To Reflect or Not to Reflect

During this writing assignment I have began to realize that writing can be a relaxing time, or it can be stressful. Trying to get your post in before midnight, or just simply trying to remember to write for that day. On top of all the things that have to be done in 24 hours, it can be a lot to do. But I like to think that it is a relaxing part of my day. I get to choose something about myself, a writing prompt, or just simply my idea and write 300 simple words about it. I can let go of work, or other classes, and focus simply on what I want my audience to learn or take away from my writing post.

I have begun to notice my writing has changed over this assignment. Before, I was just writing strictly for the teacher. Writing what I wanted the teacher to see and know about that specific topic they had assigned. Now, I am more focused on what I want my audience to see through my writing. As well as what I want my audience to feel or know about the topic. I have complete control in this assignment, but different from an essay or a paper the teacher assigned. I am not stuck to a certain topic, I am free to roam and express my different and unique ideas. Or simply just write about my day to day experiences, which is what I typically stuck too. I wanted my audience to know Megan Summers better than they did before this assignment.

I liked this assignment. It was very different from any other writing assignment I have had to do before. As this is an online English class, I expected us to write, a lot, but I didn't think we would be "blog writing." It is a great way for an online class to share our writing with our peers. Like our Group Discussion Boards, we were placed in groups of 5, but this way we can write and share with the class as a whole. Or at least to the peers that view our blog. We can take away helpful tips or just respond and discuss our writing by our peers commenting on our posts. Which I think is another great thing about this assignment. We were free to comment on whatever, however we wanted to. We could simply agree with our peer, or comment a helpful suggestion. Its a neat way to learn, from our peers and even our teacher. I can honestly say the only thing I disliked about this assignment, is that we had to write a post everyday. But that's understandable so who can argue, right?

I loved reading my peers blog posts and seeing how they write and what they as people are all about. It was a unique way to communicate and connect with our English classmates. And I appreciate everyone that commented on my posts. The help was much wanted and appreciated.

Thank you!

Lumper what?

Does anyone know what a lumper is? Well let me just explain this annoying thing that I have to go through everyday at work.

A lumper is an unloading service for big rigs like us here at Prime. We pay a Lumper Service a small, sometimes BIG, fee to unload our trailers because most of our customers require the driver not to handle the product. So the driver will call the unloading service in the area, or the customer will assign him a lumper service and he will then pay with a Com Check to the lumpers. Most customers will "reimburse" the driver for the lumper fee if the reciept and other "nit picky" things are turned in.

Well now let me explain what I have to do with these nasty, annoying little buggers.

We have a system here at Prime called Image Power. It allows us to have the driver scan in his bills for the trip, the fuel stop receipts, the toll receipts., and of course the lumper receipt, and we can view them from our computers. We also have another system that makes "tasks" for us to go through that have a lumper receipt needed or viewed to be able to close it for the billing department. Well, that's where I come in. I have to go through the "tasks" created for my certain customers and do what is required by the customer to reimburse the driver. That can vary from simply making sure the amount and the customer name is on the receipt and entering it on the customer website, to emailing a list of lumpers and the receipts to the customer and waiting for the reply of if its approved or not. That's another thing, sometimes the driver does not get reimbursed if the driver paid to much for a lumper service or if the lumper service did not provide the driver with a receipt.

Now I also have to answer the fuel desk phones and cover from time to time the switchboard while going through my "tasks". I do sometimes hate my job. But I am glad I have the job and the opportunities that come with it.

Thank you!

3v3

This weekend is the Ozark High School boys and girls soccer fundraiser tournament. It's called the Summer Sizzler 3v3. It is 3 players verse 3 players of the opposite team. The field is not a regular sized field, it is much smaller. The goals are little pop up ones in the shape of a sideways moon. I believe this tournament has been every summer for 8 years now, but don't hold me to that.

The point of this tournament is to raise money for the High School boys and girls soccer teams to use during their seasons. For example, when I was in high school coach always bought Subway before our away games, so we could eat while we were on the bus. They also pay for our socks and allow us to attend tournaments throughout our season. The money raised is split in half between the boys and girls, so its fair!

You might be wondering why I am playing in the tournament if I have already graduated? Well, my sister plays on the High School girls team and what better way to play some soccer than by donating my time and money to the sport itself. I enjoy every minute of it and I am excited to play this year. Most of my old team is playing with us again. Yay!

Two Dreams into One

As I sit here at work, restless because I have most of my tasks done... I wonder on what to write for today's journal post. I have already talked about my soccer career and the fate of all that. And then I talked about the awesome football team we call the Georgia Bulldawgs. And for some reason today I am just having major writer's block.

I know! I can talk about my recent, as in yesterday, decision on switching my majors. I have already completed the EMT Basic course here at OTC, and have tested to receive my certification. But ever since I was a little six year old girl, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I changed my mind my senior year because I always had this feeling I would change my mind, so I just went ahead and changed it.

So what does that mean? I am going to continue schooling to be an elementary teacher. I'll graduate from OTC and most likely go to MSU to get my graduate degree in Elementary Education. But while I am going through school, I will be a volunteer EMT/First Responder for a fire district around this area. Once I graduate and actually get a job as a teacher, I will still continue to be a volunteer EMT.

I think this is the best way to combine both dreams of mine. I enjoy helping people while also teaching little kids and just being around them in general. But if you guys have any ideas or input, any advice would be great!

Thank you!

