Why Bother? (Week 8)

1.  Right now we have big problems homelessness among veterans.  What I don't get is why do we let people risk their lives for us and then let them get to the point of having to live on the street?  They were the ones to risk their lives yet they get kicked to the curb once they are out of the service.

 Response to companion:  I could do something about it but it seems too far over my head.  It would involve trying to reach out with people in the government that have high power.  

Companion:  What would you say to them?

Me:  Give them statistics on homeless veterans and a idea i have to help this problem a little.

Companion:  What's your idea?

Me:  Instead of having halfway houses for criminals, have these kind of houses for veterans who need to get back on their feet.  Help the people that fought to kept us safe instead of people who are felons.

2. Pollan begins by sounding a little pessimistic.  But then, you realize he is optimistic of the situation.  He says that maybe if one person starts something new, someone else will follow.  He says we should do what we believe in and be a leader.  Don't sit around thinking someone else will start to save the world like you want to- be the change you want to see.

3.  Believing Game:  Since we have progressed as a nation, we have progressed with transportation, mass production, etc.  We have become used to having things be so easy for us- we don't try to do what's better for the environment, we do what's better fo us individually.

Doubting Game:  There was no real facts added into the essay, it was more personal opinion than anything.  I don't think we have a problem with specialization- you put in the work and it effects you either positively or negatively.  I do think we need to change how we treat the environment but honestly, I dont think it will 'go to shit' if we dont change too drastically.

4.  Have you or someone near and dear to you served in the US military?  Now think about after they are out of the service- possible PTSD or disabled.  How would you feel if you/them ended up on the street after risking their lives for you?  In 2014, it was reported that roughly 49,900 veterans were homeless.  We need to work on lowering this number.  My proposal is instead of having alot of halfway houses for recently released criminals, we should have houses like these for veterans.  It wouldn't be the exact same thing, but similar.  We could house veterans instead of kicking them to the curb. 

http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/fact-sheet-veteran-homelessness

Review Essay RD

Kitzman 1

Kyla Kitzman

Professor Maltman

ENG 1101

19 February 2017

Getting Tattoos: Simple or Difficult?

Can you think of the most controversial decisions when it comes to hiring new employees at jobs?  Alright, did you think long and hard?  The answer is tattoos.  Although they are becoming more popular, people are still being discriminated against for tattoos.  But, what is it like really getting a tattoo and having a tattoo?  I currently have three tattoos myself, two from Rockin’ Tattoos in Eagan, MN, and the other from Canvas Tattoo in Prior Lake, MN.  Both are great places to get tattooed at.  I didn't get too lucky with finding these places though.  

The first shop I looked at was Aloha Monkey, in Burnsville, MN.  I was not a fan.  When I went to check out the shop, there was no other customers present.  Even with the shortage of people in the shop, the artists seemed like they did not have time for me.  They had short answers, were very rude about me asking a ton of questions, and quoted me for a lot more than I expected.  For my first tattoo, all I wanted was a small, simple quote on my ribs.  I was quoted a little over $250, which I knew was way too much for what I wanted.  It was almost like because they knew this was my first time,  they knew they could get away with anything.  It almost seemed like they were annoyed by me being a first timer.  So not how anyone should feel before getting something on their body forever!

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The next place I went was High Noon in Northfield, MN.  When I went to check this place out, I loved it.  You walk in and it’s almost like a small art gallery, with pictures of the artists art hanging all over the walls.  High Noon has also won a ton of awards and my friend Noah had been tattooed there, so I kind of had that “this is a good place” thought in my mind already.  I met with Corrie, the owner of the shop.  I asked my continuous questions about tattoos, and asked him about the tattoo I was wanting to get.  He quoted me at $80, which seemed right for my the quote I wanted on my ribs.  I made a appointment for a week from then, and left the shop ecstatic.  It was all I could talk about for that week.  Fast forward to tattoo day.  I woke up and got ready as fast as I could, racing to High Noon.  I was suppose to be the first appointment of the day at one.  I arrived, parked, and hurried to the shop, just to find out the door was locked.  I was about 15 minutes early so I figured maybe Corrie was running late.  I sat on the sidewalk outside and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Once one hit, I started to get a little worried.  I called the shop and there was no answer.  I continued to call the shop for the next two hours, hoping and praying someone would pick up.  After me calling what seemed like 100 times, I messaged the shop on Facebook.  They got back to me that way and said Corrie had a ‘dental emergency’.  I asked why I didn't get a call informing me no one would be there and they claimed they didn't have a way to contact me.  But, the thing about that is Corrie wrote my number down on his calendar newt to my name and appointment time.  I asked if we could do the tattoo sometime in the next couple days and they said they'd get back to me within a day.  That was in June, and I still haven't heard with them.  Since then, I have tried going back once to get my third tattoo.  It was in the afternoon, and we had checked the shops hours so we knew 

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they were open.  When we got there, the place was empty, the door was locked, and no one answered the phone.  From now on, I will stay away from High Noon.  In the end, they were unprofessional and unreliable.

