Netflix

                My family just got Netflix and I will be the first to say it is the greatest thing ever. It is allowing me to watch shows that aren’t on anymore, either cancelled or in between seasons. I have already re watched the first season of Workaholics which is one of my favorite series and I am now watching one of best series on MTV that got cancelled called Skins.

                Skins is about a rowdy bunch of high school juniors that tend to do some rather ridiculous things for anyone led alone juniors in high school. I think that’s what appealed me to the series. It shows how messed up kids nowadays are even though it is exaggerated. The head of the group is Tony, the good looking popular kid that takes everything he has for granted. Tony’s best friend is Stanley, the lazy stoner bum at the school that rarely goes to class. Then you have Chris, my personal favorite because he is nuts. He pops whatever pills he gets a hold of. That’s the plot to the series, a group of kids with drug problems and then the usual high school drama.

                I plan on re-watching The Walking Dead since it is the best show ever made. But I also plan on watching some of the other main series that my friends have seen.

Chiefs...

                It is the 15^th week in NFL and more importantly the Kansas City Chiefs. They are playing the Oakland Raiders and have to impress their fans. Personally I am a huge Chief fan and I didn’t become a Chief fan on accident. Growing up I was surrounded by Chief things because my dad is a huge Chief fan and brainwashed me into being one. It is something that really helps me and my dad bond. Watching the game every Sunday or sometimes even going to the games down in Kansas City.
                Being a Chiefs fan isn’t as easy as being a Packer fan either. Chiefs fan don’t get to witness their team in the playoffs every year like some of the other teams but even so Chief fans don’t care and still cheer for them no matter what the score is. Each year hoping for a better team and I honestly can say this year the Chiefs are looking pretty good and won’t be surprised if they end up winning what now became one of the hardest conferences in the NFL , the AFC West. Watching the games on T.V. is fun and a nice way of bonding but nothing beats going to the games.

We used to have season tickets and would go to as many of the games as we could. Driving four hours there and then fours back isn’t what I would call exciting even though the game was usually exciting. Going to a NFL is one of the best experiences I have ever had. Getting to watch the best athletes in America on a field a few hundred feet away from you is amazing. But we stopped getting season tickets because they were getting pretty bad and the ticket prices skyrocketed as they were try to renovate the stadium.

One of the best games I ever went to was the 2004 AFC Wildcard game between the Chiefs and the Colts, who at this time were being led by one of the best quarterbacks to every play the game, Peyton Manning. It was a very close game but the Chiefs ended up losing. But nothing compares to the game I witness last year. Days leading up to the game I would tell my friends at school I was going to the game and they would laugh because they believed just like I did that the Chiefs would get destroyed because they were playing the undefeated Green Bay Packers. It was one of the few games that my sisters actually went to with us. It was the most fun I ever had at a game because I arrived expecting to get beat but ended up beating them and it was the only time they were beat in the regular season.

After Life Thoughts

                I recently have been thinking a lot about after life. I don’t really know why but it interests me because I know I will never know until it happens. You hear about all sorts of things from Heaven to Hell. But maybe there isn’t either maybe you just “wake up” and you are in a new place and you just don’t have any memory of what happened in the past. No matter what happens I think that it is something good as long as you earned it.

                I have recently been introduced to lucid dreaming, knowing you are in a dream and actually controlling it. This really caught my attention, since this is what my favorite movie Inception was based on. There are tutorials on the internet on how to do it but they all require time and diaries and things of that nature. I do wish I could do it because I would be in control of everything. It would be a nice escape from reality where you really have little to no control of anything except yourself.

                Lucid dreaming may be the reason for my afterlife thoughts but what if your whole life is just a dream and when you die you wake up and the cycle keeps repeating. I know these thoughts are strange but how can you be certain what happens, you can’t. I know that some religions have their own beliefs in what happens after death, but I rather think of it my own way, than be forced to think someone else’s beliefs.

                Even though it is and always be unknown I like to think that whatever happens you will go to a place better than this messed up place that we live at now. But that is just me; think of it however you want.

You Don't Know Bo

            After the Heisman presentation there was a new 30 for 30 on ESPN about Bo Jackson. Being born in 1994, I never got to watch Bo Jackson, only highlights but the stories I have heard of him intrigued me so I watched it. It was one of the most interesting stories I have seen of an athlete. He was a freak; he was probably the only person that will ever be even considered to be a hall of famer in 2 sports. Not only is he a great athlete he was a great role model. I don’t understand how someone that good could be that humble. I also found out a lot more about him then I knew.

            Like why he played baseball, when he was a senior at Auburn he went and visited the Buccaneers and was told that the NCAA approved of it but it turned out he violated code and was forced to sit out the rest of his senior year of baseball. This made Jackson hate the Buccaneers and when they drafted Jackson he said no and went to play baseball. Which confused a lot of people until he got to the MLB and showed people what he was able to do. Then the famous Al Davis, owner of the L.A. Raiders, asked Jackson if he still wanted to play football and was drafted in the 7^th round and played football as a hobby after the baseball season.

            Jackson was the best athlete we have seen and he did something that isn’t really acceptable nowadays. Even in high school kids were told if you want to be good you need to choose one sport and work at it. But Jackson didn’t he played baseball and football and excelled in both. Another weird thing about Jackson was all his talent was God given and he hated practice. Which today would not be allowed because if an athlete like Jackson they would be accused of doping. Luckily Jackson came before the steroid phase. Bo Jackson was the best athlete to ever play sports.

Since Sophomore Year

On the first day of school every kid in the school can reach in their bags and pull out a new pencil but the next week they are using a pencil that they found under their desk in science. To most students a pencil is a pencil and as long as it writes its fine. I have a little higher standard when it comes to my writing utensils. I have been using the same pencil since the beginning of my sophomore year.

There wasn’t anything special about the pencil it was just the first one I pulled out of my bag on the first day. It has had some work done to it because pencils are not made to last 3 years of constant use. At first glance it confuses most, which usually results in a double take with the question “What is that?”  That usually receives “My pencil.” as my answer. This then leads to a lot of questions, so if you every want a conversation starter just carry around a huge duct taped pencil around and I promise you will get a few conversations out of it. People have trouble believing that someone can keep track of a pencil for that long but it really isn’t that hard. Do you find it hard to keep track of your cell phone? So why is it hard to keep track of something that is needed in almost every class?

