If there's one time a year that justifies consuming a copious amount of unhealthy food and drink, we're in it right now. I have treated the last two weeks like a polar bear closing in on a hibernation period. And boy has it been a glorious time...
Somewhere in the mix of holiday cookies, thick and creamy winter beverages, an abundance of party-time munchies, and delicious carb-heavy beer, I may have snuck in a salad or two, but don't hold me to that. I feel like most people get a little more laid back with their diets during the holiday season, so why should I be any different? Listen, I'm a healthy person. I enjoy running and working out on a regular basis, as I feel it's great for body and mind alike. But you know what's not great for body and mind, at least for me? Turning into one of those health-aholics who sacrifices life's pleasures for a vegan diet and a 4:00AM run in the snow when the temp is in the single digits.
For the next 4 and a half months of my life, I'll be on a regular diet and workout routine while balancing a full-time job and a part time job. Oh, and then there's my final semester's worth of classes serving as a cherry on top of the aforementioned diarrhea sundae. So with that looming, why on earth would I not sit back and enjoy the sugar-filled delight that is the last couple weeks of December?
Oddly, I'm not obese yet. Even stranger, I've dropped a couple L-Bs. Truth be told, I don't think anyone has a concept of the gain and loss of weight of the people around them unless it's a visually significant difference. I've had people tell me that I look like I lost weight when I actually have gained it and vice versa. Beauty's only skin deep anyways, just one of many other fantastic justifications of a holiday eating binge.
I also must mention that the reason this topic is coming up now is because it ties in directly to my lack of blogging. It's a lazy period in life, and I do intend to be more on point with entries once I get my routine groove back. But for the remainder of this week, I shall indulge a bit and hope to gain some new anecdotes for my return to the blogosphere.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Halpert-Beesly Connection
Yo Shmir, HOLLA BOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER I LOVE YOU!!!!!! I find it fitting that this entry falls on your burfday as you love the subject also. See you in a week!
One of the greatest decisions I made in 2009 was getting into the hit NBC series the Office. The show is excessively entertaining, to the point that I would prefer watching reruns of it to having contact with other human beings, unless of course they're watching it with me.
The humor is up my alley, the plot is solid, and the characters are extremely unique while still maintaining undeniable chemistry with their colleagues. But this entry is about one pair's chemistry specifically. Yes, I am talking about my favorite TV couple of all time, Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly/Halpert (Jenna Fischer).
From as early as the first episode we are thrown into the daily interactions of Jim and Pam at the office. Their connection is evident, but Pam is locked down in a serious relationship already with a loser named Roy, and we see that Pam's personality isn't the risk-taking, follow-your-heart type. Jim watches as she goes through the motions with this other guy, while slowly dying inside as he becomes resigned to their relationship being one of friendship and not romance. Painfully, we trudge through the second season with him until eventually in the finale he drops the bomb on Pam that he loves her. Anyhow, they're married now, so you know the story's got a happy ending and I can spare going through a chronology of every single event pertaining to their relationship. That's not the point of me writing this anyway, because you should already know that stuff since the Office is awesome and you should be watching it...
Jim and Pam's romance is so subtly beautiful, so out of the spotlight. They make each other laugh consistently, and mesh very well to form one comedic unit when doing a joint scene. When they have "a moment" it's simple, yet engaging. They fight infrequently, and only really battle it out when it concerns an issue of importance. (NOTE: I think there's a misconception that couples need to fight alot and that it's a natural thing. This couldn't be further from the truth from my personal encounters with legit love. Every couple has their disputes for sure, but the good ones have fewer because they resolve issues and since they are well suited for each other they don't have any issues that get so big that they become deal-breakers. Just my personal experience)Krasinski and Fischer play the parts superbly, nailing every emotion that one might feel while in the courtship process with their future spouse. The actors are so spot on, in fact, that you feel like they must have this relationship with each other in real life. I'm definitely a sucker, but I was shocked to find out that Krasinski and Fischer were both engaged to other people in the real world. The whole back-and-forth between the two just feels like realistic love, not the over-manufactured kind you normally get out of the entertainment industry.
The Halpert-Beesly connection may actually be more accurately classified as a phenomenon of sorts. A television romance that seems loving and healthy is one thing. A television romance that seems completely believable?
Well that's an entirely different thing all together. While I certainly am a huge sap, I doubt I'm in the minority of people who watch the show and don't envy that unquestionable sense of finding "the one" like Jim and Pam. I may be the only male around to go out on a cheesy limb and voice my adoration of a fictional romance, nethertheless I feel incredibly inclined to do so.
Okay, now that I've covered the Halperts as a couple I should probably mention why if Jim hadn't married Pam I certainly would have. As far as personality, I dig the whole soft spoken, sweetheart vibe. Pam fits that to a tee. She's a loyal dame who knows a good thing when she sees it, and unlike a large portion of the female population, will break things off with a loser. It seems that the majority of girls these days would rather bitch about their jerk boyfriends than actually give the time of day to a genuinely good guy. Pam ditched the jerk, and went with the winner. In the looks department: She's never too flashy around the office, just dresses pretty modestly and sports her natural good looks. Total cutie. She pulls off the rare "stunning but unaware of it" thing, a diamond in the office rough if you will.
I have to admit though, as lovely as the two are, they aren't flawless. I have to be honest about the situation. In a perfect world, Pam would've made the move to Jim, and ditched Roy sooner. Also, Pam and Jim wouldn't have a kid before they were married. Still, my perception the relationship in untarnished. The positive aspects clearly outweigh the negative ones, but I did feel it necessary to state both.
Now that I've sufficiently embarrassed myself by making the little Office-fantasy-world I live in public knowledge, I shall conclude. For the record, my future wife will make Pam look like a sorority girl by comparison. And I don't condone obsessing over make believe people, but every once in a while, make believe does make some sense. Exhibit A: The Jim-Pam Connection.
One of the greatest decisions I made in 2009 was getting into the hit NBC series the Office. The show is excessively entertaining, to the point that I would prefer watching reruns of it to having contact with other human beings, unless of course they're watching it with me.
The humor is up my alley, the plot is solid, and the characters are extremely unique while still maintaining undeniable chemistry with their colleagues. But this entry is about one pair's chemistry specifically. Yes, I am talking about my favorite TV couple of all time, Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly/Halpert (Jenna Fischer).From as early as the first episode we are thrown into the daily interactions of Jim and Pam at the office. Their connection is evident, but Pam is locked down in a serious relationship already with a loser named Roy, and we see that Pam's personality isn't the risk-taking, follow-your-heart type. Jim watches as she goes through the motions with this other guy, while slowly dying inside as he becomes resigned to their relationship being one of friendship and not romance. Painfully, we trudge through the second season with him until eventually in the finale he drops the bomb on Pam that he loves her. Anyhow, they're married now, so you know the story's got a happy ending and I can spare going through a chronology of every single event pertaining to their relationship. That's not the point of me writing this anyway, because you should already know that stuff since the Office is awesome and you should be watching it...
Jim and Pam's romance is so subtly beautiful, so out of the spotlight. They make each other laugh consistently, and mesh very well to form one comedic unit when doing a joint scene. When they have "a moment" it's simple, yet engaging. They fight infrequently, and only really battle it out when it concerns an issue of importance. (NOTE: I think there's a misconception that couples need to fight alot and that it's a natural thing. This couldn't be further from the truth from my personal encounters with legit love. Every couple has their disputes for sure, but the good ones have fewer because they resolve issues and since they are well suited for each other they don't have any issues that get so big that they become deal-breakers. Just my personal experience)Krasinski and Fischer play the parts superbly, nailing every emotion that one might feel while in the courtship process with their future spouse. The actors are so spot on, in fact, that you feel like they must have this relationship with each other in real life. I'm definitely a sucker, but I was shocked to find out that Krasinski and Fischer were both engaged to other people in the real world. The whole back-and-forth between the two just feels like realistic love, not the over-manufactured kind you normally get out of the entertainment industry.
