As I write this blog, I look out the window to the sun shining brightly in the sky. I think to myself: “What a beautiful morning!”. There’s just one thing: It’s mid-afternoon. That’s right! Welcome to the crazy world of working night-shift!
Sadly, I don’t get to work with Batman and the Fonz
At the hospital, night-shift is sometimes like a ghost town. You don’t really have as many patients or family walking the halls. The cafeteria is closed for the most part. Plus the occasional tumbleweed.
BUUUUT, the total workload is decreased, there’s better parking because no office staff is there, and everyone makes sure there’s plenty of coffee.
As long as we all know
I also have a really good schedule. I’ll save you the details, but it includes working no weekends. You know what that means:
No, wait. I mean:
Yeah, that’s what I mean……….really.
Anyway, so far so good for my first week on nights. Hopefully it’ll keep getting better.
So last time I said that I was going to write a blog about throwing my first wine party. Apparently I thought there was a lot to tell. I was wrong…..
Actually, this was my first attempt at having a “classy” (as in adult) get-together. You know, soft candles lit with smooth jazz music playing. Complete with smoked almonds, assorted crackers (my friends. HA!), and of course, the cheese. Multiple varieties, including 6 years aged cheddar, brie, havarti, gruyere, and bruchetta jack. Arsenio would have loved it.
Plus everyone showed up dressed appropriately. I couldn’t have been more pleased. But the best part of the evening was indeed the wine. Everyone I invited brought at least one bottle for everyone to try. We were upwards of almost 20 bottles.
Most of the night became a blur after a while, but I’m sure everyone had a good time. When I woke up the next morning (on the couch), I had 9 empty bottles on the bar. I know some people took what was left of theirs home. I still had some of the 4 bottles I bought as well.
All in all, a fantastic time and a great idea, if I do say so myself. Hoping to do it again in January.
Hold on tight, everyone. My next blog involves a big change in my job. I’m going to nights, and I want to tell you all about it……Stay tuned.
Before I get to topic I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Mine was a little quieter than usual, but I can always count on one thing being entertaining: Seth Johnson.
He’s the one on the left.
So this has been an interesting month. I have been to 3 weddings in 4 weeks. I thought people got married in the Spring. At least I can count on one couple doing that:
Wait till you see the cake.
I’m not really complaining, though. Most suits and dress clothes are warm so it’s just as well to go to a wedding in the fall.
Wedding #1: Dave Dickerson and Mary Ruth Covington
(Oct. 17th, 2009)
Thiswedding was held at Two Rivers Mansion in Nashville. Extremely cool. Very well done. Soft guitar music in the background, a poem, and a little ring bearer who was bored and decided to wander around up front. I really like outside weddings, anyway. Easy exit.
The reception was inside and Dave had made a compilation CD that played and he gave out copies to the guests. And at the end, we all stood outside and held sparklers…..much to my dismay (see Hold the lighter away), and the happy couple passed through the makeshift gauntlet to the waiting car.
All in all, I had a really good time. Especially since I wasn’t the one getting married. Plus I got to go to Dave and Buster’s!
Wedding #2: Brian DeFrance and Sandy Reynolds
(Oct. 24th, 2009)
This wedding took place in a small church that I no longer remember the name of. Much more of a religious-based ceremony. Complete with gospel bluegrass (which is cool) and cowboy hats. It also had one of the greatest wedding dinners ever: Taco Salad! I mean, how do you beat that? Here’s a picture of me at the wedding. Just cause.
What’s with this dude’s face behind me?
So all in all a totally different style, but still very enjoyable.
Wedding #3: Ryan Clayton and Magen Freeman
(Nov. 8th, 2009)
This wedding took place at the beautiful DelMonaco Winery in Baxter, TN. An outside wedding complete with vintage cars and live music.
For the reception we had swing dancing lessons and a full meal. Plus: you could sample the wine and even buy your own bottle to take back to the reception. I enjoyed this wedding because it gave me the chance to reconnect with friends that I haven’t seen in a while. Such as Heath, Kelly, Brandon, and of course, the groom.