I would call my pencil a lot of things and pretty is not one of them. Wrapped in what I’m guessing to be about 15 layers of duct tape at its thickest point. The duct tape thing started after a few days of using my pencil at school it started to crack. I figured I might as well try to fix it, and I put one piece around it to just keep it together. Then I put a little more on the bottom of the pencil where my hand goes and I thought “wow this is a lot more comfortable” so I just keep adding pieces until I was impressed with the grip. The clip that is usually useless anyway is bent perpendicular to the pencil for optimized biting on it. I have a terrible habit of chewy on things and I figure it is probably better to be chewy on my pencil than anything else. And as you probably expect erasers do not last 3 years so I have a special eraser too.

A pink pearl that I found in a drawer at my house last year right before school started is what I still use to this day. Just like a pencil you are going to need something to erase the mistakes you made with your pencil so it isn’t hard to keep track of either.

I tend on using the pencil for as long as I need a pencil. As well as the eraser, but if something happens to either (which I really hope doesn’t happen) I will simply find a replacement and go on with life.  

Johnny Football

            Last night the winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy was announced and the guy I wanted to win did. Johnny Manziel made history last night by being the first freshman to ever win the most prestigious award in college football. With Manziel winning it put it into perspective, he just turned 20 on Thursday and he was named the best player in college football. In reality he is only 2 years older than me, which is hard to grab a hold of. Since I watch him every Saturday and he only is 2 years older than me.

            I wanted Manziel to win but I wouldn’t have cared if Collin Klein would’ve won. Klein was very fun to watch because he was a change up from most quarterbacks. When he ran he wasn’t afraid of getting hit, in fact he initiated most of the hits. But I would’ve been upset if Manti Teo would have won because I just don’t think he was the best player. I don’t want to take away anything from him, he is defiantly the best defensive player in the game but I don’t think he even compares to Manziel.

            Also Teo goes to Notre Dame, which that itself takes away my vote. I don’t have anything against the Golden Domers other than their fans. They are almost worst than the common Iowa fan. They think that they are always the best and if they lose its never their fault and that they somehow got screwed over. I hope that Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide absolutely destroy Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game.

POP

                            Place it in the microwave press two buttons and wait 3 minutes and you will have my favorite food. Every since elementary school popcorn has been my go to snack, having a bag right when a get home from school every day.
                That routine lasted all the way through middle school but it had to end once I began high school due to football practice right after school. I could eat popcorn for every meal on every day. I don’t think there is anything than a nice hot bag of popcorn with some peanut m&ms in it. Even though most consider popcorn a healthy snack I wouldn’t put mine in the category. After I put a ton of salt and butter on I, it kind of loses its nutritional value.
                Even now when I get hungry I usually just put a bag of popcorn in and eat that. I think that a bag of popcorn is perfect too because it fills me up but it isn’t a struggle to try and finish it. In fact in middle school I would have a bag before every football practice and it never caused any problems. I will eat any type of popcorn but my usually is Orville Redenbacher Movie theater butter. But my favorite kind of popcorn is Carmel corn.
            My favorite part about popcorn is the un-popped kernels at the bottom of the bowl. I don’t remember when or why I started but I love to eat the kernels. Even though it upsets my parents because they claim I will crack a tooth. I don’t know what it is about them but they are so awesome to chew on. They have a different taste then the popcorn, obviously they are still buttery but they don’t taste like popcorn.
                That’s another cool part about popcorn; there are so many different types of popcorn you can’t get tired of it. You can have cheesy popcorn to kettle corn and it will be delicious. I will continue to eat popcorn until I can’t eat anymore.

                 

KC Tragedy

                The day after a starting linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs commits suicide in front of the coach at the team facility, they get their second win. I do think that the tragedy did have something to do with this win but not as much as the solid quarterback play by Brady Quinn, who got the start after Matt Cassel performed poorly in previous weeks. Quinn threw for over 200 yards and only had 4 incompletions. Once again though the Chiefs relied on their stud tailback, Jamaal Charles, who had another 100+ game. The Chiefs are out of the playoff hunt and now are just playing for pride and the draft, where I hope they will pick a quarterback even though Quinn has been playing decent.

                Now onto the story that put the Chiefs in the headlines, Jovan Belcher, a starting linebacker committed suicide after murdering his girlfriend. I feel bad for everyone affected by this but it’s hard for me to feel bad for Belcher himself. He was living a dream that many people wish they were living. He made a good amount of money by playing football. So even though this is a tragic story it is hard to feel sorry for a man that gave up on a life that many wish they had. Plus he had a 3 month old baby that is now an orphan do to his actions.

                Anyway the Chiefs will hopefully keep progressing and get their stuff together so they can advance far next year. They will have a solid running back and hopefully their stud receivers, Bowe and Baldwin, stay for another year because if they get a solid quarterback and maybe a few defensive playmakers this team would be 1000x better than they are now. But for now I will be cheering for the Colts. Not because I like them but I am a huge Andrew Luck fan. Personally, I think Luck will be the best quarterback to ever play and I hope that he can show the haters how good he is. Today he led the Colts on an amazing comeback against the Lions.

                Even though my team is playing bad I still have to cherish this because before I know football will be over and all there will be on is basketball, which to me is stupid until the playoffs so I don’t watch it. Then before you know it baseball is back and I can’t stand baseball.

Smells like Bacon

                This country was created so men could be free and for the most part it worked. I don’t want to take what I have for granted but I don’t think I am as “free” as I was intended to be. Yes, I understand I have a lot more freedoms than most people in the world and I am thankful for that but when you put people in charge to keep your freedom in check, things get out of hand. Yes, cops, the root of all evil. Their only job is to limit freedom and it disgusts me.

                Before I start this I will say that I am sure there are nice cops out there, I just haven’t come across one yet.

                Growing up rap was my favorite type of music and still is. But when I was younger I would hear “F*** the police” and think why would anyone say that about the people that protect us. And I kept hearing this phrase and didn’t understand it until I was old enough to understand the system. Yes, I understand that rappers aren’t the best role models if you even want to call them role models in the first place but still, they have a message. Cops take advantage of their authority and it only becomes more obvious the older you get.

