I was on a morning show called The Daily Buzz this morning! They gave me a call a couple days ago from a San Diego number but I didn’t have my phone on me. When they called again yesterday I couldn’t answer because I was in an attraction at EPCOT. Eventually I called back, apologizing for remaining in “O’Canada!,” when they called…

“What?! You’re in town!”

“No, I’m in Orlando. Wait…what do you mean?”

Turns out The Daily Buzz tapes right her in “The Sunshine State!”

I even got to help host the weather!

Here’s the link: http://www.amtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/amtrekker.mov

In other news: I won’t be riding the horse through the covered bridge in Atlanta until Tuesday so it’s going to be a mad dash across the country to get to Amtrekkapalooza in time!

AND, there are a few people that were a big part of this adventure that would love to make it to the big finish on October 25th but have limited funds so if anyone has any connections with airlines that can maybe get a few of these folks some cheap standby tickets let me know!

Thanks, Team!

I’m done.

Brett.

Just for the record. Bookingbuddy really is a pretty rad website if you’re looking to plan a trip. It actually allows you to search most of the top websites from one location. Pretty handy! But more importantly…our new affiliation with bookingbuddy.com means all you have to do to help out Amtrekker is click on one of their ads and sign up for an awesome newsletter filled with travel deals! Thanks everyone!

Thanks!

Guess who went SCUBA diving in the Atlantic…

Hmm…this is a dumb game. I can’t even hear you.

Oh well. The answer: ME!

After heading down to Sebring, FL with The Getaway Girl and meeting her family (Who, I’m told, were pretty leery of homeless folk crashing their lodgings…until they met me.) we borrowed her dad’s SCUBA gear and shot east to Fort Pierce.

The easiest option was to dive from shore so after lying on the beach for a while trying figure out how I wanted to shoot the madness I handed the camera off to GG and started to suit up. It was a nice change from the Pacific Ocean in that stepping in the water didn’t instantly make me cringe and scream like a little girl from temperature shock. I didn’t even have to wear a wetsuit, which was kind of a novelty for me.

Eventually I managed to get my gear on (including flippers) without falling down and high step into the waves like an idiot with the entire coastline watching the one guy in SCUBA gear wondering why he’s planning on diving in murky water with a lobster basket tied to him when there have been Bull Shark sightings all week.

Well, duh. Because he’s an Amtrekker.

The water was super cloudy and visibility was down to a few feet but the water felt incredible and it was such a beautiful day that it didn’t matter that much. I caught sight of a couple small fish, a drainage pipe and (just in time to have the surge throw me into them) rocks.

I came out of the water satisfied, dry mouthed and bleeding with a smile on my face at the thought that I’m literally, after almost a year and a half of the most time consuming “work” I’ve ever had to do, only ONE single, solitary item away from my first opportunity to see home again!

I am SO stoked people! Party’s at my place. October 25th. Clovis, CA. Be there.

I’m done.

Brett.

Just for the record. Bookingbuddy really is a pretty rad website if you’re looking to plan a trip. It actually allows you to search most of the top websites from one location. Pretty handy! But more importantly…our new affiliation with bookingbuddy.com means all you have to do to help out Amtrekker is click on one of their ads and sign up for an awesome newsletter filled with travel deals! Thanks everyone!

Thanks!

Enjoyed that? Donations please?

Don’t let me stop you.

Sorry the updates have been so few and far between this week. With all the bus rides and the 14 hour days on set for “The Surrogates” (more on that tomorrow) it’s been impossible to find the time to get things posted. BUT, without any further ado…

“Amtrekker travels to the small town of Huron, SD (where he seems to be a really for real celebrity) and drives a race car for the first time!

Autographs and trophies are tossed around like candy.”

Thanks!

I’m done.

Brett.

If you enjoy the podcasts…why not donate?

Don’t let me stop you.

What an incredible day I just had the opportunity to live through! Made even more incredible by the four days of hell preceding it. So in true Amtrekker fashion I’m going to go ahead and pretend all of the bad stuff involving trying to get where I am now didn’t happen and we’ll just focus on all the awesome.

Huron, SD is amazing. And they seem to love Amtrekkers.

