I was going to stay quiet about this whole World Trade Crisis. Yes, a crisis it was, and a horrible time in America and all, but I didn't feel it was my place to provide commentary on something that didn't affect me personally, or add any more gas to the racial fire brewing here. But, as I watched MTV this evening, something really grabbed my attention. No, its not that I snapped into reality and got pissed off at what a group of punjabis did to a global financial network. Those guys will have whats coming to them soon enough. This, it seems, is a more ongoing issue, one that has been around since the dawn of time, and will be present until the sun explodes into a Supernova and eats the Earth whole. It is greed. Allow me to explain. Carson asked a young girl in the audience, who was a student, what she was studying. She said, sheepishly, nursing. Carson then asked her if it was times like this that reminded her why she was pursuing that field. Again, she sheepishly responded yes. Anyone watching could tell she was a bit rattled by the series of questions. That got me thinking. Why is she in Nursing if shes not about the saving of lives and whatnot? Its all about money, people. She got into it thinking that she'd find a rather cushy job and not have to handle too much pressure, all the while banking her ass off. I mean, who would jump into a profession if they knew they'd be doing enormous amounts of dirty work? Ask an engineering student. Ninety-Five percent say money. Thats why I was doing it. I never had visions of working on weapons of mass destruction and assisting in the inevitable takedown of a country the size of Arkansas. Wait, there are still engineers out there doing these things. Why? Money. My point is that everyone can be bought, everyone has a price. These guys are not thinking twice about what they are doing, because the compensation is enough distraction to parry any guilt. Even God had a price. His own Son, and this is a fundamental illustration of how greed and materialism is rooted in everyone. Most people are not that expensive though. Women have sex for money, and I'm willing to bet that my father would be a pretty cheap buy if you could gurantee him financial security. Not luxury, just security. And yes, I have a price too, I'm just not sure what it is. My dignity maybe, when love is at stake, or anything else for that matter. Look, what I'm saying here is that its not all about the cash, the stuff, and the cool toys. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm a pretty materialistic guy, and that I love my Camaro more than anything. But after all that has happened, and this past weekend, I realized what a fucking moron I am. Cars break, boats rust, and power fades. What matters is love and happiness. The kinds of memories you keep with you always. Its sharing a moment, buying a round of Lone Stars at Luckenbach while you listen to fine music, taking in the bluebonnets at Canyon Lake, singing with Dub Miller, and laughing from way deep, so deep you cry. Thats whats its about. If you aren't living it for you, you're dead. Check your pulse, people, because its fading.
posted by Ryan David 9/17/2001 06:32:50 PM
Last night. Interesting. There is a girl in camp here, and she is very very cute. Shes a waterfront staff member, and lifeguard. UnF. Last night, we all went out to this really awful place to drink some, and her and I started talking. We flirted a little the other night, but it was nothing serious. Oh yes, she has a boyfriend as well. I'm going to start calling this the 'Cricket Complex' :) Anyway, we are talking, flirting, and shes touching me, we hold hands, and just kind of click in general. We rode back to camp together arm in arm, whispering to each other and just acting like dumb kids (shes 21). It was so great. When we got back to camp, we took a walk, talked about Texas some, and lingered the last few minutes of the night in each other's arms. We danced in the dark, I told her she was cute, she told me I was crazy. All the while flashing that addicting smile and laugh, driving me nuts. And her dad is a Chevy dealer. Project 400 solid roller is underway! ;) But seriously, this poses the question....why do I seem to attract girls in well-established relationships? I am a pretty laid back guy, just kinda go with what happens, and I like to be spontaneous and have fun (hence the dancing). Does this make me desirable to the girl in a dull routine? She told me she was surprised that I have trouble meeting girls, that I was a nice guy. We've had this conversation before, blog-readers, about my desirablity to the opposite sex when I am older. At this point, girls don't dig nice guys. They wanna party like rock stars and be free. So why now? Why her? It always seems perfection has one, tiny, crippling string attached. On the Maine front, everything is OK, we start orientation tonight, and the other guy from SWT is totally cool. His name is Joel, he teaches basketball. Really fun guy, and now I have a buddy from Texas to relate to. 2 Months and 3 days until I return, whos plannig the welcome home party? :) Take care!
posted by Ryan David 6/15/2001 04:57:45 AM
Today, as we ate dinner, I gotr my first look at the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful, blue, and endless. I stood on teh jetties, inhaled the cool salt breeze, and remembered childhood summers on the Gulf Coast with my parents. What times those were. I am really missing my family right now, and that helped me remember how much I really love them. :) I miss all of my friends!
posted by Ryan David 6/10/2001 06:06:53 PM
OK, back again. Its a relatively quiet Sunday morning, we have the day off. Its about 9 am Eastern, and I'm the only one up. Maine has grown a little on me, not a whole lot, but just enough to be livable. But to quote Jerry Jeff and Gary P. Nunn's 'London Homesick Blues': "...And they said you're from down south, and when you open your mouth, you always seem to put your foot there...". Thats about how I feel today. We went out last night and it seemed everything I said was being chewed back up and spit out. So I shut up, and they actually wondered why. The audacity of some of these English blokes is amazing. There is one in particular, her name is Cath. She told me I talk stupid, but that my accent was cute. Thaaaaanks. These slappers have such charm. Don't get me wring. I have met some really cool people. Theres John Lewis, Glenn McKay, and Ed Wolfe. They rock. Maine is really pretty as well, and the weather is getting nicer. Oh well, poeple are starting to get up and around, and I'm starting to takew shit already, so I'll see ya. Send me stuff, please! Ryan David Kamp Kohut 151 Kohut Rd. Oxford, ME 04270
posted by Ryan David 6/10/2001 06:09:52 AM
Hey all, No time to really post. I know this thing has gotten sad updates, and I doubt anyone reads it any longer, but I'm finally in Maine. I've been here for about 4 days now. Its been OK so far, LOTS of rain, its cold, and no one here has heard of Shiner Bock or Jerry Jeff Walker. I am Texas homesick bad. It feels like I'm a world away from anything I know here. All the guys talk about soccer scores and cricket matches, whilst I dream away of a solid roller 400 LT1/4 hybrid for my car, and rerun great moments from Carolina basketball history back and forth in my head. Why can't Joe Forte or even Ed Cota circa 1999 be here now? Ahh well, thats life I guess. I can't even get a decent beer here, everywhere I go they all brew their own stuff. I'd give my soul to Satan for a 12 pack of Shiner. Anyway, I'm outta here, its time for breakfast. I'll post real soon. Bye!
posted by Ryan David 6/4/2001 05:17:42 AM
Hey all, No time to really post. I know this thing has gotten sad updates, and I doubt anyone reads it any longer, but I'm finally in Maine. I've been here for about 4 days now. Its been OK so far, LOTS of rain, its cold, and no one here has heard of Shiner Bock or Jerry Jeff Walker. I am Texas homesick bad. It feels like I'm a world away from anything I know here. All the guys talk about soccer scores and cricket matches, whilst I dream away of a solid roller 400 LT1/4 hybrid for my car, and rerun great moments from Carolina basketball history back and forth in my head. Why can't Joe Forte or even Ed Cota circa 1999 be here now? Ahh well, thats life I guess. I can't even get a decent beer here, everywhere I go they all brew their own stuff. I'd give my soul to Satan for a 12 pack of Shiner. Anyway, I'm outta here, its time for breakfast. I'll post real soon. Bye!
