He didn't make it.

"Pop" suffered another major stroke at some point since Saturday.

They took him off the ventilator/respirator whatever last night. He passed around midnight.

Tori was in MUCH better spirits Monday, so I didn't go up there.
Once I've got my stuff together today I guess I'll head out.

Thanks for the advice (even though I didn't really take it.)

The Name Game

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Goober Cherokee

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Vanilla Vomero (I like it!)

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): blue dog

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Ryan New Orleans (eh?)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Lewja

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Grey Zero

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Cecil Denver

8. Pro Wrestler name(favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Pheonix Milky Way Dark

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Phillips (i THINK!) Philadelphia

10. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Spring Lily (can't really say I have a favorite flower)

11. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Cantelope Slacks

12. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Sausage Pine

Want to play the 'Name Game'??? Consider yourself tagged!

Track #7

Theory of mine. Discuss at your leisure.

Track no. 7 on an artist's first major CD will be their best, or one of the strongest on the album.

Of course this is not law, but it sure seem to be more often that not.

Case in point - I'm listening to Duffy - Rockferry right now.

First few tracks were soft hitting, decent but nothing special. then around 5 they picked up. and seven nailed it out of the park.

Track eight, back downhill - still good (I'm loving this CD so far)

My thinking is the record execs want you to listen to the whole cd and not just the first two or three - makes sense, right?

As far as a review of this CD - Duffy is somewhere between Joss Stone and a clean Amy Winehouse. She has soul, but there's a lot of pop in there too..... but the CD seems worth picking up when it comes out.

One more thing... DNR

All this talk of strokes and what not later makes me feel the need to put this in an, at least semi, public place.

This is my D.N.R.

Do not resuscitate me.
Under no circumstances.

Just in case there was a question.

I wish for no one to be burdened wondering what to do, and I wish that no one have to care for me in any sort of vegetative condition. If I can not/will not be able to care for/control myself there is no reason to me to go on.

Seriously.

Tori's "Pop"

Tori's grandfather, "Pop", has not been well lately.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer about a month and a half ago. Everyone was scared to death, understandably. Then - GOOD NEWS! - they caught it early enough to wipe it out in surgery.

The surgery was a success....of sorts. The cancer was gone. But he picked up an infection somewhere along the way, so had to stay in the Hospital. The infection got to a point to where he was put on a respirator.

Tori and the boys went to Hernando early Friday afternoon (before the snow) - he had a stroke that night.

My mamma(sic) recently suffered a stroke. It's not pretty. She has no idea who her own children are. She can barely figure out how to eat on her own and has not yet gone to the bathroom on her own since the stroke. Luckily(?) she is walking again and talking much better than she was. She may not be able to call you by name, but there seems to be at least the air of familiarity there.

At least that's what I keep telling myself...

Things do not seem to be boding so well for "Pop". If he lives through them taking off the respirator, he will no doubt be at the very least bed-ridden. They take him off tomorrow.

Tori is VERY upset. It kills me to see, or hear rather, her like this. I have recently started a new job (Feb. 1). I just don't feel like I can take off to head up there without him passing. I know that sounds weird, but I'm thinking if I go up there for 2 days or so to comfort her, come back, then he passes, and I have to go back up there, that my new employer will not look favorably upon that.

Pros:
New Employer and I are longtime friends.
New Employer is very understanding about family.

Cons:
The business shuts down without me there, pretty much.

I don't really know "Pop". I've talked to him on maybe a handful of occasions - and never really at any length. Hardy & Cannon have no idea who he is, either. So I wouldn't really be going up there, even in death, for him - but for her. to comfort her. And it seems like she needs comforting now....

I'm torn.

Since when....

....has Maker's Mark cost $25? Man, they are full of themselves. Friends tell me they are the lowest end of sippin' bourbons - but I can't sip this garbage w/o at least some water. And I hate to pay what I can get a bottle of Knob Creek for. Horrible.

Just an FYI

Where Nader stands.

Just so it's clear, here's a little more Nader for your tater.

http://www.votenader.org/index.html

I don't necessarily agree with Universal Healthcare, but I think all the canidates think we should have it - so I don't see us getting out of that one.

And as much as I don't like W and Cheney I don't really care if they are impeached or not.

NADER! IN IT TO WIN IT!

Here we go boys and girls. FINALLY someone I feel comfortable about voting for.

NADER RUNS FOR PRESIDENT

I don't really care if he doesn't have a chance, I want to be able to say - "told you so" after Hillary or Obama or McCain end up with the same screwed up government we've had for the past 16+ years.

I like a lot of what Ron Paul said and some of Huckabee.... Obama too, a bit.

But have not been convinced until now. I know where Nader stands and I dig it.

Netflix member? watch this instantly.
Ralph Nader: An Unreasonable Man

5 Weird Things....

I wasn't officially "tagged" but it sounded fun, so I tagged myself...

1. In keeping with the food-related themes of Julie's and Taylor's posts - I can't get enough hot sauce. Seriously. hotter the better. Tori gets pretty ticked when she makes spaghetti or stir-fry or anything and I don't even taste it and I'm pouring hot sauce all over it. I understand her frustration, BUT I NEED THE HEAT, MAN!!!!!!!

2. I HATE BEING BAREFOOT. That's about as simple as I can make that. At least socks at all times. Tori and the boys scoot around the house all day with narn on their feet. We have pulled up the carpet in Mamma's old house and put down Laminate flooring. They have "grocery store feet" by the end of the day and it bothers me to no end. My desk is also right by the back door, where the kids/dogs come and go all day and track dirt/mud/filth - must. keep. feet. covered.

3. I have NO long term memory. I really don't. I'm thinking it's because my mind races like Earnhardt - so I'm generally not paying attention to anything happening RIGHT NOW. So unless it's just a spectacular happening, later I have a hard time recalling it.

4. I'm with Jules on the whole fan thing. I need a ceiling fan going. Tori, not so much - gives her headaches, so this causes a little night time strife.

5. And here's my favorite....(insert drumroll)....I HAVE NO UVULA. Fact. No hangy down thing for Daddy Ryan. Had it removed. slowed me down....well, not really. It was cut out when I had my tonsils out to try to let me breathe easier while sleeping. Didn't work. I'm hooked up to a CPAP machine these days. I sleep like a baby. A baby Dath Vader, but a baby, nonetheless.

So who's next?

Toshiba, it's about time....

HD-DVD looks to be dead, FINALLY ending the 2-year stalemate of which was better - Microsoft/Toshiba's HD-DVD or Sony/Everyone else in the free world's Blu-Ray DVD.

Thank God I didn't get that HD-DVD player for my xBox360. And what's better - this is a reason to invest in a PS3!! W00T! A pretty well known fact is PS3s are the cheapest Blu-Ray players out there @ $349 - sadly(ish).

Welcome.... Again....

My cousin is giving me crap about not having anything on my blog, so I guess I'll try again to keep one. We know my track record - so by tomorrow around noon, I will have prolly moved on.... ;)

For those not "in the know", I'm a daddy of two rough ridin' rapscallions - HardyBoy and CannonBall. Married to my best friend, seriously - Tori. And I get to do what I love for a living - draw, play on the computer and learn new technologies...

My free time is pretty much taken up by my boys, my xBox360 and World of Warcraft.

That's me in a nutshell.

TTFN - RyanL.