Change

As a 17 year old kid I have already dealt with tons of change. Whether it be new schools, new living arrangements, and even new family members. I have come to realize that there is both good and bad change. I would define good change as the act of making something different that you have purposefully done. I would define bad change as the act of making something different that you did not intend to do and or want to happen. I have always enjoyed change, however their have been times where I've wanted life to just stay the same. Now I know other kids have had tougher lives than mine but I still like to acknowledge the "bad" change in my life. This would include the new family. So my parents got divorced. Now I know what your thinking, "oh Travis I'm sorry to hear" well don't be I don't really care about the divorce. Besides I know tons of kids who's parents got divorced and they live just fine. While I would have preferred my parents stay together it didn't workout so that's their problem not mine. The problem that I have is now there are more people that care about me which means more people I have to please. While I am glad that people care about me I have to go out of my way to keep more people in the "loop" of my life, and give my time and love equally amongst everyone so I don't look like a jerk. Now because of the divorce my mom ended up moving in with her boyfriend who is now my stepfather. I love my stepdad however because my mom moved in with him my brother, sister, and I also moved in with him. This change of living arrangements has really gotten to me. Now how we all live in my opinion is not enjoyable it is only "functional". I'll give you an answer example of this. Due to the amount of people who live in the house which is now up to seven we have had to use space efficiently. So I pose this question to you: what is the best way to sleep people when you don't have that much space? The answer plan and simple bunk beds. This is a genius invention cause it minimizes the space needed to sleep multiple people. However, guess who gets to sleep on the bunk beds? Not my mom, stepdad, or sister. I get the short straw along with my brother and we have to utilize the bunk beds. As I have previously stated I am 17. 17 years old and still sleeping in a damn bunk bed like what the hell! Again I know other kids have it worse off then me but still this really gets to me. I didn't ask to move in with a stranger, but hey you got to make the best of it right? So that's what I do. I simply tolerate the functionality of my living arrangements. But now it is finally all over! I found away to get out! I will be free of that cursed bunk bed in just a few months. Now here is where the good change that I am so ready for I can taste it! In just a few months I will be going to live on campus at the University of Delaware. Here I will be given the freedom to pick and chose what I do. Well that's how I imagine it and hopefully it is everything I dream it to be. I will have a room with friends and no bunk bed. When I am given the opportunity to do something I won't have to answer to my mother. I will be able to just do me and I can't wait. I know there will be work to be done both school related and work work related but bring it on. I'm ready for this change.

Social media

So Thursday night I tweeted something for the first time. I was hype! One of my more active moments on any type of social media. I partake in mostly all forms of social media, yet I am very subtle about the things I do on each app. I am not a flashy user who posts pictures or says what's on there mind everyday. I am more of a see what other people have to say and enjoy it. I believe everyone should be apart of some type of social media. Even if you don't post a lot you should still get one. I feel the pros out way the cons when it comes to entertaining yourself with these platforms. I'll give you one main pro to these apps; they keep you connected. I'm talking with everybody and anybody. For example, I am able to keep up with what certain people at my school who I don't even talk to that much do only because of social media. This even gets me to think hey these guys look pretty cool maybe you should talk to them in person. I get to keep up with birthdays, relationships, and the best thing of all BEEF! Maybe social media is only for certain types of people but I believe everyone can love being connected.

Short poem

Ode to Relaxation

Why can't I relax?
I'm always remembering the facts.
I'm also always reading.
My heart keeps beating.
I'm always in concentration.
No time for relaxation.
Why can't I relax?

Limits

This small six letter word holds more meanings then people may realize. There are all different kinds of limits, from mathametical limits to physical limits. There are even literary limits. In all these instances of limits there are minimums and maximums. In my opinion there should be no such thing as limits. If I wanted to lift 450 lbs right I couldn't because my body is not in the condition to deal with that amount of strain on my muscles since my physical limit is only 135. Limits simply with hold someone from doing something in both minimum limits and maximum limits. From a literary stand point there should never be a minimum word limit or maximum page limit because the writer should write as much as he or she wants. If a person writes 300 words for a 1000 word paper then they should not get penalized because that is what they felt was needed for there piece. Now if they do not hit other certain literary criteria for the paper in the 300 words then they can be penalized. I understand that limits are set as guidelines and rules to abide to yet could you imagine what the human race could accomplish without limits. We would have traveled all across the universe by now, built time machines, and even created teleportation devices. While these tasks may seem impossible now, just like rules limits are meant to be broken.

Lacrosse is back!

