I am totally exhausted this Bullet Sunday. Let's see how far I get...
• Ordered. I have finally... FINALLY... managed to get most all of the Artificial Duck Co. Store orders filled. The exception is orders that have "Ladies T Monkey Button" shirts in them, which were misplaced at the printer and are arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday. Of course, now I have to process a couple hundred orders for postage and make six or seven trips to the Post Office, but I will work hard over the next couple of days to get everything shipped out before I leave. Nobody will be happier than me to finally see everybody get their stuff! Given the long and difficult road I've been down, I am so very, very grateful for everybody's patience and understanding.
• Pounded. Just when you think that the US Dollar couldn't possibly be worth any less than it already is... you start planning a trip to London. The city has always been expensive... but now, thanks to the heinous exchange rate, even going on the cheap is unrealistic. I was planning on a six day, five-night trip to Blighty so I could meet with an artist there and hang out with friends (Davedon!), but once I got up to an estimated $3600 for all the expenses, I shat myself and decided to see if getting a new president will improve the dollar for a trip next year. I certainly hope so.
• Cents. Since traveling to Europe right now is insanely expensive, I thought I'd look into filling in those missing six states I've got going on...
Fly into Bismarck, North Dakota... drive down through Mount Rushmore... swing through Nebraska, Kansas, and the Oklahoma panhandle... then whip into Albuquerque, New Mexico... simple, right? The one-way rental would run me about $1100 (amazing how you don't get unlimited miles on a one-way rental!). Assuming that I get about 32 miles per gallon, fuel will run me about 42 gallons of gas @ $4.20 a gallon means an additional $180-$200 in gas. Adding in hotels and one-way airfare... and we're up to $2800?? Yikes. For that kind of money, I'd save up an additional $800 and take my London trip.
• MobileMaybe. Ever since resetting my iPhone so I could get the camera working again, syncing through Apple's pile-of-shit "MobileMe" service has failed. After trying absolutely everything, I reset my iPhone AGAIN and finally got it working. Of course, I ended up losing all the information that I had added to my iPhone, since there's no way of transferring notes, and syncing contacts was broken. Don't get me wrong... I love my iPhone and can't imagine life without it... but this is bullshit. To make matters worse, now we've got Windows users freaking out because iPhone syncing through MobileMe can erase all your Outlook Calendar data. Apple has already given everybody an extra month of MobileMe to compensate for how utterly shitty the service is... what happens now that it's still total crap? Another free month? Disaster. And I'm still not convinced it's working as it's supposed to, which is fine if the service was free... but $100 a year for this?
• Darker. I went to see The Dark Knight for the third time because I just can't help myself... and froze my ass off. Why do theaters feel the need to set the temperature to sub-zero? Cool would be fine... I like to keep cool when it's hot outside... but cold? It's miserable to try watching a movie while shivering the whole time. If it were that cold during winter time, they'd have the heaters on!.
And that's all for Bullet Sunday, because it's nearing midnight and I'm falling asleep...
AND OMG, I NEARLY FELL ASLEEP IN THESE EYE-RAPING CONTACT LENSES AGAIN!! Wouldn't that make for a great Monday. I will be so glad when my "real" lenses come in so I can be rid of these elements of torture.
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Yeah I would say totally go to London it sound like a much better trip.
I think you need to start learning the benefits of a sleeping bag in the backseat of a car. Sure, you’ll smell like hell without a shower, but if people really love you, they’ll see you anyway!
I love an ice-cold movie theater, but I never find it uncomfortable.
I plan on going to see it a third time, but this time on IMAX.
How about just doing the northern (or southern) part of those six states and returning the car to where you rented it. Mount Rushmore is one hell of a place to see. And Wall Drug, SD. Plus, at Rugby, ND, you’ll place yourself at the very center of the 49 states (48 plus Alaska). And you know my thoughts on Apple’s antics, so I needent share more. Hugs….from your favorite gay.
I’m British, and have been living in NYC for the past year… and HOLY HELL London is far more expensive!!! I say save it for when you get more pounds for your dollars… You’ll have a much better time!!