posted by Ryan David 6/4/2001 05:17:25 AM
Spring Break 2001. In one single word....ROCKED. It has really been a total upper for me this past week. Saturday night, myself and Kyle Davis, a very good friend from wayyyyy back, hit 6th St. to have some fun and catch up on old times. Kyle and I have been through some rough spots as buddies, but we always seem to come back around to the basics: hanging out, having a cold one, and pondering life. What more is there? Well, 2 lovely ladies from Purdue University in Indiana could tell you. As we sat in Fat Tuesday's watching a decent cover band, we saw two very cute girls sitting near us, looking so very alone. So we just started talking, and before we knew it, the band was done, and it was damn near 2:30am. Unfortunately, they didn't have thier number (staying with a brother) so we gave them ours. Now, This is normally where it ends for me. But no. we walked with them a ways until we had to cross to get to my car, and they walked on. Needless to say Kyle and I were quite enthused at the prospect of cute, sweet, interesting girls + us. :) As you've probably followed in the past year, I haven't met too many sweeties, so this was a refreshing change. But, like I said, this is normally where the story ends. NO!. They called! Woo-hoo! On sunday I washed and waxed the Camaro (you can see pics at http://www.yenko.org/Luckenbach ) and on Monday I decided with my new found lust for life that I was gonna hit Luckenbach for a lazy day of washer pitching, dominoes, and Jimmy Lee Jones picking his guitar behind the bar. This turned out to be quite a success. Luckenbach wasn't too busy, so Jimmy Lee started taking requests. He actually played 'Are You Drinking with me Jesus' for me. It was awesome. He played alot of stuff off his old CD, and some upcoming stuff, but really, anything Jimmy Lee plays is gold. Well, after cruising home in the bask of the warm sun with the t-tops out and my CD player blasting Jerry Jeff Walker, I checked my phone. THEY HAD CALLED AGAIN! So, after talking to them, we all decided to hook up again and go out to a comedy club scheduled for tonight. Woo hoo! Since Kyle is 2 hours away at A&M (don't hold it against him) :) they asked me if I wanted to meet them for Dave and Buster's on Tuesday. So I did, and that was a blast. Liiiiiiiiiiiisssssssaaaaaaa mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. :) The rest of the week I have spent cleaning my apartment, playing A WHOLE BUNCH OF BASKETBALL, working on my Flash stuff, studying, and playing golf. Spring Break has been good to me. It probably didn't hurt having a 3.xx at midterm :) (If I told you xx you'd know I was a real geek). So lets tackle the second half of the semester! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bergie Frazier is my hero. Hes my new idol. Berg is a MAFB dude, with a constantly brokedick 396 25th Trans Am. But Berg also races his sportbike, a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R. Well, on Berg's first pass, he rode a wheelie into the 1/8th, brought it down squirrely, and fell. The entire group held our collective breath until we found out he'd be alright. Broke both his wrists, and shattered his ankle. Hes doing great. The coolest thing about it was that his first words from consciousness was "9.7s on the first pass!" Berg. What a trooper. We're all pretty sure he did it to avoid working on his TA for the spring. GET WELL SOON BUDDY! :) Cochese sends special non-Cheryl love from Texas! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OK, this is a public reaction to some things that were said to me last night. You know who you are. I'm not really sure where you get off telling me how to improve myself. Now, I know you are the queen of 'out of sight, out of mind" but I am not. It hurt me when we split, because I had put so much time and effort into makign you realize what I felt, and then you threw it away in light of a social life that you never really wanted me a part of. That hurt. It hurt long, it hurt hard. I went through this masochistic cycle trying to figure out what I had done wrong, and what was the matter with me. But you know, I found NOTHING. My insecurities and weaknesses were aggravated only because you chose to play on them, which made me a weak and impressionable person. So when you made me that way, and then would ramble off all my shortcomings, it fucked me up bad. Well, what did I do back? I pushed your buttons right back. Now how in the hell did you expect me to be a caring, sweet, normal guy when you treated me like shit and were constantly bitching at me? EXACTLY. Reciprocation? Take a good look at how you handled things. You felt that compliments and general sweet talk were useless because it was only 'fucking with things'. What kind of heartless beast are you? How do you expect someone to be able to work positively within that environment? YOU CAN'T. So don't come around telling me I need to work on myself. Where in the hell did I ever say the world was shitting on me? I never said it was the world, I only said it was my "social life". The world, and life in general, has been pretty good to me so far. I've only complained about the lack of quality of the women I pursue. My only real question is.....why do you care? You never seemed to before, always were way too busy for me, so whats the deal now?
posted by Ryan David 3/16/2001 09:37:57 AM
Its been awhile. How have you been? I have been less than stellar. I don't really have a traceable stream of thought for this blog, so if I wander, please speak up and get me back on the right track. OK, have you ever noticed that these people who have profoundly deep things to say are not getting laid? Like all these people who wanna walk around and discuss profound literary pieces, and write stupid little quotes in their email ("The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step - unknown.) Come on man! That person is screaming to get some. You are likely wondering how I came up with this. Well. Its because I am guilty of this very charge. See, I realized this last week as I sat quietly in the library reading "Malcolm X's Last Speeches - Feb. 1965." I saw a quote that really made me think. I wont discuss it here, but I did write it down in my notebook. Now, as I finished, I kinda looked around, as though a disturbance in the Force was taking place. I wasn't really sure why I was looking around, but something wasn't right. Hence, I moved on, and forgot about the entire thing. Until today. I was cleaning my apartment, listening to Less Than Jake's stellar release called "Hello Rockview". Well, this lyric came on that summed me up as of right now: 'Strung out on the future, burnt out on the past, sometimes I wish I could burn this place to the ground.' I stopped, and immediately wrote it down. Then I backed up, as this feeling came over me again. I knew now what was going on. The woman river has run dry. So now, instead of being a normal 22 year old beer-drinkin skirt chaser, I'm becoming that worthless psychology/philosophy major who sits around after they graduate, sell macremae handbags and wear paper pants. NO! THis is not me. I am a scientific, calculative, programming bastard. I am supposed to be laughing at those damn misanthropes as they choke on my exhaust and cry about mother nature and the origin of man. This sucks. Its pretty bad when you are finding the meaning of your life in the middle of a song, or in the words of a guy who really didn't like your kind too much. Alright, enough of that. Now, there is a girl in my Economics class. Two actually. They are both like really hot. I'm talking, like super super super hot. But you know what? I wouldn't touch either one of them. You know why? HA, because anytime either one of those stupid bitches opens her fool mouth, I want to hit her, like fucking Mike Tyson on the real. Does this mean I'm growing up and pursuing substance over style? If so, thats pretty depressing. Maybe I've just had my share of fickle, self-centered, high and mighty girls who don't appreciate me. Its funny, girls bang on guys all the time for not being sincere and being assholes. Its funny, because when you turn around, they are doing the same damn thing to us. I dunno, another one of those observations. I'm just really tired of that kind of girl. My blogs always center around my crumbling love life. Weak. It is this bad though, I am not meeting anyone worth going after, and my pursuit of academic and career advancement has left me with no friends. WOO HOO. Well, I take that back, I have alot of friends, but not a whole bunch around school. This will be continued, honchos, just give me a few days
posted by Ryan David 2/24/2001 04:39:22 PM
Well...back to one. Where to go from here?
