Gerald the Traveling Gnome

Gerald and Las Vegas

2008-07-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today's adventure: Gerald goes shopping!

First things first...I must have a bag with a shoulder strap. Wussy old lady has tendonitis in her wrists and can't carry the adorable plaid bag

Shall we get the one with the lips? I would love to see GutterMonkey carting this around!

Gerald refuses to get into the lip bag, so instead I get him a really really expensive souvenir of his trip to Vegas.

Now at the Fremont Street Experience...Gerald loves the sparkly things (they were moving and very cool).

Gerald meets his new love

Gerald loves the sparkly hat.

I'm thinking something uncomplimentary about Gerald...

Gerald really wanted a tattoo. He couldn't decide between the skull dagger and the dragon dagger. He was very sad when the tattoo lady told him she couldn't tattoo iron.

It's off to see what Fremont Street has to offer...

Gerald always looks both ways before crossing the street. Serious schmear caused by guy behind me trying to shove me into the path of a car. Okay, maybe he was trying to get me out of the path of the car. It was hard to tell.

Gerald grooves to the sax of Carl "Safe Sax" Ferris, a Fremont Street regular performer. Safe Sax puts down his sax and poses for a picture with Gerald. (If you don't believe me about his name, check out the sign behind them)

A little farther down, Gerald stops to dance to another band.

Gerald loved the pretty Fitz's sign.

Gerald really wanted to go in here. I was less than interested. (For those who don't know, The Girls of Glitter Gulch was formerly known as the Topless Girls of Glitter Gulch, and it's a "Gentlemen's Club.")

And just a final word for the evening, here's Gerald's personal sign...

Gerald and the Store

2008-07-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

All righty! Gerald and I stopped at the store on the way home...

Gerald was soaking up the rays in the cart, so I drove realllly slowly.

First stop: Business Cards! Gerald needs something to hand out when all those people stop to ask what's going on. He liked these...

Last stop: Batteries! Get your mind out of the gutter! Need lots of batteries for my piece of crud camera. Gerald votes for Energizers. He likes the bunny.

We get home and Gerald meets the dogs for the first time. Bear loves him.

Bear really really loves him.

Notice that there is no Toby in the pictures. Gerald scares New Jersey right out of Toby.

More to come...

Gerald and the Showgirls

2008-07-23T07:47:00.002-07:00

Okay, I was going to go to bed, but I realised that none of my pictures actually showed that Gerald was really in Vegas...so here are a few to tide you over until I get a chance to enter the rest. (Think I should post all 80+ I took tonight?)

Gerald and the girls...and the girls' girls. The girls gave him some bling. he wouldn't take it off all night!

Gerald and the showgirl

Gerald found this mini garden and insisted on jumping in. I had a heck of a time getting him out, because I couldn't reach him and he wouldn't come out. I think he was just enjoying not being in a box!

Okay, Gerald is crashed on the sofa, and I am off to bed. Night, all! More later!

Gerald arrives in Las Vegas!

2008-07-23T07:47:00.001-07:00

Whew! Gerald and I had a wild time tonight. We got home and I discovered ...long story short, I had to upload pictures to my crap computer and email them to my good(ish) comp. So, after two hours, here is the first installment of Gerald in fabulous Las Vegas!

Gerald arrives! (Wonder what could be in that box...)

Going to pause here for a second and see if that worked...I can't really remember how to post pictures when I am this tired.

Hey, it worked!

Okay, Gerald emerges from the box and says, "To New Jersey with all this stuff! Where's the beer?!"

Gerald meets with Janet, our criminal attorney, to see if he can bring charges against Canada Post for leaving him in the box for so long!

Gerald hangs with my nieces and my namesake (Ashlyn Ebonheart has a nice ring, doesn't it?) while he waits for me to get off work.

Union Station and Portage & Main

2008-02-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

Ok...Gerald and I went out today...

We went to see Union Station in downtown Winnipeg.

We went to St. Boniface Cathedral.

...and then Gerald stood here...

...but where do you suppose "here" is?

...this is not some random place in Winnipeg...

...this is someplace Gerald (and a lot of you) wanted to see...

...guess...guess...guess!!!

...any ideas?

...ok...here is a better shot...

PORTAGE AND MAIN!!!

A few additonal pictures here.

Christmas Day

2008-02-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS DAY!!!

...and Gerald got me this nice sweater.

...I got Gerald two things.

...a Canada magnet (which can stick to Gerald)

...and a Manitoba pen.

Two additional images here.

Gerald and the not so jolly Santa

2008-02-18T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here is Gerald in his Christmas Vest and Hat along with his very own Tim Horton's cup that WillieTheCat got him.

Here is Gerald at the bus stop.

...and on the bus...

...So where did we go?

