JAREDRYANLEE.COM

In case you didn’t know, we have a new president.  You may have just thought the Today Show was having a slow day when you saw Aretha Franklin singing off key with what can only be described as a ginormous bow-hat.  But then a nervous man took the stage and swore an oath of office.

I did not vote for Barack Obama, and I do not agree with many of his positions on certain issues.  The night of the election, I foolishly wrote a blog post condemning the American people.  I was angry.  In the most important election of my lifetime, and certainly the most important since I gained the right to vote, my guy lost.  After a close friend set me straight, I deleted the post, and put up a retraction.

Today, history was made.  An African-American man, who forty years ago, would be required to use a separate water fountain than me, was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.  Many dreams have been fulfilled and America has taken a huge leap forward from its dark past.

While I still do not agree with many of President Obama’s policies, I remain hopeful.  He really does seem to have a level head on his shoulders, and seems willing to listen to both sides of an argument.  As an American, I feel it is my duty to stand behind him, to support him when I think he is right, and to question him when I think he is wrong.  I will rebuke ideologues and I will love my country unabashedly.

I pity those who found absolutely nothing inspiring about today.  They must lead depressing lives.

This afternoon, I will be leaving for Dallas to go meet my new nephew for the first time.  Braxton Edward Birkenfeld came into this world on January 8th with 10 fingers and 10 toes (I had to edit this as I originally typed 5 fingers and 5 toes).  I’m pretty excited to finally get to see him.  I have so many things to teach him.  As his cool uncle, I have the responsibility to teach him terrible manners and a surprising number of insults, and as you know, I excel in both of these areas.

The past month has been ridiculously busy.  After 5 (!) Christmas meals and an excellent board game filled new year, real life set back in.  Work has been insane.  I’ve spent 8 of the past 10 working days in Borger, helping install a new phone system, and overhauling two distance learning classrooms.  On the days I’ve been in the office, the phone has rung off the hook.

I had an endoscopy done a couple of weeks ago to check for an ulcer.  There wasn’t one (praise the Lord).  The sedative did quite a number on me.  It’s basically an amnesia drug.  After the procedure, I asked my wife no less than 4 times if the doctor had found anything.  I told the nurse as she left so I could get dressed that my wife and I were going to make out while she was gone, and I told my wife as she left to go pull the car around to the door, that I was going to hang back and flirt with the nurses.  Apparently, sedatives turn me into a dirty old man (which I plan to be).

We also just bought a Bluray player and I plan to watch my new copy of There Will Be Blood the second I get back.  If you haven’t seen it.  You’ve blown it.