New Blog Address

Hey Folks - For those of you following along in your reader, I've moved the IPRR blog over to Wordpress. You might want to subscribe there... I'm planning to write a bunch of posts in the coming weeks. We might even start talking about dates. As always, your contributions are appreciated. If you had author rights over here, I'll get you set up on the new blog soon. Cheers!

http://islandpond.wordpress.com/

Photos Galore!

Hey all.. We had a great, great time on the rally and at the party, despite the by-the-books-typical New England summer weather... I've finished uploading Team Popped Biscuits' photos and captioning them, and would like to invite you to check them out... greg's IPRR galleries



Also, I started a IPRR Group and photo pool on Flickr, and urge you to share your photos and stories with the rest of us.. the link to the group is: IPRR Photo Group

You'll have to sign up for the group, as it's limited to those invited (to upload), but is public to view.

Thanks again everyone for a great time this year - and see you next!

-greg

1st person zorb ride

1st person zorb ride in amesbury, ma from david pitkin on Vimeo.

IPRR - Visits and Scavenger List Instructions

The IPRR Planning Committee met tonight and discussed the issue of teams disregarding the nature of "Mandatory" items on the various lists. After a unanimous vote, we have amended the instructions to include a "graduated penalty" for missed mandatory items. Please make note of this change and adjust your strategies accordingly.

One additional measure was voted on (and approved) during the brief meeting. Strangers may no longer be utilized for multiple items or visits.

The Visits List
The following lists are collectively known as The Visits List. The Mandatory Items must be completed before your team will be considered finished with the Rally. If for some reason you are not able to complete a Mandatory Item, 30 minutes will be added to your overall elapsed time. If you miss two Mandatory Items, 70 minutes will be added. Three items = 120 minutes, and so on. The Optional Items include items you may consider to collect while on the road. Items from the Optional List carry a Time Bonus, which will be deducted from your Overall Elapsed Time if the item is collected and verified in accordance with the Rally Rules. Good Luck!

Note: You may only photograph a stranger for one visit.

The Scavenger List
The following lists are collectively known as The Scavenger List. The Mandatory Items must be completed before your team will be considered finished with the Rally. If for some reason you are not able to complete a Mandatory Item, 30 minutes will be added to your overall elapsed time. If you miss two Mandatory Items, 70 minutes will be added. Three items = 120 minutes, and so on. Optional Items include items you may consider to collect while on the road. Items from the Optional List carry a Time Bonus, which will be deducted from your Overall Elapsed Time if the item is collected and verified in accordance with the Rally Rules. Good Luck!

Note: You may only photograph a stranger for one scavenger item and each photo can only satisfy one item.

Five Questions with David

David's team in the ocean (he has the clipboard) circa 2007

1. Road Rally. Why?
Well, at first I just wanted to see more of Vermont and beat Tommy D's team. Now its more of a week's adventures packed into a single day that I can't pass up; that and I'm pretty competitive.

2. Hiking Mt Pisqua?
I did it two years ago and am up for a repeat this year... looking down at Lake Willoughby is wicked cool.

3. After midnight?
After midnight is the best! Slip-and-slide is a lot of fun, but that requires it being after midnight and raining.

4. Tents.
Tents are fun, but way too hot in the morning, if there were fewer bugs I would sleep under the stars.

5. Dogs.
There are always great dogs up there. Mine would be out of control and are too spoiled, but we can only hope Wayne's little dog is up there.

Five Questions with Jon

Jon and I playing horseshoes circa 2004

1. Sunrise? I think I saw the sunrise one time while I was in the hot tub several years ago. It was blocked by the eclipse of jamie's @ss momentarily. It was a good thing I wasn't looking directly into the sun.

2. The beach on Saturday? Good times. It's all about bocce and a boat ride. Who's got first game against me?

3. Hot tub? Mark created an amazing hot tub. It's a kiddie pool that gets to 110 degrees. I've seen lots of naked people and been naked myself several times over the years.

4. On tenting... antics and best practices? Avoid morning sun on your tent. Also, try to set it up during daylight hours and keep it closed at all times.

5. Favorite memory and parting wisdom. Being a veteran I have many amazing memories. Definitely the time I made xxx movies with Sandy on the giant tarp and then several fun moments in the hot tub and the slip and slide. Also, some of the horseshoe competitions come to mind.

My parting wisdom would be that you can have as much fun as you want to have. There are so many different activities (drinking and non drinking) to do or you could just chill in the hammock or at the fire. Good times for all.

