Yo, interntsland! I'm looking for a hook up for CS4--specifically inDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and, if available, Flash, all for Mac. Let me know if you can help out! Thx!!!

We stumbled over this piece of clip art that really needs to be shared. Happy T-Day, everyone! Enjoy!

So my parents have been loading me down with veggies since their garden has been coming on. Imaging my surprise, however, when I open the bag to find this:

Tonight - First Fridays
Saturday - UVA vs. W&M football game in C'ville
Sunday - First Sunday ride (looks like beautiful weather to boot!)
Monday - Well, I have to work the holiday but hey, it's extra monies...

Listening to Slacker.com, the most appropriate song title for this moment just popped up. Skinny Puppy - Smothered Hope.

I'm considering hitting up a few movies this weekend. District 9. Inglorious Bastards. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe GI Joe. I dunno. Anyone interested to catching any of these this weekend?

So I'm considering new personalized plates for the scooter. Any suggestions? 6 letters/numbers or les!!

life = frustration

Think I just found that "end of the rope" sweet spot. Now I have to concentrate on NOT punching people...

Anyone interested in going?

Adult Swim and ROBOT CHICKEN creators and executive producers Seth Green and Matt Senreich[along with series' voice cast member Breckin Meyer] are celebrating the release of the ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II DVD this summer by strapping on a pair of roller skates and living on a tour bus for two weeks just to bring ROBOT CHICKEN-style fun to the masses. Green and Senreich host the celebration throughout the nine-city roller rink tour across America, featuring performances by one of the hottest bands today, Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording group Gym Class Heroes, in addition to special ROBOT CHICKEN guests including the show’s writers and producers, celebrity guest stars, ROBOT CHICKEN-themed activities and games and exclusive Adult Swim merchandise. Adult Swim’s ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II Roller Skating Tour kicks off in Los Angeles August 1. A preview party, which is also open to the public, will take place on July 25 in San Diego with a guest DJ.
“Our show is so much fun, we want to invite everyone to have fun with us,” says Seth Green. “Grab your friends, your couple’s skate partner and some kneepads. We’re coming to your town! Or at least to
a major market somewhat close to your town.” “When Seth first pitched the idea of throwing roller skating parties around the country, I rolled my eyes and laughed at him,” says Matthew Senreich. “I said, ‘That’s crazy talk.’ Now that we’re actually going to do it, I’m in awe of its absurdity and can’t wait to attend. It fits with the randomness of our ROBOT CHICKEN show. Why not throw roller skating parties across the U.S.?”

Richmond, VA - Roller Dome Skating - Williamsburg Road.

2,000 miles in 30 days. THAT... was a good month!

It's no iPhone, but hey... it works!

So... who's going and when?

I'm finally breaking down and getting a new phone. Screw the iPhone plan for now (even tho I reaaaaaaaaaaaaly want one), I just need something that works. Will revisit the notion when Ann gets a FT job... probably sometime next year.

This actually popped up on Pandora while listening to TMBG so you get an idea of what the song might sound like. It's definitely worth checking out!

Re Your Brains
by Jonathan Coulton

Heya, Tom' it’s Bob from the office down the hall
Good to see you, buddy; how’ve you been?
Thing have been OK for me except that I’m a zombie now
I really wish you’d let us in
I think I speak for all of us when I say I understand
Why you folks might hesitate to submit to our demand
But here’s an FYI: you’re all gonna die screaming

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable; I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here; maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

I don’t want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?
To spend your whole life locked inside a mall?
Maybe that’s OK for now but someday you’ll be out of food and guns
And then you’ll have to make the call
I’m not surprised to see you haven’t thought it through enough
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff
But, Tom, that’s what I do, and I plan on eating you slowly

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable; I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here; maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

I’d like to help you, Tom, in any way I can
I sure appreciate the way you’re working with me
I’m not a monster, Tom...well, technically, I am
I guess I am

I’ve got another meeting, Tom; maybe we could wrap it up
I know we’ll get to common ground somehow
Meanwhile I’ll report back to my colleagues who were chewing on the doors
I guess we’ll table this for now
I’m glad to see you take constructive criticism well
Thank you for your time; I know we’re all busy as hell
And we’ll put this thing to bed
When I bash your head open

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable; I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here; maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

So, I can't go down to VA Beach until Saturday morning now. Anyone interested in making it a ride? I'm thinking of leaving no later than 9am. That would give us time to get there and enjoy the beach, maybe some Flipper McCoys before the party? Hit me back if you're interested.

p.s. - phone is still busted but am getting a new one this weekend. until then, find me on the internets.