To get a picture with Santa of course!!!

...been sick the past few days, so Gerald has been keeping me company. I promised him that we will still find time to go to Portage and Main before he leaves.

Tim Hortons and the Mini-Worthmeet

2008-02-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

Gerald and I went to Tim Hortons.

Gerald met WillieTheCat.

...and so did I.

(...and yeah...Winnipeg is COLD...so we dress for the weather.)

Assiniboine Park

2008-02-18T12:56:00.002-08:00

Today Gerald and I went to the Assiniboine Park...and it was FRREEEZZZZING COLD out...but we had a good time.

We walked over the bridge to the park from Portage Avenue.

Gerald looks at the map

"Do you think I will see any English cottages when I go overseas?" asks Gerald.

"Where are you Gerald?" says the deer

"Don't worry Stars, I'll protect you from the wild boar" says Gerald

More pics here...as usual...

Christmas tree

2008-02-18T12:56:00.001-08:00

Tonight Gerald and I put up my Christmas tree.
(I waited just for him!)

My tree is just the right size for Gerald.

Gerald helps with the lights.

Gerald looks so cute!

Gerald tries the star on for size.

I hold Gerald up so he can put on the star.

It looks Great!!! (and Gerald looks like Santa!)

A few extra pictures here.

Elf

2008-02-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

Link

Fishbowl cleaning

2008-02-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

This evening Gerald helped me clean my fishbowl.

Gerald got the net ready...

Fish Styx (my fish) was not pleased.

Gerald is pleased with a job well done.

Canada

2008-02-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

HELLO FRIEND!!!

...make yourself at home!

Thanksgiving dinner!

2008-02-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

Gerald had a fun Thanksgiving dinner with our other 21 family members. He helped out a lot before everyone came, helping to set the table, helping to bake bread... that sort of thing. He decided to sit at the kids' table because Mark let the dog sit at the table too.

Helping to set the table

Making bread rolls

Some of Gerald's family came too! This gnome is going off to live with my NDAGGT person! I think his name should be Claude, but I'll let them decide.

Sitting at the second table with the dog and some of the kids.

He's getting ready to head off to see you on Monday, Stars!

Leaves

2008-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here's Gerald looking thoughtful at Liberty Reservoir in Eldersburg, MD. This tree was beautiful - those are all canoes upside down under the tree.

Playing in the leaf pile.

We played Hide and Seek in the leaves. Since I was holding Gerald up in the tree, he was pretty easy to find.

Gerald was very surprised at how low the water was - we are having a drought here.

"Hey, wait for me!"

D&D

2008-02-18T12:49:00.002-08:00

My son and daughter in law really wanted to take Gerald with them today to their Dungeons and Dragons group. So, I stayed home and tried to fight off a cold that everyone else has had already. So, here are a couple of snaps of Gerald in D&D land...

Tommy and my son Greg - Tommy kept trying to bite Gerald's hat.

Myranda had Gerald be her "God" for today's game. Since he has hollow feet, whenever he attacked someone, he would 'step' on them and they would disappear!

And to show that Gerald was definitely in Baltimore today, he stood up on top of some Old Bay. For those not from the East Coast - Old Bay is a seasoning for seafood, but it's sprinkled on fries and potato chips and just about anything. I know someone who puts it in their coffee! urgh. It's a staple food in Maryland.

Capitol

2008-02-18T12:49:00.001-08:00

Looking through all of the souvenirs. Gerald decided he didn't want to carry that much stuff with him and he really wanted another sweater to go with the rest of his clothing from NY, so we didn't buy any.

Buying a postcard and some waters at the Gift Shop. Gerald was a gentleman and paid. Thanks for teaching him manners, Suebe!

We did meet some nice kids who wanted to introduce their animals to Gerald, however.

Gerald got to measure himself against the leg bone of an elephant in the mammals area.

He got to meet an orangutan...

... and looked down the throat of a big hippo - with a little help.

He met an angry red-legged something-or-other bird...

... a cute red fox...

and saw where some Emperor Penguins live in the new Photo Gallery.

When we went to the section about minerals and ores, Gerald stood inside a crater in a meteorite and liked that quite a lot.

However, he waited the longest to get close enough to see the Hope Diamond and take a picture.

When we left the museum, it was dark and raining. We popped out onto the Mall to take a couple of pictures at night and then went back to the car for a long 2.5 hour drive home (it normally takes 30 minutes.)

The Washington Memorial

and the US Capital.

I think we'll be going to Baltimore tomorrow, but may go to Gettysburg if it's raining again.

Art

2008-02-18T12:48:00.001-08:00

The National Art Gallery has an outdoor gallery too - I think we found Gerald a house there.

Then we went to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. It's one of my favorites. I think Gerald liked it too. He met lots of nice people and saw some of the best things in the museum!

