Shocking Storage

Have you ever decided to revamp your storage area? I'm here to help you decide between shelves & cupboards. Which would be best for you?

Something to think about when you buy your units are that they are both storage units. They will both have easy access because they declutter your space. When you want a place to store your stuff they'll both be their. Their are also different types of each. You could buy some nice looking wood ones or heavy-duty metal. You can also buy different colors, shades, & finishes of both.

If you decide to have shelves you're being ECO-friendly. Shelves take less wood or metal to put together because you don't need doors over everything. You can also pick from freestanding shelves hanging on the wall, a bookshelf that makes you look sophisticated or built in shelves that make them look more naturally flowing in your space. They will also be open for everyone to see so you might want to buy baskets or an organizer to keep your shelves looking nice.

If you had cupboards they would have to be built into the wall or attached some how so they don't tip over. They're nice though because you can just close a door & erase the mess inside from your head. If your more of a secretive person it's nice to have cupboards to lock away all your secrets. They also have millions of different types of finishes & extra patterns to add characteristics. You can pick-out any types of handles or knobs that you could think of!

Now that I've shared with you the ups & downs of shelves & cupboards you can make your own decision of your favorite. Just remember, "Clearing clutter clears your mind."

Commenting 101

This is a video made by Matt & Ian on how to comment on a blog post on Mr.Goerend.com.

Beautiful is Back

S inging birds
P etunias
R aining over head
I ce is gone
N ature returns
G reen grass


Ian C.

Terror At MOA

"Does everyone have all their stuff?" Mom yelled.

"Yep", I said

"Then let's go we're 30 minutes behind schedule!" Dad yelled.

"Here we go!" Nathan said. (Little brother)

"Mall Of America!" Rachel Said. (Little sister)

"Uh, I hate car rides!" I think to myself, "Oh well, it will be worth it in the end."

After we're about an hour & a 1/2 from home the Garmin shows a 10 minute delay on the interstate.

"What's wrong with this stupid thing?" mom asks "We're in the middle of nowhere, how can there be any traffic delay?"

Then we came around the corner & saw a massive back-up from a semi in the ditch. My dad merges right quickly to get to the rest stop exit before it gets blocked.

"Perfect timing, we can eat lunch & wait out the delay at the same time!" my dad said.

The rest stop is humongous inside! Over 1/2 of it looks like it's filled with a gas station & a huge gift store. It even has a Coldstone Creamery! Luckily traffic cleared up outside while we were eating.

"It should be an hour & a 1/2 up to the mall!" dad said.

Once we get about 1/2 an hour from the mall mom announces, "Since we can't check-in at the hotel until 3 we'll go visit Aunt Jennifer in the hospital."

"The neighborhoods here are kept very nicely!" I said sarcastically.

"That's outrageous; we have to pay $4 to visit someone in the hospital!" I think

After getting to the hotel at 4:30 I'm pooped. The hotel isn't what I expected even though it was renovated 10 years ago. The rooms are small & the kitchen appliances don't even match!

The next day we head to the mall around 10 after what I thought was a pretty pathetic breakfast buffet at the hotel. I love the mall! It's gigantic & the amusement park is like a mini Adventureland. The 1st thing that we ride is the log chute. I like this one a lot better than the one at Adventureland because you don't get as wet. I was really scared when we went down the 1st hill. I was surprised because I didn't get as wet as I remembered. Nathan was already to go on the next ride, The Pepsi Orange Crush. I thought, "Take it one step at a time kid." I don't like that ride & I knew I was going to have to ride it with him. Then I snapped back into focus & heard the lady say, "Say cheese!" Then kaploosh!!!! Down the slide we went into the water pool below.

"Let's go again!" Nathan said.

As we were walking around trying to find another ride, we saw the climbing structure with 10 floors up to the ceiling that had ladders & tight ropes to cross in order to get to the top to walk the plank over thin air! My dad wants to go on it, I don't, & Nathan does because he doesn't want to be a chicken like me.

I met up with mom & Rachel for lunch since I didn't want to go climbing. After lunch we did some shopping before we went back to the park. Nathan still wanted to go on the roller-coaster, so he went once by himself then I went with him the next time. We climbed up the stairs & ran to get in line before the gate closed. When you scan your pass the machine laughs like SpongeBob & I swear it sounded diabolical this time! When we went down hills or turned sideways I was screaming while Nathan laughed at me. The 2nd time we went it was more enjoyable to see the park from above.

Then we got off & headed back to the carousel where mom was waiting. Then Nathan just gets up & runs off to the left!

"Where's your brother?" Mom turns to ask me.

"I don't know he just ran off that way!" I said.

"You go check on the roller-coaster & I'll go check around over here!" Mom said.

So I dashed up the stairs to the loading dock where the ride just took off & the platform was empty. Then I ran back down to the exit where mom was waiting hoping that he would get off the ride. We stepped aside to not get trampled by the crowd & spot him running over to the carousel. At once we both tell him, "NEVER SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

Suburb or City?

