It's Not A Trip To The South Without A Mint Julep

Thank you, Charleston!

A Bendel Bonnet, A Shakespeare Sonnet

As we can all remember, I have the maturity level of a 12 year old. That's fine, I have no shame.

Whenever I'm see a sign advertising a certain thing that may be also be representative of a different certain thing, I take a picture of it.

To wit:

This is the only good thing about the JC Penney on 34th Street, which refuses to carry Size Small undershirts (some of us have small torsos!)

"Oh yeah, whatever, okey doke, I'm a bottom..."

The best part is that Evan took a pic of this too.

While this was NOT the best part of last year's trip to Charleston, it was fun spotting this with David while Elena tried on American dungarees:

I loved the juxtaposition of these two at the T.J. Maxx on the Cape, where Sarah taught me how you can complain about a scratch on sunglasses and get 10% knocked off the price.




Know what? It's not just clothing stores:


My favorite ever is probably this one I took in Sarah's office building. NEVER lock a bottom.

Anyway, on Sunday I got the Holy Grail at the Folsom Street East festival a few blocks away.



Yep, that's right - Tops And Bottoms Wanted Gum. God Bless, America.

Goodnight, Kiwi!

So last night I got home and was a bit blue, as Zach has packed up his toys and snaggletooth and is off on a little trip.

But then! I checked the mail! What's this package, I said?

A Novelty-T all the way from New Zealand, via Charleston, featuring The Goodnight Kiwi!


Now, when I went to Charleston back in September, I got to meet David's new buddy, a lovely antipodean named Elena. We talked about all sorts of New Zealand culture, like Kiri Te Kanawa, Flight of the Conchords, my friend Shelley, and the Goodnight Kiwi.


What is the Goodnight Kiwi, you ask? Well, up until 1994, there were only two terrestrial TV stations in New Zealand (That number has since doubled!), and at midnight, they would go off the air. The Goodnight Kiwi was the little cartoon promo they ran, of a sweet lil' Kiwi and his kitty tucking in for the night because there were no more programs to watch.

Here's the wee buddy in all his glory:

Night night little man! I love Foreign Culture, especially as it regards Programs and Novelty Ts.

I Am Taking A Stand Against Piracy

Or to be more accurate, I am taking a stand NEXT to piracy.

Oh, and I don't remember growing a moustache while in Charleston, but I guess I did.

Rats! Science! Giggles!

Now, some folks might recall that I went to Charleston on vacation a few weeks back. As always with a visit to David, SCIENCE was involved.

Normally I wouldn't find his Rat Science so interesting. Here's an example of what it often looks like:

BUT in this case, it involved RATS and GIGGLING.

David learned through Science that rats giggle when you tickle them. How do you confirm this?

First you, take a Bat Sonar Detector. This is a little device with headphones and an amplifier - when used properly you can hear the high-pitched screeching these little pajaros del noche use to communicate with each other.

When used improperly you can hear rat giggles!

If you start tickling the little buddy (I did it with Subject #5, who was my favorite) while you have the Sonar Device on, you can actually hear screechy giggles.

David pointed out that all the other rats hear the giggling too, and they get more and more excited to come out of their cages for all the fun times.

I had no idea that so much fun could be had with a lab rat.
Thanks David, and Subject #5, for teaching me that Science is Fun!

Charleston Club! Now With Animated Violence Mild!

Phew! Now that I got the kitties and divas out of the way for the week, we can talk Charleston.

As always, I had a wicked mint time. The trip started with a three hour delay in Newark, but I had a new book with me which I enjoyed, and I passed the time by posting pictures of my surroundings on David's Facewall - mostly of boring things, like the ice cream I treated myself to while we were waiting to board.

But THEN I got to Charleston! And David picked me up from the airport and we had BEERS and went to his house. And who was there to welcome me? This little fella!


Old chums of David's will not be surprised to know he has lizards in his house.

One night we went to a bar with all of David's new chums, and among other things we taught his foreigner friend that the phrase "double-fisting" in the context of drinking was not in fact the frightful thing she thought it was.

