Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Introduction to Impressing The Girls
For my fourth piece I chose a blog entry it was written the first week of February. It was a free write, so we could write about anything. I titled it, “Impressing the Girls.” I was always trying to impress any cute girls that I came across. It didn’t always end the way I planed, and this is one of those times. This piece really shows my writing style, humorous and descriptive. An example of this is, “There I lay, tangled in the bike watching the clouds roll by. While in the background I hear hysterical laughter with the occasional request if I was still alive,” and, “On the inside I knew this was going to hurt. The girls became ecstatic and stated whistling and cheering me on. I turned my head to bask in the glory.” I like to make people laugh and this piece reflects that. Just a warning, I do not recommend drink anything before reading it, you do not want it shooting out of your nose.
Impressing The Girls
I was always ready and willing to impress the girls, and I would use any means necessary to accomplish. For example stunts, sports, or just plain stupidity.
On a nice sunny day while riding my bike, I saw a house that had about 4 very cute girls on the roof sunbathing. I was too shy to talk to them and that was too easy. Thinking quickly before I reached their house, I had the bright idea to impress them with my mad riding skills. I had moments to plan my routine. Riding with no hands, I figured, wasn't challenging enough, and riding on one wheel did not meet my personal standards of impressing either. I then had the brilliant idea to combine the tricks, because that was sure to get me all of their phone numbers.
I came down the street in a high gear to make sure I had enough speed. Girls like speed right? As I came up to the promising location, I went to work. First I pulled the bike up onto one wheel. That got their attention. While I had all the girls captivated I commenced the second phase of my plan. Dropping my hands to my sides I rode past the house. On the outside I was calm, as if this was an everyday occurrence. On the inside I knew this was going to hurt, but the girls became ecstatic and stated whistling and cheering me on, so I did not care. I lifted my head in their direction to bask in the glory, but to my horror, when I turned around again I was heading straight for a parked car. I did not have enough time to brake, and did not want to damage the car.
I took the only option left available to me, a controlled crash. I dropped the front wheel down even though it was at the wrong angle. This made the bike flip forward and me along with it. There I lay, tangled in the bike watching the clouds roll by. While in the background I heard hysterical laughter with the occasional request if I was still alive. At this point I was so embarrassed that I wish I had died, but alas the only thing I seriously hurt was my pride. To their concerns I offered a weak thumbs up. This brought a few cheers but was quickly drowned out by laughter. Picking up my bike, that now had a bent front wheel, I haphazardly rode home. It wasn’t until later that day I realized that I had forgotten something very important, the phone numbers. I learned a valuable lesson that day, next time I will just go up and talk to them.
On a nice sunny day while riding my bike, I saw a house that had about 4 very cute girls on the roof sunbathing. I was too shy to talk to them and that was too easy. Thinking quickly before I reached their house, I had the bright idea to impress them with my mad riding skills. I had moments to plan my routine. Riding with no hands, I figured, wasn't challenging enough, and riding on one wheel did not meet my personal standards of impressing either. I then had the brilliant idea to combine the tricks, because that was sure to get me all of their phone numbers.
I came down the street in a high gear to make sure I had enough speed. Girls like speed right? As I came up to the promising location, I went to work. First I pulled the bike up onto one wheel. That got their attention. While I had all the girls captivated I commenced the second phase of my plan. Dropping my hands to my sides I rode past the house. On the outside I was calm, as if this was an everyday occurrence. On the inside I knew this was going to hurt, but the girls became ecstatic and stated whistling and cheering me on, so I did not care. I lifted my head in their direction to bask in the glory, but to my horror, when I turned around again I was heading straight for a parked car. I did not have enough time to brake, and did not want to damage the car.
