Sunday, October 19, 2008

My Five Cliffhanger Introduction Stories

I woke up and immediately began to frantically search for my backpack in the darkness.
 My Algebra II homework had to be done by forth period. I completely forgot and fell asleep the night before. When I woke up it hit me like a rock on my head. After working as fast I could in the car ride I managed to get 10 of the 30 problems done. In the IRC I got through 5 more. Then in Theology another 5. I couldn't do any in English because we had a test that day. Thankfully I had time in Chemistry to do 9 more. I ran to Algebra II and finished the last one in the minute I had before class started. I felt accomplished and very lucky. 

When I hit the ground I heard the sound of a stick snapping.

I didn't know it at the time but I had broken my collar bone (clavicle). I was playing football with Sebastian, Mike Grigas, Andy, Tom, and other people. Tommy threw me a pass that a could have caught if I dove for it, which stupidly, I did. My fingertips barely touched the ball, and I did not catch it. I landed full force on my shoulder, and that is when I herd it. The infamous crack that still gives me chills today. Right after I hit the ground I rolled over and got back up, not feeling any pain, then about 3 seconds later my shoulder was killing me. Andy then said, "Oh, Mike you're fine, you just have a stinger. It will be OK in 15 minutes." I sat down next to a pole on the side of the field. When we walked over to the basketball court Andy and Tommy kept poking my shoulder and asking if it hurt every time. After poking down by my neck, Tom established, "OK good its not your collar bone, because that would suck." Tommy  couldn't have been more wrong. I didn't go to the hospital for 3 days after this happened because the pain was slowly going away, and I though I was fine. When my Mom finally convinced me to go to the hospital I found out what made the cracking noise. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30007632&l=68fa2&id=1245330096


I was laughing hysterically, probably the most I have ever laughed, in amazement and disbelief that what we made worked. 
I will always remember when Daryl first said to me, "Lets build a hovercraft". I thought that it was the stupidest idea ever because I kept thinking that it would never work. I said that to him in a joking way after every failed attempt we had. Then, when it finally worked I was in such disbelief that I couldn't control my laughter. It was probably the best idea we ever had, and my skepticism towards it made it all the better when it worked. We even went on to win the science fair.


I nearly went into shock when I saw the whitest flash and heard the loudest noise in my life.
I was at my house on Cape Cod. During a thunderstorm in the summer lighting struck the tree outside of my house. All I can remember is that I was sitting on the couch and it was 6 in the morning. The lighting traveled down the tree, into the roots, which lead to the pipes under my house. It traveled along the metal pipes, and finally stopped in my basement where 2 pipes crossed. It had blown a hole in one of these pipes and my basement was filled with a foot of water. Coincidentally my Dad was brushing his teeth during the lighting strike. If he had been washing his hands at the wrong time, it could have been tragic. 


When I looked at the clock it was 2 am already, and I could not believe I let this happen again.
I once again did not get to finish my homework before 2 am. This was terrible because I had done the same the night before. I was getting increasingly tired throughout the week. My procrastination was devastating on nights when I had to do AP U.S. History outlines, which take at least 4 hours. I was sick of listening to my parents telling me to go to bed, but i wasn't going to give up. I managed to finish the outline by 3 am. After that, I always begin my outlines at least an hour or two earlier than I normally would.

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