So the first week of lacrosse is in the books. With this being my senior year I feel as though I should be excited for this season, yet I feel indifferent. With this possibly being the last time I ever step on that field I should give it all I got, yet I feel sluggish and annoyed with the sport. Coming into this season I have just put a negative perspective in my mind and I got to snap out of it. I dedicated so much of my time to this sport I have to finish strong. So that's what I will do! Time to get out of this slump and keep working! #Playoffbound

Progress

So on a previous blog I made some very ambitious goals about my fitness level. While I have not reached all of them yet I have progressed immensely. Since the beginning of this month I have been going to the gym everyday to get stronger and look better. Here are some of my results so far. I have squatted a whopping 225 lbs. which is a lot heavier than certain people may think. While I felt amazing after squatting that much I felt even better after reaching this goal on the bench. Just yesterday I decided to try for the 15th time to put up a plate. For those of you who don't know that means a 45 lb. weight on each side of the bar. This totals up to a gargantuan 135 lbs. At the gym if you can put this up you are kind of "big sh*t" and people can see it. Well, on that 15th time I crushed that weight! That's right ladies and gentlemen I basically pick-up 135 lbs. and threw it across the gym. This was easily one of the top 5 greatest moments of my life. Now with this goal reached I just do not want to lose all the work I have done during the spring sports season. I will try my hardest to still stay dedicated to the gym.

What is it?

Finally, home at last now I can go get the soft delicate thing. While small in size, it lets your head feel like a bottle floating on top of the ocean. This thing can come in any color or any design. The one that I have is a plain white but its cover varies from week to week. Every time you touch the thing an image of a nice cozy lodge with a warm fire is played in your head. I always end my day and start my morning with this fluffy item. Everybody probably has one but if not they are really missing out. Well it's time for me to be engulfed by the comforting thing so goodnight and sleep well.

Time for a Redo

So lately my adventures to the gym have been really inconsistent. Some weeks I would go three days others I wouldn't go at all. A lot of this has to do with me having track practice everyday but I know that should be no excuses. But now that track has officially ended the GRIND starts again. Everyday after school I will be at the gym for at least an hour. I will continue this routine until lacrosse starts on March 1st. So this gives me a full month to get into a routine and accomplish some goals. A few goals I have set for my self to complete by the end of February deal a lot with lifting. I want to be able to bench 185, squat 250, and leg press 450. While these weights are very large compared to what I can do now I know that if I get into a consistent routine I will be able to reach these goals. This month will truly test my dedication and determination skills but I know I will end this month victorious.

The Game Show Opportunity

I have watched a great deal of game shows in my lifetime and I have witnessed contestants be forced to answer one big question. The question is: "Do you play it safe or risk it all?". While this question does not apply to all game shows it is implemented in the majority of them. I have decided that if I was ever able to play on a game show I would risk it all. I believe that a person was given the opportunity to go on a game show to try and win big. The extra few thousand dollars that they get on the way to the big jackpot is nice to have but going for the highest amount possible gives a person more of reason to fight for every last cent. I feel as though if you can afford to be on the game show then you are well off enough to come back home empty handed and live you life the same way you lived it before the event. I also believe if a person plays it safe then they will forever hold a sense of regret for not trying to go for more money. While certain circumstances would dictate other peoples opinions on the topic I believe this question should already be answered before a contestant walks on the stage.

Is 24 hours enough?

At the ripe age of 17 I have already witnessed how busy a day can be. With how many activities I am involved in, almost everyday feels like it gets shorter by the second. A usual day for me involves me getting up at 6:30 am so that I am ready for school and out my door by 7:00 am. From that point on I'm in school till 2:25 pm. After that I have track practice from 2:45 pm to 4:45 pm. Once I finish that I try to go to the gym for about an hour. I don't end up leaving the gym till 6:00 pm. Once I get home I am all smelly from the long day I have to take a shower. Then once I get out of the shower I have to eat dinner which is usual an hour ordeal the way my family runs it. So now it is already 7:30 pm before I even start my homework. And me being the "smart" kid I am decided to take 3 AP's and a college course so that I could keep up with the intelligence and rigor our school is founded upon (but that's a topic for another day). So now with this rigorous course work and my amazing procrastination skills I usually don't end up finishing my homework till 10:00 or 11:00 at night. Now At 11:00 pm I try to fit in an hour of relaxation by watching Netflix. This then leads me to finally fall asleep at around 12:00 am. Then for the next day I get to do this routine all over again. Now I know that most people would tell that I am complaining to much but I would have to disagree since I wish I could even add more activities to this routine. For example, a lot of people get on me about not having a job and I simply tell them, "I would love one but were do I squeeze it into my schedule of activities that I would like to keep doing". While some days are better than others I have come to the conclusion that a 24 hour long day does not pack enough time for people to live their life the way they want to.

A New Sport?

