floor, I peeked around the counter to see the damage. Nicky was on the floor laughing. Michael stood in the same spot holding the soda can with his mouth hanging open. Mountain dew covered both of their clothes, the floor, and the refrigerator door. Standing in the entrance of the kitchen was my grandmother with her hands on her hips.

In Class Work Week 8

#2

My hands griped the armrests until my knuckles were white. I feared the thought of crashing. I glanced out the window to see down below. All I saw were lights that seemed to spread for miles and miles. They lit up the night and appeared to be closer than they actually were. A large silver disco ball was visible and said “Epcot”.

***

Rain poured down creating large puddles we had to run through. People were running around the amusement park trying to stay dry. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nicky lose her flip flop in a puddle but I kept running toward a store. The next thing I know I’m on the ground, pain shooting through my leg.

In Class Work Week 8

#1

He lined his club up next to the ball and hit it so it would bounce off from the wall. He did it again and again, wanting to show off. The rest of us stood by talking to one another, occasionally glancing at him. A cry came from his direction scaring us all. His hand covered his jaw as a little blood seeped through his fingers. 

Prompt #30

Looking at the picture of my dad with his fellow Shriners, you may assume many things about him. The way he has his arms around his friends you would think that he cares for his friends. However, alcohol tends to come before anything else in his life including friends and family.
His big smile stands out in the picture making you think he would be a great guy to hang around. I wouldn’t know. My dad constantly promises me that we’ll spend time together and then calls later to cancel. It’s very rare when I get the chance to spend a day with him. Now, when my father calls to cancel our plans I have already arranged new plans as backup.
A red Shriner hat sits on his head. As a Shriner, my dad is constantly helping needy children and children hospitals, but he never has time for his own daughter. My father believes that you have to buy people’s forgiveness. Every time my father cancels plans on me he buys me a gift. When I was little he would buy me some kind of toy, usually an “apology bear”. As I grew older, he switched from teddy bears to money.
I find it interesting how a picture can make you assume so many things about a person. In this picture, my dad looks like a stranger to me.

Prompt #29

        Traffic was insane as cars were back to back everywhere. The interstate went from two lanes to three lanes to five lanes and back again. Drivers were crazy as they drove recklessly and honked at each other for no reason. U-turns were done constantly since it was not illegal there.
        Many buildings were old and worn down. Some were abandoned with no windows left unbroken. Colorful graffiti covered everything in sight from gas stations to grocery stores. Despite the cold weather, people were walking on the sidewalks everywhere. Old wired fences with holes in them were alongside many of the streets.
In one of the small neighborhoods, houses were bordered up and seemed empty. Other houses looked unlivable they were so run down. Paint was peeling off sides of houses, garages, and mailboxes. Front steps were either tilting or had a broken step.
I never expected Manchester, New Hampshire to look so run down like it did. It didn’t look like anything special. I thought that Manchester would some what resemble Portland, Maine or Boston, Massachusetts. A city with nice looking buildings, great views, and many places and things to see. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Manchester. It was a chaotic dump that I wouldn’t consider revisiting.

In Class Work Week 7

#3

  We all knew that it would only be a matter of time before we lost you once you lost your husband. You lived another three great years after he passed away. I was too young to remember grandpa but I do remember you. I remember I would love to visit you whenever I got the chance. I would sit on your lap and watch you crochet for hours. I still have the blanket you made me for my sixth birthday. The bright colors have long faded but the sentimental value is priceless. I’ll never forget the day dad and I went to visit you and we couldn’t wake you up. I remember the flashing lights of the ambulance shining through the window as tears flowed down my face. There is never a day that goes by that I don’t think about you.You were such a wonderful grandmother. When I really miss you, all I have to do is get out the blanket you made me and somehow I feel better.

In Class Work Week 7

#2

      It has been about five years since I have seen or heard from you. You were never really a nice grandfather. People wouldn’t even hang out with you if they were paid to do so. You hated everyone and everything.  I don’t remember a time when you weren’t angry and yelling. You made Scrooge from A Christmas Carol look like a saint. It was probably your anger and hatred that caused you to stay away from your family. You did a good job staying out of contact; quitting your job, changing your number, and moving. Your family tried so hard to stay in contact with you but we eventually gave up knowing it was a lost cause. You could be dead for all we know; yet as your family we have reached the conclusion that we wouldn’t even care if you were.

In Class Work Week 7

#1

      We were best friends since the moment we were born. We were only a moth apart. For a whole eight years we were two peas in a pod; inseparable. Wherever I went, you went. Wherever you went, I went. We were so close I thought of you as a sister. We went through thick and thin together; your brother’s downward spiral with drugs, your parent’s divorce, and my parent’s divorce. I even remember the time we were almost run over by a truck. You and I had taken a snow sled for a ride and we ended up in the road. That was so long ago yet I remember it as if it were yesterday. I don’t know why your mother wanted to move to Florida or how we lost contact. Ten years later, I still find myself thinking about you every once in a while hoping that one day we will see each other again.