The Halpert-Beesly connection may actually be more accurately classified as a phenomenon of sorts. A television romance that seems loving and healthy is one thing. A television romance that seems completely believable?
Well that's an entirely different thing all together. While I certainly am a huge sap, I doubt I'm in the minority of people who watch the show and don't envy that unquestionable sense of finding "the one" like Jim and Pam. I may be the only male around to go out on a cheesy limb and voice my adoration of a fictional romance, nethertheless I feel incredibly inclined to do so.Okay, now that I've covered the Halperts as a couple I should probably mention why if Jim hadn't married Pam I certainly would have. As far as personality, I dig the whole soft spoken, sweetheart vibe. Pam fits that to a tee. She's a loyal dame who knows a good thing when she sees it, and unlike a large portion of the female population, will break things off with a loser. It seems that the majority of girls these days would rather bitch about their jerk boyfriends than actually give the time of day to a genuinely good guy. Pam ditched the jerk, and went with the winner. In the looks department: She's never too flashy around the office, just dresses pretty modestly and sports her natural good looks. Total cutie. She pulls off the rare "stunning but unaware of it" thing, a diamond in the office rough if you will.
I have to admit though, as lovely as the two are, they aren't flawless. I have to be honest about the situation. In a perfect world, Pam would've made the move to Jim, and ditched Roy sooner. Also, Pam and Jim wouldn't have a kid before they were married. Still, my perception the relationship in untarnished. The positive aspects clearly outweigh the negative ones, but I did feel it necessary to state both.
Now that I've sufficiently embarrassed myself by making the little Office-fantasy-world I live in public knowledge, I shall conclude. For the record, my future wife will make Pam look like a sorority girl by comparison. And I don't condone obsessing over make believe people, but every once in a while, make believe does make some sense. Exhibit A: The Jim-Pam Connection.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Hump-Day Lemonade
I'm not sure whether I'm writing this entry because I have anything at all to write about or whether I have just kept up a torrid blogging pace and wish to continue it as long as I can. 
Either way, here's some Wednesday lemonade...
- How long have people referred to Wednesday as hump-day for? I'm dead serious when I say that I originally thought that the term was coined by college students who were attempting to appoint Wednesday as a day of promiscuity. Speaking of college and taking someone for a ride...
- This college textbook thing is utterly ridiculous. And I bring it up for two reasons. Firstly, I think the whole process is getting worse. Secondly, I can't believe I didn't capitalize financially on the flaws in the system in any of my 632 years at Temple. I should have made a living off this while in college. Alas, it's too late now, and my last few semesters haven't been bad at all book-wise anyway. Most professors are aware that Liberal Arts majors are going to be making annually what half of one of those giant textbooks cost for one semester of use. All those big money majors require the book to complete the work, and the books cost an arm and a leg. Then again, the big money major people graduate and make and arm, a leg, a head, and the entire rest of the body.
- I have to give Briggsy a shout-out for renewing her vows with blogging. I saw her comment on Liz's blog and wondered if she was back in the game. Not only had she written on back-to-back days, but there was a name drop for me. I was pumped, although I'm taking it slow with the whole situation. See Briggsy's blog is like 94.1 WYSP on my car radio's presets. I'll check it on a reg, but it usually has nothing on (nothing written). I'll start losing hope and checking far less frequently, and right when I'm about to take it off my presets for good (off my list of blogs to check) it delivers a stellar song (blog entry) and temporarily restores my faith in it. What to do, what to do...
- I am obsessed with nicknames and aliases, I really don't know when this happened. I'm guessing circa 2001, but it may have been earlier. Some people dig it (they should), some people think it's weird as heck (they should), but either way I have to face the truth about it. I think it's because I'm hood, and a lot of people go by something else down here. But if my estimation is correct, the nickname craze started around the time I began attending Delaware County Cracker Christian School. I do know, however, that Havertown crew nurtured this tendency within me. Dennis actually changes peoples names so often in his phonebook that he forgets what he called them last, thus temporarily losing their digits. I find this absolutely hilarious.
- I don't want to be a broken record about this, so it will be the last time I bring it up on my blog for at least 2 weeks, but man am I thrilled to have made the fantasy playoffs. Anyone who knows anything about fantasy football would look at this situation and say I was one lucky duck to make the cut. On a dork scale of 1-10 with 1 being G-Love and 10 being my Uncle, well...let's just say that you'd be able to tell that we were related on your nerd-o-meter. I am guaranteeing a first round exit for team "Ned needs a Cig" because I'm talking about it so much. It's bound to happen...
- I'm on a hot-streak this week. Just in the zone. I pounded out one of the most difficult assignments I've had in my academic career. Following that, the last paragraph happened to me. Then I busted out what should be my strongest speech of the semester and as of 8:30ish in the PM tomorrow, I'll be done the bane of my existence, Public Speaking Class. It's still a mystery to me why the class was so painful for me. I'm a big mouth, plain and simple. I'll talk to anyone, at any time, eating any flavor of ikeem I so choose. And I don't care what the weather's like, it's never too cold for ikeem.
Coming soon...hopefully...
Me blog-gushing over Jim and Pam.
Either way, here's some Wednesday lemonade...- How long have people referred to Wednesday as hump-day for? I'm dead serious when I say that I originally thought that the term was coined by college students who were attempting to appoint Wednesday as a day of promiscuity. Speaking of college and taking someone for a ride...
- This college textbook thing is utterly ridiculous. And I bring it up for two reasons. Firstly, I think the whole process is getting worse. Secondly, I can't believe I didn't capitalize financially on the flaws in the system in any of my 632 years at Temple. I should have made a living off this while in college. Alas, it's too late now, and my last few semesters haven't been bad at all book-wise anyway. Most professors are aware that Liberal Arts majors are going to be making annually what half of one of those giant textbooks cost for one semester of use. All those big money majors require the book to complete the work, and the books cost an arm and a leg. Then again, the big money major people graduate and make and arm, a leg, a head, and the entire rest of the body.
- I have to give Briggsy a shout-out for renewing her vows with blogging. I saw her comment on Liz's blog and wondered if she was back in the game. Not only had she written on back-to-back days, but there was a name drop for me. I was pumped, although I'm taking it slow with the whole situation. See Briggsy's blog is like 94.1 WYSP on my car radio's presets. I'll check it on a reg, but it usually has nothing on (nothing written). I'll start losing hope and checking far less frequently, and right when I'm about to take it off my presets for good (off my list of blogs to check) it delivers a stellar song (blog entry) and temporarily restores my faith in it. What to do, what to do...
- I am obsessed with nicknames and aliases, I really don't know when this happened. I'm guessing circa 2001, but it may have been earlier. Some people dig it (they should), some people think it's weird as heck (they should), but either way I have to face the truth about it. I think it's because I'm hood, and a lot of people go by something else down here. But if my estimation is correct, the nickname craze started around the time I began attending Delaware County Cracker Christian School. I do know, however, that Havertown crew nurtured this tendency within me. Dennis actually changes peoples names so often in his phonebook that he forgets what he called them last, thus temporarily losing their digits. I find this absolutely hilarious.
- I don't want to be a broken record about this, so it will be the last time I bring it up on my blog for at least 2 weeks, but man am I thrilled to have made the fantasy playoffs. Anyone who knows anything about fantasy football would look at this situation and say I was one lucky duck to make the cut. On a dork scale of 1-10 with 1 being G-Love and 10 being my Uncle, well...let's just say that you'd be able to tell that we were related on your nerd-o-meter. I am guaranteeing a first round exit for team "Ned needs a Cig" because I'm talking about it so much. It's bound to happen...
