Vocabulary chapters 13 & 14 (Cody Sanoy)

Expedite pg 171-To speed up the progress of
Cliche pg 173-A overused phrase that has become stereotyped and has lost it's orginality and meaning
Turmoil pg 174-A state of great commotion, confusion, or disturbance
Rigorous pg 176-Uncomfortably severe or harsh
Donning pg 176-Putting on or dressing in
Confounded pg 176-Perplexed or amazed especially by a sudden disturbance or surprise
Naive pg 177-showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information
Entourage pg 181-A group of people, commonly attendants or associates
Subconsciously pg 186- Existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness
Dissension pg 188-Strong disagreement; a contention or quarrel

Graphic Organizer for Chapters 13 and 14 (Charlie Warnes)

Adam and “Bubble Gum” or more commonly referred to as BG have a love-hate relationship. It worked out perfectly that they both needed a roommate at the same time and were each looking at the same place but at the same time their personalities are too much alike. They both are extremely stubborn which leads to constant argument but luckily nothing ever gets too serious because they deal with each other for a long time (I think like 3 months or more). Whenever Adam buys food or anything BG always wants to borrow some of it but never really gives anything back to Adam except for when something needs to be fixed BG can fix anything. They both pay their rent but when it comes to little things like milk or cheese BG just “borrows” Adams… this is something that really angers Adam but for some reason he just puts up with it. BG and Adam balance each other out but sometimes the teeter-totter leans a little more one way that the other.

Questions Chapters 13 and 14 (Stephen Fisher)

When Adam side tracks from the story to mention circumstances in his past life such as, “She was just like my mom, she couldn’t throw anything away,” does this side track from the story and unnecessary, or help his story be more relatable to the readers?

One of the reasons Adam has more money than his roommate is because he doesn’t spend any money on alcohol and tobacco. So why do many people who are poor spend money on these unnecessary items.

What must this experience been like for Adams family? He goes back home for Christmas but he doesn’t mention any of their feelings. Why?

Adam mentions it takes him a long time before he realizes there is a free clinic for sick people. One could infer that Adam is not the first person to no know about some of the options available to those who are sick and poor. What kinds of consequences could this create in real life?

Answers:1) We found personally find the side stories distracting from the story. Not because their not important but, he never introduced his parents that much, so when he mentions them it seems awkward.
2)We thought think many people spend money on unnecessary items because of their social influences.
3)We think it would have been important for Adam to mention more about his family, so it helps the reader develop a better sense of the story he is telling.
4)We think there should be more information to people to help them find places that can help them.

Summary chapters 13 & 14 (Logan)

Adam moves into a new apartement with a guy named BG. The aparement is not well kept and in rough shape. BG and Adam take a couple of days to make the apartement more livable and Adam realizes that BG is going to be tough to live with, because it is his way and nothing else. Derrick also offers BG to join their crew, which Adam was not too fond of after a while because of the lack of effort that BG put into his job.Adam and BG eventually start to argue over the electric bill, as they racked up a hefty amount one month. Adam also does a move that takes eighteen and a half hours, which he describes in quite detail.

I thought that Adam uses great imagery in this section of the chapters, because of how he explained all of the rooms in the house and also how he explained how the lady's two car garage was filled with random assortements. Another example is how he explained his dancing skills during chpater 13.

Summary (Stephen Fisher) 11-12

Chapter eleven begins with Adam going downtown for work. This is the first time Adam has tried to accomplish his moving job in a crowded urban area. Unfortunately while on the job, Adam hurts his toe and breaks it. This injury becomes so unbearable that he has to quit doing his labor moving job and work at Fast Company doing non-labor intensive tasks. Adam also finally gets his own room; he rents out a small place to live from a guy who is a friend of one of his employers. His work also pays off in the end and he is able to purchase a truck.
Chapter twelve begins with Adam discussing some of the problems that come with working at Fast Company. He describes his charismatic and somewhat frantic boss who has a short temper along with his moving partner who doesn’t work well with others. Finally Adam confronts one of his managers and gets a new partner who he works well with. Adam continues to follow his goals and at the end of the chapter plans his move to a larger apartment.

Throughout these two chapters, the author uses simple diction in his description of events. He also sidetracks from the story as he asks questions to himself. These “what if” questions seem to be implanted to help the reader develop questions about his life experience. Questions such as: “What if this had happened to one of my buddies who had been washing dishes and had no money saved up at all?”. These questions are also spaced apart from the text to help them stand out more.

Vocabulary Chapters 11 and 12 (Charlie Warnes)

1. Applicable (pg. 147) = Can be applied; relevant or appropriate.
2. Disposition (pg. 150) = Temperament or frame of mind; manner of placing or arranging.
3. Nonchalant (pg.150) = Seeming to be coolly unconcerned or indifferent.
4. Hindsight (pg.151) = The ability to understand, after something has happened, what should have been done or what caused the event.
5. Utterly (pg.152) = Completely; absolutely; entirely.
6. Exploiting (pg. 152) = To use or manipulate something to one’s advantage.
7. Blue-collar (pg.153) = Relating to wage earners, especially as a class, whose jobs are performed in work clothes and often involve manual labor.
8. Animosity (pg.162) = A powerful and active dislike or hostility; enmity.
9. Flak (pg. 163) = A great deal of adverse criticism.
10. Condescension (pg.165) = The act or instance of behaving in a patronizing way.