Gerald stopped by the front desk to pick up a map. He kept it for a souvenir.

Traveling in style.

When you first walk in, the first thing you see is a huge African elephant. Gerald wanted to pose with it, but the lighting is really bad.

This was also where we met our first person wanting to know what we were doing. This man was from Hungary and had his son, who spoke English, ask what we were doing.

Hanging with the dinosaurs.

It's a Camarasaurus - lol

A giant 3 toed Sloth...

...and a Mastodon.

Stegasauri were really big! He didn't have much to say to Gerald either, but I understand their brains were about as big as a walnut, so that could have had something to do with it...

That's a BIG Bird!

Do gnomes like mining as much as dwarves do? Gerald seemed to like this mining display.

Ooo... Gold!

2008-02-18T12:47:00.002-08:00

After Georgetown, we drove downtown and tried to get near the US Capital building. It is having some construction, so I stopped at red lights and Gerald and I hopped out of the car and took a few pictures. Some of our neighboring drivers thought I was quite strange.

We stayed in the car for this one of the Chinatown Gate.

Here's Gerald at the Library of Congress.

2008-02-18T12:47:00.001-08:00

Cool. Okay, here's today's travels. We started out with Gerald meeting my grandson Tommy, who had a thing for Gerald's nose.

And we stopped at McDonald's for a sandwich and fries before heading out.

Then we headed down to Washington DC to do some sightseeing. It was rainy and about 49 degrees F, so it was a little chilly. We did get to see quite a few places but were not able to get near the White House to take a picture and the American History Smithsonian Museum was closed. Here is the rest of Gerald's journey.

First stop was the National Cathedral on Wisconsin Ave. near Georgetown

They were having their Centenary Celebration tomorrow with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, so we only saw a couple of smaller chapels before we had to leave.

As you can see, Gerald is still the rebel - going on the grass despite the sign.

Standing on the table in the St. Joseph of Arimathea Chapel.

In the Resurrection Chapel

Gerald signed the Guestbook for California. First we had to find the right book,

Then he signed it "Gerald Drei, Gnome. Address: Wes's house, California"

We left Georgetown with it's hideous traffic to go downtown. First we stopped at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail to take a couple of pictures:

I thought this was the Potomac River but I may be mistaken.

Bar

2008-02-18T12:45:00.002-08:00

Gerald is always hungry! He insisted we go to Undici in Rumson, NJ - he wants to mingle with the rich folk.

But first, he wants beer!!!. Great selection!

Gerald places our drink orders. $10 for a glass of wine???

Gerald waits for his drinks in a niche

Then warms up by the fireplace

Finally, drinks and football!!! Check out those Colts! Check out the Pats!!

Matinee

2008-02-18T12:45:00.001-08:00

Last day in NJ - Gerald's going to a matinee of "West Side Story" at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ

Wow, John Fogarty - too bad Gerald will be in Merry Land.

Gerald gets up close and personal with the Count, himself. Gerald was not allowed on the pedestal, but the nice man working there said it was ok if he just was there for a few seconds. He was worried his boss would have a fit at anyone getting so close to the Count.

So, at intermission, we climbed the stairs to the restroom. On the way, Gerald stopped to admire the Count again, hanging over the marble staircase.

And then, of course, the inevitable line at the Men's room

Much better now, let's go outside for some air - the theater is really hot.

Ooooo. Elvis is coming!!!

Daisy

2008-02-18T12:44:00.001-08:00

Oh, and before I continue Gerald's last days in the NYC area...look who showed up at my door today...

It's Daisy, the Geralds' sister!!!

Ain't she cute??

Good bye to The Big Apple

2008-02-18T12:43:00.002-08:00

Gerald says good bye to The Big Apple

Gerald gets teary seeing Lady Liberty in the sunset

Brooklyn Bridge

2008-02-18T12:43:00.001-08:00

Gerald was thrilled to see the Brooklyn Bridge up close. suebe always called it the 'pider bridge' as a kid. Her favorite bridge in the world.

Cool...Pier 11 and all the sailing ships...

Gerald is trying to deal with all the crowds boarding at Wall Street/Pier 11

On the Ferry

2008-02-18T12:41:00.001-08:00

Finally, we're on the ferry. First priority...chardonnay before all those Wall Streeter's hog the bar!!

The view of the Empire State Building from the ferry

Gerald wanted to go topside, but they had it blocked off

Gerald takes note of all of the safety precautions on the ferry.

Alligators and the UN

2008-02-18T12:40:00.002-08:00

Before leaving NYC, Gerald wants to make sure that all of the sewer alligators are in their place and not trying to tag along.

Gerald really wants to orient himself, now that he's heading out for a new journey. So, where am I???

