Convenience

Since the turn of time people have always been trying to make things more convenient, and I would just like to say that sometimes they are not more convenient at all. The most easy example of this that I can think of is in the bathroom.  Now some things are helpful for example when the tap is on a censor and you don't have to turn the tap to get it started to wash your hands. Also I have rarely seen it but soap that comes up as a censor is also very helpful. 

However there are a few things that are not convenient:

1. The automatic flush for the toilet (For the urinal it's cool). You would think that this would be a very helpful thing I mean you get up and it flushes, but what about when you are going to the bathroom and you lean forward a bit and it flushes prematurely. I mean seriously that censor is just to sensitive. I don't want to flush early, also sometimes if it flushes early while you are sitting you may get some water splashed on you. On top of all this say the toilet flushes several times while you are in there and people around are wondering, "What is wrong with that guy flushing several times."

2. I also don't like those wave and the paper comes out things, seriously they are slow and annoying and they hardly ever work.

I would like to now take your time and give a shout out, occasionally I tell people I will give them a shout out then don't do it right away because I want to lure them into reading the blog everyday waiting for their shout out. So this ones for you Jason Peters, thanks for the inspiration in blog writing, and congratulations on that award you keep winning... Coach of the Year... or whatever it is. 

A True Underdog Story

On Friday night I had a dream and it went something like this...

Our Volleyball team went to our conference championships with more confidence then ever, we destroy every team in our pool and don't lose a single set. We move into the playoffs and easily handle every team until the semi-finals where we are somewhat pushed and have to take the game to three but we still win. In the finals we manhandled our opponents and captured the Conference Championship. 

If you forgot already I said this was a dream and the past events I described were false. I will now describe what actually happened.

After a long trip down to Mankato, Minnesota our team is stoked and ready to go. We start off ranked first in our pool and third overall in the tournament. Our first game went exactly as I dreamed actually, we won fairly easily and felt like we were ready to go for the weekend, finally playing some good ball this year. Second game we also won, a mental lapse in the second set forces us to go to three sets, but the right outcome occurs. The third match in pool play was against Michigan Tech, we come out strong and win the first set, but drop the second and are forced to play the third. And we lost the third set forcing us to finish second in our pool, which means several extra matches to get to the championships.

These extra matches start off with a challenge match against St. Thomas and they weren't all that great so we made it to the Championship side of the tournament. I now need to explain that the tournament was a double knock-out tournament so once you lost on the winners side you are on the losers side but can still make your way back to the winners side if you don't lose any more games. Our first game on the championship side was against River Falls, they were quite a strong team and showed that by absolutely embarrassing us in the first set. After a little pep talk from yours truly the second set was a completely different team out there and we were able to force a third set to stay on the top of the bracket. The third set started off great playing point for point it was a really good match. And then when the score was tied at four points a piece our teams starting right side ran to get a ball and stepped on a ball cart and the corner of the wall and was forced to leave the game and eventually the rest of the tournament. Unfortunately this loss of a player completely deflated the team we proceeded to lose the set very badly, to the point of embarrassment.

This was the end of day 1, and our team was now in a lose and your out situation, every game on the losers side was only one set to 25 points. If we lost one set we were done, this was not the situation we wanted to be in. Also on day two most games were back to back. 

Day two begins with a game against Michigan Tech who had earlier beat us, after coming out to a slow start in the one set death match being down 4-0 our team rallied back and ended up beating Michigan Tech. Our confidence had just started to get higher, our next game was going to be against the top ranked team in our conference, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, they had been upset and forced to the bottom bracket, they were also ranked third in the country. And we came out gunning, playing them point for point back and forth and we eventually took the match. This would take us to another match against River Falls, the team that had embarrassed us the night before, in this game nothing was stopping us, it was personal now and there was no way they were going to beat us. In this game I decided it was time for me to put on a blocking clinic and had three huge blocks against their top power hitter momentum was in our favor as we won the match to make it to the finals against Minnesota State - Mankato. 