We spent the afternoon enjoying wine and catching up with old friends. That evening we had a party at another friends house that was a little less formal. A lot of fun and a great way to end the wedding season.
All in all, I had a fantastic time at all of these weddings. I wish nothing but the best for the happy couples.
Next time: Listen as I reflect on throwing my first wine party! Until then……….
Wow! It has been WAY too long since my last blog. I apologize. Totally on me, here. I go from moments of complete writer’s block to simply having nothing going on to write about. Let’s work on that, shall we?
How are things, you ask? Pretty good, I suppose. There hasn’t been much going on in the past couple of months, really. But here’s my chance to give you a small update:
THINGS I’M LOVING RIGHT NOW:
Fall Television: Nothing better than the start of a new season of TV. House, Lie To Me, Bones, Grey’s Anatomy, Smallville, Family Guy, and American Dad. My poor DVR can barely stand it. Speaking of…
ON DEMAND: This just started in the past 2 weeks and it couldn’t be more spectacular. As if I wasn’t already watching enough television with DVR, I can now shop for more shows on my TV.
Football: Not the TITANS, poor guys. More like the FIGHTING MANATEES. The fantasy team I share with my brother.
Halloween: Possibly my favorite holiday. I hope to have some pictures to post here after next week. Haven’t decided on my costume yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
New music: Company of Thieves, Blind Pilot, Meiko, and so many more. Also, Hed (PE), why have I never listened to your later albums? Wow.
Dressing up: I know that some of you do not find that enjoyable. You have to understand that I wear scrubs all day. And yes, they may be comfortable, but they are not stylish. Luckily everyone I know is getting married and I’m getting lots of chances to wear a tie these days.
THINGS I’M HATING RIGHT NOW:
Still not having a mattress: Yes, I know. This is getting ridiculous. I still have a full size that I sleep on. But it’s on the floor and I need a king to fit my new bed.
Concerts I want to go see but I work or have other obligations: You could only play on a Tuesday night, Company of Thieves? Really?
Farmville: That game is so annoying AND addictive.
White cat hair: No real comment needed.
Laundry Mats: Lord, do I ever need a washer and dryer.
So that’s a little taste of my life right now. I expect to have lots of stories after Halloween. See you then………Oh Yeah, GO MANATEES!!
So a couple blogs ago I discussed blowing up my thumb with a sparkler on the 4th of July. While I realize that wasn’t my finest hour it got me thinking about some of the other really stupid things I’ve done in my life. I’ve wanted to share with you some deeply personal story of humiliation. I have plenty of good ones. I’ve:
Broke up with someone over a haircut.
Accidentally started talking back to someone delivering room service in the accent they were using.
Insulted a musician’s girlfriend in hearing distance of him.
Wrote horrible horrible songs for girls. (I thought they were pretty songs at the time).
But of these and so many others there could only be one story.
*Sigh*
It was fall of ‘97. I was a freshman at Vol State in Gallatin. It was lunchtime and I was in the “C” building. This building had the cafeteria, bookstore, etc. on the ground floor, with classrooms upstairs and in the basement. So I’m heading down the stairs from the top floor. There’s no one around anywhere. I decide to be cute and slide down the banister. Now I’m not talking about straddling and sliding backwards. I mean you hop up and sit on it and balance on the way down. No problem??………Oh how wrong.
As I’m heading down, the door at the bottom starts to open. I can see someone starting to come into the stairwell. I have a split second here. They haven’t seen me. Should I try and stop? Keep going?
Well…I cringe thinking about it…I set my foot down on the step hard. Now think about that. I’m heading down this rail with no control over the speed, and my plan was to put my foot down???? So of course I launch myself into the air! I wasn’t even halfway down when I did this! I’m probably dead!
