Queen City Report

Country Fresh Farm Market

2012-02-05T16:35:00.004-05:00

A hidden gem, nestled on the outskirts of Wyoming, OH on Springfield Pike in Hartwell. A place I have passed for almost 20 years now. Amazing that only three weeks ago did I finally understand and appreciate what they have to offer. Their prices on produce are without questions the best in the city. In addition, they have Boar's Head deli meat for my lunches, locally raised poultry for $1.99/lb, a great selection of cheeses, rare spices... the list could go on and on. Country Fresh Farm Market has the local Cincinnati feel of Findlay Market, but it only 3 miles from my front door. I am not sure who owns the place, but the staff is friendly and while shopping yesterday, I noticed the manager asking a young lady to dust every square inch of an aisle lined with containers of Honey. While this might not seem like a big deal, I have a great appreciation for folks that pay attention to details and ensure a cleanly atmosphere for food that I will ultimately be consuming. Another thing I love about the place is the location of the carts - inside, facing the direction of the 1st aisle. Most stores have them outside and you have to weave in and out of traffic to get into the store. The store is simple but worth a quick trip regardless of where you are in the greater Queen City.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

A Fare from the Sea

2012-01-22T09:38:00.004-05:00

Saturday Kate and I spent some time with my Dad cooking up quite the arrangement of food for four. Kate prepared a wonderful guacamole dish and my Dad and I took over the rest. We had Scallops, Salmon and Chilean Sea Bass. While all provide their own unique texture and flavor, the only thing they needed was salt, black pepper, light garlic powder and olive oil. Our side was brussel sprouts again lightly flavored with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and we replaced olive oil with walnut oil. The meal turned our to be quite the seafood fare I had anticipated.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Colonel De

2012-01-17T22:02:00.008-05:00

For those of you that enjoy cooking and understand the importance of quality seasonings and spices.. check this place out at Findlay Market.

colonelde.com/

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

A Nice Sunday Night

2012-01-15T19:44:00.011-05:00

Life doesn't get much better.. Sunday was a lazy day after Kate and I spent Saturday night out with quite a few 'Cougars'. I did attempt my first bloody mary combination today - and I must say, I am quite proud. I would feel confident up against any City View/Zips BM.

1 1/2 shots of vodka
Dash of Kosher Salt
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
6 oz of V8 vegetable juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
Tabasco to taste
Freshly ground pepper corns (about 6-8 corns)
1 Stir stick (celery stalk)
1 Lime slice to garnish

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, pour into glass half full of ice. Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on top of drink for added flavor. There are a lot of ingredients, but well worth it. Final step is to find a cozy fire, leather recliner and a worry free mind...

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Back to Back - GreenAcres

2012-01-14T18:13:00.009-05:00

Sorry for back to back posts about steak, but I couldn't resist firing up the grill on a 20 degree day in Cincinnati. I used all natural lump charcoal and a few mesquite wood chunks to create the flame. Similar to last week, the beef was from Cincinnati's finest non-profit farm - GreenAcres. Today's choice was a very well marbled ribeye, about 1 1/4 inches thick and a little more than 1lbs in total weight. Plans to go out downtown tonight curbed my idea of eating the whole thing, so I cut it in half. I prepared the steak with a light dusting of garlic powder, cracked pepper, a slight dash of cinnamon and onion flakes all locked in by a light olive oil drizzle. Once all seasonings were on the steak, I took the back of a spoon and lightly pressed these simple but wonderful flavors into the meat. While on the grill, i sautéed a zucchini and red onion as the side dish of choice. To create perfect cross hatch marks I rotated the steak at 15 degree intervals every 2 minutes. Things turned out well, an extremely tender and juicy steak with a nice mesquite/wood smoked flavor. See the start of everything below.. who says you can't grill in January??

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Greenacres Farm

2012-01-12T20:38:00.009-05:00

Saturday night dinner consisted of delicious beef (Black Angus New York strip), homemade guacamole, red skin rosemary potatoes and great company. This high quality beef, grass fed on the rolling hills in Indian Hill, OH was delicious. Check out their website below!!
http://www.green-acresFarm.com

Winton Pizza Supreme

2012-01-03T21:22:00.007-05:00

This a quick story of a pizza that could put many shops out of business. I would enjoy running a pizza parlor, but there is no way I could make any money with my attention to detail for one pizza pie. It started with the new Kitchen Aid mixer I got Kate for Christmas, followed by a recipe from Carlyn Love's kitchen and was completed with quality ingredients (important but often overlooked with pizza). The dough took about 2 hours to make start to finish, about 10-15 mins to prepare the combination of organic flour, olive oil, yeast, salt and water. The hook on the mixer created a perfectly kneaded piece of dough. As the yeast did its job for an hour, a required punch of the dough allowed for one more rise while I waited patiently with a Midas Touch in hand. After the dough was formed into what would later be a perfectly fresh pressed garlic butter crust, I evenly spread the sauce not allowing any white of the dough to appear from behind. Mozzarella cheese and pepperoni from The Fresh Market rounded out the basis of the pie. I then topped with sautéed onions and green peppers (thanks Kate!) and lightly sprinkled browned sausage on top, adding a perfect texture and sweet but spicy flavor. I baked for 20 mins at 375 and for about 3 minutes allowed for a quick broil to help brown the cheese - keep an eye on this so you don't ruin your masterpiece. The end result was a great Winton Pizza Supreme - I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Kitchen Aid

Dough is prepared

A perfect start!

Winton Pizza Supreme

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T10:57:00.007-05:00

Kate and I brought in the New Year with a 'beer can' chicken dinner! The chicken was purchased from Holtzman's meats in Montgomery. An easy thing to prep, only requiring a few steps. First and most importantly, I cleaned the chicken. I then drizzled a small amount of olive oil and coated the chicken in a rub. The chicken roaster from Williams Sonoma has a center section that I filled with beer, rub and fresh pressed garlic. The chicken rests nicely on this section and the beer mixture steams and flavors the chicken from the inside out! To prepare the flame I used regular charcoal briquettes to fill the chimney about 75% full, from here I filled the remaining 25% with all natural lump charcoal. This provides a great flame that is extremely hot and emits a wonderful woodsy aroma. Grilling a whole chicken requires indirect medium heat, using baskets of coal on either side of the grill. Once the chimney was ready (see below), I dumped the coals into the baskets each containing a chunk of wood - this produces smoke to flavor the chicken. In addition, my drip pan had a can of beer poured into it - giving extra steam to moisten the chicken. I roasted the chicken for 1 hour and 30 mins at about 350 degrees, adding additional wood at the 45 minute mark. The chicken turned out great and we paired with Roger's Potatoes and Alliance Country Club's - Bittacker Salad prepared by Kate. The combination was great! It was an enjoyable meal to start 2012 - looking forward to sharing more with you.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

A New Year, A New Blog

2011-12-31T16:07:00.011-05:00

My plan is to make this a food blog and less about my day to day life. However, more often than not, my life and grilling out with Kate tends to be a big part of our life! We both find great enjoyment on the patio and feel fortunate to have the things we do to make every grill out a great experience. I have changed the format, colors and layout..I hope you enjoy. I will likely have posts of the food I have created on my Weber Performer along with the drink and side pairings. Below are a few of my creations over the past year! Looking forward to sharing these meals with the rest of the world!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Caribbean style kabobs

Where many meals go down!

Some of the tools

Beer Butt Chicken

Steaks!!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-26T14:47:00.007-05:00

It is absolutely amazing how fast four days off of work can fly by. As I sit here on a Monday evening before I get back to work tomorrow, I wanted to spend some time in reflection. Thursday night was a celebration of Christmas with Kate before she left to visit her family in Atlanta. After much anticipation, we enjoyed a great dinner at Carlo and Johnny and the exchange of some great presents. Friday on my day off, I spent a lot of time working via my blackberry.. Friday night was spent with Steph, Brandon and Scott. We stayed up too late, but a good time was had by all. Saturday, Christmas Eve, was a gorgeous day that allowed Mom, Kevin and I the opportunity to take a nice hike at Glenwood Gardens with Milly! We capped the night with a campfire and a slow smoked Chicken. Sunday, Christmas Day was another family filled affair. Dad, Uncle Dolyn, Milly and I took a nice walk down the Loveland Bike trail. These memories become more and more valuable as I get older and the people I am spending them with get older as well. We then celebrated with great drinks, food and presents. Afterwards I went to Mom and Kevin's for another Christmas celebration, great drinks, food and friends continued the pattern of a great weekend. Today was started with a wonderful breakfast prepared by Mom/Kev and followed with a relaxing day around the house. Ribs on the grill tonight - can't wait!!

Milly

2011-12-14T21:19:00.006-05:00

I grew up with a dog named Maggie, Kate grew up with a dog named Sam. We both talked about wanting a dog, but until recently it never made sense with our constant back and forth between houses. This past weekend everything fell into place and we are happy to announce the addition of two year old Milly. It took Kate one picture message to fall in love with Milly and it took me about 2 hours to realize that Kate wasn't going to leave without this dog in her new car. It is a hard thing to say no to Kate - it is even harder when the request is the cutest golden retriever I have ever met! I act like I needed to be convinced, I didn't. I wanted Milly the moment I saw her, but like I have said... I spend a lot of time contemplating big decisions.

Milly has brought so much joy in our lives in only the 5 days we have had her. Here is what I have learned. I am glad we have a nice vacuum, Milly likes Tory Burch slippers, she welcomes us with all her might when we walk in the door, she is now the proud owner of a Frontgate dog bed, she has a duck toy and a pink collar I didn't like at first but now do, she sleeps later than I do, a fence will be a spring project, her birthday is the same day as Kate's and my anniversary. More will come as the journey we call life has a new member, Milly.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

A Time to be Thankful

2011-12-03T09:46:00.003-05:00

I am hoping to make posting on my blog more of a regular occurrence. Life has started to slow down with Kate and I living together. It has allowed us a lot of time to enjoy each others company after a long day of work and hopefully a few minutes to share my experiences with you!

To step back a week, Thanksgiving was a wonderful long weekend of friends, family, shopping and rest. It was a weekend that allowed me to sit on the couch Sunday night before work take a deep breath and reflect on all the good things in life. While I would not typically categorize shopping as a 'good thing in life', Kate and I did have fun buying a few things. We didn't put ourselves through the stress of 12am Black Friday Wal Mart fights over $2.00 fajita makers. However, I did make Kate wait a full 24 hours after we found something we liked to 'think about it', before ultimately going back to the same stores the following day to purchase. This drove her crazy, but I typically like to thoroughly think through purchases. Especially ones that dramatically affect my checking account.

The night before Thanksgiving was a time that has traditionally been (for 3 years now) a celebratory homecoming with a lot of my friends from High School. It is always amazing how we pick up where we left off to enjoy the comfort of our past. With that being said - it was a rough morning the day of Thanksgiving, but I pushed through it. A special shootout to Kevin who smoked a turkey starting at 12am and revisiting every 2 hours until noon. What a sacrifice he made so that the rest of the family could remember and experience such a wonderful dinner. The night ended at my Dad's where the usual over stuffing ourselves occurred. I was also able to catch up with my brother Brandon who has been living in Colorado for the majority of 2011.

So now we await Christmas. I can tell you, like most people, this is the most wonderful time of the year! Kate has overhauled the family room to look something like a picture out of a Pottery Barn magazine and it is a joy to be in there. Two years ago i might not have had one decoration - she certainly makes my life better with her excitement and willingness to decorate for any occasion. I am looking forward to a great month - to be with family, friends and the occasional trip to Nordstrom's. I can also say that I am almost done with all of my shopping - thanks to free shipping online!!

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Two Men and Truck

2011-11-20T15:29:00.002-05:00

The anticipation of moving in with Kate is now only a memory in the rearview mirror of Life. We have started a new chapter in our relationship, one that we both couldn't be more excited and happier about. It's been a challenge the past few weeks to get to where we are today. Moving boxes in dress clothes after work, rebuilding closets to fit department sized wardrobes, the stress of taking the 'plunge' and more than anything the stress and anxiety of the future.

A marathon weekend breakdown... Friday night we relaxed for some time after work. It was another stressful, busy week for me at work and nothing sounded better than sitting on my leather chair, Great Lakes Christmas Ale and some time to unwind and talk with Kate. We did our normal routine of placing restaurant names in a bowl and picking where we should go. With a little bit of advice from Steph, we decided on Trio. Very excited to try the new eatery, I was let down. We were seated in the Bar area at a table for two. Caught between a third wheel that was never taught a six inch voice at her private school and two Indian Hill stay at home Mom's trying to determine who had the better marriage counselor. I felt bad because my attention wasn't on Kate - and she called me out for it. To top things off I didn't really enjoy the meal. For $100 - I would prefer to go elsewhere.