So yesterday was a big day. Ann is giving it a serious push to quit smoking. She did really well for the first day I thought. Was a bit cranky in the morning but not much more than usual (she hates mornings). I'm really hoping she sticks with it. To go along with that, I'm obstaining from alcohol (except for possibly on the rare special occasion) so that she doesn't feel alone in giving up something. I had been considering it for a while anyway but this makes it a perfect opportunity for us to work together on this.

Ann doesn't want to make a big deal about it (in case she doesn't succeed) but any encouraging words from you guys via email or facebook would hopefully add to her motivation!

Funny how you can go forever without running into someone, then this week I end up riding behind/with a derestricted Mia 50 two days in a row on different roads, at different times and in different parts of town. Just struck me as really odd coincidence

Day 7 - June 20

I wake up after just 5.5 hours of sleep to find Becky had already left to take Alexander to his swim meet. Deciding to beat everyone to the punch, I jump in the shower to wake myself up and try to get moving earlier than normal. One by one, everyone emerges in nice order to grab a quick bite, some coffee, a shower or whatever as the rest of us pack. We load up the bikes (Kevin and Karen choosing to leave a few things to retrieve later) and prepare to head out. We unfortunately don't get to say a proper goodbye and thank you to Becky as she was a spectacular hostess for our time there. We will just need to repeat it online and often! :)

Once everyone is packed, we gas up and head out, up Afton mountain and down (literally down) Rt. 6. It is a spectacular drive! We pass no less than 4 wineries on the way down which gives promise to another return trip pretty soon. The ride down 6 was fantastic! There were lots of twists and turns and areas that were just beautiful! Everyone is in a good mood. Kevin is the only one with a clean bike as he gave it a once-over the day before but his throttle wasn't sticking like it was and things were going great.

We begin to pass a lot of cyclists and coming upon a gas station, I decide I need to gas up and a snack is in order! As we were going about our business, more and more cyclists kept coming through. Kevin finally started a conversation with one guy who explained that it was a tour group that had over 2,000 cyclists from 48 states. I'm completely blown away! Especially since some of the guys there were probably close to 90 years old! Karen gets some Cheerwine and Malted Milk Balls and another lady pulls up asking about John's Dakar. After some conversation, she says that her friend was having trouble with her bicycle. Kevin, being the bike mechanic and good summaritan he is, took a look (without removing his backpack no less) and fixed the lady's bike in no time.

We finally saddle back up and head back down 6 as it would eventually turn into Patterson. We don't get too far and end up in Scottsville. It's a small town but really awesome. We ate at a "locally grown" foods market and wandered to the "Flying Pig Art Center" where we looked at the gallery area and checked out the studio spaces above. I'm not a huge "small town" type person but I think I could totally live here. The BBQ place smelled so good, Kevin and I swore that it was worth another road trip, just for the riding and the good eats! We will do that trip. Hopefully sometime in the not too distant future.

Hitting the road back to Richmond, the path becomes quite a bit less interesting. The hills begin to straighten out and the curves vanish. We stop to fuel up for the last time before getting into Richmond and there is a... discussion, as to how close Karen is following me. The distance she kept didn't bother me. In my experiences, scooters travel at similar distance at such speeds. There was some disagreement on following distance, that I didn't feel qualified enough to comment on, as a scooter has superb stopping ability over a large motorcycle which weighs much more. Whether it was that or that Karen had more than enough of just barely going the speed limit is unimportant. She took off ahead of the group, content to keep her own pace, while the rest of us followed hampered by my speed restriction.

Being out of the major hills, the Rattler was able to keep closer with the posted speeds and we soon found ourselves back in Richmond. We turned off of Patterson onto Malvern and took Meadowbrook over to Brookland Parkway to Kevin & Karen's place. We get there a bit after 4pm. Everyone goes in for a break and some relaxation. About 4:30 I decide it's time to head home and bid my farewells wishing John and Kristen a safe journey back to Va. Beach.

I get home, greet Ann, and promptly go take a nap! I wake up for the Ultimate Fighter finale then crash out again until 10am the next day.

This trip was a dream! I had a blast the entire time, even when the rain and cold was making it rough on us. It also gives me much more respect for what Ewan and Charlie did in Long Way Round/Down as we only had a week and they had 3 months for each adventure. What a challenge!

I take away many lessons from this trip. One is riding as a group of motorcycles is very different than a group of scooters. The average speeds are higher making communication more important and difficult. Also, every trip like this needs a clear leader. Decisions are sometimes not best made in a group, and are often time consuming. Also, scheduling is lame. The freedom we had to explore was awesome but we could have probably done more if we didn't feel quite as much responsibility to one another (quite an endearing thing, actually).