Not so fast, it gets better. Coming through the door was one gorgeous….let me say again….GORGEOUS….girl. She no more than gets her body in the door that I slam into her full force. She had on a thick backpack that cushioned my fall. Of course it totally crushed her up against the wall. Wall, girl, backpack, me,……..and somewhere way back was my dignity.
BECAUSE other people started coming into the stairwell, too, so I did the worst thing ever: I fell to the floor pretending that I had fallen down the stairs and been hurt. The way it looked to everyone, even that supermodel I crushed, was that I had tripped down the stairs and was lucky to not have broken my neck.
The sad thing is, people were all over me trying to help me up and see if I was okay. I just quietly nodded and got outta there. Shameful.
So even 12 years later I have yet to top this horror………but I really wish I had gotten that girls number…….
Holy lord it’s been too long since my last blog! There has been so much going on, what with me moving and all.
What’s that, you say? Moving? Well yes, actually. I am outta the house I shared with Tim and Spence for the past 4 years and am in a very nice apartment on the other side of town. As much as I miss the boys I did get out of there with one small consolation prize:
Kitty doesn’t really sleep. He waits.
And he is the loudest roommate ever. And he never cleans up after himself. But I digress, the real trouble with moving out is the fact that I had no furniture. Zip, nada. I’m even sleeping with my mattress on the floor at this time. Something had to be done. So, many hundreds of dollars later I have a new couch, coffee table, and KING size bed frame (no mattress yet. They expensive.).
Also, I’m currently blogging on my brand spanking new computer! God bless you employee discount and tax free weekend! That’s right, complete with 2 awesome Bose (TM) acoustic speakers. It now sounds like 311 is playing in my bedroom (glad they haven’t asked why my mattress is on the floor).
I got a couple blogs coming up. Including my most embarrassing moment, a top ten, and yet another top ten. Stay tuned.
Sorry for the long delay between blogs. I've been having a few computer problems (such as it died.......and somehow came back to life.....though without sound, for some reason.). Not to mention it's been a very busy week with my moving out of my house (more on that next time).
So I'm hoping everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. I spent all Saturday at my parent's house in beautiful Monoville, Tn. Grilling out and playing horseshoes against my dad. Side note: My dad is one of those people that only needs about five minutes of practice in any sport to be more than capable of beating you. Be it horseshoes, bowling, darts, golf, you name it. It's very frustrating.
As he looks into the future he only sees: Victory!
We also did one of my favorite things for the Fourth: Shooting fireworks!!!
Sometimes the best part is to buy them at the last minute. Sure, most of the good stuff is gone, but you get the best deals. Besides, who cares what kind they are as long as they explode? It's your God-given right as an American to shoot crappy fireworks when celebrating the birth of our nation anyway!!!! God, I feel patriotic right now!!
Yeah I voted for him. Do something!!
After firing off about twenty-five hundred dollars worth of bottle rockets, we centered on the coup de grace. The ultimate of ultimate. The Jailbreak!
This is so freaking awesome.....and there's a cat on it.
48 shots of pure bad ass! And what happens? It won't light. The fuse lasts half a second and goes out. We try again: same result. Again and again, nothing. Now the fuse is all gone. We creep up and tear into the cardboard a little to expose more of the fuse......did I mention it's raining? Oh yeah, wouldn't want it to be easy, right?
Finally! It's lit! Here we go!!! It's beautiful! It's spectacular! It's.........done? But there's still a third that hasn't gone off yet!! The fuse is out again.......what a waste.
That isn't even the worst part. I also have at least a second-degree burn on the back of my right thumb. How did I get it? Trying to light a sparkler. Yep. I was informed that even a seven year old knows how to safely light a sparkler.
Which leads me to my next blog. Being embarrassed about this incident, I started thinking back to some of my most embarrassing moments. I'm pleased to announce my next blog: Just Go With It......(coming soon)
Most of the time working in a hospital involves a lot of downtime (coupled with a few hours of total panic). You can be totally busy all day, but sometimes you have very little to do.........this story is about one of those days.