The big day! We arrived at Kate's apartment around 8:15 in anticipation of the two guys that would help ease the transition of a big move. After a faulty truck causing a delay in the moving time - the two men more than made up by providing excellence service. They were friendly, fast, courteous and funny. Everything you could hope for from a moving company. Didn't take them long, and by early afternoon we hit the road to go shopping. Both tired, we surprisingly only purchased things on our 'list', grabbed a deep dish pie at Uno's and headed home. By this time I was exhausted, however I mustered a second wind and painted the walls and trim in the second floor bathroom. We both crashed hard.

With hazelnut brew by the cup, we started our Sunday morning with eggs and bacon and the Cincy Enquirer. Knowing that real winter weather is around the corner, I spent the later half of the morning with the dubious task of collecting and bagging the fall of two very large oak trees. I finished by kickoff and have been relaxing ever since. Hoping for another comeback by the Bengals - been a rough day for Dalton though. I seem to be rambling at this point - time to get another Rivertown Winter Ale.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

A Happy Hocking Weekend!

2011-11-13T18:03:00.006-05:00

As my Sunday evening winds down and my weekend becomes another experience that finds itself placed on my bookshelf of 'Life is Good' experiences, I reflect on how thankful I am for all if have in my life. Friday was a holiday in tribute to all of the veterans that have served this great country. This allowed Kate and I some time to shop, pack and prepare for a weekend out of town. A surprise visit from Abbie, Ryan and my Mom resulted in a slight delay in our departure, but well worth it. We watched Abbie and Ryan's wedding video - what a great day that was!

Around 3pm we hit the road en route to Hocking Hills for a weekend away with Kate's cousin Liz and her husband Brian. Arriving soon after sunset, we unpacked, cooked pizzas, played games, enjoyed each others company and hit the sack. Early Saturday we woke up to gorgeous weather, made a great breakfast and headed to go horseback riding. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had at HH and plan on making the ride a tradition. After a quick boxed lunch, we went out on Rock House Trail followed by Old Man's Cave. Great pictures - as always the scenery is amazing in this part of Ohio.

Fresh air and a few hikes made for four hungry adults. Lucky for us we had planned accordingly. A nice steak and potato dinner capped off an unbelievably great fall weekend. This morning we packed up and split ways, the Adkins back to Cleveland and Kate and I back to Cincinnati. Only a couple stops and we were back to catch the tale end of the Bengals losing to the hated Steelers. Unpacking, dinner and a cold one will round out this weekend. Enjoy the pic!

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-02T08:29:00.003-04:00

This weekend marks the middle of summer in my eyes, when grills are fired up, yard games are played and conversations about the humidity make holiday weekends the best! I had plans to go out of town with either Kate to see her family or up to Alliance with my Mom to visit my Grandma. However I opted to stay back and find some time to relax without holiday weekend traffic. Kate reminded me that I was taking off a week in July for a stay-cation, but to her disappointment I decided to stay at home. Instead I will go buy a dishwasher today! While this might not seem like a big deal to some, I am looking forward to leaving the hand washing of my dishes behind. Kate and I tend to cook/grill a lot when we are at my house, with the net result of a lot of dishes. This will give us more time to enjoy our evenings together and less time using the Scotch pad and Dawn.

Sunday will mark the day most families celebrate with a grill out, possible fireworks, pool party and music turned up. I will be heading to Kevin's sisters house to see his family. Always a good time, but I will miss Kate not being with me. While I might briefly enjoy solitude and independence, my thoughts quickly go back to thinking of her and when we will see each other next. I love that girl!

So... My week off of work coming up will be filled with events and projects. I have weddings, birthdays, a party with out of town friends, golf to catch up on, a patio to build, finish my landscaping and I'm sure my list will grow as the week off approaches me. With all that being said, I am looking forward to it so much!! It will

I wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Introducing Mr. Ryan and Abbie Huffman

2011-05-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

One of the most enjoyable weekends I have ever had. All thanks to my sister who in a single afternoon of pampering herself and a pretty white dress gave Ryan Huffman the prettiest bride in the Queen City. The weekend started off with a check-in at the Hilton Netherland Plaza in downtown Cincinnati. Kate and I secured a king suite.. apparently a room not reserved for us, but certainly two bathrooms, a living room, king size bed and a nice view of downtown certainly made the Sunday morning hotel tab well worth it.

The rehearsal dinner was a very enjoyable and tasty dinner at the revolving restaurant at the Radisson in NKy. We heard speeches, we had drinks, we took pictures and in the matter of about 3 hours we managed a complete 360 degree view of downtown Cincy! From there we closed down the Hilton Hotel bar and started our weekend trend of staying up way past any reasonable bedtime.

Saturday, the day my sister had dreamed of her entire life was finally here. The guys did our routine of sleeping off a hangover and going to Rock Bottom Brewery to take the hair off the dog. Pictures were at 3pm, so we all had plenty of time to rest before the wedding. Of course, pictures started promptly at 4pm.. Following the tradition of always running late (love you Abs). We went to Fountain Square and then over to the Verdin Manor Bell Event Center for the ceremony and reception. A great ceremony with a wonderful reading by Kate, surprise vows from the bride and groom and a rather flawless ceremony.

The reception was a romantic candlelit room that featured an introduction by the wedding party with beats from numerous rap artists. We styled $1 shades and did our best rendition of any local night clubs best dancers. All in all it was a great party with family from 13 different states, an unbelievably good dinner, great slideshow, a hot dance floor and memories that will last a lifetime! We closed out the night with trips to numerous downtown bars and a 3am trip to Lucy Blue where I bought all the pizza they had left despite the cry from the other patrons that they were hungry too. Luckily for me a stylish rickshaw provided safe travels back to the hotel.

What a great weekend, one that allowed my sisters greatest dream to come true! Congrats Abbie and Ryan!

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

USA!

2011-05-03T22:15:00.002-04:00

What a call Mr. Obama, I can't wait to read the book of the shot heard around Facebook, the Phillies / Mets game, Twitter and every other media outlet.

As always, I am so proud of the resiliency of our great country. Rock on CIA!!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Two turn tables and a microphone

2011-05-01T21:27:00.003-04:00

An enjoyable weekend was spent with Kate and my high school friends including Murrey who made the trip up from Washington, DC. Friday night we all hung out at Friendly Stop in Glendale, didn't stay out too late knowing that Saturday would be an eventful day and night. I was finally able to take Kate to the Wyoming Pastry Shop where we enjoyed a doughnut and nice cup of coffee. From there we ventured back over to Glendale where I had my new clothes hemmed to fit my short legs ha! Typically I go to Robby's Tailors in Wyoming, but he was a no show and I found myself in a 12x12 store in Glendale with a bride, a groomsmen getting his suit altered at the last second, a man that was shorter than me but twice as wide (spending $12 on getting his dockers hemmed) - I'm sure wal mart has his size if he would have looked a little harder, one military folk getting his suit pressed, one 17 year old wearing a dress that was sure to stir some drama at some point during prom, another girl that considered herself a 'regular' and was destined to take over the only dressing room and lastly myself. All in all it was a pretty entertaining hour at the tailors.

Saturday night we went to my cousin Lizzie and her fiancé Mikes house in Bellevue where beers were had, chairs were broken, picnic tables collapsed and a lot of good food was consumed. After awhile we took a hike to catch the 'Tank' to the Reds stadium where we watched a great extra innings win by the Redlegs, afterwards we headed to Molly Malones. Today consisted of the normal duties of laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning, followed by a great kabob dinner with Kate.

I now find myself reflecting on yet another great weekend in this game of Life. My happiness and excitement of what lies ahead continues to take root in my everyday thoughts. In anticipation of another crazy work week, I would like to say cheers to a great weekend!

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

April showers fo sho'

2011-04-23T10:37:00.003-04:00

I am certainly no meteorologist, but April showers have made this an extremely damp early spring! More than likely it is great for my recent landscape projects, but has been a complete hindrance to my plans of constructing a new patio. Like most things in life, it continues to teach me the value of patience. I am certain in no time we will have sunny skies and my plants will come to life. In the meantime I will enjoy the sight of growing shrubs, flowers and the sight of bright green grass!

Yesterday was a long day at work, but allowed me to catch up on some things in hopes of increasing efficiency for my teams. I have had a crazy few weeks as my recent responsibilities at the bank have increased. As stressful as times can be, I can honestly say that I am more excited as ever to take on the new challenges. This new milestone in my professional career has really inspired a new vision of what I hope to accomplish. I have certainly felt a new sense of pride in my organization and as time goes on this should only get deeper.

Kate left town this weekend to go visit her good friend and cousin Liz, her husband Brian and their two kids Madelyn and 'baby' Brian. I know she will have a great time visiting family, but I always miss her when she leaves! Last night consisted of a night in and my little sister Stephanie came over to watch a movie and hang out. I always enjoy her company! My hope is that the sun can stay out for some extended period today and I can work in the yard.. More than likely the weather is going to change those plans. Off to refill my cup of coffee!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Here comes the sun

2011-04-18T21:13:00.002-04:00

What a long winter we had from November-April, and while there are certain things that I love about that time of year, I certainly have been excited for spring to get here. Yesterday was an example of everything that I love about this time of year. I woke up relatively early and headed to UDF to get half and half for Kate's and my warm cup of Pike's Place Roast and a copy of the Sunday Enquirer. My next stop was at my local Graeter's to get a few sweet morning treats.

After the sounds of 94.9 FM faded in the late morning, I headed out to get all of my normal errands completed. To my disappointment when I stopped by Burke Hardware in Finneytown I saw the depressing words Going Out of Business May 31st. What a letdown.. this had been my go-to store over the past couple years as I worked on my house, I love the hometown feel and the great service that I always received. I tracked down the owner Pat Burke and questioned the sign. To my further disappointment he confirmed my reading. His explanation was that the 'space was too big' for $1.3 million. I managed a retail store.. in the back of my mind I knew it was because Home Depot was only a 10 minute drive from there. I feel bad.. while I tried my best to support them, I know that I usually spent the most of my home repair budget at Lowe's and Home Depot. It's tough to swallow when 'Mom and Pop' shops slowly become a thing of the past, they are often my favorite places to go.

Next time you go to buy something, think about the little guy and how good service with a personal touch is worth a few extra bucks.. I know I will.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Sunday Sunday sunday

2011-04-17T22:51:00.003-04:00

Just saying hello from a 1 year haitus.. More to come.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

snoww

2010-02-09T22:36:00.001-05:00

tires are working out reeeeallll nice in this shit.. ha

car maintenance

2010-02-05T18:10:00.002-05:00

It is very irresponsible of me to be stopping by the tire store on my way home from work today in hopes that they could sell me some tires (while it was snowing). I only stopped there today because its gonna snow all weekend and my tires are beyond acceptable standards. Not sure why I continue to put this off, maybe I don't see the value in it. Or maybe I am so used to having a car that my fear is that for one whole day I wont be able to drive somewhere. It's kind of sad really. I used to be so on top of car maintenance and making sure I was taking care of something I paid a lot of money for. Maybe my priorities have shifted? Who knows, but tomorrow I spend $500 on rubbers, and no.. I'm not stocking up on the ones that cost $1.50 each..

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Bacalls Cafe

2010-01-25T21:34:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday I decided to venture outside of my normal eatery's and ended up at Bacalls in College Hill. Great place...

I had told my step-Dad, Kevin, that I was going there and he told me I would love it. He said the bar was old school, the people were really friendly and the burgers were awesome. Like I do most nights during the week, I had dinner by myself. Only this time I had the talkative, friendly, 22 year tenured bartender to talk to. While eating dinner, Tim O'Keefe (part owner), stands at the beer taps and proceeds to 'mess up' a half and half. Without knowing me says, "hey, want a free beer? i messed it up." I smiled, and without hesitation said, "Sure!"

Its the start of a new spot for me and one that appreciates their customers. It will provide me with a certain level of comfort while I eat dinner alone, and hopefully a place that I can meet some genuinely good people.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan A.

a long time coming..

2010-01-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

Wow, I just read my last post and can vividly remember that day in May, buying beautiful flowers that decorated the patio and made my Mom so happy. It has been since last March that I had the ability to access the Internet on a daily basis which is why this blog has fallen off the map (if it was ever on one to begin with).

Since March, my life, like everyone's has been an endless roller coasted of emotions and events. I've experienced weddings, babies on the way, endless work on my house, the start of a new joband especially fun times with family and friends. Today I have had that sense of nostalgia that we all get sometimes and I wanted to take a moment and reflect on life a little bit. What a better way to do it then to restart my blog!