To beat Mankato we would have to first beat them in a best of three and then a one set battle to 25 if we won the first, because they still had not lost they needed two losses to be out of the tournament, and our team had been playing for a lives for a while now. We came out strong and won the first set, the second set we played decently but Mankato stole it from us forcing a third set. We played hard and eventually took the third set completely overwhelming Mankato and shocking them as they had beat us the last time we played them. This forced another one set to 25 winner take all situation. We had not battled elimination all day to get here and we weren't stopping now. They beat us to 8 and had the lead as we switched sides, but it wasn't enough for them, Troy Esau went back and put on a serving clinic acing them several times to eventually push us to far ahead for Mankato to have a chance. 

And that is the story of how we became Conference Champions. Next up... National Champions?

Filter

So usually when people talk about having a filter they mean they want to not swear in front of certain people, or not make inappropriate comments in the wrong situation. That is not the type of filter I am talking about, I have no problem with the amount of swearing I do or the inappropriate comments I make in front of people... haha. The filter I need to work on is not saying dumb things, I don't mean like asking a question with an obvious answer. What I mean is... well it's hard to explain so let me present you with a scenario. 

You are standing around with a group of your friends, just having a good time, everyone is joking around about whatever the topic of the day is. Then all of a sudden someone makes a joke where they themselves are the prime target. Now at first everyone laughs along, but then there is this awkward pause where people think... Hey that might actually be true about him. And I am... I mean the person is thinking "Why did I just say that?" You may have figured out by now that person making the joke is me.

So the question for all of you is, "Is it worth the cheap laugh to make fun of yourself even though people might think your 'joke' is actually a truth?"

Also there is no way you can keep that up.

Addictions

Right now you guys are probably expecting to get a very serious talk about addictions from me and that is exactly what you are going to get. 

A few days ago I was offered something too me that I knew that I should not get involved in, I just knew right at the beginning it would be a really bad choice if I said yes when I was offered. Originally I denied the offer because it was going to cost me some money, but my friend said to me that I could do it for no extra costs, and this experience is something completely special and will be over in a little while anyways. 

Unfortunately I did not say no to the offer and I have become a victim of March Madness, and although I have not watched any college basketball all year and am not a huge basketball fan to begin with I cannot leave my TV knowing that a game is going on and I can not be constantly updating my bracket. Also if you were wondering I am currently 13 for 16. First place in my pool. 

Man that thing is long and hard. 

Religious View? Really?

Know what I think is really funny/really strange? When I go on facebook (yes lame I am blogging about facebook) and look at peoples religious views and they write something like: Music or Live Life to the Fullest, or Take Every Chance You Get. And I am pretty sure those are not religious views or religious convictions. I think it is so weird when people write that. I know some people probably will look at mine and see I have Jesus written down and will say that is not a Religious view either just so you can try to start an argument, but I really mean I am doing my best to follow the teachings of Jesus, but that is too much to write so I shortened it. And following those teachings does have convictions. 

Also this just in:

I don't think that will fit in there.

Blog Ideas

So today in class I started a new Word Document that I plan to always keep open while I am at my computer, and that folder is called Blog Ideas. So hopefully now I will be able to always think of something to blog about, thus filling my readers fix to read a blog. I will limit my thoughts so I don't use them all in one blog because I don't want you all to be expecting big things everyday.

Today the topic will be my creepy neighbor. Yes... I have a creepy neighbor. And this may become a long story, but that is because every detail is just so important. So let me begin, I really hope you take the time to read the whole thing.

I moved into a new house in October I think it was, and had yet to really look into meeting new people in the neighborhood other then those I already knew (HOLLA!). Then in January everything changed, what started as an innocent friendship became a seeking for a best friend.

Situation: I am shoveling the driveway, and all of a sudden I hear someone yell from across the street. This seemingly friendly figure walks over and starts to make the typical small talk you make with a new neighbor, and eventually you learn a bit about the guy. Here is what I observed and learnt about our neighbor:

1. He is just all around average, height and weight.

2. Stutters a little bit.

3. He is in his early thirties.

4. He still lives with his parents, and does not have a girlfriend. (I don't think he ever has)

5. He is a big talker, not cocky, but can talk forever. 

We continue to talk and eventually he asks me if I play poker, I tell him I dabble a bit. And he proceeds to ask me for my cell number, not wanting to give him my actual number after only a brief meeting, I give him my "cell number" and he leaves, that is the end of our first meeting.