posted by Ryan David 2/3/2001 07:14:09 PM
People. For the first time in 6 matchups, Carolina beat Duke. It was awesome. Down to the wire, nailbiter all the way. A true classic. Too bad that ruffle headed fool Shane Battier had to foul our CENTER BEYOND THE 3 POINT LINE! That was great. I mean, Haywood is pretty good, but I doubt he could hit a 3 from that far out. But that beautiful cross-eyed bastard stepped up to the FT line and sunk 2 foul shots, icing the game for Carolina. Adam Boone also offered an excellent performance. Much hope for a speedy recovery to Joe Forte and Jason Capel. March 4th is now in our sights. Just wanted to pop in and let my fans know how it was going. See ya.
posted by Ryan David 2/3/2001 10:19:51 AM
Statement (11-02-2000): Farrakhan doing well after surgery BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH OK Fine. Its a little late I know, but yes, our favorite hater of jews and whites took off his bowtiefor a brief second to have his butthole cut out. BAHAHA. Sorry, this is really not funny, but I like to peruse the NOI site every now and then, and this just leaped out at me. Can you imagine being at a rally and him stopping to empty his colostomy bag? HAHA. "Wait my ebony brothers and sisters, while I poop in this zip-loc baggie attached to my side. Ahh yes, I am purging my system like we will purge the nation of those cracker bastards." WEEEE. Yeah, kinda loses effect when you watch the leader of your divine nation have his prostate removed and his balloon knot sewn up. Hey you know, I have a real good idea. Lets sew his mouth shut next. Then what will he talk out of? His ass will already be covered.
posted by Ryan David 1/29/2001 07:51:55 PM
Please say a prayer for all the families and friends of the Oklahoma State University basketball team who were involved in the fatal plane crash last week. Its a shame that it happened, and my heart and prayers are with you.
posted by Ryan David 1/28/2001 10:07:19 AM
Duke Sucks. OK fine, shameless plug for my Duke Sucks page. Go there and look, it rocks. So in other news....theres a new lady in my life, I won't call her my girlfriend yet, but if she plays her cards right.... :) You guys know her, kinda...shes responsible for the single most awkward moment of my entire life. Anyway, just wanted to make a short mention of that....In other stuff.....well not much is going on. Classes and work are taking up most of my time, as I have a pretty heavy load. I was assigned a pretty big project at work...its a custom software app built from the ground up with a SQL backend and a VB frontend. I can't really explain it too fully due to University disclosure policies. I'll tell you what though, if I all of a sudden register the domain ryanisonerichbastard.com you'll know why :) Its not the technology I would have picked (Oracle/MySQL on a Linux box is what I suggested), but since we have an agreement with Microsoft, we have to use their technologies...so thats where I'm at now. Oh! I heard from Tullis, hes really loving it in College Station, and attacking his classes by the horns (no pun intended :), so that rocks...I'm gonna get up there real soon to see what the hype is about, seeing as I hated every second of my stay there. :) See yall later, and remember, February 1st, root for the Tarheels :)
posted by Ryan David 1/23/2001 04:43:41 AM
Well now, its been a few days since I last came to you my friends. Alot has happened since I made my arrival back home on Friday the 22nd. I took the Spoetzl Brewery tour (home of the Shiner family of beers) for my 6th time. And as always, a damn good hour spent. Friday night I just sat back and reflected on my hard work and excellent time that was my first semester at SWT. Saturday, though, was a real lifesaver. I attended the Robert Earl Keen concert with John Tullis and his gf, Melanie. Well, I certainly was not disappointed, as we arrived early enough to get RIGHT UP ON STAGE. I was maybe 6 feet from the legend himself. He sang all my favorites, and I even met 2 women who shared my enthusiasm for fine beer and fine music. It was something I really needed. HUGE confidence booster and just an all around ass kickin time. I've waited this long to post because I've let the experience soak in, so I can really see it for what it was. And from it I got this: 2 of the 3 earth shaking moments of my 2000 (NCAA Sweet 16, Bocktoberfest, and REK) have this in common: John Tullis, Robert Earl Keen, and Shiner Bock beer in some amount. John is seriously my best friend in the entire world. I mean, we have alot in common, same interests, same style, and just all around cool like that. :) I have a hard time getting it out here, but after this weekend, I realized how much his friendship meant to me. Rock on. Now, with the tearjerking over, lets cover Christmas. Wow. Christmas, was, well, interesting. Xmas eve we had my mom's family down to open presents and eat. Every year, my family more closely resembles that of a domestic brawl you see on COPS. Its awesome. I caught some good shots of my little cousin Cameron though, and they will be up soon. Yesterday my dad and I made to my Aunt Peggy's (his family) house for late afternoon lunch and gathering. More of the same. Crazy kids, cool toys, good food, and plenty of laughs. It was good to see family that I hadn't seen in a long time though. Cousin Susan, her 2 kids, and her new boyfriend Keith. They live in Virginia Beach, VA, which is a big plus considering my plans to run off to Chapel Hill, NC upon graduation to work and join the MAFB Camaro/Firebird guys. I also saw my Aunt Pat, who I never get to see anymore, and she is doing well. Probably the best of all was seeing my cousin Bridget, she rocks. She has a new boyfriend, and a new job, so she is well on her way. Mucho kudos to my family. I also had a normal talk with my dad, that involved money, and still have all my fingers. Nutsoid. These next few days are just lazy butt lie around days. I picked back up on the screenplay I'm toying with, got a couple scenes written, so thats ahead of schedule lol. I anticipate alot of basketball and white activities with Jimmy and Barnez this week, I'll keep all my faithful readers posted. Oh yeah, one shoutout before I hit the streets once again....whats up Catie? :)
posted by Ryan David 12/25/2000 10:47:25 PM
posted by Ryan David 12/14/2000 03:46:09 PM
Wow, the mozilla.org browser rocks the schoolyard. Neat interface, no massive, fiery crashes....good job Netscape. I commend thee. Today is more of the same. This space is here to post my feelings, my thoughts, and anything else I see fit. Lately I've been feeling this way, because some of the things I post are coming under fire. Its nothing personal, it really involves all of my "friends". The ones in Seguin who rarely call or email, the ones in Houston doing there own thing, and the ones here in San Marcos who assume I am not around or doing something else. This is what I am talking about. I can't help but feel a bit left out of everything when this is happening around me. I mean, I left for school and no one tore ass to come and see what I was so excited and happy about. Hardly anyone even asked. I sent out a slough of Christmas cards and got one thank you back. Nice. And well, it would have been nice to have been told the truth about last weekend. It just really hurts getting passed over and, in an essence, lied to. Its nots all that though, thats a small portion. People I used to consider friends are changing and moving on, buying Yellow vettes, and becoming to an increasing degree assholes. This once unified group of people I was proud to belong to has become nothing but a competition to see who can have the biggest, baddest, flashiest, ride.....or who can have the most money. Since I go unnoticed in both these areas, I've just kinda faded out of the club. Its different this time though. I don't feel like theres a light at the end of the tunnel, no revelation, no ray of hope that will get me through. I am becoming increasingly more introverted and jaded. Why? Well, after a long, hard thought session, I think its because I'm too nice and trusting. People walk over me, and treat me like a disposable commodity and I never speak up. Example: I love college basketball. If you know me to any degree, you should know that. I put it even higher than my Camaro. Yet, when I mention it, no one gives a shit, or comments that basketball is gay. Yet when someone makes a stink about the Astros or Cowboys, and I mention I don't like either much, I am bashed and heckled. This is an example of where I am just SOL. I've even been looked down on for the school I'm at and the degree I'm pursuing. (By a fuckin Aggie, no less, and a chick to boot.) I mentioned it was a BBA and her nose turned up like I was white trash studying business at a school that has a "party reputation". I just feel lately I've had to defend my interests and pusuits moreso than I need to. I'm me. Skinny, gangly, 6'1", 165 lbs, awkward, kinda shy, and just plain old me.
