Archive for November, 2006
I look very young, I always had, when I was a baby people would look at me and say, “what is he? Zero?” And I was like, “nooo I’m one, I’m one over hereee!”
So, Lindsey Nelsen and I went to Applebee’s tonight to pick up our paychecks (prepared by ADP) and we saw a kid we work with named Phil. He’s a cool guy that I’d kind of like to hang out with, but would have no clue what we’d do. So, basically him and Lindsey are talking about how school is done in just a couple weeks and they are more than ready and I say something to the effect of, “oh, so cute and so young” and Phil says, “what are you, like 23?” “22″ “I don’t know what it is about you, but I would say you look 19 or 20, you look young man.”
Then started the discussion right in the middle of Applebee’s, what is it about Bryce Rausch that looks young specifically?
Hair was ruled out, height was not, my smile was not, and we basically came to no conclusion. So, I ask you. Look at this picture:
So, what is it about me that looks so young. Miles doesn’t look young, dad doesn’t look young, Lindsey doesn’t look young. I do. Discuss if you want.
November 28th, 2006
Though it’s a bit premature for a timeline, if you think of it, well, if Linds and I think of it, it’s been a crazy “semester” “few months”, whatever you want to call it.
I was talking to Lindsey and here is what I came up with as far as major events recently.
• Moved from Midwest
• Drive across the country
• Paid tolls for the first time
• Begin living in an apartment that costs over a grand a month
• Had our first Philly Cheese Steaks (with the honorable Valentine Rausch)
• Lind’s begins school
• Begin driving all throughout Philadelphia to job interviews
• Skipped a toll road ticket and paid $19.25 more than was owed because of it
• Nearly got mugged for the first time
• First experience taking brotherly love
• Opened first bank accounts away from home
• Get hired for a job an hour away in Allentown
• Work as a telemarketer calling hospitals for 8 hours a day
• Learn what it feels like to have everyone you call hate you
• First all-nighter watching TV shows
• First all-nighter playing where’s my hand with a cat
• Work as a telesales representative for ADP
• Got our first laptops
• Entered first keg race
• Golfed two different courses, one nearly equal to Ortonville, one better
• Got 2 black cats, brother and sister
• Van broke down
• Went on first nature hike in PA
• Bought a brand new car
• Got car insurance
• Setup 401(k) as well as picking other benefits
• Opened first savings account away from home
• Lind’s and I each get a job at Applebee’s
• Discovered Yuengling and Blue Moon beer
• First time quoted in a newspaper
• Hosted first Wine and Cheese party after years of practice
• Got first credit card
• Have first Thanksgiving away from friends and family
o Host first Thanksgiving
• My computer gets so ill it’s turned on only for printing or pirating purposes.
• Got our first Christmas tree
• Planned our first wedding
• Officially forgot every reason I used to be friends with Chet
• Linds ate sushi for the first time
• Finally quit thinking of Miles in that way
• Got acclimated to not calling it a sub sandwich but a hoagie instead; also “busting ass” for gas; Jersey, never New Jersey; dive bar= stay away from bathrooms; ant = aunt; Pop = Soda; South Dakota = North Dakota = Dakota, all are indistinguishable; “let’s go to the shore” = “Let’s go to the beach”; AC= Atlantic City.
There you have it, everything we could think of, even the dirty stuff, MEOW…hiss.
November 27th, 2006
Guess what happened here.
November 22nd, 2006
Alright. Yesterdays post wasn’t very good. One of those, “What’s up with Bryce” posts. So here is something a little more analytical.
It is impossible to truly know you like something without some sort of comparison. Imagine if the first movies you ever watched were Quentin Tarrantino’s films Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and both Kill Bill’s. You would think, yeah, they are alright. Now imagine the next movies you watched were hardcore porno films…DAVID! Then you would think, Quentin is a genius, his writing, his wit, and his directing are wonderful. Well, changed your tune didn’t you?
So, I have realized lately I’m pretty spoiled when it comes to books. Nearly every book I’ve sat down to read has ended up capturing my attention and leaving me satisfied (that’s what she said)(who, your mom?)(yeah, your mom). For some reason I just haven’t had the reading desire that Miles had, I was more of a sports guy. Miles would read when we were little and I would just throw a baseball as far up in the air as I could and would catch it (more like try and catch it, gaylord). Or would play basketball by myself for hours(appropriately with all your friends, gaylord). As I’ve gotten older I feel like I’ve been missing out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard for me to manage my time to sit down and read a book in my spare time (what spare time, i work 7 days a week)(yeah, I work your MOM 7 days a week) but I love a good story and after working for the newspaper I can tell when something is well-written ( I can tell you most of what I write is not well-written) and have learned to appreciate it.
