RyRySays

I love football in the South!

Says Smith: "It's not just Atlanta lawyers and bankers. It's people in small towns wearing Georgia caps as they walk downtown for lunch. The vernacular might change, but this involves people from all walks of life."

"College football Southern style is a mixture of longtime friendships, gameday color and sights and sounds and smells, and the fans' zeal to support their school and its traditions."

"The South is the place where otherwise clear-thinking people rise early on Saturday mornings to affix flags and decals to their cars and sport utility vehicles so other motorists can have no doubt of their allegiance. The South is the place where every game staged on every campus has the feel of a true Big Game."

I. Love. It.

Other people have said it, but one more can't hurt. What's happening in LA and the Gulf Coast is so sad. Hundreds, maybe thousands are dead and many more will soon from disease or lack of water/sanitation/food. This is going to affect our country for some time, emotionally and economically.
I feel bad, because I don't think about it that much. It's not here, my house is fine. My dog is fine. It's sunny outside and I'm complaining that it's hot and I'm going to take a nap in a few minutes and that gas prices are up. I don't see the devastation, I don't know anyone who lives there, so it feels like I don't have a connection, that it's not real.
I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a house. Everything gone. It's so scary and sad and I imagine you just feel...lost.
I've giving blood next Thursday because that's when the Red Cross van is coming to our school. You should try to give blood if you can, or money or other donations if you can. If you can't do anything else, send a prayer.

Sometimes I like to experiment with myself. Wait, that sounds wrong. Let me rephrase, sometimes I like to see how long I can go without doing something, or how long I can do something.
Sort of like my own Guinness Book, but just of Ryan Records. I'm going to start documenting these and if people want to bet on how long I can last, that's fine by me (thus "over/under" as the title).
The first in the series is shaving my armpits. It turns out that I can go for 17 days without shaving my underarms*. I finally broke down yesterday and used a new blade and good smelling shaving cream. Now they feel so soft and pretty. Don't worry- I will not be sharing before and/or after pics of my pits.

*Please note this experiment was conducted during a time where I was not a) in a bathing suit b) visiting a doctor or c) sleeping with someone. Thus the only person who was being affected by my non-shaving was me.
** If you know someone who would like to prevent the repetition of this experiment by fulfilling c) above, please let me know. Thank you.

Next week starts football season for UGA. It's about this time every year that I start to get nostalgic for Athens. I love that campus. It's bowled shaped and if you go downhill, you end up at the stadium. Downtown is loaded with people in red and black, drinks in hand. People you've never met will offer you food or drinks and high-five you after a good play. Traditions surround you and when the redcoats play "Glory, Glory" I really do tear up from all the energy that surrounds me. This will be the third season that I haven't been to a game. I've watched everyone that's been on TV and plan to do so again.
When I was young, I wasn't a big football fan. Then I moved to the south and, as Barbara Dooley says, "It's just a fact that as a child of the SEC, that's what you do on Saturdays during the fall." Luckily, I now live in an area that gets Fox Sports South so I get more games than I did in DC. The sad part is that I'm still out range for Larry Munson. Listening to him call a game is a highlight of every Georgia student/fan/alumni, and I miss it.

I think the National Zoo in Washington is awesome. I totally didn't take advantage of all the cool, free stuff there is to do in DC. I did go to the zoo a few times. Unfortunately, I lived there when someone poisoned half the animals. There were a shit load of squirrels though, so woot! Anyways, you can name the new baby panda here. I picked "Tai Shan (tie-SHON), which means peaceful mountain". I picked it partly because I liked the meaning better than the other ones and partly because I could pronouce it. I wanna visit the pandas.

So I have been checking out all the stations to find the new days/times for my shows. As of now, here's what will be on at my house:

Monday- 9pm- NBC- Las Vegas - Josh Duhamel is too cute.
Tuesday- 8pm- WB- Gilmore Girls (recap on TWoP) ; 9pm- Fox- House
Wednesday- 8pm- WB- One Tree Hill
Thursday- 8pm- Fox- The OC; 9pm- WB- Everwood