When it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to make it to Huron in time for a practice session Friday night Karl (the guy that got the ball rolling on this little adventure) drove three hours each way to come pick me up in Willmar, MN (Which the residents will have you know is pronounced wilmer, one syllable. Not will-mar…like it’s spelled.) and MADE SURE I got where I needed to be to get familiar with the car I was supposed to drive.

After we pulled into the fairgrounds where the raceway is located we were quickly surrounded by a small audience mostly made up of people associated with the racing team that was allowing me to borrow their car. Mike owned the car and Michael, his son, is the regular driver (who is in first place in his class) while the pit crew is made up of Jason, Stevie and Jamie.

Michael showed me how to get into the car, buckle up and get things started (Don’t laugh, it was complicated. Well…different.) and then I took a couple spins around the parking lot area of the speedway because the dirt track had gotten too much rain that day. Even that was a ton of fun. Although having “so many” people watching took some getting used to. (Which I learned to get over really quickly today.)

The next day brought with it some geocaching (always nice to get one of those out of the way) with Karl and a trip to the local fireworks purveyor that resulted in, “Oh! You’re the Amtrekker! Take whatever you want up to ten dollars or so!” Again, I LOVE Huron, SD.

Eventually the time came to show up at the track for the big show. (Which quickly turned out to be much bigger than I ever could have expected!) Brad, the camera man from the day before, had made up some INCREDIBLE cards to hand out after the race car driving and everything seemed to be in order and ready to rock.

I got to squeeze in a couple slow laps around the track to get a feel for what it was going to be like to drive on dirt but it was still intimidating to know that the first time I was actually going to try to drive fast would be in front of THOUSANDS of race fans.

Shortly before the moment of truth I realized I didn’t actually know what I was doing. Asking everyone for advice seemed to be fruitless. Most everyone said something along the lines of, “It’s like driving a car.” And in fact: The best piece of advice I got all night was, “Drive fast, and turn left.” That seemed logical enough.

When the time came I jumped in the car, too excited to care that I didn’t know what I was doing. (Not only a recipe for disaster but also pretty typical in my world.) Lined up at the edge of the track I leaned over to Michael, the car’s regular driver, and screamed through my helmet over the roar of the engine.

“Is there ANYTHING else I should know?”

*Blank stare* “Just go have fun.”

“How far down do I push the throttle on the straight-aways?” I screamed right before I was given the flag.

*Puzzled look* “All the way!”

Oh! That sounds simple enough.

I had one lap around the track before I was given the green flag (The cue to “start the race” after coming around turn four.) and pushed the pedal down as far as it would go. Needless to say that worked out well until I started approaching the next turn and almost peed myself. Michael had given me a quick rundown earlier but I had never taken a turn approaching anything that fast on the dirt track.

It was a blast!

I can’t even describe what an intense feeling it was be that focused while driving a car by yourself in front of thousands of onlookers. In fact…I was so focused I forgot to keep my eye on the flagmen and before I knew it they were waving the checkered flag!

And as intense and incredible as that was it mostly served to make me jealous of the guys that get to actually go out there and compete. Man! That must be the rush to end all rushes. No wonder they go out there every weekend for one of the world’s most expensive hobbies.

I passed beneath the checked flag and took one more “victory lap” before coming in under the flag and in front of the grandstand. As I’m slowly pulling up I see through my helmet that Orville, the guy in charge at the speedway (who, by the way, put a TON of effort into setting this thing up), is holding a GIANT trophy.

I laughed to myself and thought, “That’s an awesome prop! Way to be thinkin’ guys!”

I jumped out of the car and the crowd started cheering. I go to shake Orville’s hand and I hear him say something along the lines of, “You may have to ship it. I don’t think it’ll fit in your pack.” Just as the announcer starts asking me questions I glance down and notice the plaque on this waist high trophy reads “Dakota State Fair Speedway; Amtrekker – 1st Lap” I’m sure the adrenaline helped the process along but I started laughing hysterically while trying to focus on the announcers questions.

(Wow this is a long post. And there was EVEN more!)

