Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

    Because I want to visit to many places, I could not pick just one destination  for my ideal vacation. Therefore, I chose to write about a vacation that I will be going on soon. For this year's spring break, my parents and I will be going to Hawaii for two weeks, and we will participate in a large variety of activities.
    A few years ago my parents bought a time share. With this time share, we were able to pay for the places we would stay. Therefore, we only have to pay for plane ttickets, souvenirs, and any activities we want to try out. My parents have been to Hawaii almost ten times, and they have a good idea of the things that they think I should experience there.

    One of the things they most enjoy about Hawaii is the whales. Every time they travel there, if it is the right season, they go whale watching. Luckily, the whales should still be in the ocean surrounding the islands so I will get to see them. We are going to watch them from the beach and while on a dinner cruise. We are also going to go to a whaling museum and an aquarium.

    For the first time ever, we are going to go on a helicopter ride! My parents do not usually do the helicopter tour because it is so expensive, but they want to try it with me this time. Other rides that we will go on are a sail boat ride, a dinner cruise, and a short ride out to the ocean to go snorkeling.

    Much of our time will be spent outside. We will go to the beach to do some swimming, sight seeing, and whale watching. We are going to see a Hawaiian hula dance show. It is possible that we might go on a picnic one day. Furthermore, we are going to go to Hana, one of the few areas on Maui that is still an undeveloped tropical paradise.

    Though I don't remember which ones they are, we will be going to a few different islands. We will be very busy and I have a feeling that there will be many pictures taken. In 102 days, my parents and I will be on our way to the islands! I can hardly wait!

Dropping The Ball

    Normally when one hears about dropping the ball, they think that someone gave away a secret. However, in this case, I am talking about the famous ball that drops every year. At the end of each year, there is a gigantic, illuminated ball in Times Square in New York. Millions of people watch this ball drop as a simple but annual tradition that signifies the end of one year and the beginning of another.

    Though some people like to actually see the ball drop in person, I prefer to not stand outside for many hours in the freezing cold. Instead, I usually get together with my family. We hang out and celebrate for a few hours before watching the event. Depending on who is hosting the celebration, a large dinner is prepared for everyone to enjoy. After dinner, we open presents. My immediate family opens presents on Christmas Day, but my extended family opens them whenever we get together. However, this year I won't get to open any of my presents until New Years Eve because my mom works Christmas Day.

    As the countdown begins, the anticipation rises. The ball starts to change colors and we all rush to get a good view of the television. "TEN...NINE...EIGHT...SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE!!!" We all share in the countdown and then cheer at the finale. The ball turns into an explosion of colorful lights and massive amounts of confetti rain from the sky. We stay together for a few more hours, and sometimes some of us even stay the night at the host's house.

    One of the most known rituals associated with this holiday is the kiss at midnight. Furthermore, people frequently get very drunk on this night. Another one, for some random reason, is for people to shoot off their guns. Unfortunately, many of them are drunk and don't think about the fact that there might be somebody nearby. The end result is multiple, unintended, random shootings. So if you are going to participate in this ridiculous aspect of the holiday, make sure there isn't somebody in your range. A final popular aspect is the New Year's resolution. Millions of people come up with something they want to change in the new year, but they rarely end up continuing it for the whole year. Whatever your plans or traditions, have a wonderful holiday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvwfVBr9I0&feature=fvst

(A YouTube video of the ball dropping and people celebrating.)

Blog #7 Research Findings

    Before researching my topic choice, I only knew the information about dementia that I had learned through experience. I knew that the major symptom was a decline in memory and that a large amount of people suffered from the condition. However, there is much more to be learned about dementia.

    About 5-8% of all people over age 65 have the condition, and the number doubles every 5 years above that age. Statistics show that over 24 million people worldwide suffer from some form of dementia. There are many forms of dementia, with Alzheimer's being the most common at about 70%.

(This graph shows the percentages of various causes.)

