i cant believe it either.

they let us home early today from work. i ran right to my mail slot and there wasnt a slip in there. so i called cafe press customer service. she said that they had until 8pm to send it.

so i checked at 6:30p, it wasnt there.

at 7:45p i couldnt wait any longer. i went to my box and no slip. so i asked the dude. he looked in the back and said there wasnt anything there.

i looked at a stack of packages right by his desk, one of them had cafepress.com printed on its side.

i never do this. im usually quite shy. but i said, i think that box right there might be it.

and almost like he knew, he checked the box on top – not the one i was pointing at – then he checked the next box – also not the one i was pointing at – i wondered if my pointy finger was defective.

and then he went to the third box and there was my name. and i ran to my room and opened it up and there it was

glossy cover. color. bright.

i flipped it open and there it was, a real book in my hands. something that i made.

i looked at the page numbers and there they were. i looked at the table of contents and everything was right.

i flipped to the back and the back cover and the spine, everything was right.

i know im dreaming.

but then i saw that i had gotten a parking ticket on my true loves car. apparently there was street cleaning. and i said, devil, you cant bring me down today.

infact i have lots to be thankful for.

most of all, that today i can finally say

my new book is out.

and if you get it, tell me and i will be happy to link to your blog.

or to your favorite blog.

and if im ever in your town i will sign it.

cuz right now id say its the best thing ive ever done.

so id be happy to sign it

your pal,

tony

1900 Test Drive Of The First Production Pierce

On this day, the first gasoline-powered Pierce automobile was taken on a test drive through the streets of Buffalo, New York.

George N. Pierce first founded the Pierce Company in 1878 as a manufacturer of household items, but in the late nineteenth century shifted to bicycle production. Pierce bicycles became known for their high quality, and after achieving a substantial capital base, Pierce and his company decided to try their hand in automobile production. The first few Pierce prototypes involved steam power, but in 1900 the designers shifted to gasoline engines.

The first production Pierce, test driven on this day, featured a modified one-cylinder deDion engine capable of producing nearly three horsepower. The automobile would be christened the Pierce Motorette, and between 1901 and 1903 roughly 170 Pierce Motorettes were made.

In 1903, Pierce began manufacturing its own engines, and later in the year, the Pierce Arrow was introduced, followed by the Pierce Great Arrow in 1904. By 1905, the George N. Pierce Company was producing some of the biggest and most expensive automobiles in America, with prices in excess of $5,000.

In 1908, the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was officially launched, and in 1909 U.S. president William Howard Taft ordered two of the prestigious automobiles, a Brougham and a Landaulette, for use by the White House.

via The History Channel and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society + i’m the number seven pierce

so that i could take her to the airport this morn.

nice part about doing all that is, i got to sleep with her in the most comfortable bed of all time, and we got to eat fancy pre-made Whole Foods last night, and i get her car for 4-5 days.

but i also got to use her shower which is awesome.

and i got to watch some of Elf while holding her hand which was great.

and i got to experience rush hour traffic leaving LAX this morn which wasnt as bad as the tv news crews will tell you it is.

my baby flew out via Alaskan airlines which was the way to go. the line for Southwest was looooooooooong and well out the door.

remind me not to fly SWA on any holiday.

while driving to work i was tuned in on flagrant‘s favorite, kfi, where bill handle was chopping up Dan Rather’s career as mercilessly as could be.

funny how when one texan who leans liberal acts unique handle call him crazy, but when another texan who is ultra conservative acts unique handle calls him mr. president worthy of four more years.

ah hypocracy, as commonplace as gravity.

when i tired of talk radio i hit the cd player to see what my sweetheart was listening to.

twas Nelly’s “sweat” which got me moving around in my seat.

“let a grand hang out” was pretty awesome.

so was the mcdonalds drive thru that i treated myself to.

if i dont get a chance to say so today, let it be known that im eternally thankful for the opportunity to have my mundane so-called life read by thousands of people a day. it’s humbling and overwhelming. and dont think for a minute that i dont appreciate it.

cuz i do.

boston vs nirvana + tiffany + kitty bukkake