A few weeks pass and I have not seen him for a while, as you have seen in the past list I failed to learn/remember this guys name. So our next meeting comes, and basically he asks if I had gotten any of texts, and obviously I have not and I make up a story about how I just got a new phone number. So he gets me to go inside and get my phone so he can get my number and phone me to make sure that it works. Through this whole process he is always saying my name, which makes me so aware that I do not remember his, eventually he gets my number and it works. Surprise!

Now it has been a few months since we had talked in detail other then the occasional wave while I drive by, but yesterday I get a phone call from an unknown number (No I didn't save his number in my phone)

Neighbor: Hey Ryan, how's it going?

Me: ... Good, How are you?

Neighbor: Going good, it's Peter Your Neighbor.

Me: Oh yea... What's going on? (I definitely did not think his name was Peter)

Peter: Nothing, what have you got going on tonight?

Me:I have volleyball tonight.

Peter: Oh man I am having a Poker Night with the guys tonight. 

Me: Sorry man I can't do it tonight you will have to let me know another time.

Peter: But I am going to Hawaii on Friday, just skip volleyball

HOLD IT

I did not realize I was someone he wanted to see right before he went to Hawaii, I mean seriously he is early 30's and I just turned 20...

Me: Sorry man can't do that.

Peter: Well what days work for you in the future?

Me: Well I pretty much have volleyball until the second week of April.

Peter: That's fine I'm not back from Hawaii until the first week of April.

Me: Ok well let me know next time, gotta go.

Peter: Ok... (He goes on to explain the process and time they usually play poker, and when it is usually arranged by) Cya later.

And that is the last I have heard from Peter. Hopefully there will be many adventures with him to come.  And I sincerely hope you stayed and read this whole post because it is super-duper.

Be Yourself

Question: Want to know what I hate? 

Answer:Yes. 

What I hate: When people untag themselves in pictures on facebook all the time. If you are one of those people who do this all the time and are reading this I would like you to explain yourself. Now this might come out of harsh, but seriously if you don't allow people to actually see you labelled at the bottom it makes no difference. Or if you are SOO embarrassed of what you looked like then how come you looked like that in the first place. I mean if you are so concerned about other people seeing you in pictures then don't leave your house. Or best case scenario you could create a guard on your face that does not allow your face to focus on the camera. 

Also another thing I don't understand is people who are embarrassed by being around other people doing "stupid" (however they are usually funny) things. Whenever I see people that are just too cool to be around other people who are confident enough to be themselves I just want to find a way to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible. Because seriously grow up, your not too cool for school. Be Yourself that Never Gets Old. 

Also I got a birthday card that was awesome for two reasons 

1. It was The Office. 

2. It talked. Yuppers, Michael Scott talked to me in a b-day card. 

See ya Later

Today I will live my last day as a teenager. And I am not one to write those super lame sappy year in review things. I think I already mentioned that at New Years when everyone always says the same things over again, and seriously everyone writes the same thing because they don't want to be so specific that everyone knows everything about them, so they leave it so general that it actually applies to everyone. 

But all in all this year was pretty good, and I am looking forward to life as an adult, not just by legality but by lack of a teen in my age. So peace out teenage years, you will not be long forgotten. Because seriously 20 feels so much older then 19. 

Word Around The Blogesphere

So I have not blogged in a very long time. Far too long in fact, since I have not yet blogged this month, after such a strong month of blogging in February is was probably hard for a lot of you to go so long without your daily fix. 

I have now been sitting at this spot in my blog post for about five minutes and I can not think of anything that has happened to me lately that is worth blogging about. Other then the fact that I am pumped that I have nearly lost ten pounds on my venture back to the weight that I graduated at. 

Also this past week I moved into my bedroom, which means that I slept in a bed for the first time in a while. And let me tell you for those of you that have tried this whole sleeping in a bed thing, it really is quite lovely. I would recommend taking a few weeks/months off of sleeping in a bed and then try it. It may be the best thing that you can do. 

On another note, I have not had McDonalds in nearly three weeks and there is a chance that I am going through withdrawal, if anyone has any healthy alternatives that taste just as good or better then a nice greasy burger from Ronald then please let me know, I would love to give it a try. 

But I am off to bed now, hopefully I will not allow such a drought to happen on my blog again. Peace out, and Happy Birthday Pops.