posted by Ryan David 12/14/2000 08:30:35 AM
posted by Ryan David 12/14/2000 08:30:25 AM
Well, space cadets, its time for yet another cry baby whiny, "I'm depressed post." Finals are going OK...not great, but not bad either. I'm just ready to have this shit done with. In other news, November 4th came back around. Details at this moment are sketchy, its just really fooked me up because I can't resist her, no matter how I try. Early on though, points to signs of "Amy-ism". She seems to want me when its convienient, and is real dodgy about the attention she gives me. And now over to my friends. It really hurts me terribly that the people I consider close to me cannot make time to see me or hang. A "car show" (read: trip to see someone else) or dyno day are just a few of the things I've heard. You know, I'm not that smart...but I know when I'm being hosed. I feel I make a lot of effort, and get little returned. Its starting to suck. I mean, as a friend, I tried to get my buddy to consider moving here, close to a tech capital, lots of work, great school. But turning a blind eye, before seeing what the Soutland conference could offer him, he commits to a junior college in the armpit of Texas. YAY. I feel so important. I need to realize I amount to jack to my friends back home. Out of sight out of mind, eh? Ahh well. Its only my feelings, everyone seems to have no problem walking all over them anyway, and they are rarely considered, so why am I surprised? I mean honestly, I'm a nice guy. I try to be nice. I make efforts to help when I can. I trust, I support, and I try not to judge. Am I just ugly? Maybe I'm too naive? All I know is I'm really fucking tired of feeling like I'm never good enough, or handsome enough, or any of that crap. I'm tired of being shufled to the back, out of sight, and tucked away. SERIOUSLY. I think I may just lay low for awhile and see who notices. I swear, I could die tomorrow and no one would care. Woo hoo. OK, I'm done. And if the counter girl at Baskin Robbin's is listening, I'm the regular who comes in 2x a week and orders a large choco milkshake. I drive the white Camaro Z28. You know? Cool...save me, please. I think you are cute and I wanna get to know you, but I'm too big of a wuss to talk to you at the store. Email me, Ryan@yenko.org....
posted by Ryan David 12/13/2000 09:10:09 PM
posted by Ryan David 12/11/2000 04:25:17 PM
Lets see if my new formatting works
posted by Ryan David 12/11/2000 04:24:54 PM
DAMMIT. Why? Why can't I escape from the ghosts that are my former stint at A&M? Everywhere I turn, I see a 12th man sticker, or a maroon out shirt, or SOMETHING that reminds me of that awful conentration camp. Just this morning I rode over to UNCBasketball.com and what do I see? My heroes of the ACC are PLAYING A&M in Houston Saturday? Why am I not excited? I mean, Carolina is going to beat A&M so ruthlessly and mercilessly that their mothers will feel it. I just REALLY wish guys like Vince and Antawn were still around. Am I going? HELL NO!!! Thats not a basketball game, thats a gay bash, and Carolina has the nightsticks, fellas. And oh yes, something truly sad. A dear and close friend of mine has disclosed to me that he is moving to College Station in January to start back to work on an architecture degree - FROM A&M. AHHHHH. Why? I mean, he has a gf there too, but I mean, this just sucks for me. College Station is the armpit of the NCAA and of Texas. Why? Dammit. Now I have a close buddy there. YIPEE. Also, I REALLY wish I could quit having dreams about my ex gf. It was a loooooong time ago, and I'm about damn tired of missing her. They aren't even cool revenge dreams. They are the kind where she just either shows up where I am or I will be walking, for instance, at a fair or like a festival. Then all of a sudden I am like on her front porch. In the dream my mother was there last night, I walked out of a midway type setting right into their yard. They were all at a picnic table eating, and my mother didn't even acknowledge me. Its getting old, and I'm ready to quit finding chickenheads and get a real woman who can help me put the past where it belongs. Oh yeah, did I mention she was an Aggie? HA. Dammit. I wonder why I am a bitter ball of angst today? Anything good today? Nope. We'll see, its only 7 am. Lates. UPDATE: 8:15....still no good, its cold as all holy hell outside and my car was running funny. This is totally not cool. Why does my day suck? I wonder if I could whine some more? Finals are soon. I'm ready for a break. I think over xmas I am going to build a new potato gun. I'm bored, restless, lonely, ugh. Today is in my way. I am all of a sudden in a serious rut. I mean, recurring dreams of her, (you know), my best friend running off to the place I despise of the most, finals, deadlines, school, crap. Its just all coming down at the same time. Woo Hoo! someone pinch me please, I think I'm dreaming. No wait, I can't be, my ex gf hasn't showed up outside the JCK building to fuck with my head. UPDATE: 12:45 DAMMIT AGAIN. Talking to some homies in #HFB, and this total fag comes in the room and starts bragging about going to A&M. FOOK. And then everyone starts talking about how they just LOVE aggies and how they so respect education form there. You know what? FOOK A&M, and I certainly hope the TarHeels dip the ball in fecal matter and ram it down there throats Saturday. Otherwise, it WAS an OK day. Dammit.
posted by Ryan David 12/7/2000 04:52:53 AM
Jigga, Trigga, Figga, yo. Lots of cool stuff. First off, Joseph Kandi in my Philosophy class is an A1 badass. He's the coolest. So is Tullis, but who didn't know this? He called just to see how I was doing, what a cool mofo. Still didn't hear from the girl..hehe oh well. Can't win em all. VPSA cooked Thanksgiving dinner, it was awesome...played lots of golf, ate a bunch, lots of fun stuff. I am soooooo kicking ass in the grade department too, so fear my skills.