- I'm on a hot-streak this week. Just in the zone. I pounded out one of the most difficult assignments I've had in my academic career. Following that, the last paragraph happened to me. Then I busted out what should be my strongest speech of the semester and as of 8:30ish in the PM tomorrow, I'll be done the bane of my existence, Public Speaking Class. It's still a mystery to me why the class was so painful for me. I'm a big mouth, plain and simple. I'll talk to anyone, at any time, eating any flavor of ikeem I so choose. And I don't care what the weather's like, it's never too cold for ikeem.
Coming soon...hopefully...
Me blog-gushing over Jim and Pam.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Missed Call Protocol
I thought that the next big war to start between friends would be the epic one between bicyclists and car drivers. I told Rob it's only a matter of time before he blows through a red light and I hit him, and have to live the rest of my life with his death on my conscience.
He simply agrees, and feels no remorse that this will eventually come to pass, nor has any plans to change his Grand Theft Auto style of city biking. Anyways, that is not going to be the next war among friends. What is? Missed Call Protocol.
I have always argued that leaving a 3 second message is better than not leaving anything at all. I don't receive approximately 1 in 20 calls that are made to my cellie. I don't know where they go, but unless a message is left, I have no evidence that you dialed this brotha up. This often leads to an exchange that goes like this:
Me: Really, _____ happened. Why didn't you call me?!?!
Friend: I did call you, you didn't pick up.
Me: I didn't get any call from you. Did you leave a message?
Friend: No
Me: LEAVE ME A MESSAGE!!!!!!
Sometimes, if I am busy and get a missed call with no corresponding voicemail, I don't call back. If something is important enough to warrant a call-back, I assume a message would have been left. Or at least a follow-up text to the phone call. Alot of people are not like me in this regard. They hate receiving brief v-mails, I guess the 10 seconds to go into their phone and listen to the message is just too taxing of a job. They say they will just see the missed call and get back to whoever was trying to get in touch with them. Well that may work for some, but not for this guy. As I say in my v-mail recording, leave a message and I'll get back to ya. Excellent.
On a side note, I think that fantasy football remains at the top of the list of things that the average woman just would not understand about a man. In our fantasy league, every member is financially stable or will be within the next couple months, so a cash prize of 200, 75, or 25 bucks isn't worth getting up in arms about. But making the playoffs is still a huge deal. There's an underlying issue of pride one takes in their fantasy football squad, one that a monetary value cannot be placed on. So when I very unexpectedly made the playoffs and kept my championship hopes alive, at least for one more week, it single-handedly rejuvenated me from one of the longest scholastic assignments I have ever completed. It's the spark I will ride to finish a strong semester with a bang.
Good luck to all who are in the playoffs and congrats to "The Green Bleeders and Dan" fantasy football league for the most competitive regular season we've ever had.
He simply agrees, and feels no remorse that this will eventually come to pass, nor has any plans to change his Grand Theft Auto style of city biking. Anyways, that is not going to be the next war among friends. What is? Missed Call Protocol. I have always argued that leaving a 3 second message is better than not leaving anything at all. I don't receive approximately 1 in 20 calls that are made to my cellie. I don't know where they go, but unless a message is left, I have no evidence that you dialed this brotha up. This often leads to an exchange that goes like this:
Me: Really, _____ happened. Why didn't you call me?!?!
Friend: I did call you, you didn't pick up.
Me: I didn't get any call from you. Did you leave a message?
Friend: No
Me: LEAVE ME A MESSAGE!!!!!!
Sometimes, if I am busy and get a missed call with no corresponding voicemail, I don't call back. If something is important enough to warrant a call-back, I assume a message would have been left. Or at least a follow-up text to the phone call. Alot of people are not like me in this regard. They hate receiving brief v-mails, I guess the 10 seconds to go into their phone and listen to the message is just too taxing of a job. They say they will just see the missed call and get back to whoever was trying to get in touch with them. Well that may work for some, but not for this guy. As I say in my v-mail recording, leave a message and I'll get back to ya. Excellent.
On a side note, I think that fantasy football remains at the top of the list of things that the average woman just would not understand about a man. In our fantasy league, every member is financially stable or will be within the next couple months, so a cash prize of 200, 75, or 25 bucks isn't worth getting up in arms about. But making the playoffs is still a huge deal. There's an underlying issue of pride one takes in their fantasy football squad, one that a monetary value cannot be placed on. So when I very unexpectedly made the playoffs and kept my championship hopes alive, at least for one more week, it single-handedly rejuvenated me from one of the longest scholastic assignments I have ever completed. It's the spark I will ride to finish a strong semester with a bang.
Good luck to all who are in the playoffs and congrats to "The Green Bleeders and Dan" fantasy football league for the most competitive regular season we've ever had.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Taking a Monday breather to post some Commercial Favs
So I figured I would throw together a few of my favorite commercials (or series' of commercials) because...well, I felt like doing it. NOTE: This list is far from complete, and only encompasses those commercials which were totally off the top of my head. At some point I'll make a more elaborate list...
1) What's not to love about this commercial? The cool jazz music frames the whole shoot. First we got an average joe shooting pool with buddies with commentary dubbed over by some dude with a smooth voice. Then we got him going home and playing with his Paps, who clearly taught his son everything in his arsenal but still could school him cause he rolls like that. Add to it the fact that everyone's sipping whisky on the rocks, and you've got a perfect recipe for a money-advertisement.
2) I may be in the minority, but for some reason, this series of commercials slays me. They appeal to the side of me that finds humor in the most wildly absurd and random ideas.
3) The concept of the wingman is essential to understanding man-love at its best. The fact that you can put together an over-the-top cast of characters and add the perfect background song, and boom! A perfect beer commercial.
4) I already wrote a blog about this commercial (http://ryforry.blogspot.com/2009/04/c-r-e-e-p-y-sweet-pea.html) so I'll just post it. There's no way that anyone hasn't seen this yet. Still, popular doesn't aaaaaaalways mean bad.
Ok, time to get back to the big fat poopy that is finals week. Peace out.
1) What's not to love about this commercial? The cool jazz music frames the whole shoot. First we got an average joe shooting pool with buddies with commentary dubbed over by some dude with a smooth voice. Then we got him going home and playing with his Paps, who clearly taught his son everything in his arsenal but still could school him cause he rolls like that. Add to it the fact that everyone's sipping whisky on the rocks, and you've got a perfect recipe for a money-advertisement.
2) I may be in the minority, but for some reason, this series of commercials slays me. They appeal to the side of me that finds humor in the most wildly absurd and random ideas.
3) The concept of the wingman is essential to understanding man-love at its best. The fact that you can put together an over-the-top cast of characters and add the perfect background song, and boom! A perfect beer commercial.
4) I already wrote a blog about this commercial (http://ryforry.blogspot.com/2009/04/c-r-e-e-p-y-sweet-pea.html) so I'll just post it. There's no way that anyone hasn't seen this yet. Still, popular doesn't aaaaaaalways mean bad.
Ok, time to get back to the big fat poopy that is finals week. Peace out.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wandering Thoughts
Life's an odd bird. As slowly as time seems to pass on occasion, the whole beautiful, convoluted and crazy experience is over before you know it. I'm one night's sleep away from an extremely important 2-week stretch that will impact the following month dramatically. But after that month? Well, it will all just becomes a memory. Keeping this in mind as I sweat through projects, finals studies, and employment logistics is absolutely essential to sanity. Easier said than done.