Lacking here is ABC. The only possible shows that I would watch are Desperate Housewives (which I have made a conscious effort to not watch since, as you can see, I have enough shows) or Grey's Anatomy (which I don't watch since I already have 1 medical show, House, which is better). Plus they're on Sunday and I have an 8 am on Monday and I always have homework. I also thought about maybe adding Fox's Bones, but I already have a Tuesday 8pm show. Plus it looks a little too CSI for me.
Other shows that I will watch include Dog and Friends and Jeopardy, but those repeated and/or on enough that I won't mind missing an episode here or there.
I am debating about recapping some of my shows since TWoP has put OTH and Everwood on hiatus. The problems are 1) I don't have TiVo which makes watching shows difficult unless I record them which adds the stress of remembering to tape them 2) I wouldn't be getting paid for the recaps 3) I am in law school and have enough shit to do and even watching the airing episode of the show is time when I should be studying 4)nobody reads this website so I'd be wasting my time.
However, I like to read the old recaps and maybe people are looking for what I think about Lucas's hair or Ephram's for that matter. I don't know what I'm going to do yet.
I just hope no other really good shows come on during my time slots. I could use a Monday show- and I would especially love if Project Runway came back. So here's to the new fall line-ups!

So I like to be alone. I am an introvert. I have taken multiple Myers-Briggs and everyone comes back with me as an I. [The only thing that is border is if I'm an INFJ or an ISFJ] It's not that I don't like people, well most people, it's that I enjoy being by myself.
I get my fill of people at school. I am talkative in all my classes, socialize all day, have lunch in groups, am involved in lots of clubs, talk to all my professors etc. But when I leave school, that's it. I'm drained. I want a nap and to relax.
I love walking in the door and taking my pants off and throwing on some pjs. I get stressed if people knock on the door b/c then I become the weirdo who's in her jammies at 3 pm.
My mom thinks it's odd that I don't know any of my neighbors. There is a reason. It means they won't come over. It means I can be in my sanctuary undisturbed. I wave when they drive by. I'm polite if we're getting the mail at the same time. I just don't invite them over.
It's hard to explain it to E people. They just can't see why a night at home reading and watching TV can be more fun than going out to a bar.
Don't get me wrong, I love listening to bands, going to big concerts, small bars, the movies, amusement parks, whatever. I just like to do that stuff occasionally. If I went out multiple times a week, I'd be physically exhausted, not from the lack of sleep, but from all the people and the stress.
So, if you ever move in next door, or are currently a neighbor, don't take offense that I don't have you over for drinks. It's not that I don't like you, it's that I don't want you here.
I wonder what's going to happen when I move in with someone.

So I was just sent an automatic response from someone b/c their email does spam blocking. That's all well and good, but here comes my problem.

The earthlink site that I was sent to requires that you type in a code or whatever. Underneath that it says, "Visually impaired? Click here".

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but if you were visually impaired, wouldn't it be difficult to see that link?

Ok so I know I was freaking out in the last post. I'm not out of the woods yet and I'm still having trouble sleeping, but I can breathe now.
My scholarships all came through and I ended up getting the missing $1200.
I don't know if I've already said it, but anticipation is what kills me. I can handle getting a bad grade, or some other larger problem. I just need to know it. That way I can assess the situation and figure out a solution. Not knowing is when I start to panic. I don't like not being able to control stuff, or at least having a contingency plan. I've had all my classes and know the expectations. So now that I know all my assignments that pressure is off.
I also have my law review topic nailed down and got some good leads. One of my professors, who has ties to UGA, is helping me out. It's also nice that he sits on the committees that review the statute I am working on. Now I have a source for problem solving. My editor has also relieved a lot of stress. I can ask her for help and she's a Westlaw rep and thus knows a lot of tricks to researching.
I've talked to professors and they've all got my back. That's one of my favorite reasons that I decided to stay at Campbell. I know every professor that I had first year and they all know me. I talk to them all in the halls and their offices. I can go to them for help with a class or when I need someone to say, "It's ok, I've been there, I know you and you'll do fine".
The professor I worked for this summer wants me to stay on and continue to work for him during the year on a cool law review type thing where we're going to set up mock trials and study jury prejudice and religion. I'm excited about that.
My old job is still here and I'm now actively doing stuff which is nice cause then I actively get paid and that is really nice.
All my treasurer duties are up to date. I rewrote all the forms and have cleared the old budget out and am prepared for the new one.
Dog was on 2 nights in a row and I had enough work done that I could watch most of the episodes.
So right now, all is good. I'm still hyped up and a little nervous and I'm sure the anxiety will come back, but I know I can handle it.
Thanks to everyone who told me I could do it- love ya, need ya, and I've got your backs too.

School starts in less than a week. I know that I've been complaining to the people around me that I don't have enough to do, work wise, but I lied. I'm not ready for school. I need at least another week. I know we're going to assignments for the first day of class, but my professors are all being slack and not posting anything. I just spent over $300 on books for the semester- none of which I'll be using next semester. I have been told that one of the books is the most important book I'll ever buy, so I guess investing that $26 was a good idea.