The third shop I tired was Rockin Tattoos in Eagan, MN.  The day I went to this shop, was the same day I was stood up by High Noon.  Originally, I hadn't even thought about going to Rockin Tattoos.  But, this is where my boyfriend has had two of his three tattoos done, and they are well designed and well done.  So, I figured I’d give it a shot.  I arrived at Rockin Tattoos later that day.  I walked in and loved it.  I was greeted instantly by an artist named Arthur.  It was filled with people, both getting tattoos and spectators watching their friends.  I talked with Arthur about what I wanted and asked him my questions.  The entire time I felt welcomed and accepted.  I decided right then and there I was getting this tattoo.  Arthur did a amazing job and I still love this tattoo.

For my second tattoo, I went back to Rockin Tattoos.  When I went back, I found out Arthur was a guest artist, so he wasn't available for me.  So, I went with the owner of the shop, Joseph.  We met and discussed my tattoo- a big piece on my back, a sun and moon.  I brought in pictures for reference of what I wanted and Joseph worked with it very well!  When I went to get the tattoo, Joseph showed me the design and I loved it, it was perfect for me.  It only took about two and a half hours, which was quick for how big of a piece it was.  I was and am still in love with this tattoo, and try to show it off every chance I get.  Rockin Tattoos is a experienced shop with great people with great skills and I recommend everyone who wants a tattoo to check it out.

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For my third tattoo, I didn't really plan it out.  I had known I had wanted this tattoo but didn't meet with anyone before nor did I tell my parents.  I was with my friend and we decided to go to Canvas Tattoo in Prior Lake, MN.  Although I love Rockin in Eagan, they can be a little spendy.  With wanting a smaller tattoo, I decided to go to Canvas where they charged by the hour.  I walked in and was instantly greeted by William, who really took the time to discuss what I wanted- a lotus on the inner side of my left arm.  The tattoo only took 30 minutes and when he was done, I was in love again.  I even tried to show off my tattoo in short sleeves in the dead of winter!

When it comes down to it, tattoos really go person by person.  Some people love them, some people hate them.  Some like certain designs of tattoos and others like other designs.  It really all comes down to what you think.  If you love it, get it.  Don't let anyone stop you.  Cause once you get the tattoo, your confidence will boost and you'll be wanting to show it off  24/7.  Before the tattoo, make sure you do your research.  Look at multiple shops and make sure you love both the shop and the artist- you should feel comfortable and welcomed into the shop.  Once you find the right shop, you are ready to get anything your heart desires.

Review Essay Brainstorm

Things I Want

• A perfect GPA
• Free school
• More free time
• For my parents to understand me more
• To lose weight
• Beat my dad in Words with Friends

The Jury is Still Out

• Do I make good impressions
• Am I wasting my time with certain people
• Do I spend my time wisely enough
• Have I become outgoing enough

My Media and My Obsessions

• Frozen soundtrack
•  Getting tattooed
• anything by Dustin Lynch
• Carrie Underwood
• Miranda Lambert
• Twitter

Things That Bother Me

• when people chew with their mouth open
• when people scroll on their phones at concerts
• babies high pitched screaming
• when my nanny girls talk back

Part Two

Why are some people so obsessed with tattoos and why do some people hate them?  How come people that hate tattoos will act differently around people with tattoos?  I'm curious as to what the history of tattooing.  How do tattoos exactly work, as in what is it that makes them stay on your skin forever?  What's the worst place to get a tattoo, what hurts most?  I have three tattoos and the pain was different for all of them.  My ribs (also my first tattoo) hurt the most.  My back I barely felt, and my arm I only felt the closer he got to the inside of it.  Why do some places hurt more than others?

