2009 IndiaFest

This past weekend I got out to the cultural gathering known as IndiaFest, here in Memphis Tennessee. Since I know so little of the culture, this was a good chance to learn and do something new.

There were some art displays, a bizaar of sorts, plenty of food, and colorful outfits. There was even a shrine to a particular diety whom I don't quite remember.

Probably the most memorable things were the impressive outfits and the food. The women in their brightly colored saris (sp?), bangle bracelets, toe rings, and even nose piercings were very pretty. And the wonderful smells that came from the food court were beyond words. It's just something one has to experience in person. The Chai tea I had was quite good after cooling.

The most enjoyable part of this time was paying respects at the shrine. I had to rmove my shoes, per custom, bow, drink some brown spiced water that tasted like licorice, blow on my hands while the attendent put a silver cup in my head, and then eat a few grapes. All of these things had significance, but I wasn't sure what. Even so, how often do you get to do something like that? It was open to anyone and I was glad to do it. Really made the day.

Those running the event made everyone feel most welcome and were very open and friendly. This was greatly appreciated. Had a good time talking with the folks over at the Isha Yoga booth as well. Thanks to them for their hospitality.

For more information, check out http://www.indiafest2009.com. For those interested in Yoga and the like, check out http://www.ishafoundation.org.

Welcome To Memphis

Moving is a crazy and harrowing experience. That's just a given. It's been almost 24 hours since I got to Memphis, and, well, it hasn't been dull.

While driving in yesterday, the light and dark clouds parted and streams of sunlight poured down on the road, lighting the way. It was a beautiful and awe inspiring sight. This was a good omen, a sign I was moving on to better things and captaining my destiny as a man, rather than letting destiny choose me. Behind me, in the rear view mirror, were dark clouds, very much symbolic of certain parts of my previous home. Not ALL parts, but some.

When I got into town and started to unload the car the chaos began. The back of my driver's seat was swarming with ants. The brand new Target and Walmart eco bags were swarming with ants, with even more on the floor mat. The bags went straight into the dumpster and I raced upstairs for a can of bug spray. After a heavy Black Flagging, the swarm on the back of the seat was toast. Same for the floor mat, however, there were eggs...lots of eggs. Yep, mat ended up in dumpster.

Got the rest of the stuff out of the back seat and hurried down to a nearby car wash and vacuum. Swept out the car and hopefully any remnants. Fast forward 2 hours later to a break from unpacking. Kimberly and I decided to have Burger King. Unfortunately, the King had been sacked in favor of remodeling. Yep, where the old restaurant had stood was a nuvo-box whatever shell still being constructed. Needless to say, the golden arches of McDonald's across the street called to us. Quarter pounder was tasty, but my fries were not. It wasn't until we got back to Kimberly's apartment that this was discovered.

A bit later, I went down to the car to get my laptops out of the trunk. While going back up stairs, it looked like my driver's window was open. Went back down to check, and I was mistaken. There were, however, MORE ants running along the rain channels on the top of the car. Raced back upstairs, grabbed Black Flag, and hosed down the car's roof. Kimberly couldn't believe it. Frankly, me either. We also couldn't believe that my ankle bracelet decided to turn my skin green. Am I stuck in a Vacation movie? Yikes!

After a sleepless night, I gave up and started unpacking while Kimberly went to work. One pair of shoes was coming apart because the glue had melted...and dripped on another pair of shoes. About that time, the wonderful Chocolate Dunkers dessert from Pizza Hut decided kick in with heartburn. I swear I'm not making this up people.

So now, here I sit, about 3 hours shy of the 24 hour mark thinking "Please let it get better. Please?"

On the plus side, Kimberly has been very sweet and accommodating. Patient too. It's not easy to get 2 people's worth of stuff into 1 person's apartment. Needless to say, I'm trimming down more of my stuff, as is Kimberly, in order to fit things and not feel cluttered. Like all couples, it'll take some adjustment on both sides and a little bit to establish a routine, then things will be fine. The advantage we have is compromise. I'm also handy with organizing and packing, which is essential when you live in a small space. I have never been so thankful for compact tech and camping gear in my life! Bless you outdoor researchers and your wondrous gadgets!

Like all the bizarre stuff that get's posted here, it's really not to complain, but rather say "wow, I can't believe that" and have a laugh at the craziness. Despite the wackiness, I'm still glad to be here in Memphis and moving forward in life with Kimberly. There are better chances of work and success here than Huntsville. And, it's important to remember this is a step, not necessisarily a destination, when it comes to a happy and content life. Let's just hope the wacko quota is filled before I get anymore gray hairs.

