Favorite Comedian

After spending the afternoon watching Comedy Central and various Youtube videos of comedians, I can safely say I wasted three hours of homework time having fun, go WISE!! Anyway, I have made a list of my top favorites they are as follows; Dane Cook, a very animated comedian who talks about things from public bathrooms to the Kool-Aid Man, Gabriel Iglesias, a rather large Mexican man who spends most of his acts making fat jokes about himself and his friends, Jeff Dunham, an astonishingly good ventriloquist whose puppets range from a talking Jalapeno on a stick to purple alien looking guy named Peanut. However, overall, my very favorite comedian is Kevin Hart.  He talks mostly about his family and his experiences since he is rather short so he has lots of funny stories.  I really had a great time doing nothing but laughing, just another perk of having fun for a WISE project!

Call me Gilligan

With nothing to do yesterday I decided to cross another item off my bucket list by writing two identical notes and attatching one to a balloon and putting the other in a bottle with a cork to keep it air tight. The balloon I released yesterday from my yard and the bottle I threw into the lake today. Written on the note was my phone number and Twitter name (you can never have too many followers). Also, I written on the note was an explanation of the purpose of this note. That it was for a project in school and making a note and releasing it like that is a childhood fantasy that I think many kids, or at least I, have had. I really hope someone finds them and contacts me. I think it would be really neat to have someone find my message.

Green Thumb

Since the beginning of March, my dad and I have been growing seedlings of tomatoe, pepper, cucumber, and bean plants. This weekend we decided that they were mature enough, and the weather was good enough, for them to be planted in the garden. So another item on my bucket list was crossed off as we spent a few hours turning the soil over and planting the seedlings. Also, we strung twine for the beans to cling to and climb up. It was really great to enjoy the outdoors and spent quality time with my dad doing something that will give us fresh veggies all summer long.

One hole golf course

A couple days ago I really wanted to go golfing but I couldn't find anyone to go with. Instead I decided to cross an item off my list by making a flag and a cup to hit the ball into. Also I mowed the area around the cup really well to make a green. It was actually really fun I mean it was the first time I enjoyed mowing the grass which is a weird feeling. Anyway, I had a lot of fun making the course and I look forward to playing on it and moving the green around my yard throughout the summer.

Mode of transportation

One of the best items on my bucket list is to go to prom in some kind of special vehicle.  Obviously a car wouldn't do for this so most people would upgrade to a Limo.  However, for this, I have decided a Limo isn't special enough either.  For my prom, which is coming up this Saturday, I have coordinated with my friends to go to prom in a boat since the prom will be held at the Ithaca Farmer's Market on Cayuga Lake.  I mean honestly how many people can say they went to prom in a boat? It may not be the fanciest thing in the world but it's unique for sure and definitely fun! So here we go to prom 2K14 on a boat!

Star Fruit

A bit back logged with posts so here they come. Last week I went to wegmans to purchase a star fruit and a dragon fruit.  I could only find the star fruit, unfortunately, but the good news is that I loved it! Another great learning experience thanks to the WISE program! The star fruit tasted, to me at least, like the combination of a crisp sour apple and a pear.  I love both of these fruits so it's no surprise I enjoyed them together. I really enjoy trying new things and I think that's the best way to grow as a person.  It's always fun and you always learn something by trying something you have never done before.

A new food?

One item on my list that I have been thinking about for awhile is trying a food that I have always wanted to try.  I have been thinking a lot about what food to choose and today I realized its been right in front of me the whole time.  I was standing in Wegmans this morning and I have always been fascinated with the star fruit because of its strange shape.  This week I plan on buying a star fruit and a dragon fruit, if they have them, and trying them because I have always wanted to and this project is giving me the excuse to try them finally.  Look for a post later in the week regarding my findings.

Time Capsule

One of my favorite items that I have on my list is to create a time capsule.  I have talked to my teacher and I think that the school administration will be okay with it.  My plan for this is to have all of the WISE students, and any other seniors who want to participate, fill out a sheet that I will pre-make with things like their name favorite food, favorite thing to do, a guess of what the future will be like etc.  My goal is to collect around thirty or forty of these and put them in a PVC pipe time capsule.  I hope that the time capsule will be reopened in fifty years and seniors then will be able to see what life was like for us and hopefully enjoy reading them.  Therefore, my WISE project will continue to bring fun to people fifty years after I graduate.

Bonfire party with friends...check!