And ever since you told that story about the contacts I’ve kind of been scared to wear mine at night, lest I forget too and fall asleep and wake up with no sight… :oS
OK, if you ever DO go through the Black Hills, THAT meet-up I could make. seriously – I’d make an awesome tour guide.
i had all kinds of stuff to say and then i read eye raping elements of torture. can’t quit giggling.
thanks for that!
The cost you’ll incur from driving through the states mentioned will involve the loss of your sanity from extreme and unrelenting boredom more than gas/rental fees.
I once drove through Nebraska from East to West. When I got about halfway through, I pulled off the highway, exited the car, looked around, then fell to my knees and wept bitter tears for still having half of the state left to go. Step carefully into the abyss, Dave.
Dave – I know a good hotel in London that’s relatively cheap – was £50 per room per night at weekends last time I was there. It’s not in the centre but it’s only a few yards from a tube station. It’s a Holiday Inn Express and is quite new.
If you want the details, drop me a line 🙂
I’m sorry you won’t be making a trip to London soon… I would say you can come and stay at my house to cut costs… but I live an hour away from London… and there’s that whole ‘stranger danger’ thing!
The first time reading this through I just saw “Ladies Monkey Button.” It’s just fun to say, really.
Hey Dave!
I was lucky enough to get my order quickly and I just wanted to let you know that the stuff kicks ass! In fact I cant wait for the store to open up so I can order more stuff!! More work for you I know, but my husband saw my t-shirt and hats and now has to have his own. Sporting in Michigan!!!
NM definitely has some beautiful spots. Worth going to Taos too to see some O’Keefe countryside. If you go in Oct. (last I knew) you can also catch the hot air balloon festival.
Course for the price, I’d opt for London too.
I appreciate all the crazy effort going into getting the orders out. I’m really looking forward to mine.
Dave,
Go to London. First, flying into Bismarck is not exciting. Second, driving down to Mount Rushmore from Bismarck is even less exciting. Seriously, there is nothing – NOTHING – between those two areas until you get to Rapid City. Third, London is so much cooler. And, fourth, if you are going to come to South Dakota, fly into Sioux Falls and we can road trip to Mount Rushmore (also a boring drive, but at least it’s not from Nort Dakooodah – I did not spell that wrong). 🙂
I say we run amok on Apple. Their Mobile me crap is pissing me off beyond belief, and the support is non existent. Bastards!
I’ve bagged all 50 states, thanks to my parents and their staunch belief in the roadtrip family vacation. Of course, like Sir, I’ve been trying to erase the memory of some of them ever since… but still!
Yeah, I’ve been wanting to visit friends in England for quite a while, but ouch, the dollar sucks. I have absolutely no faith that a new president will fix that, though.
The Brits do not have a Corn Palace. USA! USA!
If you go to Nebraska… you gotta go to my favorite place in the great plains… THE CORN PALACE! Dunno why, but I loved it. LOL Mt Rushmore was pretty cool too.
Good heavens… That’s a lot of miserable stuff.
MobileMe has gotten more stable for me the last week. All of my syncing is working, but I’m not syncing to an iPhone or iPod touch, so that may be why.
Dude if you take a trek through Oklahoma there are some cool sites you might wanna see. East of Alva is the Salt Plains park. There they have a selenite crystal that can be dug up almost anywhere. It’s a little crystal with a perfect hour glass shape inside. The only place in the world lame enough to claim it as a tourist attraction. Over by Freedom is the Alabaster Caverns home to more bats than you can shake a stick at, but don’t worry, many of them don’t even have rabbies. Finally, on your way out of the state stop by Black Mesa in the far NW corner of the panhandle. There you will find ancient cave paintings, dinosaur remains and eh… ok that’s about it. But once you see those I am sure you will say it was totally worth it!
Hey if you head East towards Tulsa we could have us a Davelahoma! Yeah! Come to Tulsa where our motto is, “We’re cheaper than Europe but more rude than the French! So Fuck You!!”
Unfortunatly it is not drawing all the tourists we had hoped, so a little “drive by” might boost the economy. No pressure. Just starving children at stake. Crying themselves to sleep each night because of the hunger. Hunger for food they can’t afford because you never drove by and stimulated the economy. OH well… Sleep on it. If your conscience will let you sleep!!