I could go on and on about all the specifics of where my life has been going the past 9 months, but I would prefer to look towards the future. I have recently started a new career that offers me the challenge I desire and the work life I feel I missed out on with my previous job. I look forward to the spring and summer months when I get off work at a normal time and can spend endless hours working in my yard. I have always enjoyed working in the yard and looked forward to the opportunity to one day have a yard of my own. I now have the time to focus my energy not only on being a productive employee at my current job, but a productive and responsible homeowner as well.

I look forward to adding to this blog much more frequently than I have lately, and I hope you will continue to read my entries. Thanks!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T12:09:00.002-04:00

Again, it's been awhile since my last post. Posting on here is near impossible while I continue to postpone the inevitable $90/month cable and internet bill. That is a lot of money and I have plenty to work on at home without the distraction of the boob tube and endless websites that I go to.

Today is a beautiful Mother's Day and I hope my Mom finds joy in the potted plants we got this morning at the AJ Rahn Greenhouse. They are scattered around the front and back of the house and truly are amazing to look at. The rest of the day should be filled with good conversation, good eatin' and continued memories with my family.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a 30 day blur

2009-03-29T18:44:00.002-04:00

It has been a little over 30 days since I last posted. To me it feels like yesterday. A lot has happened since then and I feel bad that I have not taken the time to write updates. However, I have had very little free time lately.

March in a quick recap:
-I bought a house
-I drove up and back to Cleveland for an interview
-I got promoted at my job
-I experienced my first bridal shower
-I celebrated a B/B party at the Pub and Mulligans
-Personally watched the fewest March Madness games in over 10 years

While this doesn't seem like a busy month it has all coincided with 60 hour work weeks, plumbing, painting and cleaning my house. I am ready for a little stability in my life and I am starting to see the light. Thanks to all of you who continue to support me.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a greater vision

2009-02-27T11:08:00.002-05:00

Today was supposed to be the start of a new chapter in my life. The day I had anticipated for 4 months now. I was scheduled to close on my house at noon today, and with one simple phone call everything got pushed back by a 'paperwork error'. Upset with the situation, I selfishly wanted to thrash the person who dropped the ball on MY dream. How could they take this long to accomplish something so simple? Why had they not checked and double checked everything? I took a few deep breaths; started cleaning my room to try and take my mind of what had just happened, but it didn't seem to work. Looking around my room the book Your Best Life Now caught my eye. It's a book that my Mom has been trying to get me to pick up for months and I have resisted. I'm not sure why. Is it because the pages are covered with the word God? I have often been intimidated by religious books because I don't really practice one.

I needed something to help pull me through what had started as a very challenging morning, so I started to read. Instantly I felt better, this too shall pass and I need to keep the vision of living in that house. I was searching for an answer to my current state of mind and this book seemed to fill that void. The book told me to find strength in adversity and to enlarge my vision on life. I can't control the past and that phone call happened 2 hours ago. I am going to try and approach this with a new perspective and keep the faith that if I can visualize it.. I will receive it.

I took the day off of work for this event and although its cloudy... I'm off to the golf course!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

the BIG apple

2009-02-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

Hello from La Guardia Airport, the home of really expensive beers at the Fox Sports Bar. This post comes at the end of a weekend of good times with JB and Hamilton. It went fast like every time I spend with close friends that live far away.

NYC is the polar opposite of where I live. There is a saying that if the world ends, move to Cincinnati because everything happens 10 years later. Its amazing the speed that NYC moves. Everyone walks faster, cars are in a bigger hurry to reach their destination and the cab companies show up within 5 mins. While it was a nice change of pace, I still enjoy the laid back lifestyle of the Midwest.

The most amazing part of NYC is the skyline. At night I could have looked at it for hours and never been bored. So many buildings, millions of lights against the skyline. Its like staring at a starry sky in Montana yet I found myself in Manhattan.

Our day ski trip to Hunter Mountain was a blast. The conditions were perfect and my skiing ability picked up where it left off for the most part. Surprisingly by the end of the day I was hitting up Black Diamonds with a certain degree of comfort.

Weekend trips are the best, I love visiting friends and picking up where we left off. There is never a dull or awkward moment. I look forward to the next trip!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

craziness

2009-02-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

I am bummed that I have not given more effort in posting recently. I am still trying to digest current politcs, economy, changes at work, a trip to NY this weekend and biggest for me..buying a house next week.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

in response.. Reflections on success

2009-02-04T19:03:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take a moment and reflect on my brother David's post, Reflections on Success/ The kids are alright. While I enjoyed reading the post, I would like to give my definition of success and how it relates to accumulating money.

As mentioned in his post, the agreed upon definition by Andy, Amanda, Carlyn and David was narrowed to, 'making money by over-working'. While I agree that over-working would likely lead to moneymaking, I certainly don’t agree that this defines success. To me, success is the result of hard work and dedication in achieving one's personal goals. You can be successful in life at a given occupation without accumulating a lot of money. Someone that dedicates all of their time to work and makes a lot of money will certainly be a tired and wealthy person, but successful by whose standards? In addition, I personally have a few very strong relationships with people I work with that have only been strengthened by problem solving, learning and adapting to our environment together in an attempt to achieve, ‘success’.

While I agree with David that I would find a lot of enjoyment in focusing more time on my personal life and less on my professional one, the reality is that we must balance both to achieve our personal goals.

As P.T. Barnum states in The Art of Money Getting, "There is much more satisfaction in rational saving, than in irrational spending." The importance of the quote is that you don't necessarily need to make a lot of money to be successful or accumulate wealth, but that you must spend less than you earn. Inevitably this will grow and in the long run, you could consider yourself 'wealthy' based on your income throughout the years.

The final point that raising a family and providing more for your children than you were ever given is a daunting task certainly is respectable. To have great success, however you define the word, must certainly come with compromise and sacrifice. Part of the enjoyment in achieving success is the battles and adversity that we must overcome to achieve it.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

skiing in upstate

2009-01-27T20:11:00.002-05:00

Just booked my ticket for New York to go on a skiing/snowboarding trip with JB and Hamilton in a couple weeks. I am pumped to get out for a few days and spend some quality time on the slopes with friends. I will post some pics when I get back from the trip.

On a side note, if you have an NPO that you would like to have some What A Day tee shirts donated to, let me know.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

What A Day

2009-01-20T19:29:00.002-05:00

Four years ago I set out on a journey with JB to change the world with an organic cotton tee shirt company, What A Day. While our dreams were not realized, our experience running a business together has strengthened our friendship and built a foundation for our future. It's crazy to vividly remember planning this business while in my apartment in North Carolina, what an imagination we both had. We worked hard and diligent to make things happen, but we will both admit mistakes along the way. It is with a light heart and currently a tear in my eye that he and I have decided to dissolve the business.

I have a small piece of paper that I entitled "Never Forget: (What A Day)", I made a promise to myself to never forget the following people, especially if we 'made it big'.

1. ProFeet - By giving me confidence in my abilities, giving me advice and helping out whenever possible.
2. Dr. Strempek - For giving my guidance with my business plan and introducing me to Eric Henry at TS Designs.
3. Eric Henry - For getting me an Outdoor Retailer pass as well as producing our shirts.
4. JB - This was your original idea, your hard work and dedication while in school kept us going, thank you.
5. My Family - You support me in everything I do and What A Day was no different. You bought shirts, you came to events, you told me 'I could do it!' Thanks, it means the world to me.

With that said, What A Day has been one of the most personally rewarding things I have ever done in my life, but it is time to move on. Again, I thank all of you who have supported us along the way!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

another push

2009-01-19T17:21:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I will make my 3rd bid on the SAME house. I am really pulling for this to work out. As much work as Kevin, Rebecca and countless bankers, government workers, insurance agents and others have done, I feel like it would be a complete loss if it doesn't end up in my hands. That sounds selfish, but I know some of the aforementioned few will be let down as well. So here is to HUD letting me pull this off!

Cheers!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

burglars

2009-01-14T17:31:00.002-05:00

Last night I witnessed a burglar posted in front of my house. The same ones that have hit a few houses in our neighborhood and the one across the street this past week. They took off in a white 80's station wagon as a neighbor pulled out of their driveway. I told the cops about the experience and they said they knew about the white car. I want the stupid robbers to know that this house is protected no longer by a yellow lab, but a shiny black metal object. Enjoy being six feet under and not watching our HDTV. Thanks.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

goodwill boutique

2009-01-10T17:53:00.002-05:00

Only in the ritzy parts of Cincinnati would you find a Goodwill with the word 'Boutique' after it. Not to my surprise I found brand new Polo blazers, Banana Republic, JCrew and Duck Head shirts.

The whole time I was there I went back and forth on whether I should drop $48 on a wool Polo blazer. While trying on my 4 shirts I picked out my Dad yelled through the door "Ryan, everything is 50% off the listed price!" Whoo-hoo, I quickly exited the dressing room in fear that someone might have heard what he said and snatched up that jacket I wanted. To my relief it was still there. I walked out with a new wardrobe for $50, I was pleased. I like buying new from stores, but I get much more satisfaction in finding a bargain and reusing gently used garments. Although my new inspiration, PT Barnum, would tell me that I would get even more satisfaction in wearing my old clothes a little longer and saving the money I spent. Who knows, I think it was a fair deal.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

dinner on me.

2009-01-08T18:23:00.002-05:00

I currently have two hens baking in the oven, they are surrounded by celery, carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, garlic and spices. They will be tasty, you are invited to share if you would like. They will be done around 7:15pm, don't say I never invited you over for dinner..

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

wood fire pizzas

2009-01-06T22:31:00.002-05:00

Had the chance to meet up with my sister Stephanie and my Dad for wood fired pizzas at Pomodori's after work. Food was great and we enjoyed 'college talk' with Steph. It's amazing its already time for her to start looking... I remember that time in my life. I looked at 1 school and decided thats where I would go. Things work out. Unfortunately I got home to see that the pizza crust David and Carlyn made for the Thoroughbred casa had been consumed as well and I missed out.. bummer

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:01:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately I brought in the new year asleep on my couch at home. Stuck at home with a sore throat and head cold to ring in the new year. I actually woke up at 12:01am to see the madhouse that was Times Square, NYC. I hope all of you have a wonderful start to the new year!!

Go Bearcats!! BCS Orange Bowl, tonight at 8pm!!

2008 meets 2009

2008-12-31T12:54:00.003-05:00

Live your life in 2009. Be happy, have fun and stick to your resolutions. With much love to those of you who occasionally read this blog, thanks.

This is yet another milestone year for me and so I will make a couple resolutions I hope to accomplish this year.
1. Buy a house
2. Continue my hobby of coin collecting
3. Fly fish at least 3 times
4. Continue to listen to P.T. Barnum's (The Art of Money Getting) once a week
5. Donate 10 hours of volunteer work

I will leave it at this, because I don't want to get carried away. I am going to write these resolutions on 3 different note cards and place 1 by my computer, 1 in the bathroom and keep one in my wallet as a reminder to stay on track.

**I reserve the right to add more resolutions as the year goes on.**

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Cheers! Ryan

A tough day to be NYSE

2008-12-12T23:21:00.002-05:00

On January 22, 2008 I made a post regarding the economy that was and has become worse. It's amazing what this country has gone through so quickly and so devastating that many people don't even realize it. We have been fed water through a firehouse with financial news, and it is hard to digest. Very hard.

I do want to say that for anyone in their 20's or early 30's with no major financial commitments outside of a mortgage, children or other large monetary obligations, this is single handedly the biggest opportunity to amass large amounts of wealth by taking advantage of extremely under valued companies and real estate. It seems crazy for someone to come out and say that this is the time to take any risks, but look at the scenario. You are talking about 35% of the 'value' of completely stable companies being wiped away over a 1 year period. Houses that have drop 30,40,50%.

My friend, this ship will change directions. I encourage you to do your research and key on companies and property that has been raped of its true value. Please do not get me wrong, there has certainly been a much deserved correction in many of these markets, but I encourage you to look beyond the negativity and seek opportunity, value and hidden potential.

I have made it a 'Winter Resolution' of mine to listen to P.T. Barnums, 'The Art of Money Getting' weekly (both Parts I & Part II). It is the most inspiring business piece I have ever read/heard in my entire life.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan W.