Prompt #26

It has been quite a while, about three years, since the last time I’ve been out to camp. The red cabin looks smaller and older. The dull paint is peeling off in many places revealing the natural wood underneath. The railing to the front steps is broken clean off due to rot. Weeds cover the ground all around the sides of the cabin. The small garden my mother and I planted is history.
The dock looks half the size I remember and planks are missing from it here and there. The green L.L. Bean canoe that I used to use is no longer in its place near the dock. The hammock that I loved to lay in and read near the waters edge has been removed. Two small holes in nearby trees are the only things left behind.
The camp looked worse than I ever thought it would. My uncle and his friends took turns visiting the cabin for the past few years. They obviously didn’t take the time to keep up with the place while they stayed there. I regretted not visiting camp more than I should have. I had many great memories with my family from my camp on Pushaw lake. Staring at the camp and its horrible current state made me think that there wouldn’t be any more memories made there for me.

Prompt #28

A soft snow fall rains down through the light dusk. Four inches of snow blankets the ground and the blue two-story house. Glowing candlestick lights shine like little flames in every window. Children laugh and run in their colorful snowsuits as they play in the front yard. A half made snowman stands forgotten in the middle of their midst. Snowballs soar through the air occasionally hitting their targets. A golden retriever puppy runs around the yard dodging snowballs. Adults can be seen through the dining room window sipping hot chocolate and coffee as they stare out at the children.
This is just another family gathering at my aunt’s house. The adults and teenagers talk in the dining room enjoying hot beverages while my little cousins play in the yard. Even though these family gatherings are numerous and always the same, it’s a picturesque scene that never gets old.

Prompt #19

I’m going to be in so much trouble. I’m probably going to be put in jail. Great.

My cousin, Nicky, walks beside me shaking and nervously looking around her. I walk straight ahead knowing that nobody is looking for us in the woods; yet. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Nicky jump with every snap of a twig. Our mutual friend, Michael, walks behind us texting. All three of us had been walking in the woods for a half an hour.

“Tenika, I’m scared. I can’t go home with her. She just scares me so much sometimes. I told her all that when I texted her earlier. I can’t live with her anymore. I just can’t,” Nicky sobbed.

My aunt and uncle have fought with each other for years for custody of their daughter. If Nicky could choose I know she would live with her father. However, her mother has never wanted to accept that fact. There had been many nights in the past where Nicky would call me upset because of her mother and I would just sit on the phone with her and let her cry. Seeing her so upset made me nervous. Nicky is usually the strongest person I know.

I start to scan through the many trees that surround us for anyone coming our way. I know these woods like the back of my hand. I would always walk home through the woods after school.

“Um guys?” Michael interrupted.

I had forgotten that Michael was with us. I turned around at the same time as Nicky to see Michael staring at his phone.

“One of my friends just told me that Nicky’s mom called the cops. The police are talking with her and the principal. Apparently Nicky‘s mom wants them to find all three of us.”

“Great,” I sighed. “It’s okay though. I knew I was heading for trouble when I offered to help keep Nicky away from her mother.”

I can’t believe my aunt called the cops. Actually, I can believe it. I learned a long time ago not to put anything past her. I am basically kidnapping my own cousin from her mother. Ugh! I’m going to be so much in trouble. What have you got yourself into Tenika?

Nicky’s eyes widened in shock. It only took a few seconds before she began sobbing even harder. Michael was staring back at his cell phone. His fingers were tapping furiously on his screen as he typed a message.

“I'm sorry but I can’t stand this custody fight anymore! I don’t want my parents to have split custody. I want to live with my dad. Where is my dad?” Nicky cried again.

I unlocked my phone and looked at my home screen. The screen said I had one new message sent two minutes ago.

“Your stepmother just texted me and said your dad will be here in five minutes.”

Leading the way, I made a sharp turn onto another trail that would lead us to a small parking lot. I knew my uncle would expect me to bring her there and not back to the school.

“I’m sorry you guys got roped into this.” Nicky’s tears were slowly starting to stop. “The last thing I want is for you guys to get into trouble because of me. Especially you Tenika, you‘re sacrificing your relationship with your aunt by helping me.”

“Don’t even mention it,” I smiled at her. “ You’re my little cousin and I would do anything for you. Besides, someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

The trees were becoming less dense as we walked. Ahead, I could hear the sound of an engine running. Patches of red were visible through the trees that I recognized as my uncle’s truck. Nicky ran ahead of us as she raced to her dad.

Once Nicky was inside the truck you could tell she felt safe. She slumped against the passenger seat resting her arm alongside her window. A big smile was plastered across her face showing her braces. As the truck pulled away I could see her mouth the words “thank you” to Michael and I. The mess was over; for now.

Did I do the right thing? I don’t know.