When I envision the town I want to live in I think of a nice quiet suburb. Others think of a busy bustling city. Where would you rather live?

I think that Waukee is the best town for a family to live in.
This is because Waukee has a big population with small town characteristics. Every year there is an Easter Egg-Hunt, 4th of July fireworks show, Waukee Fest, & a Winter Fest.
There is always something to do in Waukee. Whether it's a library program, a Warrior football game, or a high school play there is never a boring moment in Waukee.
Waukee School District is a local, high-ranking school system. While still growing dramatically in size we are also growing educationally & technologically.

On the other hand West Des-Moines is a very large, overpopulated town.
West Des-Moines has more shopping centers than the urban area it surrounds. When the suburb is just as large as the city it's starting to get overpopulated.
The school district of west Des-Moines has 14 district facilities and the biggest high school in the state. With a very widespread district the learning is not student based.
You can't walk a couple of blocks down the road and have the park, bowling alley, & grocery store at your finger tips. West Des-Moines is triple the size of Waukee making it hard to walk everywhere.

Waukee is a nice quiet town close to the city with everything you need right by you while West Des-Moines is busy and bustling as the city itself.

Ian C.

Levees & Sandbags

The Flood of 93' in the Midwest was one of the most devastating and costly floods ever. I will be focusing in on what happened in Des Moines, Iowa. Here is an interview of my parents about this happening.

How high did the water in rivers reach?

I don't know exactly but it was enough to go over the spillway at Saylorville Lake. I know that a lot of places on bigger rivers than the Des Moines River had worse flooding than us.

Did you lose water and electricity during the flood?

We lost water for about ten days and we didn't lose electricity. West Des Moines didn't lose water because their treatment center didn't flood so I remember us being in West Des Moines a lot with relatives and eating our suppers at Hyvee.

Were there any food banks and shelters open for people with destroyed homes?

I bet that there were more than usual open. The one that I remember is that Camp Dodge opened for shower facilities.

What was destroyed during this flood?

Principal Park was all flooded except for the pitchers mound. Valley Junction also flooded because there were no levees or floodgates.

Did any companies step up and provide any services?

After people had realized that we had no water they were bringing in tanker trucks full of water and they would all leave empty. Annheiser Busch in Missouri started bottling water in their cans instead of alchohol. Some work places also relaxed their dresscode because people couldn't get some of their clothes clean.

What was the worst part of this flood?

The worst part for us was not being able to flush a toilet or wash your hands or cook.(not bad in this case) It was just very strange that nothing really worked.

I have concluded that we were very lucky to not have anything destroyed in Waukee and I'm glad that most of Des Moines has recovered. I would not have survived in the conditions that some people had to. My perspective did not change too much because I had heard all of my Mom's stories about this topic before. That is what made me choose this as a topic because I've heard stories but now I have more primary sources.


Ian C.

Best School Day Ever

Do you ever get to class with time to spare? Well, I don't! I barely sit in my seat before the bell rings, so I've made a holiday to solve that problem. it will help everybody with their time management.
Do you want to hear about it? OK, I'll tell you. It's called International Walk Like A Sloth Day.
This holiday runs through the whole school year (August-May).
Whenever you're in the hallways you have to walk slow....like a sloth!
No worries though because there will be a 10-minute passing period. I know you're saying Woohoo!!! But... there are some catches. You have to walk slow like a sloth or you get DETENTION!
So think about it. This holiday helps you get to classes on time and that makes school more fun.
Why not celebrate it?

Ian C.

Weekend Bike Ride

          Do you like going on bike rides?  Well, I do I go on one almost every weekend with my Dad.  Here is one specific time that I really remember.  I really love the Greenbelt Trail so we drove to Cindy"s (co-worker) house.

          Now we all get onto the actual trail after trail after missing a couple of street turns.  The Greenbelt Trail is very curvy and loops all over the city.  This an old trail so nature and buildings have grown around it.  It is a natural habitat for birds, snakes, and other small animals.

          I just love all the noises I can hear , and how there are so many new parks that I can hear the laughter coming from.  Today we are headed Downtown to Greys Lake.  My favorite part is going over and under a bridge.  It descends very fast and then I zip back up the hill amongst the old Oaks again.  Luckily there are metal fences under the bridges on both sides.  It would not be good to run over a hobo sleeping in the mud!!

Finally we get to Water Works Park where the water treatment center is located.

          Our destination is just across the busy 4-lane road.  In Water Works there are a lot of noisy bugs chirping around the ponds.  All the leaves are falling off the trees and it's only September!!

          Greys Lake is so beautiful because there is a long bridge made partly of colored glass that shines like a diamond.  I can see a sandy beach across the lake but we aren't  going that far today.  I can sill hear the the music halfway across the lake.

I love going on weekend bike rides with my Dad, but it's disappointing when we have to go back home.

Ian C