                All cops are jerks. They don’t care what the case is they only see the situation from their high horse and refuse to look at it from the “criminal’s” shoes. You know you aren’t a nice person when you have to tell people you are nice. If you were really that nice you don’t need to tell people. And if they think they are saving the world by giving a ticket to some kid who was late to school then you know what, do it but don’t be surprised when you are hated by the majority of the population.

                To all the kids out there that think they want to be cops when you grow up please think long and hard about it. I mean I won’t stop you if that is what you want to do but just know you will lose some of my respect. I know we need something to maintain social order but I don’t think cops are doing a good job. Think about it, cops don’t do anything to prevent something they only deal with the aftermath.

                Well no matter what I say I know that cops are here to stay and hopefully I can just avoid them as I grow up.

Farewell Football

Dear football,

As my time with you slowly reaches its end I just wanted to thank you for always being there. I will miss you but you have given me so many memories that will last with me for the rest of my life. You have taught me a lot of things and I hope that I can keep in contact with you even though my playing days are nearing the end.

                I still remember running routes in my front yard with my father. My father is the reason I love football so much. He introduced me to the game before I can even remember. There are pictures of me when I am just a baby with a football in my hands. He played in high school and has been a hard core Chief fan his whole life. But my father isn’t trying to live his dreams through me which I appreciate seeing all things parents that pressure their child into doing something they don’t like.

                Tomorrow we have a game against Cedar Falls, who is pretty good this year. I still think that we can win this game but it is hard to think about it being my last game ever. Even if my career is over tomorrow I still have to be thankful that I made it through my whole life without getting injured. I will still be a huge fan even though I won’t be playing. I will still be watching every Saturday and Sunday and hopefully I will watch my son play under the lights on Fridays.

                You have taught me a lot of valuable things throughout my time with you. I hope to put the things you taught me to the test once I get out in the real world. I must thank you for all you have done for me. Who knows where I would be without you. You have kept me from trouble and give me something to look forward to. I know I will miss you but I have enough memories to last a life time.

                You have also connected me with the friends I will hopeful maintain a relationship for the rest of our lives. I have learned how you have to play as a team or you don’t stand a chance. You could have the athletes in the world and if they don’t play as a team they won’t be any good.

                So this is my farewell letter to you football, I want to thank you for what you have done for me and I hope you make it last as long as possible for me and my team mates.

Sincerely,

Alex Boomershine

Annie

                Ever since school started I have been dealing with someone in my 5^th hour. My first impression was good, plus I have heard about the person before just never actually met them. But as we get more comfortable with each other this person kept getting meaner and meaner. I am talking about Annie.

                Annie is a nice girl with a strange personality; she is very funny and outgoing. Annie is the person that introduced me to Hanna (see older blog post). Annie always can make me laugh I don’t know why either. Something about her personality is just funny. She is always happy and nice to others. Even though she is nice, she also has a very mean side. She is a bully to me and even though it’s always on the fun side and she is rarely serious she is still a bully and needs to stop. We are planning on throwing a party for her birthday so if you want to come just contact me or Annie.

                Annie, I just finished my blog about you. I hope it was all you ever wanted. But really stop being mean to me.

Ninja Turtles

Since Halloween falls on Wednesday this year it was celebrated a little early. I haven’t dressed up for Halloween since probably 5^th grade but I figured I would this year for a party. I didn’t have any idea what I was going to be.

One of my friends asked if I wanted to be a ninja turtle with him and I said sure. I agreed to be a ninja only if I could be the orange one. We all agreed to colors but we didn’t actually go get the costumes until the last day possible. We went to the mall and we looked for a backpack that came with the four masks but the backpack was forty dollars so we split it and one person got to wear the backpack. While we were looking for the backpack I came across a sweet bro tank that was a ninja turtle with an orange belt. Even though I wasn’t planning on getting anything I fell in love with it and bought it.

                I ended up spending thirty-two dollars on my costume which didn’t really bother me since I feel like I will randomly have the urge to wear the mask again. I got a lot of compliments on my costume. My friends and I all got compliments for our awesome costumes.

Hanna

                Recently I have been blessed with a new friendship. I met her a week ago while celebrating my birthday. She came to the house and we started talking. We only talked for about 30 minutes but it was enough. She is a cool and funny girl. This blog post is about Hanna.

                Her older sister is friends with my older sister but Hanna and I have never known each other. I always heard her name and seen her in the hallways but I never actually talked to her. That is until the day before my birthday. I said hi and introduced myself.  We talked about random things then I somehow talked her into doing something that was hilarious, well at least I think it was funny.              

                Then a week past and I didn’t talk to her but I didn’t know who to give it to and someone suggested that I give it to Hanna. I didn’t see anything wrong with that so I did and she wore it to school. Then I had to get my jersey back but didn’t know how to contact her. So I had to send her a direct message via Twitter asking her for my jersey back. But right after I asked for my jersey back I realized that I didn’t really need it back so I decided to see if she wanted to wear it the next week. And she said she would.

                That gets me back to now, when I asked her what to blog about and she said to blog about the word poop. After finding out why she said that I decided to blog about my favorite word. Then I asked her what to blog about again and she said me so I said ok I will try. Now I am blogging about her just because she told me to. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I got it done and I am done blogging. So there you go Hanna.

AWK

                Every one has favorites. Favorite colors, things, songs, shows, etc. But you rarely hear any one talk about their favorite word. Personally my favorite word is awkward. I don’t really know why but I love it. Maybe it the fascination I find in awkward situations or the way it rolls off the tongue. Either way it is an awesome word.

                I tend to over use the word awkward a lot, I don’t try to it’s just the first thing that pops in my head so I say it. Another cool thing about the word awkward is how I can shorten it and it still sounds awesome. If I ever encounter an awkward situation I will just say “awk” instead of the long version. It’s cool because people still understand what I’m saying without having to add that extra syllable. Another word that I over use way to much is swag.  I use swag due to how cliché it became when all the rappers starting say swag and how much of it they had. So now I use it to poke fun at all the people that have so much swag. Instead of saying cool I just tend to yell swag and if something bad happens I just yell not swag.