Prompt #21

My friends and I are constantly going on trips together. However, one trip stands out more than all the others. Towards the end of this past summer my friends and I went to Bar Harbor. We rolled down the windows to breathe in the fresh air and laughed as the wind blew our hair around. Music blasted through the car as we danced and sang along to our favorite songs. About twenty minutes into our trip we noticed a car following us. The car sped up and slowed whenever we did. Every stop and corner we turned the car was still in the rear-view mirror. We became concerned and our laughs turned nervous. We had no idea who was following us but knew that it was definitely not a coincidence. In an attempt to lose our pursuer, we made a last second turn into Acadia National Park. Not knowing where we were going we just kept driving. The mysterious car and its driver were no longer tailing us.
      A few minutes in Acadia we found ourselves following the road up Cadillac Mountain. The music was turned down and we looked out the windows enjoying the views. Half way up the mountain we were startled by a beeping sound. The gas light was blinking, taunting us. We crossed our fingers hoping we wouldn't run out of gas in the middle of Acadia National Park. To make matters worse, even with all of our different phone carriers, none of us had cell phone reception. Even the radio and CD player stopped working. With no music all we had to do was think about our current situation and worry.
We were so happy and relieved to find our way out of Acadia and make it to a gas station. To treat ourselves we decided to stop at CJ’s Ice Cream shop before heading home. While we were enjoying our soft serve ice cream outside, all of sudden it started pouring. Not even done eating we threw our ice creams away and left the ice cream shop. The car was quite a walk away so we all jogged our way to the car, trying to get there as soon as possible. Traffic was horrible as people wanted to leave due to the unwelcome weather. Tourists were annoying and would not let us cross the street. Almost fifteen minutes later we were all wet sitting in a soaked car because we left the windows down. The rain just being an issue made the trip memorable along with the other hurdles we encountered during our trip.

Prompt #17

I have never seen my mother angrier than the day that I lost an old family heirloom. I was about twelve years old walking around a large craft fair outside with my mother. Countless craft booths stood side by side forming six rows. At random times I would gently twirl the necklace that I wore. It was a gold necklace with a thin, delicate chain that held a red stone and a small intricate design that bordered the stone. The pendent, with its design, somewhat resembled a blooming flower. My mother had given it to me a week before and told me to take good care of it since it was a family heirloom. I loved the necklace and wore it everyday since it was given to me.
My mother scanned every booth looking for jewelry that caught her eye. I barely looked at anything since I was content with my new treasure that I hung from my neck. When we finally reached the last row, I reached to twirl my necklace again only to find that it was gone. I was shocked the necklace was gone. Surely I would have felt or heard the necklace fall. Frantically, I looked around me hoping the necklace would be somewhere near and it would be intact. It wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
      After quickly filling my mother in on the missing heirloom, we began retracing our steps. I tried to recall the last time I knew I had the necklace but I couldn’t remember. We went up and down every row searching the floor and booths. My mother asked random people if they had seen my necklace. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. We were at a craft fair, there were necklaces everywhere. A necklace on the floor wouldn’t look out of place. If someone were to see it they would either take it or bring it to the closest booth. We must have looked for almost an hour but our family heirloom was never recovered. I felt absolutely horrible for what I had done and I got to sit and soak in my guilt since I was grounded for a week afterward.

In Class Work Week 5

I’m about ten years old wearing warm clothing to keep myself from freezing. I’m staring up at the roof of my father’s house. Snow blankets the roof and icicles hang down from the gutters. My father stands in front of me with a ladder leading to the roof. His right hand holds the ladder steady as he carries a shovel in his left. He motions for me to go play in the back yard. I do as I‘m told. My father climbs up the ladder to the roof. Once on top he disappears from view. I sit down and watch as my father shovels snow off the roof. It doesn’t take long for my father to make great progress. However, it doesn’t take long for me to get bored as well. There is a huge tree in the backyard which my father wouldn’t allow me to climb no matter how much I begged. Staring at the tree I become more and more curious of how high I could climb. Disobediently, I walk over to the tree and start to climb. I smile at myself when I make it halfway up the tree. Before I know it I’m falling. I land softly on my back in a snow bank. The wind was slightly knocked out of me so I just stare straight above me recalling what happened. In a blink of an eye, my father is standing above me gathering me into his arms. Before he can ask if I’m okay, I start laughing.
“Daddy, that was fun! Can I do it again?”
My father looks at me awestruck. Shaking his head no he picks me up and carries me inside where I can stay out of trouble.

Prompt #15

My friends always make fun of me because I sometimes talk to my cat Ashton. However, I have caught them a couple times talking to their animals too. It’s not like I expect Ashton to answer me but what if he could? What if my cat could answer my questions for a minute? What would I ask him? I found Ashton a year ago on one of my friend’s front steps. He was scared of my friends but ran right into my arms when I knelt down. My friends and I walked around trying to find his owner but to no prevail. I quickly fell in love with the little American Shorthair kitten and took him in. I guess I would ask him what happened before I found him. Were you abandoned? How long were you left outside in the cold? Why did you only run up to me? Are you happy now? If only he could answer my questions.

