AMAZON

                                          

Amazon.com is my favorite website. Before I knew about Amazon.com, I would have to take long treks to several stores to find what I want, but this website makes things a lot easier! It shows not only a number of different products, but the best prices on the internet. To make it even better, Amazon offers free expedited shipping for Amazon Prime customers. To become a Prime customer, you can pay one fixed fee of 99.99 per year. Customers receive great value from this, because often, shipping and handling is expensive. In addition, as Prime members, they also get access to music and movie streaming. Amazon is even coming out with their own content, including the TV series “A Handmaid’s Tale.” The best thing I ever bought on Amazon is my George Foreman Grill. George Foreman was a famous boxer. Now, he makes a lot of money by selling his grills! I use it every day to cook chicken, burgers, or even as a press for my sandwiches. I also buy all my books for college through Amazon. They come either used or new, and are a lot cheaper than buying in the bookstore. 

Reading Preferences

As an English teacher, I love to read books. As I have grown older, my taste in books has changed quite a bit. Even though I like to reminisce on books I read in the past, I prefer the books I read as an adult. When I was in my early years of elementary school, I was a little more advanced in reading, so I read chapter books. Instead of trying all kinds of books, I read several series, including The Magic Tree House, and The Hardy Boys. Even though these books were enjoyable, I should have tried new genres and different authors. Today, I make sure to ask friends and colleagues for suggestions on what to read. For example, my friend Connor gave me a book called American Gods, which is falls under the fantasy genre. Another friend, Brendan, gave me a book called New York, which is in the historical fiction genre. When I was younger, I never read historical fiction, but now I am willing to read anything! 

Too Many Snow Days?

Even though the temperatures have been mild lately, there are still many snow storms! Many people like snow because it looks beautiful when it falls from the sky, and it can be fun to play in, but the thousands of people who commute to work do not like it! Due to the storms, there are many school closings, or “snow days.” School administrators decide to close school when the roads will be too unsafe to travel on, and it will be difficult for students and staff to arrive safely. Students rejoice when they hear they have a snow day, and some teachers do, too! Even though this can be a good thing, there are consequences to having snow days. When the school uses too many snow days, there is no choice but to make up the days. In my school district, if there is one more snow day, we will lose one day from our spring break! No one wants that! Because of that bad consequence, I hope there are no more snow days this school year.

Food!

Food is something that unites people and makes people happy, but too much of some foods can be detrimental to your body. Some of my favorite foods are pizza, chicken wings, and pulled pork. I also like cookies, doughnuts, and ice cream when I crave something sweet. Unfortunately, all of these choices are quite unhealthy. Recently, I decided to begin eating healthy in order to feel better and treat my body better. Now, I eat grilled chicken, egg whites, and turkey. I prepare these foods on Sunday before the week begins, so I do not have to cook during my busy week. I also eat a lot of vegetables. Some vegetables I eat include asparagus, green beans, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. These foods do not always taste the best, and it is hard to fight some of my urges to eat poorly, but I understand that eating better will make me feel better every day. Maybe during the summer I will work to build my culinary skills to make these foods taste better! 

Golf

Golf is one of my favorite sports. Even though I will not make it on the pro tour any time soon, I play frequently, and am always trying to improve my game. When I was in college, I wanted to go golfing, but I did not have anyone to golf with me. I convinced my roommate, who had never golfed before, to come with me and try to learn. The first time we went, he did not like the game. He cursed, yelled, and threw his clubs when he got frustrated with the game. Even though he did not like it at first, he continued trying. The next time we played, he smacked some really nice shots! After that day, he smiled and said he liked the game a lot! Now, once the weather is warm enough, we play golf all over Long Island. Even though I learned how to play first, there are some days when he plays better than I do! 

New York Mets

Even though my favorite sport is football and my favorite sports team is the New York Jets, my second favorite sport is baseball and my second favorite team is the New York Mets. I have been a fan from the day I was born. My father jokes that I even watched games from the womb! Last year was a disappointing season for the Mets. Injuries undermined what could have been a great season. They lost a lot of games, and the games were not fun to watch. This year, I am optimistic and believe that can win a World Series! If some key players stay healthy, they will be great. One of those players is named Steven Matz. He is a pitcher who has the potential to be great. He is even a native Long Islander! He went to Ward Melville High School, which is near the school I teach at now. Hopefully Matz and the rest of the Mets can stay healthy and win a championship!

Vocabulary

fan - one who cheers for a team

womb - where mothers carry unborn babies

undermined - ruined

optimistic - hopeful; thinking good thoughts

potential - possibility of doing something

native - originally born

Activity

1. When the boy put his hand on his mother's stomach, he could feel his future sister kick from the _____________. 
2. Even though I have not done well on my math tests, I am _____________ that I will do better. 
3. You could tell Peter is a _____________ of Barcelona because he wore a Messi shirt. 
4. I felt good when my boss told me that I have the _____________ to own my own restaurant some day. 
5. I was in line to get a new raise, but my enemy _____________ me by putting holes in my tires and I could not get to work! 
6. Even though she now lives in Colorado, she is a _____________ New Yorker.

Grammar Point - PROPER NOUNS

Proper nouns are names used for specific people, places, and organizations. For example, cookie is a noun; Oreo is a proper noun. It is important to remember that all proper nouns are capitalized. Take a look at my post. Some proper nouns I used are Steven Matz, New York Mets, Ward Melville High School. 

Look around the room. Write down three proper nouns that are names, and three proper nouns that are name brands or companies.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

During my free time, when I am not teaching or grading, I like to watch The Food Network channel on TV. My favorite show is called "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." The host of this show is Guy Fieri, a zany, outgoing chef who has bleached, spiky hair! On his show, he travels the country to find the best places to dine. He speaks to the owner of each restaurant and discusses secret recipes, cooks the most well known dishes, and of course, tastes them! Watching this show while I am trying to eat healthy is torturous at times. When the food is cooking, I can almost smell it through the television! Even though the food can be tantalizing, I still like watching the show because I can learn about the customs and cultures in other states, and maybe get some ideas for a road trip in the future!