an author in the shadows

A week or so ago, we ran out of gas again at a truck stop about 45 minutes outside of Vegas. Having no gas gage, odometer or speedometer on our bus this has become a regular occurrence on the road - so, while Duncan put on the yellow gloves and began cleaning the fuel filters, I wandered over the the local truck stop diner for a bite.

I quickly realized this was your quintessential middle America truck stop diner - I was met by a smiling 60 year old woman who handed me a menu featuring the $4.95 Pork Chop dinner and was led to my plastic covered seat among the many Truckers. I noticed one waitress in her 40’s was especially bubbly as she took orders among the grumbling drivers and did her best to make everyone of her patrons smile.

I asked her what she wanted to do before she died and she said, ” I want to finish the book I’ve been writing for 10 yrs”. I asked her what was stopping her from finishing her book and she replied that she didn’t know how to type. She then explained that she had purchased a computer but had passed it on to her daughter because “she wasn’t very computer savy”. She had just recently bought a typewriter for $100.

I pulled out a $100 bill from my pocket and and asked her if I gave it to her would she promise to take typing lessons and finish her book. She answered yes, and promised to put it in an envelop when she got home - she then explained to me that the past 3 weeks had been very hard for her and that she was beginning to think that the world was becoming very mean and that nobody cared. She said thank you, gave me a hug and started to cry a bit. As I waived goodbye to the 60 yr old hostess, I overheard the waitress tell her friend, “something amazing just happened”.

I left the truck stop feeling fuller than I had felt in a long time. I got a hit of nostalgia and realized that it was the same feeling I got when we gave Brent the Truck last year. When I look back over the 18 months since this project began, these are the moments I’d like to remember.

Looking forward to reading your book Sandra.

ben

ps. the $100 bill was given to us for gas by a man named Lee who we met on the first day of our Tour. He told us to keep paying it forward, so we did.

buried life meets MAXIM

The Digi-Life Conference in NYC was a blast. We got to meet a whole load of people and spread the word about the new TBL Social Network that we just launched. Palm gave us these sick new phones called Centro’s to take on the road and blog with and Dave met 3 of his breakdance heros. We dropped in on MAXIM Radio with Covino and Rich and spent a good half-hour chatting about some of the crazier things on the list. #36 “Throw the first pitch at a major league baseball game” and #26 “Tell a judge ‘You Want The Truth?! You Can’t Handle the Truth!” were their favorites and most exciting of all, they offered to play #20 “Get a song we’ve written on the radio” once we release it. We’re going to wait until the Kanye/50 hype settles before dropping our ‘rap’ track but with Dave’s history in NWA (member from 1992-94) and Duncan’s blossoming sax career, we’re bound to have a hit.

Covino and Rich were so stoked with the project they set three of their own goals. They even promised the millions listening that if they didn’t complete these 3 in a year they’d quit radio for good.

There list is:

1. Take batting practice in Shea Stadium

2. Get a show on VH1

3. Help their producer ‘Spot’ find a lady friend

After the show Dunc headed to a neighboring tent to try out for the Knicks cheerleading squad. He is know lead hoister.

thumbs way up

 wooooahhhh!

With some help from a few good people at the Palm phone company The Buried Life has left the sunny shores of the Pacific and arrived on the eastcoast. We were invited to speak about our project at the Digital Life Conference in New York City and are over the moon about the opportunity. We owe a big thanks to Palm for helping us spread the good word and look forward to asking today’s tech moguls what they want to do before they die. It’s a crazy mixed up world out there and we are being faced everyday with the decision to use technology or let it use us. This whirlwind stop in the Big Apple ought to shine some light on the situation and send us back reinvigorated to keep workin, keep helpin and keep wishin. It’s certainly taught us that you never know what’ll happen if you just put your word out to the world.

If you’re in the neighborhood come find us at the conference!

cool article that ran in the Vancouver Sun here

no words

Imagine if you would the scariest horror movie you’ve ever seen. Now take the most heart racing, hair raising moment in that film and pause it for a second. With the scene paused, stand up, walk forwards and put one leg right through the tv screen and into the stormy mansion on the other side. Now, as the rain pelts down and the wind blows eerily, close your eyes and try to stay calm while you and listen with every ounce of hearing you have for the mysterious thing that creeps nearby. This torture is the closest I can come to describing what occurred last night. As far as I’m concerned, it was like I was IN a horror movie.

one of numerous articles on Brookdale

I can’t even write about it, to be honest, I just can’t find the right words. I’m not usually a believer in this stuff, but last night was something else. I still haven’t settled down.