Sunday night for me is always a mental roller coaster of sorts. My hopes, dreams and anxieties for the week to come are further packed into my head by feelings and reflections on the weekend upon its conclusion. I have a lot of trouble sorting it all out, and I end up getting a far from sleep-filled night most of the time. I wonder if this type of thing happens to all over-thinkers? I'd imagine anyone who battles anxiety loses their fair share of Z's. It's just built into that type of personality mold in my opinion. And if you don't have it, at least to some extent, then you don't really get it. The people who "don't get it" are the people who will say things like "don't worry about it" or "settle down". It's not their fault at all for not understanding. If people's minds process things completely differently, we can't all be expected to know how to deal with each other. Heck, if I don't know how to deal with what's going on inside the countless crevices of my brain, why should I expect anyone else to? Okay, this is getting vague and wordy, and I would attempt to get back on track, if of course, I had a track at all...
And maybe that's the point of this whole late night outburst. A lot of aspects of life really aren't making sense, because when you don't have a track/road/course to follow, you just end up in a maze of different experiences that don't feel like they're leading to any place in particular. Tolkien wrote that "not all who wander are lost". I'd know my wandering mode is leading to ultimate purpose, it's just difficult to see sometimes on those late Sunday nights when life is easy to over-think.
Sunday night for me is always a mental roller coaster of sorts. My hopes, dreams and anxieties for the week to come are further packed into my head by feelings and reflections on the weekend upon its conclusion. I have a lot of trouble sorting it all out, and I end up getting a far from sleep-filled night most of the time. I wonder if this type of thing happens to all over-thinkers? I'd imagine anyone who battles anxiety loses their fair share of Z's. It's just built into that type of personality mold in my opinion. And if you don't have it, at least to some extent, then you don't really get it. The people who "don't get it" are the people who will say things like "don't worry about it" or "settle down". It's not their fault at all for not understanding. If people's minds process things completely differently, we can't all be expected to know how to deal with each other. Heck, if I don't know how to deal with what's going on inside the countless crevices of my brain, why should I expect anyone else to? Okay, this is getting vague and wordy, and I would attempt to get back on track, if of course, I had a track at all...
And maybe that's the point of this whole late night outburst. A lot of aspects of life really aren't making sense, because when you don't have a track/road/course to follow, you just end up in a maze of different experiences that don't feel like they're leading to any place in particular. Tolkien wrote that "not all who wander are lost". I'd know my wandering mode is leading to ultimate purpose, it's just difficult to see sometimes on those late Sunday nights when life is easy to over-think.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Blue-Eyed Soul
I stumbled onto a genre name that may most eloquently describe my style as a mediocre musician. Heck, I'd like to think "Blue-Eyed Soul" could even represent my style as a person. I know, I know, there's no bleepin way that I'm cool enough to pull it off after talking about it in my dorky white blog post. But let's say for a second that I'm not a narcissistic cornball, and weigh the benefits of using "Blue-Eyed Soul" to reference me.
For starters, I got blue eyes. Check. That's undeniable, and I can't possibly be faulted for making this my manta in regards to that aspect of it in the very least. The second part is debatable. I think stylistically, I write soulful stuff. A lot of minor and seventh chords, jazzy and impassioned lyrics that don't leave the listener questioning how I felt when I wrote the tune. Have I been through enough trying situations in my life to really have that "soul" quality in my voice? Definitely not, and I would never claim to. But still, pain/experience/life: it's all relative, and I think my tone lends itself well to the B.E.S. categorization.
I could also use the B.E.S. acronym, pronounced "bess" to be my hip-hop alias when I'm freestyling with the brothas. Last time, I was asked by Kaos(chaos) and J-Deez what my name was, and I just hesitantly said Ry. Scott chimed in "Ry for Ry" but I wasn't really feeling it. I don't have shame in my name, but let's face it, artists need aliases. "Bes" kind of sounds like a hood rat trying to pronounce "best" which is money, resonates way more ghetto-fabulously than any form of the name "Ryan", and is an acronym for the central theme of this blog and my intended style: Blue-Eyed Soul.
The whole "Blue-eyed soul" subject reminds me of this music video I distinctly remember seeing a few years back. It featured a white R&B artist who took flowers to his woman. Upon arriving at her place on his bike, she dumped him, leaving the brother broken-hearted and with a useless bouquet of roses. As the songs progresses however, he breaks the world record for fastest-rebound-after-a-serious-relationship by giving the flowers out to random babes he sees walking the streets. I swear this video existed.
Does anyone have any idea who this artist was, or even have a recollection of this video or did I completely dream it up?
For starters, I got blue eyes. Check. That's undeniable, and I can't possibly be faulted for making this my manta in regards to that aspect of it in the very least. The second part is debatable. I think stylistically, I write soulful stuff. A lot of minor and seventh chords, jazzy and impassioned lyrics that don't leave the listener questioning how I felt when I wrote the tune. Have I been through enough trying situations in my life to really have that "soul" quality in my voice? Definitely not, and I would never claim to. But still, pain/experience/life: it's all relative, and I think my tone lends itself well to the B.E.S. categorization.
I could also use the B.E.S. acronym, pronounced "bess" to be my hip-hop alias when I'm freestyling with the brothas. Last time, I was asked by Kaos(chaos) and J-Deez what my name was, and I just hesitantly said Ry. Scott chimed in "Ry for Ry" but I wasn't really feeling it. I don't have shame in my name, but let's face it, artists need aliases. "Bes" kind of sounds like a hood rat trying to pronounce "best" which is money, resonates way more ghetto-fabulously than any form of the name "Ryan", and is an acronym for the central theme of this blog and my intended style: Blue-Eyed Soul.
The whole "Blue-eyed soul" subject reminds me of this music video I distinctly remember seeing a few years back. It featured a white R&B artist who took flowers to his woman. Upon arriving at her place on his bike, she dumped him, leaving the brother broken-hearted and with a useless bouquet of roses. As the songs progresses however, he breaks the world record for fastest-rebound-after-a-serious-relationship by giving the flowers out to random babes he sees walking the streets. I swear this video existed.
Does anyone have any idea who this artist was, or even have a recollection of this video or did I completely dream it up?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Poopy
2 (YES!) Notes before I begin:
1) The following was started before Scotty's blog on bathroom etiquette, but was unfinished at the time of his fantastic post.(http://sdyes.blogspot.com/2009/10/serious-of-unfortunate-eventsin.html) Either way, there should never be a quota on how many people are allowed to touch on a poo-issue.
2) If you have a weak stomach when it comes to any issues involving restrooms, you may not want to read this entry.
OK, with those disclaimers out of the way, let's get into this mess.....
Why is defecation so uncomfortable for most people to talk about? There are so many poo-related issues but no official bathroom code on them. Why is it that you reach a certain age, and suddenly, the shit is off limits? Let's air out this situation together, shall we?
"Poopy" is one of my favorite words in the english language. Actually, I'm not positive it's in the dictionary, but I'll check that after I'm finished this post. Still, it's fun to say and it brings me back to an age of innocence. I was out playing quizzo at Iron Hill Brewery and the team names had to be one word. The man on the mic (Quizzo Master? Quizzo Coordinator? I don't know) read the names one by one. When he announced team "poopy" I laughed so hard I almost created their mascot. I mean, that is genius, and unexpected given the sophisticated atmosphere Iron Hill typically exemplifies.
Pooping can be an incredibly enjoyable experience. It can be a quiet (maybe quiet) break from the daily grind, a great period to text or think, or some much needed catch-up time on your latest reading material. Heck, one of my favorite Ryan-trademarked sayings originated from the anticipation of needing a potty break.
