(Grey) Goose In The White Snow

Friday night J and I had to pick up an item for my mom at South Ridge Mall. We picked the item up and then went to gorge ourselves at The Olive Garden. I always end up eating way too much salad before the meal but that stuff is like crack, I can’t stop eating it. I got my normal Tour of Italy (Lasagna, Chicken Parm and Fettuccini Alfredo). After waddling out to the car we drove home in the beginnings of a snowstorm.

Saturday we woke up to fifteen inches of new snow. We weren’t planning on doing anything due to the snow but Craig Evraets gave me a buzz and said he and Feyer were braving the elements and actually driving to Milwaukee to go to the clubs. I guess Craig really wanted to live it up on his last “free” weekend and was willing to risk the snow covered roads to do it. I figured if they can drive 45 minutes to go out I can walk three blocks to have a good time. J and I met the two at Taylor’s. We had a drink there and then we went to Tangerine for a drink. We finished the night off in vintage Craig style by dancing the night away at 3 with Grey Goose and Red Bull in hand. After that we stopped at Real Chili to get our eat on. This was my first visit to the downtown RC and it didn’t disappoint. When eating late night with Craig and Feyer you know there won’t be a normal sit down meal. We proceeded to dump bowls of oyster crackers in each others chili and we essentially ate crackers topped with a bit of chili. It was a good time and a bunch of laughs. Craig’s final bachelor weekend was fun. The two hooligans went back to Random and made it home safely. Forget this snow it’s off to Mexico!

Bachelor Party! Most Of It At Least

Friday J went to Peoria for the weekend so I had the whole city and the ability to rip it up bachelor style. So I ripped it up Friday by staying on the couch and watching TV.

Saturday I did actually do something. It was my good buddy Craig Evraet’s bachelor party. The party started out in West Bend and I was stranded in MKE because J had the ride. Luckily my other bud Feyer was working in MKE Saturday morning and he was able to give me a lift to WB. The party started out a bar/arcade that also had an indoor go-kart track inside. I wasn’t able to race due to my hand but the other race junkies tore it up. We watched the football games, ate some grub and had fun. I did kick a little butt in darts and air hockey. If you only need one hand I can still dominate. At 8ish we all loaded up on a bus for the trip to the bars in Milwaukee. The next two hours I am not able to talk about due to the man’s code of bachelor parties. I can tell you I did see Grady Jackson of the Packers. We made it to Yester Years in West Allis about eleven. The crowd there was a little sketchy but everyone had fun. From there we went to Have a Nice Day downtown. I paid my cover charge went to the bar and decided I had had enough of partying. I discretely left and walked to get a gyro in the freezing cold. Another one bites the dust.

I Be iPoddin’

I got my iPod today!!! I would like to thank Jocelyn, her sister Arianne, My brother Randy, co-worker Roman and last but certainly not least, Fudgie. These people have been venerated to one of my coveted “top human being in my life” position for helping me get my iPod for free. The rest of you, shame on you, I gave you plenty of chances. You have a lot of making up to do if you want to be a top player in the life of Ryan. You can start by helping me get an iPod photo at freephotoipods.com or you can settle for being an “average human being.” Thanks again guys!

Pack It Up… It’s Over

This past weekend I can describe quite quickly. Friday I stayed in and did nothing. Saturday Schwenker came over and we watched the playoff games. We went out later that night to Flannery’s and My Office. We got some gyros on the way home. We ate them then called it a night. Sunday Schwenker was still hanging around. Todd and Steph came over. We got some pizza and we all watched the Packers tear our hearts out once again. It wasn’t so unexpected this year though. That’s it.

The Nightmare After Christmas

My Christmas could have been better. Thursday after work J and I drove to Peoria. We got into town just in time to eat at a Chinese restaurant with her family. After the buffet we went to her uncle’s house and had some dessert. The whole family was there in preparation for Christmas. After we were done we went to J’s house for the night. The afternoon of Christmas Eve we had lunch with Jocelyn’s grandparents from her dad’s side. After that was over we went back to her house to get ready for the big Christmas dinner at her other grandparents house. We went to dinner and I must say the food was excellent. J’s uncle had made some unbelievably good, perfectly cooked, tenderloins. With that we had some twice baked potatoes and countless other goodies. After dinner we relaxed, the family exchanged a couple gifts, and we drank a little wine and enjoyed the night and the holidays. After we finished at her grandparent’s we made a stop at her dad’s house so the family could exchange gifts while Marissa was still around (she had to fly back to St. Thomas in the morning). Mr. P got me a cool mountable bottle opener and some ZipZap mini remote control cars to race, awesome. When we finished we headed home and waited for Santa.

