A Salesman I would Buy From…
March 3, 2010 by Ryan Elledge
Thanks to Shawn Hashmi for sending me this bit of SpAm is KoOl:
I took a Cadillac Escalade out for a test drive today. The salesman sat in the back seat describing the car and all its wonderful options.
The seats were of particular interest. He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.
I stated the car must be a Republican car. Looking a bit perplexed, he asked why I thought it was a Republican car? I explained that if it were a Democratic car, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year round.
The Great Open Debate
January 8, 2010 by Ryan Elledge
Thankfully we have that open and transparent government of change we heard so much about.
Merry Christmas
December 24, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
I guess it’s only Christmas Eve right now, but nonetheless, Merry Christmas to you. I hope you and your family have a safe and joyous Christmas Eve and Day.
In just a few hours, Rebecca, Braelyn, Brody, Spencer and I will head to a church service and then home to open up presents. While this will be Brody’s first Christmas, I really think this is going to be the first Christmas where Braelyn will just absolutely have a blast opening all of the presents, or “pretties” as she likes to call them. She understands this Santa Claus guy this year, but doesn’t quite realize that Santa is coming tonight to bring her plenty of toys and clothes. I know when she sat on Santa’s lap, when asked what she wanted for Christmas she whispered to him “can-e and toyz”. I wish I could have been there, but it happened while I was out-of-town for work. Anyway, tonight is going to be a blast, and then she’ll wake up and have another gift or two that Santa might put under the tree for her.
Brody will get his share of goodies, too… he just won’t really comprehend since he’s only a few months old. Next year I am sure he’ll grasp it, as I am quite certain his big sister Braelyn will explain it all to him once the tree goes up next November.
The biggest question I have is will Santa be good to Spencer? I suspect so, since Spencer has been, for the most part, a good little boy this year.
It will most definitely be a quieter Christmas… just the 5 of us, plus Hoover and Sophie. It will be sad not to experience it all with my family or Rebeccas, but that is what living in different parts of the country do for you. Rebecca’s family is scheduled to come up tomorrow for Christmas lunch, but those plans are in jeopardy as Old Man Winter plans on making an appearance tonight. Actually as I sit here in my home office and look out the window, I notice the wind has picked up (making me feel like I am back in Casper), it is drizzling rain and approaching freezing. Supposed to turn to snow after 5pm tonight, and they say we’ll get anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of snow. It will, most likely, be a White Christmas. They say that there hasn’t been a Christmas Day with 1″ or more of snow accumulation since 1969 here in the Kansas City area. That is crazy to think about. Sure there has been snow on the ground on Christmas Day, but actual snow fall on Christmas Day, not since 1969.
Crazy to think that this year is almost done… and a decade, as well. Just think, ten years ago we were all wondering if the world was coming to an end with the Y2K issue. Now, the same thoughts go through our heads, but it’s the government we need to worry about, not some potential computer hiccup. Yep, thanks to Santa Reid, a crazy version of health care reform passed vote this morning. I still hold out hope that the Senate and the House won’t get a compromise, but seems likely they will. Funny to think that Santa Reid has clauses (yes, pun intended) in there to prevent any future congress from removing parts of his bill. At least we can all be thankful that this congress knows so much more than all others before them and that will come after them. Thankfully, I am sure the courts will probably not allow some of this garbage.
Man, I guess it’s sad that I can’t even post a Merry Christmas blog without going down the PoliTICKS me OFF route. Sorry folks.
Anyway, to you and yours, have a Merry Christmas. I hope the real Santa Claus brings you everything you want.
Peace.
–RElledge
DMB, Vegas, the Wife and a Birthday
December 23, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
First, happy belated birthday to my wife Rebecca. She turned 3X last Friday (Dec. 11), and we spent her birthday and a few days surrounding it in Sin City. While what happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, I will share a bit.
On Thursday and Friday, we enjoyed two Dave & Tim shows. This was the first time Rebecca has experienced Dave & Tim… and the two nights were awesome. We heard Angel from Montgomery, which was the first time Dave or the full band has performed it since August of 2001. That was a nice surprise. On her birthday, we heard Rebecca’s two most-desired Dave songs: Crash and Satellite. Yep, she walked down the isle to the riff of Satellite when we got married, and we enjoyed our first dance as a married couple to none-other-than Crash. We also heard a new, never-before-played song by Dave: After The Gold Rush. Dave played it on piano. When he went over to the piano, I was certain he was playing Out of My Hands, but no… he had a surprise for us! It was awesome. Dave said he screwed it up, but since it was the first time ever playing it, who was to know? The concerts were definitely great. I wish I had been at the Saturday concert, as I would have gotten to hear A Christmas Song, which was the one song I really wanted to hear. Oh well, we enjoed Mystere, the Cirque De Sole show. Second time I have seen it, but the first for Rebecca and Eli & Heather Bowman, our friends who joined us on the trip.