posted by Ryan David 11/30/2000 04:27:35 PM
Hmm..well. Looks like I might have spoken too soon. Jumping the gun sucks, and looks like I did it this time too. Unconfirmed reports show I am no longer a part of her brain activity. Bah. TLU 2 - Ryan - 0. Whats next for Ryan? Who knows. I may dive into this MP3 thing head on, or develop a whole new Flash site. I am definitelygoing to learn ASP and build some web apps like a mofo. Be on the lookout for a redesigned site soon.
posted by Ryan David 11/7/2000 03:41:58 PM
The past 24 hours have been...very...interesting. :) That girl I told y'all about, the one who knew about cars, well she granted me the honor of a "date". I put date into quotes because she just broke up with her bf and is gonna be single for awhile. She wants me though...its sooooo obvious. :) So anyway, after her orchestra concert, we decide to head to Austin to meet up with her sister and her sis's boyfriend. OK, so I meet them, and find out that she is half of a twin set. Niiiiice. Her sister was pretty cute too, but her bf was ANNOYING. Drunk, and wanted to talk computers. He wouldn't even listen when I told him he would have more fun driving my car than a naturally aspirated eclipse. Tool. So then I have to ride with him to IHOP. OK. First thing he does is back into a damn pole and give me a headache from hell. So we're at IHOP, and the whole time I'm having to listen to his drunk babble whilst the girls catch up. I ordered a tall glass of Iced Tea and two scrambled eggs, cheese and Tobasco sauce. Midway through my eggs, 4 of the coolest people ever walked in. 2 black guys, one who looked like EXACTLY like Lawrence Moten, from his big socks-big fro days at Syracuse. And 2 girls. It was leet. So they sat right behind us, which finally allowed me to zone out on drunk gibberish to see what the homies were discussing. Their talk centered around college hoops and cars, and I had to be disturbed from the dreamland to leave. sigh. Peace to my niggas at IHOP. So now her and I go back to her house, where I was to be a guest for the night. When I awoke 8 hours later, I thought I heard her rustling around. So I poked my head into her room to see if she was up. She was, so we made plansfor her to take me home. As I turn around and close the door, who do I see staring at me like I'm the antichrist? Yep, her mom. I froze. "Hi, I'm Ryan, I'm staying here, remember?""Oh I know who you are." "I didn't stay in her room, I stayed in Meg's room"...DOH! "I don't care." hmm OK....so I bolted, and brushed my teeth, and got ready to leave. So while my chica was in the shower, her mother gave me the third fookin degree. Crazy ass stuff my brothers and sisters. So finally I get home, and she stayed around for awhile. Shes hot y'all, and she is SO easy to talk to. We got a pizza and had a great time getting to know each other. All in all it was an experience I probably won't forget for awhile, I mean, I've never gotten so close to a family in such little time :)
posted by Ryan David 11/4/2000 05:12:06 PM
Today is my birthday. W00t!. Buy me stuff. Buy me a motorcycle. I want a '00 Yamaha YZF-R1. Blue please. And a '00 Suzuki GSXR 750. Yellow please. 22. I'm conflicted. Time is catching up, I'm seriously ready to get out of school. I feel so far behind now. Oh well. I get like this every now and again, so just bear with me. In other news, I met a girl...sorta. Shes cute, smart, and loves cars. Like the mechanical stuff, not just the bodies. She knew about cams. Shes a hottie. I'll keep you posted.
posted by Ryan David 10/26/2000 09:24:08 AM
Bocktoberfest. Hands down, THE premier event of my life, second only to the NCAAs. Myself, and the elite from the HFBO and 1/2 of the BLFE conglomerate headed to Shiner, Texas, this past Saturday to enjoy an all day concert/party. Lots of fresh Shiner beer, great music, awesome food, good friends, and much fun. Won't forget this weekend very soon. Feel better soon McT. :)
posted by Ryan David 10/15/2000 07:11:45 PM
:) Today: Up at 6am. Shower, dress, and catch Sportscenter. Leave my apartment at 6:45. Get to campus around 7, and to dining hall at 7:10. While waiting in line for my morning dose of Eggs, hash browns, milk, and Apple Juice, I decided today would be a slow day. I was gonna walk a little slower, observe, and appreciate the life going on around me. So, after a leisurely breakfast, and two chapters of Sun Pin's Military Methods, I strolled from the Commons, and down the street, on my way to my bad ass job on campus. I looked around, basked in the glory of this place, and really felt like I was a part of SWT. It was nice.
posted by Ryan David 10/12/2000 07:22:34 AM
I hate girls. Period. They ALL suck. They are conniving assholes, who use guys to amuse them, and then crush them without a second thought. They may act all like they are sad and down and stuff, but thats the biggest BS front I've ever seen. They use that to get a guy to let hs guard down, care about their worthless crap, and then crush him with no more than the bat of an eye.
posted by Ryan David 10/8/2000 08:52:25 PM
Hmmm, a month since I have updated this thing....let's recap on my month, shall we? 1. After being totally dissed by a girl from Minnesota, I decided to have a Ryan day. So I took a trip to the Spoetzl brewery to drink some Texas beer with Texas folks. Well, after the tour, lo and behold, I was approached by a couple on vacation from MINNESOTA asking me about SWT and what I was studying. DAMN! They were cool though, and after the tour, they offered me a Grain Belt beer, a local Minnesota brew. Rock on Yankees. :) 2. And, in a shocking turn of events, I was dissed by another fuckin Yankee, only this one was a confused chica from Maryland. I won't go into details, but after telling me I was too old and giving me a bunch of reasons why she couldn't be with me, she said that she liked me. WHAT THE HELL? Oh well, who knows? Shes hung up on som guy from somewhere, I dunno, minor details to me, we'll just see what kinda Christmas your ol pal Ryan has. :) 3. I was contacted by 2 of my very good friends from high school, Kevin Henderson and Michael Couser. kevin goes to school here and Mike goes down the road at UT..wh00t! 4. Hallsville, our bi-annual F-Body shootout, was rained out halfway through qualifying, but not before John posted a new best and Brain broke 12s. 5. I made 2 new car buddies. Jeff Collop, and Jordon Musser. I was completely wrong about Jordon, he is probably one of the coolest guys I've hung out with in a long time, even if he is an Aggie. :) 6. Hmmm, nothing much more...see ya soon!
posted by Ryan David 10/4/2000 01:48:20 PM
Today is my first day of work at SWT. Wish me luck!
posted by Ryan David 9/12/2000 07:50:16 AM
Yesterday rocked ass. Thanks Tullis and Angelica, and Ethan and Brain. I had more fun yesterday than I have in a looong time, and got some great clothes :) (Even if some were from A&F) :) Saw (and talked) to some good looking women, and got to ride in the coolest Black LS1 Formula this side of the USA :) I seriously got back to my roots yesterday, and realized who my boys (and girls) are.
posted by Ryan David 8/17/2000 11:16:15 AM
The chix over at muted.com can suck a fat one. That bunch of 14 year old design hookers tore my Flash revision up. And...the critcism wasn't even constructive. Girls suck. Damn carpet munchers.
