Example Essay Intro

                The silence is broken by a loud tone coming from the black box that is clipped to everyone’s side; a familiar voice breaks in to give the next crew up an idea of where they are going and for what reason.  I close my laptop with a sense of frustration; my English 101 work will have to wait a little bit longer.  As my partner and I scurry across the parking lot to the garage, a few white speckles start falling from the sky; “I guess the weatherman was right” are the first words that are muttered from my partner after his brief nap.  We open the garage door, climb into the ambulance and hit the switch to activate our emergency lights and sirens; my adrenalin starts to pump as I mentally prepare myself for the call.  I love my second job for so many reasons!

Graf 19

I have a hard enough time coming up with ideas for an essay when given enough time to think about it; never mind having an hour or so to come up with an idea and bringing it to life.  For some reason, I am having an extremely hard time coming up with ideas that someone would actually care to read about.  I was able to just allow my fingers to do the work, without having to put much thought into it for a little while; not recently though.  I do not mind having to write about something if there is an assigned topic; that I can get creative with.  I feel that I just have way too much going on in my life right now and find it hard to concentrate.  This may be a horrible excuse but, I am sticking to it!

Exam Essay

                We never really expected to find her that day; we really only planned on getting a few odds and ends from the store.  Who could just walk by and not look at the piles of fur in the little cages anyway?  All rescued and in need of a good home; all with some story to tell on how and where they were found.  She was found in an abandoned house with her mother and siblings, only a few weeks old at the time.  As she lay there in the temporary cage that was set up by the rescue agency, she looks so pathetic.  Her big brown eyes could melt even the coldest of hearts; we knew right then that she was the one.  We ended up getting more than some bread that day; we ended up getting a new member of our family.  We are not sure as to what breed of dog Zoey is but, we do know that she has added so much to our family in character, entertainment and love.

                Zoey has added a new sort of character to our home.  We ensure that she goes with us wherever we go if possible.  Family and friends always are inquiring on how she is doing.  I can always count on Zoey meeting me at the door when I get home; her tail wagging and her body in a tremor of excitement.  I know that she will always fall asleep next to my side of the bed and will eventually decide to move into her bed when she is sure that Mom and Dad are safe and asleep.  On a hot summer day, I know that I can always find her either sunbathing in the yard or stretched out on the kitchen floor, enjoying the cold tiles on her stomach.  She is more than a dog; she is a member of our family.

                At five years old, Zoey still has the energy of a puppy.  Hours can be spent walking her in the yard or throwing a ball for her to fetch.  Good luck getting away from her if she brings you the tug rope.  I can always expect her to talk to me, using random noises that make sense only to her when she is excited and happy. She is the type of dog that always keeps you wondering on what she is going to do next.  I enjoy time spent with her; she is a true example of an animal being man’s best friend.  I have never owned a dog with such an entertaining personality.  Her antics are crazy, she is always great fun and she is more than just a dog; she is a member of our family.

                I am constantly amazed that the love and genuine concern that she always shows to us.  If you are sick, she will refuse to leave your side; your every move is carefully monitored by her watchful eye to ensure that you are doing well.  A bad day never seems so bad when she always seems to know that a hug is in order.  A head placed gently on your knee and a stare from her dark brown eyes can always brighten your day.  I was concerned about Zoey being jealous of Collin when we brought him home but she has been surprisingly attentive to the new addition to our family.  He cries and she is the first one to his side; she can often be seen taking a peek at him, just to make sure that he is doing well.  The love that she shows to me, even after she has received a scolding only proves that she is more than just a dog; she is family.

                I can understand why people say that dog owners tend to live a longer life.  Zoey has been an amazing friend to both me and my wife.  My wife often tells me that Zoey is what kept her sane while I was in Iraq.  I am not sure what would have happened if we had not decided to go to the store that day.  I do believe that she was meant to be our dog, that we needed her as much as she needed us.  There is no doubt in my mind that an animal can love, that they can change the lives of those that own them.  I am thankful that we were able to rescue her that day five years ago. I encourage anyone that is looking for a pet, to visit the local pounds and rescue agencies; these animals will truly show their gratitude to you for helping them.   I truly love that dog because of the fact that she is more than a dog; she is family