A Day in October

I can remember this day like it was yesterday. But because it was last October, I shall write on what I recall of this day. I have loved football for as long as I can remember. Watching it with my dad was "our thing", just like fishing and making jokes was "our thing" as well. Up until I was old enough to know better and to form a decision myself, I followed in my father's footsteps and loved Mizzou football. Then I turned 13 and thought I knew everything. I started to follow the Georgia Bulldawgs. I think it is because I used to go to my grandpa's house every summer since I was abut 6 months old, and he lived in Georgia. But I think for the most part I just watched one game and fell in love with the atmosphere and playing style of the Bulldawgs.
Now I only have eyes for the players of the University of Georgia and coach Mark Richt.

Us Summers' folks like to go to a few Mizzou games a season, and the one dad "says he chose"', but we all know I couldn't shut up about it so daddy's little girl got what she wanted. To see the Georgia Bulldawgs play at Faurot field! I actually got to see the Dawgs play in real life and not just settle for watching the game on TV. It was the coolest experience at Faurot field I have had. As some may know, Todd Gurley was suspended from the team the Tuesday before game day on this Saturday in October. I was devastated, literally heart-broken and angry! But as the game went on, like we know life does, Chubb took Gurley's place as the running back and led the Bulldawgs to a 34 to nothing win over the Tigers. It was literally a dream come true! Watching the game with my family and them wanting to leave a little after half time because the Tigers sucked, to having my best friend and coworker tag along. I couldn't have asked for a better day in October.

I love playing soccer! I have played soccer since I was three years old. I had a plan, like I am sure most people who play sports do, get a scholarship to play in college. I was going right along with that plan, things were falling into place. I was playing soccer year around with club teams and high school ball. My high school coach kept me in the loop on college coaches looking at me, and all of a sudden everything changed.

Its my senior year, first game of the season and my team is all out on the field warming up for our game. Everything is like it has been from freshman year to now, us four seniors have played together, minus a few players along the way. We have worked hard in preseason and the four of us want nothing more than to go beyond just district champs this year. The ref calls the captains over, which are the seniors. We all shake hands with the opposing team, and then the quarter toss goes on,. Parkview gets kickoff, and we turn around and walk back to the huddle to pray and hear what coach has to say. All eleven of us walk out on to that field, ready to start the season off right.

I am playing right back, which is the defender on the right side of the field. One of Parkview's forwards dribbles the ball towards me. I have done this a thousand times. Attacked forwards to get the ball back, dribbled up the field. But this one time, taking a step a second late, costs me my senior season. The forward trips over the ball and lands on my knee. I have torn my ACL. I would later find out from the doctor, that its only torn about a quarter of the way through, . I won't need surgery, but I was out for the season. I did make it back to play in the Senior Night game, but it took a lot of hard work and rehab to get my knee stable enough for that.

I would no longer be able to play for any colleges. My time on the soccer field was over... Or so I thought. I can't play in college, but I sure can teach little kids how to play soccer! So I have taken up coaching. It feels good to be on the soccer field anyway I possibly can. I play in an adult league at Lake Country with some friends, and I try and make a team for the Ozark Summer Sizzler fundraiser, but the majority of my time now invested into the beautiful game is coaching. I wouldn't have guessed this is where I would be looking back, but I can honestly say, I wouldn't give up coaching for anything.

 

For as long as I can remember my immediate family has went to the lake either at Table Rock or Bull Shoals for a family reunion. We hangout, fish, tube, wake board, eat great grandma's delicious biscuits and gravy and just hangout and catch up. But over this past weekend my grandma had updated her phone to a smart phone. A smart phone! As we were sitting around the picnic table, I showed her how to set it up. I added Facebook and Pandora to her phone. Showed her how to use her Weather Channel app. But I think my favorite addition to her app collection would be Trivia Crack. Yes, I showed my grandma how to play Trivia Crack and it only took me about five minutes. I had told her that I hadn't lost a game of Trivia Crack since I found out the app existed. She then proceeded to tell me "you're about to lose now!" And by George did she beat me! My own grandma has kicked my butt at Trivia Crack. Its like I created a monster, she even texts me saying that its my turn! But I am glad that she plays against me. I do enjoy it.

I definitely did not read the directions right for this Fluency/Journal Blog assignment. I thought we were only supposed to write a post every Thursday, turns out we just turn in our favorite one of the week in on Thursday. That changes things! I will from now on find the time to get on the blog each day and write. I don't know what to write about. Should I write about my day a work? How my soccer game went? Or about my family and trails that come with working with my father?

I enjoy spending my time at the Table Rock Lake during the summer with my parents. I also go to Bull Shoals Lake with my boyfriends family. There is a definite difference between those two lakes. Table Rock is always busy, you can not wakeboard on the water from about 11 to 7:30 at night. Once 8 o'clock hits, we usually get the water to become clear and unwavy like glass. That's when you can do the best wakeboarding and you don't have to fight the waves all the time. Now on Bull Shoals, its quiet all day around, you hardly see 10 boats all day. You can wakeboard anytime you want, its calm it seems like 24/7.

Now when it rains is when the really big difference shows up. Table Rock is not as noticeable dirty as Bull Shoals. Logs and trash float all over Bull Shoals, while parts of Table Rock will seem as clean as before the storm.

I have always enjoyed going to the lake. Wakeboarding, tubing, fishing, skiing... It all happens at the lake, and stays at the lake! :)