I came into work bright and cranky at 7am. The morning coffee I got from McGuigins slowly burning the skin off my hand due to the shoddy coffee cups. Grab my stethoscope from my locker and, low and behold, I feel the gentle buzzing of my cell phone in my pocket. (By the way, have you ever experienced "phantom vibrating", where you think your phone is buzzing in your pocket, but it's all in your head? It's a sign of loneliness. Get over it.).
Anyway, I had a text message from Bethany that had the following pic and message:
"Your mission if you choose to accept: locate and acquire 3-4 of these pens."
Simple enough, right? I mean how hard could it be? I've seen those pens a thousand times over in this place. 3-4? I can get 50!
My day begins. I wonder around intensive care (The area I am assigned to that day), doing my job and not looking around for any pens (since ICU is Bethany's area and I'm sure she already picked it clean). A little before lunch I make my way back to my department. I'm talking to the Director of Respiratory Care (my boss) in her office, and I happen to notice a nice blue click top pen. Jackpot. I make a comment about how I'm needing to borrow a pen with blue ink and flash these puppy-dog eyes of mine. She relents and hands it over. One down.
Supervisor office next. Well what do you know? Another pen sitting all alone right here. I'll have this wrapped up by lunch! I go over and look in my locker simply on a hunch and BINGO! 2 more! All done! Who's the man? I'm assuming here that pen collecting is part of the hunter-gatherer conditioning in males. Just go with it.
So that's it, right? Not much to tell. A couple of hours later I am going through my phone and look at the text she sent again.........hmmmmm........then I look at the pens I've been collecting:
Son of a!!!! Oh come on!!! This whole time?!? The wrong thing!?!? You have got to be kidding me!!!........(pause to compose myself).....ahem.
After about 15 minutes of silently cussing I set out to find the correct pens. First stop: ER.
Now the ER can be an extremely busy area. Sometimes you can walk through totally unnoticed. As I made my way through, I saw that both of the unit secretaries were using these magical pens. I suppose I could just wait until one of them got up to go somewhere and then take it, but these girls were bigger than me and I didn't wanna get caught. Puppy-dog eyes time!!! I toss the current pen I'm using in the trash and walk up to the secretary and ask her where she got the pen she is using and if I could have one. She looks around like I was asking where I could score some weed or something, stands up and has me follow her to the med room. First of all, these rooms require a badge to open the door. After that, she got a key out of another drawer and went over and unlocked a cabinet. In the cabinet was 1 (say again, 1) box of pens. A box holds about 12 total and I think there were about five. My eyes lit up immediately......until she reached in, grabbed 1 pen, handed it to me, and locked the cabinet back. She told me that they were only allowed to have a few pens because they were so expensive. I guess Bethany wasn't kidding about the quality.
I wandered over the the Cardiac Intensive Care unit next. I had a new plan. I watched the secretary like a hawk while I "got coffee". She hopped up for something and left her pen. I quickly ran over, scooped it up, and replaced it with one of the blue pens I had mistakenly collected earlier. Of course then I made like a bat outta hell and took off.
My last stop on this adventure was 6East. The pulmonary floor. Usually full of patients with tons of nurses, techs, and, you guessed it, pens. Funny thing is, I didn't see a single one. I looked and looked. Every drawer and cabinet. Nothing. Then I spotted it. The monitor tech had one. Just one. Now........I could let this go. I got 2 pens, which is apparently something to be proud of. Do I really need to get three? Do I really need to meet this challenge?.....Hi, have we met?
My "Challenge" Pose....
I walk over to the tech and begin talking. If I have one skill It's my ability to hold some one's attention for a long period of time. Lord knows what we discussed, my brain was kind of on autopilot. As we were talking, I slowly reached my hand out. Palmed the pen on the table, and ever so carefully pulled it in and slipped it in my pocket. And then......bat outta hell.
