tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54423872012-01-22T00:27:40.169+09:00Hudson Taylor was a potato<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>I like to take my life, exaggerate it to ridiculous levels, and make people think that I am a celebrity. And this way we can laugh at each other-you laugh at my life and I laugh at you for believing me!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.comBlogger931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-4363755820081305952009-05-02T11:05:00.007+09:002009-05-02T11:19:54.489+09:00we now take a brief intermission for:The Adventure of the Trimming of the Labrador!Before...During...Half-time (which lasted about 2 weeks!)...And back for Round 2!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-70797006565048349412009-04-11T01:05:00.008+09:002009-04-15T18:16:22.346+09:00Thailand AdventurePart 1: The Senior TripExciting day! There's nothing quite like waking up in the cold, drizzling winter and knowing that by the end of the day you'll be hanging out in the tropics. Because of where we were meeting up to take the bus to the airport, Nelle and I did have to walk in the drizzling wintery rain, wearing only clothes that we would want to have with us in Thailand Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-81739024961487002792009-04-04T17:24:00.003+09:002009-04-04T17:41:32.667+09:00Home, safe and sound! Totally uneventful trip back, except that the 747 we flew from Bangkok to Tokyo had really bad sound on their movies, so now I've seen "Quantum of Solace", but couldn't follow the dialouge at all, so I have no idea what it's about. All in all, it's been a little depressing to be back. At the point I was getting off the plane in Narita, I seriously believed, just for a Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-90568666913824985202009-03-25T14:15:00.002+09:002009-03-25T14:33:29.440+09:00Hi from Thailand! We left the seniors at the Bangkok airport after some fun times in Chiang Rai, and flew down to the Bay of Thailand the next day to catch our boat to Koh Chang. Turns out it's gotten pretty stinking busy and expensive there, so after 2 days we took another boat to a more remote island - Koh Maak. I'd sorta been hoping to go here for a while, so I'm glad it worked out. ThingsRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-60797926366967068402009-03-14T01:35:00.002+09:002009-03-14T01:57:44.114+09:00Finally! I've been pretending for so long that I'm not going to Thailand, just because i knew that i wanted to be there SO BADLY! and the weather recently has been awful here--constant rain, just above freezing. we've had to go to the laundromat to dry our clothes. the laundromat! as if we were one of those rich snobs! but no more--as of tomorrow, i'm off to the land of sunshine and hotness.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-15744862930206193082009-01-13T21:53:00.008+09:002009-01-13T22:56:15.807+09:00Ok, last one!So, last morning! As is becoming the custom, I think, the other leader, Bea, and I made plans to sneak away whilst the children were sleeping. I was actually sleeping outside so as to sneak away more quickly. Bea was sleeping right inside the door, so that I could easily wake her up when the moment was right--I had the only extra watch. Which, turns out, I set the timer for, but Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-49146348597859264012009-01-11T21:49:00.005+09:002009-01-11T22:40:56.543+09:00Man, so much cool stuff has happened that I can't post about, because I never finished my stress camp blog.... :'( So, I'll finish it quickly.The next morning we woke to a light but steady drizzle, the kind that soaks you before you really notice. Some of the kids woke up pretty wet, but I way warm and dry! This was probably the hardest day for the kids to hike. They were tired and wet, and Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1858560634910516932008-11-16T17:07:00.022+09:002008-11-22T00:15:10.573+09:00ok, i want to keep going at this--too much stuff is happening these days, and I want to get this wilderness camp stuff out of the way, so i can post pictures of halloween and projects and stuff! So:Stress CampDay 2:We'd been up until midnight the night before, so I felt ok about letting everyone sleep in until 8am, and nobody seemed to mind! this being the first morning, however, everyone was Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-70339677795268246052008-10-25T22:24:00.020+09:002008-11-15T23:50:31.720+09:00Stress Camp '08Day 1(At last...)One of the things we started doing a year or two ago is releasing the group information to the kids about a week in advance, so the kids know who they're going with, and there's time to have a meeting or 2 before we're actually out in the woods. It works really well--I get a chance to tell the kids what's important and what's not, how to build a fire in the rain, Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-19934136280682937092008-10-12T22:41:00.003+09:002008-10-12T22:52:32.137+09:00Pre-script:This started out as the same entry as the re-telling of the events from Stress Camp 2008, but grew into something different, so i'll post it first, mostly just to get it out of the way. It's sort of long, and maybe a little boring, but explains the rationale and change that has happened within stress camp. It's at least worth a skim!The mentality of stress camp in the past seems to Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-10725553151067565432008-10-06T06:47:00.002+09:002008-10-06T06:53:33.103+09:00And we're off to Wilderness Camp! (aka Stress Camp) Nelle and I are both leaders of our own groups, which is scary and exciting. it's also pouring rain, and it's supposed to keep doing so for at least 3 of the 4 days we're out there. so....that's...something. actually, i'm going on a new route that nobody's done