I'm just so stressed out. The assistant dean in charge of scholarships and admission left this year to help start a new school so he left with too much work and not enough people. That meant I didn't find out about my scholarship until 2 weeks ago. Which meant that my stomach was in knots for over a month because I didn't know I would be able to pay tuition and have heat. Without that money, I would have barely cleared tuition even if I took out all my loans.

Which brings me to my next problem. Damn loan people. I called the other day to clear everything and make sure I was doing everything properly. My mom is going to co-sign so that my interest is lower. I asked how to do that. They said go online. I did. Apparently, in order to get a co-signer application, the site needs about 5 IDs and PINs and other numbers that I don't have. Thanks loan people! You just wasted over an hour of my time and my mom's.

Today I worked on a research project for a professor. I enjoy the work for the most part, but sometimes it's like I just keep adding on things that I should give up. I spent about 6 hours looking up statutes. True, I get paid my $6/hour, but while I was at school, I found that I should have been working on a law review article since topics are running out and we have less than a month to write one. I know it's an honor to make it, and I'm happy for the chance, but I'm going to have so many papers and projects the first 2 months that I don't know what I should be doing. Which means that I'm watching TV.

Lastly is all the club stuff. I have to balance a budget that's all screwed up since people never give me the receipts. Today someone gave me a ticket from April. It's pissing me off. I'm so afraid that I'm going to screw up and make SBA go into debt. I'm on about 5 other clubs and have officer positions on 2 of them. Now I have an opportunity to be on a faculty board. I don't want to pass it up since I know I'd be good at it and I don't want to skip an chance to work closer with my professors. So I'm going to try out.

I know I sound like a huge whiner, and I'm sure in a few weeks, once I've gotten into my routine, I'll be fine. But right now, I need some Zoloft and Maalox and sleep- in that order. But what I'll get is diet coke, work, and naps. Thank god for good music and caffeine.

So I already have my cadre of regular shows and I've tried not to add more since I spend an obscene amount of time watching TV. For example, I intentionally didn't start watching Desperate Housewives since I knew I would like it and couldn't handle a Sunday night drama since I have an 8 am on Mondays and need to study. So of course I've added a few new shows over the summer b/c I am a TV whore.

The first is House. Which is awesome. Hugh Laurie is a crazy good actor and I love to watch him verbally bitch slap people. Plus, while I normally don't go for older guys, he's yummy. I'm glad TWoP is recapping them now b/c the majority of the shows I watch are no longer being recapped. That's probably b/c I watch such dumb shows, but whatever.

The second is Dog the Bounty Hunter. This is Matt's fault. I was at their house and we stayed up until 5 am watching Iron Chef and multiple episode of Dog. First of all, I fell in love with Leland. He is adorable. Then I fell in love with the theme song. I don't know why, but the way Ozzy says, "boun-ty hunt-er" gets me all amped. Their family is so wonderfully bizarre. You can tell they've all gone through rough times, have learned from them and come out stronger. You can also see the love they have for each other. Beth is a trip and I really want to know how big her boobs are and how she doesn't have back problems. I never knew the crap Tim had gone though until I read the "posse" profile. That is so sad and scary. My point is that I must now watch another show on Tuesdays. Also, my mom's maiden name is Chapman so maybe we're related, and that'd be cool.

I just read some of my so called "book" that I wrote my freshman year. Damn, I was quite the asshole. No wonder my friends from that era don't really talk to me anymore. I hope I wasn't that cocky in person.

Example, "It seems that everything in life is preparing you for something else. Preschool prepares you for elementary school which prepares you for middle school. Middle school prepares you for high school which prepares you for college. College prepares you for the rest of your life. I just have one question, when do you actually stop preparing and really live?"

Good lord. I thought I was so smart and philosophical. Turns out I was a jackass. Then again I think a lot of college freshman are. I see my sister and what she and her friends are doing and remember doing similar stuff. Luckily I think I outgrew my asshole phase.

Check this nugget of wisdom, "Shoelaces are like life. The harder you try to keep them together the faster they fall apart." That was me being witty. Nice huh?

I've never been good at keeping diaries or journals. I have about 50 of them with random amounts of pages filled up. I start news ones and then quit after a week or so. Hopefully I will keep it up online. I do like to do "emotional writing" where you just start to write with your mind a blank and keep going until your exhausted. It's an awesome way to see how you actually feel. I have kept lots of samples from middle school through college and it's cool to go back and read them and see what I was thinking about. If I'm ever in NY, I'll definitely contribute to this. Great idea, and I wish I could have listened to what other people wrote while they were tweens.