I taped them up and put them in Bethany's locker with this note:
"Enjoy, this wasn't easy. This message will self destruct in 5 seconds."
Interestingly enough this shouldn't be an entertaining story. I just had no idea I would be questing for the Holy Grail of pens.
Holy Grail Prop Replica Doesn’t Grant Eternal Life, Just Holds Paperclips, Possibly Eternally
So for all my adventuring, I certainly hope you put those pens to good use, Bethany. But please don't lose them. They may be immune to my charm next time.
Welcome back, everyone to the continuing adventures from my vacation with my friends.
Closest we got to a group photo.
Wednesday, June 3 02:45pm
Here we are finally. This condo is so awesome! A huge king size bedroom! Wow! Oh, Seth, Kim, Jen and Josh are somehow sharing that one. I think Seth and Kim are sleeping in the closet. Oh well. Here's a nice room with a queen bed. Tim and Sarah, huh?........Sleeper sofa with the big TV?......Spence and Dell, gotcha. Guess that only leaves......the bunk bed room. That's okay, as one of the few single people (i.e. without love) here I should expect a bunk bed. It looks like Randy and Brian have laid claim to the bottom 2. I don't think I've ever slept on the top bunk before.
03:00pm
Okay I've loaded the groceries and now i think I'm gonna actually nap a bit. Here I come, top bunk!!
03:10pm
This is the most uncomfortable bed in favor history. It doesn't even have any sheets. Just a mattress and a comforter. *sigh*
03:30pm
Trying to sleep, but i can hear everyone talking in the living room about going to the pool and...............gooing me? Aw heck no!!!
(Side note: to be "gooed" means that Spencer and Tim come into your room while you are sleeping and sing the Star Trek: The Next Generation theme song, and singing the word "goo" for every note. If you've never heard the actual song, click below.)
Now imagine these guys singing it:
As you can see, it would be quite annoying. But I was ready, and with one well placed throw pillow torpedo, I was able to avert such an event.
06:30pm
Well I can't lay in this bed anymore. Why am I so tired, anyway? So the gang is getting ready to go eat. Shower time!
08:00pm
Everyone is finally ready to go. Time to try out some real fresh seafood!
08:30pm
So I'm forgoing the "fresh" part and opting for the "all-you-can eat" shrimp dinner. I've been informed that the beer Spencer, Dell, and I bought for this trip has been almost depleted while I was napping. Good God, people.
09:30pm
Gotta stop at the gas station and pick up some more beer! Keystone 30 pack for only $15? How can that be a bad deal? (See Friday)......
10:00pm
Margaritas made and Randy and I are moving the big screen into the living room. Viva La Rock Band and Guitar Hero! (Yes, I know. Beach, sun, ocean, and I'm talking video games. But seriously, have you played these????)
Thursday, June 4
02:00am
Everyone's pretty much asleep. Randy and Brian are watching something about Dave Matthews on TV. I don't think I want back in that bed tonight. Besides, I've napped most of the afternoon. I'm pretty awake. Comfortable couch, though. Maybe I'll have another drink, or maybe............
06:00am
What the? Did I fall asleep? My phone alarm is going off. Good lord! It is a comfortable couch!
08:00am
Well I'm up. Brewing the coffee. I wonder how long it will take for everyone to get up?
10:00am
Only people awake are Brian, Dell, and myself. Dell and I are heading to the pool. Pack the coolers, we're off.
Beautiful, huh?
(end of diary)
I have enjoyed writing this in the first person, but after Dell and I went to the pool on Thursday, I stopped paying THAT much attention. So...........
Most of Thursday morning was spent drinking poolside. The beach after lunch plus shopping and Hooters (the restaurant). The big news is the 2 events afterward, or as I call them: The Proposal and the Tail.