before, and i think there's huts for me to sleep in at night, if we really need toRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-85683400063691096702008-08-23T21:48:00.040+09:002008-11-16T17:06:57.807+09:00So, this is my big comeback. It's been a good year, with lots of stuff happening. I went through some of my pics from the year and picked out some of my favorites. They are in a sort of apathetical chronological order--the ones that are really obvious are sort of in the right place, and the ones that nobody really can tell the time of year are wherever they decided to be. I've spent the last Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1782788302031996772008-03-11T21:30:00.004+09:002008-03-11T21:58:22.888+09:003 things that are official:1. We have a car! It's an awesome little k-van, with sunroofs and windows and...space for a dog! it's a stick. We're totally going hiking/camping with it as soon as possible. The gearing is a little weird though...1st gear is pretty much meant only for going up cliffs or something, cuz 90% of the time, I just start with 2nd. Still, though. Notice the room in the Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-2980580551595486732008-01-11T09:30:00.000+09:002008-01-11T10:14:08.427+09:00And on to the honeymoon! We 'mooned on the Isle of Bali, part of the great country of Indonesia. We were there for 10 days, and during those 10 days, we probably walked about 100 miles. We get to Bali, it's late, and all we have is a “Lonely Planet Guide to Bali” book that was written about 10 years ago. Turns out the date of publication on stuff like that is actually rather important. So, Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-35969361283088065882007-12-09T08:57:00.000+09:002007-12-10T21:58:29.327+09:00not a honeymoon blog, but a humorous realization.these 2 are still too sexy for their....whatevers.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-72255417451334980082007-12-05T11:03:00.001+09:002007-12-05T16:52:06.143+09:00I am reading a book right now, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and the author, John Irving, jumps back and forth between writing about present and past... I have the bad habit of writing like whoever I've been reading recently (a la the Terry Prachett-inspired blog entry), the same way Ro does, and to me this means it ends up being fake. I don't mean to imitate the style of other people, it just Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-53474851286907224332007-06-24T14:48:00.001+09:002007-06-24T14:50:53.530+09:00ALERT!the link that you all should follow if you want to watch the live feed of me and nelle's wedding is as follows:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ryanswe'll start running the live feed this evening, then we'll just leave it running all day long tomorrow, which, in case you missed the memo, is the day that i'm getting married. the wedding itself starts here at 4:00pm, so you'll have to do your Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-47026094670520965822007-05-24T11:04:00.000+09:002007-05-25T00:07:50.810+09:00geez. i write about being all good about blogging, then don't forever. but seriously! it wasn't my fault! no, actually, i should say that it wasn't totally my fault. there's some fault there that belongs to me. but some that doesn't:a few days after my last entry, the power cord on this here lappy-toppy went to absolute crap. which, actually, i am responsible for. i use this thing for Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-33748297891157150002007-04-23T11:22:00.003+09:002007-04-23T11:57:11.144+09:00So, this has been a while in coming, and it's not gonna be that long, or anything. i'm mostly doing it cuz i realized while video skyping with ro that most of the people who read this are in america, and have no idea what's going on in my day-to-day life over here. i'll write updates when something big happens, and i'll take a long time to do a good job, but 1. it takes forever to read and to Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-44839138041964551272007-02-22T11:31:00.000+09:002007-02-22T23:05:58.807+09:00Ok, first off, I apologize for the lack of information from me. I mean, pictures are worth a thousand words, but they lack...detail. So, here's some details about the engagement that I'm sure you all want to know. I'd been thinking about how to propose; where, when, public or private, etc., and I realized I was going about it all the wrong way. So, first I sat down and thought through a Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-31074529752725041992007-01-28T09:05:00.000+09:002007-01-28T09:07:54.827+09:00Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-582793844133623482007-01-26T09:38:00.000+09:002007-01-26T09:42:49.270+09:00Just saw this yesterday. it claims to be a face cleaner.*insert joke here*Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1169608146956246872007-01-24T11:16:00.000+09:002007-01-26T09:23:51.804+09:00Oooh. i've officially been blog-smacked. many thanks to brents and xeryl for the smack to the head. the truth is, my life right now is hectic, more so than usual, which, let's be honest, isn't saying all that much. i'll give a quick rundown of my recent, and not so recent, activities.For starters, Christmas was a blast. lots of good things, fewer bad things than usual. all in all, i'd have Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1164789685950582572006-11-29T16:55:00.000+09:002006-11-30T12:33:13.970+09:00As for the G4:It is no more. what with the "nearly deported" story coming up, i forgot to finish the epic adventures of ryan's ibook. as you may recall, i typed up an entry for this very blog on said ibook from the comfort of the donut shop (or, as they say here, the "donutsu shop"). at some point later that morning, the CD drive ate one of said compact disks. you may not be aware, but one ofRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1163061968252679062006-11-09T16:52:00.001+09:002006-11-09T21:41:32.403+09:00**NOTICE**the state of emergency has been moved back from chartruse to magenta. please adjust your calendars accordingly.so, everything is fine.the medium short version of the "incident" is that my visa expired, making me little more than an illegal immigrant in japan. i was in a tough spot-turning myself in, proper documentation in hand, and being truthful-i really did simply forget-seemed Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1162790760284930692006-11-06T14:16:00.000+09:002006-11-06T14:26:00.293+09:00things to do while waiting to go to the immigrations office and beg them not to deport you and ban your re-entry for overstaying your visa by 12 days:1. write a blog. 2. chew gum at a furious pace3. dress nice in hopes of impressing those-who-are-behind-the-countermore to come soon..Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1162261437030986702006-10-31T11:21:00.000+09:002006-10-31T11:29:35.036+09:00Say hello to the first of the HorsemenIt’s the end of the world, folks. As I am creating this entry, I must keep telling the helpful beige-clad workers of this fine donut-based establishment that I do not, in fact, want more “coffee”. I sit and watch the busses come and go, the people come and go. As you may have guessed, what makes this entry particularly new and different is the fact that I Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1160460432402024182006-10-10T14:06:00.000+09:002006-10-10T15:24:31.856+09:00All at once, now!Now, i realize that in the past, i've spent many days, and many posts, on stress camp, and this year will be no different. except that by no different, i mean shorter, and more interesting. first, the general info, then the stories.In spite of the fact that the forcast called for pouring rain the whole time, it only rained at night, leaving us hiking in overcast, or sometimes Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1160127297022005522006-10-06T18:31:00.000+09:002006-10-06T18:34:57.033+09:00alive'd! and survive'd! and all my kids survived too! well, i did have to get one sent home, but for non-emergency reasons. more stuff to come tomorrow. but all's well.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1159697422257867682006-10-01T18:59:00.000+09:002006-10-01T19:10:22.270+09:00It's that time of the year, folks! AREYOUREADYTOSTRESS CAMP?!the short answer, is no. well, yes and no. mentally i'm prepared, and that's a fact. i'm excited to go, but i think that shows more that i'm delusional and have a short memory than anything else. every year after stress camp, i wonder what would have posessed me to lead such a thing, and i have serious doubts about doing it again. Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1158406426223521832006-09-16T19:05:00.000+09:002006-09-16T20:33:46.243+09:00So, i was at Takayama for a total of almost 4 weeks...not a bad way to spend my august, if i do say so. i was there long enough to have a ton of fun, but also sit around doing nothing for vast stretches at a time. by the end of it, i was itching to get back to work in hot old tokyo...well, maybe the itching was from the poison ivy that i am not in fact, immune to.Highlights from tak include:Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1154410045542057322006-08-01T13:45:00.000+09:002006-08-04T09:58:10.966+09:00And sliding in at the just-under-2-month mark, we have... a blog! it will probably be a while before i blog again, for reasons that i'll go in to shortly, so i figured it couldn't hurt to spend a little time on the ol' compy.First, in brief, what i've been up to.CAJ graduation was on the 9th of june, and for the rest of june, i was basically a bum. nelle's twin brothers had just graduated, and Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1149585080131919922006-06-06T17:26:00.000+09:002006-06-09T18:55:34.206+09:00Impossible missionStatus: AccomplishedFor the last few months...like 6, i've been joyously and completely illegally careening around the streets of tokyo in my little car. i decided that the time had come, something must be done about this. i began to ask around, and found that it is indeed possible for me to get my american driving license "transferred" to a japanese one, provided i jumped Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1149243636416790022006-06-02T19:17:00.000+09:002006-06-02T19:20:36.426+09:00Pre Post-script:For the few of you that know or care about my upcoming birthday (i really don't care about it that much myself. maybe it's an old thing), know that i'm going to be at tak, so if you try anything, i may or may not know about it. that is all. Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1149127425140005512006-06-01T09:32:00.000+09:002006-06-01T11:06:21.413+09:00I have a tip for all those youth pastors out there, struggling to find a way to gain renown on the school campus nearest to you. this single, revolutionary idea has created and developed more of my relationships with high schoolers than any other single idea. i'll write a book about this someday, but for now, i'm content sharing my brainchild in this small, backwater arena. get ready and strapRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1147751512225949252006-05-16T11:12:00.000+09:002006-05-16T20:00:20.066+09:00Party Foul!In this business, it's a widely-held belief that one has a responsibility to share a certain amount of information within a certain amount of time- say, a month, lest the readers lose control of themselves, and...i dunno...hack every bit of private information i have. imagine a pit of velociraptors needing to be thrown chunks of meat every once in a while. that's you. however, at Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1144721096403046212006-04-11T10:06:00.000+09:002006-04-12T23:46:48.646+09:00Now that i am almost fully recovered, i feel it's time to get a real update out there. So, hold on to your giblets, cuz here i go!Well over a month ago, we here at Kurume Bible Fellowship had my second ever middle school retreat. some of you may recall my writings of the one last year. i had high expectations of this years' retreat, as last years was one of the highest highlights of my life. Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1143431051039378052006-03-27T12:34:00.000+09:002006-03-27T12:46:08.026+09:00ONWARD!so 2 mondays ago, i flew to americatown to be in brother cami's wedding. 1 monday ago i flew away from the dreadful americatown back to the land of sushi and aforementioned heated toilet seats. this monday (today, in case you were wondering) i'm flying out to thailand. 3 mondays in a row! that's gotta be some kind of record!I'll be in thailand until saturday (hopefully only until Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1142080289174901172006-03-11T20:57:00.001+09:002006-03-11T21:31:29.176+09:00You guys don't even know how much i should be working right now instead of doing this. so this'll be real short. i'm putting a pic of me and the ladyfriend on here, so you guys (and parents) stop whining at me. you know who you are!Here's the breakdown of Ryan's whirlwind west coast tour:Monday: I'll be arriving (assuming flights, etc. work out) in seatacTuesday i'll be up in canada getting Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1141094725880505772006-02-28T11:18:00.000+09:002006-03-08T12:17:50.026+09:00Yes, my life in Japan continues. Highlights include:Figuring out that not only does my cell phone know the weather, i can detailed weather reports, complete with those nifty rain-radar (raindar?) things, and the hour-by-hour forcast. I'm reminded of the simpsons episode in which they vacation in japan- they are discussing where to eat supper and homer comes out of the bathroom and says "the Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1138671951989159732006-01-31T10:25:00.000+09:002006-01-31T10:52:22.650+09:00Update on the apartment:So you know that key i got? the one that was clearly not gold, even though it cost more than cocaine? the one right down there? wrong one. That's right- not only did i get a non-gold key for almost $3,000, it was worthless to me. if you look really closely at the little sticker on the key, you can see that it has the letter "B", the letter "I" and a 3-digit number. thatRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1138343752179499482006-01-27T15:19:00.000+09:002006-01-27T15:37:30.010+09:00The single most expensive thing i have bought in my life. I paid almost $3,000 for this one ounce piece of metal, which would have made sense if it were made of something called rhodium, or if it was made of solid cocaine and was in bermuda, both of which sell for about $3000/ounce. if i had wanted to, i could have taken the same amount of money (¥307,050, in case you're curious) and bought a Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1137242093480164882006-01-14T21:18:00.000+09:002006-01-18T15:17:40.333+09:00As i was considering the content of this blog, i was struck by the contrast between what i write here and what my littlest brother brent writes here, in his blog. i focus more on history of events, somehow self-deluded into thinking that i have throngs of adoring fans that want to know what fills the hours of my days. brent writes more about...i dunno. funny things, i guess. he somehow has the Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1133841939090099722005-12-06T12:40:00.000+09:002005-12-06T13:05:39.120+09:00Discourage'd!(sigh)just got back from the house giver place. here's how it breaks down:¥ 17,709 Pro-rated rent for the end of december (which i don't even want to do)¥ 61,000 Realator's fee¥ 15,000 Lock-changing cost¥ 24,000 Land upkeep for 2 years¥122,000 Deposit (which *could* be returned if the apartment were in good enough shape, but they never, ever areRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1132153876367414182005-11-16T23:40:00.000+09:002005-12-02T21:02:17.793+09:00note- this post was originally written in mid-november, but was inadvertently saved as a draft rather than published. so this entry is calling out to you from the past, like some ghost or something. i'll give this a few days to sink in, then give you good-for-nothings one more handout before i head to america for the Christmas. Conundrum'd!!Here's something that's been weighing heavily on my mindRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1130984123339063012005-11-03T10:50:00.000+09:002005-11-10T19:14:08.973+09:00Curse you macintosh for deleting my post....I'm writing this from the CAJ computer lab, which is populated with a plethora of the quintessential eMac. One of which just ate a well-thought-out, deep, meaningful post; my greatest one ever, no doubt. you'll just have to take me at my word. My now-lost post went a little something like this:Let's see. my last entry was stress camp, almost a month agoRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1129600784100913032005-10-18T09:33:00.000+09:002005-10-18T12:37:29.933+09:00**STRESS CAMP DAY #4**The final day was upon us. as i said, we went to bed at about 6:30. so, add 8 hours for sleeping and you have us getting up at about 3:30 in the AM. the kids had no idea about this, of course. all they knew was that it would still be dark when i woke them up. i figured we had about 6 hours of hiking ahead of us, plus an hour for silly stuff- snacks, breakfast, broken Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1129130572047021942005-10-12T23:51:00.000+09:002005-10-13T15:32:29.556+09:00**STRESS CAMP DAY #3**I woke the campers with what became my standard wake-up call: “STRESS CAMPERS!! RISE AND SHINE FOR ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY!!” It was not a beautiful day at all; day 3 dawned much the same as day 2 had ended- gloomy and rainy. All the kids were wet, although some (boys, mostly) were more vocal about it than others. Various kids had not taken my advice to heart, and had left Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1128950845049752432005-10-10T21:57:00.000+09:002005-10-10T23:51:32.343+09:00**STRESS CAMP DAY #2**As the night wore on, i became more acutely aware that it was raining, mostly due to the fact that there was a large sheet of plastic mere inches from my face that reverberated soundly with every raindrop. i had my watch alarm set to just after sunrise (actually, i had it set to about 5:45am, which was, conincidentally, just after sunrise). the kids got up pretty happily, Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1128684657401926742005-10-07T19:38:00.000+09:002005-10-07T21:22:46.636+09:00**STRESS CAMP DAY #1**Life had been a little hectic, and my pre-stress-camp prep had not gone well. in fact, i didn't even start packing until past midnight, and it was pushing 2 when i finished. it's a little different than just packing to visit the fam for 2 weeks; by the time i decided to quit i looked like a dog who is about to lay down somewhere- standing in one spot turning in circles. theRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1128587831978210762005-10-06T17:36:00.000+09:002005-10-06T17:37:11.986+09:00Alive'd!more to come after I recuperateRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1128258020672449182005-10-02T21:31:00.000+09:002005-10-02T22:00:20.700+09:00STRESS CAMP!it's everyone's favorite time of year again!! OH BOY!! by this time tomorrow i plan on being totally passed out in my sleeping bag somewhere in the woods. i totally sleep so well out there. i have a group of 8 kids, 1 or 2 of which i know fairly well, and the rest i at least know the names and faces. it helps that i sub a lot of classes on campus so i get to know them that way. one Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1127653884810783892005-09-25T21:45:00.000+09:002005-09-25T22:11:25.086+09:00the tension:I've started this entry so many times, but something ALWAYS happens. you know the drill- someone climbs into my window and mentions that they might want to be baptized, a gaggle of pre-elementary kids storm the room looking for something better to do than play in the rain (and what else could i have done? i mean really), or i'll realize that i need to write personal emails to some Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1126430785494225422005-09-11T18:01:00.001+09:002005-09-11T18:26:27.616+09:00I flew back in economy, which just reinforces my determination to adopt a child and force him to be an airline pilot. i have no intention of flying back there and paying much for it. you just don't get your money's worth. i did make a friend, which was exciting. he's my age, talkative, and a little eccentric. we got along quite well. he was also flying standby, so we swapped stories. and now, if Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1124652232909951232005-08-22T04:20:00.000+09:002005-08-22T04:23:52.916+09:00ok, so i'm in america, and i know that i claimed that i was going to be in portland yesterday, but there was a change of plans (mostly andrew kooy's doing) so i will be in portland the night of monday, for at least a few days. if you want to hang out with me, leave me a comment or email me or something, since i have no phone, and i probably don't have your number anyways. and now, i leave for Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1123763595211913532005-08-11T20:24:00.000+09:002005-08-11T21:39:31.996+09:00I will post this entry on the SOLE PROVISION that my mother is not to be informed in any way, shape or form as to it's content.Towards the end of the school year, i was lamenting to one of my middle-school friends that i missed having a motorcycle. the weather was warming up, and it just seemed a crime not to have one. he mentioned, in passing, that his dad has one that he's trying to sell, as Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1122904075132578802005-08-04T21:16:00.000+09:002005-08-11T21:35:27.950+09:00Despite what seems prodigious efforts to keep me from doing so, i did, in fact, survive. barely. you may recall that i went hiking in the "wilderness" of japan back in october. if not, i'll make you a little link here and even leave it underlined for you so you can go back and brush up a little on your "ryan's life in japan: a history". i do this for your own good- there will be a test on this Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1122129702508420732005-07-23T22:57:00.000+09:002005-07-23T23:44:59.186+09:00***************Newsflash!***************Seismic activity threatens to interrupt driving!Yes, there was an earthquake here this afternoon, and everything is fine. i watched the news a little tonight just to see how the rest of japan is, and it is fine as well. somewhere in excess of 18 people experienced bodily harm in some fashion, but the other 29,999,982 people who live in tokyo were, it seems,Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1121090677305048062005-07-11T22:05:00.000+09:002005-07-11T23:14:25.806+09:00Ok, I've been putting this off for a while- so much has happened that's really cool that I feel bad just giving the skimpiest details, but if I don't get this down, I'll just keep putting it off 'till there would be so much that all I could write is "some stuff happened". So, instead of allowing it to get to that point....Going back in time to before my last post, my birthday was AWESOME! It Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1119138176557734802005-06-19T08:40:00.000+09:002005-06-19T08:43:03.206+09:00this is it!today's the day we see just what this camp got themselves into