Prompt #14

To me writing is just as hard as cooking. I can’t cook for my life, which is surprising because my family is full of great cooks. My grandmother however, is by far the best cook in the family. She makes up her own recipes for every dish. Her most popular recipe seems to be her pumpkin squares with cream cheese frosting. Even my friends who hate pumpkin love her pumpkin squares. Many people have asked for her pumpkin squares and cream cheese frosting recipe but it remains a secret even to the family. In my opinion, my favorite recipe of my grandmother’s is her summer fruit cake. It’s a two layer vanilla cake with strawberries and blueberries in the middle. She even uses her cream cheese frosting to top the cake off. It’s absolutely delicious and one of the things I love about summer. It’s hard to chose a favorite recipe of hers because she is constantly coming up with new dishes. A week ago she used her last pie crust and emptied her pudding drawer by making a banana and chocolate pie. The bottom layer was chocolate layer and the top layer was banana. She cover the pie with marshmallow fluff and sprinkled crushed graham cracker on top. It sounds really disgusting but it was actually good and I don’t even like bananas. My grandmother’s kitchen always smells delicious since she is constantly cooking something. Ninety percent of the stuff she makes is given to family, friends, and neighbors. Sometimes I think my friends come to my grandmother’s to eat rather than see me. My grandmother jokes that she has adopted all of my friends as her grandchildren and that they are welcome over to her house whenever.

Prompt #13

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Then why doesn’t this picture speak to me. The picture is of my parents holding me as a baby when my parents were still together. When I take it out of its frame, the back of the picture states that I was a year old. That however, only answers one question out of many. My parents are smiling in the picture but were they really happy? Was I happy? When was the picture taken? Christmas? All three of us are wearing red. How long after this picture was taken did my parents separate? Was I part of the reason why they fought a lot? My parents won’t answer this question for me. If only this picture in this black frame could answer my questions.

In Class Work Week 4

Part 2

A tall pine tree stands all by itself. Its green color is dull most likely due to age and the cold winter weather. Many branches are dead and hang bare showing the poor condition of the tree. Lights are still loosely hanging off its branches from Christmas. Nearby, there is a flag pole which holds the American flag and the state of Maine flag. Both flags flap continuously in the wind. The edges are frayed from age. The colors are worn from extensive time outside. My observation is interrupted as a guy steps outside. I immediately note his clothing attire. He is only wearing shorts and a sweatshirt to protect him from the cold. I wonder why he isn’t wearing warmer clothes in twenty-two degree weather. I shiver just looking at him. A baseball cap rests on top of his head. The raven on his hat represents the Baltimore Ravens. He is most likely walking around expressing his content with the outcome of the Super Bowl last night.

In Class Work Week 4

Part 1

A tall pine tree stands all by itself. Its green color is dull. Many branches are dead and hang bare showing the poor condition of the tree. Lights are still loosely hanging off its branches from Christmas. Nearby, there is a flag pole which holds the American flag and the state of Maine flag. Both  flags flap continuously in the wind. The edges are frayed and the colors are worn. My observation is interrupted as a guy steps outside. I immediately note his clothing attire. He is only wearing shorts and a sweatshirt to protect him from the cold. A baseball cap rests on top of his head.

Prompt #12

I have been to the Bangor Mall countless times. However, I’ve never really paid attention to what goes on around me. I’m usually just busy and caught up in what I’m doing and all the stores that fill ever hallway. Busy shoppers surround and pass by me. People who are there for a specific reason, stare straight ahead as they know their destination. People who are just browsing, look from side to side at all the store displays. Teenagers who are just there to hang out look at each other and laugh together. An adult couple are standing at the jewelry store. The woman has one arm linked around the man’s arm. Her other hand points at a different ring every five seconds. The man just smiles at her and nods his head every time she points out a new ring. In front of me a mother holds her daughter’s hand as they walk side by side. The little girl is holding a new build-a-bear and smiling from ear to ear. The mother smiles down fondly at her daughter and clutches her purse with her empty hand. Behind them, an old man walks slowly by himself carrying two heavy bags. People who walk by him consciously move out of his way but don‘t give him a second glance. No one offers to help him with his heavy load. A young woman walks by wearing the highest high heels I have ever seen. She can barely walk straight in them. I think to myself that she definitely needs a different pair of shoes especially for winter. A few seconds later she walks into the Shoe Department. I hear a woman order a coffee behind me. I don’t turn around until I hear something fall to the floor. Turning around I see she dropped her fresh coffee. Her son kneels down with a wad of napkins to clean up the mess. The smell of coffee fills the surrounding air, mixing with the aromas of food from the food court. It reminds me that it is getting late and I haven’t had dinner yet.