All you do is text "poo brew" to a friend (or enemy) and let them know that you will be indisposed indefinitely. Do they need to know this? Probably not, but the idea of letting someone random in your phonebook know that you got a chocolate sundae "brewing" so to speak is hilarious, and convenient if they wonder why you're not picking up your phone for them. Unless you enjoy casual convo on the pooper which is a whole nother story.
Females add a totally different dynamic to pooping. I have friends who are in their mid-20s and still attempt to convince themselves on a daily basis that girls don't do twosies. Add to that the fact that most guys like to wait a given amount of time before dumping at a gal's house if they're into her, and we're led to believe that there's something wrong with us because our body's way of letting go of waste travels through Rectum Road. Just the other week, my Mom had a friend over to the house who had to take a smash. Since we don't have a fan or a spray can of potpourri, she left the door partially cracked open in a move that reeked of both her lunch and her embarrasment. And I couldn't blame her, because that's a naturally awkward situation given the times we live in. I would've given her mad props and been shocked simultaneously if she had barged out, left the door wide open and declared, "Boy do I feel better now!"
I'll tell you what did not make me feel better: getting a new toilet in our upstairs bathroom.
Toilets are referred to as thrones, but a king's legs aren't supposed to be restricted on his throne. There was a perfect amount of space up there before, and after the switcheroo it became less comfortable than it once was. I will say this about the upstairs b-room: The side of the sink is perfectly aligned to rest a labtop or book/magazine on while handling some business. And a person's comfort is always key in their place of business. I have friends that will avoid dropping a deuce McAllister outside of their home by any means necessary. I'm definitely not like that, but would certainly never judge another for how they handle their poopy.
There are probably people who did not heed my fair warning and felt uncomfortable just reading this post. I think it a crying shame that this might be the case. In a perfect world we would talk openly about the crap we're feeling, maybe even sing about it....
People...I don't care whether you comment on this post in the AM or the PM just please, bring something to the table on BMs.
1) The following was started before Scotty's blog on bathroom etiquette, but was unfinished at the time of his fantastic post.(http://sdyes.blogspot.com/2009/10/serious-of-unfortunate-eventsin.html) Either way, there should never be a quota on how many people are allowed to touch on a poo-issue.
2) If you have a weak stomach when it comes to any issues involving restrooms, you may not want to read this entry.
OK, with those disclaimers out of the way, let's get into this mess.....
Why is defecation so uncomfortable for most people to talk about? There are so many poo-related issues but no official bathroom code on them. Why is it that you reach a certain age, and suddenly, the shit is off limits? Let's air out this situation together, shall we?
"Poopy" is one of my favorite words in the english language. Actually, I'm not positive it's in the dictionary, but I'll check that after I'm finished this post. Still, it's fun to say and it brings me back to an age of innocence. I was out playing quizzo at Iron Hill Brewery and the team names had to be one word. The man on the mic (Quizzo Master? Quizzo Coordinator? I don't know) read the names one by one. When he announced team "poopy" I laughed so hard I almost created their mascot. I mean, that is genius, and unexpected given the sophisticated atmosphere Iron Hill typically exemplifies.
Pooping can be an incredibly enjoyable experience. It can be a quiet (maybe quiet) break from the daily grind, a great period to text or think, or some much needed catch-up time on your latest reading material. Heck, one of my favorite Ryan-trademarked sayings originated from the anticipation of needing a potty break.
All you do is text "poo brew" to a friend (or enemy) and let them know that you will be indisposed indefinitely. Do they need to know this? Probably not, but the idea of letting someone random in your phonebook know that you got a chocolate sundae "brewing" so to speak is hilarious, and convenient if they wonder why you're not picking up your phone for them. Unless you enjoy casual convo on the pooper which is a whole nother story.
Females add a totally different dynamic to pooping. I have friends who are in their mid-20s and still attempt to convince themselves on a daily basis that girls don't do twosies. Add to that the fact that most guys like to wait a given amount of time before dumping at a gal's house if they're into her, and we're led to believe that there's something wrong with us because our body's way of letting go of waste travels through Rectum Road. Just the other week, my Mom had a friend over to the house who had to take a smash. Since we don't have a fan or a spray can of potpourri, she left the door partially cracked open in a move that reeked of both her lunch and her embarrasment. And I couldn't blame her, because that's a naturally awkward situation given the times we live in. I would've given her mad props and been shocked simultaneously if she had barged out, left the door wide open and declared, "Boy do I feel better now!"
I'll tell you what did not make me feel better: getting a new toilet in our upstairs bathroom.
Toilets are referred to as thrones, but a king's legs aren't supposed to be restricted on his throne. There was a perfect amount of space up there before, and after the switcheroo it became less comfortable than it once was. I will say this about the upstairs b-room: The side of the sink is perfectly aligned to rest a labtop or book/magazine on while handling some business. And a person's comfort is always key in their place of business. I have friends that will avoid dropping a deuce McAllister outside of their home by any means necessary. I'm definitely not like that, but would certainly never judge another for how they handle their poopy.
There are probably people who did not heed my fair warning and felt uncomfortable just reading this post. I think it a crying shame that this might be the case. In a perfect world we would talk openly about the crap we're feeling, maybe even sing about it....
People...I don't care whether you comment on this post in the AM or the PM just please, bring something to the table on BMs.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Re-Answering the Questions and Addressing the Haters
He's baaaaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaaack!!!
Pull that number 3 jersey out of the closet, the Philadelphia 76ers are relevant again!
The Sixers signed future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson this morning after days of rumors floating around that it was a possibility. Well it's official now, and we can start buying tickets. Or trying to buy tickets I should say. They're going fast depending on the game and the section you want to sit in. The website was actually down for 20 mintutes today because of the traffic that was created thanks to Bubbachuck's return to town.
But what does it all mean?
For starters, I'm not going to be stating anything too groundbreaking in this blog. Everyone who knows anything about basketball and the Sixers current predicament is aware that:
1) This move wouldn't have happened if Lou Williams didn't get hurt
2) AI's Philly comeback will sell tickets (and has already) in a city that was at the bottom of the NBA in attendance and create a buzz around the Sixers that was definitely not there before
3) There are only a handful of contenders and the Sixers aren't one of them, with or without Iverson
Don't get me wrong, do I dream about Allen magically taking this team on a deep playoff run and turning the city on to hoops again? Of course. But I also dream about having a hit single and dating Anne Hathaway, so I certainly am not getting my hopes up. Still, just having him back in town is enough for me to make an effort to get to some NBA games this year.
A few things I have to say to all the Iverson haters out there:
For starters, he is the most unique basketball player (maybe even athlete) of all time. He is undeniably entertaining. Between his lightning quick speed, his untouchable crossover, and his ability to be undersized and take a constant pounding while still delivering the goods, it's not a surprise that people buy tickets to see him play.
Everyone says he's not a team player, yet there isn't a guy in the league who wouldn't want him on their squad. The problem is he's difficult to fit in the structure of a winning team. It's nearly impossible to find a system that someone his size with his particular skill set can easily fit into. When he was on the team that was the perfect fit, he had mulitple playoff appearances and would have a championship under his belt if he didn't run into one of the greatest teams in basketball history.
Now he comes back to Philly after a few failed stops. But who expected a title to come out of any of those stops? It wasn't likely that a guy who you have to build around would come into a situation with his best years behind him and be the final piece to a championship contender. Love him or hate him, you can't blame him for being an undersized guy who takes alot of shots. That's just what he is. Defensively I will say he has never come close to reaching what he could potentially be on that end of the floor given the speed he possesses. Then again, the idea of not reaching potential as a defensive player applies to 80% of the league, so he's not alone there. He does disrupt passing lanes, steal alot of balls and start breakaways but certainly you don't want him one-on-one defensively in the post with a bigger guard. Again, that's what he brings, take it or leave it.