So I have recently been exposed to a new sport I would have never guessed I'd like. This sport is none other than hockey. Growing up I was never really exposed to the sport so I blame my parents for not getting me interested in such an intriguing sport. This year my friends have asked me to come and watch a few games at Buffalo Wild Wings which is so much fun. We have been trying to make this a regular thing for every game but the food gets expensive quick. The people who usually go are Fredd, Jimmy, Jimmy's Dad, Fredd's Dad and I. We always try to get our other friend Ryan to go but he always seems to be busy when we want him to hangout. When we are at Bdubs (Buffalo Wild Wings) Fredd and I go CRAZY. We will scream just about anything across the restaurant because we love seeing people's reactions. Overall, this new years experience has been a great and from no on I will forever be a Flyers fan.

Food for Thought

If Jesus can walk on water, can he swim on land?
Why do they call it quicksand if you sink down slowly?
If a fly flies why doesn't an elephant elephant?
Why do you drive in a parkway but park in a driveway?
When cheese gets it's picture taken what does it say?
Do Roman paramedics call "IV's" 4's?
Why are there braille dots on a drive-through ATM keypad?
Why does a ship carry cargo, and a car carry shipments?
If you got in a cab and the driver drove backwards would he owe you money?
Why do doctors call what they do a practice? Shouldn't they be good at it by now?
If corn oil comes from corn and olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?
If you throw a cat out your car window does it become kitty litter?
What is F. Scott Fitzgerald hiding?
 If you spin an oriental man, does he become disoriented?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
Sean Fitzpatrick, but does Patrick fit Sean?
If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Why do they call them apartments, when they're all together?
Where does your lap go when you stand up?
Can fat people go skinny dipping?
If quizzes are quizzical then what are tests?
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

Return to Track

So yesterday I ran in my first meet since freshman year for the indoor track team. Being back on the Tower Hill track really brought some memories. The scenery was familiar but my nerves were on edge. As I was getting ready to began my first event I took a nice deep breath to calm my anxiety. My first event was a relay race and as I was handed the baton for my leg of the race my nerves seemed to melt away. Immediately, adrenaline rushed through my body and I jolted with baton in hand. At first I felt great as I rounded the first turn even though I was no were near the lead runner. I felt as though I was really zooming on the track. However, once I finished my leg I felt like I ran like a turtle. I was breathing heavy so I know I legitimately tried in the race, but a part of me felt as though I could have gone faster. While that was not my highlight of the meet I still enjoyed myself getting back into the swing of things.

Christmas

I love Christmas as much as the next guy but sometimes I feel as though people rush the holiday. I mean just look at stores. Every year it seems like Christmas themed items hit the shelves earlier and earlier. I know it's the best holiday of the year but what about the other holidays they need there own spotlight too. For example, Thanksgiving easily gets overshadowed by Christmas. This year when I was at my Thanksgiving dinner there was Christmas music playing. I was a little irritated by this because I knew that we were no where near the time of year for this type of music. I feel as though people need to wait at least until December 1st before they start getting into the Christmas spirit. Again, I know Christmas might be the best holiday but people need to show some more respect to the other surrounding holidays

Fake News

On November 26th, 2016 the New York Police Department (NYPD) acquired information on a supposed meth lab off of 5th Avenue. There have previously been reports of suspected drug dealers traveling down the road on repeated occasions. On November 28th, 2016 The NYPD infiltrated the lab accounting for 500 lbs of methamphetamine and several unregistered firearms. That day I was able to talk to the Chief of the NYPD, Michael Halpert, about the 5th Avenue drug bust. He told me, “It was a job well done by two of the best officers on the case, Robert Will and Daniel Smith”. After conversing with the Chief I hunted down officers Will and Smith to see if they could give me some more information on about the case. I found officer Will at a desk in the station. I asked, “Officer can I speak to you about the drug bust on 5th Avenue?”. Officer Will politely agreed and I began bombarding him with questions. He told me all about what went down since the beginning of when him and his partner were given the case. He started, “Once officer Smith and I got the orders on the 26th we immediately decided that night we would have a stakeout to see if there was a lot of activity in the building where the meth lab was supposed to be. That night we saw many known drug dealers walk into the building but what really caught our eyes was that a known gang leader by name of Trey Wall also made an appearance at the building. At this point we knew something big was going down. Luckily my partner, officer Smith was actually an undercover cop in the gang Trey ran so we had a way to find out what was going on in that building. Smith decided that the next day he would try to find out as much information as possible by asking people in the gang to see if anyone knew anything about the building. The following night Smith told me that not many people in the gang new about the building on 5th Avenue. However, he was able to pick up some information that a new drug dealer had set up shop there about a few months ago. So we decided the next night that we would bust in the building to collect the drugs and arrest anyone who was there. We followed typical procedure for being allowed to enter the building and we decided to bring 7 other cops on the bust. Officer Smith was unable to attend because we had to make sure his cover was still fine. When we ran into the building there was no one to be found but all of the drugs Smith told me about were still there”. I asked officer Will where was officer Smith? Office Will replied, “I haven’t seen him since the night before the drug bust. I really hope he is fine, but I know being an undercover cop is dangerous. If I had to guess I would say he has left town for a little bit so his profile can cool down. Overall, this was a great bust the station has seen in a long time”. So drug dealers be weary of your work because the NYPD will find a way to catch you and bring your work to justice.