Prompt #11

As soon as my cousin, Nicky, enters my grandmother’s house she always heads straight to my room. She always spends a long time in my room despite how she says she doesn’t like it. My walls are a light green; one color she hates. My carpet is a darker green than my walls; the only color she thinks is worse than light green. Lights droop down all around my room; something she thinks is stupid. A two door closet takes up almost a whole wall which she thinks is too small. Then there is my new flat screen television which she insists is too small as well.
“I’m hungry,” Nicky complained.
“You’re always hungry” I replied.
“Yes but how does that remotely help me now? All I can smell is Gram’s cooking. Gram said it’s going to be another fifteen minutes before dinner is ready,” Nicky said. Even with my door shut, the smell of corn chowder drifted through my bedroom door. “It’s torture I tell you.”
“I have a feeling you’ll live,” I said.
“We’ll see. I’ve always liked that picture,” she replied changing the topic. She was staring at a small picture I had of us at my sixteenth birthday party on my wall.  “My back was killing me after though because I had to crouch down to be at your midget height.”
“Hey!” I yelled while throwing a pillow at her. “It’s not my fault I’m shorter than you. From my point of view I’m at an average height and you’re just a giant.” Nicky easily grabbed the pillow and laid it on her lap as she plopped down into my reclining chair. My chair seemed to be the only thing she liked about my room.
“Whatever you say cuz. Oh hey! I almost forgot. I’ve got some information that you may be interested in.” She said with a mischievous grin which I tried to ignore. “Really?” I asked. “Does it have anything to do with the twenty dollars I loaned you that you never gave back to me?”
“Oh yeah,” she said. She reached into her Vera Bradley wallet, pulled out a crumpled twenty and set it on the night stand beside her. “Here. That wasn’t what I wanted to tell you by the way.”
“I’m pretty content with just getting my money back but if you want to tell me something then be my guest,” I replied.
“Okay,” she answered while getting more settled into the chair. “You know I basically argued with myself on whether or not I should tell you. At first I was like, yeah she needs to know. Then I thought, well it isn’t my business and I shouldn‘t get involved. Then was I was like, who am I kidding….”
“Nicky… earth to Nicky,” I interrupted. “Can you please just get to the point?”
“Right, to the point. Well, I was talking to Michael yesterday and he told me that he liked you!” She suddenly exclaimed.
“What?” I asked confused.
“He likes you. Like more than a friend,” Nicky explained.
“No I understood what you meant but… I just don’t get it. We’re just friends! I think of him as a brother!” I exclaimed back.
“Well if you ask me I say give it a shot. Yolo!” She yelled.
“Our friendship means so much to me and I don’t want to jeopardize it. I just know he is going to hate me when I turn him down. I have no idea what to do.”
“Well you’re in a pickle,” she said while switching her attention to her buzzing phone.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I am definitely in a pickle.”
“Speaking of pickles I am still hungry,” Nicky sighed. “I’m going to go eat and leave you to think about your destroyed friendship.”
“Gee! Thanks so much for your help Nicky,” I replied sarcastically.
“Did I just hear you say I love you Nicky? You’re the best cousin ever? That’s so sweet,” she said jokingly. Laughing she closed the door behind her and left me thinking about my ruined friendship.

Prompt #10

I’m walking around the hallways trying to find a conversation to write about because my creative non-fiction writing teacher told me to. The school seems empty at this time of day. My friend, Paige, and I walk side by side as she was given the same assignment. Occasionally, we see other students from our class walking around with notebooks and pens in their hands. My ears are strained as I listen for any conversation. No luck so far. Paige and I decide to give up and resolve to talking to ourselves while walking back to our classroom.
“What are you going to write about for your prompt?” I asked.
“I’m going to write about the party at Alex’s house Friday night. You know, the party that you sadly couldn’t attend.” She said.
“Hey,“ I replied. “You know that I had a prior commitment that I couldn’t cancel. I wish that I could have gone.”
“Yeah yeah yeah. You are coming to the next party though, even if I have to drag you.” She said seriously.
“Okay,” I responded jokingly. “We’ll see what happens.” She rolled her eyes at me. “How was the party anyway? Did I miss a lot?”
“OMG yes!” She exclaimed. “It was so funny! Alex was definitely more drunk than anyone there. Tenika, he ran outside in his bare feet! This other kid eventually had to go get him because he was heading to a pond and we thought he was going to fall in.”
“Sounds like it was very entertaining,” I laughed.
“It was!” She said. “Later he threw a blanket over his head and just laughed for the rest of the night. It was so weird it was funny.”
“Well that is going to make a good prompt for class. I can’t believe I missed it.”
By this time we had reached our classroom. Only a few people were back from their assignment search. Paige and I headed straight to our seats to start writing.