I took the only option left available to me, a controlled crash. I dropped the front wheel down even though it was at the wrong angle. This made the bike flip forward and me along with it. There I lay, tangled in the bike watching the clouds roll by. While in the background I heard hysterical laughter with the occasional request if I was still alive. At this point I was so embarrassed that I wish I had died, but alas the only thing I seriously hurt was my pride. To their concerns I offered a weak thumbs up. This brought a few cheers but was quickly drowned out by laughter. Picking up my bike, that now had a bent front wheel, I haphazardly rode home. It wasn’t until later that day I realized that I had forgotten something very important, the phone numbers. I learned a valuable lesson that day, next time I will just go up and talk to them.
Introduction to Treasure Hunting
The paper that shows my writing ability the best would have to be my final Major Writing Assignment (MWA). It is a process paper I called, “Treasure Hunting.” It is the process to finding merchandise at a swap meet. This piece started as a journal entry and through revising and suggestions by others became a three page essay. Some excerpts from my essay are, “You might find some good deals, but you are more likely to need a Tetanus shot after picking through the junk. The second seller to watch out for has all new merchandise.” This is a good example of my descriptive writing. Also, “The first thing you need to do is plan the trip. You want to make a budget, so you will know how much money you can spend,” shows part of the process to successfully find treasures at a swap meet. This is my final piece and I hope you can see my progression from a small plain paragraph to a process essay.
Treasure Hunting
Shopping at a swap meet can be a treasure hunt if you know what to look for. A swap meet is like a large garage sale in one place. In some states they can be over a square mile in size. To fully enjoy shopping you must plan ahead, or you may end up spending too much money on something that you do not need. If you follow some basic guidelines, you will find shopping at swap meets to be an enjoyable experience.
The first thing you need to do is plan the trip. You want to make a budget, so you will know how much money you can spend. A budget will help when it comes time to bargaining with the seller. A good pair of shoes helps to keep your feet from getting sore. It is important to have plenty to drink, especially in hotter climates. Often there are concession stands at the larger swap meets, but the prices are outrageous. Many swap meets give out maps or have maps online so you can plan what areas you want to visit. Make sure you pace yourself because it is amazing how much walking you can do at a swap meet.
The most important thing to remember is what type of vendors, the people selling products, to look for. There are two types of vendors that you should stay away from. The first is the person that has piles of rusted rubbish sitting on tarps. This individual brought boxes of worthless stuff that his wife made him take out of the garage. You might find some good deals, but you are more likely to need a Tetanus shot after picking through the junk. The second seller to watch out for has all new merchandise. Their job is to sell the products, and the only reason they are out there is to make money. All items were bought really cheap and marked up exponentially. Knowing what your budget is will help you walk by this person without being tempted to get something shiny and new. The person that will have those hidden treasures is somewhere between the two. They will have the products organized and laid out nicely. The stuff won’t be new, but it will be clean.
The key to finding “diamonds in the rough” is to keep you eyes open and know what you are looking at. If you do not know what something is, just put it back. You need to look at the items closely to check for dents, rust, and even pieces glued back on. This is why it is important to know what you are looking at. Make sure that the merchandise is something you can use, and you are not just buying it for the “wow” factor. The “wow” factor is when you see something and think, “Wow, I really want that.” Many people buy something because it looks nice, but they get home and find that it was not what they expected. A good example of this is my brothers petrified cactus lamp, which has been in storage for over ten years.
Once you find a treasure, ask the seller if they would hold on to it for you. You may just find the same thing for less money and in better condition somewhere else. If the seller does not want to hold on to it for you, it is not a good idea to buy anything from them anyways. They usually are not the type to bargain, and you will find better prices elsewhere. When you are sure that you want to buy it, you are ready to barter. You should always make sure you have enough money to pay the asking price, just in case the seller will not lower it. Bartering is more of an art than a process, and some people are better at it then others. A good starting point is around half the asking price, but with expensive items you should start at 60-70% of the asking price. Usually the seller will decline, but that is ok. Remember the seller is trying to make money, so do not expect them to just give their merchandise away. Bargaining really depends on the situation. Some sellers love to bargain and will keep working the deal until you are both satisfied, yet other want the asking price and will not take anything less.
