Hi, My Name is Ryan Pratt, and I Am a Sleep Talker

Unlike the snorers of the world, I can admit I am a sleep talker. But why isn't my girlfriend terrified when I wake up in the middle of the night, point to the corner of the room, and say "Who's that"? Granted, it's not a rarity. And often times the lights are still on in the room. But when someone sits up in bed at 3:41am, points to a shadow created by the bathroom light and the robe hanging on the door, and sounds truly concerned, you'd think I'd get a reaction other than laughter. Then again, I do sometimes think there's a troll in my lap as well.

The Price Doesn't Have to be Right

On a Wednesday morning four years ago I made my way up the 405 from Laguna to LA to stand in line for "The Price is Right." I had a plan. An ingenious plan. If I could just get a yellow price tag with my name it, and impress the producers enough to call my name to "come on down," I was certain to make it on stage and spin that wheel. If the first four people on contestants row just make a pact to overbid each other by $1 every time it guarantees them all a chance at the wheel! Brilliant, right? Well my ingenious plan didn't account for the 405 morning traffic and I was 2 hours late, and the 255th person on standby to get inside.

The Perfect Kayak for You

I was recently asked by two completely different demographics of people for kayak purchasing advice, and my response was exactly the same to both. Whether you are married or single, a man or woman, physically fit or obese, on the ocean or on a farm - the Malibu 2XL Ocean Kayak is the perfect kayak for you. It is a long tandem kayak that can comfortably seat 2 adults plus a child in between, and can also be paddled solo on a calm creek or in 20ft swells. I bought mine from AustinKayak.com and couldn't be happier with my purchase. They even offer a bundled package on sale with seats, paddles and life jackets all delivered directly to your door. It's a great deal and the best grand I ever spent.

Surviving Survivor

It always amazes me that contestants on the reality TV series "Survivor" can't keep cool long enough to make it to "the merge." It's the only thing you need to do to survive longer than half of your competitors. Maybe I am just speaking for myself, as a level-headed long-fuse - and granted the producers cast the most dramatic personalities they can find - but for a million dollars? C'mon! Then again, I do get pretty cranky when I haven't eaten.

Should I Buy an iPad?

Hm... some background on how I use my iPad might help.

I've had mine for just over a year now. At first, I used my iPad for everything - read, write, consume and create. I never even turned on my computer at home (though I still needed a PC between 9 and 5). My iPad was my coolest newest toy.

It is not anymore.

Today, I have found the perfect balance between iPad, computer(s), AND iPhone. This is a key point, because if you don't have an iPhone (or smartphone for that matter) you will use the iPad more often and much differently than I do.

Today, I use my iPad almost exclusively to consume: read news, check Facebook and Twitter, surf the web, do research (aka Google stuff), and shop online. If I didn't have an iPhone I would probably use it to listen to music (iPod, Audible and Pandora) and watch movies (iPod, Netflix, Hulu, Slingbox and YouTube) as well. And I don't read many books, but if I did, I am sure I would use it for that as well (Amazon just announced a milestone that they are now selling more eBooks than print books).

The iPad is not a great tool for creating: typing is awkward, functions aren't intuitive, apps don't exist, and file management is a mess. If you want to write documents, edit spreadsheets, create presentations, or edit photos and movies, your computer will still be your main tool (though the iPad can add some cool new features to this process). I will say that my iPad has completely replaced pens and notepads in my life - which I used to have beside my bed, on the fridge, and on my desk. At the office, I ONLY need my iPad for meetings - no need for a laptop or a notepad, and it often comes in handy to quickly look something up that someone forgot to bring or wanted to know.

I can't really speak to how you might use it, because our lives are likely so different, but as a multi-tasking millennial and early-adopter of all technology, I love my iPad. It has simplified and and streamlined so many processes in my life - and am quickly nearing a time and place where, like my iPhone, I can't imagine living without it.