when they asked me to be the speaker. and yes, i was up till 2 am doing last minute stuff, which i am continuing to put off by writing this. i'll let you know how it goes. if you have any spare time to pray for me, that would be great. stuff like not teaching the kids heresy, or not doing stuff that would get me expelled Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1117278051195227942005-05-28T19:47:00.000+09:002005-05-28T20:00:52.403+09:00Ok, this time, i have a real reason, i swear.About a week ago, maybe less, i started writing a blog. and it was a good blog, full of satire and sarcasm and information, but as the blog continued, it began to get more and more cynical and bitter, mostly towards conservative-type Christianity. it really felt good, and i really think i had a lot of pent-up aggression towards that. so i wrote and Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1115727118382065902005-05-10T20:31:00.000+09:002005-05-10T21:20:56.386+09:00***WARNING***This Blog contains mechanically explicit material. Proceed at your own riskRemember that motorcycle i used to have? that was fun...So i rebuilt the top end myself, and not only did it actually run afterwards, but it ran better!! before the rebuild, it would top out at about 120km/hr, which is not that great, but i consoled myself with the idea that motocross bikes are built to haul Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1115384565998409672005-05-06T21:45:00.000+09:002005-05-06T22:02:46.026+09:00TERROR!!i am coming to some realizations about how God works. mostly, things that i think i should never do, or things that i'm like "i'll do anything....except that", are things that He ends up being like "here you go, sucker!" i've got 2 stories about that, but the other one will have to wait until i get some pictures. story 1 goes like this-so i'm sitting at home like 9 months ago, thinkingRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1114696371264997662005-04-28T21:55:00.000+09:002005-04-28T22:52:51.266+09:00and now, a little poem i remember from elementary school:spring has sprung, the grass has risi wonder wherethe birdies isit is officially nice and warm and springy over here. to which i say, "it's about freaking time!" spring was all tricky this year, with false starts and fake outs. just the other day it was really really nice, then a thunderstorm hit outta nowhere, and that night it was Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1113967735941148262005-04-20T11:55:00.000+09:002005-04-20T12:28:55.943+09:00geez. leave this thing for a month and it gets all gross and starts collecting cobwebs. and it's not like i have anything super special to share with the world out there, other than to let my few, faithful, and increasingly disillusioned followers know that i have not stepped through an inter-dimentional manhole into a world where frogs sing like birds and life is easy and the wind smells like Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1111590047899083482005-03-23T23:34:00.000+09:002005-03-24T00:01:52.750+09:00i really need to get outta my office, but i thought i'd leave this little nugget of an update:one new thing i have: a motorcycle. HUZZA!! it really is quite awesome. if you remember, it once belonged to cami, who left it in the care of some fairly careless people. so, i inherited it, spent way too much money and time on it, had to give it up for a while when i used it as an illustration for Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1111040531036320742005-03-17T15:18:00.000+09:002005-03-17T15:22:11.036+09:00apologies-my compy's being silly. and by silly i mean freakin' retarded. which is why i've been unable to access internet for like 3 weeks, which is why nobody's heard from me and i haven't updated. it's the truth, i swear!! i'm still working in it, so it might randomly light on fire again or something. if you don't hear from me for a while again, have no fear. not much fear, anyways. when Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1109729930303691242005-03-02T11:05:00.000+09:002005-03-02T13:39:05.930+09:00So much has happened......in the last few days. well, not SO much, but a lot. and when things happen i sometimes think "i'll share these moments with my anonymous online group of stalkers!!" especially since i think you all hate me for updating an average of like once a month. i've really been convicted about communication lately, which is silly, since i have a degree that says that i studied Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1109335733080766512005-02-25T21:48:00.000+09:002005-02-25T22:18:50.986+09:00Who have I become? Extrovert?Wow, turns out, middle school kids are the awesome. coming to KBF as the youth pastor guy, i was actually really scared of middle school. i had friends in the high school, people that i hung out with and could relate to. not in middle school. i remember the first JAM (that's right: Jesus and Me!! i wanted to change it but almost had a mutiny...) i led: i was terrifiedRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1108385931097993832005-02-14T21:06:00.000+09:002005-02-15T00:40:35.003+09:00My Excuse: I almost died.as to it's truth or validity, i leave that to better minds than mine to decide.ON TO INFORMATION!!!Things that have changed:-due to the exorborant prices charged by JCom, my now former internet service provider, my beloved compy is now at the office, and i am wireless at home( in the bad, regression way, not the cool, good way). this change occured when it became Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1105935290228383082005-01-17T13:19:00.000+09:002005-01-17T13:14:50.226+09:00I wonder sometimes: if there were a test for being a youth pastor that you had to take before they would let you into the International Society of Youth Ministry (or ISYM), would i have passed it? methinks probably not.