Visual Chapters 11 & 12 (Logan)

Throughout chapters 11 and 12, Adam showed significant signs that he was a gentleman. Adam looked out for others, and also showed his appreciation for others in both chapters. Adam tried to stay positive in most of the situations that he was put in, and this helps him during the two chapters. If Adam would have taken the pessimistic way, maybe he would be without a job, but he stayed positive and is doing well during chapters 11 and 12.

Discussion Questions Chapters 11 & 12 (Cody Sanoy)

1. One of the main goals of Adams experiment is to make $2500. If he doesn't accomplish this then he fails. Do you think it is smart for Adam to move out of the shelter? or do you think he should live there for as long as possible so he can save up more money?

It seems as if it is Adam's best interest to save as much money as possible. He even said he had the best time of his life in the shelter, and it's free. This makes it confusing to understand why he is leaving. If he stayed there just another month he could save up an extra $400 dollars or so which would go a long way.

2. Derrick is considered to be the best move at fast company and Adam looks up to him like a celebrity. Do you think Derrick is a role model for all of the movers or is Adam crazy for how amazing he thinks Derrick is?

Derrick is definitely a good mover but it seems weird to think so highly of him just because he can move well. It doesn't seem like that is really an important trait to have. It makes Adam look weird for talking so much about Derrick.

3. Do you think it was weird for Adam to write a letter to the bus driver? How do you think the bus driver reacted to the letter?

It's interesting that Adam wrote the letter. At first it seems like a weird thing to do because the bus driver never really did anything extraordinary, but it shows how a small gesture can make a big difference. It must be really hard for Adam at times to be doing this project. He missing his friends and family so seeing one friendly face every day can make a difference.

4. Similar to the question about moving out of the apartment, is it smart for Adam to buy a car when he car just ride the bus? we know that he getting a car is one of his goals but should he have waited until he had more money to spend so he could get a car that had less of a chance to break down?

Adam doesn't seem to be making all of the smartest financial decisions. Everything he spends money on sets him back and although he needs a car the sooner he buys it the less he can spend on it. Also, the longer he has the car the more time it has to break down, this seems even more likely because of how much he spent on it and how old it is.

3rd Journal

In Chapter 9 through 10 Adam begins working at Fast Company. This is a very positive opportunity for Adam. It is a good opportunity because he now has a steady income and he is making good progress on completing his ultimate goal. He also decides that he wants to move out of the shelter, but an unfortunate accident happened. When Adam finished up a day’s work, he placed the money and a receipt in a clip board from the house that he just got done moving. The minute that Adam showed up at the shelter, he had a note waiting for him saying to call Curtis at Fast Company. Adam called as prompted and found out that the money was missing, and he had to pay $143.50 out of his pocket. This delayed Adam from moving out from the shelter, so he had to move out the next week.
Adam finds that his job at Fast Company will be tough to start out, because he has no respect and Adam gets paired up with a guy named Shaun. Shaun is conceited, cocky, selfish, and arrogant, but Adam makes due with what he has and they get along for the first couple of weeks that he works. Eventually Shaun’s selfish ways weigh down Adam to the point of a meltdown. Adam pulls the truck over and lays down some ground rules… this tactic fixes the kinks in their relationship for about two more weeks but eventually Shaun goes back to normal. It seems to us that unfortunately for Adam nothing can go completely the way he would like it to. Every time he seems to get a break through and things look good, something ends up going array. From paring up with Shaun to breaking his toe to losing money, Adam has had to deal with many obstacles but persistence pays off.
Finally in chapter 10, Adam learns the importance of respect. While working with Shaun, Adam learns that respecting differences between two people is a valuable trait that can work to the advantages of both parties. Shaun remains someone who likes to talk about himself a lot, yet isn’t very social when it comes to the customers. Adam while likes to keep most of his personal stories to himself, enjoys making small talk with the customers. These differences, seeming to be a drawback in the beginning, turn out to be an advantage when both Shaun and Adam learn to embrace them. This was surprising how they worked so well together while being very different personalities. Adam was able to use his skills to please the customers and receive larger tips, while Shaun was able to use his physical strength to get work done and still receive good tips. Therefore, by embracing and respecting differences, both people were able to accomplish more than they ever could alone.
Adam didn't have to leave Shaun because Shaun in a sense, left him. Shaun was fired from work for his poor work ethic and this alone, was probably the best thing of the entire journey that happened to Adam. After Shaun left, Adam needed a new crew and one thing led to another and soon Adam found himself infront of the legend himself at Fast Company. Derrick wasn't anything special to the eye but certainly was. He was stronger and more experienced than most and because of this, overall, he was the best mover ever to come through Charleston. Derrick was a simple guy who was always looking on the bright side and because of this he brought out the good in Adam. Their styles coincided and because of this they soon became the top crew on the job and soon were making more money than Adam ever expected to. It goes to show that a positive attitude and good work ethic can improve the people around you. Adam worked hard for his acceptance and rank amongst his fellow workers and certainly deserved a break.

graphic Organizer 9-10 (Stephen Fisher)

In chapters 9-10 Adam learns the importance of multiple characteristics that lead to sucess in his new job.While working with Shaun Caldwell, Adam picks up his first few tips for working at fast company. Shaun teaches Adam the importance of being assertive, if Adam wishes to insure that he won’t get stepped on by the management. Adam also comes to the realization of working through ones differences, and learns the benefits of having people with differences. An example would be how Adam was able to be more social with the customers, while Shaun would work harder on the labor aspect of the job. Finally Adam learns the need for mutual respect on both sides. A great example of the importance of respect is when Adam tells Shaun that he wants him to not litter anymore and wear his seatbelt, but while doing so Adam would have to talk less and listen to Shaun more while working.