Final Draft Profile Essay

Untold Stories of the Blue Collared Worker

“There are jobs that work your mind, and jobs that work your body”, says Todd Kitzman, as he sips on a cup of coffee, still trying to warm himself up after a long cold day at work.  Each day he is up at five o'clock in the morning to get ready for what the day has in store for him at work.  He gets to work by 6:15, has his morning meeting, which entails what everyone will be doing that day, and what needs to be accomplished, and is then sent off to do his task of the day.  His daily task can be anywhere from clipping tree branches, painting lines on roads, sweeping streets, and snowplowing.  From his meeting, he must gather all the equipment he will need for the day and leave the shop to get to the location of his task.  When he arrives at the location, he will work until his morning break at 9:00, then till lunch and checking in with his boss at 12:00, then till his day is over at 2:30.  At that point, he still has to drive back to the shop, return the equipment, give a day end report to his boss, and then punch out, leaving him to get home at 3:30.   Todd is employed by the city of Apple Valley, working with the street department.  Although, in the winter, his day is never really done.  Minnesota’s winters are unpredictable and snow can fall whenever it pleases.  Due to this, Todd always has to be prepared incase it starts to snow.  The city can call him at anytime requesting his time (he can say no, but that means missing out on extra cash, which in a blue collared workforce is always needed).  

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In fact, he said one of the most difficult aspects of his job is being called in the middle of the night to go into work to plow or salt roads.  The roads are always horrendous at that time.  Another difficult aspect is working on the roads when it’s snowy and it’s bad driving conditions which are usually very slick.  One time, about three years ago, he was almost hit by a car.  He was working on salting sidewalks when one car tried passing another.  The driver lost control when trying to pass due to black ice, causing the vehicle to slide towards Todd.  “I think I saw my life flash before my eyes, I was sure they were going to hit me.”  He said he’s lucky he got out of the way on time.  Hearing about this shocked me, I don’t remember him telling my family about it.  When I asked why he never told us, he said he didn't want to worry us because he was going to have to go back to work early the next morning and do the same thing.  

The danger of the job continues from season to season.  Such as in spring when he needs to sweep the salt and sand off the streets, as well as repaint crosswalks.  One time, he was repainting a crosswalk and someone disregarded the cones.  He said the driver was “driving a lifted truck, so his line of sight was already a little impaired”.  The driver hit the cone in front of Todd, and he was so close that his foot was almost was ran over.  Todd said he was both shocked and mad, and ready to yell and let them know to pay more attention to his surroundings, but the driver neglected to stop, although he should've because he hit a traffic cone.  Also with street sweeping, the vehicle is very slow.  People always tailgate him and don't make rash decisions all the time because they are in such a hurry.  Roughly 20 years ago, one of the first years he was able to use the street sweeper, someone was tailgating him and was not paying attention, failing to see he stopped.  The next thing Todd remembers is feeling the jolt of the car hitting his 

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vehicle.  He actually thinks this accident is the reason he still has chronic back pain from time to time, two decades later.  Another dangerous time he had working with the city was in fall.  Todd was cutting down low hanging branches that hung over the street.  Todd was on a ladder cutting one of the branches off and holding on to another to balance himself.  While doing so, some rookies nearby were messing around on their break and bumped his ladder, causing Todd to have to pull on the branch he was using to balance himself.  With the wood being dead, he fell to the ground.

With all the physical labor involved with his work, Todd says he regrets not finishing college and going into a more white collar work environment.  After graduating high school, Todd actually attended Normandale to get his generals, and planned on becoming a conservation officer.  But about a year in, his parents went through a divorce.  He was forced to drop out of Normandale to start working full time to  pay utilities and rent to help support his mom and two younger siblings.  When he started looking for work, one of his family friends brought to his attention a job opportunity for the city of Apple Valley with plenty of chances for promotion.  In the end, it ultimately turned out for the better.  Through working for the city of Apple Valley, a coworker and mutual friend introduced Todd to my mother.  This whole blue collared work he did payed off in the end.  He has a secure job and a loving family.  

Todd’s explanation of his job intrigued me through the hardships he faced working with the city of Apple Valley.  Honestly, I had no idea all the work he did.  Todd said a lot of people think he doesn't really do anything.  To this, Todd says “come work a day with me and then tell me I don’t do anything”.  I have more respect for city street workers, as well as my father, 

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working hard day to day to support our family no matter the conditions or the dangers.  From these untold stories my father has shared with me, I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for them more often when driving through the city.  To me, Todd Kitzman is more than just a street worker.  He is my biggest supporter, and my father.