After I took the car back to the pit a guy on a 4-wheeler pulled up and said, “They want to know if you’d be willing to go back out front and say hi to some folks.”

“Cool.”

Little did I know that meant: spend the next half hour in an ever constricting circle of people asking me to autograph shirts, hats, programs, scraps of paper and a never ending supply of those cards Brad had made up! It was totally surreal! (Slash awesome)

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. I’m sure the video will be awesome. (Thanks again, to Karl and Meagan for hanging out, filming and generally being great people.) I can’t wait to cruise through the footage. Things have been going a mile a minute all week though so I’m still going to have to find a way to get that kiteboarding video up.

And here’s the most important thing…I LOVE Huron, SD. It was hell getting here but it was one hell of a ride once I made it.

I’m done.

Brett.

P.S. LOTS of pictures are on their way.

Like reading about the adventures? Want to donate?

Don’t let me stop you.

The live Internet Superstar/Diggnation show on Wednesday was a blast. As it so happened I ended up being the first guest on the show and showed up to Mighty in San Francisco JUST as my phone died so there wasn’t much in the way of twittering going on.

Maybe you wouldn’t think it (or maybe you would…how should I know) but Martin and Gator (the hosts of Internet Superstar) did a MUCH better job of preparing me for the interview than anyone else has managed to so far. Some of the stand outs would be Canada AM when I was told to sit in a room alone with a camera until something happens or Happy Hour when admittedly the lack of preparation came from the threat of a hot dog eating contest….but the fact remains.

When I first got there they did a super quick run through of when and where I would be entering. Which doesn’t sound like much but it’s always nice to now when and how you’re coming on camera instead of just standing around with your hands in your pockets until someone suddenly shouts, “You’re on!”

As far as I know the interview went fine. Much looser than TV but that may have just been because NONE of us could hear what the others were saying. I guess we’ll find out in a couple weeks when it airs!

Regardless, it was a fun interview and after the Diggnation show I made a quick lap and talked to some people (Even saw Tom, a guy I originally met at a trivia night in Boston of all places!) before getting hauled off to dinner with Martin, Jay (Gator), Molly and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. A delicious dinner was on Rupert Murdoch while Leigh, the reporter, asked us a few questions about internet video.

Most of the rest of the night was spent out chatting with Jay about some of the epic traveling he’s done.

Sorry for the whirlwind update but 1. It was a whirlwind night and 2. I’ve got to get back to work on this week’s podcast! It will be up late tonight or early tomorrow. Either way, I think you guys are going to like it!

I’m done.

Brett.

An amtrekker in need is an amtrekker indeed.

Don’t let me stop you.

I had to wake up at the crack of dawn yesterday for the Good Morning America interview. I know when I say crack of dawn I usually MEAN noonish…but this time the sun wasn’t even up when I was.

I also have to say that at that point (in light of the craziness from the day before) I was still kind of in denial about whether or not it was really happening. Even when the car pulled up I was thinking to myself, “Are my friends big enough douche bags to be willing to rent a car and driver just to make me look like an idiot?”

This way of thinking was compounded when I got to the studio in Times Square and my name wasn’t on the list for security. I got to stand around wearing my backpack and a stupid grin while people ran around trying to find someone that had heard of me.

Finally:

“Is this where you’re supposed to be?”

“I really have no idea. This is just where the car dropped me off.”

“OOOHHHH! You’re one of the guests! This way.”

I was led upstairs to the greenroom (right next door to Mariah Carey’s dressing room) and told to set down my stuff and they’d get me over to hair and makeup in a few minutes. (I tried to explain that I wasn’t a girl…they didn’t laugh.)

“Would you like a beverage Mr. Rounsaville?”

“Um…do you have orange juice?”

Of course they did but before I even had time to enjoy more than a couple sips they whisked me off to “hair and makeup” and told me to leave it behind.

“Right this way Mr. Rounsaville.”

“Um…I don’t know how this works but would you mind just calling me Brett?”

The hair lady seemed to be pretty happy that I was planning on keeping my hat on so it was just a quick powder to the face before I got to go back to my orange juice…which was promptly taken away from me as I was led out to the set…

And offered a beverage.

“Do you have orange juice?”

