Archive for November, 2008
Iron Katy
Nov 29th
Hey Team,
I just spent the last week back out on the road again and I’m sad to report that in a lot of ways I felt more at home out traveling than I do back in Fresno. Granted I haven’t lived in Fresno since I graduate high school back in the day and traveling is still fresh in the brainscape but I was still a little surprised.
After the haunted house experience I hightailed it to Tempe, AZ to watch Katy compete in her second Ironman.
Let me explain something first: I have a peculiar personality quirk that only my close friends and family TRULY understand and I’m not even sure I can explain it properly without sounding like a tool. Basically, I blame 1980s cartoons. You couldn’t watch three episodes of any of those shows without being fed the line, “You can do anything you set your mind too.”
And like a sucker, I believed them.
As a result here I am at 27 and I still don’t take many activities seriously. I think, “Well, if it’s possible then why WOULDN’T I be able to do it? Let’s go!” Some things obviously take more work than others but to this day I feel More >
A Night in Wolfe Manor [photos by CJ Johnson!]
Nov 24th
Hey Team,
It’s been awhile since a new update has popped up here but a LOT has been going on behind the scene. I’ve been getting tons of “What’s next?” type questions and a lot of really great questions about wrap-ups. I decided to extend the party video to include some interviews from family members and their thoughts on Amtrekker so that has kind of been delayed…it should still make an appearance soon.
As far as other videos go there is plenty of excitement right around the corner and in the blog world there’s a lot to say about the past so those will occupy most of the updates for the next week or two. Keep your eyes peeled!
Okay…so what happened at the haunted house?
Brian, CJ, Stephen, Mike and I showed up at Wolfe Manor around 9:30 pm Friday night to set up shop and get ready to shoot our collective experience in what has been dubbed one of the most haunted properties in America. The anticipation alone had us all on edge. Standing outside one of the creepiest, most rundown places I’ve ever seen (outside of the Newark Greyhound terminal) the fog literally started to roll in.
To kill time while we More >
Wolfe Manor
Nov 12th
Hey Team,
It looks like a new adventure has presented itself! It seems that just a couple weeks ago the team from Ghost Hunters dropped in to the old Clovis Sanitarium (soon to be Wolfe Manor) to do some…ghost hunting…
From what I hear they were blown away by what they saw. The episode will air on November 19th and we can all find out together what the details may be but you’re probably already asking, “What’s the big deal, Brett? Why do we care?”
Last week I got a call from some folks connected to the operation of this property who had heard my story and thought they could add a little something to my adventure. Naturally I jumped at the chance. Mostly because that’s what I’m good at…jumping into situations without thinking.
My first thought (which came well after agreeing to do an Amtrekker episode from what is proclaimed as one of the most haunted properties in America) was, “Well, I don’t believe in ghosts…but I’m also kind of a sissy who lets his imagination get away from him pretty regularly. This could very well be an incredibly creepy experience that I don’t want to run head first into alone.”
So, who do I More >
#2 Ride a Horse Through a Covered Bridge [podcast]
Nov 9th
Hey Team,
Lots of stuff going on. Plenty of adventures around the corner. A new literary agent. A book proposal to write. But MOST importantly…everyone’s favorite videos are BACK! Today it’s the horse through through the covered bridge, the video of the party will be out in a few days and then it will be back to the old Wednesday at 6pm Pacific schedule! Ah, the good old days.
There are literally a TON (okay, not literally…it’s all digital so it really doesn’t take up much space) of videos still to come! Things will take on a slightly different format now that I’m back but there are still a lot of “Tales From the Wayback Machine” I’ve yet to show you guys! I’m pretty excited to be able to sit somewhere for an extended period of time without being kicked out so I can ramp up the production quality as much as I can.
Okay, less talk more action. Here it is:
“Amtrekker travels to Atlanta, GA where with the help of Grayson from CNN’s News To Me team, Betty Ann, Ginger, Chase and a horse named Danket he finally gets to live out a cartoon!
Flaming pumpkins ensue.”
Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube More >Halloween Raid
Nov 3rd
Hey Team,
Last Halloween my costume cost me less then ten bucks and not much more than ten minutes to fabricate. This year went a little bit differently. I still came in at under ten dollars but I spent HOURS trying to turn myself into the world’s largest cockroach.
The initial concept had me scurrying around on the ground thanks to a dolly strapped to my chest and a couple extra limbs flailing about. I should note however, the initial concept didn’t take into account the THREE DAYS it would take me just to make the mask for the costume.
As zero hour continued to approach I realized that not only would I be forced to cut some of the extra bits off the costume and cut more than a few corners on the parts I did still have time to work in but there was no way I was going to have enough time to help Katy with her costume…which was a stroke of genius.
As soon as I started talking up the giant cockroach costume at Amtrekkapalooza last week Katy jumped in head first with the bug spray idea. Little did we know what we were getting into.
After countless hours spent on More >