posted by Ryan David 8/15/2000 01:53:17 PM
Well, school starts the 30th. I move back in 7 days. Woo hoo. I'm so freakin ready to graduate its not even funny. This weekend was rather strange though. I mean, I never fooled myself into thinking I was surrounded by lots and lots of friends, but I thought the ones I considered close knit were really close knit. Nope. I hung out with them this past weekend and man, I was sold out time and time again for this girl that I had a disagreement with a long time ago. I also realized that I am in a spell of mild depression...why? I don't know....my life is going good, I had a great job this summer, I found a great apartment, I have a great car...why would I dare even think I'm depressed? I think I'm lonely. I've been lonely ever since I was dumped in February. I just can't seem to let it go, and since then I haven't gotten close to anyone, male or female, and experienced real friendship. My parents are gettng older too, and we are slowly drifting apart, and its sad. So I suppose its this lonliness that is getting me so down all the time. But as I sit here and type, a few people come to mind as guys (and gals) who came through and made my last summer at home sorta OK....thanks McT, Ru-Jew, James Benton, Sarah Ashley Robertson, Mel, Melissa, Brain, and FrNak...you guys kick ass
posted by Ryan David 8/13/2000 06:57:32 PM
This has to be one of the neatest tools I have seen....I mean, I used to run my ,Chickenscratch page, but that was tedious and a drag to update. This thing roolz :)
posted by Ryan David 7/27/2000 09:36:31 AM
This will get updated when I feel like it. New entries will have the first word BOLDed. If you wanna tell me what terrible opinions I have, or congratulate me on such a correct point of view, email me at one of my 6 billion addresses:
LT4_Z28@tca.net
LT4_Z28@hotmail.com
Ryan_Z28@yahoo.com
Ryan@houston-f-body.org
Ryan@yenko.org
Ryan-David@usa.net
RND1967@labs.tamu.edu
Cobrakiller@dork.com
Damn that's a lot of email addresses. Here's the history of my many addresses:
Ryan-David@usa.net was the first. I got it because I wanted web based email. Then came the hotmail account, I needed it for junk mail. I got the one from houston-f-body.org when Eric Reeves was feeling generous and gave me a box, its my car club. The yahoo address is there because Tony Crabtree made me download Yahoo Messenger so I could talk to him over the cruddy Compaq firewall. cobrakiller was a joke, and I like the name dork.com. Ryan@yenko.org came with my domain. The tamu.edu account came with my enrollment at Texas A&M. and the tca.net came when I got internet service through them in College Station. Cool huh?
I think the best year of my entire life came when I was in the 6th grade. That was the last year I lived in Lake Jackson, and the first year of junior high. I was laying in bed remembering the faces and times I had. My first girlfriend, Valerie Larre, was in my History class taught by Mrs. Button. I was a dork, posing as a skater, but everyone knew skaters weren't in choir. That choir class was the bomb. Mr. Broom was a perv, but every Friday we got to do our own songs. I remember vividly performing MC Hammer "Can't touch this" and dancing like a damn fool. Everyone loved it. But for some strange reason, I remember Benjamin Hansen the most from all of them. He was a skating buddy. We used to get up early on Saturdays and meet at his apartment's tennis courts and go skate all day. He was a real pal, and I still have his book he let me borrow, Calvin and Hobbes "Something under the Bed is Hiding". Ben, if you read this, email me. I also remember David Dusek. He went to the same orthodontist as me, and we were in the same choir class. He had a condition in which he had to wear blue tinted glasses. He was cool as anything though.
I also remember Wesley Lopez well too. He was the most atypical Mexican you will ever meet. We used to eat lunch together, and we had 3 classes together too. I could tell he was on a bad track, but I helped him with Math and Science, and he was one of the nicest guys I had ever met. I was completely blown away by his attitude. I'm sure by now he is either poor, in jail, or stuck in a bad marriage. But when we worked, he tried hard. He was good people. Then there was Justin "Bubba" Jamison. He was overweight, and had asthma, but was one of the funniest, smartest people I ever met. He sat in front of me in Mrs. Safford's English class. I remember vividly his signature in my autograph book I was making as a keepsake. "Dear Ryan, Good luck with the girls, have fun in West Columbia, don't date a hillbilly" "Your pal, your buddy, your compadre, Justin "Bubba" Jamison" He was good people too.
6th grade was also when my love for Camaros developed. At the time, my mom was driving the '89 RS, black death, that would later become my first and most beloved F-body. The other moms in minivans would look with envy as my mom and I rolled off in such an awesome car. Even my friends wanted to know the story on the car, and more than once I was asked if it was the batmobile. Hell yeah it was, and I knew something was special about that car.
Other things I can recall are Coach Merritt, Mrs. Crainer's science class, seeing Todd Nelson at a DARE event, Sarah Gomez, being a white kid with an LA Raiders backpack, Brian Cranley, Jeremy Mata, Jake Sullivan, and Amy Daugherty, the first girl I ever loved. What a year.
I hate my advisor. Shes not even an engineer. She's a big, fat, ugly, he-she of a woman who sits in her office and tries to f**k my life up. (I'd cuss but my mom reads this). She gave me crap about registering for a C programming class. I told her I wanted to take it, and she argued that I don't have the skills because I failed Calculus once. So just because she is a hell-spawn, I'm gonna pull a 4.0 this semester, and at mid-term, walk into her office, pee in her coffee, doo doo in her keyboard, and make her eat it. Then I'm gonna make her look at my grades, and when she sees a 4.0, I'm gonna make her apologize to me for implying I couldn't make it. Then I'm gonna hog-tie her to her desk and beat her with a wiffle-ball bat. Donna Richards is her name by the way.
My friends seem to think I am a black man trapped in a white man's body. Especially Wayne Pryor, who told Tony Crabtree, and so now the entire Houston F Body group thinks I'm a Vanilla Oreo with Chocolate center. So now I have this fascination with ebonics. If you live in a cave, ebonics are "black-speak" For example:
A white guy would say: "I need to leave because I have to get up early for work." Translated in Ebonics, we get:
"Yo, I gosta raise up out this bitch, cuz I be rollin out da crib early in da a.m., you know, gotta make dem endz meet god"
My good buddy Frank Dilligaf can translate into Asian riceboy speak quite well too.
I hate MTV road rules and the Real World. Its stupid. I think they should put them all on the "semester at sea" boat and sink it halfway.
The only cool car name is Firehawk. That just sounds like a socially accelerating car to have. "Which car is yours?" "Oh, the Black FIREHAWK parked between the Mercedes and BMW" It also sounds like a car that could steal your wife and job when you weren't looking.
MxPx is the coolest band on the planet. Screw the Backstreet Boys, Blink 182, Limp Bizkit....MXPX is where its at. I have most of their CDs, and the best by far is "Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo" Do yourself a favor and check them out.
Today I was eating breakfast down in the Commons. This semester they have started playing the radio over the PA system. Well I tuned in for a second to hear David Lee Roth's solo hit "Just a Gigolo". I was like, wow, what crap. And then they bust in and say, "Elizabeth Taylor to the front please, Elizabeth" I swear!..what a surreal day.