Constrast Essay

                We were inseparable since we met in the eighth grade; we were the best of friends, even having the same first name.  Teachers always expected us to work on class projects together in middle school and even often referred to our duo as “Nick².”  I suppose that was their way of being humorous at the time.  Our mutual friends always expected us to be hanging out together and simply called us by our last names in an attempt to avoid confusion over who they were speaking to.  By all standards, you would think that we were in a lot of ways, alike.  Most would assume this fact since we were such good friends.  In contrast however, we were two completely different people with completely opposite personalities, appearances and initiative for work and school.  I guess that the old saying “opposites attract” held true in this friendship.
                You would stand Nick and me next to each other and probably think that there would be no possible way that we could be best friends, based on presentation and appearance alone.  I was the jock who enjoyed the rush of Friday night lights and he was the skater that enjoyed the rush of getting drunk in the patch of woods behind the football field during the game.  Nick fit the stereotype of a skater with oversized, baggy pants, an extra large Adidas T-shirt, long hair that was tucked into a backward sitting baseball cap.  In contrast, I would enjoy a pair of jeans and shirt that actually fit; the standard stereotype of a jock.  Nick never cared about his outward appearance to everyone else, where I felt (and still do feel) that people actually do judge a book by its cover.  By the way we dressed and presented ourselves to the public was actually the least of our differences though.
                We contrasted even more in our ideas about work and school.  In high school, I waited tables in order to put gas in my car and go out on the weekend.  Nick on the other hand, decided that it was easier to work for his father when he felt like it and just steal money from them when he didn’t.  I had the desire to graduate high school; Nick had the desire to skip school whenever possible and see if he could beat his record from the previous school years record on how fast he could get expelled.  I soon came to the realization that I needed to do something more with my life and joined the Marine Corps; Nick decided that he needed to stay the way he was and ended up as a guest of the state in prison. 
                Nicks personality was one that many did not understand.  He was abrasive and crazy, never caring for many other people besides himself.  I wanted to be friends with everyone I met and was always looking for a way to help others.    I often wondered if I was his friend or babysitter since I would often have to be the voice of reason, his” Jimmity Cricket” to keep him out of trouble.  I would always be the one who had to think about the consequences of our actions and about how they would affect my future.  Nick was an instant gratification type if guy, living for the minute and not caring about what the future may or may not hold.  We were opposites but also best friends.
                I haven’t seen Nick in quite some time.  He could never understand why I did not want to hang out with him when I was a Recruiter for the Marine Corps.  He didn’t understand that it was because of the fact that I had grown up, where he never did.    I ended up joining the Marine Corps and he ended up in prison.  I ended up getting married and starting my own family, he still lives in his parent’s basement at thirty years old.  I think about our childhood friendship often; about how much we had been through growing up and feel bad about not keeping in touch. I guess that even though we were best friends growing up, the differences in our personalities, appearance and initiative ended being too much.

ISearch Progress Report

               I have been thinking about my Isearch paper a lot lately.  I know that I have passed in the first three assignments about what it is, how much I know and what my plan of attack is.  It has been interesting in writing this paper.  I have in a way recorded Collins first two weeks of life in a sort of journal form but, am not sure how to incorporate it into my paper.  I have addressed the topics of about how I have dealt with sleep deprivation, diaper changes, feeding and doctors appointments.  I feel that I am keeping with my topic to an extent but, am not sure if I am heading in the ISearch direction again.  As of now, it seems that most of what I have is through real life, research and living my topic. I should be able to find a way to pull everything together but, still have to find written topics to use as sources. 

Contrast Intro 2

                We were best friends since middle school and spent a majority of our time together, we were inseparable.  We did everything together from taking the same classes in school to hanging out at each other’s house on the weekends; we even shared the same first name.  Our friends often expected us to be seen together and often thought that it was weird if one or the other was not around.  Even though Nick and I were best friends, we were the exact opposite in many ways.  Some people actually found it strange that two people that were so opposite could be such good friends.  How could two different people with such contrasting personalities, ambition and appearance be best friends?  Can people who are so different stay friends in the long run?