KT is one of my best friends. Sometimes she is insane. Case in point:

Last year a friend of ours had a Mardi Gras party a month before Mardi Gras, I asked her why over IM and here's what happened:

Me: "why are they having a mardi gras party a month before Mardi Gras?"
KT: "I don't know, maybe so girls will take off their shirts and show their boobs."
Me: "Were you planning on showing your boobs?"
KT: "No, get your own"
Me: "Huh?"

I was planning on starting a regular entry called Life Lessons from Mom or something along those lines. A long time ago (aka freshman year in college) I started writing a "novel". It turned into a bunch of random short entries, which then turned into a bunch of lists, which I called chapters. One of the "chapters" included stuff I've learned from my mother and various friends and family over the years. I'll add onto the list when new stuff comes around, but this is what I had:

Lessons from Mom:
1- Never refuse a mint.
2- When in doubt, 350 degrees for an hour.
3- At some point in life, you will be ready for your parents to die. (I'm not there yet and I don't think she is either, although her father passed away a few years ago)
4- Find a good cheesecake recipe and keep it forever.

Sage Advice from Jessica: Toasting anything makes it better.

So there you go. Like I said, I'll be adding to the lists as I learn new stuff.

So I'm sure that many of you know that the NCAA is now sanctioning teams that use Indians as mascots. Apparently they have made suggestions in the past that it was not favored and now are putting in stronger measures like not allowing cheerleaders to have a headdress on their uniforms or something. I tend to agree that American has a whole has gone overboard with being PC. I think that if a name is used and the particular tribe involved, such as the Seminoles, doesn't have a problem with it, then it should be fine.

That being said, I don't know what it feels like to have my culture utilized as a marketing tool. No wait, I mean other than having USA splashed on everything. I'm a mutt of cultures. My dad's dad is German and told me that Jagermeister is my heritage and thus I must have shots with him. If there was a Jager team, maybe my feelings would be hurt. I don't know. My mom's mom is Irish. She likes Irish Mist and Baileys and Catholicism. Therefore if FSU switched to Leprechauns I might...wait a minute. Fucking Notre Dame and their use of cultural symbols! No more fighting Irish. That's a stereotypical symbol that Irish people like to fight and have red hair and big feet and carry clovers around with them.

I'm not sure what to think about this whole thing. On one hand I don't think it's a big deal. On the other, I don't feel like I've been oppressed by having mascots that portray my heritage. Here's what some other people think. All I have to say about that is, if you're going to comment on a fairly popular newspaper's website, use spell check. Or at least, don't say you went to college (Mark from FSU).

Last weekend, my sibs and I went to Denver to visit my dad. He's getting remarried Aug 20th. We couldn't be there for the actual wedding b/c of school, so went we out to visit. I still think it's weird that my dad is getting married again. I mean, Donna is cool and fits well with him, but it's still weird. Anyways, we had an action packed weekend.

Thursday we went to a Rockies game. Since the Rockies suck pretty bad right now, we bought tickets from a scalper and sat close. They played the Phillies and I took a picture of Chase Utley for Ann. Holly and I walked around and their bullpens were pretty nice- had fountains and stuff.
Friday we went to the Celestial Seasonings tea factory and took the free tour. I saw it on the Food Network and thought it looked cool. It was a decent tour and we got free tea.
Friday night we left for Cheyenne, Wyoming for Frontier Days. We went to the Toby Keith concert and had tickets in the front. I've never been that close to a "major" artist. I mean I've seen some before they were "big" and stood next to the stage, but I got hit by the confetti during "Stays in Mexico" and that was a trip for me. That night all 5 of us stayed in 1 hotel room. Jeff, Holly and I slept in 1 bed.

Saturday we went to the Fair grounds and saw the parade. Then we went to the rodeo. It was pretty cool. Some Army guys from NC parachuted into the arena. Then the riding began. It was very long- they had 3 rounds of bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback. It rained a little bit, but not too bad. Jeff bought an Indiana Jones hat. We were going to take one of those olden times pictures and make Jeff dress up as the whore with Hol and I as the cowboys, but Jeff wouldn't do it.

Sunday we took a driving tour of Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes. It was pretty fun. I don't like heights when I can't control stuff so every time we came to an edge in the car, Jeff would poke me and point. We saw elk and bighorn sheep and tons of flowers. We went to a small pub and they carded Jeff but he'd forgotten ID and they wouldn't serve him. I thought that was funny.
Overall the trip was fun and it was nice being able to get to know Donna a little better.

My pictures
Holly's pictures