...I started snowboarding in 2008 and would love to give others the same experience I’ve had or something close to it. Until 2008 I had only been on a snowboard once before in my life and that was in 2006, indoors on manmade snow in Dubai, an experience that both terrified and elated me all at the same time. It wasn’t until 2008 and the epic snow storm that blanketed most of the nation that I decided to give it another go. Of course I had a few friends who were goading me into trying it, as I normally made fun of snowboarding or any other snow sports for that matter. I used to think it was too expensive, dangerous, and a waste of time. Why would I go out in the cold on purpose? Why would I pay to strap a sled to my feet and do crazy things? All of these questions and more went through my head while I was driving a group of Aussie friends up to Cypress Mountain in Vancouver, BC where I was planning to go snowshoeing and take photos. When we arrived at the mountain the sky started dumping snow, something it wasn’t’ doing when we started off from the city. It would make for a good snowshoeing experience, but would limit the photo opportunities. So, with that I decided to cave into the peer pressure I was feeling and give snowboarding another try. Keep in mind that only other time I had been strapped to a snowboard was in the United Arab Emirates on fake snow in August in the middle of the desert. The gear was smelly and sweaty from hundreds of other users, but it seemed...
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...Nicole Sherman LAE 1 10 January 2013 The Wonderful World of Garage Sale Shopping It’s Saturday morning, 7:30 am. Many of us are still lying in bed dreaming, or what I like to call “looking at the movie playing behind my eyelids”. Not me! I’m up, getting dress (weather appropriate, of course), and mentally planning my shopping route. I’m out the door by 8 am. Sound exciting yet? Well, it gets better. I’m not heading to the local mall to buy some high priced, swanky outfit that took months to save to buy; nor am I going to see the price knowing I have no say in the price. I’m preparing to go shopping. My shopping genre and my favorite hobby on Saturday is…garage sales! Purchasing items at garage sales are synonymous with junk and severe second hand items. Most times, that is not the case. This can be a fantastic hobby with several benefits. First of all, you can get great bargains on lots of items well below resale. Some are gently used or even new. Example: In 2006, I bought a home, but had almost no furniture. My budget was $1500. It’s a lot of money but, in reality, how much new quality furniture can someone buy for $1500? Armed with a budget, a little research by looking at garage sale ads and an idea of what things are needed to furnish my home; I picked my Saturday target neighborhood. After about 20 minutes, I can upon a rare sale in which the home owner was moving to Puerto Rico and was selling almost of her furniture. She had beautiful, high-end stuff. I looked...
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...Cats Make the Purrfect Pet Cats Make the Purrfect Pet Looking for a new pet? Look no further! For almost four thousand years, people have kept cats as pets and it’s no wonder. Although cats don’t commonly play fetch and “play dead” like dogs do, they are a far cry from inferior. Cats make excellent pets for four reasons: their rodent hunting skills, ability to be on their own, instinct to use litter boxes, and desire to keep themselves clean. The first reason why cats are so great is that they are natural hunters. With a pet cat, chances are you will not have to worry about having mice in the house. Beetles, spiders, ladybugs, and centipedes will not stand a chance. Cats are playful by nature and will usually want to get anything that moves. You may even be lucky enough to have a cat that will clean up the dead animal mess all on its own! Another reason cats make great pets is that they do not require constant attention. Cat owners can safely leave their cat on their own for short trips with little worry. A clean litter box, plenty of fresh food and water, and a few toys will ensure that your cat is happy until you return. Although cats need attention like any other pet, they will not demand it in the quantities that some others would. Third, cats want to bury their waste, which comes in handy for you! No need to get up in the early morning on a snowy December weekend because your dog needs to potty. Simply let your cat do it by herself...
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...TOPIC: You considered many factors when deciding to enroll at XYZ University. Describe your reasons for choosing to become XYZ UNIVERSITY student, and persuade a friend to enroll at XYZ UNIVERSITY. We all love wonderful experiences in life, and to my surprise, my wonderful experience started at XYZ University. There were many factors to persuade me to attend XYZ UNIVERSITY. I would like to share my journey at XYZ UNIVERSITY with you, as it has been a major milestone in my life. XYZ UNIVERSITY is helping me achieve my goals to complete my degree and hope this information will help you in making your decision of choosing the right college for further education. It all started when I decided to resume my degree, I was looking for a XYZ University that would help me fulfill my educational goals and have a minimal impact on my personal and professional life. I work fulltime in IT sector with unpredictable working hours. I started my search to find the right college based on my needs. I started to search for an online school, which is fully accredited with good course curriculum, low tuition fee and where I am able to finish my degree quicker. I believe these are the most important factors to consider while taking a big step towards starting college and I think you may have similar concerns in your mind too. I decided to discuss this with my friends who were studying in different Universities. As per their recommendation XYZ UNIVERSITY provides thorough support system and...
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...Think of the sound of your kids laughing playing and have an all-out good time, doesn’t that just put and instant smile on your face? If you could do this and make memories your children will never forget wouldn’t you like that too? Well, you can, simply by taking your family on a simple family vacation. It can be as elaborate as a week long trip to Disney or as simple as a couple days camping or at a water park and amusement park. Whatever your budget may be there are plenty of ways to make sure you and your family have a wonderful time nobody will forget. I still remember the first time my parents, my brother, and I all packed in to our car and headed on down to Florida for the first time, it was one of the best times we ever had together. We all still talk about that, and even occasionally pull out pictures just to prove who is telling the story right. I remember driving down the coast; it was like nothing I had ever seen before. The water looked so blue and the beaches were so white, my brother and I just couldn’t wait to get out and play on the beach. As I think about these times it helps me to realize I can do the same for my kids someday. This year my son is pretty excited about the camping trip we are taking up to Central Lake, Michigan. Although, sometimes the way he talks about it I’m not sure if he’s more excited about the camper we are borrowing from our friends, or the trip itself. He’s five this year so he is finally old enough to enjoy the lake and remember...
