cuponoodles

I recorded a little bit of The Morals show on my digital camera before the dance party last Wednesday. I finally cut down the size of the file using Arcsoft video software, which is a not-so-great program that came bundled with my Canon. It makes me want to get Quicktime Pro, except I don't shoot a whole lot of video with my camera. In fact, I think this the first video I've recorded that I haven't deleted.

Anyway, here's The Morals Singalong video (7.7 MB, Windows Media format). It's a little dark inside Beulahland, so you can't see a whole lot, plus I almost fell over a chair while I was backing up about a minute into the video, but the audio is just fine. So turn off the lights, and sing along if you know the words. Enjoy!

Okay, after a few subtle reminders from friends, some red-eye removal in Photoshop and the help a web photo album generator, I've finally gotten the latest Singles Dance Party photos online. Check them out on the photos page. You may now be an famous Internet person!

This is a note for future reference. I may as well drink the regular sugary ones, because I'm going to burn it all off in whatever caffeine-induced activity I will participate in. That is all.

Update (3:00 AM):
Regular Red Bulls do not taste like cancer. Instead, they taste kind of like fruity bubble gum, but not in any good sort of way.

Yesterday morning, while on our way to our soccer game, my dad, our teammate Kristin, and I encountered a sled-dog race.

Well, it wasn't exactly a race filled with dogs, snow, and sleds. But there were a few people yelling, "Mush!"

As we searched for a parking spot near Portland Indoor Soccer, we ended up on SE Grand Avenue. As soon as we slowed to a stop by the intersection, four people pulling along a shopping cart, with ropes tied around their waists, jogged in front of our car. Another person ran behind the cart and steered it along.

We sat there, puzzled, and missed the opportunity to go ahead across the intersection as another group came along. Then another group ran by. Then another.

Some of these runners were in costumes. A team of exhausted-looking girls were dressed as playboy bunnies. Some others were dressed in togas. A group of bearded guys in Hawaiian shirts pulled along a shopping cart adorned with lit Tiki torches. Another cart passed, led by four middle-aged women with strap-on dog noses.

What the hell was going on here?

After a few minutes of this my dad was getting clearly impatient, while I was amused. Kristen, a student at Lewis & Clark via Boston, was also entertained.

"Portland is weird," she remarked.

When I got home after the game (we tied 3-3), I did some searching on the Internet and discovered that we had found ourselves as spectators to the 4th Annual Portland Urban Iditarod.

Apparently, it's a four-mile race with plenty of alcohol-serving "rest stops." From my personal experience after drinking plenty at Dan and Ashley's wedding and then playing a soccer game, alcohol and sports really don't mix. I can only imagine what the effects of alcohol and pulling shopping carts for four miles can do to a human being.

I salute you, Urban Iditarodders, for keeping Portland weird!

If you have a chance, go see Ong-Bak. Elbows are thrown, bones are broken, and three-wheeled taxis are exploded.

I want to go around and kick bad guys in the head now, except I'd pull a groin muscle or something.

If you're single and you like to dance, you should come to this. Even if you're not single, or you don't like dancing, you should come because there's good beer. It's hosted by my friends Jim and Dan, who know how to host a good party. There will also be a performance by The Morals. This event promises to be even better than the one from last month, which was already a hit.

I will be there with my camera in one hand and a bottle of Rolling Rock in the other. I wonder if I should try making something like this to take some less blury photos.

Does anyone remember Groundhog Day? Did it happen? Does anyone care? I guess I missed it.

Groundhog Day is probably the weirdest American holiday.

Seven people, a Nintendo GameCube, four controllers, a copy of Mario Party 4 and a copy of Mario Kart Double Dash, plus 30 cans of Sparks makes for a fun night of alcohol and caffeine-fueled fun. However, it also creates heartburn.

Now all we need to do is figure out how to hook two TVs and two GameCubes together to play some eight-player Double Dash. Jesus will bring the blue sparks.