Jan 24, 2019 Logan's Nature Blog My name is Logan Johnson, teenage birder, ringer, all round Naturalist and Reroute member and I have started this blog to share and record my sightings, trips and adventures as I explore the world whether birding or otherwise. Logans Blog Friday, December 8, 2017. Other than this there is only one blog, i have managed to keep my blog posting like one week in advance because of the hurricane and now im like actually set. I have a ton of homework to do after this blog so i guess its rant time. Like seriosly, what are the teachers trying to do to us?!' Asfasdf is this.

Hawaii, I've been dreaming about going there ever since I was 5. I was watching television when an ad came on about a resort there and all the different things you could do when you were there. It offered snorkeling excursions, day long hikes, and was right off the ocean. Well, now was my opportunity to fulfill this dream. The high school I attended was offering a trip to this very same resort! The only problem was that the trip had a cost of $4,000, something well outside my price range. But as soon as I saw the flier for the trip I knew I had to be on it. The only question left was how? How was I going to make this money? The hardest question I've ever had to answer.

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My initial thought was obviously to get a job and earn the money over a prolonged period of time, but for this situation that wasn't going to work. I had found out about the trip just a month prior to departure and they had only a couple of spots left to be filled. That wasn't going to work, and I needed something quick, the pressure was growing rapidly the more I thought about it and the more I struggled to find an answer. My mind raced with different ideas and theories, it varied from selling some of my most expensive clothes and shoes, to getting someone older to buy me as many scratch tickets as I could afford and testing my luck. As for clothes it wouldn't even make a dent, and I did not want to put my fate in a couple of pieces of cardboard. Upon thinking and thinking day and night I had come up with nothing, so when I shut my eyes to go to sleep 4 days before the money was due, I had never felt more demoralized; however, when I awoke the next morning I had it.
I was going to go down to the local basketball court and tell everyone there that if they could beat me in a single game of one on one then I would give them the initial $100 I had already. However, the cost to play me was $20. As I was to raise money, the cost to play me would go up. I got ready, grabbed my shoes and ran to the court. Sure enough, when I arrived at the court at 7:00 am. the court was already filled with a dozen grown men. I walked on with a certain swag to catch their attention right off the bat. As I approached them, I reached in my pocket and pulled out the $100 bill. One man said “What are you doing flashing that around?” So, I explained the rules of what I was doing and they all laughed at me. Not that I could blame them, I was a 125 pound freshman essentially challenging a group of adults. I was not afraid though, I had incentive, and they had no idea how good I really was. One of the thicker men proudly announced, “Alright I'll take the $100.” The rest of them chuckled, as did I, but for far different reasons. I collected the$20 dollars and walked out on the court saying, “My ball, play to 7.” the others soon gathered around. He rolled the ball at my feet to check up, instantly I jabbed left, drove hard right and finished a layup while he was still out on the three-point line. The other men laughed and I could see the embarrassment in his eyes. I then finished the game with a two three point shots, (which count as two) and two more layups. He never even touched the ball. Game one, $120.
I flew through five other of the initial 12 raising a quick $120, bringing my total to $220, but just as I had planned they told their friends about this scrawny kid taking their money and more and more showed up to watch and play, and take their shot at the growing amount of money. By 10:00 I had played 35 games and had a total amount of $800. It was working better then I had anticipated and I grew more and more excited as Hawaii soon seemed to be a possibility. I raised the cost to play me to $30 dollars and still people were lining up to play, young, old, and in between. When 2:00 pm came around I had played 42 more games and my total amount of cash was up to $2,060! But a huge problem was beginning to occur, which I had not anticipated, fatigue. I thought I was going to pass out, but quitting now was not an option. I had to keep working, but I was starting to grow uneasy as the competition started to get better.
By 4:00 pm. I was done, I did not know what my totals were up to, and frankly at that moment didn't particularly care. I was proud however, proud of myself because I didn't believe there was any chance I could win these games, I didn't think anyone could. It's a task that takes so much energy that almost no one can complete it, but not everyone has the drive I do. So when I called out my last game I felt accomplished, but When I looked up I was in shock. It was the best high school basketball player in the state, Jamal James, at 6’5” and 225 pounds he's impossible to defend. He already committed to Syracuse! Of course, this is my luck, thank god I didn't buy those stupid scratch tickets. I stayed composed, I knew I was going to have to reach another level to win, but didn't know how I was going to find it. When he checked the ball I drove hard at the hoop, flipped up a layup. Much unlike the first game, my shot was blocked. He in turn, dribbled out to the three-point line and made the shot, 2-0. He then tried to make a step back jump shot, but thankfully he missed. I got the ball, cleared it and attacked the hoop again, this time stopping short and pushing up a floater, swish, 2-1. I trotted back to the three-point line and waited for him to check the ball and when he did I pulled up for a three immediately, front rim, backboard, bottom of the net, 3-2 me. The next play I tried to crossover, but he reached in and stole the ball from me, he turned to the hoop, took one hard dribble and rose up for the dunk, 3-3. The following two possessions resulted in another Jamal James dunk, and a three-pointer 6-3 him. Game point, I gave him the ball, and he crossed over faster than I've ever seen it done before I was behind him, he cocked the ball back to finish a game winning slam, but I swatted it out of his hands. I quickly retreated to the three-point line and buried the shot, 6-5. This time when he gave me the ball I stared him dead in the eyes, I could see he was waiting for me to crossover, so instead I did a sharp in and out move, he fell to the ground, I stepped back behind the three-point line and rose up for the shot. The shot rolled around the rim twice, but then finally fell through, 7-6, game over.

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When I got home and tallied up my cash it was a few hundred dollars over 4000. I nearly cried. This has been one of my biggest dreams since I was just a child! The next morning, I brought my money into school, they said thank you, and I was on my way. The next couple of days flew by when I was waiting for the flight. It was now the day of departure, I drove to the airport, got through security and it was boarding time. My heart raced in the next hours I would be in Hawaii! I got on the plane and tried to fall asleep, but just couldn't. 8 long hours, and two flights later I was there. It was far more beautiful than I had ever imagined, all I could do now was thank god for being there. When I entered my room I threw my bag down and raced down to the beach. This was exact relaxation I needed after all the stress of just trying to get here! As time progressed at the resort I began to miss the game that got me here. I asked the women at the front desk if they had a court, and as it turns out, this place really did have everything.

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My favorite piece of work was the response to 'The filth they breathe in China' mainly because it interested me the most on how people can live like that. Also 70 people viewed that post of mine which strikes me as they enjoyed it as well. I've seen a lot of change with my views and my writing this year. I see myself think more about how to write blogs to appear more interesting to the reader. And I've noticed with this year I have changed the way I have thought about many things and my opinions on certain subjects have made a complete 180. I'm grateful for all I have learned and what I have gained from these blog assignments and for this class.