Speaking of eating, I don't see why everyone knocks the food down there at the Commons....those Mexican ladies can make some eggs, and have cornered the market on bomb ass hash browns. And the Orange Guava Passion Fruit from the tap is the best you will ever drink. Good stuff, anyone who wants to come stay with me and go eat down there, email me and we can set it up.
When I lay awake at night, drifting in and out of dreamland, my car talks to me. My apartment is close to the parking lot and I can hear my car crying and complaining to the econoboxes parked next to it that, "I'm a Z28, and dammit I deserve a 396 stroker" "He treats me like crap, the least he could do it call Lingenfelter and have a 396 stroker motor built for me." Sometimes I feel pretty guilty...but most of the time I blow it off and go to sleep. Actually though, I would like to have a 396 stroker for my '94 Z28. I've thought about the parts I would use to build it, but that will be a different ramble.
Today I went to Barnes and Noble to use a gift card I got from my lovely Aunt Peggy. I browsed through the computer books, and found a pretty good C programming bible for less than my card was worth. But, after rethinking the situation, I bought The Onion Presents: Our Dumb Century, and The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes. I have to have some fun sometime, right?
Last night while watching TV, I saw a commercial about how great people get their start working at McDonald's. WHAT? It had these people pushing fries and giving change with stuff under their name like "Future orthodontist." and "Future V.P. Human Resources." I don't know what McDonald's these people work in, but clearly they have left out every McDonald's I have ever been to. The worst in my experience was one in Sealy, Tx. I decided to stop and eat after leaving Lone Star Raceway Park. So, instead of my usual George "Bear" Barentine inspired Jalapeno Whataburger, I felt I was in for a Big Mac. I walked in and this crack-headed girl was standing there and in a low monotone drawl asks what I want. So I ordered an extra value meal and she just stood and stared, so I stared back. After what seemed like half an hour, she said, "Well do you want it super-sized?" I could have killed her. Really, at that point in the game I could have pinned her head to the counter, and beat her silly with a tray. So where is "future single mom with 3 kids drawing welfare, and spending it on smack" in that commercial? I just don't think its right that McDonalds doesn't represent its employee demographic accurately. Besides, everyone knows the future stars of corporate America get their start at the Cracker Barrel.
My Economics professor holds a doctorate from Duke University and has taught at places like MIT and Michigan State. MIT? Wow! This will be a great class! BUT HE COULDN'T TURN THE OVERHEAD ON YESTERDAY. He had to have someone help him work it. I had to rub my eyes like 12 times to believe it.
My good buddy John Tullis just informed me that last night at Houston Raceway Park he clicked off a 12.24 sec. ET..WOW. Tullis' LS1 Formula is the stinkiest on the street. He runs a Comp Cam, with MAC headers, and Borla. The car sounds like a madman though, and plenty of times at Sealy, I've seen him light up street tires with no effort. John deserved a good timeslip more than anyone though, he's good people.
Last night I stayed in and watched my DVD collection. First I watched Pulp Fiction, followed by Sixteen Candles, the Billy Madison, then Grosse Pointe Blank. I fell asleep before getting to Rushmore. But it was therapeutic, and below are a few a my favorite lines from the movies. (WARNING FOUL LANGUAGE)
Pulp Fiction: Ringo: Which wallet is yours?
Jules: The one that says 'Bad Motherfucker'
Tarantino: Do I have a sign in my yard that says, 'Dead Nigger Storage?'
Marcellus Wallace: I'ma get some hard, pipe hittin' niggas to go to work on this fool with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. You hear me, boy? I'ma get medieval on yo ass.
SIXTEEN CANDLES: The Geek: I'm kind of like the king of the dipshits
BILLY MADISON: Billy: He called the shit poop!
GROSSE POINTE BLANK: Martin: I've always felt very temporary about myself. But when my time comes, if it does, I want a house like this, and I want a wife like you.
Debbie: You're a f***ing psychooooooo
Martin: Dooooon't rush to judgment on something like that until all the facts are in.
Martin: I've just been feeling alot of anxiey over my reunion. What I am going to say to these people? I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How have you been?
Today I had my car fixed. Yes, finally, no more CLUNK form the rear. See, about a year ago, I had subframe connectors installed by Dennis at Internet Racer's Supply. Ever since, I have had a terrible clunk/squeak from the rear. So today I took it to Cardoc on Harvey road and Marty Shaw, ASE certified technician, too a little over an hour, including driving time, to find and correct the problem. It seems the control arm was loose, and the rear spring was turned 180 degrees from its intended position. Needless to say, the car is finally quiet. Marty is bad ass. Oh yeah, the best part? $19 and change for everything. Life is good.
I also got a 10 (out of 10) on my first math quiz. Fear my math skills.
Well just as soon as I sing his praises, John Tullis breaks his Formula. Spun a bearing trying to be a hero :) I smell a 360 LS1 from Morgan Motorsports or a 382 LS1 from Internet Racer's Supply.
Everyone please say a silent prayer for my buddy John Campbell. He was involved in a small car accident and is not working right now due to back spasms. Car guys will know John as 'Raughammer', the '98 Cayenne Red Z28 (Pepper) that runs 11s. All the best for a speedy recovery buddy!
Things are looking up for your 'ol buddy Ryan. I have located and secured a used (but in AWESOME shape) Borla cat-back exhaust. This is the bad boy of them all for the '82-2000 Camaro and Firebird. Fully adjustable, and it cost me $180 bucks. Fear my skills. The best thing of all? The guy who had it before me upgraded the intermediate pipe with a custom one from Mufflex, with better mandrel bends, and larger "dump" outlet. This is the same exhaust run by the Team-F One Lap of America Z28 team, and then same one Lingenfelter used in his one lap efforts. It was also the same exhaust used by SLP on their '97 SS LT4 development vehicle that qualified for the pole in the 24 hours of LeMans. Watch out, world. :)
This weekend I came home for the first time in a while. I had alot of fun. Saw old friends, made new ones, but most important of all, I got back to my roots. I met my new little cousin, Cameron Paige Hanak, the most beautiful little baby girl God ever gave to anyone. She is so very sweet, and I fell in love with her the second I saw her. But it brought out the tender, sensitive side in your friend here. My cousin and her husband are so happy, so in love, so vibrant, they love life, each other, and share that wonderful creation together. Thats what I want. I'm tired of hating the world, being cynical, and looking down on everything. That baby, in a sense, gave me hope for my own future. I realized as I held her, and just watched, that she was so innocent, and had no idea what was going on around her, and had not yet been judged, or discriminated against, or made fun of for one reason or the next. It changed my perspective on life. I figure if I start now, I can improve myself and be a loving, caring, trusting person again. She is kind of like a spiritual kick, and I am motivated. I want that. Now who wants to come on this journey with me?