                Since we are on the topics of words I was reminded with the trick of just saying a word out loud for a long time until the word doesn’t even sound like a word anymore. Which makes me think of the creation of words, like how does someone put letters together and make sounds that mean something? I know these are random thoughts but I cannot just sit down and blog about something so I’m just writing about my thoughts.

                So think what your favorite word is and why.

Falling Leaves

                The freshness is in the air and the leaves are on the ground. Weekends are filled with football. Sweatshirts are a must in the mornings. Yep its fall, the foreplay before the greatest season, winter. Fall is just a baby step to help people transfer from the blistering hot summers we have to the ridiculously freezing winters we have. Like it or not fall is awesome.

                First of all fall is beautiful. The leaves slowly changing colors every day until the finally reach the limit and begin to fall one by one leaving the tree naked. Fall also brings majestic sunsets at the end of each fantastic day. Fall is the best time of the year for bonfires. Every one cuddling around the fire trying to stay warm, maybe making some s’mores to snack on in the brisk evening.

                Next you have football. It’s impossible to get bored in the weekends when there are football games on. Waking up late and watching football is the best way to spend your weekends, unless your team gets demolished. Luck for me the Chiefs have a bye week so I don’t have to worry about that this week. Even if you aren’t a huge sports fan you could always watch some football.

                But my favorite part about fall has to be the fact that winter comes right after. So this season is just transition time. To get used to wear jeans and sweatshirts 95% of the time. Knowing that 40 degrees won’t be that could in a few weeks when it hits negative numbers and you can’t go outside without gloves. So even though it isn’t my favorite season it leads the way for my favorite season so I must give credit to Fall.

Walking Dead

                Yesterday while I was just chilling flipping through the channels I saw that The Walking Dead was on so I click on it and I saw that it was the first ever episode  and that there was a marathon. I know I’m probably a little late knowing about this show but I don’t have Netflix and I don’t like starting to watch series in the middle of a season so I never watched it before but I’m glad I did.

                If you have never seen it, it is about the world during a zombie apocalypse. Which I think would be fun to live in. Honestly I think I would enjoy living during the zombie apocalypse. Living in a place that has no rules or anything, even though you have the constant threat of being eaten by zombies. The hardest part about the apocalypse would be losing people, like family or friends. But it’s just like life now, people are going to die it’s just a little different way of death. Even though I would want to live in the zombie apocalypse I don’t think that it can happen. I think it is impossible that dead people can come back alive and eat people. And even if people can become zombies I don’t think that they would be able to take over like they do in the movies.

                Back to the Walking Dead, if you haven’t seen it watch it and become addicted. The new season is starting up on the 15^th and I can’t wait to see it. I promise that you will want to keep watching and watching.

Quinn in KC

                Today my 1-4 Kansas City Chiefs play the 1-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I hope the Chiefs can pull this one off even with their backup quarterback, Brady Quinn. I think that the Chiefs will win just because of Jamaal Charles who will probably run for 200 yards against the Buccaneers defense. I hope Quinn does good things though so that when Matt Cassell recovers from his concussion that he received last Sunday against the Ravens, he won’t be the starter again. I absolutely hate Cassell and think he is the worst quarterback in the league and only plays due to his connection with the big shot owners.

                If the Chiefs lose today I will probably lose all faith in a playoff chance even though it would still be possible. If the Chiefs have solid quarterback play they could be a very good team but I don’t think that will happen with Quinn in even though I do think he is a better quarterback than Cassell. The Chiefs have the best running back in the league, Jamaal Charles and one of the better defenses in the league that is lead with very young talent so I will say, even though I have been saying it forever that the Chiefs could be Super Bowl contenders in upcoming seasons.

                The Chief fan base was brutally attacked by the media after Chief fans cheered when Cassell received his concussion. Yes, they shouldn’t do it but it is hard to not be happy when someone that you dislike and think is bad gets hurt. I honestly cheered and I was in my house so I can only imagine what I would have said if I was there. After the game the Chiefs right tackle for the Chiefs was interviewed and he freaked out about the incident which really caused the drama in the media. What the big shot commentators don’t understand is how the Chiefs fans see Cassell. We see him as the worst quarterback in the league and he shouldn’t even be allowed to play. But we will see if Quinn can do any better today.

18 Already

              It’s finally October 14^th, which means I’m finally 18 years old. I consider this a pretty important land mark in my life. It changes my social status from a little boy who can’t make his own decision to a man that can start controlling his life.

                I mean it’s cool to be 18 but there is a bad thing about it, I can get arrested. I mean I’m not doing anything to get arrested but if I get caught in the wrong place or wrong time the officers don’t have to call my parents. They could just cuff me and put me in the back of a patrol car. I don’t think that one con comes close to all the pros. But one thing that bothers me is that yeah I can go buy cigarettes and cigars but I can’t purchase alcohol. So my brain isn’t mature enough to drink but I am old enough to get addicted to the worst drug in America, while they just take my money and don’t care.

  This particular birthday, like the actually day, will be a pretty boring day, but that is fine with me because my friends and I celebrated last night. My day will consist of homework (blogging) and watching some football. I can’t complain especially because it is rainy Sunday. Even though it is still my birthday I’m going to say that I had a great birthday weekend. It started Friday night when we destroyed Hempstead, which involved me scoring two touchdowns. That was actually pretty special to me because it was senior night and one of the last times I will ever play football. Then onto Saturday which consisted of me chilling and flipping between college football and The Walking Dead, which had a marathon. I personally enjoy days like that, where I can just relax and not worry about anything. But later the night I met up with some of my friends and celebrated my birthday which was really fun. Then onto Sunday, my actually day of birth, which will consist of absolutely nothing special. I will do what I usually do but be doing it as an 18 year old.

Chiefs v. Ravens

                It’s the 5^th week in the NFL and the Chiefs don’t look like they will get another when to increase their season to 2-3 but that doesn’t bother me as long as the Chiefs show improvement. As long as the Chiefs show some good things.

                The main thing I want to see is if Matt Cassel can compose himself and play good against the vicious Raven defense. Cassel, in my opinion is the worst quarterback in the league. He should have it easy because he has the best running back in the league behind him but even with that luxury he still can’t lead the Chiefs to victories. Cassel only targets Bowe, who is a good receiver but you can’t throw the ball to one person and be successful no matter how good the receiver is. I hope to see Cassel prove that he is a decent QB and spread the ball around to all the weapons the Chiefs have.