Ok, since I am often asked, that makes my 68th Dave show. It may actually be a couple more than that, but I think I have captured all that I can remember on DMBAlmanac.com’s website. Click that link if you want to see the exciting stats of my shows.
On Thursday, we had a wonderful… and I mean WONDERFUL… dinner at Prime, a steakhouse in the Bellagio. Our table overlooked the fountains. While expensive, it was a great meal no doubt.
Eli told me on the trip that they say you should walk 10,000 steps a day for health. I am healthy for the next few months based on our excursions in the bitter air in Vegas.
Well, that’s enough for now. Happy Holidays… and by that I mean Merry Christmas… to ya’ll out there (sorry, Obama… America is a Christian country, no matter what you say). Excited to see what changes 2010 will bring… 2009 has been a somewhat up-and-down year for me. Definitely up from a family perspective, mixed on the work side of things, and down on some other items which aren’t exactly things I want to post about. I am just thankful I have a great job in this economy, have the most awesome baby girl in the world, was blessed with the birth of my son this year, my step-son is doing better in school and is an awesome big brother to Braelyn and Brody, and my wife is the best (wrinkles and all!). I am also blessed to have such a great family and for all of my friends.
Here’s to a great 2010, including another “change” in Washington DC that will hopefully offset some of the change we’re seeing from the current mess in the corrupt capitol.
Peace.
Website Update… In Progress
December 23, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
I’m currently in the midst of doing some spring, er… winter, cleaning here on RyanElledge.com. Changing the theme of the website to ithemes.com’s Builder theme. I have some work to do but will have a chance to continue updating over the next few days, I hope.
Also migrating to a new server. I have moved most of the sites off my old, sluggishly slow server, but for some reason saved my site for the end. The website is over but will have to work on getting my gallery migrated over the next few days, so sorry mom, the pictures are down for a short time. Hopefully by Christmas I will have them up and running here on my new super-duper fast server.
It’s a work in progress but seems to be going faster than the Royals and Chiefs progress, so I guess it’s good enough for the pros.
Merry Christmas, all.
-RElledge
Quick Politicks Me Off Moment
September 23, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
All that keeps going through my head right now is the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update skit on Really? With Seth and Amy.
I mean, REALLY? It’s now ok for Massachusetts to fill a vacancy by an interim appointment now that the late “great” Ted Kennedy is dead? Really? It wasn’t okay in 2004 and 2006 for then Republican Governor Mitt Romney to fill vacancies with interim appointments, but now in 2009 it’s okay for a Democrat governor to do so? Really? I guess this is the change promised by Obama… Really… interesting… really.
I would love to hear from the left how this is right….
–Relledge
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Brody Carlen Elledge
September 20, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
My boy, Brody, is home. At just over 2 days old, he’s making quite an impression in the house. Braelyn has done well with him, but time will tell how well she will adjust to a prince invading her princess territory. But, so far so good!
It truly is quite amazing to experience bringing a human being into the world. Now, I don’t pretend to know what Rebecca went through for the past nine months, but I can tell you the scariest minutes of my life have been the minutes where Braelyn and Brody entered the world. It is such a relief when you first hear the baby cry and the doctors give the all clear signs! Then, it is nothing but joy.
Rebecca was a champ in both the delivery of Braelyn and Brody. I’m sure she was with Spencer, as well. I will admit that I got a bit more brave this time, and watched the whole thing instead of staring at the heart rate and contraction monitor like I did with Braelyn. And yes, I even cut the cord. I must say, it is an amazing thing to witness. As for Rebecca and I, we plan this to be our last one. Heck, I am too old for this!
Brody is very healthy and is doing well. He definitely sleeps a ton, but mixes in some feedings every couple of hours. His cry, despite what some of the pictures in his gallery may lead you to believe, is pretty quiet. As chaotic as it gets around here, he may need to turn the volume up a bit just to be heard. I am only hopeful though that he will grace us with sleep at night. Braelyn has been absolutely a great baby… only two or three real bad nights in her 20+ months with us. I hope Brody falls in her footsteps! Then again, he may make us pay… time will tell but I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes and congratulatory remarks over on Facebook and Twitter. It is much appreciated.
While I will head back to the office this week, Rebecca’s six weeks or so of vacation begin. Yeah, right… I know! She will definitely have her hands full. She is a terrific mother. I, as well as my kids, am very fortunate.
Have a great week, and here’s to wishing my father safe travel back to Wyoming tomorrow. I wish he could stay awhile longer, but duty calls….
