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4 Months: Inevitably Uncertain

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Chapter 33: March 6, 2020-July 6, 2020 (a super long and personal entry)

Well this has been a rather bizarre 4 months, wouldn’t you say? On March the 6th, we celebrated career day at school. I was feeling super cute and oozing with confidence. I mingled with all of the presenters. I snapped photos on my brand new camera. We were 6 months into school and I was finally figuring out exactly what my newest responsibilities entailed. Not only that, I started going to the doctor and dentist again that week to reclaim my physical, mental and oral health.

I had just announced the return of my ion Ryan website. So I made a remix of one of my favorite Facebook headers ever: a to do list that looked like it was sitting on my desk. The list had things I planned to do over the next 6-12 months. You can find it in my FB cover photo album. On the 7th, I stopped by our school’s first ever science olympiad competition where we did exceptionally well. Later that night, I was with friends and extended family for a surprise 30th birthday celebration. From there, I went right downtown to set up for an early morning CHOP event. I finished setting up at 5:02AM on the 8th.

I slept for a while, opened Facebook and I saw a post that implied that one of my employees who had a long and hard journey was officially pregnant with twins. I texted her and she confirmed as much. It was a great way to start the day. I put on a pair of skinny jeans and took silly selfies in the mirror, sending them to the people who might boost my confidence a little more. I started researching lasik consults because I was sick of my glasses.

Monday morning, my class and I watched Friday Night Lights. I was trying to show them the power of handheld cameras and zooming plus, admittedly, it had been a long weekend. For some reason, I grabbed my college degree from the recesses of a closet that morning and decided it was time to hang it in my office. Later that night, my ex and I were able to 1000% magnanimously divvy up and bury the hatchet on the past. With a couple payments, I’d own the equity in the house and be ready for a new chapter of my life.

I was feeling better, looking better and I was ready for a brighter future. The rest of the week was kind of incredible too. I finally fixed up the TV studio at school. Our swim and basketball teams were trucking along in their state tourneys. I took a picture of all the spring sports schedules and planned to design something super cool and release them online. I took photos of the students practicing for the play so I could make a post on our school’s page the following week. Our mathletes won another thing and we started planning a hype video for the next thing they were definitely going to win. We also hosted a bunch of 7th graders that week and I got to talk to prospective students. One of my favorite things, of course.

My housemate Scott helped me do a thorough inventory on my vintage Star Wars toys. I made a plan to buy one of the final 25 or so figures I was missing after each big event I had this year. I spoke to my contacts at the Eagles about the next 2 months of events (there were 5 huge ones in there) then pitched an expansion of services for the season. I also connected with some other clients for the first time via personal social media (they’re young and hip too, it made sense) and that felt like a positive because I’m semi-likable online if for no other reason than the fact that I’m an open book (As evidenced by what you’re reading here). Also, I always focus on the business better in the spring because I love sitting down listening to baseball and working.

Quite honestly, it was the best that life had been in so long. Health, business, school, financially, personally, hobby-wise. Every single thing was basically in order thanks to a couple good weeks. I was caught up or ahead for the first time in about 33 years. Then Friday March 13th hit and all of our lives got turned upside down. Almost every single aforementioned thing in my own life disappeared, changed or was thrown into flux. As I juxtaposed the moment of clarity I had finally reached just days before vs the new global uncertainty, I took it so personally. I remember writing in my journal, “God must just hate me.” Friends and family would check in on me and it’d have this polar opposite effect: every conversation would be me just rambling off a list of everything that had suddenly changed and why my life was now ruined because of what I lost due to covid. I tried my best but as 2 weeks turned into 2 months, I was losing it.

But here’s what I learned recently: time and change are both equally inevitable. Regardless of if covid occurred or not, this time would have passed and unexpected changes would have occurred. Sure, this unparalleled stretch was filled with monumental change but there is no reason why we can’t meet it with monumental growth. Maybe the past 6 months-5 years were like…the worst for me. But maybe the next 6 months-5 years will be the best. Only time can give us that answer! That’s the most utterly horrifying and incredibly exciting thing about life: the vastly uncertain future! Here’s to a better second half of 2020!

