The Vespa finally arrived — not quite two weeks after ordering it… I could have had it right away if I hadn’t decided to get it painted bright orange. As you can see, it’s got a little pearlescent effect in it — and there’s no doubt about it, it’s orange as hell.

Megan and I went up to Door County this weekend… Beautiful place, at least one you get there, and if you can ignore the biting flies and mosquitoes. I still have lumps all over my head from those buzzards. We camped at Newport State Park, a incredible place with only about 20 campsites, all back-pack only — so, no cars, no crowds. Just lots of bugs. And birds! lots of birds.

Here are a few photos — more on Ofoto:

PS The Vespa is being delivered tomorrow!

Here are a few photos from my trip to Paris for AdMonsters Europe a couple of weeks ago:

  Out on the lake with Jessica, Deb and Michael a few days ago. Pretty darn nice here in the summer.

I have a thing about cover songs, so I put up a web page about some that I’ve run across. I know, I know, I’m supposed to be working. Heh.

I was out sailing yesterday evening on an E Scow — very cool. Fast boat! Hoping to have the Vespa by Friday!

Seeing so many of the new Vespas in Paris last week was the last straw… I stopped by the Vespa store here in Madison today and ordered a new ET4 (150cc). I would have driven it home, but of course the stock colors didn’t quite do it for me, so I am having mine custom painted Lamborghini Arancio Atlas — a bright, slightly metallic orange! It should be done sometime next week!

It’s been a busy month! Last time I wrote, I had just come back from SF to start a summer course on “Democracy and Environmental Management” and an internship here in Madison. I finished up the course on the 3rd with a paper on the increasing privitization of housing — “Privatopias,” gated communities, and towns like Disney’s Celebration U.S.A. The book about Celebration is a quick and interesting read, if you’re curious it’s worth a few hours.

On the 4th I flew over to Paris for AdMonsters Europe, our first European conference. The meeting came off really really well, and it was certainly a nice way to spend a week. We had a huge dinner for 25 or so at Buddha Bar, not the sort of place that I’d usually end up, but it did make for a great party. Several of us were out that night until dawn.

My old friend Justine Donato has lived in Paris for the past few years, and it’s always cool to hook up with her when I’m there, she knows her way around pretty well. A friend of hers, Danielle, was in town also, and her boyfriend Serge lives just up the street from Justine. Serge and Danielle are both super cool, and so the four of us spent several days eating cheese, drinking wine, and hanging around town, eating and drinking more wine. Chez Papa is fantastic, ask me where it is if you’re going to Paris soon.

Justine lives in the 18th, which is 90% North African. Lots of noise, street markets, chicken feathers and corn cobs in the streets. Home-made ginger drinks in plastic bottles in the corner shops, alongside standard french bakeries and even a fancy little chocolate shop. Serge’s local is swinging, and they serve Leffe — lovely stuff from which the U.S. microbreweries might learn a thing or two.

Art? Saw a cool exhibition at the Palais du Tokio, which for some reason was a combination of planning, maps, and a documentary about ship-building — a museum tailor made for Bowen! I didn’t get to the Arab Institute, that will have to keep for next time… I did also buy a painting — now I own two! The artist is Fanch Moal, from a tiny town in Brittany. The painting is of some fishing boats at dawn — I know, the subject isn’t exactly postmodern, but the technique is amazing, shifting light and hidden colors. I love it. (The other painting in my collection of two is by a local San Francisco artist called Jie Zhou.)

I missed my flight to Chicago leaving Paris, and so they put me on a later one to NYC. I called my friend Loren when I landed, and we met at Peter Luger in Brooklyn for steaks… finally to bed at 2:30am, then up two hours later at 4:30 to catch the flight on to Chicago and then Madison.

Now I’m back in Madison for a few weeks before heading off to Portland for AdMonsters IX, after which I’ll probably be in SF for a week or so, before returning here to start the fall semester on September 2.

Megan and I were out sailing today in a 420, almost planing — we would have been with just a little more breeze. I have to say, this place is growing on me a little…