What me worry

I havnt updated in a few days. I have been staying up late like everynight to download jazz and movies and play computer games. Today I have alot of homework to do. I have to watch west side story for my online class and have to study for my goegraphy test. I also have to do an essay for my research class. Today the Engrav men were going to go down to Lewiston, Mn to go sight in our shotguns for deer hunting. Although now it is raining outside and we called three different relatives to see if it was raining in down there but no one answered. So we decided that we would go down later, maybe in a week or two. If we did go I wouldnt get back until like 6 or 7 at night. I would have been scrambling to get all the work done. Oh well it worked in my favor. Well off to listen to some online jazz and then at 11 its Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. WOOO-HOOO.

P.S. Rich if your reading this Happy Birthday. I know your in the big cat box, and only having near beer, But remember when you get back from Iraq were going to drop like $100 each on pints of Guinness at the Irish pubs.

Fix Bayonets!!!!!!!!

My favorite quote from the movie Gettysburg. I am so layered with work and homework. I work the next four days and have to start studying for my Human Goegraphy test. I also have a math test coming up about a week from halloween. I told you guys I got my laptop, It is so awsome. I finally have internet at my place, I can watch movies and listen to old Prairie Home Companion shows. I'll get another poem up soon ye faithful. I also talked to a counsler on campus here about graduating this coming spring. I have to take 2 science classes with at least one lab, and Humanities and one fine arts. Theres going to be a UofM Rep here pretty soon and the counsler suggest I talk to them about secondary education and doing a history major. So suffice to say I have alot on my plate right now. I am so tired of work and school I just want to fall asleep for a month. But like the title says Fix Bayonets. I have to move forward and charge straight ahead. Well I have to get going I will post later. Later y'all

John Engrav

All the small things

I got back from my camping trip yesterday. It was really fun although it had rained on sunday morning. I geuss my roomate liz is pissed of at me again. I really dont know anymore and again I dont really care. I geuss all that I can do is try to work with her. Thats all that i can do. I tried to buy my laptop today but my check card got declined. It was because my huge check didn't get cleared yet. It will be tomorrow so thats wen I will get it. Again with my roomate I am really getting tired of her geting pissed off at me for no reason at all. oh well later y'all

John Engrav

Life's tough

I am sitting here listening to the writers almanac with Garrison Keillor. He reads birthdays and anniversay of events of great literary writers. At the end he reads a poem. Like i said in a previous post that I bought GK's "Good Poem's" book. I only read a couple of the poems and there are fantastic. I like to write short fiction and some day I really want to write a novel. I also write a little bit of poetry too. I started writing when I was in my high school creative writing class. I absolutly loved it. I kept all my stories and poems on a flash zip drive. I also have the poems in a little black notebook that I also keep with me. I think this would be a great place to share some of my poems. This is one titled

"Life's Tough"
I have an alright look at life
But for me it's always filled with strife.

I go to school and come home from work
that's what it's like.
I just hope it's better for my brother mike.

When I moved out it was hard for my Mom
It wasn't hard for my brother Tom.

Dennis Leary has a great quote for life:
"Life's tough get a helmet"

If you liked it leave a comment, if not still leave a comment. If your in my research class, come over and say something, I am the kid who always wears the Boston Red Sox hat. Lator gators

John Engrav

Lock and Load!

Well this weekend has been pretty good. I haven't had to do any homework, which has been really realy great. I am going camping with my scout troop this week during MEA. I cant wait. Tomorrow my dad and maybe my brother are going to pick up my mom and brother up in chicago. They are coming back from their European vacation. I wont be able to go because I have to go into stupid work. I'll stay at home that night so I can see my mom and brother when they get home. I went to Half Price books and bought Garrison Keillor's "Good Poems" book. I love Garrison Keillor. I literally have all his books,I am only missing like 2. I also bought Tim O'brian's :The Things They Carried", I also bought Tom Petty's "The Last DJ" cd. well off to go listen to it. Later.

John Engrav

the endless search

In my broadway class I have to watch West Side Story. Okay thats fine but I really dont want to spen money to rent it, because I cant find it at school. So I try to download it. Well I found it but not enough people have it so it either go tremendously slow or not at all. I also have to pick out 2 other musicals also. I have tried looking for them all over the net but am unsuccesful at finding them. I know a lady at work that might be able to help me out. Apparently she likes musicals; whats up with women and musicals anyway. Well I have to finish watching the sound of music (ugh!) its due tomorrow and I havn't started on it. Good ol' procrastination, where would I be without you!!

John Engrav

Kingdom of What?

I just got done watching Kingdom of Heaven. I thought it was a good one, but not the best one I've ever seen. My roomate Liz is again pissed off. I really dont know why and I really dont care. I try to help around the house because I rent from them and I should. I beleive I should, but she gets pissed off when I try to help/clean. Well I geuss thats good news to me. As soon as I get my new laptop, I think I will hunker down in my fortress of a room. Well i'm off to have a pint, G'night y'all.