                I also want to see Jamaal Charles have a big game against a good defense. I know Charles has the talent to thrash any defense but I want to see it actually happen. Even if he doesn’t have a huge game he needs to at least be a distraction for the Chiefs and help open up the passing game for Cassel. I think the Chiefs are going to rely on Charles a lot which isn’t a bad idea, I mean he is the leading rusher in the NFL but the Ravens defense will also be targeting Charles knowing that Cassel can’s tear them apart like some  of the other quarterbacks in the league.

                The last thing I want to see is the Chiefs defense step it up and hold the Ravens to as little as possible. The saying “defense wins championships” may seem a bit cliché but it is also so true. If a team can hold a team to two touchdowns they will win the game. I hope the Chiefs young defense can stop the Ravens offense, which is pretty good with Ray Rice at running back and Joe Flacco at quarterback. The chiefs have the talent to stop the Ravens but they have to play their best to pull this one out.

                I hope the Chiefs win but I won’t be devastated if they lose. I hope to see improvements by everyone and maybe, just maybe they can pull the W out from today’s game.

Movie Madness

                I don’t tend to watch too many movies unless someone says it is a “have to watch” movie but last summer when I had HBO and Starz in my basement I watched a lot more movies than any human should.

                After football workouts I would get home early and after I showered there wasn’t anything to do so I would go to my basement and look at what’s on TV. And I would usually find something entertaining in the movies. It seemed like every other day the movie Inception was on. And every time I saw that Inception was on, no matter if it was the beginning or end I would watch it. And I fell in love with it. It is the best movie I have ever seen. The ending to the movie may bother some people, the ones that have to know what happens, but not me. I think that that is the best ending of a movie I have ever seen. Making you decide what happened and not knowing the actual ending.

                Also the story line is so unique and original that it would be hard to make a movie like it. I think that Inception would be the coolest thing to live in real life. I would love to be my own architect in dreams and design my own word to visit every time I am dreaming. Even though there are some dangers in living in your dreams but I think the pros out shine the cons.

                I also watched Avatar more than a normal human should. I think being an Avatar driver would be the coolest thing ever. Controlling something with no personal risk of injury. Even though in the movie the drivers have a mission to accomplish I think it would be fun to just be able to control your Avatar for fun and do whatever you want to. The best part about Avatar is that they are working on a Avatar 2 which isn’t supposed to come out until 2016 which is a good thing if you ask me because that means they are putting a lot of work into which just excites me. I can’t wait to see what they can do in the next Avatar.

                So even though I don’t watch a lot of movies the ones I do watch are enough for me. And I hope that more movies come out that are like the two I talked about.

Cold Weather

It’s finally that time of the year, sweatshirt weather. Finally we get to put the shorts away and move on to jeans and sweat pants.  Even though it is a little too cold for early October but I take this over the mid 90’s that we get in the summer.

I don’t know where my love for the cold comes from but I have had it for a while, always begging for the winter weather to come earlier and earlier. Maybe it’s the memories I have of winter and all of the activities I used to do when I was smaller. When I was little I loved to be outside in the cold. Whether it was helping my parents shovel the drive way or just playing outside building forts and snowmen. Winter also brings Christmas with it, my favorite holiday ever, waking up early to go downstairs and open all of my presents. Looking out the window and seeing nothing but snow just brings a warm feeling to me.

Even though the cold can be a hardship, like Friday night when we had to play a football in the 30’s when it still should be in at least the 50’s. Even though I played enough to maintain my warmness it was still a little too cold for a football game. But on the other hand I much rather be cold at a game than be dying of heat exhaustion and needing a drink every second to replenish all of the sweat you are losing.  But for the rest of the season we will have to deal with these frigid temperatures. Which I don’t mind too much because personally I think I play better in the cold.

No matter what this is still my favorite part of the year and I wish it last longer than it does even though it tends to drag on a little long for most people’s preferences. So I will start cherishing these days as they slowly pass until the last snow melted and the smell of spring is back in the air. But until then I will love everyday.

Sundays

                 If you ask a student what their favorite day off the week is most will say Saturday but not me. I am a fan of Sundays.

                Yes, Saturdays are nice and are the last night before the school week but I don’t think they compare to Sundays. Sundays are the only day I can actually sleep in for, which is usually about 9 in the morning because of my usually schedule, and that already makes them better than the other days. Also Sundays are made for relaxing and preparing for the upcoming week. My usually Sunday routine after waking up is eating some breakfast then I go straight to the computer and do what I’m doing now, blog. Then I go maybe eat some lunch then I head downstairs and turn the TV on to watch some football. Once football is over or I get bored I tried to find something else on TV or begin the rest of my homework. Once my homework is done it is time to get dinner with my family. And finally after family dinner I go downstairs and just watch TV or the Sunday night game if it is a good one.

                That’s why Sundays are my favorite. I usually don’t even change out of my pajamas unless, like today, I get a haircut. I still like Saturdays but just not as much as Sundays. I hope that I can always have Sundays off like this so I can just have a day to sit at home and do nothing cause once Monday roles around I would do anything to have the previous Sunday back and to just sit in my basement relaxing.

                The worst day of the week is obviously Monday because it marks the start of a whole new week. And seems to drag on forever knowing that it is the first day of the week and you still have 4 more days until any freedom.

AFC West Showdown

                 The Chiefs have their first divisional game today against the San Diego Chargers. Personally I find the AFC West the worst division in the NFL but that doesn’t bother me too much because that means it should be the easiest to win and make a playoff run. The Chargers though are a decent team.

                The Chiefs are coming off of a very nice win last week against the Saints and hopefully can bring the momentum with them and bring home the W today. Jamaal Charles needs to have a performance like last game for the Chiefs to stand a chance. Matt Cassel just needs to protect the ball and eliminate turnovers and if they can do that the Chiefs have a good chance of winning the game. The defense needs to step up this week too. Phillip Rivers, the Chargers quarterback, is one of the most overrated players in the league and if the defense plays good the Chiefs will defiantly come away with the win.                