Theme Week Two

When I think of major events that happened during my lifetime, a many things come to mind. The earliest and most devastating event was 9/11. I was very young in 2001 when the twin towers of the World Trade Center were attacked. I remember my teacher being called out of our classroom. She returned with tears in her eyes saying school would be let out early that day. Only when I got home did I find out what happened from my parents.
During the summer of 2009, “the king of pop” , Michael Jackson passed away. I remember how fast word spread throughout the internet and television. It was such a shock to the world especially when his death was ruled as a homicide. MJ had been right in the middle of rehearsing for a series of concerts. Shortly after his death, the footage from his rehearsals were put together in a movie called This Is It. My high school music teacher was such a big fan of Michael Jackson he made us watch the movie in remembrance of him when summer break was over.
Osama Bin Laden had been a wanted fugitive since 2001. It was believed that he was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. In 2011, Bin Laden was finally found and killed in Pakistan. Many Americans were thankful for what the U.S. Navy had done. However, it still didn’t change the great loss and devastation from 9/11.
In 2008 the United States was forever changed as Barack Obama became the first black president. Two months ago my best friend and I stayed up all night to watch the election between Obama and Mitt Romney. Less than a week ago millions of people watched President Obama’s inauguration for his second term. It was stated that it was the most popular inauguration day since Reagan in 1981.
The school shooting in Newtown, Massachusetts struck many Americans with grief. Sadly both adults and children were killed during the event with a death total of twenty-seven. The families of the killed victims had to deal with a heartbreaking loss so close to the holidays.  
It’s such a tragedy that those teachers and children were killed in that way.
Same-sex marriage has been a very popular and controversial topic for as long as I can remember. Each year it seemed the debate of gay marriage increased until this year when it came to a boil. As of January 2013, the nation was split as the supporters and non-supporters of same-sex marriage finally witnessed its legalization.
The past couple of years the small item of bath salts was turned into such a deadly drug. To my surprise, the Bangor Police Department told my school that Bangor, was the “home” of bath salts. In 2011, that nation was shocked when a man on bath salts ate another man’s face off in Miami. To make it worse the video footage of the attack was released on the internet. Why anyone would want to watch that is beyond me.
Lately I’ve been wondering what this world has come to. From using bath salts as a drug to the shooting in Newtown, Massachusetts. I have witnessed so many world changing and shocking events occur during my short eighteen years of life. I am sure there will be many more to come as years go by.

Prompt #8

I don’t know if everyone is scared of starting high school but I know my friends and I were terrified. The summer before our freshman year, we begged our parents to home school us. Of course the answer was no. My parents insisted that everything would be okay and I would love high school. As always, my parents were right. My first year of high school wasn’t that bad. In fact, my freshman year was probably my favorite year. Despite the mean popular students, the rowdy seniors, and the inevitable high school drama. I had interesting classes, great teachers, and made lifelong friends. High school held many doors for new opportunities. For the first time ever I actually found myself involved with school. I joined an art club, the Key Club (an organization that helped the school), and S.E.E.D (Students Ending Environmental Destruction). High school was such a big adjustment from middle school. It was a whole new world to me. It was something I never thought I would miss. However, now that I am in college I find that I do miss high school, especially freshman year.

Prompt #7

For the past two years my best friend has made me photo albums for Christmas. This year my album was full of memories from my senior year. The first pages are filled with pictures of my friends and I; bowling at the bowling alley, celebrating birthdays, hanging out on New Years, and just random pictures at school. There is one picture from our Senior Banquet where a senior prank got out of hand. Some of the senior boys opened all of the unlocked lockers and threw everything in them on the floor. Our principal was not happy. It was his first year as principal of Bangor High School and I think he learned many lessons from my class. Three pages are reserved for Prom. My three best friends and I are posing with our dates at Cascade Park. When we all wanted to leave, our parents clung on to us asking for one more picture. One more picture turned into thirty more pictures. The last pages are from our graduation. Some pictures show my friends and I with big smiles as we show off our caps and gowns. Others show group hugs with tear filled eyes as we said goodbye to our high school lives. This photo album is so special to me. Flipping through the pages brings back so many memories of such a wonderful chapter in my life.

Prompt #6

  One thing many people don’t know about me is that I collect cards that I‘m given. I keep them all whether it’s a birthday card, Christmas card, or a thank you card. As my collection grows so does the container I keep them in. First I started out with a shelf, then a clear container, then a drawer, now they reside in a box. Every once in a great while I will flip through the cards and read the funny or heartfelt notes from friends and family; it brings back memories. I have the last card my grandfather ever sent me before he moved and ended all contact with his entire family. I have three of the same card because my grandmother has bought me the same birthday card for the past three years without realizing it. I have a card my best friend made me with quotes from our favorite television show. I even have a card where my aunt used origami to fold money into a small heart. I never unfolded it to see what the bill actually was. The bill is still neatly placed inside it’s card. Every card I receive is special to me because it shows that the people around me care.