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...Are you ever in need of a good listener? Are you ever in need of a protector or do you just want a new responsibility to make you happy? Might I suggest to you a pet, not just any pet, but a dog! A dog is a man’s best friend, a commonly used quote that is quiet accurate. I would adopt a dog because they are good companions, good protectors, a good responsibility to take on and they help you to be active. Dogs are good companions because they are very sensitive to human emotions and can brighten your mood when you are having a bad day. A dog is very good at making your surroundings come alive when you feel lonely, by just looking at you and wagging its tail in expression of love and affection for its owner and human companion. Dogs are excellent listeners and good secret keepers. So if you are ever alone and don’t have anyone to talk to, don’t worry your little furry friend will never be too busy to listen. I don’t think there is any other pet that is more loyal than a dog. Have you ever noticed how closely a dog walks with his master? I strongly believe that dogs are excellent pets for everyone to have in general but more specifically for challenged individuals. Which other pet is like a dog that can be trained to be of service to challenged individuals? These trained dogs are good companions who can complete various tasks for their owners as well as they can help them to find specific locations, due to their excellent sense of direction. Dogs, whether trained or not can add...
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...Persuasive Essay Why I chose to attend WGU Western Governors University LAE1 August 15, 2013 I have chosen to write my essay on why I decided to attend Western Governors University and why I would recommend everyone to do the same. Before I came to Western Governors University, I attended a different online based school that is high profile around the United States. While attending this school I experienced a bit of instability and more of a sales environment than a caring university. For example, the enrollment adviser was very helpful and professional at first. But, after I was officially enrolled and they had received my payment for tuition, it was nearly impossible to reach this individual. Another example of this is the amount of turnover that the university had in its executive office and our department chair. Our business department chair was replaced four times in a matter of twelve months. The cost of this university was also ridiculous, it was approximately four hundred dollars per credit hour, which is extremely expensive. This university was accredited regionally and was well known. After experiencing the salesmanship and instability I started to research other schools that were regionally accredited and had positive reviews. While searching I stumbled upon Western Governors University. After reading just a few facts and reviews, I had already made up my mind to switch. The first factor that really caught my...
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...WGU Class LAE1 A family dream vacation with children of any age, especially young children, should include time spent at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. While searching for a hotel at the Disney World Resort, the Bay Lake Tower looked particularly appealing. It is characterized as a balance of modern and luxurious experience with warm and innovative features (WDW, 2012). Bay Lake Tower is very close to the Magic Kingdom, which is a wonderful theme park for younger children to experience during several days of a family vacation. The Tower is connected by an elevated walkway to the Contemporary Resort, and there is a special monorail that goes to the park, and stops only at two other hotels. It is more convenient to stay closer to the park where you are planning to go more often, especially when traveling with younger children. After researching the many resorts at Disney World, the Bay Lake Tower appeared to be the best choice for these and many other reasons. The first reason Bay Lake Tower is a perfect choice for a dream vacation is due to the many amenities each room possesses (Tripadvisor, 2012). More specifically, amenities at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort include: air conditioning in public areas, barber, 1-hour room service, laundry facilities and services, services for people with disabilities, an outdoor heated swimming pool with multiple slides, a children's splash pad, sunbeds, in-room safe and massage services at the spa. Also provided...
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...Playing Music for Mind & Body (LAE1) When the notion of playing music in a band is brought up, often times it conjures up images of the lewd and crude rock star lifestyle. At least, this is what we’ve come to expect to see from the media. But what most people don’t realize is that playing music can have a significant positive impact on an individual’s health, mental well-being and even IQ. A study from the New York Academy of Sciences takes aim at finding a link between musical training and increased intelligence. The study revealed an increase in grey matter in the brains’ of musicians as opposed to their non-musician counterparts. Researchers feel that this notable increase is in part due to the repetition that takes place during rehearsals which improves cognition and memory. So does learning to play music make a person smarter? Glenn Schellenberg, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, gives a resounding yes. His research into music and its cognitive abilities indicate short-term as well as long-term benefits. Mr. Schellenberg’s research goes on to point out an increase in participant’s IQ scores after only a couple of learning sessions. But music training has more in store than just intelligence benefits. According to a recent study conducted by The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), a person playing a musical instrument is less likely to feel depressed and more likely to feel healthy. The study goes...
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...Informative and Persuasive Essay Western Governors University LAE1 Informative and Persuasive Essay “What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul” (Addison, 1839, p. 76). The pull to become a masterpiece was both exhilarating and unnerving. I knew it was time to continue furthering my education, but the fact that I had a full time job and a busy schedule gave me an excuse to keep putting it off. Year after year, I churned out more and more excuses; the truth was, the factors to consider when choosing an online university were many and overwhelming, and I was afraid to start. I finally launched into research mode and began searching in earnest for “the perfect fit.” After much courting and wooing by several universities offering online programs, three major factors influenced my decision to become a Western Governors University (WGU) student. These are an excellent online support system, a unique competence based approach to learning, and affordability. I urge you to carefully consider these factors; you too will be convinced that WGU is the choice to make. WGU offers an excellent and unique support system to students. The availability of online education promises the ease and flexibility of independent learning. In addition, this is coupled with the availability of qualified human resources to help you stay on track. Truthfully, not many of us are disciplined enough to...
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