                The Chargers don’t have any super stars that can put the team on their back but they just play good football and win games. They are lead by the highly overrated Phillip Rivers who can hurt the team more than he can help it. So if the Chiefs bring pressure and force Rivers to throw the ball when he doesn’t want to he will make mistakes and let the Chiefs win.

                Kick off is in 30 minutes so I only have a short time to see what the actual outcome will be.

Heisman Hopefuls

                Since I think the NFL is better, I don’t follow college football that well. But I do tend to look out for the Heisman hopefuls throughout the season because they will be future NFL stars. This year has already been exciting with the talent that some of the guys bring to the game.

                Geno Smith, the quarter back for the West Virginia Mountaineers, completed 88% of his passes and threw for over 650 yards of passing. He also was involved in 8 touchdowns. He is the leader in the Heisman hopeful race in my opinion. Based off of the game he played Saturday and the fact that his team still hasn’t lost. My favorite part about him is that he is so athletic and can make plays with his legs but he also has amazing accuracy throwing the deep ball and reminds me a lot of Robert Griffin III who has emerged as a young star in the NFL.

                Another top runner in the race is the Ohio State quarter back, Braxton Miller. Many people describe Miller has a running back that can throw and after watching a game you know why. He has the ability to score on any play whether it’s him throwing a deep ball to a closely guarded wide receiver or himself breaking it to the outside and out running everyone on the field. He also is playing for a very good football team that should easily win the Big 10 Championship. The fact that Miller is only a sophomore this year is kind of a scary thought knowing he will be sticking around for a while.

                Since I live in Iowa I will put Mark Weisman in. I personally don’t think he has a chance of winning the Heisman but he is having a pretty amazing season for a walk on from Air Force. He story might be the best part about him though. A not very highly recruited fullback went to Air Force but decided he wanted to go to Iowa so he walks on and becomes third string fullback. Then Iowa’s backfield starts to fall apart with injuries and other reasons so Weisman gets his chance and trust me he took full advantage of it. Rushing for over 100 yards in the first quarter against the Minnesota defense he proved he can do what he has to do. But Iowa still hasn’t played a good team and I think that once they do Weisman’s stats will start to decline.

                No matter who wins I look forward to seeing these kids in the NFL someday making plays against the best of the best. For now though I will continue to be amazed by the numbers they put up against their opponents.

Chief Football Baby

                After the first two weeks in this NFL season I thought it was going to be another long year as a Chief fan but they showed a bright spot today in their overtime win over the Saints today. Actually being allowed to wear a Chief sweatshirt on a Monday is a nice feeling.

                Even though it wasn’t pretty, a win is a win. After the first two weeks I would have been surprised to see the Chiefs beat any one let alone the Saints. Even though the Saints were 0 and 2 coming into the game today just like the Chiefs the Saints are supposed to be a better football team. So it is nice to see the Chiefs pull this one out.

                I will be the first to admit it wasn’t a dominating performance by the Chiefs but they got the W so I won’t complain. But the Chiefs did sacrifice a star player. Dexter McCluster, their slot player, suffered what looked like a very serious elbow injury which is too bad because the Chiefs season was cut short last year due to injuries.

                But Jamaal Charles stepped up today. Rushing for over 220 yards he had the team on his back the whole game. In fact I think his 91 yard run changed the whole game and put the Chiefs in the driver’s seat. Cassel didn’t do well but he also didn’t make mistakes which allowed the Chiefs to come out on top.

                Still 1 and 2 isn’t a good record it is a lot better than 0 and 3. If the Chiefs can keep this going they should be a team to look out for in the later part of the season.

Football Season

                Even though you don’t have school in the summer doesn’t mean that it has to be your favorite season. My favorite season is late fall/early winter. When the weather finally starts to cool of and football on the weekends.

                My favorite thing about fall is it the weather that comes with it. Weather where it isn’t too cold but a sweatshirt would be perfect. Going to haunted houses on the weekend, waiting in lines for 2 hours to go through a haunted corn maze. Spending the days of the weekend watching every football or game or even sometimes getting a few buddies around and playing football. Having a nice bowl of chili for lunch while your team is playing is a great feeling.

                Halloween is a very fun time of the year. It is the first big holiday during the school year and is a nice landmark to get to while in school. Also fall comes with my favorite, bonfires. Sitting close to the fire because it is getting too cold with your friends laughing and telling stories.

                Then you get to look forward to Thanksgiving where you get a week off of school to spend with your families and eat a lot. Everyone usually comes to my house and we watch the football games and then eat as much as we can.

                Then early winter once the first snow falls. I love the snow and the cold and reminds me of Christmas time which marks another nice break away from school. And a lot of new things that you receive for the holidays.

                So even though we have school I still think that it is the best season.

Burnt Out

                Sports keep growing and with this growth spurt comes parents that think their child needs to start playing sports at a very early age to make sure that by the time they are older they will be good. This plan can succeed and make the parents look good but a lot of the times it back fires.

                I started playing baseball when I was 6, playing tee ball for the Hiawatha Kids League. The next year I decided to join a couple of my friends to play in the junior cougar program. But the youngest division was 8 and under so my teams, full of 7 year olds, were forced to play much bigger and better 8 year old teams. We played a lot of games and I think we only won about 2.           

                As we grew up we got a lot better but being better allows you to play more. So by the time we were 10 we were playing 60-70 games a year and a lot of them were out of state tournaments almost every weekend. We ended up being pretty good. When we were 14 we got second in the World Series that was held in Kansas City.

                Once we out grew the junior cougar program we played baseball for the school, beginning as an 8^th grade team. But me and most of my junior cougar team were moved up to play for the freshman. It was fun to play with kids that were older and that you never got the chance to play with.

                After my 8^th grade year I decided that I didn’t enjoy baseball enough to play anymore so I never played again. I think I was burnt out of the game because I wasn’t bad I just couldn’t handle spending hours a day in the summer for a sport I really didn’t enjoy.

Afternoon Snack

                Place it in the microwave press two buttons and wait 3 minutes and you will have my favorite food. Every since elementary school popcorn has been my go to snack, having a bag right when a get home from school every day.