Upcoming Steampunk Anthology from Kerlak Publishing

Just found out ths morning that one of my Steampunk photos made it into a web post for Kerlak Publishing's upcoming Steampunk Anthology. The book is due out spring of next year and may feature additional photos I shot and submitted a couple weeks ago. You can see the photo and ad at http://www.kerlakpublishing.com/storycall.html.

Thanks to Author Kimberly Richardson and Kerlak for a fun jumpstart into more writing and photography.

Theme Park Swag in the Modern Era

While souvenir collection is nothing new, especially when it comes to theme parks, I've noticed a growing trend in the past couple years. More and more parks aren't just announcing new rides and handing out the standard press kits and goodies at the media events. They're also putting out more download content for us computer geeks/enthusiasts/souvenir collectors too.

Case in point, Kings Dominion just announced it's new Intmidator 305 giga-coaster, set to open in 2010. There are wallpapers and AOL Instant Messenger Icons to boot along with what is now the standard videos, including Point of View (PoV) of the ride. In the past couple of years, King's Island's Diamondback, Canada's Wonderland's Behemoth, Hershey Park's Fahrenheit, Universal Studios' Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Sea World's Aquaitica, and Dollywood's Mystery Mine have also offered digital goodies. Some parks, like Holiday World, Dollywood, and Dollywood Splash Country, even offer computer desktops on their respective sites, irrespective of new rides coming in.

Granted, this is may seem like a "well duh" kind of thing from a few angles, however it really signals that the parks are listening more to their patrons, and attempting new channels of advertising. Now, what else could we see in the next few years via Facebook and same? That's a good question, and I have a theory or two.

Since micro payments on things like Second Life and Xbox Live work so well for digital extras on a character, it's possible we could see virtual souvenirs in those arenas or gifts like on Facebook. If you have a credit card plugged in, you could buy your Second Life avatar a nifty new Holiday World Wildebeest t-shirt or a limited edition icon for your Facebook profile. We've already seen some of this with Second Life's International Spaceflight Museum's free t-shirt for your avatar as part of their swag bag. Terminator head icons were available as gifts on Facebook before Terminator Salvation: The Ride ("Take the tunnel!!!") opened this year. As someone who avidly collects buttons and fridge magnets and does quit a bit on Second Life and Facebook, this is potentially cool. It also is a good way to bring in extra revenue to parks. Well, if the video game people can get the system to work so well, why not the theme parks? It sure beats shrink wrapping a Schwartzkopf with hair gel adds (looks at Six Flags Over Georgia).

Bottom line, I love my swag, like a lot of folks do. Very glad to see more freebies like the promo wallpapers and hope to see even a few pay options in some of the prevalent social media circles. Keep up the good work and thank you for my growing desktop art collection. :)

Blogging Buffet & Nerdly News

Well of course I haven't forgotten the blog, don't be ridiculous. ;)

• Pack, sort, clean. Wash, rinse, repeat.
• Got my first grocery store eco bags this week. Humorously, it wasn't trying to better the environment, but the gagety-ness (yes I made that up) of a bag folding up into a tiny pouch that finally got me on the bandwagon. I now own Walmart, Target, and Granite Gear bags, along with a regular Publix bag.
• Speaking of outdoor gear, I've added a couple useful things. In addition to the grocery bags above, an OR stuff sack for my Real Tree shell jacket and Granite Gear Hackey Stash ball are now in the line-up. The Hackey Stash ball is just a neat idea and works kind of like some outdoor travel pillows. You stuff it with whatever for double the function. Right now the ball is holding spare change, but I see more fun uses soon. Also very pleased with a Coleman Max cook set I picked up last week. Very compact but cooks quite a bit. Love the measurment markings on the insides of the bigger pots. At last! I have the camp version of the 1-egg skillet!
• Had a nice day out this past Saturday with Kimberly and Jake. We headed to Southern Adventures for a comical round of minigolf. To sum up, there were more bank shots than a pool hall, noone shot particularly well, Jake's ball got eaten by the wealth of vines at 16, the 9th hole is just plain evil, and it was pretty hot. Even so, a good time was had by all. And yes, the guy with the putting green in his kitchen still sucked more eggs than an Easter Bunny after dental surgery.
• There's been some downtime amongst the craziness, which means new video game obsessions. Been playing YoVille and Farm Town on Facebook of late after plateauing in Bejeweled Blitz and Biotronic. Also reloaded Morrowind on the laptop and started a fresh game. In short, flame throwing tiger...with a BIG hammer. As for Microsoft Flight Simulator X, I just haven't had much time to fly nor chance to reload it after reformatting the laptop. Hopefully soon, as I'd love to find a blimp/airship to fly. The Steampunk in me would like that.
• Since I already collect buttons in real life, I've done the same in Facebooks Flair application. So many cool buttons, so little display space. To condense and make things fun, I've searched for buttons to represent each theme park I've been to. Found the majority of them, including Opryland. As I travel to other parks, I'll add buttons to the Flair section of my profile. This is in addition to the pictures of the growing fridge magnet collection.
• I'm venturing into some smaller creative hobbies and attempting to do more with my photography. There are a couple projects on the horizon for all these new ventures, but things are still in the very early stages. Some promising and fun stuff however, and a nice change of pace. Look for more info on this stuff soon.
• A few leads here and there in the job search, but nothing to flip your wig over. It goes. Keeping good thoughts.
• Next week I say goodbye to Huntsville Alabama and hello to Memphis Tennessee. Looking forward to doing new things and going new places, especially with Kimberly. Really is nice to have an active and enthusiastic travel partner. Makes all the difference in the world. Wonderful woman. How she puts up with me, I dunno...
• The new Dr. Tran (Lone Sausage) Fruit Hat, and clips from Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (starring Debrah "I used to sing in malls and go by Debbie" Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas) are quite possibly the funniest and most mind-warping things I've ever seen. (Thank you Jake and Paul for striking gold once again, and replacing the infamous Shockmaster in the high order of hilarity.)

