BR #2: Black Duck Second Entry

I have just finished Black Duck. I thought it was a good book. I again enjoyed the action and how it was easy to understand what was going on. Another thing I liked about the book was it wasn’t predictable like some books are.
Ruben still isn’t like me. I like school while he enjoys skipping it whenever he gets the chance. He seemed interested in the alcohol smuggling at first, but changed his mind at the end, and I would never think about joining the alcohol smuggling that was going on then. He isn’t like me in many ways.
I think people who like action/mystery books would like Black Duck. Anybody who’s interested to know more about the alcohol smuggling during the Alcohol Prohibition should read this book. If you’re not interested in finding out more about the alcohol smuggling business, or if you don’t care for mystery books this would probably not be the book for you. I know I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think other people will too.
I learned quite a lot about the alcohol smuggling business from reading Black Duck. I learned that freighters, or ships, came from Canada and anchored just behind the Canadian/USA border, and waited for smuggling boats to come and load themselves with the liquor that the freighters possessed. Then the boats would rush to the shore, unload the liquor, and repeat the process. If they were caught by the Coast Guard, they would dump the liquor overboard so they couldn’t be charged with having alcohol with them and violating the alcohol prohibition law. I also learned that a ticket was half of something, usually a torn dollar bill, that a smuggler buying liquor from Canada would have to show the hired captain of the freighter who was shipping the liquor, and had the other half of the bill, that he was the right guy. It was a way of a smuggler proving to the captain shipping the liquor that he was the right buying customer.
I rate this book on a scale from 1-10 a 9. I rate Black Duck a 9 because it kept me entertained and wanting to keep reading. The topic it was based on was unique. Black Duck is the only book I know that is based on the Alcohol Prohibition years. The plot was exceptional, the events that took place fit into the story very well. Black Duck is a good book for, in my opinion, anyone to read, and I hope my responses made you interested.

My Memoir

The thing I can remember most from my past is when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I was 5 years old at the time. My family and I were out shopping at Coborn's when I became very thirsty. I made about 6 trips to the water fountain. My mom finally asked me, "Are you feeling alright?" I replied, "I just feel very thirsty." My mom drove me to the doctor the next morning. The doctor asked my mom many questions and performed some tests like my blood pressure. He told my mom, "Your son has the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes." I had no idea what Type 1 diabetes was. He explained to my mom what it was, but I didn't really pay attention. My mom acted calm, but I knew she was worried. That of course made me worried. The next day my mom took me to the St.Cloud Hospital. I asked her what we were doing there, and she said, "You're just going to be here for a few days so the doctor's can see if you have diabetes." I was put into a room and handed hospital clothing by a nurse. I changed into them and waited with my mom for the doctor to come in. The doctor arrived and explained to my mom what tests they would be performing. Then the doctor had me sit next to him as he told me he had to check my blood sugar. The doctor pricked my finger and put my finger next to a small device. A strip of plastic sucked my blood up. the device beeped and 300 something showed up on the screen. That was my blood sugar. A normal person's is 80-95. The prick didn't hurt much. I didn't think it was going to be bad until a nurse walked in with a syringe. She announced, "He needs to be injected with insulin to lower his elevated blood sugar." I was terrified and began pleading with my mom and the nurse not to hurt me. The nurse swiftly, as if she had done this a million times before, gripped my arm and plunged the needle into my arm. I was very tense, causing the shot to hurt much more than if I had just calmly waited for the injection. I cried for about a minute. The next day they had to draw blood from my arm. I was led into a tiny room with a chair that looked like at a dentist's office. I tried to be braver than when I got my first insulin injection. I felt extremely queasy. I watched as they inserted the needle into my arm. I so badly wanted it to end right away, but it seemed to go on for several minutes. I watched the blood rush around and around in the tube. I was relieved when the nurse finally took the needle out. My legs felt like jelly when I stood. After that, I was led back into my hospital room. Bored out of my mind, I laid on the bed until a TV with a Nintendo 64 was wheeled into my room. Delighted, I began playing Mario 64. I was happy when my family visited me, which was frequently. After nearly a week went by, the doctor arrived and announced, "I think you have been in here long enough, let's get you out of here." I was impatient to get out, but the doctor had to explain to my mom I needed shots whenever I ate, or whenever my blood sugar level was high. He explained how to test my blood sugar. Finally he said, "Okay now, You can finally leave." Before we left he handed my mom a book explaining Type 1 diabetes and how to take care of it. Having diabetes doesn't bother me now. For about the first 2 years my mom gave me the shots. Now I give myself the shots. All I can do is take care of my blood sugar, and wish researchers will one day create a cure.

About Me

Hello! If you haven't guessed already, I'm Tyler. For those of you who don't know a lot about me, here's some information. My favorite sport is soccer. My favorite books are the Alex Rider series. I am the oldest child. My favorite color is orange. I enjoy jogging and reading in my free time. My favorite kind of music is heavy metal and hard rock, and my favorite band is Mudvayne. My favorite song by them is "Happy?" I have Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the pancreas not working properly. (The pancreas makes the insulin that keeps your blood sugar under control after you eat) My favorite food is chicken-pot-pie. I play the alto saxophone. I really enjoy track. (I plan on going out for it) I have 3 siblings. My siblings are a sister who is 12, a brother who is 9, and another brother who is 3. After reading this, I hope I helped you learn something about me.