"9" - The original Oscar nominated animated short film
Sunday, November 8, 2009

Labels:

posted by Ry @ 11:40 AM, ,


See it!
Sunday, October 25, 2009

Paranormal Activity

Labels:

posted by Ry @ 6:33 PM, ,


"I am fond of children -- except boys." ~Lewis Carroll
Thursday, October 22, 2009

One of the bulbs burned out a headlight of my truck yesterday, so I picked up a two-pack of bulbs after work today. As I was installing these badass new Sylvania SilverStar® ULTRA bulbs (highly commended), I heard two boys running around the apartment complex yelling. Actually, the older brother was yelling and the younger brother was fearfully screaming and crying. The older one appeared around the corner with his younger brother screaming and following him and then disappeared again. This continued for a bit, and I was growing more annoyed.

"Where in the hell is the mother?" I thought.

After a few minutes, I saw the younger brother sloshing down the path in my direction. It seems to be a scary thing nowadays to even approach a child. Never knowing if any unsupervised interaction will lead to questions asked and accusations made. However, I thought about the little girl named Somer that was reported missing the other day, whose body was tragically found in a landfill this morning.

So, as this maybe 5-year old Mexican boy approached me, with his black, skeleton bone Halloween t-shirt on, with the tears and snot running down his face, I decided to help the little guy out.

"Hey, kid... Where's ya mom?" I inquired.

He answered, as any child does when they've been crying, in bursts and fits, that she was at work. I continue to work on my headlights, and he plopped down on the sidewalk next to me.

"They keep ditching me," he said.

"Who?" I asked.

"My brother and the boys," he replied.

We continued our "conversation" as I continued to work. I didn't want to make it too obvious that we were chatting, fearful that his mother or father would drive by, see him crying, and blame me.

Eventually, I found out that his mother was at work (and I believe his father was but wasn't 100% sure). His older sister was watching the boys, and would not let him in the house. And, his brother kept DITCHING him!

It was nearly 6PM, and I knew the manager's office was closed. However, I didn't want to leave Nathan to wander aimlessly in the parking lot. So, I took a chance and we walked to the office. My hope was that someone might be there, or there would be an after-hours number that I could call.

As he followed behind me, he was continuing to talk.

"I hate crying because every time I do, I get the hiccups!"

I could only laugh because he had a bad case.

"If you get kidnapped, then they kill you, and I don't want to get kidnapped! But, my brother's keep ditching me."

Poor guy. While this is a fairly safe town, there is no taking chances.

As we approached the office, I saw the assistant manager outside letting her dog use the bathroom. I asked if the office was still open, to which she replied. "No".

Well, I ignored that bit of information and introduced her to Nathan. I explained to her that he was walking around screaming and his sister locked him out of the apartment.

Then, Nathan added, "My brother ditched me!"

That sealed the deal, and she took his hand and told him she'd get back to his home. As I walked back to my truck, I ran into the older brother carrying his tricycle. He asked if I'd seen Nathan, and I replied that I had and that the apartment manager was taking him home.

He replied, "Oh... I wanted to apologize to him."

It is a real shame that these kids don't have a home in a nice neighborhood to play in. They're relegated to the parking lot of a cramped apartment complex. Both parents are most likely working all the time and the boys are left in the "custody" of their sister who is of an unknown age. I hope that this is not a common event for these kids, but I know that there are thousands of other kids in much worse shape. It can be a real sad world sometimes...

Labels: , ,

posted by Ry @ 6:59 PM, ,


Dropped...
Monday, October 19, 2009

I haven't seen much of A these past few months... I've been in a self-imposed seclusion for the most part, so I haven't made a conscious effort to meet up with her.

So, with a better state of mind last Friday afternoon, I decided that I'd see if she wanted to grab some dinner and catch Where the Wild Things Are on Sunday. I texted her and she replied a bit later that she was in Houston visiting her girlfriend, but that "otherwise that would sound great". Okay, fair enough, I though... Also, she managed to hit a deer right outside of Houston (her car suffered some damage, but was drivable), so I asked her to call me when she got back to town.

She texted me last night that she was 10 miles out of town. I was watching the Sunday night NFL game, so I told her that I'd shoot her and email tomorrow, and maybe we could do lunch. Nope... She works through lunch on Monday, but maybe Tuesday. Or, we could just do dinner on Monday or Tuesday. Really wanting to see the movie, I asked her if she wanted to catch a movie as well. To that, I got no response... Until 11:30 today.

The response I got? A "no thanks"...

"Huh," I thought to myself.

The email response came soon after the text. A has starting seeing someone, and while we might be able to hang out, it wouldn't be fair to the guy she's dating to do the dinner and a movie "date" thing. She asked if I would do the same if I were in her shoes.

As a guy, I can see where I would feel some jealousy and suspicion if a girl I began dating had a guy friend -- especially one who came over for dinner. At the same time, however, I would like to think that the guy would understand that she does has friend's who are guys. I guess it stings because she's been single (as far as I know) since we have been hanging out, so we've never had to cross this bridge.

Ahhh... The dance continues.

"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day."
~ Dalai Lama

Labels: , ,

posted by Ry @ 9:10 PM, ,


Obsession // Closure
Saturday, October 17, 2009

I decided to write P back this afternoon. Even though our relationship didn't end well, it didn't seem fair to just leave her hanging. He email seemed honest (maybe a little too honest) and genuine, and maybe a reply would finally give her some sort of peace. I just hope the guy she's seeing knows what he's getting into!
P,

I really don't know what to say, so I'm just going to write...

We did have something very special for a time. I once believed that we had a unique connection (one that I hadn't felt before), and once we both found whatever it was we needed to find, then we would have been wonderfully happy. Had things been different, maybe we would have had a long life together. You will always have a place in my heart, but too much has happened between the two of us for any chance of reconciliation. We have both caused each other enough heartache, and there is no need to revisit the past. I am relieved that you are in a place where heart, mind, and body are ready to find companionship (and maybe someday love) in another. Do not let the memories of me ruin these opportunities. While I do think of you at times, I know that there is no future for us. Everything we had is in the past. You know, like I do, that if we were to see each other again, it would only bring pain and a flood of old emotions. It took me some time to get over you, and I cannot regress to where I was.

Go! Allow yourself to let go of me, and live your life with no regrets. You have a chance to make your life as you choose it, and I hope you live it like I know you're capable of. There is nothing wrong with you that what's right with you couldn't fix. I have always wished you nothing but happiness and peace, and I will continue to do so.

I don't know what else to say. I hope this email doesn't cause you any pain, but allows you to find some closure...

~Ry

Labels: ,

posted by Ry @ 7:13 PM, ,


My business socks...

Labels: ,

posted by Ry @ 9:01 AM, ,


Another classic!
Friday, October 16, 2009

TOY STORY 3 Trailer

Labels:

posted by Ry @ 7:07 PM, ,