Did you know that before Louis Farrakhan was the head of the nation of Islam, he was a calypso singer? Yep, that beloved hater of Jews and whites alike was known as the "Charmer" Can you imagine? "Blame it on the bossanova....the dance of THE CRACKER SWINE" :) or "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make "A FAT STUPID WHITE DEVIL BITCH your wife" :)
HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA YEAH....When I unload the guns, I unload the heat. I broke 8's in a car that shouldn't do it. So I'd like to tell everyone who said I couldn't do it to KISS MY ROSY RED ASS. I brought the black pain of death to Sealy Friday night. I cut a .503 tree, and ran 8.95. YEAH . Oh yeah something else......I TOOK HOME THE FIRST TROPHY OF THE 2000 SEASON. FEAR MY SKILLS, nonbelievers. Donna Richards, I'm coning for you next baby, you better watch out for the refrigerator white whale of a Z28, you better take cover. HAHAHAHAA I AM THE KING OF THE TRACK. LET THERE BE A GRAND PITSIDE FEAST. BRING ME THE FINEST MEATS AND CHEESES THROUGHOUT THE LAND!
The idea floated around in the back of my head as soon as the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament were over. I had to get to Austin, come hell or high water, to see the North Carolina Tarheels play in the Sweet Sixteen. How? I had no idea. Why? Because, this was Carolina. See, I've been a Carolina fan before it was cool to be a Carolina fan. I was there in the best and worst of times. The famous Michigan game in which Chris Webber called a timeout Michigan didn't have, handing the national championship to UNC. The heartbreaking last second missed 3 point shot by Jerry Stackhouse, where Boston College advanced to the Elite Eight. I've even been known to watch tape of "the shot" (if you are any sort of UNC fan you know what I'm referring to). I mourned when Coach Smith left, but embraced Bill Guthridge, and was confident he'd lead us back to greatness. I've watched my favorite players mature into the talented, feared players they are today...Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Jerry Stackhouse to name a few. Now I was following Ed Cota, Kris Lang, and Brendan Haywood. So when I learned they would be in Austin, I decided it was time for a trip of biblical proportions to see them. I left Friday afternoon right after class, and as I got farther away from College Station, I became less of an Aggie, and more of the Tarheel I'd been secretly hiding for fear of being hung from the nearest tree. A&M isn't the most tolerant campus in the country, you know. It seemed that the miles I put between myself and here also peeled away my worries, my depressions, and my lonliness. I was excited at the prospect of seeing my team, and nothing was getting me down. Even with a dying distributor, my Z28 picked up the miles and put them down swiftly at 75 mph. Finally arriving in Asutin, and making my way to the Erwin Center, I pulled my ticket, and entered the arena. The atmosphere hummed with March Madness. All around fans from all different schools came to root thier boys on to victory. And here I was, right smack dab in the middle of it. After standing in line for a hot dog and a coke, I settled into my seat, nestled in the middle of a group from Tulsa University. I made fast friends with them, and they taught me their cheers and chants. It was great, Tulsa played hard and own, and I have new friends from a great school. But then it was time for waht I had come to see. The heels made their way onto the floor and began the pre-game warmups that I was so familiar with. As people talked and laughed around me, I zoned out. I concentrated on Ed Cota, feeding passes in to Brendan Haywood, and shooting around. It was an experience I would not soon forget. It was one of those moments that I'll remember for the rest of my life. I stood the whole time, A&M hat removed, during the introduction of the starting lineup. It was my way of showing respect to the team that had been such a part of my life. The tipoff went Carolina's way, but soon we fell behind. But slowly, methodically, like a wounded Beowulf fighting against the mighty Grendel, Carolina pulled back. The last four minutes of the game were pure Tarheel magic. Down 8, Ed Cota engineered one of the most heroic comebacks of his career. The icing on the cake was an awesome drive/layup that put Carolina ahead for good. And as the clock ticked down, nothing that has gone wrong in my life lately mattered... a girlfriend leaving, grade worries, and all the other crap just washed away...all that mattered at taht point was Tarheel basketball. I stood and clapped, saluting my team as they left the court, like warriors after a hard day on the battlefield. As I made my way from the Erwin Center, I had a permanent smile glued to my face. Nothing could get me down. Even my car had some extra pep to it on the drive back to San Marcos. San Marcos? Thats a whole different story :)
A quick run down of my day. Up early, wrote some email, ate a couple pop tarts, caught the last half of Scooby Doo, and proceeded to Golf PE. I actually had a good hitting day. I rolled one about 125 yards, straight and true with a 6 iron. My teacher was impressed. But I still didn't get the gall up to go and talk to the girl I've been admiring. Ahh well, I'm a wuss, what can I say? Today in my math class, I listened to two members of our fine corps of cadets have an intellectual discussion about Napster...what it is and how it works. Now, having an extensive background rooted in the internet and how it works, I was amused by their talk. The guy kept saying "internet connection space" referring to "bandwidth". And that the connections were hard drive to hard drive. Sure, keep doin what ya do, corps boy, and can I get an invite to your graduation from DeVry? And I pulled my Econ grade up to a B!!! Hell yeah! Now I don't have to go to the class anymore!! WOO-HOO! So I came home and relaxed...tomorrow is a big day of preparing for my math test Friday.
This weekend made me realize I am probably the most boring, naive 21 year old in the world. After having a serious, steady girlfriend for more than a year, my skills are shot. For those that don't know, I went to San Marcos this weekend to check out the CIS department, and spend some time with my new love interest, code named "Chica". Well, chica and I have been talking for a couple of weeks, and all has been well. I've been really excited about her...and have been looking forward to spending some more time with her. My arrival on Friday was uneventful, and we had a pretty nice evening. When I saw her on Saturday though, things seemed to change. Not much to say, no real talking going on. So we went out with her friend. Now the whole time they're talking about stuff they have done/do, and I'm blushing from embarrasment because I thought half this stuff only went on in the movies. No, I don't drink, or smoke, or have wild orgies at parties. I guess I'm truly the nerd I've always joked about myself being. My highs and pleasure comes from the sweet sound of a Z28 at WOT. My idea of fun is disassembling the top end of a Camaro LT1 and hopping it up, or sitting at home with a cold 12 pack of Dr. Pepper and watching a few good Clint Eastwood/John Wayne movies. Maybe the two of us are different. I mean, chica had all the interest in the world, and then all of a sudden it was gone. I have come to accept the fact that I will not be desirable to women until my late 20's/early 30's, when they mature, and decide they need a guy like me: Stable, respectful, nice, and pretty laid back. What concerns me is that after years of being around the wrong kind of guys, and being treated like dirt, they will come to me wanting redemption. Man, I don't want someone's emotional landfill. I just hope it works out with chica, because I like her alot, and because of that I was kind of awkward and shy around her. Damn, all I have to say is damn.
God rest Victor Rodriguez's soul. He was a true friend, and lived life to the fullest. Victor was unfortunately killed in a motorcycle accident last night, and the Houston F Body Organization, the Texas Children's hospital, his family and friends will all miss him very much.
posted by Ryan David 7/26/2000 12:05:26 PM
Hello. Today is 26 July 2000, and this is my first Blog entry.....I'm gonna move all my chickenscratch stuff over here. :)
posted by Ryan David 7/26/2000 12:01:43 PM