Malcolm Creek Resort

2008-11-09T17:03:00.000-05:00

Traveling up I-65 I decided I would take a few minutes and write about my weekend. Thursday night my Dad and I left Cincinnati en route to SW Kentucky to Kentucky Lake.. We met up with my Dads cousin Tommy and the three of us stayed at Cabin 8 of Malcolm Creek Resort (owned by Tommy's sister Meg and her husband Robert).
We arrived rather late, about 2am but we all got our second wind and spent the next 3 hours playing catch up.
Friday we fished all day from the dock. We landed largemouth, hybrid and yellow bass, sunfish and a few other species all of which we plan on eating.
Tommy and I stayed up late Friday night discussing the brutal state of the world. He was a great sounding board and provided me with some very insightful thoughts he had as well.
Our last full day was spent on a fishing boat out on the lake, I must say the weather tested our will to catch another fish. It was in the low 40's and dipped into the 30's with a fierce wind out on an open lake.. It is always an adventure with my Dad and Tommy. I thank them both for providing me with so many wonderful experiences in the outdoors.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

history 2008

2008-11-05T19:35:00.003-05:00

While I did not vote for Barack Obama, I must send my congratulations for all of those who did. It was a hard fought battle for both men and they deserve our respect for all they did to have a chance to lead our great country. After hearing McCain's concession speech, I was inspired. However, it is time to move on and look for guidance in these troubling times to a new man, Barack Obama.

I hope our countries challenges are met head on with his ideas and new ways of handling political policy, we all know we need it. I hope he stays true to his word in moving forward and fixing the problems that he campaigned on. Apathy and criticism would be easy, but I will do my best to hold up my end of the bargain. That is to be a hard working citizen and I expect the rest of the country to do the same. On September 3, 2008 I wrote a blog stating that I would not talk negative about the either party, and I held true to my word. This was difficult as things in my opinion got pretty ugly towards the end. A new era begins, its time to look forward to a new chapter.

As always, I will continue to support the country that has given me Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan A. Webster

rock steady

2008-10-29T21:44:00.004-04:00

Please go vote on November 4th, 2008 and voice your opinion, that's all that matters anyways.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

good weekend

2008-10-26T21:11:00.003-04:00

My expectations of an enjoyable weekend lived up to what I hoped it would. I am amazed at how much I enjoy some solitude.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been refinishing my Grandma and Grandpa's old dining room set. It's a lot of work, but I feel I will be proud of how it will turn out. Below are a few pictures to show you the progress.

friiiiiday

2008-10-24T17:33:00.002-04:00

Just jamming some Offspring, You're Gonna Go Far, Kid. It's getting me pumped to write something on this blog since I have neglected it for a few weeks. However, it has been intentional. There are a few personal monumental changes possible upcoming in my life and I am trying to resist the temptation to talk about them too much, or blog for that matter. I am a very superstitious person so instead I will talk about my day. After getting off of work early I went to the bank and spent 1 1/2 hours trying to figure out how to be reimbursed for a $1,000 money order gone wrong (long story), I bought myself a filet mignon, a pack of miller lite and some bread, came home checked out how poorly all my stock accounts are doing (except SHW staying strong!!).. I have the house to myself this weekend and look forward to the solitude.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

PS.. I have been refinishing some old furniture and it looks awesome, I will post some pics soon (my batter died on my camera). peace homies

new home?

2008-10-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting on the Queen City Report.. I am in the process of purchasing my first home and want to write all about it, but I fear that getting too excited will jinx (sp?) me. A quick overview.. I have always loved Tudor Revival architecture and it has always been my dream to live in this type of house and 'fix it up'. I stumbled upon an opportunity that to me, meets all of my expectations. After viewing the house multiple times with family members and getting their thumbs up, I submitted a bid 30% lower than the Auditors listed market value. As a foreclosure, they have accepted the bid and I am waiting on a signed contract to move forward. I am really excited and I hope to share pictures soon, but I will hold off until the keys are in my hands..

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a family forward

2008-10-03T17:24:00.001-04:00

here was my response to a family forward we all this this week...

**A quick disclaimer, i dont usually do these but it is short.. whoop**

1.
What is your occupation right now?
slangin paint in the 'Gate (Eastgate Ast. Manager for Sherwin-Williams)

2.
What color are your socks right now?
white with a gray toe

3.
What are you listening to right now?
baseball playoffs.. go chicago

4.
What was the last thing that you ate?
eating sunflower seeds right now, it might be my nicotine

5.
Can you drive a stick shift?
always

6.
Last person you spoke to on the phone?
my Dad for 20 seconds and then he cut out on his cell in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin

7.
Do you like the person who sent this to you?
obvi. im her bridesmaid.

8.
How old are you today?
24 but still feel 16

9.
What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
baseball, football and college bball

10.
What is your favorite drink?
miller lite bottle, vitamin water, cranberry juice

11.
Have you ever dyed your hair?
let me give a shoutout to bleached hair whooop

12.
Favorite food?
i second amanda i could eat pizza 24.7.365

13.
What is the last movie you watched?
office space

14.
Favorite day of the year?
christmas day.. soo many good memories

15.
How do you vent anger?
unfortunately i cuss and throw things ha

16.
What was your favorite toy as a child?
football, basketball, baseball and golf clubs

17.
What is your favorite season?
fall, winter and spring

18.
Cherries or Blueberries?
Blueberries .. i put them in my smoothies

19.
Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
they better, amanda and i took the time to do this..

20.
Who is the most likely to respond?
only the cool ones

21.
Who is least likely to respond?
andy...cause i heard he was busy at work

22.
Living arrangements
9964 thorougbred SUITE 1,2

23.
When was the last time you cried?
9/11.. i always shed a tear when i listen to the national anthem that day

24.
What is on the floor of your closet?
wayy too much shit

25.
Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
amanda/abbie/k-dawg/mom/david (sorrry andy)

26.
What did you do last night?
tried to figure out this financial crisis, shaved my head

27.
What are you most afraid of
life going too fast

28.
Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
cheddar

29.
Favorite dog breed?
lab.. miss ya maggie

30.
Favorite day of the week?
friday saturday sunday

31.
How many states have you lived in?
ohio, north carolina

32.
Diamonds or pearls?
diamonds on my neck, diamonds on my grill

33.
What is your favorite flower?
i belong among the wildflowers

POWER-less

2008-09-18T20:19:00.003-04:00

Sunday afternoon my sister Abbie, Stephanie and Abs boyfriend Ryan went to the Bengals game to watch garbage swirl around on the field (hot-dog wrappers and football players with orange and black stripes alike). The stadium shook and my $7 beer had a light coating of peanut shells, dirt and whatever else was blowing around the stadium during the passing of Hurricane Ike's remnants.

Mostly oblivious to the amount of damage the storm had done, we started to see more and more tree damage as we ventured our way back to the suburbs. After it was apparent that the wind we had experienced at the stadium was pretty serious we took a stroll through Old Tree Wyoming, Ohio. To my disappointment, many of the trees that I grew up with were laying across peoples driveways, front yards, houses etc. It was a shocking a disturbing surprise. Ironically TJ Houshmanzadeh passed us on Burns Ave in Wyoming (a two lane street), while we slowly drove through the devastation. I arrived home to discover the power was out, surprise surprise. During ice storms and moderate thunderstorms we frequently lose power, but within hours, Duke Energy has us back to consuming electric.. not this time.

We went three full nights without power, a couple cold ass morning showers and a lot of fast food before things came back to normal yesterday morning. After the whole experience, I'm not quite sure which setting I like more. I do have a few quick notes I would like to share as observations during the blackout.

1. Shaving in the dark leads to cuts and missed spots
2. Kids spend way too much time inside these days (I sound like a grandpa), but there were probably 30 kids running the streets one night after work that I had NEVER seen before.. amazing/sad
3. You become much more creative, my Mom, Kevin and I spent a good deal of time one night making a finger puppet show with a flashlight.
4. Eating out frequently gets really, reallly, realllly old and quite disgusting.
5. Instead of a generator, everyone needs a camping headlight (much cheaper and you look A LOT cooler).

When I started this list, I thought I would come up with much more, sorry for the lameness of my insufficient list.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

never forget 9/11

2008-09-11T21:41:00.003-04:00

Everyone has a story of this day, I feel obligated to share mine and the feelings that surround it.

Seven years ago I was a senior at Wyoming High School in Cincinnati. Life was good, college was in sight, I had a great part time job, friends and family around me at all times.

First bell was Trig & Functions with Mr. Harms. I left that class like any other day, joking with Nate and Kessel and heading to my locker between bells. Everything was normal. I remember my girlfriend at the time telling me in a rather panicked tone that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Centers in NYC. I was surprised, but had assumed it was just a freak accident. We talked about it for a few quick minutes and hustled to second bell. By then, news had spread and I realized it was a bigger deal than I thought as we saw the second plane strike the other tower.

The school day continued and flurries of conspiracies and 'news' zipped around the halls of Cowboy country. I was shocked, intrigued, scared and at many times I felt helpless to my surroundings. I watched the news for days, and after about three solid weeks of watching the terror that struck NYC, I began to have some pretty bad nightmares and I decided to turn my TV off.

There it is, the description of my life soon after the 9/11 attacks. It is, and was the most defining day in my life so far. My Dad has always told me his first defining moment in life was when Neil Armstrong first landed on the moon.

The day still brings chills to my spine like it did this morning as I drove to work in the dark. I was able to take a moment to think of all the innocent men and women who lost their lives that day and for all of those who have fought to protect our country since then, and again I would like to thank them for that. We don't thank our soldiers enough for what they are doing, agree with what is happening or not they are kids my age risking their lives and doing their job, thank you.

I hope one day that the defining moment in my children's lives can be a positive one like my Dads.

Never forget 9/11/01.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

What A Night-kayak style

2008-09-04T20:19:00.002-04:00

Most of you probably know that I have been co-thinker of a tee shirt company called What A Day. To be honest the efforts from both my partner and I have fallen of the face of mountains that inspired us to start the clothing line, and that to me is upsetting. However, the other night I decided I would re-list our shirts on E-Bay, because quite frankly I missed it. So at 9:43pm I listed my shirts and less than 1 hour later I received a notification on my phone that I had sold 1 Large Kayak shirt. I smiled. I sell things all day long, more volume of paint, brushes and rollers covers than you can possibly imagine and rarely do I get overly excited. When I sold that shirt a few nights ago it was one of the best thrills I've had selling something in a very very long time. The concept of a tee shirt company is simple and maybe we made it more difficult than it should of been, but we had grand visions. With big plans must come immense preparation, or so we thought.

I write this post not as a place to brag about a 'sale', I write this post to inspire you to follow your dreams and even if they don't work the first time keep with it. This shirt didn't make us rich and it certainly hasn't made us famous, but it made me feel proud to still be a leader in the What A Day organization that I am determined will one day be more than a dream for JB and I.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

I wasn't born rich, and I am not waiting for the goverment to help me out.

2008-09-03T21:52:00.002-04:00

Well it all seems to have started as I sit here and watch the Republican National Convention (don't worry I watched the Democrat Convention too). Both parties have given great conventions and I wish each the best of luck. Even though this election is historic, I will try to refrain from constantly blogging about my personal opinions regarding my political beliefs and will certainly withdraw myself from the political mudslinging that permeates the television, newspaper, online news sites and blogs. In all honesty I think the majority of American's know who they are going to vote for, so I am not going to try and convince the 5-10 people that read my blog why they should vote for who I want. I certainly support everyone having their own personal opinions, but I don't wish to press mine anyone. I would rather use my blog as an outlet for praising people that have accomplished personal goals, a diary of sorts, a place to vent and on occasion talk about sports. So unless I get really upset or heated during the campaign I will try to focus on other things.

I have started a new breakfast routine that I am excited about. Every morning I make myself a protein shake with these ingredients: soy protein, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 banana, handful of strawberries and blueberries, 2 tbs of wheat germ, 2 tbs of plain yogurt, a tsp of honey/vanilla and a cup of crushed ice, blend it all together and you have yourself a great breakfast. I have also re-started my workout routine, and I am started to feel strong again. It is mostly and upper-body workout and I do some light cardio, but I am usually on my feet 9-10 hours a day, so I have stayed away from doing too much lower body workouts.

In recent days, the crude oil price has dropped significantly. In some of my earlier posts, I have said that this would not happen, that things were going to get worse. I am sticking to my word; oil in my opinion isn't going to decline for the long term. As we know, oil is a finite resource. Meaning the more we consume and burn up, the less supply there is on a global scale. To me this is simple economics as we continue to drive our cars at the rate we do today, prices will inevitably go up. I am slightly disturbed by the "Drill Baby Drill" chant that I just heard, I don't support this mindset, we need to continue to focus on reducing our consumption and create alternative fuel sources.

I will try to do a better job of posting more often.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a local Cowboy wins a Silver medal in Beijing!!

2008-08-22T11:25:00.004-04:00

Congratulations are in order for David Payne of Wyoming High School, who yesterday beat a favored David Oliver also of the US to take the Silver medal. It was an exciting race as he only came in 2nd by .01 of a second. When the camera zoomed in on him as he held the American Flag you could hear him chanting '5-1-3' (cincinnati area code). It was a proud moment of the Olympics for me; I have tried to follow his stats over the past year after he told me he was running internationally after a game of pick-up basketball last summer.

i'll trade you one HOF for two...