Classification Essay

                I think about the last time that I had to make that decision; how long did it take?   A decision made even harder since I was at a place that you have never been.  I take that first sip and feel the frosty adult beverage of choice slide down the back of my throat; I grin and let out the familiar “Ahhhh” of approval.  This had to have been one of the hardest decisions that I have made in a very long time with what seemed liked hours spent staring at the menu, tap levers and bottles lined neatly up and displayed on the bar wall.  The choices seem endless when I think back on it; regular, light or a dark micro-brewed.  To some, the choice is relatively simple because they know what they want and like.  However, I was stuck in a rut of ordering the same old beverage and not daring to go out on the edge, roll the dice and live a little in my selection. I have unselfishly researched and sampled many different beverages of the adult type in my years in the Marines; all to help get a better understanding of the options available.  The samples were painstakingly sampled in many different states and even countries as far away as Spain, Japan and Aruba, only to name a few.  Even though many of your opinions and particular tastes may vary, this is what I have found that I like for beer.

                I originally did not like the taste of beer when I started to “experiment” with alcohol in high school.  The taste just seemed to turn my stomach and leave the most unpleasant aftertaste in the back of my throat.  Besides, it seemed like it took a million and one of those urine colored drinks with bubbles to allow me to reach my goal; to get as messed up as I could, on the least amount of cash.  I started to drink the light beers after I discovered Natural Light.  Yup, it tasted like skunk piss smelled but for around what I could scrape up in change, I was able to get a case.  That case, if cold could be chugged, shot gunned and forced down my throat at any given party.  This was my period of unrefined taste.  Not only does light beer taste completely watered down or tend to have no taste, it also causes me to wake up the next morning with the feeling that a bear had taken a number two in my mouth the evening before.  In short; light beer either has no taste or tastes like crap, it leaves a horrible aftertaste and leaves you with a headache the next morning.  This tends to hold true of all the light beer that I have sampled throughout the world.  My thoughts are that the lighter the beer is, the nastier.  What self respecting man cares how many calories their beer has anyway?

                A small step up from light beer is well, regular beer.  We all are probably the most familiar with this category.  What teenager did not snag a Budweiser from their old mans refrigerator in the garage?  I have found that this particular category does actually have some decent samples though.  One of the best that I have tasted was discovered on my honeymoon in Aruba.  Balashi is a regular beer that has won numerous gold medals in worldwide beer competitions.  It is made from desalinated sea water and holds a similar taste of Heineken (decent in itself) but, without the aftertaste in the back of your throat.  Regular beer can be dry (like most Japanese beers) or hold the standard of most of the beers that can be purchased at any gas station here in the good old United States.  I feel that this category has been overdone and over carbonated; leaving the consumer with gas and an unfortunate trip to the porcelain throne in the early hours with an aggravating hangover.  Sadly, this is the category that most people find to be the best.  This type of beer is a little more expensive than the light but, also has a slight advantage in taste.

                Now the third category of beers is by far my favorite category.  From the many tastes that can be enjoyed in our local brewery here in Bangor, Maine to a warm and inviting Guinness in Shannon, Ireland after a long tour in Iraq; micro-brewed, dark beers are by far the best out there.  The options are really limitless and my only boundaries end up being my own taste preferences for the night.  There are Micro-Brews, Lagers and stouts; all separate categories within a category itself.  All tastes of their own and unique to the locations they are brewed.  Dark beers have a certain taste that will hit you when you take that first sip.  It is a taste that says “I am not like any other brew!”  To me, this type of beer shows to the world the fact that you are in yourself, bold; you are dignified and have unique tastes.  There is even a set of rules for some micro-brews as to how they should be served. These beverages cannot even be considered a beer since they are in a class of their own.  I find that I will pay more for such a beverage but, I will gain the world in taste and satisfaction.  No headaches, hangovers, gas or nights spend hugging the throne with a micro-brewed dark beer.  

                When the day is done and you scoot up to the bar, it is really up to you on what you will ask the barkeep to pour.  Will it be the same old mundane beer that you have been drinking since snagging it from your parents as a teen or will you live out on the edge.  Remember my cautions when you stop at the local 7-Eleven on your way home and  consider a six back of suds; will it be the same old skunk brew or perhaps be something new?  Light beers leave me unsatisfied in the end, regular beers are OK but don’t hold a candle to the Micro-Brew.