I can't wait for the next planned venture we come up with on two wheels! I know we'll have more interested parties next time around. Josh, Devin, Anthony, and others. I'm positive a promise of a beach trip will tip the scale in favor of another road trip really soon! (speaking of beach road trips... anyone interested in scooting/riding down for Kristen's beach party weekend? let me know!!!)

This was a fantastic experience. One that I will want more and more. So... next big trip? East Coast? Va Beach, Nags Head, Ocracoke, beach camping? Late August/early September, I'm totally down. Hit me up!!!

Day 6 - June 19

There has been much discussion as to what we should do this day. There is talk of it being an "everyone for theirselves" day. Becky has to go to Alexander's swim match (where he set a new best time!) and Kevin wasn't feeling too great so he wanted to rest a bit that day. It was a pretty clear day with low chance of rain so John, Kristen, Karen and I decide to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Lexington in hopes to get a few better views and hit an antique place or two on the way back on Rt. 11. We leave early enough to make the trip without being rushed and be back in plenty of time to go to the drive-in movie.

We head out and the Parkway is fantastic. We stop to take some scenic photos. Even though this is the best visibility of the entire trip, there is still quite a bit of haze. At the second scenic stop, everyone is feeling a bit chilled. I have my rain suit and my windbreaker so I give the windbreaker to Karen to ease the cool bite on the air. The closer we get to Lexington, the colder it gets. I'm debating whether to pull off and put on my rain jacket to help with the cold but we end up at our exit so I decide to just wait.

The twisty roads on the way down the mountain are always my favorite. As we descend, there is a very noticeable shift in temperatures. I begin to worry that the warm vs. cold air is prime for a rainstorm. Sure enough, as we get to the bottom and head west on Rt. 60, the rain begins. We pull over so John and I can get our rain jackets on and realize that it would be a good time to gas up. We find and Exxon with a nice cover over the pumps and pull in for fueling. I gas the scooter and pull out of the way and hit the bathrooms. When I come out, Kristen meets me and asks if I could finish filling Karen's tank because she splashed gas in her eye. I go to the bike and very carefully put the nozzle in and begin fueling. No wonder this happened as there is no soft action to this handle. It's all or nothing on the pump so I surmise that when it clicked "on" the nozzle wasn't quite over the hole at the bottom, thus hitting the well and shooting into Karen's face. I finish fueling the bike and come in to check on Karen. She's being attended to by the store manager who had seen this happen plenty of times. We decide to wait out the rain at the Burger King/Exxon, grab a quick bite to eat and give Karen the time she needs to recover.

While we were eating and waiting, John rode up to a pharmacy to pick up eye drops and an eye patch for Karen. I didn't envy the challenge of riding with zero depth perception but Karen did fine and was in good spirits really quickly. We decide to go ahead and hit the antique shops as planned, they are on the way back after all, and set back out.

The antique barn we went to, Duke's, was huge. We were there for the better part of an hour looking at items of ages past. Karen purchased some glass bowls while I marveled at the array of cute figurines and hideous art. Feeling rested, we head on to Staunton to hit some shops there. Karen finds some pins and purchased a piece of head wear that I can't recall the name of at this point. It was something silly sounding but fun to say. We had pizza at a great place and headed back to Waynesborro to meet up with everyone for the movie.

Deciding the trip would be quicker and safer, as the drive-in was back in Lexington, we all piled into Becky's van. Something I can't say enough, Becky and her van was a godsend on this trip! We get to the drive-in, pull up and set camp for the movies. It was a non-profit theater which meant for $6 each, we got 2 movies and the concessions were reasonably priced. $1.50 for a large soda! We settle in and watch Star Trek and Dance Flick. The sound wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it was awesome watching Star Trek under the stars. Clouds moved in as that movie ended and Dance Flick came on. No the best movie but it had a couple of funny parts. The funniest part of the evening had nothing to do with the movie. The sky started to drip upon us and Karen and John crowded into the van leaving Becky, Karen and myself sitting behind the van under the door. I hear a familiar sound and look over to see Karen slowly sitting forward from her spot between Kristen's legs which, being in the van, were head level. "Did you just fart... on my head?" Karen asked and everyone doubled over in laughter. I could imagine Kristen's face, bright red, as she was saying something about "old age" and "sneaking up on her" along with multiple apologies.

We head back to Waynesborro. It's late when we get in. After 1am. Everyone completes their nightly routine and goes straight to bed. The next day is either on to Fredericksburg to the BMW shop at 4-Mile Fork and on to Richmond or we take Rt. 6 on to Richmond. It is a decision for a different day.