Day 7

I couldn’t believe it when I automatically woke up at five this morning and it was the weekend. I was greeted with a smile by my grandmother in the computer room. I let her sign in to her email so she could learn how to do it on her own. It took ten minutes but she successfully signed in. This time her inbox said that she had a new message. I don’t think I have ever seen my grandmother so excited. She couldn’t even keep her hand steady as she clicked on her inbox. I knew I finished reading the email before she did because she was still smiling and it wasn’t good news. Slowly, as she finished reading her smile disappeared. The email said that they were willing to meet but they didn’t have anyone in Bangor to do a routine check up after the adoption. Therefore, they didn’t think it would work out and stated that they thought Sweetie should stay local anyways. Seeing that it was finally over, I saw no reason to stay and decided to keep myself busy the rest of the day with homework. It wasn’t until dinner that I found out my grandmother had sent one more email in a last attempt to persuade the dog rescue to reconsider letting her adopt Sweetie. Since I wasn’t with her when she typed the email, I have no idea what it actually said. My grandmother said she basically asked if she could get someone from the Humane Society to do the routine check up, would they be willing to work with her. I highly doubt that the email will change the dog rescue’s mind. However, that did not stop me from hoping that tomorrow morning there would be a new message in my grandmother’s inbox.

Writing Biography

I am always a little bit self-conscious with my writing. It all started in eighth grade when my teacher read my essay out loud to the class as an example of “what not to do”. My teacher turned my bad essay into a lesson. She went around and asked each student what they would have done differently on my essay. I was humiliated as classmates pointed and laughed at me. I’m not the greatest writer but I still didn’t think my essay was that bad. Also, I don’t think I deserved to have my teacher humiliate me the way she did. I had two other bad writing experiences in high school. In my first year of high school, there was this teacher whom a lot of students hoped they would not get  because it was rumored that she was mean. I was disappointed when I saw her name on my schedule and hoped I wouldn’t have too much trouble in her class. One of our assignments was to right a persuasive essay. I had done a couple before and felt that it would be an easy assignment. I was wrong. The first draft I passed in to her she didn’t like because I was too nice. The second draft I was too mean. She made me rewrite the essay over again four times. After she read my fourth draft she told me that she changed her mind and agreed the first draft was fine. The last bad writing experience I had was during my senior year. Every senior was required to type a research paper on any topic they chose. One of my favorite things at the time was marine life so I chose to write about the horrors of dolphin slaughters. I worked very hard every day during the two months we were given to complete the project. One of my friends who was in the same class kept putting the project off even after the due date. I watched as she typed up a random essay to turn in. She passed in her research paper sixty days late and still got three points higher than me. I couldn’t believe that my teacher accepted it sixty days late and not even take late points off from it. Later I found out my friend wasn’t the only one who escaped late points on their paper. When another student and I asked the teacher why she didn’t take late points off she said it was because the essays made her laugh. I’m not sure if I’m self-conscious about my writing because of these experiences but they definitely did not help matters any.

Day 6

This morning I woke up to my alarm clock. I was surprised that my grandmother didn’t wake me up to help her sign in to her email. I headed to the computer room but found her in the kitchen crying. I swear my heart stopped for a few seconds. I immediately thought something terrible must have happened. When I asked what happened she replied that she couldn’t get on to her email. For a second I was taken aback. By the way she was crying, I was expecting her to say that there was a death in the family. Instead she was upset because she locked herself out of her email. I assured her that everything was fine and I would fix it. I had no school so I had the whole day to figure out what the issue was. I thought it would take me a little bit to figure out what was wrong but it only took a minute. The problem turned out to be that she put a period after com in her email. Such a small thing made such a big issue. My grandmother was relieved that I got back into her email but upset because there were still no new messages. Since she didn’t have to work today she was able to check her email on her own, and check she did. Every hour she went on email to see if she had any messages about Sweetie. Her efforts were for nothing; another day passed with no updates on the situation of adopting Sweetie.    

Prompt #3

Alone in a quiet classroom. I’m too tired to focus on any work so instead I look around the room. Tables with computers on them surround the room. Not a single chair is left empty. Students sit in their chairs staring at their computer screens. Fingers type quickly across the keyboards. A projector projects the  teacher’s computer screen on the front wall. The teacher’s computer background changes every minute. One minute it’s a lighthouse with seagulls and the next it’s a group of cartooned creatures. The walls are bare just showing the off white paint. The teacher’s background is now a pile of leaves. The back wall is covered with windows. My seat is facing the windows so I can see outside. I find myself staring at a parking lot. Conveniently, it’s the parking lot where my car is. However, I’m not able to see my car from where I am sitting. Still, it makes me want class to end quicker so I can go home.

Day 5

Woken up two hours early again I was not too happy. I could tell that checking my grandmother’s email at five in the morning was going to be a routine. Might as well get used to it. When I logged in there were no new messages. My grandmother asked if I would check again before I left for classes. I did as she asked but yet again there was no reply. I left for school confused and my grandmother left for work discouraged. It was very long day full of classes and errands to run. When my grandmother and I finally got home we were both tired. My grandmother wanted to go to bed but I still had hours of homework ahead of me. Still, when I walked into the door I headed to the computer to check the email without having to be asked to do so. Standing behind me, my grandmother watched over my shoulder as I signed on. Again the screen showed no new messages.    

