Educated

Today is Ryan's birthday. Even more than all the hurt the past few weeks, I've thought a lot about the good things. Here are just a few of the things I've thought of recently - just some random things I experienced with him and/or learned from him.

Ryan:

chased me around the kitchen island at my Grandma B's house.


gave me many a vocab lesson. =) I'm sure some of the words weren't as family friendly, so we'll just stick with that example.

introduced me to the world of MTV, Pantera, and later, Beavis and Butthead. We keep it classy like that.

taught me how to properly sport a doo-rag and how to run for my life to avoid getting whipped by one. (UGH)

initiated my love-hate relationship with scary shows after watching my first, "The Nightmare on Elm Street." Thanks Ryan.

presented Orange Julius'. What What!

made sure I knew the best baseball team always has been and always will be the Cubs! =) Good thing!

relayed the message, in a not-so-friendly manner, that a Ryne Sandberg rookie card is way better than any ol' Phillie Phanatic holographic card or, Heaven forbid, a Beauty and the Beast collector card.

re-affirmed my knowledge that No. Matter. What... you don't drink freaking milk after a freaking game of cousin baseball. For crying out freaking loud.

convinced me that he would literally pulverize any guy who so much as looked at my picture wrong, let alone actually treated me wrong. Mr. Tough Guy.

hogged the TV with more Zelda than I care to remember.

demonstrated the unofficial dance moves to DMX' "Party Up". "One, two meet me outside, meet me outside. All my rough riiiiiiiiiiiiiidas, meet me outside, meet me outside..."

Cheered me on at one of my first musicals while on one of his first dates with Erin.

pretended to be excited when he was home from college and I made him listen to endless stories and look at my scrapbook for an hour.

sat me down and explained that maybe Dac just didn't care about going to prom if it had to be with someone else (when I was upset he was skipping his first prom).

laughed and rolled his eyes with me at the grownups when they'd act a fool.

never stopped giving me crap. All the time we were dishing it back and forth.

earned my respect by always knowing where the line was and never crossing it.

asked me to sing in his wedding.

fuh-reaked out before the rehearsal when he asked me how the song sounded and I told him "not great... hopefully it won't suck too bad." Then said "What?!?! Erin's going to be pissed! I told her you sang good."

cried during the song and told me I was a brat for worrying him.

told me time and time again how much he loved our pictures and how he couldn't wait for us to shoot his family.

never let me get by with anything.

made a great stand-in big brother. He pestered me to no end, stuck up for me, and gave some pretty sound advice for being such a clown.

Man oh man. Love those good times. =) Just wish there could be more of them.

Happy Birthday Rufus! Hope there's cold ones in Heaven and that you're enjoying the ultimate celebration. =)

Also, on this day a year ago... my grandpa Carl was diagnosed with cancer too. Like I said... April's extra hard this year. Good thing it's almost over!