As far as who he is as a person and off the court issues, you could debate it till his eventual induction into the Hoops HOF. People probably will, because AI is a polarizing figure, one whose mere name sparks more conversation in the Delaware Valley than the rest of the Sixers roster combined.
It is what it is, and if nothing else, it got me to write a blog post about the Sixers, which definitely would not have happened if the Answer hadn't come back for round 2.
Pull that number 3 jersey out of the closet, the Philadelphia 76ers are relevant again!
The Sixers signed future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson this morning after days of rumors floating around that it was a possibility. Well it's official now, and we can start buying tickets. Or trying to buy tickets I should say. They're going fast depending on the game and the section you want to sit in. The website was actually down for 20 mintutes today because of the traffic that was created thanks to Bubbachuck's return to town.
But what does it all mean?
For starters, I'm not going to be stating anything too groundbreaking in this blog. Everyone who knows anything about basketball and the Sixers current predicament is aware that:
1) This move wouldn't have happened if Lou Williams didn't get hurt
2) AI's Philly comeback will sell tickets (and has already) in a city that was at the bottom of the NBA in attendance and create a buzz around the Sixers that was definitely not there before
3) There are only a handful of contenders and the Sixers aren't one of them, with or without Iverson
Don't get me wrong, do I dream about Allen magically taking this team on a deep playoff run and turning the city on to hoops again? Of course. But I also dream about having a hit single and dating Anne Hathaway, so I certainly am not getting my hopes up. Still, just having him back in town is enough for me to make an effort to get to some NBA games this year.
A few things I have to say to all the Iverson haters out there:
For starters, he is the most unique basketball player (maybe even athlete) of all time. He is undeniably entertaining. Between his lightning quick speed, his untouchable crossover, and his ability to be undersized and take a constant pounding while still delivering the goods, it's not a surprise that people buy tickets to see him play.
Everyone says he's not a team player, yet there isn't a guy in the league who wouldn't want him on their squad. The problem is he's difficult to fit in the structure of a winning team. It's nearly impossible to find a system that someone his size with his particular skill set can easily fit into. When he was on the team that was the perfect fit, he had mulitple playoff appearances and would have a championship under his belt if he didn't run into one of the greatest teams in basketball history.
Now he comes back to Philly after a few failed stops. But who expected a title to come out of any of those stops? It wasn't likely that a guy who you have to build around would come into a situation with his best years behind him and be the final piece to a championship contender. Love him or hate him, you can't blame him for being an undersized guy who takes alot of shots. That's just what he is. Defensively I will say he has never come close to reaching what he could potentially be on that end of the floor given the speed he possesses. Then again, the idea of not reaching potential as a defensive player applies to 80% of the league, so he's not alone there. He does disrupt passing lanes, steal alot of balls and start breakaways but certainly you don't want him one-on-one defensively in the post with a bigger guard. Again, that's what he brings, take it or leave it.
As far as who he is as a person and off the court issues, you could debate it till his eventual induction into the Hoops HOF. People probably will, because AI is a polarizing figure, one whose mere name sparks more conversation in the Delaware Valley than the rest of the Sixers roster combined.
It is what it is, and if nothing else, it got me to write a blog post about the Sixers, which definitely would not have happened if the Answer hadn't come back for round 2.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Century Mark (Part 2)
I'm sure by the end of this it will be riddled with too many typos for me to feel like fixing, if in fact anyone has any interest left after reading Part 1. (unlikely hah) Okay, part 2 commences....NOW
51) Big ups to the Sister for driving a crew to the reunion from Robbie's pad on Saturday. Big ups also to Scott for having a poop on Saturday that changed the course of the night. The dump prevented him from making it to Rob's to catch a ride out with my Sis, which then forced him to drive to the reunion, making it possible for us to stay later and leave with him instead of taking the earlier ride back with the Sis.
52) Ned (New Edgy DJ), Dan Lacey's alter-ego, provided some of the most entertaining moments of the week. If you know him though, you've certainly come to expect that by now.
53) No, I will not go into detail about #52. That's confidential information.
54) Missed encounter of the week: Kirsten and I were driving out to meet up with the parental units and a couple church friends to see "Blindside" but were blindsided by the news that the movie sold out. We were at Marple 10 in Springfield, and decided the best move would be to drive home. Just as we were getting back to the city, I got a text from one half of my favorite sibling 1-2 punch. Liz informed me that her and the elusive V-Dub were hanging out in Springfield and were down with company. I couldn't imagine the chaos that would have ensued had the 4 of us had the chance to meet up. Liz and I are a combined 12 years of age max around our sisters, who are also goofy, but far more mature than us when we're around them. If you read this V-Dub, I am majorly disappointed we didn't rendezvous and hope to be a part of your Christmas schedule.
55) Speaking of sisters and just missing something....One of my favorite Jim-Pam moments of all time on The Office happens in a season 5 episode entitled "Stress Relief" when Pam's parents are having marital troubles. My Sis adores the Jim-Pam plot. We started the episode together, got interrupted for dinner, and never finished. Very sad.
56) Had some potent anti-virus software put on my IBM Thinkpad last year. Probably one of the more time-saving, problem-avoiding move I can remember making in a long time. While we're on the subject, my computer is better than your computer and it's not even close.
57) I wish that more people had blogs they kept up with consistently. I would settle for a once a week update on people's lives, thoughts and all that jazz. If people consolidated all the useless bits of information they put in their facebook status into one fluid blog entry, I would check it weekly.
58) My H-Town buddy Kyle "Ky-Ky" Ramplin just started getting into "The Wire" AKA the best show ever created. Yeeeeeeeeea Booooooooooooooooooooiiiiii!!!
59) Astonishing fact of the break...Total trips to Philly Flavors made: 0
60) Still baffled that the "Flavors" in Philly Flavors is spelled with an "F" and not a "Ph"
61) My Dad has a theory about Dunkin Donuts that they intentionally keep their coffee at scalding temperatures, and that the temps of a cup of joe elsewhere are more reasonable. We heard about this little nugget on Thanksgiving Day and truth be told, I'm still not sure exactly what to do with it.
62) This season of Dexter has not let down. What a money show...
63) I met a Chihuahua with 2 names, only one of which I can remember now (Mimi). This dog, owned by my French Aunt-in-Law's Mother, had more personality than I would normally expect for that breed. I enjoyed its company as I watched the football games at the G-Mom's house on Thanksgiving.
64) I miss having a dog around the house, but the Lewis fam is too busy to take care of a pet full time. Animals are just a step away from babies in the responsibility department.
65) Wendy's french fries are the worst of any fast food chain.
66) Wendy's Frosty, however, may be the best ikeem product a fast food place has to offer.
67) The weird thing about Thanksgiving is that besides a few family meals, most meals are on the go. You're catching up with different people, spending days shopping or driving, and spending nights who knows where. Besides the big turkey dinner and another meal or two with family, I was fending for myself.
68) My sleep schedule has been bad all year, and I can only imagine the break will make it worse.
69) Sleep schedules are annoying in general. I want to sleep when it's convenient not when my body tells me to.
70) This is the last Thanksgiving break I will have as a student. It's always a great break because you know that when you go back to school, you have one violently busy span and then you're totally done for the semester. I can smell the Christmas cookies from here...
71) I'm gonna be in the market for some new kicks sometime soon. The only sneaks I've rocked in 2009 have been Sambas. Great, but it'd be nice to have a compliment or 2 to them.
72) atdhe.net changed my life. Any sporting event for this kid living in a cable-less household. Thank you DJ!
73) Even if the Eagles makes the playoffs, they're going to get steam-rolled by whoever they play in the second round. Still, just get there Birds, and we'll cross that bridge when it comes.