Prompt #2

Alone in my living room. It’s quiet as I do my homework. Is it actually quiet? What can I hear? When I close my eyes, noises I don’t usually pay attention to fill my ears. In front of me my laptop hums as it is left on. Beside me my cat purrs happily in his sleep on the couch. Across the room, a wall clock ticks as time passes by. A family heirloom that will most likely be mine one day. Melting snow drips periodically on the closest window. It sounds as if a faucet was left on at a drip. A movie spins continuously in the DVD player. A reminder that I forgot to turn the player off. Both of the vents in the room rattle as the heat flows out of them. Overhead a light bulb slightly buzzes. A sign that I will need to change it soon. It surprises me the amount of noise that I block out when I’m focused. However, that is probably a good thing because then I would never be able to focus on anything. I would constantly be thinking about things. I hate winter because of the cold weather and snow. I need to turn off the DVD player. That movie “Pitch Perfect” was pretty funny. I wonder how high the heat is up? It’s nice and warm in here which is a lot better than outside. I really hate winter. That light bulb is going to have to be changed as soon as possible. Now that I’ve noticed the buzzing sound it’s driving me crazy. Now that I’ve tuned in these sounds I can’t focus on my homework.  

Day 4

This morning my grandmother woke me up two hours early to help her log in to her email. Since I’m not a morning person, being woken up that early at five was not a good start to my day. Tired and a little aggravated, I signed into my grandmother’s email for her. After my early wake up call, I had no patience what so ever to wait fifteen minutes for her to sign in. To her delight there was an email about Sweetie. The rescue place basically said that they were very grateful for her interest in Sweetie and hoped that they could make a meeting where she could meet the dog. They have a policy where they have to meet the people wanting to adopt a dog which is totally understandable. However, they forgot to mention in their ad that Sweetie was in Montreal. This was a problem because neither my grandmother or I had a passport in order to go get the dog. Not knowing what to do my grandmother sent another email asking for a compromise. She proposed that they meet at the Canadian boarder and she would pay for the dog rescue driver’s gas. On her way to bed she told me that tomorrow she was going to see how long it would take to get a passport and asked if I could start dinner. I was completely surprised at the lengths she was going to for just one dog but nodded in agreement anyways.

Prompt #1

Alone in a hot, college classroom. How did I get here? It seems just like yesterday that I was in high school. Things were so simple except for the inevitable high school drama. One thing that did confuse me in high school was the choice of my career path. When my guidance counselor asked where I wanted to go to college I had no ideas. I had no idea what I wanted to go to school for or do as a career. After weeks of thinking, my mind was still blank. I decided to just apply to colleges around my home; University of Orono, University of Augusta at Bangor, and Eastern Maine Community College. To my surprise I was accepted to all three schools. Based on price I thought it would be wise to get my liberal studies at EMCC then transfer once I found a major I was interested in. So here I am in my second semester of liberal studies at Eastern Maine Community College with still no major in mind.

Day 3

The minute I got home from school today my grandmother ushered me to the computer room. She was so excited to use the computer and search for a dog. To my surprise she remembered everything I had taught her the day before. She probably would have been fine searching for dog rescues by herself but she insisted that I sit near her in case she had a question. Bored out of my mind, I sat next to her, slightly on the verge of losing my patience. My grandmother started to get discouraged since every dog she liked had already been adopted. However, she repeatedly said that she would find the perfect dog for her. After two hours she found the dog she wanted on a site called “petfinder”. The dog was a female, fawn, seven year old pug named Sweetie. The only contact information the ad listed was an email address. It took another hour to help my grandmother set up an email account and send a message to the given email address. The message said “I am very interested in your little fawn pug Sweetie. The moment I saw her I knew she was the dog for me. When you receive this email, I would really appreciate it if you emailed me back or called me at 207-947-_ _ _ _. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Bonnie Longstreet”.

Day 2

Today I had the challenge of teaching my grandmother how to use her computer and the internet. I always assumed teaching an elderly person how to use the internet would be hard. I just never knew how hard it actually would be. A computer, let alone the internet, is a whole new world to an elderly person. My grandmother was amazed and absolutely confused. It took me a half an hour just to teach her how to plug it in and turn it on. After three hours and a lot of patience, she finally knew how to get on Google and search for information. I was relieved and happy with what we had accomplished in those hours. Still, we were both tired from the lesson and agreed to continue tomorrow.

Day 1

My grandmother decided today, out of the blue, that she wanted a dog. I agreed to help her learn how to use the internet in order to find a dog to adopt. However, I couldn’t help her today because it was the first day of second semester at school and I had a lot of homework. My grandmother was understanding and said we could start tomorrow when I got home. I knew when I decided to help that it would be difficult. It took quite a while for my cousin and I to teach her how to use her cell phone. None of us lost our patience and now she text messages as well as I do. It shouldn’t be that hard to teach her how to use a computer and the internet. Although, this time I wouldn’t have help teaching her. My grandmother was so excited that I agreed to help her she would not stop smiling. She promised me over and over again that she would be the best student. I had to laugh to myself when she even got her pad of paper and pen out next to the computer. She was definitely excited and anxious to get started.