Portfolio

Dear FutureMe, Currently I am a student at Brown Mackie College, a boyfriend, soon to be father, and a friend. I am full of life and wanting to learn more. I have gone back to school to further my education, after being laid off. I am a very happy man for the first time in a long, long time. In the next five years I see myself working in the OR as a Surgical Tech at Portland State University hospital. Starting new life with my family, in a nice home located in the Pearl District. Furthering my education more in the area of brain surgery and getting my masters degree. I will only achieve this with very hard work, dedication, sacrifice the respect for myself and others. My writing before this class was very detailed and gave the reader the feeling, and vision of living in the story. My writing was mainly songs, stories and poems with a few being published and others in the works. My grammar and punctuation have been very weak. Using commas and run on sentences most of my life. My writing in class has been about the same when telling a story and doing research essays. At times it has been a challenge when working on a narrative and persuasive essay. It was very new to me and a learning process working with ABA format and really getting to learn new ways of using word. Areas to improve, I would say my punctuation, grammar and the format of a narrative essay. Improving my writing in the future and now will take focus and patience. Taking the extra time to Study different ways of writing and areas to focus on that bring out the main points of the story to the readers. Taking the time to look back at essays I have done and see what areas I was weak in. Looking at what I can use from them and strengthen areas in future essays or work related issues. With combining all areas of past writing and future writing I will excel. I will be using all of this when working in the hospital, and I will have to be able to do it right. One mistake on a patience lab work or surgical record could cost me my job. I will be using it for finishing my book I’ve been writing for five years so I can get it published. Writing shows what you are mistakes can lead people to think you are uneducated. I will use it every day everywhere for the rest of my adult life. “ Ok sir, your flight leaves at 2:00pm on August 26th,” The travel agent said with a smile. “Thank you very much, Becky.””Your welcome, Mr. Atkinson, and enjoy your stay in Vegas.” “ Your welcome, Mr. Atkinson, and enjoy your stay in Vegas.” Cody hung up his cell phone, and like a five year old, ran through the house to find his friends to tell them the news. He ran through the office knocking over a wood and leather chair. while dropping his cell phone. He yelled all the way to the front door, being careful not to slip on the floors. As he ran out the door, he was blinded by the sun shining down on that hot August day. “Art! James! Ouch!” Cody couldn’t see because of the sun, and he tripped over a huge red flower pot, and rolled down the slat steps. He was almost crushed by the pot which broke beside him. “Dam!” Cody yelled out. He got up and compressed the dirt around the flowers, so they wouldn’t die. “Art! James! Where are you?” Finally, Art and James arrived. After running up the hill where they were working on an old hanger that looked over the Boise valley. “What is it Cody!” “We are going to Las Vegas!” They were so excited, jumping, and laughing. That night all of them sat next to the swimming pool looking out at Boise. “James, beer me, would you?” Cody demanded. As all of them sat drinking some cold ones, Cody kept saying how much he would win. They went to bed around 2:00 am. Cody didn’t get much sleep that night. He was thinking of everything he was going to do when they arrived in Las Vegas. “Get up! Get up!” They both yelled while yanking down the curtains letting the light in. “I’m up! Dam it. What time is it?” “We have an hour to catch our flight.” “Shit!!!” Cody jumped up, grabbing a bag of clothes, and his wallet. By now, James was out warming, the Range Rover. Cody bought it a year before, it was black with tan interior. The morning was filled with dew, which made it very humid outside. “Get the AC cranking!” Cody yelled out. “Come on Art, let’s get a move on!” Just then Cody’s brother called on the phone and asked what he was doing this weekend. He told him where they were going, and Justin tried to convince him to stay in Boise for his friend’s birthday. They said goodbye and hung up. They were off driving oh so crazy down the hill from the highlands, so they would make it on time. They were driving downtown toward the airport, with smiles that went from cheek to cheek. “Vegas, here we come!” “Good afternoon, sir,” A very tall woman with bright green eyes said. “Hello, I’m here to pick up three tickets to Vegas.” The lady checked them all in and they were off “Cody, I would like the window seat, please?” James asked. “Ok, but I would like it on the way back." “Please fasten your seatbelts the temp in Vegas is 101 and should temper off a bit before we arrive.” The pilot had a voice that sounded like George Burns. He sounded to old for flying a commercial airline. “I just wanted to get into the city of sin.” Cody thought. The jet took off with a great roar. After a couple of beers they had carried on they could see Las Vegas. The jet came in for its landing they were pushed back into the seats as the breaks were released. The jet seemed like we were on a gravel runway. “James, I’ll go get the bags,” Art said. Ding! Ding! Ding! The sounds of the airport slot machines caught Cody’s ear. He knew he had to wait until the hotel though. They finally arrived at the at the Mirage Hotel with its gleaming volcano surrounded by lush palm trees. At the front desk, they were greeted by an older man. His breath was tangy, and he had teeth as yellow as a street light. They rented a penthouse at the cost of ten thousand a night. “Wow!” They all said at once. It couldn’t get any better than this. “Wow!” They all said at once. It couldn’t get any better than this. They ordered some room service and went out on the town. Poker, slot machines, and several strip joints. Vegas was just warming up, so they thought. It had been four days of straight partying, they were all getting tired. “Hey guys, I’m going to use the bathroom.” He headed down a long hallway covered in marble and gold leaf. While in the bathroom, he noticed a gold phone next to him. He decided to call up an old friend. ‘’JJ” It’s Cody ”Where are you at?” “I’m in Vegas!””You need to get back here now!” “Why?” “Justin was shot and killed last night.” “Don’t fuck with me!” “I wouldn’t do that, it’s true Cody.” Cody didn’t believe him and hung up the phone. He walked out into the living room, and broke down in tears. . His friends asked what was wrong. He told them. Cody picked up the phone to book a flight out that night. He was told no flights were available until tomorrow morning, so that’s what he took. In the mean time in such shock, he and the others went out and got very drunk and stupid. He just wasn’t going to believe something until he saw it for himself. All he could do was wait until he got back into Boise. The next day, Cody flew back, and the others stayed in Vegas. He waited for his aunt at the the airport. She took him to view the body. He wasn’t ready for it at all. “Hello Cody ”Hello aunty. Let’s get this over with,” Cody said softly. Waiting there was his mom and dad. Cody walked up the stairs to the viewing room. There was Cody’s brother, he just waited for him to wake up but it never happened. Cody kissed him on the head and knew he wasn’t alone. Many had lost family, this was just the first for him, but it was his only brother. The only thing to do now was to heal, and be around lots of family. Art and James called to check on him. “So is it true?” ”Yes it’s true he is gone.” Cody cried. . “Sorry to hear about that. If you need anything, please let us know.” ”I will guys.” And Cody hung up. It was funny, the three of us saw Justin the day we left. He wanted us to stay in Boise for his friend’s birthday. we should have. A day will not go by that Cody doesn’t think of his brother, or the friends with him that day Vegas died.