DATELINE: Rapid City, SD





Police in Rapid City, S.D., stopped a car at about 1 a.m. on June 5 and found the female-looking driver to be intoxicated and, at 18, too young to drink. They also found that the passenger was local alderman Tom Johnson, who called the driver his "helper" at his middle-of-the-night task of personally putting up yard signs for his campaign for mayor. According to the Rapid City Journal, Johnson continually referred to the driver as a woman, but police later learned that the driver was a man dressed as a woman, which Johnson claimed he was shocked to find out. [Rapid City Journal, 6-6-07]
Adale's dad Spike (his coal mine nickname) out front of Rudnicks
another view of the front of Rudnick's
From this view you can see that Rudnick's bar is right next to Rudnick's farm.


It may seem bizarre, but it is no joke. Leaping sturgeon have injured three people on the Suwannee this year, including a woman on a Jet Ski and a girl whose leg was shattered when one of the giant fish jumped aboard her boat. Eight others were hit last year, and with traffic growing on the storied river, sturgeon are joining alligators and hurricanes on the list of things to dread in Florida.
(from the NY Times)


UPDATE: Hi to everyone from Television Without Pity!!! I'm totally psyched y'all are checking this out. Also see this post, where I've got pictures up that make it easier to compare the two ladies. Someone from Buffalo posted in the comments saying that the gal's are one in the same because she knew her in Buffalo - very exciting (and I have seen somewhere where "Brandi Viola" is listed as hailing from Buffalo). Anyhooters, have fun and come back because I'll be liove-blogging the show.
What do you think, am I right? Cast your vote below!
No, Anthony Michael Hall did not come with us on the trip - this is The Man at 16 years old.
Taking a boat from Iquitos (on the Amazon) to the "Jungle Amazon Inn" a few hours down river. We had some very authentic experiences, like as we were being guided on a trail being show the flora & fauna, we happened onto a clearing in the jungle. Lo and behold, a couple of Jungle natives appeared, dressed in Jungle native garb, and our guide said we could trade things we had for stuff they had - blow guns, etc. I got a mini blow gun. What a coincidence, huh?
At the train stop between Cuzco and Machu Picchu.
Trail leaving Macchu Picchu and heading up Huayna Picchu.
Without hesitation my second biggest regret* form my time in Wisconsin was not visiting the funeral home in Madison with the taxidermy squirrels. They were so close but my depression kept me from making the trip. It would have been awesome. I picked up this postcard from a DIY indie craft show in Milwaukee.
Waiting outside the club
Man, Joey loves his Grey Goose!
This is how we do it!
Finishing the night by Blowin' Kisses to the hAteRz!



I found this picture several years ago at some junk store (the back says it was taken the week of Sept. 13, 1954). When I found it Adale said that she didn't want it in our house because she found it disturbing, and she's been trying to get me to throw it away ever since. It is easy to imagine that this was the last thing several unfortunate people saw before being dismembered.


Carrie took us to a fun little bar that's decorated in old Christmas decorations year round. It was pretty awesome. She said that it was her neighborhood bar when she lived in North Austin and I was totally jealous.
We all took a long drive in the Hill Country that culminated in a trip to Luckenbach, TX.
The trip ended the only way it could, with tasty breakfast tacos.


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