Matt and I broke down and registered, because his family asked us to. We definitely didn’t want to, because we felt we have everything we need for the most part. As much as we wanted to do this getting married thing our way, we had to acquiesce to a few demands. This particular demand wasn’t so difficult to give way, because it’s pretty enjoyable to walk around with a scanner (the scanners at target are terrible, though.) and shop for things that would be helpful/fun to own.

If anyone at all still links to my old typepad address, please stop doing it. Some spam company parked there. I’m not going to link to it here, but it’s sighclub dot typepad dot com.

Pretty please?

We’ve been taking to walks on Ashley Reservoir (three times in the past week-and-a-half). I’d never been there until this month, which is an unbelievable factoid. Other factoids:

1. Matt and I have devised a rock-kicking game. The object of the rock-kicking game is to kick a rock down the path as we go along. Whoever kicks the rock into the water loses.

2. The one thing I hate about Ashley Reservoir right now is the bug-swarming problem.

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My office purchased a number of Flip cameras this week, so I’ve been testing one of them out. My early impressions are very positive, especially where design is concerned. It’s about the size of a pack of menthol 100’s and very lightweight. There are a minimal number of buttons to push. The designers definitely took a page out of the Apple book, right down to the boxy packaging the Flip came in.

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Tony Pierce linked to this great photo essay featuring soldiers’ graffiti in bathrooms in Kuwait in Afghanistan.

I grew up in Central Pennsylvania. For many of my teenage years, I was on a bowling league. My record high game is 225, which is respectable.

Despite this, I’m alright with Obama’s bad bowling skills. He’s running for a job that doesn’t require much in the way of bowling prowess, or hunting experience, or whiskey-drinking abilities.

I’m alright with Obama’s gutter balls.

I’m excited to see this new BIGY2GO grocery shopping program. It’s not at a store near me yet, but I hope the idea catches on and other stores start to do it.

The basic idea is this: For a flat rate of $10, Big Y will shop for groceries for you. Four hours later you can go pick up your groceries at the store.

This concept appeals to me on so many levels. First of all, I’m online all the time and happen to love online shopping. Think of it this way. If I research a recipe online, I can order ingredients right then and there. I don’t have to print out the recipe and take it to the store with me. That’s awesome.

Second of all, I have so little time these days to enjoy life outside of work. Chores like grocery shopping can sometimes fill up a whole night for me. $10 isn’t all that much to me these days if it means I can save time.

The downside is that Big Y is so much more expensive than Stop & Shop. I generally prefer going to Stop & Shop, too. And, of course, the program is not available - just yet - at a Big Y near me.

I applaud a relatively small family-owned chain like Big Y taking a chance with this forward-thinking idea, because it shows that they’re willing to try new things and that they are keeping their customers in mind. Now if they could just come down on their prices, we’d all be much happier.

I am going to co-present a class on podcasting at UMass Amherst on Wednesday night. If you were a student (or if you are a student), what would you want to know about podcasting?

I posted my photos from the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade. Here they are. I haven’t had a chance to process the photos from the Bob McGrath show, but look for those soon. If you know me on facebook, you can also check the parade photos there.