Once the sale is completed, stick around and talk to the seller. They know who has quality products, and may be able to help you find anything else your looking for. Also, they may be able to locate any unusual items you may be wanting. If you are not careful, you may run out of room for all you stuff. Then you might find yourself selling treasures at the same swap meet where you bought them.
When you are done treasure hunting make sure, you enjoy your “booty” and brag about how cheap it was. Swap meets have new dealers and products all the time, so you will want to come back again and again. As long as you plan ahead of time, you will find going to the swap meet an enjoyable occasion. You might even find yourself going just to look around and not even buying anything.
The first thing you need to do is plan the trip. You want to make a budget, so you will know how much money you can spend. A budget will help when it comes time to bargaining with the seller. A good pair of shoes helps to keep your feet from getting sore. It is important to have plenty to drink, especially in hotter climates. Often there are concession stands at the larger swap meets, but the prices are outrageous. Many swap meets give out maps or have maps online so you can plan what areas you want to visit. Make sure you pace yourself because it is amazing how much walking you can do at a swap meet.
The most important thing to remember is what type of vendors, the people selling products, to look for. There are two types of vendors that you should stay away from. The first is the person that has piles of rusted rubbish sitting on tarps. This individual brought boxes of worthless stuff that his wife made him take out of the garage. You might find some good deals, but you are more likely to need a Tetanus shot after picking through the junk. The second seller to watch out for has all new merchandise. Their job is to sell the products, and the only reason they are out there is to make money. All items were bought really cheap and marked up exponentially. Knowing what your budget is will help you walk by this person without being tempted to get something shiny and new. The person that will have those hidden treasures is somewhere between the two. They will have the products organized and laid out nicely. The stuff won’t be new, but it will be clean.
The key to finding “diamonds in the rough” is to keep you eyes open and know what you are looking at. If you do not know what something is, just put it back. You need to look at the items closely to check for dents, rust, and even pieces glued back on. This is why it is important to know what you are looking at. Make sure that the merchandise is something you can use, and you are not just buying it for the “wow” factor. The “wow” factor is when you see something and think, “Wow, I really want that.” Many people buy something because it looks nice, but they get home and find that it was not what they expected. A good example of this is my brothers petrified cactus lamp, which has been in storage for over ten years.
Once you find a treasure, ask the seller if they would hold on to it for you. You may just find the same thing for less money and in better condition somewhere else. If the seller does not want to hold on to it for you, it is not a good idea to buy anything from them anyways. They usually are not the type to bargain, and you will find better prices elsewhere. When you are sure that you want to buy it, you are ready to barter. You should always make sure you have enough money to pay the asking price, just in case the seller will not lower it. Bartering is more of an art than a process, and some people are better at it then others. A good starting point is around half the asking price, but with expensive items you should start at 60-70% of the asking price. Usually the seller will decline, but that is ok. Remember the seller is trying to make money, so do not expect them to just give their merchandise away. Bargaining really depends on the situation. Some sellers love to bargain and will keep working the deal until you are both satisfied, yet other want the asking price and will not take anything less.
Once the sale is completed, stick around and talk to the seller. They know who has quality products, and may be able to help you find anything else your looking for. Also, they may be able to locate any unusual items you may be wanting. If you are not careful, you may run out of room for all you stuff. Then you might find yourself selling treasures at the same swap meet where you bought them.
When you are done treasure hunting make sure, you enjoy your “booty” and brag about how cheap it was. Swap meets have new dealers and products all the time, so you will want to come back again and again. As long as you plan ahead of time, you will find going to the swap meet an enjoyable occasion. You might even find yourself going just to look around and not even buying anything.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my E-Portfolio. I hope you enjoyed my stories and were able to see my progression as a writer. I will be taking English 98 next quarter, and I look forward to improving my writing abilities. My goal is to be accomplished enough to have articles in newsprint again. Any feedback you may have will be greatly appreciated.
Joshua
Joshua
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