On Friday night, in anticipation of the brutal upcoming week of AP tests, many of my friends and I had a bonfire at an undisclosed location  Now the place of the fire can't be revealed on the internet but rest assured readers, it was one of the best parties I have ever been to.  There ended up being lots of people there that I had never met before, some of which where even in my grade! I find it sad that even after four years I still don't know the whole class of 2014.  Anyway, getting together and relaxing with everyone is such a great way to end the week and I plan on continuing these as long as the weather is nice.

Fish on

Although the fish weren't biting, the company was great and being with friends is always fun. Fishing is ninety nine percent waiting and being with friends to fill that is the best way.  We sat on the dock and dangled our feet over the edge while we cast our lures thirty or so yards out onto the smooth lake. The wind wasn't blowing and the water was calm, so much so that at times it was like glass.  I'm realizing now that the actual activity of fishing, or anything else that I have done in my project, wouldn't have been nearly as fun without the proper company.  That's not to say that being alone can't be fun, but all the activities I have done so far have been fun due to the family and friends that experienced it with me.

What makes fun more fun?

After twelve weeks of this project I'm starting to realize that planning on doing activities isn't as fun as when they spontaneously happen to you. For example today out of the clear blue I was invited to go fishing during my free period. I would never have thought to do that and planning it would have taken the fun out of it but since it happened spontaneously, its going to be way more fun. Stay posted for the details on the fishing trip.

Bamboo Dance

On Friday, a Burmese dance group from Utica came to perform for students and show them how to do the bamboo dance.  They performed it and then invited any students up onto the stage to try it.  I attempted to get my teachers son, Connor, to come try it with me but he was too shy.  Instead, I convinced Ms. Kennedy, my English teacher from last year, to come up on stage with me and try it out.  It was a three beat dance that was kinda like the hokey-pokey since it involved tapping your feet in and out of a circle.  Anyway, it was something that I wouldn't normally do and very far out of my comfort zone.  I'm glad I did it though because how many people can say they know how to do the Burmese Bamboo Dance?

Turning over a new leaf

After talking with my teacher this week, I have come to realize that I need to step my game up more and really "dive in with both feet" and "get out of my comfort zone more" as she suggested.  I plan on blogging more often and planning more to limit the random blog posts.  This week I will talk about my experience with ethnic Burmese dancing, putting googly eyes on random things to make them look funny, and how my team does this weekend in our State Cup game.

First outdoor practice of the year

If you have been reading my blog you should be well aware that playing soccer is a huge part of my life.  It's my main sport however I'm gonna let you in on a little secret...I hate the beginning of spring soccer.  Well let me clarify, I love the soccer but I hate the weather that early spring in New York entails.  The soccer is great though, we are preparing for one of the most important and fun times of our season; the State Cup.  Our play-down game is this Sunday so stay posted for the game details!

Lions and Tigers and Customized Jerseys oh my!!

After school Monday I went to see my girlfriend who had been in Spain all weekend for the Spanish trip.  When I arrived she surprised me with a customized F.C. Barcelona jersey.  They are one of the best teams in Spain and arguably in the whole world.  Having one of their jerseys with my name on it is a bit conceited I understand but at the end of the day I really don't care because it so awesome and this definitely made my week.

Shots fired

As you can see from my previous posts I have spent the week in the south and what kind of southern vacation doesn't involve guns? So anyway this afternoon all the men went out to the backyard where my uncle had set up a shooting gallery.
Weapons:
2 semi-automatic .22 rifles
2 .22 pistols
A twelve gauge shotgun
A nine mm pistol
So yea you could say this experience ranked quite high on the fun-o-meter! One of my favorite parts was the dueling target my uncle has. It's basically ten targets (five on each side of a pole) that are on the end of a metal arm connected to a pole. The goal is to shoot the targets on your side so that they swing around to your opponents side. After all the bullets have been fired the person with the fewest targets on their side wins. I'm proud to say I won both the duels that I shot in.

Antique shopping in the south

One thing that many people may not know about me is that I love looking through and collecting antiques.  In many peoples opinion it's not really a manly thing to do but guess what; I don't really care because I love history and looking through antiques is like looking back through time for me.  My collection is centered mostly around three types of items; tins, bottles, and Coca-Cola advertising and toys.  I started collecting when I was fourteen and haven't ever really stopped. My collection has grown so large that I have basically run out of room in my room to display everything but nevertheless I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.  I look at my collection as a type of investment.  I take good care of my items and since the are antiques they are growing in value even so one day, if I ever want to, I could sell them and theoretically make money.  Whatever the case I'm exclaiming to the world over cyberspace that I Love Antiques!