2008-07-31T23:02:00.002-04:00

WOW! A big day in the spotlight for Cincinnati sports, Ken Griffey Jr. traded to the Chicago White Sox FOR!!....Danny Richar AND! Nick Masset!!! (Some serious exaggeration with the exclamation marks). Unless you closely follow baseball you likely have NO clue who these guys are.
Instead of debating what Griffey did right, wrong or what he could have done better, I would like to offer a different perspective and skip all that bullshit.
Between the two 'tradees', you are under the age of 27, when you were a teenager, Ken Griffey Jr. was likely an idol of yours or someone you played ball with. You play high school baseball, because why not, chicks dig a ball player in high school. You have good stats and college teams discover you have talent worthy enough of putting you on their team. You play well, but don't stand out like a Baseball America top prospect. Then.. one day.. July 31, 2008 you are told you have been traded to the Cincinnati Reds organization for Ken Griffey, Jr. Are you serious!?
But I am a nobody. I am not a first ballot Hall of Famer. Nobody in Cincinnati will even remember me tomorrow unless they read the daily sports pages. WOW! Can you imagine the feeling.. These guys are my age and they have just been informed that they have been traded for one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game.
It's hard to imagine, and I am sure for those guys it is still a whirlwind of emotion. Whether you agree or disagree with the trade, these two young men for the rest of their lives can now say they were traded for Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey, Jr. That to me is unbelievable.
I don't disagree with the deal at all, especially as a Reds fan. I just wish I knew what it was like to be Jeff Brantley and knock out a baseball king in.. Round 1? ha sike. sorry Griff and good luck to ya man.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

summa is going..going soon to be gone

2008-07-30T20:08:00.002-04:00

It's amazing how quickly these months in the middle of the year seem to fly by. I still have a few 'big events' planned this summer (my friend Emily from HS is getting married, and I will be traveling to North Carolina to visit some friends). However, despite the many trips and exciting things I have done this summer, I am ready for a break from it all.
I feel like I haven't been able to spend any time with my friends that still live in Cincinnati and that those relationships are slowly falling apart. I'm going to do everything possible to rebuild them when things die down again. I can't dwell on any of this too much, because I have realized this is part of life. It seems I have had quite a lot of friends come in and out of my life the past year and I don't particularly like it. I digress.
Yesterday was a bright spot in the week, my sister Steph, brother Scott and I made the short trip to Georgetown, KY where we watched the Bengals suit up and go live for the first time this summer. If you ever have the opportunity to see the 'Oklahoma' drill live, consider yourself lucky. 1 on 1 tackling drills.. it can't get any better than that. I had always wanted to go to camp and I am glad I was able to convince a couple of friends to go with me.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

windy city wedding

2008-07-20T19:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my sister Stephanie and I made the road trip to Naperville, IL (suburbs of Chicago), to attend the Sassa-Mangus wedding. The trip up was great, we both sang, danced, ate unhealthy fast food, honked and waived the opposite direction at passing cars and all in all had a safe smooth trip up there.

We arrived at Hampton Inn where we were lucky enough to land a suite that provided us more room than we needed for the one night stay (although I'm not complaining). Soon after we arrived we grabbed a quick lunch then went back to the hotel to get dressed up for the wedding and reception. The ceremony was great and at times I found myself with teary eyes watching my cousins stand proudly in front of a large audience. My Dad, Trey, gave a biblical reading and that made me proud as well.. he did a great job. After the ceremony, I had Steph take a picture of me posing 'gansta' style in front of the 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom that my cousin Andrew and his new wife Lindsey would be shuttled around in.

We arrived at the Bollingbrook Country Club around 6 and the wonderful evening began. A gorgeous club that found us sitting in a large reception hall with chandeliers, unbelievable table settings and family and friends abound. The dinner consisted of an amazing five course meal that pushed my stomach out a few inches by the end of the night. We danced the final couple hours in celebration of the special day.

The drive home today was longer, we were tired and with the anticipation of another work week ahead it seemed to take much longer on the return ride. It was well worth the drive, it was great to see family that I don't see enough, I miss them always.

Andrew and Lindsey, congratulations!!

troubles continue

2008-07-12T19:23:00.000-04:00

Back in January I made a post about the current state of our economy. My comments ring true and things will continue to get worse. With gasoline hovering around $4 a gallon and the current credit and housing crisis headlining the news, what is going to swing things around?
The quickest way out of a recession is to improve corporate efficiency, but these are deeper rooted problems. They will take complete lifestyle changes by everyone to pull us out. Two hours ago I was running the numbers to see if it made sense for me to get a Prius (no conclusion.. Yet)
In January I said to hold on to all cash, and I still think that's a good idea but in the coming year or so there will be some very undervalued companies worth buying stock in so keep your eyes open.
Anyhow, we are about 60 miles outside of Knoxville where a Hampton Inn awaits my tired head.. Probably not before one more meal and a cold miller lite.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

California knows how to party

2008-07-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

Now let me welcome everybody to the wild wild west a state that's untouchable Elliot Ness... The state where you never find a dance floor empty..

Ok enough of the gangsta rap beats..

Heading back to the Nasti tomorrow.. Its been an enjoyable trip.. Much needed. Back to the grind on Monday.. I made it all week without thinking about work until this morning - that's pretty good for me.

Been contemplating my future a lot this week and what move I want to make next.. Its all a ladder of choices with me controlling my own destiny, ya hurd? So many possibilities and plenty of time to do them all.. Well see.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

another day in paradise

2008-07-09T10:54:00.000-04:00

Its weird for me, when I'm on vacation I always want the days to slow down, but they always seem to go twice as fast. I want the food I cook to taste better than when I'm at home. I want to wake up early so I don't waste the precious time I could be spending at the beach or pool. In a time that should be completely relaxing I find myself urgently trying to fit in as much activity in one day as I can. Its typical of me though. That's why for the longest time I would never take a nap, I was afraid I might miss something, a phone call to go play basketball or skate at Company C. I'm glad I still have the energy to go non stop all day... It gives me the opportunity to get out and live.
Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

a steady breeze

2008-07-07T11:31:00.000-04:00

The second full day in ruskin brings sunshine a slight breeze off the water and beastie boys through the speakers of my ipod. Perfect weather yesterday and strong storms late in the afternoon provided us a typical sunshine state day. Sun and water wore is out and the night consisted of movies and a comfy couch.
Ice also started Johnny Cash's biography.. A good book that reminds me of how fortunate of an upbringing as a young kid I had.. And still do. He really is a man that has been there and done that, a man that was able to find peace among the Jamaican mountains after a life of abuse, excess and the other typical downfalls you find among famous musicians.
The Rolling Stones are reminding me don't stop', so on that note, I'm off to toss football with my bro Scott.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

the first leg to Florida

2008-07-05T08:43:00.000-04:00

Its Saturday morning, just now leaving our hotel in Morrow, GA. Yesterday we spent most of the day in the car and its the first 4th of July maybe ever that I didn't see a single firework. The start of the drive was a rainy Cincinnati and it continued through the majority of Kentucky. All in all it was a safe and relaxing car ride (despite the fact that Tennessee must not have much funding for rest areas, they were all closed... A complete waste in my book.)
Looks like we will be arriving in Florida sometime mid-afternoon and I look forward to a week of relaxing in the sun and spending time with the family. Ill try to post frequently on this trip so for those of you at work, I can hopefully stir up some daydreaming.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

Ps. These posts are coming from my blackberry so pardon the mistypes...

we reunite in Chicago

2008-06-24T10:03:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to meet up with some high school friends in the windy city. I was able to peace out of work early on Friday and make it before the traffic became too unbearable. It is amazing how many cars are going to and from that city on any given day. The logistics of the trip were that we all stayed at Todd's house, Louie flew in from NYC, Nathan from Atlanta, Kessel is a local and I drove up from the Nati. Friday night consisted of a house party at Todds and bar hopping downtown. Saturday was spent on the lake kickin coronas and talking about the past. We also made it to a street fair, listened to hippie music and the non-coordinated dancing ensued. It was truly an afternoon of good times. Unfortunately I hit a wall and it was tough for me to get the motivation to go out Saturday knowing I had to drive home on Sunday. All in all it was a successful trip and we have made a pact to do it at least once a year from hear on out. Below is a picture of the five of us.

summertime and the livin's easy

2008-06-11T22:22:00.003-04:00

Don't ya just wish that statement still rang true? Well nothing comes easy really, but I love that quote so I thought I would have it be my title. I remember my summers while still in college, I would always have that quote as my AIM away message.

Yesterday was a day of 'livin easy'. I worked a quick 8 hour work day then sped around the Cincinnati beltway (I-275) towards Winton Woods, where I met my little cousin Conner and my Uncle David at Meadow Links Golf Academy. I spent the next couple hours playing a fun round of 'best ball', usually I like to keep individual scores, but it was my cousins first time. So instead of being competitive, I was able to find joy in teaching him how to swing, line up his shots etc. It's an impossible game to teach in one round, but I was so amazed at how much he improved from the first hole to the last.

Watching my Uncle strive to do everything possible so that Conner enjoyed his day really made me realize how I hope that I can be a teacher/leader/hero for my own kids one day.

After golf we hurried (David hurried too fast and got to speak with two Springfield Twp police offices) and headed to the Reds game. Uncle David, Conner, his friend Josh and I had great seats along the first base line. Despite my post below, I stood and cheered for Griffey before the game. I then stood again later when they showed that Pete Rose was in attendance. Reds lost, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

It was a fun day; it was a full day and one that I get to hold on to forever.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Quest for 600.

2008-06-02T19:02:00.002-04:00

Saturday I saw him hit #599 and the rest of the game I hoped that I would be one of the lucky fans to witness homerun #600 by Cincinnati native Ken Griffey, Jr. He was walked in the 8th and I realized that my opportunity to witness history was over. Even with the excitement that I felt in the ballpark and my hope for him to hit #600, I have a certain bitterness towards Jr.
There was an article in the Enquirer today written by Paul Daugherty about exactly what I am getting ready to talk about. In Paul's opinion, we need to show Jr. 'some love'. Why? Why should fans show any 'love' and support to a man that has snubbed the local media and clearly not embraced the fans here. For every 1 fan in the stands that yells to Griffey telling him he's a has-been, there are 9 other kids wearing his jersey. Whatever beef he has with the people in this city his is own prerogative, but they are still the fans that drop $100's of dollars to go and support his team. His way of avoiding fans and the media are that of a copout. He is making a little over $8 million a year and acts like a stubborn ass baby when Thom Brennaman wants to talk about #600. Grow up Griffey, or at least act like The Kid you were in Seattle if you haven't grown up.
I have a quick story from high school about Griffey. I worked at luxury car dealership in High School and on a regular basis washed the cars of local celebrities and athletes. At one point in 2001 or 2002 while Griffey was on the DL, he showed up to pick up his car with the rest of his posse. The part that irked me was that he showed up on a crotch rocket (supped-up motorcycle). To this day I don't know if this was against team rules or not, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way. I feel that if you are an athlete making the money he is, you owe it to your team to make low-risk decisions and to me riding around on a high speed motorcycle while on the disabled list is unfair.
Griffey will hit #600 this year and unless the National Media hold a press conference for him, it will likely go on without much fanfare. It's a shame, but he is to blame for most of it.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Burnout.

2008-05-30T12:09:00.002-04:00

It was a long stretch of working nine of ten days including all of Memorial Day weekend, but it has proved worthwhile as I have so far enjoyed my four-day weekend. I really can't believe that it almost June, the year is certainly flying by. In the past month since I have made post, there seems to be so much going on in my life its hard to keep up with.
It has certainly been one of the hardest months in the life of my sister Abbie who has been battling some pretty serious health issues, but her courage and dedication to keeping a positive outlook on life is one for the ages, truly an inspiration to all of those that have had the opportunity to witness her pull through all of this. Abbie, I commend you for being such a strong person and keeping a smile on your face when the light at the end of the tunnel had apparently been turned off.
One of the best parts of the past month or so has been taking up and continuing with my hobbies. Unfortunately, I didn't play my first round of golf this year until late April and this is usually not the case. Since then I have probably played about six or seven times and I enjoy it more and more every time I get out on the course. Running has been a new hobby of mine, I don't run far usually about two miles a run, but for me thats not too bad. I spent some $$ and got the Nike+ and some new custom made shoes which has helped keep the motivation. Lastly, it has been an up and down month in the form of relationships and friendships, some new and some of past, but they can all be very challenging to keep afloat. I think that balancing personal relationships with the day to day responsibilities we all have can be one of the most challenging aspects of living a happy life.
I hope to get back in the habit of writing on my blog more often so I don't have to play 'catch-up', and try to cover a month of my life in a quick blog entry. So for all of my readers(ha), I will try and write more often so when come to Queen City Report from work, you will have something to entertain you!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

finally.. spring

2008-04-27T13:39:00.002-04:00

Has it really been 17 days since I last posted? I guess time does really fly by when you are having fun.