So i'm back in my little house on the far side of the world, sitting at my computer at noon with my coat on, and still being able to see my breath, and my mind is still a millionRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1103186751400670812004-12-16T23:18:00.000+09:002004-12-16T17:51:27.180+09:00PLANE FULL OF FREAKS!!
As i was getting on the plane from tokyo to portland, i was suddenly struck by the fact that there was an unusually high percentage of freaks, all seeminginly drawn to this specific aeronautical transporter. "what," said i, to myself, "could draw so many skinheaded, tatooed, mustached, anime-costume-wearing, dregs of society-type people all into one, single, metal tube?" Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1102168177817015472004-12-04T22:09:00.000+09:002004-12-04T22:49:37.816+09:00Look at me!! I'm 2 posts in 2 days!! OH BOY!!!
Sorry about that, but it had to be done. something about union rules or something...
There's different ways to spend my days. one way is to watch simpsons, movies, cartoons, etc. all day, then fall asleep on the couch, head filled with visions of what i spent my day on. then there's doing things that involve, well, doing things. these include (but Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1102034493318621372004-12-03T08:55:00.000+09:002004-12-03T11:36:43.876+09:00I'm Back!!
Where was I? lets just say i was....getting the mail. yeah. that's what i was doing. For 3 weeks. and so much has happened since then, that i am faced with 3 options: go into excruciatingly minute detail, and spend the greater portion of the day staring at the screen, pouring my heart out to a bored audience, or (option 2) paraphrase, or (option 3) overlook the last 3 weeks entirely Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1100075790527671512004-11-10T17:22:00.000+09:002004-11-10T17:37:16.976+09:00I think my church may hate me.
The other week i had the honor of preaching in the service of my church. i know that probably sounds sarcastic, as it doesn't really excite me that much, but the truth is, i don't like to do it due to the fact that it's a big responsibility, so i take it really seriously, and i end up being something of a perfectionist when i prepare my sermon. as i was waiting forRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1100006902222832362004-11-09T21:34:00.000+09:002004-11-09T22:28:22.223+09:00When do i get to be a youth pastor?
I think most things in life that we think are scary really are, even when you're old enough to get over them. when/if i start driving in japan, i'll just get in my car and drive it like a normal person, but really, on the inside, i'm freaking out like some middle schooler who has just stolen his dads car keys. how come nobody told me that all those times that Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1099287567093352762004-11-01T13:57:00.000+09:002004-11-01T14:41:53.893+09:00One of the bonuses to getting a visa and all that is that i now get to try and change the registration and ownership on a car from someone else to me. this is such a hassle over here in the birthplace of bureaucracy, that people who buy cars, either from a dealership or from a friend, hire a middleman to change it for them. as a testimony to the amount of red tape involved, the fee for this is Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1099064228199820832004-10-30T01:33:00.000+09:002004-10-30T17:27:25.223+09:00P.S.
i'm adding a link so you can be emailed when i update my blog through www.blogarithm.com. i'll put the little sticker on the bottom so you can sign up quick and easy. that way you don't have to check and be disappointed: as soon as i update you'll get an unobtrusive email informing you of the fact. no more sleepless nights wondering if i've updated, no more wasted seconds as you futilely Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1099063897882096642004-10-30T01:30:00.000+09:002004-10-30T00:32:51.326+09:00Sit down. get ready. the horsemen of the apocalypse are on their way. how do we know that these are the end times? what are the signs? 2 of them have made themselves manifest in recent days:
1. I have a cell phone.
2. I have health insurance.
such things have never been heard of before.
I was in korea from...well, for about 9 days. i went to get my visa so i could work in japan legally (as Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1098833290344005222004-10-27T08:45:00.000+09:002004-10-27T08:43:03.456+09:00because this has taken forever, and i've been doing other things, i will keep my report on day 4 succinct.
[day 4]
there was no rain all night, but it was freezing. since we didn't have a watch, we started hiking really early, and we were the first team to arrive at the camp. we took baths and ate food, and played ping pong. and all was well. Here's a shot of the team:
in the front are the Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1097888444039844642004-10-16T11:21:00.000+09:002004-10-16T11:34:36.980+09:00day 3- wednesday
Man, i tell you what. if i had died 30 seconds after waking up on that 3rd day, i would have died a happy man with a smile on my face. we were up just before sunrise, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. not only that, our little bell tower was up above a valley, so we could see all the mist and fog swirling around the little town down there. so awesome.
