Mr. Annie Timmerman

Today, Annie and I were exploring Put-in-Bay on our Honeymoon/continuation of the Where am I Wearing? quest and I experienced a perfect storm of this-is-weird-moments:

I was driving down the street in a road-licensed golf cart on an island in Ohio passed a sweet smelling Ohio vineyard on the way to see a ship turned into a house on a cliffside with my WIFE.

We did it. I’m officially Mr. Annie Timmerman.

This sounds cheesy, but the wedding was perfect. We got married outside at my parents’ house in front of 300 family and friends. The weather held out just long enough for the wedding. Annie looked beautiful (I wish I had some pictures to post but I don’t, so you’ll have to take my word for it.)

Other highlights:

- noodles on mashed potatoes at the reception

- I can still do the coffee grinder

- Annie shook it to baby got back

- Kyle, my brother, gave a great best man speech where he used tectonic plates, Jupiter, and a snail to put the length of our 11-year courtship into perspective

- Mom still can do the moonwalk

- At the rehearsal dinner Dad busted out a wig and back-up sang to Duke of Earl. (note: this is the most uncharacteristic thing that has been done in the history of character)

Tomorrow we head to Perry, New York, where my shorts were made.

One Wedding, One Honeymoon, One pair of shorts

Saturday Annie and I tie the knot in my parents’ backyard in front of 300 family and friends.

On Sunday the quest/honeymoon continues. It’s kind of like the two threads of my life will be pulled together. There’s the travel-around-the-globe-chasing-my-clothes thread and there’s the Annie-girlfriend-fiance-wife thread.

First we’re heading to Put-in-Bay, the Key West of the North, and then we’re off to Perry, New York, home of the Grand Canyon of the East. (You always have to question the legitimacy of a destination when the locals sell it as a more accessible, less touristy version of an actual destination.) And then were off to Niagara Falls, which I like to refer to as the Victoria Falls of North America.

Perry is where my all-time favorite item of clothing, 1992 Dream Team basketball shorts, was made. I’ve been in touch with a factory that custom makes sports uniforms. Many of its employees worked for Champion back in the day when there was an American Apparel industry and I hope to meet some that may have made my shorts. Everyone I’ve talked to in Perry seems nice and very small townish, which means they’re our kind of people. The local newspaper even wants to do a story on us.

Yeah, this doesn’t sound terribly romantic, but I hope to dedicate only part of one day to tracking down my shorts and the people who made them. Annie is cool with it. Plus, how many people get to write-off their honeymoons? Granted, if I spend much more than part of one day, Annie might start thumping on me.

I’m really looking forward to the trip – a chance to decompress following all of the wedding madness. We don’t have much of a plan, only to go with the flow of our road trip and get used to being the Timmermans.

I won’t be posting daily (because the whole Annie thumping me thing), but I’m sure I’ll still get in a post here and there when she’s not looking or when she’s in the shower. I might even get a pic or two up from the wedding.

Billionaire limit-pusher can’t be found

Steve Fossett is missing.

And it’s not the first time.

When I was in Australia in 2001 I went sailing with a fella who saved Fossett’s butt on one of his misadventures. Below the cut, you’ll find a story from the Travelin’ Light archives about Fossett’s savior Laurie Piper.

Let’s hope that Fossett has another Laurie Piper in his future.

Read more

Happy Birthday…

Batman…

Superman…

Bad Ass Squinter Man…

Malaria Boy…

and all of the other identities of my big brother Kyle.

IDIOT Touron quote of the day…

“I only got seven dives in. I hope they didn’t jump the gun too soon.”

-Bob Shearer of Pennsylvania who was evacuated by military helicopter from the island of Roatan shortly before hurricane Felix devastated the region.

I really hate to use “Touron” to describe Bob. How about Inconsiderate, Dolt of Immense, Obtuse, Thoughtlessness (IDIOT). Thousands of homes and lives are threatened by one of nature’s most violent forces and Bob bitches about missing out on a few dives. They should have left Bob tied at the reef off of Roatan and let him do all of the diving he wanted to do, hurricane or no hurricane.

Here’s an update on Felix

Moskito Coast braces for hurricane

Hurricane Felix is about to hammer the Moskito Coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua. I followed the tag of my favorite t-shirt to the region in 2005. I have fond memories from the trip, including:

Teaching an island village to play baseball

Trekking though the jungle

Playing soccer

Trying to get on a boat with lobster divers

My brother’s being bit by a malaria carrying mosquito

The storm strengthened to a Category 5 this morning and is likely to threaten the livelihoods and the lives of many of the friends I made in 2005, including Kaiser and his family. My thoughts are with them this morning.

I’ll post links to any relief efforts in the future.

Hands of Labor

These are the hands that make our blue jeans, underwear, flip flops, and about everything else we wear or use. I suppose today is a good day to thank them for their work.

A thousand words: Hong Kong