😘✌🏻

PODCAST: TJ Kong, Mandalorian, Politics and Sports

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This week’s links

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A brief glimpse back to 2008 sparks a multitude of memories spanning from Presidential politics to the joy of winning a championship! We’re also one week away from the Mandalorian, so Ryan talks about some hopes for the show! Finally, we take a journey through TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb’s music catalogue! They’ve given us the intro and outro music for this podcast, but their 10+ year journey in music has even more depth!

Follow @ionRyan on Instagram. Thanks to TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb for our intro and outro music!

PODCAST: BetterHelp, AEW/NXT, Star Wars Toys and 5 Movie Recommendations

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This week’s links

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This week, Ryan delves into using the BetterHelp app to speak with a licensed counselor about professional growth through personal changes. Want to try it out? Use this link: https://ionryan.pro/BetterHelp! In 3 Count, we look at how AEW and NXT rock, 5 movies you might have heard of but never seen and what Hasbro got right this year with Star Wars toys! See you in 2 weeks! Join Greg and Sam on Friday for We Podcast and We Know Things! And tune in for Sean’s MRC Tech Presents The Last Podcast next Tuesday!

Follow @ionRyan on Instagram. Thanks to TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb for our intro and outro music!

PODCAST: #WePodSquad Link Round Up!

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Every week, the We Pod Squad posts 2 new episodes of original content! On some Tuesdays, you’ll get me, ion Ryan! The follow Tuesday, you’ll get Sean of MRC Tech Presents The Last Podcast! My podcast is all over the place with stories about TV, wrestling, movies, toys and even mental health! Sean’s podcast is more straight forward: Star Wars! All things Star Wars!

 

Every Friday, Greg and Sam dropped the We Pod Squad flagship show: We Podcast and We Know Things. The two life long friends tackle video games, movies, comics, music, TV and everything else under the sun! Their show is honestly my favorite podcast! (I’m not biased or anything!)

 

To subscribe to our network, you can follow any of these links or search We Podcast and We Know Things wherever you get your podcasts from!

 

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PODCAST: TV History of Sept 22nd plus AEW vs NXT Rosters!

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This week’s ion Ryan Show Links
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September 22nd marked the 25th, 20th and 15th anniversaries of 3 landmark TV shows! Friends in 1994, West Wing in 1999 and LOST in 2004. Ryan runs down the history, some facts and his feelings on all 3. In the featured portion of the episode, Ryan does a complete roster breakdown of AEW and NXT as they prepare to go to war on October 2nd! Ryan gives his Top 10 for each company then ranks the rosters against each other!! Who wins? Listen to find out!
Follow @ionRyan on Instagram. Thanks to TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb for our intro and outro music!

PODCAST: Hamilton and a Week in my Life

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This week’s ion Ryan Show Links
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This week Ryan is all over the place and that’s just fine. Three count tackles 1) a nice week in the life of Ryan as a teacher, vice best man and business owner (01:45) 2) AEW vs NXT feelings (29:11) 3) a random factoid about Prop 65 warning labels (43:50). Finally Ryan gives a brief history of the broadway show Hamilton including a clip of its first public performance (51:14) followed by his impressions after FINALLY seeing the show! (01:01:55)

Want to try Audible? Use my link below and get 2 free books!


Follow @ionRyan on Instagram. Thanks to TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb for our intro and outro music!

VISIT THE WE PODCAST & WE KNOW THINGS MERCH STORE: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/WePodcastAndWeKnowThings

 

SUPPORT US ON PATREON: www.Patreon.com/WePodSquad

Visit the new & improved We Podcast & We Know Things website!!: www.wepodcastandweknowthings.com

PODCAST: TWO SHOWS! WE POD TAKEOVER! IONRYAN SHOW!