Also, I got to play a video game where you shoot up deers. It was rated "Animated Violence Mild," which is just how I like my Animated Violence.

Some of the things we did were more outdoors, less indoors - but no less fun. Like how, in Charleston when you cross the street, you get to play Carry The Flag so the cars don't run you down.


On my last day we went to the beach - Scientist Style. This means getting there at 4pm after the most dangerous sunbeam rays have gone home for the day. That was mint too!


Charleston rocked. And I haven't even told you about the ALLIGATORS yet!

Charleston! Now With Serpents!

Charleston! Beer! ME!

Charleston! Beer! David!

Charleston! The Fun Is Just Beginning!

iPhone Auto Correct FAIL

So I am wicked Pissarro excited to go to Charleston in a few hours to stay with David this weekend! You can tell Apple is not based in Boston. Who doesn't know the word "Pissa?"

OMB it is gonna be MINT!

The Transitive Property Of Friendship

I sure had fun visiting David way back in April. Vacations are great.

When you're visiting someone with a Doctorate In Monkey Brains & Drunken Mice, it's hard not to have a little math on your vacation.

On this trip, I was refreshed on the Transitive Property of Equality.

David lives in Charleston, near the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge. According to the Internet, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas. How long, you might ask?

According to the Transitive Property of Equality, it is about the same length as the wingspan of a bald eagle, according to this here exhibit at Dollywood.

Educational!

Fear Street

One of the fun things David and I did in South Carolina was visit Alligator Island. This was a little island off the coast of America, and we got there by taking a 30 minute ferry ride. I was a bit anxious before the trip that I would get seasick like I always do, but I didn't. My seasickness seems limited to catamarans.

We were mostly excited to visit some Friends and/or Foes. Here at Internals Plural, we're always on the lookout for our reptilian comrades.

First we found this one. I am doing some sort of approximation/cartoon-version of fear in the photo. The little beasty was sleeping and clearly wasn't very interested in us. Still, pretty impressive. Friend.

Now this bastard decided he was going to sunbathe in the road. He didn't seem very interested in stepping aside for us to resume our journey, so we had to take an alternate route. That is true fear I am expressing, as I was trying to bravely inch closer, like Joan Crawford towards Trog. Foe.

Some wiseacre told us that the gators can run up to 30 mph. We figured we'd have to clock in at 35 mph to outrun them.

Secretly, I knew if it came down to it, I'd just trip David and scoot along on my own. Surely the gator would only want one of us, right? I guess that makes me more Foe than Friend.

God Bless, Friends and Foes.

Charleston: Local Fauna

Whilst we were at a rooftop bar enjoying our minty drinks, David pointed out some of the local peculiarities.

Having come of age in a Massachusetts suburb in the 1980's, I am quite familiar with the notion of Preppies. However, except for the times I run screaming from the room when American Psycho comes on the TV, I hadn't seen such sights in years.

We noticed this one with much interest. He had the boat shoes with no socks, the colorful belt with some sort of aquatic beast on it, the pleated khakis, the button down striped Ralph Lauren(TM) shirt, and the Oakley sunglasses with the tie thingy at the back.

Charleston sure has some sights!

I also enjoyed this Historical Monument, which I tried to photograph in my most Leni Riefenstahl-ian way.
And while there were some houses dating back to the Civil War, this was the sight from the past that most impressed me. This really is the Land That Time Forgot!

Condition: Mint

I am having a wicked mint time here in the Charleston with David.

For starters, yesterday we had outdoor drinks at a roof bar. I had a mint julep!

Then, we were lucky enough to go the Hairy Teeter Grocery Store, and we got mint chip ice cream!

Charleston is mint!

Charleston Club!

This morning I got up real early, then took a bus to a plane to another plane, and now I'm in Charleston, SC!

I am visiting my chum David, from college. We are about to embark on some Awesome Times, but first David needs to check out his lab rats. Before he picked me up at the airport he gave them some beer, and now he has to go see how much beer they drank. I think Science is great.

Soon, mirth!