Yesterday my Dad and I went fly fishing on the upper section of Caesar's Creek near Xenia. The adventure started early in the afternoon and after a quick stop at a gas station to pick up some drinks and sunflower seeds and a few wrong turns we arrived to the public access point of the creek.

When I first got there I realized then unless I got in the water, my day of fishing would be extremely difficulty with the amount of bushes/shrubs and trees that lined the creek. Especially fly fishing that requires a good deal of space to back cast. I was somewhat unprepared as I had chosen to wear pants rather than shorts, my solution was to take off my socks, roll up my pant legs and wear my Crocs that are surprisingly good on slick rocks. In the meantime my gear head Dad spent 45 mins putting on his new Orvis waders and Orvis boots that "seemed a lot tighter than when I was in the store!" I laughed about the irony of all of it while I caught my first fish while he was just getting in the water.

It was pleasant; it took me away like it always does from the everyday stresses that have found their way into my life. I'm glad I went, the water was crisp clean and refreshing and the two bass that I caught provided enough excitement for the couple hours I was in the water.

On our way home we decided to try and find the River Side Cafe located on the Loveland bike trail about 17 miles north of where we usually get on. Feeling adventurous, we took the back roads, cranked up some Creedence chewed seeds and talked about previous trips. The River Side Cafe provided a man and his guitar, a couple refreshing beers and an oversized bison burger. It was a 7 hour vacation that I needed.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

the downfall

2008-04-10T22:36:00.003-04:00

In Cincinnati this topic is played out, but I would like to give my take. Growing up I idolized Michael Jordan, Boomer Esiason and Barry Larkin. One lived down the street, the other I have a picture wearing his AFC Championship ring and the last lived a few miles away in Chicago and I haven't had the chance to meet him.. yet. For the most part these guys were good role models, they stayed out of trouble, performed and are all now assumingly happily retired.

In today's society and especially locally we continue to see athletes waste what is one of the most sought after careers worldwide. The chance to be a professional athlete. We all make mistakes, I do, you have or will, but you must learn from them. One athlete in particular has finally drawn the last straw and will never play for another NFL team if Mr. Commissioner has any balls. Chris Henry has pretty much been called a 'Crime Wave' by local judges and his past cannot deny the claim. Why is it, after so many chances he continued to put himself in a position to fail in society? I don't get it.

Some of my complaint comes from a selfish bone in my body that wants the Bengals to win a Super Bowl and Mr. Henry is one hell of an athlete that could have helped them achieve it. However, I am glad to see him gone. I am tired of watching him fail when given another chance and taking advantage of the fans, coaches and surely friends that have supported him along the way.

I do think it is unfair to put athletes on a separate pedestal and say "They shouldn't be out till 2:30am at Club Bang, they are professionals", because I do the same thing. However, there needs to be a certain level of awareness as a professional athlete. These guys know they are local celebrities, for there own benefit, don't put yourself in a position to have a conflict with the law (you are under a microscope, realize it). The downfall of professional athletes will always be a problem, and there isn't much we as fans can do.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a new reds hat.

2008-03-30T20:11:00.002-04:00

I bought a new Redlegs hat today. I feel proud to sport the red cap with a white 'C' on it. To me it represents a history of baseball in Cincinnati dating back to 'C'rosley Field.

The regular season of 162 games starts tomorrow, I can't wait. I wish I was able to watch the parade and buy a beer at the game, but like every other year of my life I will miss out. One day I will make it to Opening Day, and I will soak up the experience as much as possible.

There is something to following a baseball team. You get wrapped up in the ups and downs of a long season, and feel part of the team. I look forward to the nights of Marty and Thom on the radio, and hopeful of games in October.

Here's to Marty and the signature "And this one belongs to the Reds!" Let the Opening Day festivities begin!

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

the start of the tourney

2008-03-20T22:15:00.003-04:00

Today marked the start of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Luckily for me I was able to catch the Xavier game at work (in between 50 phone calls, making orders, etc.) Later tonight when I got home I was able to catch what would have been an amazing upset of Belmont over Duke, ohh well.

Since my last blog, I made a trip to Florida for my birthday and partied with my friends in Fort Myers for 5 days. I was bummed that my phone wouldn't let me post on my blog, I really wanted to write while I was there and had some extra time on my hands (laying on the beach, curing a headache from some 'ritas, or sitting in the airport people watching). The trip was a blast and I was able to completely remove myself from routine for a few days..much needed.

The next week looks like it will be a busy one with work, but that beats the alternative. Yesterday I received my first proxy and annual report, both of which I read last night. Most employees/shareholders rarely read these cover to cover, but I felt compelled to and I'm glad I did. The annual report put into perspective how at a store level we make such a huge impact of an $8+ billion dollar a year company. It gave me a newfound sense of pride and responsibility for my company. I hope one day I will be one of the executives writing a letter to my employees and I hope it evokes the same emotions for them. So, for the few of you that read my blog and are employed by a public company, I encourage you to read these statements.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

March Madness

2008-03-11T21:48:00.002-04:00

It snowed over a foot, Elon almost made the 'Big Dance' and part of the Wyo' crew will be causing a stir in Florida in a few days. I love this time of year for a few reasons. There is endless basketball on TV, days are getting longer and the temperature is getting warmer and I get to celebrate a birthday.

I just instantly lost motivation to write what I wanted to talk about. Stay tuned.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

supa' fly tuesday

2008-03-04T22:05:00.007-05:00

I just watched John McCain's nomination speech, and I must say I am excited for the months ahead. I look forward to hearing from both parties on specifically how the problems our country faces today will be fixed from previous real life experiences of yesterday. It will be a battle like all Presidential races go; the only thing I'm not looking forward to seeing is all those stupid commercials about the candidates, ohh well.

Tonight I relaxed with an Amstel Light, some David Sunflower Seeds and watched politics. I look forward to warmer days and mild nights in Cincy when every night is a baseball night as the Reds will try their shot at the Central. It's hard to think of a more relaxing way to enjoy a summer night than grilling out with beer and listening to the Reds on the radio... not too much longer.

The countdown begins, I am heading to Florida over my birthday and there are less than 10 days to go! It should be a great trip and I am looking forward to it like crazy. I will make an effort to post on my blog from the beach so the few people that read this blog will wish they had come to the beach.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan
GOP

you tube dedication

2008-02-17T18:04:00.003-05:00

I usually dont spend a whole lot of time on You Tube searching for funny videos, but today I wanted to see the highlights from the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest. While searching for the highlights, I came across this video that shows the Black Fire Percussion group from Brooklyn, NY. I love watching drumlines, and this is one of the best that I have seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rJWW_KqeAw

I also wanted to share the highlights from the Dunk Contest which are absolutely amazing as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RiBmaGMPNk&feature=bz301

Hope that entertains you for a few mins.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

rebuilding an HP computer

2008-02-13T09:35:00.004-05:00

I think I like to rebuild/fix things. My new undertaking is to restore to working order, my sisters "old" laptop that that wont boot up. The computer really isn't that old so when she gave it to me because it was 'broken' I decided I would try and fix it. After a day or so I finally discovered how to run the diagnostic tools, which told me that the hard drive had failed. Last night I disassembled the computer (picture below), removed the hard drive and will hopefully be buying a new one at Micro Center today. I will keep you posted on how/if the computer works after I drop some money on fixing it.. let's hope for the best (i doubt you can return a hard drive).

Blogging by cell? wow

2008-02-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

So i'm not qite sure how this post will turn out, mostly because I have never done it before. I am sittng at Enthusiast Auto Group having my car go through a 'glorified' oil change (aka Service 1 Inspection). no tv. no coffee. maybe i should have gone to jiffy lube? just kidding. Waiting for my car is giving me an opportunity to finally finish the book A Walk in the Woods, write on my blog as well as listen to Soulja Boy on my ipod.
I finally started to pay attention to the whole political race this week, and I still don't know how I feel about everything. Enough on that for a few weeks.
I have also rediscovered what it feels like to have an extreme cold this week that completely debilatated my entire body for about 2 straight days.. i wish it on nobody.
Sitting here reading A Walk in the Woods reminds me of the summer trips my Dad and I have taken over the years... i miss it more that he knows i'm sure. From hikes with the Redwoods in California, to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and the Big Horn Mtns in Wyoming to name a few, my desire to revisit and or seek out new destinations of the like is bugging me again. Hopefully some time will clear up in the near future and I can organize a trip. That's it for now.
Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

business bug

2008-01-31T10:33:00.001-05:00

So, I am at it again with a new idea/venture that I am in the process of planning. It is an idea that I have been thinking about for awhile. One of the biggest differences in starting this venture and my previous two is that I now realize how little time and energy I have outside of my 45+ hour work week. This has been the most challenging part of getting this going. I come home from a long day at work and it is extremely difficult to put the mind back to work and plan a business, hold a social life, exercise and spend time with family and friends. I truly am beginning to admire those that have succeeded creating businesses with a full time job, wife and kids.

I also know that I am only young once which is why I am not intimidated to start anything. Anything I fail at today or lose money from can only bring me education and experience, and that is invaluable for the long road of life ahead of me. Some people in my life might question why I constantly change interests or ideas and there is no simple answer to this. I have many passions in my life and I crave to understand every one of them as best as I can. In sports I constantly watch ESPN, read writers blogs. In business as I sit here and listen to CNBC, I try and pick apart of business are building their strategies for success in what could be trying times for many of them.

And as my new favorite blog says: "It doesn't matter how many times you fail. It doesn't matter how many times you almost get it right. No one is going to know or care about your failures, and either should you. All you have to do is learn from them and those around you because...

All that matters in business is that you get it right once.

Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are." - Mark Cuban

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a not so US ECOnomy.. a look into whats ahead

2008-01-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

As I sit here and write this quick entry, I think back to October/Novemeber when I was visualizing a serious downfall in our economy. Houses weren't selling, credit card companies are profiting like crazy, foreclosures at all time highs, but yet we keep spending.

This world has a huge problem with money management and it is becoming more and more evident today as globalization now has the ability to magnify our problems. The NYSE is down 16% since October and the NASDAQ is down 20%, for those of you that don't follow the stock market, these are staggering indicators of what in my opinion will likely be a recession ahead of us. It's a tough toss up in my opinion, one that needs a balance. Our economy struggles if people aren't spending their paychecks, however, our future struggles if people borrow more and more money that they won't ever be able to pay back to buy things that they don't really need.

I've had family members/friends/co-workers approach me with financial advice and lately my only good suggestion is to keep your money in a cash fund with a decent interest rate. However, with this huge dip in the stock markets comes great buying opportunities for undervalued stocks, so keep your eyes open for them.

In conclusion, there is no simple answer to fixing our economy, but as the small guy, it would be my advice to keep that hard earned money close to you for awhile.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

chatter blog

2008-01-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

As I sit here and write this, I am enjoying one of the most finely crafted wheat beers in the world (Haystack Wheat, crafted by the Left Hand Brewing Company).

My brother David always inspires me to think deeply about how I live my life and the impact I personally have on other people as well as the environment. One of the recent posts on his blog (to the right), I have decided that I will try and buy gently used clothes whenever possible. As you may know, I have an organic cotton tee shirt company that practices the use of organic cotton in support of more sustainable agriculture in producing textiles. As good as this process is, we still are using a lot of energy and resources to make NEW shirts.

It's been very cold here in Cincinnati, and I am ready for sun and warmer temperatures, its amazing what those two things can do with your spirits and outlook on life.

In addition to drinking Haystack wheat, I have been consistent in working out for almost 1 month straight now (that is pretty good for me).

In case you didn't know I still work a lot which is why if you call me sometimes at 10pm I won't answer (I am sleeping). <-- Old fart.

Lastly, if you can think of something good, what one thing should I buy myself with a bonus I will get in about a week?

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

a new year

2008-01-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

Same beginning. A night of partying with friends in downtown Cincy starting at the Hyatt hotel and moving on to McFaddens, it was a great time. I ended up spending most of the first day of the year laying around and watching football (not a bad start ehh?)

The second day of the year also began the start of a new work year. The store I work at had a great 2007 and the forecast calls for a solid 2008, I am really beginning to understand the operations of running the store, however the product knowledge is a continual work in progress.

To remembering 2007 and looking forward to new things in 2008. Cheers.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

2 weeks overdue

2007-12-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple weeks since I last made a post, and what a better time to do it then when you are on a vacation.. This time of year always creates so many memories, old friends coming in town, visits with family, shopping for presents, good dinners, getting new things and starting a new year.