Seven dogs and counting

Both my aunt and uncle breed and show dogs as a hobby so it's not too surprising that they have quite a few dogs. My uncle has five Staffordshire Bull Terriers that he has bred and shown and my aunt has only two Bernese Mountain Dogs at the moment but the girl, Bridget, is pregnant with her first litter thus the "and counting". Every night, and two at a time, the dogs would come out and be with us.  The Staffies are very strong dogs but very lovable and they want to lap dogs and they jump on your lap and love to be scratched.  The Bernese are bigger and have much thicker coats but they are just as lovable and will sit still for hours if you pet them. I love dogs, I truly believe they are man's best friend because I think they bring out a youthful and happy spirit in most people. Although having them around is sometimes chaos, I love them all and had a ton of fun an laughs playing fetch and other games.

85 and sunny

After church this morning all seven of us (Dad, Mom, Me, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin) went to the National Whitewater Center.  The water was a bit cold so instead we opted for dry land activities.  Seen in the picture is the man-made river for rafting, a rock climbing wall with varying degrees of difficulty, and at the very top there are four cable streaking across the picture.  These cables are part of a two hundred foot long cable swing that takes riders across the park and river at a relaxing height of fifty feet.  Yes we did this, yes it was one of the most fun things I have done for this project!  Also, there where tree canopy high obstacle courses and obstacle courses on the ground.  The one in the trees looked like so much fun but it was closed so we settled for the one at ground level.  It was harder than it looked and it didn't help that my footwear (Sperry's) wasn't exactly athletic wear.  Even so, was the first one to complete the course in the last four hours mainly because I was able to climb up a fifteen foot rope and ring a bell.  This was a memorable day and a great way to start the trip.

On the road again

After spending the night in Harrisburg PA, we jumped back on rt 81 and cruised south all the way to warmth in the south.  Driving itself is never fun however a sunny 80 degree day is something to appreciate.  The car ride wasn't so bad either, my saint of a mother packed an enormous snack back which always goes over well with two teenage boys.  Anything from sour patch kids to peanut butter pretzels, if you were craving it, it was probably in the snack bag.  Also, somewhere along the route in North Carolina we stopped for gas and decided to run through a car wash.  I'm not sure if it was just bad luck or what but while in the unmanned touch free car wash it simply turned off in the middle of the soap cycle.  Since nobody was brave enough to get out of the car for fear of getting doused in suds, we drove two miles through a little town, covered in soap suds, to another car wash to rinse off. What a sight we must have been! Anyway we have arrived at my aunts house and are getting settled in for the week...oh boy!

Twenty Second Anniversary

Friday April 11: Dear Reader,
The grueling 13 hour car ride began this afternoon promptly at four thirty. One plus is since we are making this car ride on my parents anniversary we stopped at a nice Italian restaurant for dinner.  I ordered the five layered lasagna and it was amaaazing! But I guess any combination of pasta, sausage, ricotta cheese, sauce, and mozzarella cheese is bound to be pretty tasty.  Anyway, this delectable entree was accompanied by a large Coke and an order of garlic knots, all to be topped off with a chocolate dipped cannoli...you could call it heaven and you could also call it my dinner.

Spring Break

So next week is spring break and my family is going to South Carolina to visit my aunt.  Also, my girlfriend is going to Spain for the Spanish trip.  To keep her company while we are away I wrote her a series of letters so that she could open one a day for every day that we were apart.  I got this idea from twitter and I thought it is something fairly simple that I could do but it would carry a lot of meaning.  I can't wait for spring break this is gonna be so fun!

Legally Blonde

On April 5th I attended the spring musical which this year was legally blonde. It was a great show and I really enjoyed it. I was reluctant to go because it seemed a bit too girly by the name but after a little coaxing from my girlfriend I went with her. I'm glad I did, many if my friends were in it and according to people who had also seen the movie, it followed that story pretty well which is sometimes not the case with musicals or plays. Anyways, this wad the only show I had been to my entire high school career and I guess it made me wish I had gone to more. I didn't realize what a strong drama department we have so bravo to all who were in it!

It's been awhile...