Tags: braelyn, brody, rebecca, spencer
Live, From Menorah Hospital
September 17, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
Rebecca and I made it here to Menorah Hospital in Overland Park, KS to deliver our baby boy, Brody. She is lying in the bed filling out form after form, and answering all the same questions we had to answer just a few days ago. But this time, we won’t be sent home. Today, she is being induced and the little Broad-meister will join us sometime today. Exciting times. Will update this blog posting periodically today, and pictures will, of course, be forthcoming.
An exciting day! Wish us well.
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This is the week….
September 13, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
Well, the week has arrived, though we anticipated the newest Lil’ B, Brody, would have already come. If he doesn’t make an appearance before Friday, Rebecca will be induced and he should arrive probably midday on Friday. I am so excited to have a son on the way, but afraid as well. Life will drastically change… again… with the second infant in the house. Rebecca has done much of the work with Braelyn, but I am going to have to step my game up quite a bit. It will be challenging, with work going 100 mph, but it will definitely be worth it. Our family will be complete… yep, I am proclaiming right here, right now that this will be the last. How to make that happen is subject to debate here in my house, but one way or another, I think we’re done!
Brody’s room is coming along… the walls are painted, quite a bit of decor has arrived (but has not been hung). The new carpet is in, the crib, chainging table and rocking chair have been relocated from Braelyn’s room to Brody’s. I have a guy who is going to build me some cool wooden lockers for his room, and those won’t be done for about 4-6 weeks, but that will be the finishing touch. Now, if I could just get his baseball ceiling light working… the fan works, but not the lite. Someday I will master being an electrician. That someday will probably be right after my pops arrives mid week.
Yep, mom and dad are heading here from Casper to be here to welcome Brody into the world. Will be great to have them around to help out. I know Braelyn will love it… though she absolutely loves visiting with ba-pa and grandma on the computer. Webcams make family a lot closer, that’s for sure. And anytime I am on my laptop, Braelyn comes running to talk to ba-pa.
Braelyn is quite the girl. I am nervous as to how she is going to react to having a new brother… one that will inevitably take much attention. There is a 6 month old at her daycare who she isn’t too fond of. I think she will be a great big sister. I know in about 2 years, we’ll love the fact that Brae and Bro are so close in age. Of course, daddy and Spencer will spend a bunch of time with Braelyn while mom is feeding Brody. Ah, the sleepless nights are approaching quickly!
So it was nice to have some football to watch. I did ok with my picks for week one, though I must admit I did not pick the Broncos. Don’t get me wrong, I am ecstatic that they won… I just didn’t anticipate it. Was awesome to see the Chiefs lose again… that’s pretty normal though.
Quickie on politics… I am just so amazed at how many people pretend they know what the health care bill(s) being pushed are really about and what they will do. How could any of us really know how good or how bad the bills are… even our Congress hasn’t even read them! What I do know is I am very opposed to the government running anything more. They fail, fail, fail in everything they put their magical touch on. And I don’t like businesses being punished, nor individuals being mandated to. I love the legacy concept of America being a free-country. Those days are behind us all, I must say.
I do have to give major kudos to President Obama for his 9/11 speech. I was actually quite amazed at it, really. The speech was very thoughtful and sincere and well delivered (thanks, teleprompter!) The amazing part to me was the religious overtures that Obama gave during his speech. He cited scripture and referenced God. Oh, how that must just irritate the left. Oh well, I bag on the buy enough so may as well give him props when he deserves it.
Speaking of 9/11, that is my mom’s birthday. Of course I called her and wished her a happy birthday, but let this be my public proclamation of such, and that I am so thankful for my mother (and my whole family). She is a tremendous woman who cares so much about her family and friends. I pray my daughter will grow up to be the same way. I am thrilled that Rebecca suggested that Brody’s middle name be Carlen, my mother’s maiden name.
Oh, and 9/12 was the Biggest B’s birthday… my nephew Brandon turned 20! Can’t believe it… I remember vividly holding him and dancing to Lollipop when he was younger than Braelyn is today… what a great kid. He’s off traveling in Europe right now for the next week. I pray he has a wonderful, safe time over there. What a great kid, er, young man he is.
Well, Hoover is laying at my feet snoring, Braelyn has been in (and out) of bed for the past two hours (mostly in, but she did tumble out of her bed tonight), and Spencer and Rebecca just ventured to bed themselves. I guess that is my clue it is time for me to do the same. After a shower, though… I am FILTHY from finishing my firepit today. Will have to throw some pictures up in my gallery sometime in the next few days. Pretty happy with how it turned out. It isn’t perfect, but for never having done anything like it before, I must say I did a pretty damn good job.
Peace to all ya’ll out there in cyber land. Wish us well as we bring another Elledge into the world…
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Crazy Times
August 30, 2009 by Ryan Elledge
Happy Sunday morning. Looked at my site yesterday and realized I haven’t posted in almost 2 months. Congratulations to you, for not having to expend your valuable time pondering my meaningless thoughts. Time to make up for that.
