Ryanstauffer's Weblog

In the Dog House

ryanstauffer — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:56:55 +0000

Being in the dog house has been given new meaning in Peru. When someone gets hit by a car, the custom is to build a mini tomb for them and place it along the road where they were killed. The mini tombs look like dog houses.

There are probably 50 of these tombs in just our 15 minute drive that we make everyday. And supposedly there used to be many more but it was getting too crowded so the government took them out and put plants in the way so more cannot be built. A lot of people get smashed crossing the Pan Am. Good thing I only cross it twice a day.

Life of the Party

ryanstauffer — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:28:37 +0000

Preconceived notions can hide true identities.

Personalities make us different but don’t make excuses.

Trials make us stronger and wiser.

God gives wisdom to all who ask.

Asking with patience and persistence is faith.

Faith in God is spiritual freedom.

Don’t Drink the Water

ryanstauffer — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:42:49 +0000

Peru is a place of wonder and amazement. There are beautiful mountains and beaches both within walking distance from each other. There are dogs that live everywhere and no where at the same time. Most miraculously is that Coca-Cola us cheaper than water.

Now I have every excuse to drink coke and pass on healthier water. Coke is making its progression into my life here the way coffee does for most working adults in the US (you can’t say America because it offends people here). I started out getting one small classic Coca-Cola glass bottle from the little store run by Poncho across the street for the first two weeks. Now I upgraded to the larger glass bottle which contains slightly more than two of the previously consumed bottle size. And as seen in the coffee consumption levels of the chronic user I should be somewhere near a three liter bottle for lunch by the end of the summer.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

The picture above is a cove in the small fishing town of Pucusana about fifteen minutes from where we live. Really nice town and beautiful coast line. This cove’s only inlet/outlet is an eight feet wide, 25 feet high cutout in the rocky cliff holding the rest of the ocean back. It comes through makes a lot of noise and a big splash before settling nicely into the miniature beach on the other side.

Provolone and Pretzel

ryanstauffer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:45:50 +0000

When a pretzel looks for love, beef jerky tries to come aside

Nothing satisfies a pretzel’s need, nothing makes it come alive

Beef jerky is salty and tasty too, it even has pepper that makes it better

A pretzel wants more than pepper, it doesn’t like hard leather

The gnawing and biting doesn’t cut through it

Just a little zest of love will do it

The more a pretzel looks the farther it seems

But then came a slice of provolone cheese

No more looking needed to be done

A pretzel found provolone, THE one

Emily Jepson

ryanstauffer — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:55:56 +0000

You have mononucleosis, boo

I’ll hop in the Mystery Mobile and visit you

Have you got the clue?

I’m Scooby Doo

If you get enough rest

And you want a guest

You can fight with the best

I’m Jonny Quest

I Surrender All

ryanstauffer — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:13:41 +0000

With my face down cast

The self wound runs deep

All from the recent past

It is so hard to sleep

The Word is my spiritual cast

When trouble begin to heap

Putting You first and me last

The road seems so steep

Your way is always right and true

As hard as it might appear

You will guide me through

Placing mistakes to the rear

Allows intimacy for me and you

I need to keep you near

Make your will what I do

This prayer is sincere

Yackety Sax

ryanstauffer — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Not knowing what you think

Helps me even though its hard

It keeps us out of sync

And keeps us from being scarred

As I work in preparation

I still do not know

If I’ll have your dedication

After my love flowers grow

Even if I become capable

Of holding you more dear

You may deem me unable

To protect you from your fear

All I hope is to love God more

And that you would do the same

It is Him and you that I adore

I pray this all in His name

Gatorade Generation

ryanstauffer — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:08:54 +0000

This is the song that doesn’t end

It goes on and on, my friends

Some people started singing it

Not knowing what it was

And they’ll continue singing it forever

Just because

(Repeat)

R.I.P. Lamb Chop

JC Loves JC

ryanstauffer — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:45:55 +0000

Only 20 minutes between you and me

You once wanted me dead, give me another chance instead

With what we once began, it was cut short, my mistake

Your interest on my mind, I’ll do whatever it might take

I felt forced to refrain, even though I wanted to maintain

That is all behind, only the future lays before

It’s not over yet, there is still more

Lets make amends and see how it all ends

Six Million Ways To Live, Choose One

ryanstauffer — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:33:41 +0000

When you are sitting at a table and you have a feast of a thousand options you never know where to start. There is no way you will ever be able to try all of it. Even if you only take one bit of everything. You try some and realize you are stuffed. You will still wonder about most of the foods and how they might have tasted. You also see that you like some of the dishes but you don’t know that you could eat just one meal while the other ones are still on the table. They are just too numerous and tempting. You might try to taste another while trying to commit to finishing just one plate. But, you can’t. You have to stop eating off of the one plate to stick a bite of another into your mouth. There is no way to have both at the same time. That would be a completely different taste and you really couldn’t enjoy the satisfaction that either of the bites would give you if they were consumed individually. You don’t know what you want.

Now you are at a table with rice. What do you eat?