Rough Draft Profile Essay

Untold Stories of the Blue Collared Worker

“There are jobs that work your mind, and jobs that work your body”, says Todd Kitzman, as he sips on a cup of coffee, still trying to warm himself up after a long cold day at work.  Each day he is up at five o'clock in the morning to get ready for what the day has in store for him at work.  He gets to work by 6:15, has his morning meeting, which entails what everyone will be doing that day, and what needs to be accomplished, and is then sent off to do his task of the day.  His daily task can be anywhere from clipping tree branches, painting lines on roads, sweeping streets, and snowplowing.  From his meeting, he must gather all the equipment he will need for the day and leave the shop to get to the location of his task.  From there, he will work until his morning break at 9:00, then till lunch and checking in with his boss at 12:00, then till his day is over at 2:30.  At that point, he still has to drive back to the shop, return the equipment, give a day end report to his boss, and then punch out, leaving him to get home at 3:30.  Todd is employed by the city of Apple Valley, working with the street department.  Although, in the winter, his day is never really done.  Minnesota’s winters are unpredictable and snow can fall whenever it pleases.  Due to this, Todd always has to be prepared incase it starts to snow.  The city can call him at anytime requesting his time (he can say no, but that means missing out on extra cash, which in a blue collared workforce is always needed).  

In fact, he said one of the most difficult aspects of his job is being called in the middle of the night to go into work to plow or salt roads.  The roads are always horrendous at that time.  Another difficult aspect is working on the roads when it’s snowy and it’s bad driving conditions which are usually very slick.  One time, about three years ago, he almost hit by a car.  He was working on salting some sidewalks when one car tried passing another.  The driver lost control when trying to pass due to black ice, causing the vehicle to slide towards Todd.  “I think I saw my life flash before my eyes, I was sure they were going to hit me.”  He said he’s lucky he got out of the way on time.  Hearing about this shocked me, I don’t remember him telling us about it.  When I asked why he never told us, he said he didn't want to worry us because he was going to have to go back to work early the next morning and do the same thing.  

The danger of the job continues from season to season.  Such as in spring when he needs to sweep all the salt and sand off the streets as well as repainting crosswalks.  One time, he was repainting a crosswalk and someone disregarded the cones.  He said the driver was “driving a lifted truck, so his line of sight was already a little impaired”.  The driver hit the cone in front of Todd, and he was so close that his foot almost was ran over.  Todd said he was both shocked and mad, and ready to yell and let them know to pay more attention to his surroundings, but the driver neglected to stop, although he should've because he hit a traffic cone.  Also with street sweeping, the vehicle is very slow.  People always tailgate him and don't always make rash decisions because they are in such a hurry.  Roughly 20 years ago, one of the first years he was able to use the street sweeper, someone was tailgating him and was not paying attention, failing to see he stopped.  The next thing Todd remembers is feeling the jolt of the car hitting his vehicle.  He actually thinks this accident is the reason he still has chronic back pain from time to time all these years later.  Another dangerous time he had working with the city was in fall.  Todd was cutting down low hanging branches that hung over the street.  Todd  was on a ladder cutting one of the branches off and holding on to another to balance himself.  While doing so, some rookies near by were messing around on their break and bumped his ladder, causing Todd to have to pull on the branch he was using to balance himself, and with he wood being dead,  he was launched off the ladder.

With all the physical labor involved with his work, Todd says he regrets not finishing college and going into a more white collar work environment.  After graduating high school, Todd actually attended Normandale to get his generals done to become a conservation officer.  But about a year in, his parents went through a divorce.  He was forced to drop out of Normandale to start working full time to  pay utilities and rent to help support his mom and two younger siblings.  When he started looking for work, one of his family friends brought to his attention a job opportunity for the city of Apple Valley with plenty of chances for promotion.  In the end, it ultimately turned out for the better.  Through working for the city of Apple Valley, a coworker and mutual friend introduced Todd to my mother.  This whole blue collared work he did payed off in the end.  He has a secure job and a loving family.  

Todd’s explanation of his job intrigued me through the hardships he faced working with the city of Apple Valley.  Honestly, I had no idea all the work he did.  Todd said a lot of people think he doesn't really do anything.  To this, Todd says “come work a day with me and then tell me I don’t do anything”.  I have more respect for city street workers, as well as my father, working hard day to day to support our family no matter the conditions or the dangers.  From these untold stories my father has shared with me, I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for them more often when driving through the city.

Creating a Sketch

Frame: I will be trying to show the life of a blue collar worker, their experiences, and their feelings about being one.

Theme: I want my readers to know about the feelings of a blue collared worker and if they are going into this, know what to expect.

Info: For the interview, I need to ask questions about the past, feeling towards his work, get his normal schedule, and learn more about being a city street worker.