The blue mug it came in said “Good Morning America” across the front and for some reason that’s one of the few memories that still sticks out. Everything else that happened for the next few minutes was so ridiculously surreal and amazing that I’m still having a hard time processing it. I had to watch the actual segment earlier today otherwise I wouldn’t have a clue what I had said.

I DO know that I spoke to Donald freakin’ Trump (not his real middle name) over the phone and that I am one step closer to home!!! (I’m trying to get a hold of a copy of the segment that I can link to for anyone that hasn’t seen it. I wasn’t able to film anything while I was there so it won’t make it into a podcast.)

After we shot for the show I was hustled off to another location in the building where I did my first ever radio interview. It was for the Good Morning America radio program on XM Satellite Radio and I remember that portion a little more clearly. I was definitely talked to about how the radio host couldn’t believe how polite I was to “The Donald” and I definitely expounded on how petrified I am of feathered dinosaurs.

Back to the greenroom where I met Linda (not Laura as some careless travelers would have you believe), Frank and Suneet who would later be mistake for my parents and my bodyguard! They were all super nice and were there as guests of one of the producers to check out the Mariah Carey performance. And as fun as that was I think the highlight of my day actually came as I was trying to leave the studio.

A huge crowd had formed outside the doors thanks to everyone’s favorite glitter encrusted diva and I had to get to “my car.” So, despite the fact that I’m basically a homeless bum with a firm grasp of technology one of the security guards pushed his way through the crowd ahead of me saying, “Your car is this way, sir.” As the throng of bored people stared at me trying to figure out why I was important.

We got to the car where the driver was holding the door for me and I jumped in; cue more interested but ultimately confused looks. And as we were driving away some guy with a press pass looked into the window and shouted, “How you doing, Brett?”

“Great!!!”

“Nice job today!”

“Thanks.”

And then “my driver” drove “my car” to the nearest Chinatown bus where I dropped fifteen bucks to sit uncomfortably wedged in a seat for the four-hour trip up to Boston. Back to being another average vagrant!

So…here it is!

I’m done.

Brett.

If you want to help out you know where to click!

Don’t let me stop you.

Real quick for those of you that missed out on it. Here’s the link to the CNN interview that aired this weekend. It was pretty good! At least, I was happy with it…but I’m a little biased. I loved seeing all the little snippets of fun stuff I’ve done over the last eight months and giggling to myself. They used a lot of great moments.

And it was AWESOME to see so many people from Team Amtrekker on there too! You guys all rocked and I couldn’t have done any of the stuff on the list without your help! Here’s hoping things continue to go as smoothly…who am I kidding? When do things ever go smoothly?

Well, here’s hopin’ anyway.

Wish me luck!

I’m going to go tour a couple wineries my CS host insisted I check out and then it’s off to the next adventure! Where and what will that be? I’ll let you know when I get there…

I’m done.

Brett.

Look how lonely that little yellow button looks! Doesn’t it just make you want to click it?

Thanks!

No more waiting! It’s Wednesday again and after almost a month long wait between objectives here it is…#24!

Thanks again to Terry Evanswood and Jay of Magic Beyond Belief and to Pat and Helen for getting in touch with them.

I had a blast! I hope the rest of you enjoy this week’s video half as much as I enjoyed being there.

(OH! Also this is the first week of a new compression setting to compliment the Apple TV and HOPEFULLY give a much clearer picture. Sadly, it also means longer download times. Let me know if it doesn’t work on any of your players. And just in case, I used the old settings for the youtube version. If I don’t hear any complaints that wont happen next week though.)

And here’s the youtube link.

Tell your friends! And your friend’s friends…and at least two of your friend’s enemies! Every Wednesday at 6pm Pacific brings the world a new adventure from www.amtrekker.com!

I’m done.

Brett.

If you like the podcasts then I like you…if you liked me too you’d click that little yellow button down there.

Thanks!

I’m sure I’ve said this a hundred times by now but I am continually blown away by how often people surpass my expectations of kindness. I spent most of yesterday in Pigeon Forge, TN thanks to Helen and her mom Pat’s connections to the Magic Beyond Belief show and Terry Evanswood. (Also…no such thing as the internet there, sorry for the delay on this post.)