74) I tried to brainstorm some book ideas over break to no avail. I got a couple of good collaborative ideas but I need a project I can craft when I have time to myself.
75) Three quarters of the way finished! I think this idea sounded better before I realized that "100" of anything is a healthy amount. But that's why I'm going to finish this post, to symbolize a good amount of writing I've done in 2009. I'm running (typing) on fumes at this point, zombie-eyed and not sure whether anyone who reads this will be able to make sense of it. haha, word...
76) I miss the Phillies.
77) When does it get cold nowadays? January? February? Does it get legitimately deathly-freezing-cold more than a few weeks a year anymore?
78) The Broad Street Tavern should have stayed a jazz bar like it originally was intended to be. We stopped by there on Thanksgiving Eve and it was all trend, no substance.
79) My Grandma's hubby is a great guy, really just a nice individual. Sometimes with the old-timers however, you don't know what will set them off. They're like ticking time bombs. The hear or see something that rubs them the wrong way and they're flipping out. It actually makes holidays more exciting as far as I'm concerned. Add to that the fact that there's absolutely no filter between brain and mouth and you've got yourself a recipe for an interesting family gathering.
80) Few things in this world kick me in the gut more than hearing that a cop got killed in cold blood. So you can imagine how I felt when I heard about the situation with the 4 officers in Washington state that got gunned down. Just awful. What does it take to make an individual do that.
81) Breezy noticed that Cadillac commercials always have really good background music in them and has been looking up the artists and songs and putting them on his Ipod. Very good call. Commercials, especially car ones, often sneak really good tunes behind their ad pitches. I'm now hyper aware of this when I got the tube on.
82) Man I'm dying to freestyle. I know people are sick of hearing me say it, and I know the next time I do it in public I'll probably end up looking like the biggest white boy ever, but goodness I've been listening to nothing but Jay-Z for the last week. This cracka is ready to spit.
83) Speaking of looking like the biggest white boy ever, post-reunion late night dance off at Roberto's was a pretty darn hilarious portion of the break.
84) I'm actually surprised people weren't dancing at the reunion itself now that I think about it. Just a plethora of very interesting pool games going on. Pool tables are incredibly clutch to have at reunions. I feel like they're a natural ice breaker for people who aren't quite the best at making small talk. Maybe I'm overthinking this, maybe not...
85) My go-to look recently has been the collared shirt under the long-sleeve one. I really think wearing my glasses with that ensemble will complete the look, but have yet to try it out. I usually only bust out the glasses around bedtime cause I see better in the C-lenses.
86) Jake informed me that you can get Black Friday discounts online. That's news to this guy. Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole purpose, or at least the appeal of it? Speaking of which...
87) My sister and Mom go shopping a lot together...I would venture to say that Karen and Kirsten are to shopping what me and my Paps are to reading/writing/loafing around the house: consummate pros.
88) I don't know why I didn't blog more over this break. I could've snuck a few in somewhere along the line. Bah, guess I'm making up for it now with this 2-part monster.
89) This one is a hair on the personal side, but we're getting towards the sentimental portion of this piece, not to mention almost anyone who would read this would understand my situation, probably because I've talked about it with them personally....Anyways...I think there is a twisted satisfaction when an ex-significant other wronged you and, after realizing what you meant to them, they want to have you back in their life. The problem is that deep down there's no satisfaction for me anymore, I just feel like a big jerk for some reason...I would never be on the side of people who say you shouldn't be in a serious relationship till you're engaged/married, but I think I could at least see where they were coming from.
90) Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and from this point to #100 I'll get all gushy about things relating to this time of year that I haven't tackled already in points 1-89.
91) I love my fam. Couldn't be more thankful for them. It takes a special group of people to handle the zaniness that is Ryan Lewis, and they've mastered the art. Over the years I've really seen how much they each bring to the table and how blessed I am to have them around.
92) Football, football, football, football, football, breathing, football.
93) I love the fall. Probably gets the nod for my favorite season slightly edging out summer. Springs amazing too. Eh, I love em all truthfully. But a beautiful fall day is always a terrific compliment to being off from work and school.
94) Foooooooooooood! Food! Food! I am an eater. Thursday was the culmination of a week of big-time grubbing. Yum.
95) I always forget how lucky I am to have the most incredible neighbors. I wrote in Part 1 about my neighbor across the street who passed away over break. Since I've lived in one house my entire life, I just assume most people are crazy about their neighbors, when in actuality, alot of people's neighbors drive them crazy. Mine are the best and it's always tough to see one of the Woodstock Street Fam change residences or pass away.
96) Death transitions well into religion. As I always say, despite whatever struggles I have with faith and however uncomfortable I feel talking about my personal walk with all but a few individuals, I still feel blessed beyond measure just to know Truth.
97) I've been realizing recently what a crossroads I'm coming to in my life. Yes, I can be overly dramatic at times about certain issues, but I think when you're talking about a short span of years that will shape the entire rest of your life, I don't think it's possible to be too outspoken. I have had a Christianity blog I need to write for awhile now, and hope that the words will come to me. I think as awkward as some may feel reading it, I'd be foolish not to utilize this forum to my advantage. Maybe I'll ruffle some feathers. Maybe no one will care at all. But it is in the works.
98) I could go on in an emotional essay of sorts about how much my homies and homettes mean to me, but I'll just sum them all up with my favorite 50 cent quote, "I love ya like a fat kid love cake"
99) I'm thankful for your readership, and for suffering through 99 irrelevant facts spewed from my brain.
100) I am thankful this blog is over, I didn't realize how long it would take.
Man vs. 100. Man wins.
51) Big ups to the Sister for driving a crew to the reunion from Robbie's pad on Saturday. Big ups also to Scott for having a poop on Saturday that changed the course of the night. The dump prevented him from making it to Rob's to catch a ride out with my Sis, which then forced him to drive to the reunion, making it possible for us to stay later and leave with him instead of taking the earlier ride back with the Sis.
52) Ned (New Edgy DJ), Dan Lacey's alter-ego, provided some of the most entertaining moments of the week. If you know him though, you've certainly come to expect that by now.
53) No, I will not go into detail about #52. That's confidential information.
54) Missed encounter of the week: Kirsten and I were driving out to meet up with the parental units and a couple church friends to see "Blindside" but were blindsided by the news that the movie sold out. We were at Marple 10 in Springfield, and decided the best move would be to drive home. Just as we were getting back to the city, I got a text from one half of my favorite sibling 1-2 punch. Liz informed me that her and the elusive V-Dub were hanging out in Springfield and were down with company. I couldn't imagine the chaos that would have ensued had the 4 of us had the chance to meet up. Liz and I are a combined 12 years of age max around our sisters, who are also goofy, but far more mature than us when we're around them. If you read this V-Dub, I am majorly disappointed we didn't rendezvous and hope to be a part of your Christmas schedule.
55) Speaking of sisters and just missing something....One of my favorite Jim-Pam moments of all time on The Office happens in a season 5 episode entitled "Stress Relief" when Pam's parents are having marital troubles. My Sis adores the Jim-Pam plot. We started the episode together, got interrupted for dinner, and never finished. Very sad.
56) Had some potent anti-virus software put on my IBM Thinkpad last year. Probably one of the more time-saving, problem-avoiding move I can remember making in a long time. While we're on the subject, my computer is better than your computer and it's not even close.
57) I wish that more people had blogs they kept up with consistently. I would settle for a once a week update on people's lives, thoughts and all that jazz. If people consolidated all the useless bits of information they put in their facebook status into one fluid blog entry, I would check it weekly.
58) My H-Town buddy Kyle "Ky-Ky" Ramplin just started getting into "The Wire" AKA the best show ever created. Yeeeeeeeeea Booooooooooooooooooooiiiiii!!!
