Thursday, December 31, 2009

Bronte: Mission Successful


After a year full of tensions and stresses, but also of gratifying rewards, it was a pleasure to take part in this final challenge of the year. It was a time to reflect on our successes and our stumbles, and the quiet pride that comes with saving the world on a monthly basis.

Having no store-bought sticker paper on hand, nor, as it turned out, the glue required to make my own sticker paper, I had to resort to using packing tape as adhesive. And while this will likely not last far beyond the next Sydney rain (scheduled for this weekend), I felt it would do its job. Sure, it's not as polished looking as Gibson-US's amazing effort, but in this game, you sometimes have to be rough and ready.

Owing in no small part to the fact that our end of the challenge was to take place at 6:25 in the morning (yes, the morning), my wife and able-bodied photographer, Hayley, and I arrived at Gibson St, Bronte, with mere minutes to spare. But a hasty, yet efficient, application of the packing tape left just enough time to spare.

At the precise minute, I fell to my knee and applied the sticker to the pole, completing the GvsG circuit, and bringing much needed end of year intercontinental relief.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Fully Charged in Lynwood, WA



Seattle is a great city, however it lacks one key element that would make it super great -- a street named Gibson. My precursory search on Google Maps found that the closest Gibson street was about 20 minutes north of Seattle in the disorienting and diabolical town of Lynnwood, WA. But I was not deterred. Being the courageous adventurer that I am, I gathered my team of assistants and we braved the strip malls and traffic cameras of Lynnwood on the way to the solitary redeeming place within its city limits -- Gibson Rd.

We hadn't gone far along Gibson Rd. when we realized that there might be a problem -- all of the signs were attached to wooden poles! How was I supposed to attach a sticker and complete the circuit on a wooden pole? Just when we thought all was lost, we came to a stop sign at the corner of Gibson Rd. and Admiralty Rd. that used a metal pole. It was a busy intersection fraught with danger -- a woman walking a pug, kids on bicycles, and an exotic car business with a Lamborghini parked out front. Nonetheless, at 11:25 on the second I knelt before the street sign and placed the sticker on the pole. Just as I felt a surge of energy enter my body, I also realized that the sticker did not want to stick to the freezing metal pole. It was only through intense focus and precise pressure that I managed to get the sticker to cling to the pole.





Afterward, I felt renewed, refreshed, recharged and ready to take on 2010. Assuming we don't screw anything up too bad, next year should be filled with universal harmony and personal serenity for each and every one of you. Just leave it to us…

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Recharge

It has been a trying year. The constant pressure to keep our world from exploding, imploding, dissolving, veering, shrinking, etc. has sapped us of our strength. The countless hours spent researching, calculating, consulting and postulating has drained us of our energy. But fear not! The Gibsons intend to continue their noble pursuit despite the immense physical and mental toll. In preparation for the challenges that lay ahead in 2010 it is imperative that we both recharge our systems. This will be accomplished by executing the following task:

1) Each prepare a 4" wide sticker. Gibson-US's sticker will read "G v" and Gibson-OZ's sticker will read "s G".
2) Locate a street named Gibson and stand next to its street sign.
3) At precisely 19:25 GMT on Tuesday, December 29th (11:25 for Gibson-US and 06:25 on Wednesday the 30th for Gibson-OZ) kneel before the street sign and affix the sticker to the pole.
4) Document the event with photo and/or video.

If all goes as we expect, our simultaneous contact with the Gibson street signs will complete a Gibson circuit, bringing us both a much needed dose of energy and perhaps a small electric shock. Due to the intense electrical currents involved in this event you may notice your hair standing on end for a short period of time after the event. Don't be alarmed! This is normal and should wear off in a couple of hours. In the meantime we suggest that you wear a hat.