My thoughts on reading

I don't know how I really feel about my reading. It is all just kind of melting together. Between what I have to read and write at work and now read for school, I'm not sure if its work thats killing me or the extra reading. It's what I expected I guess. I mean I'm taking an English Comp II class, what else would we be doing. It's amazing but you find time for it all. Its not easy but I have found extra time in between all the personal extra's in my life. Sometimes it feels good to read for awhile before bed when it's peaceful. I guess it's like a sleeping pill, so in that respect I don't mind the small amount of time I have to read before bed.

Thoughts on Essay

My thoughts on our first essay are mixed. I don't mind writing but to do drafts, themes, notes, etc.., that doesn't seem like fun. With all the reading, journals, blogs' and now our essay, it seems like a lot. The only benefit is that I hope it will improve my writing skills and how I approach an essay and my thought process.

SAIL: Continued

Peter Carlyle has a new lover, her name is Bailey Todd, 25 years old drop dead gorgeous and a body to match. She met Peter while he was teaching a law class in NYU. They began an affair shortly after he married Katherine Dunne. He hired Devoux to kill his wife and family, not that he needed the money, he was the most famous attorney in New York if not the United States, its just that he was psychotic and loved the thrill of not getting caught for things like that. He would even shoplift just for the thrill and get excited when he would get away with it. The GPS co ordinance was rigged by Devoux so when the ship went down, the Coast Guard started a search 500 mile in the wrong direction. Ellen Pierce is a CIA agent who lost a famous case to Peter Carlyle. Upon hearing that the Dunne's boat was days late for the Bahama's, she immediately suspected Peter. The media coverage is getting intense and Peter is enjoying every minute of his fake grieving. Ellen is denied permission to follow Peter based on a hunch so she begins to follow Peter on her own time. Meantime, the Dunne's have washed up on a small deserted island 500 miles from the Bahama's. Young Ernie makes a note and throws it in the water hoping to save the family. After the Coast Guard stops the search (after 1 week) The fisherman find the bottle and the news media goes crazy again. The search for the family Dunne begins again. ******To be continued******

Continuing with my book

Devoux has planted a bomb on "The Family Dunne" but before it goes off Dr. Dunne realizes her daughter is not around. They hear a splash and realize she jumped into the sea. Jake jumps in after and saves her from committing suicide. After they get on ship they realize that a plug is missing from the engine room and this is causing the boat to take on water. This sabbotage was also done by Devoux. Jake fixes the ship but half of it is under water. The next morning Devoux checks the GPS and realizes the boat is still moving. Meanwhile, the Dunne family is starting to bond and Uncle jake throws the kids in the water in a playfull romp. Dr. Dunne jumps in with them, suddenly the boat explodes with Jake on it. Meanwhile Dr. Dunnes new husband shows up to a door. When it opens there is a young beautiful woman waiting for him. They embrace and he picks her up and moves her to the bedroom where he explains, I'm finally free.
******to be continued******

Stress day

For my second blog of the week I'm going to vent about my week. I'm up every day at 0545 at work by 0700 and finish at 1515 Hrs. On Mondays and Thursdays I have to rush out of work in order to make one of my classes. Today (Thursday) I was on my regular day off (RDO) but had to attend a Tabletop exercise with NYPD, Port Authority, Bergen County PD, Prosecutors Office and many other acronyms. This makes seven shifts in five days leaving me with one day off, Friday. Somewhere in there I have to read, do my 500 word paper, help my wife with a few things, fix my bathroom and attend a Cub Scout meeting. Then off to work for another six shifts in 5 days starting on Saturday. Sometimes its funny to hear others talk about their days and how hard they were. This past week I wrestled some crack head, helped lock up four others, institutionalize three EDP's, and wrote seven reports. That's not counting everything in between. I'm not complaining, in fact I rarely do, its the job I took and love it every day. This is just a new tool to be able to express it without actually saying it. Talk to you all soon.

Where I am now

In my book SAIL, I'm following the main characters, Dr. Katherine Dunne, her daughter Carrie and son's Ernie and Mark. Dr. Dunne is a widowed mother of three who remarried a wealthy and famous millionaire lawyer Peter Carlyle. Dr. Dunne's husband Stuart died in a scuba diving accident off their sail boat "The Family Dunne" Dr. Dunne had a secret affair with her deceased husbands brother Jake while she was married. The story starts off with a couple of drunk guys fishing off a rented charter boat in the Bahamas, when they catch a tuna and bring it to shore. On shore the men take a picture with the upside down tuna and a bottle falls from the tuna's mouth with a message in it. The Captain reads the message, "The Dunne Family is Alive". The story suddenly moves to Dr. Dunne contemplating taking a trip on "The Family Dunne" and to try to restore her broken family after her husbands death. There is a lot of conflict between the kids who are acting out and leaving their mother at her wits end. Carrie is suicidal, Mark is a pot head and Ernie is a young genius. Peter seems like a straight guy and wishes the family off. This is the first time in three years that "The Family Dunne" has seen water and the family is ready to set sail for the Bahamas from Cape Cod. They call the trip the Dysfunctional Dunne family vacation. Watching them leave was a man named Devoux. He had only one job, and that was to make people disappear. *****To Be Continued******

My first book of 3

The book I chose was SAIL, by James Paterson. I started the book just before school started, but only got through the first 50 or so pages. I expect a suspenseful mystery as well as a good cast of characters. I've read a few of his books and although they are not a tough read, they make for an enjoyable story. I hope to pick three very different types of books. But thats another blog.

Finding time to read

Well, going back to school hasn't been easy. Its not that the work is hard, its finding the time to do it. Like reading three books for English Comp II as well as all the other reading and homework from other classes. I have to work full time, have a family life, go to basketball practice and cub scouts. I've been reading before I go to bed, at work and anytime in between. It's been just great.

English Comp II

Hi everyone, my name is Tom Ottina. I'm taking English Composition II here at Bergen Community College during the fall of 2009. I'm here after 25 years to get my BA. I already have 80 credits in FDU, but never completed English Comp II or Algebra II so I'm back to take these classes and move on. I'm a 21 year veteran of the Fort Lee Police Department and currently hold the rank of Lieutenant. I've written and corrected hundreds of reports over my career. I just hope this helps get me through this class. I'm looking forward to expanding my writing skills which can only help me further, not only in school, but later in life.

I put together this blog for this English Comp class, but I've never blogged before so this will be a new experience. I hope to discuss and post comments of the books I will be reading and I'm looking forward to reading other students comments, not only about my blog, but about theirs as well. See you all in cyberspace.