For example, I made a paragraph break there just because the paragraph seemed it was getting long, not because it was correct.
There is a point to this post. Honest.
So, I got through a book called, “The greatest golfer who never lived”. Dad recommended it and I was looking forward to it. I ended up finding it very very very (tres tres tres) predictable with everything coming together perfectly. Too perfectly.
Now I am on the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” in honor of Sue Rausch, as it’s her favorite. I am only 10 chapters into it, but I am really enjoying it. It is so well-written, great character development, and I find myself looking forward to continuing the story.
I think I’ve mostly been spoiled when it comes to books. Most of the books I’ve read have been because I was forced to by professors or teachers throughout the years. When forcing a book to be read normally means they have checked it out and it’s probably a classic. Therefore, most of the books I’ve read comes with rave reviews and a promising track record.
Anyways, just wanted to share my new found appreciation for a well-written book.
I’m boring.
November 7th, 2006
I drive an hour to work every day, an hour back, and that’s without traffic. If there is an accident, it’s easily an extra 15 minutes, sometimes more. With such a long ride I have embraced, hell, f’en made out with the concept of “books on tape”. Driving back from Marshall I first started checking out the books on tape, dad was already knee deep in the form of entertainment.
So, this weekend I researched and found a plethora of books on tape which I look forward to listening to:
To Kill a Mockingbird
Jurassic Part
Lost World
Congo
Prey
State of Fear
Lucky Life (Michael J Fox)
Culture Warrior (Bill O’Reily)
1984
LOTR Fellowship of the Ring
I big reason I have looked into books on tape are that I now have that MP3 cd player and can burn all the disks onto one cd and just organize them by folders. Here is what I’ve listened to so far:
The Greatest Golfer who never lived
From the Gut (Jack Welch)
The Godfather
and part of “The Carolina Way” by Dean Smith. I quit after 1 disk because it was dreadful to listen to. Imagine a monotone southern accented old guy talk, obviously from a script, for 13 disks. And it wasn’t about Carolina basketball like I had expected, it was designed for managers to read/listen to and use his coaching ideas in the workplace. Dumb.
In other news, I am still studying up in preparation for the GMAT to go back to school for my MBA. I could really use a Dan or Miles around to tutor me in math. Lindsey hits me if I ask for help. Right in the throat.
Work at Applebee’s is still going strong. The people are alright and the work is hard, but goes by fast. I’m glad that at some point in my life I was able to work in the restaurant business. Tony, you rock, that’s a rough business.
November 6th, 2006
I could feel the desire to hear my story, especially from Holli, so finally here it is.
By the way, this is not my favorite story, those are retold so many times it could be used to induce vomiting. That being said, I think most of you have heard this, but I don’t tell it very often and some of you are dying to hear this story and other stories like it, I’m sure. So here it is:
I was being babysat my Jane Millum (that doesn’t look right, but Mill-Ummm) who is the epitomy of trailer trash, but nice enough to me as far as I can remember. Describing her: chain smoker, 3 kids that one has had jail time and the other two are crazy, bar rat, with a trucker husband/ex-husband. It’s late fall, I am in Kindergarten, and mom is nearly home from the bank. Chris Ladwig, Jane’s kid, (maybe step-son, I never really knew why the difference in last name and quit caring once I hit 2nd grade) and I are playing a game: “Stop Bryce from getting into the kitchen and then being able to get to the bathroom”, which I needed to use. Ladwig was bigger, stronger, and faster than me, (and in all seriousness he could’ve been an excellent athlete if he used any of those skills post-8th grade) and I could not get past him.
*Disclaimer: Quit reading, very graphic.
I come up with a brilliant idea which would ultimately change my vocabulary. I decided to dive between his legs to get into the kitchen. I faked up high, his feet were touching both walls in the narrow entrance giving me the gap I needed, and I dove feet first. As I dove my hand was above my head for balance and while I was directly under him he purposely passed gas and laughed ferociously. He ripped ass on my hand, head, ME. The game was over because, even though I made it to the kitchen, he won. He embarassed me, even though nobody was watching, I wanted to cry.
Then, I smelled my hand. It smelled like defacation, literally. I was so disgusted that I haven’t been able to stand doing any such sick foulness for a joke or otherwise, in front of anyone, and I hate the thought, the smell (especially the smell) and even the word, ever since.
The End.
And for every of the forbidden words there is another story. Now I have to take a long shower to clean the gross out of my fingers for typing this.
November 1st, 2006