59) Astonishing fact of the break...Total trips to Philly Flavors made: 0
60) Still baffled that the "Flavors" in Philly Flavors is spelled with an "F" and not a "Ph"
61) My Dad has a theory about Dunkin Donuts that they intentionally keep their coffee at scalding temperatures, and that the temps of a cup of joe elsewhere are more reasonable. We heard about this little nugget on Thanksgiving Day and truth be told, I'm still not sure exactly what to do with it.
62) This season of Dexter has not let down. What a money show...
63) I met a Chihuahua with 2 names, only one of which I can remember now (Mimi). This dog, owned by my French Aunt-in-Law's Mother, had more personality than I would normally expect for that breed. I enjoyed its company as I watched the football games at the G-Mom's house on Thanksgiving.
64) I miss having a dog around the house, but the Lewis fam is too busy to take care of a pet full time. Animals are just a step away from babies in the responsibility department.
65) Wendy's french fries are the worst of any fast food chain.
66) Wendy's Frosty, however, may be the best ikeem product a fast food place has to offer.
67) The weird thing about Thanksgiving is that besides a few family meals, most meals are on the go. You're catching up with different people, spending days shopping or driving, and spending nights who knows where. Besides the big turkey dinner and another meal or two with family, I was fending for myself.
68) My sleep schedule has been bad all year, and I can only imagine the break will make it worse.
69) Sleep schedules are annoying in general. I want to sleep when it's convenient not when my body tells me to.
70) This is the last Thanksgiving break I will have as a student. It's always a great break because you know that when you go back to school, you have one violently busy span and then you're totally done for the semester. I can smell the Christmas cookies from here...
71) I'm gonna be in the market for some new kicks sometime soon. The only sneaks I've rocked in 2009 have been Sambas. Great, but it'd be nice to have a compliment or 2 to them.
72) atdhe.net changed my life. Any sporting event for this kid living in a cable-less household. Thank you DJ!
73) Even if the Eagles makes the playoffs, they're going to get steam-rolled by whoever they play in the second round. Still, just get there Birds, and we'll cross that bridge when it comes.
74) I tried to brainstorm some book ideas over break to no avail. I got a couple of good collaborative ideas but I need a project I can craft when I have time to myself.
75) Three quarters of the way finished! I think this idea sounded better before I realized that "100" of anything is a healthy amount. But that's why I'm going to finish this post, to symbolize a good amount of writing I've done in 2009. I'm running (typing) on fumes at this point, zombie-eyed and not sure whether anyone who reads this will be able to make sense of it. haha, word...
76) I miss the Phillies.
77) When does it get cold nowadays? January? February? Does it get legitimately deathly-freezing-cold more than a few weeks a year anymore?
78) The Broad Street Tavern should have stayed a jazz bar like it originally was intended to be. We stopped by there on Thanksgiving Eve and it was all trend, no substance.
79) My Grandma's hubby is a great guy, really just a nice individual. Sometimes with the old-timers however, you don't know what will set them off. They're like ticking time bombs. The hear or see something that rubs them the wrong way and they're flipping out. It actually makes holidays more exciting as far as I'm concerned. Add to that the fact that there's absolutely no filter between brain and mouth and you've got yourself a recipe for an interesting family gathering.
80) Few things in this world kick me in the gut more than hearing that a cop got killed in cold blood. So you can imagine how I felt when I heard about the situation with the 4 officers in Washington state that got gunned down. Just awful. What does it take to make an individual do that.
81) Breezy noticed that Cadillac commercials always have really good background music in them and has been looking up the artists and songs and putting them on his Ipod. Very good call. Commercials, especially car ones, often sneak really good tunes behind their ad pitches. I'm now hyper aware of this when I got the tube on.
82) Man I'm dying to freestyle. I know people are sick of hearing me say it, and I know the next time I do it in public I'll probably end up looking like the biggest white boy ever, but goodness I've been listening to nothing but Jay-Z for the last week. This cracka is ready to spit.
83) Speaking of looking like the biggest white boy ever, post-reunion late night dance off at Roberto's was a pretty darn hilarious portion of the break.
84) I'm actually surprised people weren't dancing at the reunion itself now that I think about it. Just a plethora of very interesting pool games going on. Pool tables are incredibly clutch to have at reunions. I feel like they're a natural ice breaker for people who aren't quite the best at making small talk. Maybe I'm overthinking this, maybe not...
85) My go-to look recently has been the collared shirt under the long-sleeve one. I really think wearing my glasses with that ensemble will complete the look, but have yet to try it out. I usually only bust out the glasses around bedtime cause I see better in the C-lenses.
86) Jake informed me that you can get Black Friday discounts online. That's news to this guy. Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole purpose, or at least the appeal of it? Speaking of which...
87) My sister and Mom go shopping a lot together...I would venture to say that Karen and Kirsten are to shopping what me and my Paps are to reading/writing/loafing around the house: consummate pros.
88) I don't know why I didn't blog more over this break. I could've snuck a few in somewhere along the line. Bah, guess I'm making up for it now with this 2-part monster.
89) This one is a hair on the personal side, but we're getting towards the sentimental portion of this piece, not to mention almost anyone who would read this would understand my situation, probably because I've talked about it with them personally....Anyways...I think there is a twisted satisfaction when an ex-significant other wronged you and, after realizing what you meant to them, they want to have you back in their life. The problem is that deep down there's no satisfaction for me anymore, I just feel like a big jerk for some reason...I would never be on the side of people who say you shouldn't be in a serious relationship till you're engaged/married, but I think I could at least see where they were coming from.
90) Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and from this point to #100 I'll get all gushy about things relating to this time of year that I haven't tackled already in points 1-89.
91) I love my fam. Couldn't be more thankful for them. It takes a special group of people to handle the zaniness that is Ryan Lewis, and they've mastered the art. Over the years I've really seen how much they each bring to the table and how blessed I am to have them around.
92) Football, football, football, football, football, breathing, football.
93) I love the fall. Probably gets the nod for my favorite season slightly edging out summer. Springs amazing too. Eh, I love em all truthfully. But a beautiful fall day is always a terrific compliment to being off from work and school.
94) Foooooooooooood! Food! Food! I am an eater. Thursday was the culmination of a week of big-time grubbing. Yum.
95) I always forget how lucky I am to have the most incredible neighbors. I wrote in Part 1 about my neighbor across the street who passed away over break. Since I've lived in one house my entire life, I just assume most people are crazy about their neighbors, when in actuality, alot of people's neighbors drive them crazy. Mine are the best and it's always tough to see one of the Woodstock Street Fam change residences or pass away.
96) Death transitions well into religion. As I always say, despite whatever struggles I have with faith and however uncomfortable I feel talking about my personal walk with all but a few individuals, I still feel blessed beyond measure just to know Truth.
97) I've been realizing recently what a crossroads I'm coming to in my life. Yes, I can be overly dramatic at times about certain issues, but I think when you're talking about a short span of years that will shape the entire rest of your life, I don't think it's possible to be too outspoken. I have had a Christianity blog I need to write for awhile now, and hope that the words will come to me. I think as awkward as some may feel reading it, I'd be foolish not to utilize this forum to my advantage. Maybe I'll ruffle some feathers. Maybe no one will care at all. But it is in the works.
98) I could go on in an emotional essay of sorts about how much my homies and homettes mean to me, but I'll just sum them all up with my favorite 50 cent quote, "I love ya like a fat kid love cake"
99) I'm thankful for your readership, and for suffering through 99 irrelevant facts spewed from my brain.
100) I am thankful this blog is over, I didn't realize how long it would take.
Man vs. 100. Man wins.
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