    Dementia does not progress in set stages. However, it does continue to progress until the patient dies. Most cases are incurable, but there are a few that can be cured if the cause is fixed. For example, if it was caused by tumors, then the removal of the tumors may cure the dementia. With over 50 causes, there are several that one would not normally suspect, such as smoking, high levels of alcohol consumption, or obesity. The untreatable patients may be prescribed a medication, but it can only slow down the progression.

(The brain of a patient with Vascular Dementia.)

    There is an extensive list of symptoms. The most common or recognized one is memory loss. A few other symptoms that may be exhibited are anxiety, frailty, communication problems, difficulty eating, pain, and an alternate personality. The most commonly recorded cause of death is aspiration pneumonia, one of the symptoms. Many patients become aggressive or confrontational because they can't express their needs or wishes.

    Because patients lose their grip on reality, and some suffer from hallucinations, they could put themselves in great danger. Even if it is midnight and the middle of winter, a patient may wander outside without letting anybody know. Some believe they need to run an erran, such as going to buy milk, and they think that it is in the afternoon. In their mind, the situation makes perfect sense, and one can't rationalize with them.

    To conclude my paper, I discussed my personal experience with this condition. I also explained a few preventive measures that one can participate in to attempt to minimize their chances. For example. the best way to prevent the onset of dementia is to stay healthy.

Grandma Did Not Get Run Over By A Reindeer

    One million cities. One night only. Every year Santa Claus magically delivers presents to all the "good" people all over the world. As children, we believed that Santa actually did do this amazing feat. However, as we grew up, we came to realize the truth: that parents, friends, and family members actually bought them for us. There are many different ways that people celebrate this holiday, and there are multiple religions that celebrate it in varying ways.

    Millions of houses are spectacularly illuminated by Christmas lights in honor of this holiday. On the lawns there may be large displays of Nativity Scenes, Santa Clauses, elves, and reindeer. There are even large, blow-up, snow globes. Inside there is a grand tree covered by ornaments and more bright lights. Some people even go out to sings songs in order to celebrate Christmas.

    However, there are some people who absolutely detest this holiday. The oldest and most famous character that comes to mind is Scrooge. He was visited by three spirits known as Christmas Past, Present, and Future, in order to help him change his outlook. Another famous character is the Grinch. He tried to destroy Christmas for the people of Whoville, but a single, little Who, known as Cindy, helped change him to stop the catastrophe. Though these characters are fictional, they are not the only ones who detest the holiday.

    My family celebrates this holiday by many of the previously stated examples. We decorate the house, put up and decorate a tree, buy and wrap presents, and get together for a party. We open presents on Christmas morning and have a large dinner later. In a way, Christmas is like Halloween and Thanksgiving: we eat a lot of food and receive a large amount of candy. Every year my mom and I make a mountain of cookies, fudge, and other treats. However, this year will be different for two reasons. One reason is because my family is dispersed across the country. The other is because my mom has to work on that day, so we aren't celebrating until New Years. Though it will be different, I know it will be amazing and as fun as ever.

(Obviously this is not all there is to Christmas. It is a vast topic, and this is just a short example.)

(We also decorate gingerbread houses sometimes.)

Triple Chocolate Cake

    Though Thanksgiving used to be mostly about giving thanks, a majority of it is now about the food. Some people do still offer thanks, but many equate the holiday to a huge amount of food. This holiday originated in the United States, back in the time of the Pilgrims and Native Americans. To this day it continues to be celebrated in a variety of ways, such as parades, family gatherings, football games, and tables full of food.

    Every year my family gets together to celebrate this holiday. My immediate family and my extended family are close, so we all like to take the chance to get together. Though there is a large amount of people, we all manage to fit in one house. We watch the parade in the morning while preparing for the festivities. Later there is a large dinner, conversation, and games to play.

    During the games after dinner, people continue to return to the food tables, even though they are full. There is always a large variety of things to eat. Usually there is turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, green bean casserole, and so on. For dessert, there is pumpkin pie, apple pie, triple chocolate cake, fudge, and anything else we might want. People may be full, but they keep going back for more. At the end of the evening, we say goodbyes and sometimes send leftovers home with various family members.