                That routine lasted all the way through middle school but it had to end once I began high school due to football practice right after school. I could eat popcorn for every meal on every day. I don’t think there is anything than a nice hot bag of popcorn with some peanut m&ms in it. Even though most consider popcorn a healthy snack I wouldn’t put mine in the category. After I put a ton of salt and butter on I, it kind of loses its nutritional value.

                Even now when I get hungry I usually just put a bag of popcorn in and eat that. I think that a bag of popcorn is perfect too because it fills me up but it isn’t a struggle to try and finish it. In fact in middle school I would have a bag before every football practice and it never caused any problems. I will eat any type of popcorn but my usually is Orville Redenbacher Movie theater butter. But my favorite kind of popcorn is Carmel corn.

                That’s another cool part about popcorn; there are so many different types of popcorn you can’t get tired of it. You can have cheesy popcorn to kettle corn and it will be delicious. I will continue to eat popcorn until I can’t eat anymore.

Romney's Turn

                I recently had a project in my Government class which required me to watch both of the 2012 presidential candidates acceptance speeches from their conventions. Which reminded me how annoying election season is, where every other commercial is advertisement for someone’s campaign, and every time your phone rings you know it is a survey for the election.

                I will be turning 18 in October which means I am finally allowed to cast a vote for the presidential election. I was raised in a conservative house so I am a conservative. I will be voting for Romney this year. I don’t think Romney is the best person for the job but I do think he is a better choice than the current president. I could probably write a novel on my thoughts of the current American Government but I will restrain and just talk about the big ones.

                The biggest one is the welfare system we have in America. The fact that only 53% of Americans pay a federal income tax is ridiculous. And the president wants to raise taxes on the wealthy just to hand out to the lower class instead of having everyone pull their equal share. I understand that we have a terrible economy and the job market is equally bad but just because you are over qualified for a job it is better than nothing.

                On the other hand I do agree with Obama on some things the main one being abortion. I think it is up to the woman on whether she wants to abort a child or not. I think it is wrong for someone to control what you can do with your body. I understand Romney’s side of this problem but still agree with the current president.

                Hopefully my vote helps change this country and helps us get out of this recession.

NFL>>

                The fall marks the beginning of football of all levels from Pop Warner all the way up to the NFL. Some people prefer college over the NFL, but I personally think NFL football is a lot more entertaining.

                There are a lot more teams in the NCAA than the NFL which means that there is a wider range of talent, which I think is stupid. A top 25 team playing a FCS isn’t even enjoyable. On the other hand the NFL is made of only the best of the best so every game has the potential to be a close game. I think the overall game is a lot better in the NFL because of the consistency of talent.

                Don’t get me wrong I still watch football on Saturdays but I only watch if it is a good game. Growing up in Cedar Rapids I was surrounded by Hawk fans. Not my family though, my dad was a Chief fan and that is it. So I never was a true Hawk fan, I would cheer for them when I was younger. But now that I’m older I realized how annoying Hawk fans are. Ever year they claim that they will be really good and they are underrated. Take this year for an example. During the off season I all would hear is how good the Hawks are going to be and their first game was against Northern Illinois, a team that in reality Iowa should walk all over but instead Iowa took it late into the fourth quarter to seal the win. But instead of admitting that Iowa didn’t play good it is that Northern Illinois is really good, which they aren’t. They aren’t the worst team ever but a large Big 10 school should be able to easily beat them.

                So I don’t even follow any college team instead I focus on the Chiefs in the NFL, even though they are not good at all, which really showed today after getting slapped by the Buffalo Bills. I don’t care what you like as long as you agree nothing beats a day of relaxing and football.

Day Dreams

            Most high school kids don’t think too much about their futures, other than “I’m gonna be so rich”. But whenever I am bored I begin to think of my life after college. Dreaming about the life I dream about and what I can do to reach my dreams.

            Once I graduate high school I plan on going to Iowa State University and major in architecture. Ever since I can remember I always wanted to be an architect and I really don’t know why but it is something that I think would be really cool. I want to graduate with my degree and move either to the mountains in Colorado or Oregon. I love the mountains and the weather, no 100 degree 100% humidity days like we have in Iowa. I want to start my own architecture firm and build and design house up in the mountains. I hope to make a lot of money and eventually design my own house in the mountains. I know that this might be farfetched but it is something I really want to do. Along with all of that, ever since I saw one for the first time I have dreamed of owning my own Lamborghini. I can picture myself cruising through the mountains in my new half a million dollar car.

            So for now I’m going to just enjoy my life as a kid and keep pursuing this dream until it comes true.

Go Chiefs Go!!!

                It is opening day for the NFL and more importantly the Kansas City Chiefs. They are playing the Atlanta Falcons and have their first chance to impress their fans. Personally I am a huge Chief fan and I didn’t become a Chief fan on accident. Growing up I was surrounded by Chief things because my dad is a huge Chief fan and brainwashed me into being one. It is something that really helps me and my dad bond. Watching the game every Sunday or sometimes even going to the games down in Kansas City.

                Being a Chiefs fan isn’t as easy as being a Packer fan either. Chiefs fan don’t get to witness their team in the playoffs every year like some of the other teams but even so Chief fans don’t care and still cheer for them no matter what the score is. Each year hoping for a better team and I honestly can say this year the Chiefs are looking pretty good and won’t be surprised if they end up winning what now became one of the hardest conferences in the NFL , the AFC West. Watching the games on T.V. is fun and a nice way of bonding but nothing beats going to the games.

We used to have season tickets and would go to as many of the games as we could. Driving four hours there and then fours back isn’t what I would call exciting even though the game was usually exciting. Going to a NFL is one of the best experiences I have ever had. Getting to watch the best athletes in America on a field a few hundred feet away from you is amazing. But we stopped getting season tickets because they were getting pretty bad and the ticket prices skyrocketed as they were try to renovate the stadium.

One of the best games I ever went to was the 2004 AFC Wildcard game between the Chiefs and the Colts, who at this time were being led by one of the best quarterbacks to every play the game, Peyton Manning. It was a very close game but the Chiefs ended up losing. But nothing compares to the game I witness last year. Days leading up to the game I would tell my friends at school I was going to the game and they would laugh because they believed just like I did that the Chiefs would get destroyed because they were playing the undefeated Green Bay Packers. It was one of the few games that my sisters actually went to with us. It was the most fun I ever had at a game because I arrived expecting to get beat but ended up beating them and it was the only time they were beat in the regular season.