Let’s start with the fact that Braelyn is within three weeks of being a big sister. And, if Rebecca’s motherly intuition is correct, it will probably be less than the 3 weeks. While the baby’s due date is September 23, the doc has scheduled a Friday, September 18 induction. Our money is on not waiting that long. Rebecca feels like she needs a few more weeks to get everything done at work that she needs to get done, but the little one may not let her.
Baby’s name is going to be Brody Carlen Elledge. Brody because we like that name. Carlen because that is my mom’s maiden name and Rebecca suggested it. Elledge because I think the baby is mine. Time will tell if we got the names right!
Brody’s room is almost ready. New carpet was put in yesterday. Walls are painted. We have *some* of the stuff that will hang on the walls to bring it alive but still have to get some. So, surprise surprise, Brody’s room is baseball-themed. Vintage baseball themed, I should say. Grandpa Bradshaw was going to build a couple of nice wooden lockers for the room, but I think I complicated it enough that he doesn’t feel comfortable doing it now. So, I have to find me a good wood carpenter to get them built. Will be searching the WWW later today to find someone. I have already diagramed them and have some pictures for the lucky person to work off of.
As of today, Braelyn has been out of her crib and in her new big girl bed for one week. While Rebecca and I would have been more than content to leave her in the crib for awhile, her pediatrician suggested we get her out of the crib and into her big girl bed in advance of Brody coming home so that she won’t have any negative associations with the baby and leaving the crib. She has done really well in her queen sized bed… thanks to the rails we added to the side, we get some sleep, too. Only once this past week did we find her not in the bed in the morning, and that time she was on the chair we put at the corner to catch her if she falls. I think she really likes her new bed and has been doing quite well with it.
The Big Dawg is pretty-well back to “normal” and is recouped from his ACL surgery. He is back chasing the next door evil dogs up and down the fence line, at least until Rebecca or I get over there and get him to stop. I am not inclined to have to replace his other knee so he best take it easy.
Well, since we last “spoke”, my grandpa Carlen has moved out to California to be in an Alzheimer’s facility. He seems to be doing quite well and enjoying it, at least from what we hear out here. The facility is close to my aunt and uncle’s place so they get to see him quite frequently. It was definitely time. Speaking of evil, that is most definitely what Alzheimers is.
Should be off to the Gorge next weekend for my somewhat annual trip to see the Dave Matthews Band for three nights in paradise. Doesn’t look like I will be making the trip this year. Figure it is too risky that Brody might grace us with his presence around that time, so I am going to have to miss out. It’s a bummer, too, as I won’t get to hear the new album at the Gorge and won’t get to reconnect with Rick and Nath (from Europe) and Jamie (from Las Vegas) who we camped by last year. I was looking forward to seeing them again, but they will have to enjoy this year without Gabe and I.
Work is crazy. We sold part of the business and created a new brand, Codero, for our remaining services. This has, and will continue to, kept me overly busy with work. I enjoy working hard and a lot (yep, that’s the Republican in me), so I guess it’s good.
Ok, so I touched on politics… let me get this out of the way right now. I am so excited to live in a country with czars in charge of many aspects of my life. I am so excited to live in a country which is de-privatizing industry and taking control over salaries, leadership and the such. I am so excited to live in a country that is more concerned with the “rights” of those who intend to do harm than the safety of its citizens. I am so excited to live in a country that is governed by a few whackos who feel that even though they can’t keep our government clean they should manage our health care for us. I am so thankful to Pelosi, Frank and Obama for really doing everything possible to make my life better so I don’t have to.
Enough politics for now. Quick sports update:
* Broncose will suck. Bowlen will figure out soon he messed up.
* Royals still suck. And, as long as they have David Glass and crew owning them, they probably always will.
* Chiefs will still suck, though they may double their victories from a year ago. The push for 4 is on!
* Soccer is still not my favorite thing to watch. Spent 2 hours watching Spencer play it yesterday. And after 80 minutes of thrilling no-scoring soccer, they shake hands and walk off the field with both teams, um, winners? losers? equals? I dunno, guess it isn’t important enough to have someone win that they don’t do over time or even a “kick-off” of some sort. What a disappointment to spend so much time watching so much “action” and not even have a winner. Oh well, this way I am the only loser!
Speaking of Spencer… it’s official. He’s 16. But have no fear [yet] as he doesn’t have his driver’s license. That will be coming soon, though. He’s a sophomore in high school. Must be doing really well… hasn’t had any homework in the first week!
Ok, time to go put together a crib and such so will sign off.
Talk to you soon… maybe.
-RE
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