We had told theRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1097738519668596832004-10-14T16:18:00.001+09:002004-10-14T16:21:59.670+09:00Sorry, no stress camp update today. i've got that pesky sermon to write for this sunday. for having majored in this sorta thing, it's taking me freakin' forever!
for good times and great taste, try and figure out what galatians 2:11-16 is about. then feel free to let me know.
Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1097539650614134712004-10-12T09:31:00.000+09:002004-10-12T09:31:42.660+09:00day 2- tuesday
As we had gone to sleep that night, i remember thinking "well, this rain isn't so bad". i was mistaken. at the time, the rain was waiting for the perfect opportunity to cause the most misery. what we had at the time was the reconnaissance sprinkles. due to my sleep deprivation, i was asleep about 3 minutes after i laid down-roots, rocks and all. i awoke at some point to the sound Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1097276417893728972004-10-09T09:03:00.000+09:002004-10-09T09:03:17.000+09:00STRESS CAMP!!!
As i explained in my last entry, the one no doubt everyone has read, stress camp is the time of year when the entire junior class of caj goes out backpacking for 4 days and 3 nights. there are frame packs and sleeping bags you can rent, and they make all your meals for you to carry and give you maps and a compass and (hopefully) two adult leaders who give the map and compass to Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1096592466096731932004-10-01T09:51:00.000+09:002004-10-01T11:36:34.453+09:00Seems there was a huge typhoon over here and people died. that sort of thing makes me think i should at least get japanese antenna based peasant-vision, as i didn't even know about it till a friend from americatown emailed me about it. how did he find out? all i knew of this typhoon is that in the 3 minutes it took me to bike to the grocery store i got soaked to the skin- through a jacket, Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1095852780215893482004-09-22T20:22:00.000+09:002004-09-22T21:20:01.743+09:00Ways that ryan is screwed up #139b:
For the next week, i'm looking after hana, the family dog and arguably more spoiled than the other 5 of my mothers actual children. for most of today i was out doing, you know, youth pastory things (like drinking way too much coffee at Misudo), and from time to time i would think of poor hana, locked up in my house just sitting around waiting for me to come Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1095434631714508312004-09-18T14:50:00.000+09:002004-09-18T15:04:38.143+09:00if i were content, i would go here. and i would be funny and full of interesting, meaningful information about ryan potter, transient youth pastor, keeper of kidneys, feng shui master extrordinare.
It's now official: i am a youth pastor. the bulletin in church on sunday even had my name on the front with all the other "actual" pastors. what's up with that? i keep wondering if the church Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1094525218235332822004-09-07T10:21:00.000+09:002004-09-07T12:57:18.806+09:00Nothing makes me feel better than to trick people into reading this far more frequently than i update on the goings on of my life. just kidding. i know from experience with tre's blog and ro's blog that people who don't update their blogs are hated. so, i guess i appreciate you all not overtly hating me. must disguise the hate.
But seriously, where to start. part of the reason for the delay in Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1093453346546669172004-08-26T01:51:00.000+09:002004-08-26T10:56:38.783+09:00Woohoo! we loves them earthquakes!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1093356634669793632004-08-25T16:51:00.000+09:002004-08-25T03:24:41.963+09:00BLAM! i'm a blog!!
well, well, well. what have we here.
Few things in life are better than takayama. that old beach cabin is where i want to be buried. that, or shot off into space on a shuttle driven by space monkeys. takayama, or tak (pronunciation: tAHk)is one of those places you almost expect to get over as time goes on, but instead you find new things to do, or old things that are Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1091229893411663662004-07-31T07:55:00.000+09:002004-09-22T21:25:39.550+09:00AND NOW
for the much awaited update!!
first, an apology to all you avid reader out there for being as bad at updating as my sister (HA! zing! take that ro!!) speaking of dating, me and yvette are now official, which i'm sure is a real big surprise to anyone who heard i was around, but was unable to locate me due to our frequent private getaways. i submit that you are all just jealous. Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1090455078424357252004-07-22T08:51:00.000+09:002004-09-22T21:24:11.020+09:00i'm leaving for japan in something in the vicinity of 30 hours, which is not something that is really that strange for me. what IS strange is that i won't be coming back. i love my friends, but i have to be constantly reminding myself what this means for our friendship- i'm leaving, and for many of them, we will never know eachother as well as we do now. as time passes, and i visit now and Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442387.post-1054420476252995642003-06-01T07:34:00.000+09:002004-07-12T07:26:18.336+09:00 Rather than give anyone a detailed, and therefore boring, account of what i have been doing up to this point, i will assume that anyone reading this knows everything about me, and save us all the hassle of going through my life story. Unless it is really funny, in which case i will make an exception. That said, today is saturday, which is an important day because i don't work on saturdays.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04717466205320311272noreply@blogger.com