Five Questions with Tim

Tim by the bonfire (in bare feet) circa 2001

1. Sunrise?
Sunrise at Island Pond is about slowing down...

Friday evening is filled with anticipation and excitement... "Who's making it up this summer?" "Are the first rallyers in yet?" "When are we gonna play flip-cup?" "Will we be killed by Wayne's fireworks?" Truth is, most folks come up after work and often times haven't gotten a chance to see the sun shine on Island Pond. Nothing has stopped them from going full throttle into the evening.

Sunrises are beautiful. Island Pond is beautiful. It is amazing how quickly we can forget that... When you've arrived after sunset and have been dominating the Beirut table since 1am, it is easy to forget how beautiful Island Pond can be. No matter how ridiculous things got the previous evening, the sunrise will hit you like a bucket of water and remind you to slow down. It's fine to race through the weekend, but sometimes it's just as important to stop and soak it all in.

2. The beach on Saturday?
The motorized water sports get a lot of attention, but for me, it's all about the bocce. The area between the beach and the parking lot is all grass and I love the feeling on my feet. I like the "thump" the ground makes when the grass and soil absorbs a high arcing toss. I enjoy conceding that my opponent's ball is closer... I'm not sure why.

3. Hot tub?
Hmmm.... The hot tub... If I were the type of person who asked for too much, my response might be:

Dick Clark: "OK, let's play the 20,000 pyramid!"

Contestant: "Coffee... Drinking water... email spam... "

Night Court's Markie Post: "It's on the tip of my tongue!!! AHHHH!!!!!

Contestant: "Motor oil...

Night Court's Markie Post: "Judge Harry T. Stone would know this..."

Contestant: "The hot tub at Island Pond.."

Night Court's Markie Post: "THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FILTERED!!!!!"

(cue winner's music)

...but I'm not the type of person who asks for too much. The hot tub really hits the spot on Saturday night... especially when you are a little sun burnt or you've landed on you hip while playing volleyball. Sometimes a few mosquitoes have found the one spot on your shin where you didn't apply bug spray... Sure, the hot tub might have a few loose blades of grass, but it isn't full of chlorine or other chemicals. Team Island Pond empties it out each day, so it doesn't need all the other stuff that standing water needs to stay clean. When the water's hot and the beer is cold, it's a great way to recharge.

4. On tenting... antics and best practices?
Ughh... I wish they created cars with window screens... I'm just about the last person in the world to ask about best tenting practices. In fact, I'd say the best advice would be "look at what Tim is doing and do the exact opposite."

I can offer this piece of advice... If you rent a tent from REI or EMS, make sure you open it at the store and check to see if it's wet... As far as I'm concerned REI and EMS can GFT.

5. Favorite memory and parting wisdom.
Favorite memory... Jebus, that's hard to say. Much like one of the "Bobs" from Office Space, I like "all of it." I celebrate the entire catalogue.

I think my favorite time of the weekend might be right around group picture time. People are full of food, the dogs are going nuts, and everyone's ready to smile... It's a nice little human moment.

Parting wisdom... You can expect folks to be kind and inviting... if you're lucky you'll meet your future spouse. You should expect to get bitten, maybe bruised, maybe cut... for sure you'll get drunk. You are almost certain to get wet... you might even singe your eyebrows, but if you're prepared to laugh that stuff off, there's no better time than Island Pond.

Bring bugspray.
Bring bugspray.
Bring bugspray.

Tune in

I'm about to leave the West Coast offices of Team Popped Biscuits, where there has been a flurry of activity these past few days. Aside from the normal packing up of things for a vacation, our mix-master extraordinaire has been putting the finishing touches on Team Popped Biscuits' official Road Rally 2008 Soundtrack.

Let me tell you, I heard the final mix last night, and it sounds great and definitely out-kooks previous years' releases.

I'm also proud to announce that it has swelled to TWO chock-full-o-madness CD's instead of the single-CD offerings of previous years.

For those new to the game, Team Popped Biscuits has sponsored one of the two soundtracks (the first is supplied by the IPRR organizers). This is free to you, at our expense - because Team Popped Biscuits first priority is YOU. That's right. YOU. Don't let any other team tell you otherwise. We are the Patron Saints of the Road Rally, even if it means we don't take the top spot on the podium. We really are that selfless.

Because we only have the resources to produce one CD set per rally team, we're also proud to announce that the compilation will be available for download (also for free) post-rally, for all to enjoy.

With that said, I depart for San Francisco Int'l Airport to get on the Team PB Private Charter (operated by JetBlue) for a relaxing trip, being dined and doted on with an exotic medley of tiny bottles of water and a bag or two of sub-standard peanuts.

