Pinball RAGE

I'm acutally really excited about pinball (like ALWAYS) and I have some really amazing news to share with all you guys!  Once I get a couple good pictures, I'll post them here!

Bikeman Page 18

Sorry for a later Tuesday post than usual.

Fall is in full swing and the leaves haven't been the only thing that are changing.  This has been the season of new interests.  I feel like every weekend I'm getting hooked on some other sort of activity.

First, it was roller derby-ing and roller skated.  Now, granted, I still haven't gotten to skate in a roller derby game, but I'll get there!  I had seen roller derby bouts online from time to time, and I really enjoyed the sport, but it wasn't until I saw my first LIVE bout down in Northampton, MA with Colleen, Betsey, Beth, Mo, and Carol that my love of the sport was really cemented!  It was so exciting to watch!  Shortly after, me and the girls honed in on an actual, honest-to-goodness skating rink in Enfield, NH, the Great View Roller Skating Rink.  We've been going there pretty much every week, and it's been a blast!  This weekend there's a bout up in Burlington, VT that a bunch of us are going to!  GO GMDD!

Second, last Sunday Collen, Ryland, Emily and I went out my co-worker, Val Fleisher's house to watch her and her husband homebrew a pumpkin beer.  Emily and Ryland are HUGE beer aficionados, so it was really great to hang out with them and taste some really amazing beers.  I know this sounds really "frat-y" of me, but I really want to get into beer, and have a more discerning taste in beer.  I can't stress how awesome Emily and Ryland are.  They even clued me and Colleen in on a secret micro brewery in Waterbury that we're going to check out and report back on.  Read Emily's blog on beer; it's AMAZING.

Obviously, I've been riding the wave of pinballdom for awhile now, but some pretty exciting things are happening right now.  If you've been following the Drop Target Zine site, you know that our first issue has been done for a couple weeks now.  Last weekend Alec and I sent out a couple comp issues to some of the Pinball Illuminati that have been really inspirational to us.  We've been hearing back from some of them, and it's been really encouraging / exciting as all heck!  On my own personal pinball front, I might have some news for you guys in a couple days.  Until then, let's let this tempt your palette:

Have you gotten your PINBALL fix yet!?

Drop Target #1 is now available for ordering!

Now available in the Drop Target Zine shop!

DROP TARGET #1 - The Introduction Issue

52 pages - 5.5" x 8.5" - B&W printing
First Printing: 8.5" x 14" full-color centerfold, screenprinted cover

FEATURING:
- Pinball Glossary
- TILT TALK: Interview with Multiball editors Brinda Coleman and Sam Soule
- THE REPLAY REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode I (pin2k)
- DREAM MACHINES: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Lawrence of Arabia
- PINHALLS: White River Junction, VT
- VIDEO MODE: Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball
- From Zeros to Heroes: Part 1 - OBSESSION

Oh man, you guys!  I feel bad for being the last one out of the blocks on this one, but EVERYONE should head on over to the Drop Target Zine blog and pick up a copy of the brand-spanking new zine about PINBALL by myself and Alec Longstreth.  Even if you would only consider yourself a casual fan of pinball, I know there will be something in this issue for YOU!  This zine is all about pinball, and getting excited about pinball, and I'm ecited to share it with all of you!

Die Cut

Oh man, I thought that there MUST be a limit to all the cool stuff that you get to do if you're a teacher but OH MAN, was I wrong.  This weekend, Colleen and I went to the Creative Habitat in Burlington.  They had a deal going on that if you are a teacher, you get a free club membership.  One of the perks to the membership, aside from the discount, is free, uninhibited use of the Accu-Cut Die Cutting machine (!!!)  They had a whole ton of different dies, and I have to admit that I went a little crazy.  They had envelopes, different boxes, fun shapes...it was a blast.

Last night Chuck and Melissa had their going away party, which was awesome, but it's very much NOT AWESOME that they're leaving...

Things I'm in love with:
1) TVP
2) Mug Bread!
3) Conan the Barbarian
4) Sudoku

Bikeman page tomorrow!

Bikeman Page 5

Oh my gosh, I watched Hook today for the first time in a while with Beth.  I forgot how much I love that movie.  Of course there's a lot that's really goofy about it, but there's also some really genuinely sweet moments.  If for nothing else, I think I'm going to be saying "good form" and "bang-a-rang" a lot more than I normally would.

Here's a little bit more from the pinball project that Alec and I are working on.  This is going to be a really amazing zine once it's done.  Oh, and it WILL be done.

SCIENCE IS EXCITING.

Bike fixed!

Now I know that all of you are going to run off and get this sweet tat, but hold your horses!  It might seem "hip" and "cool" now, but give it some time!  Think it over first!

Actually, this is a snipit from the pinball project that Alec and I are working on!  Get pumped.

In more pertinent news, I was able to fix my bike this weekend!  The real problem was that my rear cassette was all sorts of messed up, and no onehad a good 5 or 6 speed cassette that would fit on my wheel.  Well, one of the local bike shops up by Norwich had a brand new, in the bag, Shimono 6-speed cassette!  That plus a new chain and it's like a whole new bike!

Speaking of bikes, new Bikeman page tomorrow!