For those who don't know by now my good friend Seth Johnson popped the question to his longtime lady Kim Bradley. We were on the beach at sunset, champagne in hand. Seth took Kim out for a little stroll. Got down on one knee (so he could look her in the eye! Ha Seth! Seriously, thanks for reading), and drew out a beautiful emerald Ring Pop. Apparently she said yes, and we soon toasted. Everyone on the trip knew it was coming except for Kim and her sister Jen, because according to Seth, he was afraid of some Jedi twin mind trick.
As my brother says: Cursed to have children of average height.
The second part of the story involves a place called Tacky Jacks. It's some kind of Multi-Bar Super Hangout area. With a restaurant, ice cream parlor, deep see fishing rental place (?), and (wait for it).....cigar bar!
Seeing as how I had eaten recently (Hooters, remember), I wanted to get a little something. Something I had never had before, some appetizer. That's right, I wanted Gator tail!!!
The gator's actual expression as the tail is removed...
So I am sitting here totally expecting this little basket of gator goodness. Out comes this plate with about of cup of meat on a bed of lettuce, tomato, and cheese..........uh........that's a salad. I didn't want a gator salad!
When I Googled "Gator salad", this is the pic I got.......
Needless to say, I wasn't happy. It was a recurring theme with me and my attempts to try new food on the trip. Don't even get me started on the tuna steak. My stomach still ain't right.
Alright guys, I'm back from vacation and it's time share the joy of my trip. For those just joining us, I went on vacation last week with my friends to Gulf Shores (Orange Beach, actually, but who cares?) and I wanted to give you a lttle taste of what the experience was like. Thankfully I remembered to write alot of the events down. Here goes:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
11:00pm
Ok, Spankies here we come. I'm so excited, I get the free beer because Tim is already in Alabama. Sweet!..............wait, we are leaving as soon as Spankies is over.....I can't drink! #@%$!!!!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
02:00am
Well this is sucking. I'm ready to go, Dell's a little tipsy, and Tommy won't stop playing. Oh good, here come the drunk people! Of course you can get up and sing Wonderwall, why not? I'll tell ya why, cause you're all losers!!!!
02:30am
Ok finally we can get moving. I'm gonna drive Dell to the house while Spencer waits on the Spankies check so we can load up. Alright, I'm home. Dell hops out and I stop........I don't have a house key. I gave it to Bethany so she can watch the cat (Corrado, Ooh Goo, Barry Gibb) while we're gone and Spencer now has the only key. Calling Spencer...........he's still waiting on the check.....crap!!!!
03:00am-04:00am
Finally!! Spence is here and we can get inside. Okay changing clothes, packing up the car......this is taking longer than I thought.......Last minute things, say bye to kitty, tell him I miss him (he doesn't care). Spencer and Dell are arguing about the Jimbe (like a bongo drum) and whether we should take it (we don't). And away we go!!
04:00am
Alright! We are on the road. Dell is resting in the backseat, Spencer is beside me relaxing, and I am driving. I am so ready to go, man! I'm gonna drive this X-Terra all the way to the freaking sandbar! No stopping me now!!
04:40am
I've never been so tired in my entire life! I can't go on, I've got to sleep a little. If I keep driving I'll kill us all. I tell Spencer that. He decides to take over. Ah gentle passenger seat. How soft and warm. I close my eyes.........
08:00am
I open them up. Just past Birmingham. Awesome. I don't think Spencer is happy with me. Ready for some breakfast. Hey, a Shoney's sign!! We gotta stop here. I never get to have the fabled Shoney's breakfast bar! Alright........where's the Shoney's? Driving around.....there isn't one? Then why is there a sign??? That's one of the stupidest things ever (something I will think many times on this trip)! Okay okay, Crackerbarrel then. MMMMMMM....hashbrown casserole. Coffee!
09:00am-12:30pm
Well it's my turn to drive again. Spence is gonna sleep awhile in the back and Dell is my navigator........
12:30pm
Did I just see a Casino?!? I'm waking Spence up to tell him. He wants to stop. I'm not going to. He's mad.