I can tell you this: Sarah came to us. And she brought friends.

I can’t even look at this without getting full body shivers

Where Did This All Come From?

1983 – Duncan born
1984 – Ben born
1986 – Dave born
1987 – Jonnie born
2000 – Dave and Jonnie meet, start a breakdance crew called the Mad Funk Breakers
Feb, 2006 – Duncan and Ben chat and realize that they are both feeling like something is missing in life. They decide to do something about it.
Mar, 2006 – Crew has first conversation over skype about creating ‘a list’ of their shared life goals. Penn brother’s background in film makes documentary the weapon of choice
May-June, 2006 – To afford the trip, Dave works 3 jobs in Calgary, Duncan and Jonnie head off to the Northern oilfields and Ben cold-calls local companies.
July, 2006 – Crew returns to Victoria. Bedadu (our first RV) is borrowed from the Penn’s uncle, Happy Planet donates gas
Aug 2, 2006 – Tour begins. Crew travels southern BC for 2 & 1/2 weeks, 31 list items are completed (ex. field goal, news), 24 strangers are helped (ex. visit the stanley cup, donate a truck, skydive), 5 tires & 1 exhaust pipe are lost
Sept, 2006 – Return to work & school (Concordia, McGill, UVic)
Nov, 2006 – Called by TV people, flown to Toronto to meet with MTV
Dec, 2006 – Dave, Dunc, Jonnie and Ben pow-wow on an offer to do a television series. Decide to keep going without TV to stay true to the grassroots mission. #53 is put off until the time is right…
Jan, 2007 – Loan $2000 from Dave’s dad to make a new website. Features include a social network that let’s people post their lists and talk to each other!
May, 2007 – Dave, Jonnie and Ben postpone school to return to Victoria. Family friend lends them a room in his building to use as headquarters. Weekly journal/episodes begin on YouTube.
July 8, 2007 – Dave runs a marathon in Calgary, AB
July, 2007 – Levi Strauss & Co joins in and give us pants! Landyatchz, Sitka, and Threesixty Boardshop join too (they give skateboards)
July, 2007 – After much fundraising, the purple bus is bought!
Sept 1, 2007 – Round 2 begins: 8 weeks, 6000 miles, and 1 list. The website is beefed up.

Summer 2008 – round 3!
2009 - Global dominion

Well this is by far the weirdest place we’ve been yet. I’m standing outside the Brookdale Lodge, which is reportably one of the most haunted hotels in North America. So far, the rumors seem to be true.

Newspaper articles, recent sitings, interviews with locals and paranormal experts alike.. everything we find points in the same direction: Brookdale is haunted. Big time. Dozens have died here since it’s opening over 100 years ago, some even murdered. Most notable is a young girl named Sarah who drowned in 1912. She has been spotted countless times strolling around here and will come out if you talk about her mother. We head out tonight to track her down.

The vibe of this place is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s icy, surreal and almost uncomfortable. I don’t know what we’ll see tonight but I do know that we’re not alone.

Sent via Palm Centro

yeahh!

What a day! Our visit to the school was a great success and we are still amazed by how polite, respectful and intelligent the kids were. We have never met a group of such well behaved students in all our lives! It was an honor to share stories and ask questions and hear what they had to tell us about what lies ahead: doctors, athletes, lawyers, a President, fashion designers.. the list of goals goes on and on.

future superbowl MVP

do you remember being 6?

It took a lot of hard work but we were able to give back to the school by donating a computer we bought with the money we made from street performing (a second time). The kids screamed when we told them we had got them a new computer, the first for their lab, and we left the grounds eager as ever to continue in our quest to track down more good macs & pcs.

street performing (again) to raise some dough

The goal is to set the whole school up with a functioning computer lab. Don’t forget that if you can help - you can help. Feel free to get in touch here.

Next stop: the road to San Fransisco.

pictures courtesy of Kyle Jewell. thanks kyle