I’d been there once before, for a whirlwind (I don’t think I was even there for 24 hours) visit with The Park City Foundation, an Embolden client.

Through the wonders of Facebook (and a testament to her communication skills – I take no credit here… I’ve got postcards from her from all over the world) I’ve been keeping up with my old summer camp counselor and friend, Katy. Turns out she’s got a new venture under her belt – water bottles. They’re pretty fab – full disclosure: she gave me 2 – the square green one below and a pink one that features original artwork (look way down at the bottom for a photo I stole from the Waterbox website).

Waterbox square bottles - I've got the green one. I love it. A lot.

Now, I’ve always been a toucher. Like paper. I had a really hard time transitioning from a paper calendar to a PDA.

And objects. Things that feel nice in your hand. That are weighted properly. That have beautiful lines and proportions.  These water bottles most certainly do.

Original artwork on a Waterbox bottle

They’ve got some lofty ideals – which are nice. From their website:

Our goal is to create a product that we know can withstand extended abuse (in our packs, purses and falling off our desks), feel safe giving to our children and be proud of as a unique piece of art that brings beauty into the world. It’s not just about creating an object with which to hold our beverages of choice, it’s about creating something that not only will last but that we will want to hang onto forever.

But I’m more interested in idea of water bottle as object.

It’s got great details. The logo embossed in the cover and the base. The feel of the neck when you hang onto it. The paint-job. The color (it’s not screaming-at-you green). The shape of the square one, which you can’t really get a good idea of from the photo above, is just fantastic.

And it fits in a cup holder.

Hello, brilliant.

You can buy a Nalgene or a Sigg. But why? These are comparable in price, but are far more beautiful. And they’re made by some fantastic people. Go get one. You’ll be the coolest kid with a water bottle around.

[via Joe. My. God.: Yes, I'm Running For Mayor, But Let's Start With My Original Song About Jeebus]

Screen from a plate reader, similar to the one J uses.

Yesterday was a DAY.

You know what I mean.

Last night, though, was pretty fab. I went on my first ride-along with my buddy J. After more than 10 years living with cops, it’s a little nuts that it took this long for me to get up the balls to do it, and I’m glad I finally did. (I shot a gun for the first time just a few months ago. Big year for me.)

I never went with my ex, partially because it would have been bad news to have an encounter with a syringe exchange or outreach client while riding shotgun in a cruiser, partially because she wasn’t interested in taking me. And partially because I’m a big pansy.

I considered bailing on J, to stay at home and wallow in my DAY, but ultimately decided to suck it up, tell my brain to STFU, and headed out. I was looking forward to hanging out with J a bit, getting to see what it is that Megan does every night, and get onto the other side of that first time.

So let me just say – cruisers are geek-a-licious. There are some pretty fantastic widgets hidden underneath the flashing lights and sirens.

We all know about the police radio – the thing you can buy a scanner and listen to from your perch in your basement. But the whole dispatch system behind it, and all the codes and call-signs, are a pretty well-oiled machines on their own. It’s sort of like listening to programmers talk – unless you’re one of them, or have a outrageously patient translator by your side (as did I), it’s near impossible to figure out what the hell is going on.

The real geekery in the car is the computer. It features a fantastically accurate GPS map with all sorts of fancy flags and moving parts. It can run plates, licenses, and all other sorts of fancy-pants searches.

But J’s car was one of the fanciest of the fancy – the plate reader car.

The thing is COOL. (Google plate reader car for like 500 news reports and everything your geeky little mind ever wanted to know.)

Nicely concealed cameras on the outside of the vehicle feed information (even in the dark) about any plate in the area. Automatically. And the thing is accurate. It picks up and pings for all sorts of things, for cars traveling in both directions (or when stationary).

J had a couple of calls, nothing too outrageous – one, a burglary, involved a CSI. Nothing like TV, but still pretty damn cool, I got to see him play with some of his slightly-less-fancy toys. It totally appeals to the OCD in me – especially the fingerprinting.

All that geeky goodness, along with getting to spend time with someone whose company I truly enjoy, helped tip the DAY scales.

Overall – not bad for a first time. Probably better than if we’d been sent on a DOA, DV or major traffic accident.

As J said, it was like the introduction to a book. I’ll look forward to the first few chapters next time.

[via my pal caligater]

I like being alone, except for when I don’t.

My longtime friend Rachel Ferro posted this to  her Facebook page – so here it is to share with you all.

Megan and I tied the knot - August 28, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, my good buddy Erika emailed me a HARO query about queers who changed their names to reflect a union.

The query:

I’m in search of same-sex couples with one or both partners who have legally changed their names to reflect the union.

Well, that fits us.

Married.

And done with the irritatingly long process of a name change.

Megan and I are now famous. With maybe the worst quote ever. At least the photo’s cute.

It’s an AP story and ran all over creation and back (including AZ, CO, KY and MA, but not in the ProJo for my RIers, dammit.) Our little snippet of fame:

Elisa Hebert, 32, wasn’t attached to her surname before she traveled with partner Megan from their home outside Denver, Colo., to Rehoboth, Mass., a plus since most of their friends and family are from New England. Back home, Elisa appeared in court to complete her legal name change before a judge managing a roomful of ticked-off parents and their kids hauled in for truancy. “I felt like a 12-year-old who was in trouble,” she said.

via Name changing for gay couples not a straight line – U.S. news – msnbc.com.

Shepard Fairey Providence Silkscreen Red Colorway Ed. 400

$75.00

18″ x 24″ Screen Print, Numbered & Signed by Shepard Fairey; Red Colorway Edition: 400 + Artist Proofs

This Foo Fest, AS220′s 25th anniversary, launche the “Free Culture Award”, a national honor bestowed every other year on two artists–its honorees: AS220′s own Jukebox creator, Brandon Edens, and contemporary artist, Shepard Fairey. Fairey, an American artist, designer, illustrator & RISD grad (1992) was first recognized through his “Andre the Giant has a Possee” street art campaign. Edens & Fairey will we honored with the Free Culture Awards at Aug. 14th’s Foo Fest.

via Shepard Fairey Providence Silkscreen Red Colorway Ed. 400 – $75.00 : The AS220 Shop, and Woolverine.