It's been two very busy weeks with internet connection for half the time so here comes a whole bunch of back posts!

Item 24 on my List

Item twenty four states that I want to keep a family tradition on my father's side alive by drinking mate regularly. Mate is basically loose leafe tea that is drank by almost everyone in Uruguay which is the country my father grew up in.  There, people carry around a thermos and Calabash Gourd (as pictured above) everywhere they go because it is as common as drinking coffee is in America. The same tea leaves are used all day and when you want a drink you pour a little bit of hot water in (enough for about two sips), let it steep for a few seconds, and then drink it.  The metal straw has a strainer at the end of it to keep the leaves out of your mouth.
I have begun to drink this pretty regularly as I do my homework because it has many vitamins and is good for you. Also, it has no calories because there is no sugar so its just a refreshing yet hot drink.
Keeping family traditions alive are very important in our society today. Everyone should be proud of who they are and where they come from.  I am proud to keep family traditions, such as this one, alive.

Eye Dissection

In my AP Biology class we dissected a sheep's eye. I have always enjoyed dissections because I am very interested in the body and how it works. This dissection was no different, in fact, it was more interesting because it would explore the miracle of sight. The process started out fairly normal; cut here, remove this, use the scalpel here, etc. However it got much more interesting once the retina was removed and the choroid was exposed as shown in the picture above. It was a beautiful blue-green color, absolutely amazing. This explains why animals eyes show up as green if you take their picture at night, what you are seeing is the light from the flash reflecting off of this part of the eye.
Just another fun surprise to add to the blog I suppose.   

April Fools Day

Most of my post reflect fun things that I've done however in math on April fool's day my teacher pranked us in a way that was the opposite of fun.
We had a test that we had known about for a week and our teacher told us it had been moved to the next day. She waited just long enough for everyone to smile before saying " April fools! Clear your desks and take out a pencil."
I can honestly say this experience was the opposite of fun.

Plan for this week

This week I plan to accomplish item 17 and 24 on my Senior Bucket List.  Also, April Fools day is this week so be sure to check for updates on happenings in school...oh boy!

QOTW for 3/30-3/36

The question for this week is what is the world's most popular fun activity.  For this question I am anticipating a few answers mainly because there is no way to calculate this and there are many ways to have fun.

Junior Prom 2014

On Saturday March 29 I attended Junior Prom at the Statler Hotel with my gorgeous girlfriend and her sister and friends.  The food and company was great and it was a memorable night to say the least.  Prom is always exciting and I'm so happy to be able to go to two this year.  Even though very few of my friends were there, I'm happy to say that it was still fun and I enjoyed the company of everyone and hope that I made Prom special and memorable for my girlfriend.

Another Item off The List

Over the weekend I attended a retreat for my youth group at Casowasco Retreat Center on Owasco lake.  This is an annual retreat for us and it's one of my favorite ones to go on.  After four years of being in high school youth group I have found it to be an essential part of who I am and considering that this very well may be the last retreat I ever go on, I consider myself extremely blessed to have had these fun, educational, and faith-filled experiences.

Ryan Saul's Blog

I find Ryan's project, of maintaining an ice arena, to be a very interesting one.  I realized that it totally made sense, however, after reading his "About my Blog" tab where he mentions how he has played hockey for thirteen years.  Also, so far I find his blog to contain lots of interesting information especially his pictures of the Olympia Ice Machine.  I found his blog to be very organized and clearly show lots of work on his part towards learning what it takes to maintain an ice arena.  I look forward to reading more of his blog as I am now very intrigued to learn along with him.

QOTW for 3/10-3/16 update and QOTW for 3/17-3/23

I am still waiting to hear back from the psychiatrist I contacted regarding this past weeks question so look for the answer within a few days under the Research tab.  The question for this week is a bit different because it requires personal study, none-the-less, the question is, "What is my most fun activity?"

Family Birthday Party

Today my family celebrated the birthdays of my four Scalisi cousins.  There birthdays are all in February and March and since the youngest is sixteen this year and the oldest is twenty four they celebrate them all together to save time.  Lauren turns twenty four, Adam turns twenty two, Nathan turns eighteen, and Rachel turns sixteen. In many families I think it is common that there's a relative that for whatever reason is seen as annoying or impolite or whatever the case may be, however, I can honestly say that there is no such family member in my family.  We all genuinely get along and always have a good time.  We all eat meals together and always chat afterwards over coffee or tea depending on personal preference.  I believe that this is increasingly unique about a family but I am so glad and so blessed to be part of a family where it is always going to be fun to get together with.

