Nine hours and counting before we pull out of the driveway and head off for our first MINI Takes The States rally. We’re only doing the last leg (Bethlehem to Boston), but it’s going to be a blast. Sponsored by MINI USA, it’s a sixteen day event that started in San Francisco on July 26th and wraps up this Sunday right in our own back yard.  This is a huge event- we’ve heard that there have been well over 700 cars at some of the rally points – and from what we’ve seen everyone is having a great time.  We’re really looking forward to catching up with old friends, meeting new friends, and just reveling in what has to be the friendliest and most welcoming group of people I’ve ever met.

Tomorrow night MTTS will be taking over MusikFest in Bethlehem, then Saturday morning it’s on to Boston where there will be a huge event at the ICA in the Seaport District as well as a couple of smaller get togethers in some other locations. Then we stagger down to Pier 4 on Sunday morning for the wrap-up party.

I wish we could have been among the four to five hundred that are doing the entire rally from coast to coast, but we’re happy that we’re able to do the final run into Boston and help wrap this thing up in style.

We’re ready, the car is ready, and our mascot “PT” is ready…

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We’re always entertained by Cody when he starts having “puppy dreams”, and we finally grabbed a quick video clip.  It’s not the best quality, but it gets the point across.

I’m not sure how I missed this in the past, but I won’t miss it ever again.

The folks that own the Monadnock Berries Farm in Troy, NH have been doing an annual Mini Cooper BBQ and berry picking day for ten years now.  They put on a wonderful event for the local MINI enthusiasts (both the owner and her daughter have MINIs) and it was an absolute perfect day to be out there.  It was sunny and warm, the blueberries were abundant and tasty (as was the barbeque), the view of Mt. Monadnock was beautiful, there was a live Blues band playing on the porch, and MINIs of all flavors were parked on the lawn behind the farm house.  The turnout was great – I don’t know how many people there were, but there must have been at least 25 MINI’s and two Classics.  As with pretty much every MINI event we’ve been to, we got to catch up with old friends as well as making some new friends.  It was pretty much a perfect MINI day.

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Fantastic day whale watching out of Gloucester – the crew was spot on finding the feeding site – we had lots of time to enjoy many sightings of four Humpback whales (one of which was a calf) and a pod of FIFTEEN dolphins!  Even saw a couple of Minke whales on the way back.  If anyone is considering a whale watch, Captain Bill and Sons is very highly recommended.  The naturalist on board was quite knowledgeable and interesting, and the rest of the crew was great.  And being a smaller boat, we weren’t jammed together with everyone else – there was plenty of room and everyone could see everything.

This has been floating around for some time now, but it cracks me up every time I see it.  And I don’t doubt for a minute that this is what it’s like working with some types of designers…
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From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone… possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out “Shannon, where are you?”

Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
I never said I don’t like cats. Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling Malibu & coke onto his white Wham ‘Choose Life’ t-shirt, and he punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a wet brown stain down the back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.

Attached poster as requested.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,

It’s a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don’t come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was just for fun.

I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say lost.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don’t have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend’s cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean faeces, I wouldn’t have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.

I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says “I haven’t seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?” you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.

I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.

Regards, David.

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I don’t have $2000 dollars. What did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.

___________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

___________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

Finally got my vanity plates – it will be interesting to see how many people get it…  🙂

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Finally got my vanity plates – it will be interesting to see how many people get it…

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I wasn’t planning on a TBT, but I happened upon this picture and it made me smile.  Knee patches and Chuck Taylors?  Macrame??  Yikes…  But I did love that ’59 Les Paul Junior – I must have been temporarily deranged when I sold it.

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Finally, after days spent painstakingly baiting the mythical and elusive woodland creature called Giant-Headed Gray (aka Satchsquirrel), this recently obtained photo proves that they truly do exist in the wild.

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I can’t believe tonight is finally here. We’re at the Wilbur Theater, the tickets that have been tucked away in my wallet for five months have been torn, we have seats in the 7th row, and we’re waiting for Pat Metheny and the Unity Group to take the stage. Judging from the tour reviews, and the fact that Pat loves Boston, this concert is going to be epic.

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