Today, I will make the trek to the local shopping hubs of Cincinnati and hopefully conquer my entire Xmas list. I typically put all of my Xmas shopping until less than a week before we celebrate, and this year is no different.

Wish me luck as I sit in unnecessary traffic, wait in long lines, spend lots of money (in good fun), and realize that I really do hate shopping.

Peace out.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

Coaches Speak

2007-12-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight I found myself 'channel surfing', typically you will find me watching a sporting event on ESPN or watching financial news on CNBC. Yes I know, boring - I could be watching Dancing With the Stars, The Biggest Loser or even better yet some show about a 'Tila Tequilla'?

Anyhow I happened upon Larry King Live. The episode featured Brad Pitt - the famous one in all the movies. The interview took place in ravaged New Orleans. Brad has recently started a campaign called 'Make it Right'. The campaign that Pitt funded with $5 million of his own personal money is an effort to completely rebuild a section of New Orleans wiped out by Katrina in a completely e-friendly way. Their goal is to use the most up-to-date green initiatives in new construction. I am happy for this and I support this. Green construction initiatives are extremely exciting.

I think the actual implementation of these ideas will slow over the next few years because of the current decline in new home construction. However, I hope when the new boom comes around these new ideas will be utilized in full force.

Now, since I am somewhat argumentative, I would like to get some things off of my chest. It's not that I don't trust extremely wealthy Hollywood celebrities, but they always seem to find themselves talking to the media, yet they complain when the media seeks them out. They use it to their benefit, and then criticize them a second later. I understand you go on Larry King to create awareness, but in my opinion people that do good and have to tell the world have motives I don't agree with.

The ultimate goal of 'Make It Right' is to rebuild a community. Do it. Do it with the millions you and your posse have, why do you need national attention for it?

My second concern is how he complains of the Paparazzi and how they take pictures of his kids etc etc etc. Then Mr. Pitt, why are you letting CNN run clips of you and your four adopted kids OVER AND OVER AND OVER again in front of a national audience on Larry King far greater than that of US Weekly and TMZ.com?

I'm tired of Hollywood. Please refer to John Fogerty's new song 'It Ain't Right' for more details.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

jimmy v foundation

2007-11-28T22:16:00.000-05:00

There are so many opportunities to take our money and donate to a cause that we believe in. I try and donate annually to the schools I attended, and today I made my first donation to the Jimmy V Foundation, for Cancer Research. I have been touched by this story for years, and have finally been able to help out. I encourage everyone reading this to pick one NPO every year to help out in any way possible. Most of my readers are closer family members and friends who support, education, arts, social issues etc. It doesn't seem like much, but these organizations that work for good causes need our assistance. I have quoted Jimmy Valvanos speech below (please take the time to read).

March 4th 1993:
"Thank you, Thank you very much. Thank you. That's the lowest I've ever seen Dick Vitale since the owner of the Detroit Pistons called him in and told him he should go into broadcasting.

I can't tell you what an honor it is, to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But, as it was said on the tape, and I also don't have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I'm going to speak longer than anybody else has spoken tonight. That's the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too.

But, I can't help it. Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me. As Dick said, I'm a very emotional and passionate man. I can't help it. That's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory. We hug, we kiss, we love. When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it's the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.

I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend and wonderful coach. People don't realize he's ten times a better person than he is a coach, and we know he's a great coach. He's meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think, we competed against each other as players. I coached against him for fifteen years, and I always have to think about what's important in life to me are these three things. Where you started, where you are and where you're going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day. When I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can't help it. I have to remember the first speech I ever gave.
I was coaching at Rutgers University, that was my first job, oh that's wonderful (reaction to applause), and I was the freshman coach. That's when freshmen played on freshman teams, and I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz here. Coach Holtz, who doesn't like the very first job you had? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That's a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi, and I read this book called "Commitment To Excellence" by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the fist time he spoke before his Green Bay Packers team in the locker room, and they were perennial losers. I'm reading this and Lombardi said he was thinking should it be a long talk, or a short talk? But he wanted it to be emotional, so it would be brief. So here's what I did. Normally you get in the locker room, I don't know, twenty-five minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field, you do your little x and o's, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk. We all do. Speech number eight-four. You pull them right out, you get ready. You get your squad ready. Well, this is the first one I ever gave and I read this thing. Lombardi, what he said was he didn't go in, he waited. His team wondering, where is he? Where is this great coach? He's not there. Ten minutes he's still not there. Three minutes before they could take the field Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, great presence. He walked in and he walked back and forth, like this, just walked, staring at the players. He said, "All eyes on me." I'm reading this in this book. I'm getting this picture of Lombardi before his first game and he said "Gentlemen, we will be successful this year, if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers." They knocked the walls down and the rest was history. I said, that's beautiful. I'm going to do that. Your family, your religion and Rutgers basketball. That's it. I had it. Listen, I'm twenty-one years old. The kids I'm coaching are nineteen, and I'm going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. I'm practicing outside of the locker room and the managers tell me you got to go in. Not yet, not yet, family, religion, Rutgers Basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it. Then finally he said, three minutes, I said fine. True story. I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom! They don't open. I almost broke my arm. Now I was down, the players were looking. Help the coach out, help him out. Now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm getting the feeling back in it. Finally I said, "Gentlemen, all eyes on me." These kids wanted to play, they're nineteen. "Let's go," I said. "Gentlemen, we'll be successful this year if you can focus on three things, and three things only. Your family, your religion and the Green Bay Packers," I told them. I did that. I remember that. I remember where I came from.

It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.

I talked about my family, my family's so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's right here too. That screen is flashing up there thirty seconds like I care about that screen right now, huh? I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about some guy in the back going thirty seconds? You got a lot, hey va fa napoli, buddy. You got a lot.

I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.

Now I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe, some hope to others. Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but is significant. But if I told you it's ten times the amount that goes in for cancer research. I also told you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. I also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children's lives. It may save someone you love. And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight, that with ESPN's support, which means what? Their money and their dollars and they're helping me-we are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. And it's motto is "Don't give up, don't ever give up." That's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. If you see me, smile and give me a hug. That's important to me too. But try if you can to support, whether it's AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease. I can't thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. I'm going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we'll have some cures and some breakthroughs. I'd like to think, I'm going to fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year!

I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I want to say it again. Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.

I thank you and God bless you all."

thankful

2007-11-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

A few days overdue, but none the less an opportunity to say what I am thankful for.

Im thankful for my family and friends most importantly, camping under the stars, fishing for sly and weary trout, driving fast on the blue ridge parkway with my windows down and music up, the time i spent with my dog maggie, playing golf and ruining a nice walk through the woods, the seasons spring,summer,fall and winter, good health, a job that respects and supports my hard work ethic, watching the bengals on tv, watching the reds on tv and at the ballpark, listening to talk radio, tossing any kind of ball, playing basketball, skateboarding with my brother, enjoying beers with my friends, a game of pool, a nice steak dinner, a nice seafood dinner, going to the beach, going to indian lake with my friends, working in the yard and getting sweaty and dirty, playing pinball with scott, talking with my mom, learning to cook, fixing my car on my own, becoming conscious of my impact on earth (environmentally and socially), blogging, home projects with kev, nights out with abs and amanda, trying to be a role model for the little one, dreaming, taking pictures, discussing art/life/business with jb, reading books, cycling with my dad, weekends at grandmas, visiting relatives, holidays.

this is not all inclusive, but its a start - the common theme being family and friends.

in response.

2007-11-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

A blog that is linked to the right stirred some ideas and a reason for me to 'blog' on my day off (which is the most exciting part of it all).

The post entitled "To show you how stupid the Left is.." got my juices flowing. The post refers to the Newt Gingrich article featured in Outside Magazine entitled, A Contract with the Earth, simply an interview about his current book. The first point in the blog states that Newt says the ONLY way to protect Earth is through market-oriented and entrepreneurial incentives. In fact, the article states that combining capitalism WITH science and technological theories gives America a better choice concerning environmental issues.

The book brings up many useful and tactful ideas of how to actually create and drive change in a world that is so concerned with pointing fingers instead of realizing transformations to our modern global society.

The first section of Newt's book is that we Demand Objectivity. He points out that to sincerely have an objective and transparent approach in cleaning up our world all groups must unite (scientists, entrepreneurs and CITIZENS). No secrets, we need open forums in which we can come to better conclusions on better ways of living. I am personally at fault as I sit here and debate the issue.

We must educate and inspire. For our efforts to be successful we must recruit, train develop and nurture the likes of the most brilliant minds our country has to offer. Without the dedication of a new generation in which there is an understanding of today's modern world, old ineffective ideas will not fix our problems. One of my biggest issues with scientific theory is that we do not know the outcome, so how can we simply assert that one person’s ideas are better that another’s and vice versa.

We have to encourage Green Enterprise. "To protect and sustain Earth's vitality, we must endeavor to calculate, monitor, and control humanity's footprint, finding workable solutions to reverse the historical trend of waste, pollution, depletion, and degradation. A generation of doomsday scenarios has failed to activate needed reforms." This requires us to give private and public enterprises a reason to make change in the way they run their businesses. I believe most people that risk their life savings and time with their family in pursuit of creating a better product or service unless an NPO are doing it as a way to make money as much as a catalyst for change. We must recognize that this will not change; instead we should cultivate free market entrepreneurs that will like make change HAPPEN! We are seeing this today.

Give. Help. Share. "Economic growth and green development are highly correlated throughout the world." America’s growth and development of e-friendly ways of doing business is a result of educated and inspired individuals (think Patagonia, Cliff Bar, Honda).

Lastly we have to Think Long Term. Narrow minded escapes from reality have led some people to believe that change can happen overnight. It must be a commitment to change over time that will allow future generations the ability to enjoy the beauty of nature that I have experienced in my lifetime.

A few more quick points, it was stated that after Newt made the statement that this should be a bi-partisan issue he relapsed to the 'mudslinging' that all conservatives do. Later in the blog it is noted David Robert's states that, "the most innovative market-based environmental strategies have come from greens [liberal environmentalists].." If this isn’t a step back to, "my party is better and smarter than yours", I don't know what is.

- Newt Gingrich, a Republican, taught environment studies at the West Georgia University in the 1970’s.

www.npr.org
adayinthegoodlife.blogspot.com
www.outside.com

a few days off

2007-11-18T21:54:00.000-05:00

Six days off from the paint industry. Well sorta, I plan on working on some things for work that I never seem to have time or energy to during a normal work week. Lucky for me, I am off this Monday-Thursday, which will allow me to catch up on some sleep, buy Christmas presents, work on my car a little bit and hopefully just relax.

The weekend was a success. Friday night I was able to hang out with some friends from high school that I hadn't seen in what seems like years. I spent Saturday bumming around with Terry watching football and went shopping with he and Amanda later in the afternoon. The plan was for Terry and I to get some shoes, what an adventure. About 10 stores later and none with a size 9.5 in the styles I liked, I found two pairs in Macy's. Check em out:

Umm, I am also thinking about getting back into collecting coins/sports memorabilia etc. I finally have some disposable income unlike I did when I first started collecting coins in college.. Ill keep you updated on what I end up getting.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

HELP FIND KYLE FLEISCHMANN

2007-11-15T21:06:00.000-05:00

A member of my 2006 graduating class at Elon University in North Carolina mysteriously disappeared last Thursday 11/9/2007. The story has captured national attention and I hope that my small effort of posting on my blog will at least create some awareness. Below is what you can find on the website www.helpfindkyle.com. Keep his family and close friends in your thoughts.

Kyle Fleischmann is a 6'0", 24-year-old male with brown hair.
He has a muscular build and weighs approx. 180lbs.

Kyle was last seen early Friday morning (11/9/07) around 2:20am in Uptown Charlotte, NC

leaving the Buckhead Saloon on 5th Street and College Street.

Fleischmann was wearing a black shirt, jeans, and black dress shoes.
Kyle left his black pea coat at the bar along with his credit card. There has been no usage of his bank funds since.

It is not known whether or not Kyle took a cab or tried to find a ride home.
His last contact was 3 phone calls made around 3:30am Friday morning to friends and family. He did not leave any messages and his cell phone has been off since.

Kyle Fleischmann is a graduate of Elon University.

If you have any information regarding Kyle Fleischmann's whereabouts after 2:30am Friday morning, who he left Buckhead Saloon with, or anything else you may find helpful please contact:

Richard Fleischmann at 704-258-7782
or
Daniel at 336-262-6958

Thank you and may your thoughts and prayers be with Kyle and his family.

case of a monday

2007-11-12T16:54:00.001-05:00

Crazy busy morning at work today. Enough said.