    Though some people think that this holiday is "stupid," it is one of my favorites. While it does seem to be mostly about food, many people look forward to a good reason to "pig out." One of the things I look forward to the most, besides getting days off from school, is getting to see my family. This year will be very different from others because my grandma passed on so it will be celebrated at my house, and also because many people from my family have moved away. Even though they will not be there, I know my grandpa will say a prayer for them and they will be missed.

(The chocolate cake is next to the last paragraph because my grandma is mentioned, and she always made triple chocolate cake just for me.)

This is just a short little clip from the parade last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlG1PtxyQiE&feature=related

This Isn't My House!

    Have you ever heard someone say or joke around about an elderly person having Alzheimer's? They may not have even known what it meant. Some people think all elderly people have it just because they can't remember things as easily as they used to, but many of us have the same problem. So do we all have the disease? Alzheimer's  disease is actually the most common form of senile dementia. It is most commonly seen among the elderly and there are many symptoms and causes.

    Dementia is basically the deterioration of cognitive processes. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: memory loss, disorientation of time and place, altered personality, impaired attention, and decline in the ability to think. There are many possible causes for this condition. Causes vary from strokes and tumors to low vitamin B12 or fluid buildup in the brain. There aren't really any tests to see if you have it, like testing for pneumonia. Some cases may be treated or cured by fixing the problem or taking medicine. However, other cases will progressively grow worse. The only thing you can do for those cases are make them comfortable and take good care of them. Eventually they might not even be able to care for themselves, recognize loved ones, or know where they are. It is important to keep them safe, active, entertained, and reminded of necessary activities.

    Though I plan to go into nursing, I don't plan to take care of elderly patients with dementia. This topic relates to my current career, which is why I chose it. I help take care of an elderly woman who has Vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia. I wasn't employed when it first started, but I believe it was caused by a stroke. She has little control over her left side, needs help walking, and takes many medicines. At first it seemed like a pretty easy job, and it still is, but it requires a lot of attention and care. The job is also very personal because I help her do many basic things, like get her food ready. She has good days and bad days, like all of us, but my favorite days are when she doesn't have a panic attack, get severely dehydrated, or think we kidnapped her and are all in on it.

http://comics.drunkduck.com/Gloop_and_Glop/pages/4aa589ebb998b8e57fb358d0c50ae5fe.jpg

Batman!

   Make up, fake teeth, masks, wigs, candy, and hayrides: these are just a few things that are associated with Halloween. This holiday, celebrated on October 31st, is one of my favorite holidays. Every year I anticipate the coming day and prepare to celebrate in various ways.

   One of the most anticipated activities of the Halloween season is trick-or-treating. Every year millions of people dress up in various costumes. Anybody can wear anything; such as masks, make up, dresses, or capes, and nobody will think differently of them. One of the things I most like to wear is a mask because nobody knows who is behind it. A person can act like anybody or be anybody and they will not be judged because you can not tell who they are. The ultimate prize or reward you receive at the end is the candy.

   A scarier aspect of the season is the haunted house. However, it is not always in a house. People decorate a variety of buildings like barns, houses, factories, and garages. Within these places there are terrifying things displayed to instill fear in the customers. For example, there may be mad scientists, beheaded bodies, victims screaming, chainsaws, clowns, spiders, and flashing lights. Some houses even offer a haunted hayride which contain similar ideas for scaring people. However, if you survive the frightening experience, customers often receive apple cider and cinnamon donuts as a reward.

   Furthermore, a fun activity for people of all ages that has been going on for many years is pumpkin carving. The first step involves cutting out a hole in the top and scooping out the guts. The inside of a pumpkin is cold and slimy. Some people even keep the pumpkin seeds and roast them for eating. Once the pumpkin is cleaned out, the carver may cut out any shape or design they wish. For example, some carve a face, a scene, or an animal. A pumpkin can be decorated any way you wish. Sometimes a candle is even placed inside to make it more eerie, give it more effect, or give the illusion of movement.
  
   Over the years I have been a variety of characters. When I was little I was always a princess. I have been Little Red Riding Hood, Scream, and a bloody skeleton. This year I am going to be Batman!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOG1EYbp90k&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-1r-3-HM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqUDr6pTkfY