Being an hour before opening kick-off I hope we will see a Chief team that has potential to reach the playoffs. And I’m ending this blog with a prediction; Chiefs get eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

Swimming Superstar

I was 6 years old when I joined the local swim team. Both of my sisters finished swimming lessons and decided that they wanted to go out for the city swim team and me being the little brother, I wanted to too. I was already a good swimmer because I grew up a few blocks away from a pool and me and my mom and sisters would go to the pool every day, rain or shine. This is where I originally learned how to swim, no swimming lessons just messing around at the pool all day.

I was very talented at a very young age. I could swim every stroke and do well when I was swimming kids two years older than me because the youngest division was 8 and under. At practice I swam with the older kids because the kids my age weren’t fast enough for me. Plus I liked the older kids a lot more. Swimming with the older kids challenged me and made me push myself which just made me better and by the time I turned 8 I won the 8 and under 25 yard breaststroke city championship.

            The best part of my younger days of swimming was the enjoyment I got. Nowadays every time I wake up early for swim practice I hate it and I don’t want to swim. But back then I woke up early every morning wanting to go to the pool to get better and swim. I don’t absolutely hate swimming anymore because if that was the case I would’ve quit by now. I don’t love it anymore but I enjoy enough to still do it.
            Once this winter is over and I’m done swimming I will be glad it’s over. I do want to keep swimming though when I’m older to stay in shape but I won’t ever be swimming competitively again. I don’t know why I don’t like swimming anymore. I think it is like what happened to me and my baseball career where I over played it as a young kid and started to hate it once I got older.
           

My Number One #2

On the first day of school every kid in the school can reach in their bags and pull out a new pencil but the next week they are using a pencil that they found under their desk in science. To most students a pencil is a pencil and as long as it writes its fine. I have a little higher standard when it comes to my writing utensils. I have been using the same pencil since the beginning of my sophomore year.

There wasn’t anything special about the pencil it was just the first one I pulled out of my bag on the first day. It has had some work done to it because pencils are not made to last 3 years of constant use. At first glance it confuses most, which usually results in a double take with the question “What is that?”  That usually receives “My pencil.” as my answer. This then leads to a lot of questions, so if you every want a conversation starter just carry around a huge duct taped pencil around and I promise you will get a few conversations out of it. People have trouble believing that someone can keep track of a pencil for that long but it really isn’t that hard. Do you find it hard to keep track of your cell phone? So why is it hard to keep track of something that is needed in almost every class?

I would call my pencil a lot of things and pretty is not one of them. Wrapped in what I’m guessing to be about 15 layers of duct tape at its thickest point. The duct tape thing started after a few days of using my pencil at school it started to crack. I figured I might as well try to fix it, and I put one piece around it to just keep it together. Then I put a little more on the bottom of the pencil where my hand goes and I thought “wow this is a lot more comfortable” so I just keep adding pieces until I was impressed with the grip. The clip that is usually useless anyway is bent perpendicular to the pencil for optimized biting on it. I have a terrible habit of chewy on things and I figure it is probably better to be chewy on my pencil than anything else. And as you probably expect erasers do not last 3 years so I have a special eraser too.

A pink pearl that I found in a drawer at my house last year right before school started is what I still use to this day. Just like a pencil you are going to need something to erase the mistakes you made with your pencil so it isn’t hard to keep track of either.

I tend on using the pencil for as long as I need a pencil. As well as the eraser, but if something happens to either (which I really hope doesn’t happen) I will simply find a replacement and go on with life.  

Friday Night Lights

                When the final bell rings on a Friday most people start to celebrate their weekends but for high school football players it’s almost the opposite. We go into game mode and start focusing on the battle we are entering. Head phones in, mentally preparing yourself for the night. Going home and anxiously waiting until we come back and board the bus. Spectators see the outcome but only the players know the truth behind the scenes.

                Once we step off the bus and enter the locker room time stops. You can feel every second ticking away with your heart beat. Sitting in complete silence waiting patiently for the time, slowly putting your pads, trying to time it so you don’t have to sit in your pads too long in the stagnate heat of the locker room. Passing around the baggie of ibuprofen, each taking as many as they think they will need to get by, ranging from 2 pills to my preference of 6. Once it gets closer to game time the music gets turned up and the clicking of cleats on the concrete floor start. Some gets sitting by themselves in the corner others nervously chattering to other team mates. Kids standing in line in front of the mirror waiting for their turn to put eye black on. Then we slowly head out to the tunnel for warm ups. Warm ups go by in the blink of an eye. But from the first step back into the locker room till the game time might as well be a hundred years. Getting last minute adjustments to make sure we are 100 percent ready.

                Then we all migrate to the tunnel which still to this date is the most intense place I have ever been. Hearing the crowd in the distance and finally get the word to run out. Bursting through the banner like a bullet we see the student section going nuts. Running in slow motion all the way across the field to our sideline to our team huddle. Once we disperse from the huddle we still have around 3 minutes to play. Each player using the 3 minutes differently, some using it as extra time to stretch out or do what I do, anxiously pacing back and fourth down the sideline. The game itself flies by. Next thing you know we are jogging back to the locker room for half time, where we go over things that needed adjustments. Cherishing the time to just sit there and gain back your breath and drink as much as you can without throwing it all back up. Then we repeat the steps that we took at the beginning of the game back out to the field.

                Next thing you know you are lined up shaking hands with the opponent then heading back to the locker room for the final time that night either with the pain of defeat or the numbing feeling of victory. We meet one last time discussing the game and the game plan for the following morning. We break it down one more time and go our separate ways to shower and change back into the clothes we came in. This is usually the point where the Ibuprofen wears off and you start to feel the pounding you just took. Everyone is in a hurry to just get the hell out of their wanting to get back to school where your friends are waiting to greet you marking the start of our weekend.

                 

About me

               My name is Alex and I'm 17 years old. I'm currently a senior in high school doing what ever I can to get by. I play football and I swim as well as maintain good grades. I am the youngest of three children and the only boy. Both my sisters are attending college, one at Iowa and the other at Northern Iowa, so I now consider myself an only child. After I graduate I plan on attending Iowa State University and major in architecture.