John Engrav

Action Research

I am starting an action research project. Action reserch is were instead of looking at books or files on the computer I go out into society and interveiw people for data. The purpose of this assignment is for me to learn a new way of doing critical thinking and a different style of research. The experience I got out of this was a good one. I traditonally like doing research over the internet and through books. But doing something different is always good to do. I learned a new skill that I will use when I transfer to the UofM to become a teacher. This research was new to me but I followed through and "trucked on" if you will. All in all like I said above this wsa a good experience.
For this research project I am to interview a person that works for the city of Farmington, Minnesota. The main general question for this task is “Who in your opinion is in the greatest need in our community?” I interviewed Barb Thompson. She works for the Farmington Chamber of commerce. I asked her these questions to find out more of the veiws of other people. To get other people impressions on our small city.
I learned there is many different view points between individuals. I dont always have to agree with the person I am interviewing but I have to be open minded to what they are saying. When I did the interveiw, I wanted to learn what this person thinks about the disadvantaged people in our community. By doing this I believe I have opened my eyes by looking broader on the landscape. Not in black and white anymore.
I know Barb Thompson personally. Barb's son Rich Yaeger and I are best friends. He is currently serve in Iraq with the Army band. We both were in boy scouts and church group together. If I ask her one of my questions, and she has difficulty answering, I will try to generalize it more for her.
When I interviewed Barb I was expecting honest answers from her. And that was exactlywhat I got. She has work in the city of Farmington doing different jobs until getting this one for 15 years. Barb didn't have any bias that I could tell. She didn't speak as if they were low people. She gave me her opinions truthfully to her knowledge. When she answered my questions there was no racisim or classism in her responses. She merely stated on why they might have left their country and what they are trying to do in ours.
I have converted her interview into a concept map. I will attach it to my blog here as soon as I learn how. Doing this research project has waken me up I would say. Doing a action research project like this was a different experience for me. Back in high school when we did research projects it would be usually on something we would have to go to the library for or the internet. Here I had to go around town and ask some one who works for the city “Who is in need?”.
Here is the questions and the answers in the interveiw given to Barb Thompson"

John Engrav: Who in your mind, comprise the needy and the underpriviledged in our community?
Barb Thompson: I think that most of the needy are the migrant workers, and immigrants that come to our city looking for work.

JE: In your view , what do you think were some of the contributing factors for there situation?
BT: Most of the immigrants that are in our city are from Mexice. So I think that most likely that the reason for them leaving and coming here is because of low paying jobs or even not even any jobs.

JE: Where in our community do you think most of the people of lower income reside? Do you think there is even a specific place?
BT: I think if they have family that has previously moved here they stayy with them. The probably stay in a low income type of home i.e. apartments or trailor homes.

JE: When in their lives do you think they got into their situation?Why?
BT: probably the reason they moved. They were born into poverty and wanted a better life then what they had and for their families.
I think this was worthwhile to do. I got a lot out of it.

Well isn't that craptactular

Well My brother and I didn't go to the comic book convention. We really didn't get lost but couldn't find the street were to turn like mapquest said to. We instead went to Barnes and Noble instead. I bought a 50 movie mystery pack for $29, so that was pretty cool. So now mapquest is useless to me. I am watching movies for my online class which are taking up alot of my time. I am also working on my research stuff. I dont have a computer were I live so I have to do it at my parents house or at school. It's okay though but it does get a little hecktic trying to get everything done at once. That should change in about 2 weeks. I will be getting a laptop sometime in the future. So I will be able to get it done were I live. Well I have to get going to my math class. Let's hope I really dont fall asleep in class like all those other times. Wish me luck!!

John Engrav

P.S. HI CATHY!!!!!!! how do you like my blog?

Smurf

Well tomorrow I am going to take my little brother to a comic book convention. It should be alright I hope. They said in the flyer that they have pulps there. Pulp's are old magazine. They made them in the 20's, 30's, and 40's. ?The were made on cheap pulp paper, hence the name. The Shadow, private eye tales, all that type of stuff came from that era. Plus I have to start getting my research findings on here. well later folks.

John Engrav

Moop

Well the evening went well. We had nico over and had some really good tasting ribs. After that we decided to get some pizza because we were still hungary and also made a beer run to the liquor store. I found a can of Fosters for like $2.79. I was like sweet! it was a pint and it was cheap. Well I am still working on my school work. All I have to do is finish up on the reasearch stuff, and get it on here. I also have to work on my online Broadway class. I still have to waatch those two musicals. I rented one from Mr/ Movies in town, but cant find the other ones. I might just end up watching the Sound of Music, because thats on our list also. I am reading this book on a guys army hitch through Iraq. It reads like you were just talking to him. Its a really fast read. If anybody's interested its titled "My War" by Colby Buzzell. It just came out today, but since I work in a book store I got to take it home yesterday and start rerading it. It makes me think of my best buddy Rich Yaeger who is over there right now. I hope that he's safe and that he gets to come home soon. He hasn't written on his online blog in over a week, but I talked to his mom on tuesday and she said that she talked to him last saturday, so I'm prety sure he's okay. Well y'all Im off to go read my book before I learn how I did on my math test. Wish me luck!!

John Engrav

Workload

I started this blog because for a class it is required. Both my brothers have blogs and I think this would be good for me to do. Lately I have been burning out with so much homework. But I am catching up. I handed in my math take portion today. After school today I am going to go home and probably read a good book. Tonight I am having my friend Nico over and we are going to have some ribs. Well I might have him over it all depends how my roomate Liz feels. She has been kinda pissy at me lately. I dont really know why. It seems though that either she is pissed off at me or her boyfriend Jon who is also my roomate. So frankly I dont care if she is pissed off, or not anymore. I just got used to it. I bought these ribs from cub because they looked pretty good. The only really big problem is that we don't have a grill. Ha thats one of the main things that we need for the ribs. Oh well I will just wait and see what happeneds tonight. Wish me luck!

John Engrav

Does anyone have any Guinness?

Right about now I need a pint of Guiness.