Will keep folks posted on happenings with the move and will definitely keep in touch with friends old and new over Facebook, email, etc. As always, thank you to everybody who takes time out of their lives to read my antics (and laugh at my jokes). Much appreciated!

The Joys of Moving.

Moving, for those who don't already know, can be an arduous thing. There eighty million little things to do before and after you get to the other end. This week and next, I'm getting reminded of this and having flashbacks to way too many moves as a kid. Just...wow.

Now, you'd think that a 600 square foot apartment with one person in it would be easy right? Um...no. Single human beings (and even a few Smizmars) have a wonderous ability to accumulate a lot of random stuff, despite regular clean outs and good organization. It seems my estimate for being able to pack up in 24 hours was WAAAAAAY off. Reality check, service for one!

Since my girlfriend and I are combining households and space is limited, my loss is your gain. There isn't a whole lot of room on the other end. Yes, the "Do You Want" game of tag ensues and you almost get to a point where you'd rather leave stuff and buy new stuff later rather than packing. Meanwhile you're figuring out when you're leaving in order to tell services when they can shut you down. Then you're getting the car ready to travel as well as working in time for get togethers with people before you leave. There's also spare furniture to get rid of, one way or another. There's still cleaning to be done for apartment inspections too. The list goes on, but now you see through the insanity window and the late nights it begats. And all this while you're still looking for work.

Crazy it is, even a tad trying, but the end result is worth the grief. My girlfriend and I will be together in the same city and we're one step closer in our relationship. Also more chances for work in Memphis and a completely new city to me. Yes, fresh start and fresh energy that I've sorely needed. No, it's not Orlando or Birmingham, but it is an improvement for both Kimberly and I.

Now, what exactly does this Elvis Land transplant mean for the blog? It means new cities and adventures! There are several things to see within a few hours of Memphis and that leads to weekend trips. Saddle up!

While the time is crazy, this move is a good thing. It will have plenty of benefits...and a few surprises. So what if my bedroom looks like an REI outdoor display. ;)

I'm Moving to Elvis Land

Well, it's official. I'm packing up in the next couple weeks and moving to Memphis, Tennessee to be with my girlfriend Kimberly and make a fresh start. I'll have a list of stuff from my apartment up for grabs soon.

Mellow Mushroom

After being aced out of having Mellow Mushroom pizza in Chattanooga last weekend (too long a wait), Kimberly and I tried out the well themed and fun Huntsville location. Needless to say, it was like Q-Zar meets 60's hippie meets kid bedroom. There were aliens perched up on the wall and hanging off the side of the bar as well as fun murals of mushroom characters in space suits looking in portals at you. Kind of gave you a Yellow Submarine vibe. And that's only a small part of the details in store.

The Mighty Meaty (with bacon) we tried was tasty with the Buffalo Chicken pizza and one other in que for next time. Service was layed back and genuinely fun, not an act. Yep, very Mellow.

Was told that each location theme's a little different, so it's a good excuse to visit Mellow Mushrooms in other cities to see how the other half lives.

Since I enjoy theming, this was a good time. Glad to come back and visit the Huntsville location at Providence. Thanks all and see you again soon. :)