Rick Ryckeley's blog

The art of non-answering

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:42:37 -0400

The Wife and I diverted from our normal Tuesday night television routine to watch the Presidential debate. Boy, was that a big mistake!

Doofus No Longer - I’m A DINK

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:10:41 -0400

I’ve been called many things over the years, but until last weekend I’ve never been called a DINK. A doofus – yes. A DINK – no. And who placed this new label I now wear with pride on me?? It was none other than The Wife.

Overbuilding the neighborhood

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:03:26 -0400

A real-estate agent came by our house the other day and gave us a free assessment as to its value. With the ever-changing housing market, we thought it was a good idea. Okay, I thought it would be a good idea. The Wife was getting irritated at her husband for bringing a critical stranger in the house during nap time.

Cutlery impaired

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:50:44 -0400

When I was growing up, my dad told me more times than I could count, “Life’s just too short to worry about the little stuff. You only need to worry about big stuff.”

The card

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:03:59 -0400

It came in the mail one day as if by magic. I didn’t request it, didn’t fill out any forms, nor did anyone call conducting a phone survey during dinner. I just opened the mailbox, and there it was. In a red, white and blue envelope was a welcome letter congratulating me for making it to my golden years – and a shiny new AARP card with my name embossed on the front.

IT’S WAR!

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:46:41 -0400

Today started like any other day. I got up, walked the dog for an hour, ate breakfast, and kissed The Wife goodbye as she went off to work. It was my day off so I spent some time in the basement, did a little yard work and around noon came inside for lunch. I cut on the news just in time for the special report and immediately lost my appetite. It seems that the entire state of Georgia is at war with the Russians.

Stupid things I’ve done

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:39:53 -0400

Just before I do something stupid, I hear a little voice in my head warning me about the impending danger. Some call the voice a conscience. Others call it the voice of reason. And still others call it a voice from above. Me? I just call the voice in my head Fred.

The generation gap

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:01:15 -0400

The generation gap is something I’ve heard about all of my life, but never really believed in. The other day was when I realized that not only does the gap exist, but just how far that gap has widened for me.

Truth and consequences

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:25:37 -0400

It seems to me that life is about knowing the right answers, knowing when to speak them and knowing when to keep your big fat mouth shut. I first became aware of this at the tender age of 6. That is when us boys, lined up in front of Dad, were being interrogated as to how Mom’s crystal vase got smashed, the one they got in Europe during their honeymoon.

The luckiest man alive

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30:48 -0400

Marriage is a conversation, and ours has been a wonderful dialogue for the last nine years. Today we celebrated our anniversary in the house that we built together.

A simple piece of paper

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:27:45 -0400

Goofy Steve seemed so sure of himself. He stood alone in the middle of the street, nose to nose with Down the Street Bully Brad. Though he faced insurmountable odds of surviving the next few minutes, he didn’t waver from his conviction. Bully Brad had gone too far: he had teased his little sister, and it was time to put a stop to it.

Fried watermelon

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:47:25 -0400

I can testify that we in the South consume lots of strange things. Dad used to say that we eat every part of the pig except the squeak. Ears, tails, feet and snouts — it seems we have strong stomachs. Did I mention we eat those, too?

Summer camp

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:29:52 -0400

After talking with my dad last weekend, it seems I had several misconceptions about him while I was growing up.

We had a large family: four boys, one girl, two dogs, and a green parakeet that ate hushpuppies off Dad’s head. The first misconception was the reason we had a garden every year. I thought it was for additional food to feed the family. Come to find out, this was not the reason Dad spent so much time in the backyard.

Euthanasia

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:48:24 -0400

As far back as I can remember, Dad told me if I live a good and righteous life, God would never give me a task I could not handle. Never would I be faced with a decision I could not make.

The Magnificent Seven

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:17:21 -0400

The lights flashed on at Candi’s house. They were eyes peering into the darkness of the outside world. Yellow spilled out onto the front lawn and illuminated the green grass and a thick grove of trees, but that wasn’t all. Among the shadows of the pines, seven wide-eyed teenagers stood frozen like deer caught in headlights – and I was one of them.