Archive for October, 2008
Hey, Amtrekker! WTF
Oct 31st
Hey Team,
Here’s a quick update to keep all you crazy kids in the loop. I haven’t had a chance to edit the horse through the covered bridge footage or the Amtrekkapalooza footage yet but those will be the next two videos and they should both be up by the middle of next week.
The most notable reasons for this not being done yet are 1) I came down with some sort of rabid Greyhound virus literally the DAY I got back home (seriously, it probably would have killed a lesser trekker) and 2) I’ve been working on what is quite possibly the world’s most AMAZING Halloween costume! I’ll call the Guiness people tonight and find out for sure. I’ll let you know when I know.
In other news: Here’s a link to www.podcacher.com where Sonny and Sandy have posted audio from the big finish on show #189. Go check them out!
AND…here’s a link to some pictures from the big party courtesy of Tom Arthur! If anyone else has any pictures feel free to send them my way!
Last thing. The Boston guys are geniuses. This is how I’m going to spend NovemBEARD.
I’m done.
Brett.
Seriously, team. No joke. BookingBuddy is AWESOME. It’s like a travel website aggregator More >
Party People
Oct 28th
Hey Team,
Because of some weird technical stuff that isn’t worth explaining I had to bury today’s post deeper in the site.
It’s videos from some of the folks that couldn’t make it to the big Amtrekkapalooza! It will take awhile to load. LOTS of videos.
It’s right here.
Thanks!
Brett.
AKPC_IDS += "393,";The End. (kinda) [pictures later]
Oct 26th
Hey Team,
I’m done.
That’s the first time I’ve ever had the chance to START a post with that line. Yesterday was completely surreal. Driving up to my house my stomach was filled with butterflies and I was even shaking with anticipation. As we pulled up to the gate of the two acre parcel my folks live on in Middle-Of-Nowhere, CA Ron Fairbanks walked up and blocked my entry.
Apparently, in my absence a vote was taken and I wasn’t even going to be allowed on the property where the homecoming party was being held until I found the final geocache. Eventually a horde of people gathered around and suddenly I was practically onstage wandering around in circles following a GPS I had never used before…poorly. I thought, “Geez, all these people are here just to watch me find a geocache…this is pretty intimidating. I guess I should at least make a show of it.”
Near ground zero according to the GPS was a small DSL box with the wiring running down a post. I figured I might as well look in a few places it was OBVIOUSLY never going to be hidden just to keep things interesting. I opened the DSL box and…Ka-KOW! More >
Bad News is Good?
Oct 24th
Hey Team,
When I first moved to Los Angeles after college, before I had even landed my first job at an ad agency, I was watching a LOT of news. (The burden of being broke, unemployed and in a strange city without friends.) Naturally it didn’t take long before I started getting REALLY depressed. You all know as well as I do that local news is notorious for its overwhelmingly negative bent. Who among you has never asked the question, “Why don’t they ever have GOOD news?”
Yesterday I had my mind blown.
All of the credit for my exploding brain goes to Jaron Lowenstein. Although you could never change my mind on the subject of how debilitatingly depressing local news can be he did offer an enlightened viewpoint that I had never considered. I’ll just paraphrase:
It sucks that all you ever see on TV are shootings and wife beatings but there’s something reassuring in knowing that those actions are still out of the ordinary. We’re shown these things because they’re still shocking. It’s comforting when you think that people aren’t interested in seeing a story about how some guy takes little Johnny to school everyday and loves his wife because that’s what More >
Auditions for Icabod Crane
Oct 22nd
Hey Team,
Wow! It finally happened. For the last week and a half the awesome team over at CNN’s News To Me has been scrambling to try to put me, a horse and a covered bridge together at the same point in time and space. I can’t tell you how many calls I got from the Associate Producer, Grayson, that went something like this:
“Brett, that horse contact fell through but I think we might have another one…maybe.”
“Brett, there’s no way that bridge is going to work. It looks like we’re back to square one.”
“Brett, the other bridge I wanted to use is under construction right now…”
Meanwhile I was trying to get in touch with everyone I know in the Atlanta area in the hopes that someone could help out while watching the days on the calendar tick away. And yet, after almost a year and a half of similar situations working out time and again, even with the deadline of the Amtrekker party looming, I kind of felt like Geoffrey Rush’s character in Shakespeare in Love.
“Brett, I’m so sorry this isn’t working out. I feel terrible for getting you all the way out here and not being able to get you More >
Instructions
Oct 22nd
Hey Team,
Here a copy of the email I sent out a couple days ago (follow the instructions therein if you haven’t already):
I just had a GREAT suggestion for all you folks that absolutely, without a doubt, don’t have a chance of making it this Saturday for the big homecoming! (For those of you that do have a chance, however slim, stop crying like little babies, suck it up and come have fun!)
If you can’t make it then it would be SUPER cool if you could just make a really quick video of yourself (quality doesn’t matter just shoot it on your webcam and I’ll be happy) that we can show at the celebration.
It doesn’t have to be impressive just a minute or two (or more, I’m not particular) of what your part in this grand play was, maybe an anecdote about how we met or what we did together or what you thought about me or the trip in general. Have fun! And if you can get me something in the next two or three days I promise to be your friend forever (depending on what you actually say about me I suppose).
Thanks, Team! This could be REALLY awesome and More >
Death of the Dog?
Oct 20th
Hey Team,
If everything goes well this week then I JUST got off my last greyhound for a long, long time (I hope). I was curled up in the fetal position and unconscious for most of the ride so there are no good carny stories to come out of it but the was a surprise wakeup thanks to some shouted commands when a State Trooper chose Greyhound to transport a prisoner…so there’s that.
In other news: My friends over at CNN’s News To Me have been trying to line up a horse and a covered bridge for the final full item on the list. Things were looking pretty good for awhile but it looks like some last minute changes are in order. I have nothing but faith in the News To Me guys but I’m definitely a little nervous. Time to go make some magic happen!
Wish me luck!
Brett.
AKPC_IDS += "388,";The Daily Buzz
Oct 17th
Hey Team,
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. More >