But if I’m going to be honest (and that’s kind of what I strive for) when I spoke on the phone with Jay, one of the Magic Beyond Belief honchos, earlier in the week I started to get concerned that this was going to be yet another dead-end. Over the phone the situation didn’t sound super promising. I didn’t get the feeling that they were very excited to help out (not that I could fault anyone for a lack of excitement, like I said, it’s a complete surprise every time anyone offers to help out) over at the show and worse it didn’t look like I was going to have the opportunity to film ANY of it.

(Well, worse for you anyway…I still would have had the chance to do something I’ve always wanted to do but you guys wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see an amtrekker in action.)

Even after traveling out to the strange, strange town of Pigeon Forge and showing up at the Magic Beyond Belief Theater it looked like I was only going to get to cross #24 off the list by sitting in the crowd and holding a bucket. (Not that I would have turned that opportunity down, if it crosses something off the list then I’m a happy camper!)

But once Pat decided to join me for the show they had to change my seat so we could sit together and suddenly the bucket wasn’t viable.

“It’s okay though, we’re working on something else.” Jay assured me. “You’ll probably get to go up on stage and jiggle some swords…make sure they’re real.”

“Awesome!” I thought. That’s pretty much exactly what I was hoping for.

“And I’ll talk to Terry about filming.”

Ah, things were looking up. (As they have a habit of doing.)

Finally Pat and I took our seats and Jay loosely explained what was going to happen. “The female assistant will ask for two volunteers from the crowd and you’ll be in this seat right here. She’ll pick you, and you can go up and do your thing and I’ll take the camera so I can film it.”

Then, like a typical magician, he disappeared.

Which left me with these questions: Am I supposed to pretend I REALLY want to be on stage when she asks for volunteers? Is she just going to come grab me? When is this going to happen? Should I have the camera rolling already?

So naturally I sat in my seat so busy being anxious that I can’t even remember most of what happened in the first part of the show.

About a third of the way through Jay reappeared. Poof. “Okay, give me your camera.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Terry walking out onto the stage.

“It’s all set, just push this button right here and point it at whatever you want to shoot.” I don’t see an assistant and Terry has started talking about how being a magician is a dream come true for him, telling a story about his childhood and how important it is to follow your dreams. Then he mentions Pat and some guy whose dream he wants to make come true. (What a coincidence, right? I was with a lady named Pat too.)

Terry came down from the stage continuing to tell my story before stopping and handing me the mic and having me fill in the details myself to the audience of about 500. After that he took the mic back and explained what was going on…which was nice because at this point I still had no idea. As it turned out I wasn’t so much going to be a volunteer as the assistant for one whole illusion!

We went up on stage and I was given a shiny red vest to look more assistant worthy and Terry started to, ever so briefly, walk me through what I needed to do.

Here’s a quick side note: I’ve done a lot of stupid things on my trip where I absolutely should have been nervous. As it turns out I have almost no fear when it comes to doing something that may potentially kill me and I’m completely comfortable talking to myself into a camera surrounded by people (which admittedly took me a little while to get used to), I have very few reservations when it comes to public speaking…but now I know my Achilles heel. I seem to get VERY nervous when I’m holding swords and standing in front of five hundred people with NO idea what I’m supposed to be doing next.

As the illusion progressed Terry would occasionally whisper commands in my direction to help walk me through what I needed to be doing, when I needed to be stabbing poor little girls folded up into tiny boxes or when I needed to strike the “superstar” pose.

In a word: Incredible. If I get two words I would also add, AMAZING! And with four I’d say, Thank you.

Once my bit was over and I could just sit and watch the show without worrying about what my place in the excitement was I even got to be amazed on a whole new level. Terry is really good! His slight of hand presentation left me WISHING I were that cool. If nothing else, you should check out his website.

The experience was SO much more than I could have asked for and not only did I get to help make some magic I also got to be blown away one more time by how great people can be.

The video will be up Wednesday at 6pm Pacific! Don’t miss it.

I’m done.

Brett.

If you’re looking for a way to help out I know where there’s a button you could click.

Thanks!