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Huge week for me! I put out my usual episode, but I also had the opportunity to take over We Podcast and We Know Things in conjunction with Sean from The Last Podcast! Thanks to Greg and Sam for that opportunity! Here’s the links and the info for each!!!

This Week’s ion Ryan Show Links
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Show Info: This week’s three count delves into some life lesson’s ion Ryan hopes to share with his students, intro to 3D and of course, Spidey and the MCU! The main feature of the program focuses on AEW 10 match card coming up this Saturday live from Chicago! All Out! Don’t forget, Ryan and Sean takeover We Podcast & We Know Things for one week, this Friday!

THE WE POD SQUAD TAKEOVER Links
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Show Info:

Move over Greg and Sam, Sean of The Last Podcast and Ryan of the IONRyan Show are taking over! Listen as we breakdown D23 in intense detail; no stone is left unturned! Gasp as we reveal our top games and music. Cheer as we feature our TV & movies of the summer. Laugh as we try to tackle trivia. Are you ready for a marathon? Strap in, get a cup of coffee, and here…we…go!
Intro (0:00), Rundown (2:20), Trivia (3:23), D23-Disney+ (11:00), D23-Marvel (16:00), D23-Star Wars (49:20), D23-WrapUp (2:06:20), Game Space (2:18:00), Music Space (2:35:00), TV/Movie (2:44:00), Pick of the Week (2:53:25) & Show Wrap Up (2:56:15).

PODCAST: Star Wars, CM Punk, Movies and SDCC Toy Wrap

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Listen here!

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Overview

This week’s episode is a delightful mixture of Star Wars, Movies, Wrestling and SDCC Toys! First up is Kevin Smith’s claim that the end of Rise Skywalker will melt our minds. After that, we look at almost every movie that’s coming for the rest of 2019! Then we talk CM Punk, AEW and the should he/could he of it all. We end the show with a complete recap of Mattel’s WWE reveals from SDCC as well as Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line! Follow @ionRyan on Instagram. Thanks to TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb for our intro and outro music!
00:01:23 : End of Rise of Skywalker will “melt your mind”
00:10:50 : SDCC Star Wars
00:16:20 : Remaining 2019 Movie Releases
00:49:57 : Music Tastes
00:52:30 : CM Punk to AEW Rumors/Thoughts
01:06:51 : SDCC WWE
01:33:30 : SDCC Marvel Legends

DEALS: Amazon Prime Day! Toys, Tech, Cool Stuff!

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We’re rolling into Day 2 of Prime Day and there are still a few good deals left to grab! I bought myself an Apple Watch Series 3 yesterday but that deal has SOLD OUT! Don’t wait on these because they will sell out! So what did I dig up for this week? Check it out now! And don’t forget to listen to this week’s SDCC Toy Prediction Podcast!

First up, if you need a Prime membership, you can sign up below! Then we have toys and games! We have Legends Life Size Props lower than ever before, some toys, Battlefront for $6 and more! Please note, all the items here are 30%-60% off. Sometimes you have to click the item to see the deal!!

Hasbro Props!
Ant-Man Helmet: $65
Black Panther Mask: $65
Black Series Riot Control Baton: $70
Black Series Kylo Ren Saber: $109

Marvel, Star Wars and WWE!
X-Men Sentinel: $58.11
Star Wars Battlefront Game: $6-$15
Enfys Nest with Bike: $30
Captain America: $11
Gwenpool: $11 (SOLD OUT)
Spider-Man & Sinister Six 3.75″ Set: $48
Black Bolt: $10
Bandai Ninja Batman: $37
WWE Triple H: $12

Amazon Deals! If you’re getting an Alexa device, check out my video on how to customize your Alexa experience and have her say anything!
Echo 2nd Gen: $50
Echo Dot 3rd Gen: $22
Amazon Fire Stick: $14
Amazon Fire TV: $70