This one is from ages ago (April 2008) but it’s worth posting again here. While at Todai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, we heard the Legend that if you can squeeze your fat bones through this tiny hole in large wooden support beam (roughly the size of one of Buddah’s nostrils on the big statue at :24 into the video) then you become enlightened. It’s up for debate whether getting yourself through the hole on your own steam provides any more enlightenment than being violently and painfully pulled through by a totally unknown German tourist. Your call.
Part of me wants to keep this a secret, but it wouldn’t be fair to your bellies. If you’re ever on a drive up or down the coast of California, make a pit-stop in Pescadero, maybe 1 hour south of San Francisco. There’s really only one road coming off the PCH at this point, Pescadero Creek Road. Take it east for about 1.5 miles and turn left at the only light in town. You can’t miss the Pescadero Country Store / Bakery. Inside you’ll find loaves of (hopefully warm) homemade artichoke bread. It’s kinda ridonculous. I think it’s got garlic on it but not enough to make you or your passengers angry. This picture above is for Brittany, the kind soul who introduced it to me over a year ago but was unable to make the journey this time around. Thanks, Brittany!
My good friend Janet took her nephew, Matthew, for a Hollywood excursion out of Seattle for this past weekend. I didn’t join them for all the festivities but I did spend the day with them at Universal Studios. Janet was kind enough to buy the picture of us on the big drop into “the drink” at the end of the Jurassic Park ride … where clearly we’re having a good time … and where Matthew totally looks like a frog.
The plunge into the drink
After a short walk in the 100 degree heat, we hit the Mummy Returns ride. This one caught us all off-guard, hitting high speed in total darkness, then haulin’ ass backwards to the start. After seeing our expressions in the picture above I attempted a total deadpan expression. It was difficult considering the intensity of the ride, but I think I pulled it off. Matthew, on the other hand, still looks like a frog.
Asylum had to send me to Newark to take pictures of a Boeing 777-200 for a commercial they’re working on. After taking hundreds of pictures of the plane I had the opportunity to get into the cockpit … and the GE90 jet engine! Did you know that each one of the blades in the engine costs $75,000? I’m not sure which iteration of the GE90 this is but it likely outputs more than 100,000 lbs of thrust. It was cool to see all the super delicate bits of the engine and landing gears up close, which you can see here.
A 1.4 mile swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. Water temperature was 61 degrees but the weather could not have been better. Very little wind and no fog provided us with clear, calm conditions. The upside? We had a great time and all finished with a smile on our face and enjoyed Mimosas in the park afterwards. The downside? Brittany and I got wicked chaffing on our neck from the wetsuits…and we all got completely schooled by a 10-year old girl who finished in 36 minutes. Frankly, I think she cheated, but I’m unable to prove it.
Almost 1,000 people participated and no one got eaten by a shark. If you’re up for the task, sign up for 2010′s Sharkfest installment here. Full gallery here.
