Little Friend
Add comment January 30th, 2010 06:59pm sarah
Our nephew giving his camera smile
Snippets
Add comment January 30th, 2010 06:46pm sarah
Twitter has kind of replaced blogging for me, at least for the past couple of months. It’s so easy to update Twitter every day or every other day, and then I feel like I’ve blogged, even though I haven’t. In an effort to remedy that, here is a real blog about a few things that I’ve been thinking/doing.
- The Wire – I’ve been watching this and I love it. Starting season 2 this week. It’s done by the same guy who did Homicide: Life on the Street (one of my favorite TV shows ever) and who wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (a book I’ve yet to read but will definitely read at some point).
- My bodhran – Practicing pretty much daily and really enjoying it. For Christmas, Ryan bought me a CD to practice with and my mom gave me an electronic metronome, both necessary things. I’m getting a bit better, and can play along to some songs, but basically I’m just having fun. It definitely helps me relieve stress.
- We went to see Avatar. I know I don’t need to link to any info, because I’m sure you’ve all seen it. Maybe you’ve even seen it twice! We want to to see it again, since we enjoyed the 3D effects so much.
- I went to Texas for my uncle’s funeral. It was good to be able to spend time with family. The sun was as I remembered it, huge and high in the sky, and the food was also as I remembered it: spicy!
10 Years
2 comments January 23rd, 2010 02:07pm ryan
After a quick check with my calendar, it seems that Sarah and I met each other for the first time 10 years ago on this very day. We were having lunch at Tom’s Barbecue (now out of business) to celebrate the birthday of a mutual friend. I can’t remember if it was intentional on my part, or if it just happened, but we ended up sitting across from each other at the long table of people, so having a conversation with Sarah was pretty convenient. When Sarah talks about that day, she always mentions how every time she looked at me, I was looking at her and had a huge smile on my face. Her memory is probably pretty accurate. I remember thinking something along the lines of “Wow, this girl is really cute”, and I recall the impression that the more Sarah told me about herself, the more I liked her. I can’t imagine what the past 10 years would have looked like if we hadn’t met that day, and I’m looking forward to knowing Sarah another 10 years.
Enough Excitement
1 comment January 14th, 2010 12:31am ryan
So while Sarah was in the USA last week, I determined to make sure I ate three squares a day. You see, last time she left me on my own for a few days, I dropped five pounds out of pure forgetfulness and/or laziness. Yeah, I’m that cliche of a husband. But I said, “Not this time!”. At first, I did pretty well, eating daily and several times a day. And then, I got food poisoning. Or at least I think it’s food poisoning, kinda hoping for that even, as it’s the least ominous way to explain my current symptoms. So I’m an even bigger cliche, the husband who gets himself food poisoned when left to his own devices. I promise, I really can cook and feed myself. Sarah can testify.
In the midst of being sick, I ran out of heating oil (negligence on my part) and as that just happened to coincide with one of the cold snaps in the midst of the coldest winter this part of Ireland has seen in some time, the pipes in the house froze up. So there I was, just me and my space heater thanking God for the jugs of water that we always keep around and hoping that my intestines either hurry up and leave or quit acting like they want to. Some prayers were definitely said.
And then Sarah came home. Then we got some oil and the house warmed up. Then the pipes thawed out and the water started running again. With each event, I was (and am) so thankful. I take so much for granted every day: my health, my home, my beautiful and wonderful wife. The truth is I have a very sweet deal. What for me was a bad few days is the norm for a lot of people in the world. It really makes me think. So my point here isn’t to make you feel sorry for me, but just to say I’m thankful. Also, I don’t mean to give the impression that I was all on my own here without Sarah. I wasn’t. I’m fortunate to have local friends I can call on and who take interest in me. Yes, indeed, I do have a sweet deal. Now if my stomach would just shape up…
Christmas Carol
4 comments December 23rd, 2009 06:50pm ryan
I really love watching the Muppet Christmas Carol every year. It always makes me cry. Here’s one just one of the reasons why I love it:
Life is full of sweet surprises.
Every day’s a gift.
The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my spirit.
Fills me up with laughter, fills me up with song.
I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong.Bless us all, who gather here,
The loving family I hold dear.
No place on earth, compares with home,
And every path will bring me back from where I roam.Bless us all, that as we live,
We always comfort and forgive.
We have so much, that we can share
With those in need we see around us everywhere.Let us always love each other.
Lead us to the light.
Let us hear the voice of reason, singing in the night.
Let us run from anger, and catch us when we fall.
Teach us in our dreams and please, yes please,
Bless us one and all.Bless us all with playful years,
With noisy games and joyful tears.
We reach for you, and we stand tall,
And in our prayers and dreams
We ask you, bless us all.We reach for you, and we stand tall,
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you,
Bless us all.