Christmas day we woke up and J, her sister Arianne and her mom exchanged gifts. Marissa had left for her tropical home and I guess had quite the adventure in the process but still made it back. Arianne bought me a Lambeau Field glass and some “Ryan’s Bar” items. J bought me a Swiss Army card and a moosh pillow. J’s mom bought J and I a Miracle Blade knife set, more on this later. After we finished opening our gifts we headed to her grandparent’s/mom house to exchange some more gifts. J’s grandparents bought me some very cool salt and pepper mills and I got a travel kit from her aunt and uncle. After we were done exchanging gifts we took our booty and went to J’s dad’s house for Christmas dinner. We had the best store bought shrimp I’ve ever had and some dips as apps. For the main course we had the usual ham with some tater salad. When we finished eating we enjoyed the Christmas spirit with some spirits. Every beer I drank had something to do with the holidays. One was had noel in the name, one had a picture of Santa on the label and one had holiday in the name. The rest of the night we watched movies and I played with my ZipZaps.

The day after Christmas, a day that will live in infamy. We gathered up all our stuff, said our goodbyes and headed back to Milwaukee. We ended up getting back about seven at night. We unloaded the car and unpacked our suitcases. Then we started to put all our presents away. I started to unpack the knives and I got through unpacking one of the knife boxes but the second box had a knife, actually a cleaver, that wouldn’t come out of its cardboard sheath. I really don’t know what happened next but I think the cardboard gave and the knife sliced through the cardboard and into my hand. I knew it was bad so I went to the sink to run it under water but when I to there and rinsed it off I saw the gashes spurting blood and the bone of my middle finger, that’s when I started to panic. I couldn’t move or feel my fingers so I told J to call 911 because I had to go to the hospital. Then I saw all the blood and thought about my fingers I started to get light headed and go into shock. J called 911 and got a towel to wrap my hand in. Finally I started to calm down and heard the first responders so I told J to get my insurance card and we’d meet them in the lobby. We met them in the lobby and I told them I couldn’t look at it. So I turned my head and showed them and proceeded to spurt blood on the steps of our lobby. The responders told me to quickly put it back in the towel. They got my info and bandaged my hand up in a club-like state. They told me to go to Froedtert due to their good trauma unit. They asked if I needed an ambulance and I said no that J could drive me there. So the next three hours were spent bleeding and poking and prodding, ouch. They then decided that I would have surgery in the morning so I got bandaged back up and told to come back at 5:30 the next morning.

I was very nervous about my first surgery. It was supposed to take an hour but I went in at 7:30 and J didn’t see me until noon. I cut three tendons, two nerves, an artery and a partridge in a pear tree. After surgery I was groggy but they don’t let you leave until you use the bathroom. So I struggled to my feet and walked to the bathroom while trying to stay upright. I was very dizzy but hospitals suck so I sucked it up and we got out of there. The rest up the day was spent drugged up.

Tuesday I got to go to therapy and have a splint made, lucky me. Merry Christmas. The therapist was moving my fingers and she told me to quit resisting. I said, “Listen lady, I can’t feel from my elbow on. I don’t know what my hand is doing or what I’m telling it to do.” So she taught me some wonderfully painful exercises and sent me home. The rest of my week of vacation was spent on the couch. So much for practicing my guitar and other fun plans.

New Year’s Eve was fun for as crappy of a situation I was in. J and I bought a couple pounds of shrimp and we cooked them up. We ate those and had a couple dips and spent most of the night at home. We did leave for an hour to go to the New Year party where all my friends were. We brought in the New Year and then we left. It would have been fun to stay and enjoy the night but I didn’t feel so hot so home we went. Happy 2005 to everyone! May you last the year with all fingers intact!