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Monday, June 20, 2005

More Gadgets

Well, we're having a 4th of July party and were planning on having lots of fireworks and, of course, feeding the raccoons across the canal using the potato cannon. I made the mistake of showing this video to my husband and, now, he wants to build one of these for our guests to use during the party...

Water Bottle Jetpack

Who wants to go first?!?!?

Friday, June 17, 2005

Goodyear Blimp Crashes

Last night, we had one of those crazy bad Florida thunderstorms--driving rain with raindrops the size of grapes and lots of lightning and thunder. We had three lightning strikes that shook the house.

In the midst of this, I heard a noise outside that sounded like a plane but it stayed overhead way too long for a plane. I looked out and saw the lights of the blimp passing overhead. The blimp passes over my house quite often because we are due west of its hanger. I called my husband in disbelief that it would be flying through that storm.

Found out this morning that the blimp crashed about 4 miles from my house. Here's a photo before it crashed--

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and here's the after--

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Thank God both pilots are OK.

Here's the story--

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cblimp18jun18,0,6957519.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Monday, June 13, 2005

HAPPY BONNAROOOO, MAN!

What an incredible, amazing, super duper fun time at Bonnaroo. The Koontz family showed once again that we can have a great time in ANY circumstances. Shoe-horned like sardines into our campsite so we couldn't move our car, surrounded by all night smokers (not cigarettes), shroomers, nitrous oxide sucking, acid dropping, crazy but nice people in hot and humid, rainy and muddy conditions, we spent more time laughing than doing anything else. Even though we were dirty (didn't shower between Wednesday afternoon and 3AM Sunday morning), tired from the all night partying by our neighbors and the 12-hour drive, we had sooooo much fun.

Our level of fun was confirmed when we hear from the next campsite, "Sounds like they're having more fun over there" from this gravely, Wolfman Jack sounding voice. Around the corner comes this classic burnout, stoner--bleached bonde hair, four piercings in his lip, faraway look in his eyes--holding a nitrous balloon in his hand. He sits down in the open chair, takes a hit of nitrous and says, "Sounds like you guys are having more fun over here so I came to visit."

He told us that "Acid helped me kick drugs. I would never have been able to get off heroin without acid." His clothes were impounded when the car he was traveling in was impounded because the cops found three nitrous tanks in it. But, "God provides," he said as he pulled a pair of shorts from his pocket. "See, someone gave me a pair of clean shorts. God takes care of me, just like he does the birds and the bees and the flowers."

He told us that he sneaked into Bonnaroo but, "I got a wristband", he said holding up his arm to show his Bonnaroo admittance wristband, "so I'm good now." I asked his name and he says he goes by Hugh and is from St. Louis. We gave Hugh some beer and wine (he wasn't hungry) and he hung out with us for about 30 minutes We really enjoyed meeting Hugh.

Three days, 5 stages, 80,000 people--including Hugh!

Here's some of the news reports--
USA Today Article

MTV.com Article

This one from Billboard is really good--
Billboard story part 1
Billboard story part 2

We saw the guys climbing this big tree during Jack Johnson. The second scampered up like a cat. Amy said the third guy looked like Mowgli from Jungle Book cause his butt was sticking out and he had long, stringy hair.

Here's the link to my photo album.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2125265474&code=16587802&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

Shows I saw were Kings of Leon, Josh Ritter (love my man Josh!!!), Jack Johnson, Gov't Mule, Old 97s, Allman Brothers, Dave Mathews Band (did a great version of "All Along the Watchtower" with Robert Randolph on steel guitar), Drive-by Truckers, Rilo Kiley, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Yonder Mountain String Band, John Prine and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. I'm sorry I missed Heartless Bastards (listen to this great song--
"Onions" by Heartless Bastards), Legendary Shack Shakers and The Word (features Robert Randolph.)

We are DEFINITELY going back next year.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

BONNAROOOOOO!

Leaving after work tomorrow for Bonnaroo! Driving 11 hours with Al and Amy to Karen and John's and then we're all caravaning over to Tennessee. Should be there by 7AM Thursday morning.

They posted a map of the stage area today. It looks like so much fun. Add in the camping and hanging out with Karen and John and we're going to have a blast.

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See it full-size here--Link to the cool place where I'll be this weekend

Or check out the festival here--BONNAROOOOOOO

Catch you slackers next week!!!

PS Does anyone know if second-hand pot smoke can cause you to fail a drug test?

Monday, June 06, 2005

"Why does everyone hate Coldplay?"

Article on MSNBC today poses the question Why Does Everyone Hate Coldplay?

Shock of shock--who could hate Coldplay? I've already bought four tickets to their show here in September and will go out at lunch tomorrow to buy their new CD "X&Y" so we can listen to it continuously on our 13-hour drive to Tennessee on Wednesday. (Why is it released a day later in the US and Canada than the rest of the world? I mean, the world may hate the US, but why make the innocent Canadian music fan suffer.) I'm sure most people who hate hate them do because a guy as homely and seemingly wimpy as Chris Martin is in a relationship and has a child with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Go to coldplay.com and listen to "Fix You". Great song. "Til Kingdom Come", a song they wrote for an album Johnny Cash was going to record but died before he could record it, is a hidden track on the album. Verrrry good.

And now, to something totally unrelated, here's me, Amy and Claire at the Bud Light volleyball tourney in May. Unfortunately the best abs in the pic are blocked by Claire. ;)

Click here to see us!

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Dilbert documents America's obsession with the British accent

Sooo funny these Dilberts of late. What's especially great is that they were sent to me by my British friend and co-worker Malcolm. Its also funny that Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, will be speaking at Teradata Partners where I'll be spending time with my British friend Rupert. They could do this same series about Aussies, I think. Have him tossing out a few "Maaaaaaate", "Bastard", "No worries" and a "Cop you later". Could work.



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