01:00pm
Okay, off the intersate and I need some gas. Spence is driving now. At this point Spencer and I realize that we have no headphones for our ipods. Hey, a Wal-Mart! What are the odds? Okay we got some headphones and now......Spencer wants a headband? Across the street to the sporting goods store! One white headband bought and we are on our way.
01:30pm
Finally in Orange Beach! Off to the grocery store. I needs some hotpockets!
02:00pm
Groceries bought. God bless Winn Dixie! And here we are!!!! Our home for the next 5 days!
Okay if the beginning is any indication to you what it was like, just wait for part 2. These are long and take a while, so I'm splitting them up. The next part is coming soon!! See-ya!
It's that wonderful time of year again: Hurricane season!!!! What better time to go on vacation? I swear, my friends and I shouldn't be allowed to plan things. Of course, in all fairness, is it ever really anything but beautiful down in the Gulf?
See the eye? Our hotel is there.
Actually, I'm really looking forward to this trip. We had such a blast last year and almost everyone came back alive. And there are more people going this year so my odds are even better!
His last words: "You ain't no Haberdasher!"
I'll hopefully have a blog full of stories when we get back (complete with embarrassing photos) so stay tuned! Later, babies!
Okay okay. I know I was all about getting these blogs out quickly and efficiently, it's just that sometimes I have to really think about what to say...........but this was not one of those times. Just lazy. Sorry!!
Anyways, I decided to share with you the reason I am known buy 2 different names. It's not really complicated but it does have it's ups and downs.
First up: For those just joining us my full name is William Ryan Huffines. My dad is named William also but he goes by Bill. My parents call me Ryan. Pretty Simple, right? Then welcome to college.
Actual Slogan: "Disco with Books"
So the thing about college is that most of the time it's not very "personal". You have six or seven teachers who don't know (or usually care) who you are. They call roll and you say "Here". It's that simple. So as Ive said before, my first name is William, so that's the name that was called. So instead of being like: "Hey Mrs. Teacher the name I go by is Ryan because blah blah blah".......you get the picture, I just said "Here" like a good little boy. What I wasn't counting on is the Respiratory Therapy program. You see, I wasn't expecting it to be a close knit group, so I still answered to William. But then we started doing things like clinicals (or as hospitals call it, free labor), and my name was changing from William to Will. That's when I realized I was stuck.
True Story. Don't ask.
But never fear. I've learned over the years to embrace the name. It's almost like a secret identity, you could say. It confuses everyone. Especially when a hospital friend tries to talk to a "real world" friend. There is actually only one person who can easily blend between the names. It's not easy.
So anyway, I would like to present to you a comparison. Ladies and gentlemen:
Ryan(as perceived by the public)
Plays music sometimes
Likes to have a couple of drinks on occasion
Enjoys poker and other games of chance
Is a nice guy
Will (as perceived by those he works with)
Has an awesome band that apparently plays every week
Is an alcoholic
Has a gambling addiction
Is a cold-hearted womanizer (what?)
So I hope this sheds a little light on the situation regarding my name. I've had friends get into actual arguments about my name before so I thought this blog would help. I promise to do better next time, kids. My phone's ringing and i gotta take it. Later.
Hello, friends and (hopefully) soon to be loyal readers. Welcome to the first installment of my brand new blog: Take My Advice... This is an attempt of mine to bring some humor, levity, and hopefully some perspective to peoples' lives. I'm not claiming to be an expert on life lessons, just a casual observer in the world doing what I can. In every blog I will simply try to impart a little advice to you based on my life and the lives of my friends with what I hope are some humorous (but useful) examples. So for my friends who will be reading this, who knows? You could be mentioned in this blog at anytime (Hawk). Especially those with the best stories (Jason), AND those with the worst (Jason). So everyone get ready, this should be fun!
I'm a Respiratory Therapist living in Cookeville, Tn. I'm a part-time musician (whatever that means) who is easily bored and I'm trying out blogging to help with my ADD.
.JPG "... show host actor arsenio hall")