My Handball Team

The Squad.

Handball Tournament on Saturday 3/15/14

My team was originally going to be stacked and I was so excited however after loosing two of our better players to a varsity lacrosse scrimmage, our team was severely weakened.  We ended up loosing two games into the elimination round which is better then I expected considering we hadn't been playing too well before then.  Regardless it was an afternoon spent with friends playing an awesome an competitive game.  One thing I realized about myself was that honestly no matter what I do, I will always make it a competition because to me a competitive nature makes anything more fun.  The tournament was lots of fun and I am so glad that I played in it this year since it was my last opportunity to do it as a student.

First Game Back on Friday 3/14/14

My first game back went fairly well unfortunately I didn't score however I came very close on a few occasions one time hitting the post and coming out.  However, as a team we played very well especially considering we play in the adult league.  I am fairly pleased with my progression back into play, I still don't feel 100% back in shape but I fit right back into the team and I was so glad to be back.  At the end of the day soccer has been my sport since I could walk and I am so happy and blessed to be able to play the sport I love. It is truly one of my most favorite activities and always tons of fun.  Although I did not technically fulfill this item on my list, I only had one opportunity to complete it so therefore I have to check it off.

Progress Update

I have contacted a Psychiatrist that my family is friends with and am waiting to here back from her regarding her opinion on the question of the week.  Some of my friends and I have made a handball team for the school wide tournament on Saturday (3/15).  I am very confident we will do well despite two other teams I know of that are pretty stacked. Also, my first game back from my concussion is tomorrow (3/14) look for an update on Saturday regarding how the game went.  

QOTW

Make sure to check the "Research and Questions of the Week" tab above to see answers for past weeks questions. QOTW for 3/10-3/16: Why is the same activity fun for some but not for others?

Snow Cave

Every year for the past three years my younger brother and I have buil a snow cave in our backyard. Today, thanks to the four inches of snow we got yesterday, we carried on this tradition. We shoveled snow from all over our yard and made a pile about five feet tall and six feet in diameter. Then slowly and methodically we dug out the inside and carved the walls ans made them smooth and even. When finished we can both sit inside comfortably with room for maybe three more. This is one of the most fun winter traditions my brother and I have and I have no plans to discontinue it any time soon.

2 Week Outlook

Question of the Week for 3/2-3/8:
What is Fun?

Question of the Week for 3/9-3/15
Why is the same activity fun for some but not for others?

Within the first two weeks I plan to contact a Psychiatrist regarding the Question of the Week for 3/9.

I will use the article from Charlene Collins, and the article from Steve Johnson.

After these two weeks I hope to have completed at least three activities off of the list, as well as completing research and answering the questions listed above.

Dear Reader...

Dear Reader,
The purpose of this blog is to document an ongoing project that I will create and complete in my last semester of my senior year. I plan to do a project that mixes fun with educational experiences. I will creat a list of activities, new to me, to experience before I graduate in June. This project will be a fun way to conclude my high school life and move on to college. However, it won't all be "fun & games", every week I will have a research question if the week posted under the research tab. By Saturday of the same week, that question will be answered through research going on all week.

Meeting the Bishop

On January third of this year the diocese of Rochester installed Bishop Matano as our new Bishop following Bishop Clark's retirement.  Today just like any other Sunday I woke up, got dressed and went to church with my family. However unlike every Sunday, today was special because today was the day that our new Bishop was coming to preside over mass at Immaculate Conception Church. After a preyer filled mass most of the congregation including the Bishop went down to Carges Hall for a reception. There I met the Bishop and talked to him personally for about twenty minutes. He is a man small in stature but large in character. The whole two or three hours of the reception he stood not eating or drinking but talking to every person that wanted to talk to him. When it came time for my family to talk to him at the very end he seemed neither tired nor bored but simply eager to meet more of his Catholic Brothers and Sisters. He is truly a holy man and meeting him and conversing will forever be a memorable moment and a special memory.

Snow Day 2/14

We had about a foot of snow last night and it took my brother Michael and I over three hours to shovel the wet heavy snow. However, the long time frame was partially due to stops for snowball fights, sledding, and burying my 5'3" brother (while standing up) up to his shoulders in snow. Best quote of the day came while he was buried and couldn't move his arms and said, "My nose itches."