I wanted to post what will be a project my Step-Dad Kevin and I have started. My parents built a house a few years ago and with no clear idea of how they wanted the basement designed/finished etc., it was left unfinished. The time has come and I hope to help in every step along the way. It really started awhile ago as we had it framed/lights added/electric and basically everything behind the walls had to be completed. Last weekend he and I started the drywall phase of the project. I have never done this before and it proved to be a very rewarding/enjoyable experience.

'We' have a long way to go, but I would like to post pictures as we progress through all of it. Here is the ceiling part we completed last weekend, (notice the stack of drywall we still have to hang):

Thats it for now, I'm feeling ambitious so I might ask Kevin if he wants to work on it at all tonight when he gets home from work..

Enjoy it while it lasts,

ryan

sunday rainy sunday.

2007-11-11T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, looks like the Bengals are finally going to win a game, crazier things have happened, but they are up 21-0 with 4 mins to go.

What a weekend, Friday night I was able to hang out with some friends from High School and Saturday night was David and Carlyn's Fall Pumpkin Party. Festivities ranged from apple bobbing (impossible), beer pong (holla at your champions of the tourney, danny and i), flip cup, camp fire, lots of food. David and I ended the night setting up the tent and sleeping in the cold. We awoke to some rain early this morning (i told David it wasn't going to rain and we didn't need it, ha).

The ride home from Columbus was tough, after a long weekend I am very tired and it poured rain the whole time and we got stuck in traffic from an accident.

I think Marvin Lewis just called another stupid timeout.. jeezus.

The majority of my blogging has really been somewhat of a diary with insight on my local sports teams, soon I hope to post more on issues our country is facing, ideas for the future, but I will likely always post something about my teams.

Oh yeah, I am thinking about getting some Dunk Lows with Webby on the side. You get to custom make them so I will post a pic of them when they arrive.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

slacker.

2007-11-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, its been a little while since I posted last, but I have been extremely busy with work. Last week we had our yearly inventory which required some late nights and long days. Another reason is that I have been so bummed and disapointed at how the Bengals have been playing, there is little I can say other than they are a bad team this year.

I am excited that basketball season has started, I always love that there is a game to watch pretty much every night of the week. As a fan of the game, this ensures I have something good to watch every night.

This weekend my brother David and his wife Carlyn are hosting a Pumpkin Party that I am super pumped about. David and I and some others plan on risking the elements and setting up the tents in the back yard (temps should hover around 30 degrees Saturday night). I hope the next time I post: I have more to talk about.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan

rainy monday.

2007-10-22T17:42:00.001-04:00

I don't intend to only post on Mondays, but this seems to be a regular occurrence.

This weekend:
Saw the movie Into the Woods, ehh not so good in my opinion.
Spent 9 Hours helping my parents paint around the house (Sherwin-Williams influenced I'm sure).
Went shopping with my Mom (lot's of family bonding apparently), I bought the movie The Departed, Playing for Pizza book (John Grisham), 1 pack of baseball cards (landed Daisuke Matsuzaka's rookie card), 1 pack of football cards (threw away the Mike Vick card in the pack)and a copy of Field and Stream Magazine - JB has a full page illustration in the mag, so go buy a copy of the November issue.
Watched the first half of the Bengals game, down 23-10 I decided I would go play football at my old high school with some friends. This proved to be a bad decision, because I'm out of shape and the Bengals came back to win.

On a side note, I will make a prediction that one of the next college coaches to either get a big time head coach job in college or the NFL will be the defensive coordinator from Auburn, Will Muschamp (mark my word).

An interesting thing happened with local sports talk radio, for the first time I drove to work listening to Alan Cutler instead of Tim Lewis. Alan has a lot of energy for 6am, hopefully it goes well, but what was wrong with Tim Lewis? I liked him.

Not much more to talk about really, I have the day off tomorrow and that's about it.

Enjoy it while it lasts,

Ryan Webster

brush your Dusty Baker off.

2007-10-16T17:35:00.000-04:00

I listen to 1530 the Sports Animal on a regular basis, probably more than I should. The talk up to the hiring of Dusty Baker was very negative. I have a few quick thoughts I would like to share on the subject. Why is everyone hatin'?

I think Dusty Baker has a proven track record and deserves the right to prove himself wearing the red cap with a 'C' on it.

This doesn't apply just to sports figures, people from all walks of life deserve a second chance - it's only fair that you can redeem yourself. So what if he struggled his last year in Chicago, and might be blamed for the injury marred Wood and Prior. Dusty Baker's job was to win games, not to be the team doctor. He put in the player's that he felt gave them the best chance of winning, and I hope he does the same for the Reds.

I know the talk was that he is going to burn out our young arms like he did in Chicago, let me ask you a few questions. Have we had pitchers in Cincy in the last 10 years go on the DL or end their careers with arm problems? The answer is YES. Have the Cincinnati Reds made it to the NLCS in the last 10 years? The answer is NO. Next question, have the Chicago Cubs had pitchers in the last 10 years go on the DL or end their career with arm problems? The answer is YES. Have the Chicago Cubs made it to the NLCS and come within 5 outs of the World Series within the last 10 years? The answer here again is, YES. NOW! - you the reader, which would you rather have?

Dear Dusty Baker,

Show this Nati' crew what a made of.

Sincerely,
A Positive FAN

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan Webster

all quiet on the queen city front.

2007-10-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

Usually when I go to post on my blog, I am excited to write out my thoughts. Today I don't feel as though I could provide my consistent readers with content to satisfy their thirsty minds. I likely feel this way because A) The Bengals had their butts handed to them B) The Bearcats lost therefore losing their chances at the National Championship I was hopeful for C)I am extremely exhausted from work and can't really think straight OR D) All of the above

This seems to be a lame way out of analyzing my sports teams, but I am going to go watch the baseball playoffs and cheer on the Indians and Rockies (wow I never thought this day would come...)

It's weird though, I feel as though I have a certain connection to the Diamondbacks. I remember the year before the Diamondbacks became a new franchise I was in the Cincy Shop across from the Tri-County Mall in Cincinnati and asked my Mom to buy me my first fitted baseball cap, and of all the teams (Reds included), I chose the Arizona Diamondbacks (this was 10 years ago). A few years down the road, I vividly remember Luis Gonzalez hitting a World Series winning single off of the most feared closer in baseball, Mariano Rivera. It was the best World Series I have ever seen and will never forget watching that Game 7 - this is why I love watching sports.

Fast forward to 2007 and the Diamondbacks are in the NLCS with a shot at the World Series, but for some strange reason I am rooting against them. My reason is that the Colorado Rockies have in my opinion, have gone on one of the most impressive runs I have ever seen in professional sports and I am really hoping they pull it off. They are an organization that rarely gets any respect and I love to root for an underdog, especially in a sport with no salary cap. This post turned out longer than I expected, I guess I like talking sports even when I'm tired.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan Webster

i worked harddd

2007-10-09T20:35:00.000-04:00

With a Bye week, there wasn't much to get excited about in Bengaldom, but the Cincinnati Bearcats moved to 6-0 and ranked #15 in the AP Poll by beating inter-conference rival Rutgers University. The game was as exciting as they come in college football. I was luckily able to catch the first quarter and then met up with some friends down in Newport. On my way to the bathroom I saw everyone crowded around the bar with their eyes glued to the flat screens. I looked up and sure enough I had timed it perfectly and was able to catch the last 3 minutes of the game. Huge game this weekend at home against Louisville, I hope they can keep up the great play!

Tuesday marked another suspension for a Bengal, cornerback Jonathan Joseph was suspended for this weekends game for a possession of marijuana charge dating back NINE MONTHS ago. Not sure I understand the time of the suspension - seems unfair Coaches can cheat, players can assault other players at casinos in Vegas and only be handed fines. I have a solution to this: Stay out of trouble and you won't have to worry either way.

Today I busted my ass. I woke up relatively early and painted my office/tv room and then spent 5 hours fixing the window regulator in my car (took way longer than I anticipated). My hands are all nicked up and I'm sure I will be sore as hell tomorrow.
Here is what my car normally looks like:

and here's how I had it looking about 4 hours ago:

So anyways, after all that work today, my passenger side window works again for only $130 which would have most likely been $500 or more at any auto shop, woop woop! Time to read some more of A Walk in The Woods and hit the sack.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
ryan

cheaters vs. the outlaws

2007-10-02T19:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked the third straight loss for the Cincinnati Bengals and once again I will give my armchair quarterback interpretation and analysis of what was an embarrassing showing on Monday Night Football.

Topic 1: Injuries. The Bengals are beat up, on the O-Line, LB and RB positions. It was most noticeable after we were down to 2 LB's for a defense that often plays a 4-3. The bye week couldn't come at a better time for this team, we need help..badly.

Topic 2: Cry Babies. Chad Johnson needs to quit whining like a 5 year old when he runs the WRONG route and Carson throws to the other team. Carson- you need to man up to these guys, I'm glad it’s not on TV, but I hope you are doing it behind closed doors.

Topic 3: Penalties. Are you kidding me that we had 12 guys on the field after a TV timeout and the switch of a quarter? Unbelievable.

Anyways, it’s not worth getting too worked up, because I think we could run the table in the second half of the season once we get some guys back. This team has so many of the right parts; it frustrates me to watch them shoot themselves in the foot week after week. I digress.. I will resume Bengals talk soon.

Corporate America-
I am into the third month of my new job, and sixth week as Assistant Manager at my store in Eastgate, OH. Things have been going really well and I look forward to the opportunities of the future within the company. I have met a lot of great people already and am certain this will only continue as time goes on.

Life Talk?
My job now takes up the majority of my time, understandably so. When I first finished school and was working on my companies What A Day and DUBS Bearings, I had endless hours of freedom. This has all changed, and really given me a new appreciation for 2 day weekends, Friday nights out with friends, Sunday night family dinners and especially sleeping past 5:30am. It is a new lifestyle that I am slowly beginning to become comfortable with. Fall is quickly approaching although its supposed to be 90 degrees by Friday..ehh Fall and Winter are my favorite months, so I am looking forward to the cooler temperatures, campfires, sledding and the holiday season.. I feel as though I'm starting to ramble.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
ryan

a tough day to be a bengal fan.

2007-09-23T19:10:00.000-04:00

A weekend full of sports and celebrations in Cincinnati ended tonight with another upsetting loss for the Bengals. However, there is one bright spot that I would like to talk about briefly. The UC Bearcats football team have started the season 4-0 by crushing Marshall 40-14 on Saturday. This ties their previous 4-0 started dating all the way back to 1954!! I will be honest, I have never really cheered the team, I've been to games and I have followed some players in the past and always watch them play their bowl games, but this year has me and im sure the rest of the city (except Xavier fans) excited. With their fast and impressive start, the Bearcats have earned a No. 24 ranking in the AP Poll. The season wont get easy though, they will soon start a tough stretch through the likes of some of best teams in the Big East and the nation for that matter, lets all hope they can keep it up.

Unfortunately, I have to end this post with a much more depressing topic. Fifteen minutes ago, the Bengals lost their second straight game to drop below .500 to 1-2. Most teams wouldn't start to panic at this point, but its the way they have lost the last two games that has me upset. Last week we weren't able to stop anything the Browns did and this week, we gave the ball away too many times. The defense did look better and Dhani Jones looks like he could be a great addition, especially with Caleb Miller getting injured.

Another aspect of the game that bothers me was once again the play calling. It seemed as though we ran two plays all game. We either threw a 30 yard route and over/under threw Chad and TJ multiple times, Chad had two two huge dropped balls and Carson had two INT's that weren't the greatest decisions. We also ran pitch left/right too many times. This play works wonders in pee-wee and High School ball when you have a standout back that is faster than anyone on the feild, but I can't stand plays that are designed to go sideways - RUN UP THE FIELD!

It doesn't get any easier as we wait for New England for next weeks Monday Night Football. Lets hope we get things on track.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
Ryan

first post - lame title

2007-09-20T21:36:00.000-04:00

Alright, I don't want to create a New York Times 'Best Seller' on my first entry, and in all honesty, I don't want to burn myself out with my first post (or bore you). So I would more or less like to introduce myself and briefly describe what I will likely discuss in my following posts.

Very quickly: I graduated from Wyoming High School in 2002, Elon University in 2005, started a tee shirt company (What A Day) in 2005, and skateboard bearing company(Dubs Bearings)in 2006, both with a friend from Elon, JB (See JB Draw, The Greatest Game Ever Played). Currently my life consists of working at Sherwin-Williams (a lot), watching the Reds end another disappointing season and watching the Bengals begin another season with hopes of what they accomplished when I was only 5, only this time I know Joe Montana will not crush me with a miraculous '2 minute' drive.

I hope to discuss my adventures with a new position within corporate America as well as my outlook on the performances of my local teams.

Enjoy it while it lasts,
ryan