Two Types of Love

I usually don't get to emotional but this topic has been apparent in my life as of now.

I believe that there are only 2 types of love. So here are my thoughts on both:

Compassion: Is the type of love that makes you want to be around that significant person. When you are away from that person all you can do is think about that person. I believe compassionate love comes from a person's heart. This type of love needs to be founded on companionship, dependability, and trust. With these key concepts a relationship can last forever. I believe if a relationship is founded just on lust then that relationship is doomed to fail eventually.

Sexual: Is the type of love that is pure appearance and arousal. There are many people who are physically appealing so there is no point in rushing to have a specific person par take in sexual love because there are a lot of fish in the sea. I'm sure this type of love is nice to par take in but it is not that important unless you believe love is a numbers game to see how large your body count can get. If a person is so worried about sex then they can stimulate themselves they don't need another partner to feel this type of love. 

Based on all the information I have gathered from my own love life as well as others I believe compassionate love is what will keep a person coming back to that significant other in there life.

Assigned Blog 1: What I like to do

Assignment: Something you do in your free time and why you love it.

Answer: Watching TV Shows

I have come to realize that I watch a ton of television shows during my free time. This has become a daily thing for me because it is so easy to get involved in the activity. While meeting with friends and going out is fun, it requires a planned out scenario of which more than half of the time some of the friends can’t even make it to the event. Television shows offer a relaxing sense that I have come to love so much. When watching television shows my problems seem to disappear. I’m simply transferred into a zone. This zone transports me from the real world to the television show’s world. Almost every show I watch I wish that their world could be my world. For example, I have watched two shows called Pokemon and Naruto. How cool would life be if these worlds were real? One is about traveling the world to find Pokemon and battling to be the best trainer. The other is about a life as a ninja where you train to become the best you can be. You may be asking, “why would these worlds be cool?” Well, this is an easy one, after like age 10 there is no more school, you are basically allowed to what you want whenever you want, and the kids seem to have money at all times while they don’t even have a job. This sounds like heaven to me since I would know my purpose in life, which would be an interesting one. Where as now the purpose I see right now is to get a good job, have normal life, then die.

P.S. : I am not morbid I’m just saying that real life is just boring. But I still try to have as much fun as possible.

In Good Company

So yesterday I saw this movie titled "In Good Company". I ended up watching it with my grandparents since they have been asking me to watch it since the beginning of the school year. My mom mom kept telling me, "Travis this movie reminds me so much of you". Hearing this I really had no idea what I would be in for. Turns out the movie was actually amazing. The movie was all about "real life" situations. One of the key themes in the movie was that you can think, at first, your life is great, but really you are missing something and you don't like how your life has turned out to be. In the beginning of the movie the antagonist is this "hot shot", young businessman who has everything. By the end of the movie he gets offered the same job he had before he was fired, and he turns it down. This is huge because he was able to have everything he wanted again yet he just throws it away. Supposedly, he truly didn't love his job so he wanted to look for something more, therefore he could enjoy his life. I however disagree with the antagonists move because sometimes you have to power through your unhappiness so you can better yourself and have more material things. I am a pretty strong believer that money can in fact buy happiness. Another theme of the movie was that things can change in an instant. Two key examples in the movie were the antagonists wife leaving him after only 7 months of marriage and when people in company would get fired just because the company would get bought out by another company. This really got to me because I have a set plan for the next 10 years of my life and if I was to lose my job that plan would crumble to pieces and I wouldn't know what to do. Overall, this movie is top notch for portraying a realistic view on life and it also had some hysterical comedy thrown in as well. I believe everyone should watch this intriguingly realistic movie.

1st Law of Physics: Everyone Fails!

AP Physics is the hardest class in the world! I have never typically gotten straight A's in all my classes but this class is different. I am actually doing fairly well in the class, cruising with an 83 so far. While that is pretty good I do not feel as though it represents my true understanding of the topic. I have asked people this question before, "Have you ever felt like you were the dumbest person in the room?" Every single one has laughed at this question as though it is a joke to them. However, I reassure them that it is not a joke. This is truly how I feel in the class. I hope to eventually master physics but that could take awhile.

Top 10 Running Backs of All Time

In my opinion this is how the list should go.

10. Adrian Peterson 

9.  O.J. Simpson

8. Marcus Allen

7. Terrell Davis

6. Bo Jackson

5. Emmit Smith

4. Eric Dickerson

3. Marshall Faulk 

2. Walter Payton

1. Barry Sanders