When I first think of Todd Kitzman, I think of a grizzly man with a tough poker face.  But in reality, he has a big heart and is very caring.  He is hardworking and the thing he cares for the most in this entire world is his family.

The one thing people fail to notice about Dad is how hard he works.  Each day, he gets up at 5 AM to get ready for work.  He is there by 6:30 AM to get his morning assignment, then he is outside all day no matter the temp.  He works hard for his money, just to support his family.

Inquiring into the Essay- dad

From everyone that I can think of that has shaped my life, my parents keep shining through.  I am so grateful to have such great, hardworking parents.  With this being said, I have chosen my dad to profile.  He is more of a private person so I am excited to do this interview.  For my cluster, I came up with the words: hard working, dedicated, strong willed, tough, caring, and loving.

Museum Missionary sheds light on David Mills, and his love for God and Lobsters.  It talks about things that make David, well, David.

I think I will use myself in the profile a little bit.  I will talk about past experience with him.

Weekend Adventure

I have never been one to try new things.  Especially when it comes to foods and drinks.  I like having my same coffee order, same order of tea, and the same foods at every restaurant.  I’m not a picky eater, yet I am a picky eater.  I like a wide range of foods and drinks but some things just really bug me, and I won’t try anything too wild.  If something is slimy, it will not go past my lips.  If something smells rancid, it will not go past my lips.  If something sounds too out there, it will most likely not go past my lips.

I have had the same two orders at Starbucks for years.  It’s always either an Iced Caramel Machiatto or a Passion Iced Tea Lemonade (half classic, half raspberry syrup).  The Iced Caramel Machiatto is a caramel goodness that makes me think it is how a cloud would taste, with the milk and coffee separated with drizzled caramel all over.  When you get a sip with caramel drizzle in it, it reminds you of a warm summer day at the beach eating ice cream with caramel sauce.  The Passion Iced Tea Lemonade, however, is a sweet refreshing flavor.  It is just the right mix of sweet and sour.  It takes me back instantly to my old job, as I would always come in with one.  

I recently saw a video on Facebook for a new drink at Starbucks: The Cascara Latte.  I thought it sounded interesting.  The Cascara Latte is made with the shell that coffee beans come in.  According to Starbucks, “Cascara is the dried fruit of the cherry itself”.  At first, I thought it started to sound delicious.  Then, I started to think, what if it tastes more like a fruit than coffee?  Or what if the coffee and flavor of cascara don't go together?

I went into Starbucks to try it for myself.  I couldn't help get nervous as I led into my first sniff and taste of the steaming hot drink.  It smelled just like any other latte would smell, like coffee and milk so there was a good sign.  I then went into my first taste.  At first, I thought it was good.  Fast forward 30 seconds and I was just about ready to throw up. During the first few sips, I couldn't really taste the cascara.  But after you let the taste sit in your mouth, it shines through.  After lingering for a bit, you start to taste rotten fruit.  I felt like I had just eaten a three-week-old

orange that had been sitting already peeled.

My friend is a barista and she let me taste the syrup that is the ‘cascara’ and the topping that comes with it.  Just the syrup alone smells like cough medicine and dried prunes.  It tasted like it smelled.  I had to drink a lot of water before I could fully get the taste out of my mouth.  The syrup in the cup flowed just like a stream would as I poured it into the trash.  Now comes the topping alone.  The topping is made of sugar and the dried cherry extract.  I didn't get one taste of the dried cherry, it tasted like just plain sugar.  I felt like I could feel my teeth rotting from the sugar because I took a rather large mouthful for my taste test out of the cup my barista gave me.
  Some people may like the Cascara Latte.  Some people may hate it.  But ultimately, if I drank it fast enough and didn't really let the taste linger in my mouth, it just might think it was delicious.

For my post titled "Imagine That", here is my story:
Every spring break, I get to go to Arizona.  My brother moved down there two years ago and my grandma is a snow-bird and lives there during the winter months (so practically all year), so I get to go to visit them!  It is my FAVORITE thing to do every year, I have a very close bond with both of them.  My brother and I both love to go hiking.  We try to do a couple hikes when I go.  This happened to be at the top of one of our hikes and we thought it was so cool!  It was like a little house, there was stone benches and a table made in there as well.  Luckily, there was a couple other people up there to take pictures of us together for our parents but we also snapped some single pics too!  The day we hiked this specific mountain, happened to be the hottest it ever reached when I was there! I was NOT use to that type of heat, MN can get hot but not that hot! But, I still loved every minute of it and that I got to spend time with my brother!!

Imagine That!