-greg

2008 IPRR Odds Updated!

After last night's shocking announcement, IPRRPC oddsmaker Bobby Walker did something unheard of in IPRR history... he made two teams even money to win the Plaque O' Green!

"When the news hit the wire that one of the teams was going "Hyperbolic" I saw it as a signal that we've got a real storm brewing in that camp. Also, the subtle mention of a pre-race massage means that team is really dialed in. Eschewing the sponsors was a strong statement, especially when faced with the prospect of a shirtless Slim."

Moving to even status along with Hyperbolic is Akina Speed Stars.

"Silence can be deadly, but in this case I get the sense it's like winding up the rubber band on one of those balsa wood airplanes you used to play with when you were a kid, only to see it sail into the air the first time and come crashing to the ground and break into a million little pieces... but I digress. Akina Speed Stars gives me no indication they're going to crash; actually, they've given me no indication whatsoever, but I'm still hot on them to be in the hunt."

The other team moving up in the odds is Popped Biscuits.

"I spoke with Greg last night and he really impressed me with his focus and preparation. As Popped Biscuit's spiritual leader he really sets the tempo for PB and it seems like they're eager to step up on the podium in 2008. How the two rookies on their squad respond to the pressure will determine whether wagering on PB is a good bet."

All other odds were unchanged.

Current 2008 IPRR Odds:
Akina Speed Stars - (even)
Hyperbolic - (even)
Popped Biscuits - (4-1)
9021Speed0 - (5-1)
Big Red - (7-1)
Walker's Walkabouts - (8-1)
Mojo Drivin' - (10-1)
Team Shuckri - (15-1)
Vegas Lightning - (15-1)
Ontario Thunder - (50-1)

Rally Team Snubs Bidders; Gets Hyperbolic

After a long bidding process and days of negotiation, the Road Rally team temporarily known as Katz’s Angels has made a groundbreaking decision to decline all naming rights offers on the table and go sponsor-free. The trio of Jen, Meg, and Andy announced themselves as “Hyperbolic” to the Road Rally press corps on Sunday. The name is a shout out to Andy’s geometric past with Isosceles and Straight Line. A hyperbolic triangle is a triangle which is not contained in a (flat) plane. “Like the triangle, our team has strength in multiple dimensions,” said team driver Jen.

Top bidders in the naming race were not happy with the decision. When reached at her bungalow in Rockport, Theresa had some scathing remarks. “I took two weeks out of my Summer to negotiate these naming rights. What oddsmakers wouldn’t put their money behind T-bird’s Turtles? This rally team is full of themselves.” Slim was found at the Concord River with his shirt off and had this to say, “I saved all year for the funds to put my name behind this superstar cast. Slim’s Shadies would have really caught on with the kids.”

Despite the controversy, the team is happy to move forward and focus on the task at hand. Meg remarked, “We had to put an end to this bidding process. It was a distraction to our team and quite frankly I was getting freaked out by the bottles of Merlot that Bryan was sending me.”

Hyperbolic will be training this week, with an off-day on Thursday for massage treatment. Hyperbolic…you have to admit…it’s got a nice ring to it.

A Note About Navigation, Phones & Computers

Just a quick note to make sure we're all on the same page with regards to navigation, phones and computers for the IPRR.

This is a paper-based navigation challenge. I WILL NOT be supplying a genuine New England Roadmap as I have in past years. Most teams go ahead and purchase in-depth maps of the various states that might come into play in the IPRR. GPS of any kind is forbidden. This means hand held, dash-mounted, in your phone, etc. Convincing a stranger to use their navigation to lead you to a destination, although clever, is forbidden.

The same is true of phones. If it's a phone, don't use it. Cell phones, home phones, pay phones, etc. are forbidden (except in an emergency). Asking a stranger to use a phone on your behalf to collect IPRR information, while creative, is forbidden.

The IPRR is particularly vulnerable to someone with a computer. While we try to build it to neutralize this threat, it's still present. Please do not use any computers from the time you accept the IPRR packet at the start line to the time you check in at the Farm. This includes asking a stranger (or a friend/family member not in the IPRR) to use a computer (in a library perhaps) to help you solve a problem.

Please keep these rules in mind while you're on the road next Friday. Thank you.

Tasty Jake

This just in: Jake (part of the Team Popped Biscuits Shock & Awe strategic plan) keeps some mighty powerful / interesting company. We are trying to get more information. Jake: care to elaborate?

This image has been making its way around the world wide intarwebs today - perhaps you've seen it.