Gerald is alert and ready to report any suspicious activities while he waits for the ferry.

Especially when you're so close to the United Nations

Ferry

2008-02-18T12:40:00.001-08:00

Ok, last day at the office. Gerald shows off his new clothes

Let's go to the ferry to NJ

Still waiting for the ferry. The East River is busy.

Maps and Trees

2008-02-18T12:39:00.002-08:00

Time to start planning the next leg of the journey...Hagstrom Maps shop is across the street.

Time to check out where to go in Merry Land

The world is mine!!!

But first, Christmas in NY ??? Wasn't it just Halloween???

The Park and Ice Skating

2008-02-18T12:39:00.001-08:00

Wow, the Empire State building!!!

Let's look down on Bryant Park...

Cool...Free ice skating, can we go suebe, please please, please???

No, You guys don't know how to skate.

Halloween at the Office

2008-02-18T12:38:00.001-08:00

I had the both Geralds in the office after Halloween. They were having a great time checking out the views from the office.

Costumes!

2008-02-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Finally home. Here's Gerald on Halloween decked out in his Jawa Arsi costume. The flying part didn't work very well.

Do you like his Banhammer? - Thanks V1ctorya for the idea!

Not to be outdone, Gerald II shows off his Halloween sweater and feather boa.

Here are both Geralds hanging out with the spiders in their web - well, where did you expect them to spend Halloween?

Passport

2008-02-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

From suebe to joodiebee, Gerald is on his way!

Priority mail, insured, the whole deal. I will pm you and TJ with the tracking information.

Don't you know I finished taping up the box and realized I forgot to put his "24" cap and Halloween skull in the box. So, I sent those separately.

He's traveling with his I [3 NY t-shirt, Halloween sweater, and assorted souvenirs. I also included a "passport".

I will be printing pictures and composing a letter to Wes later this week. More pictures will be posted tomorrow when I get back home.

I took this picture with my cell phone, so it's not that good.

Gerald II was really upset. Here he is saying goodbye to his twin.

Tv

2008-02-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had Verizon Fios tv, internet and phone installed in my apartment. Besides the fact that the technician was there for 9 hours (you can read my rant here, I was surprised by the size of the box they installed. It's 2 ft high, 11 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches deep. A far cry from the 4 x 4 box I was expecting.

I got up this morning and the Geralds were inspecting the box.

42 St Station

2008-02-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Gerald is deciding whether he wants to go home now.

Gerald meets a new drinking buddy. This guy is so honest, Gerald bought him an Amstel Light (it's in the bag - too many cops around). He said "you are my angel".

That's it for tonight, we're out trick or treating with the boys.

Count Dracula

2008-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hey it's Halloween! Check out Count Dracula

Hot Dogs and the Police

2008-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

The hot dog guy wanted $2 like the naked cowboy. I told him I would buy lunch from him tomorrow...right! I might ever eat that stuff. If Bess Myerson won't eat a dirty water dog, neither will I.

It's good to see NY's Finest at their post on 42nd Street

The horse was so so curious about Gerald. As soon as I took him out of his carrying case, the horse walked over, started smelling him...I put Gerald on the ground and the horse moved his head down on top of Gerald. Uh oh. The policewoman said that the horse either wanted to eat Gerald, stomp him, or do other damage. Time to get away.

Naked Cowboy

2008-02-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

No visit to NYC Times Square would be complete without seeing the Naked Cowboy!!!You can see the Naked cowboy on the far left of the previous picture....

You get front and back for $2 - just put it in the guitar m'am.

Time of day was challenging, because the sun was behind the cowboy.

Live from New York....

2008-02-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

Times Square....Halloween...Chuckie!!!!

And now... Live from

Workers and the National Debt

2008-02-18T11:17:00.001-08:00

Just like his brother, he insisted on getting out to find food. So, first stop, mooching lunch from a couple of construction workers on their break from working on the new Bank of America tower on 42nd and 6th Ave.

Walking down West 44th Street, Gerald stopped to see the current state of the national debt.

Little much to drink...

2008-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

These guys are cooked for tonight...I'm going to tuck them in.

Twins?!

2008-02-18T11:08:00.002-08:00

Gerald's twin brother is here!!! What a surprise! Gerald cannot contain his emotions. Is that a tear?

They immediately take over the chair and start catching up on old times.

I have to go look for beer, they tell me.
/shuffles off to the fridge...

Pedi-Cab

2008-02-18T11:08:00.001-08:00

Ding ding ding ding - time for the walk back to Grand Central. Gerald was really tired so we hailed a pedi-cab.

Tim, the pedi-cab driver gave us some great ideas on where to go tomorrow and it was a so good for Gerald to get off his feet. After all, his feet are still hurting, even with the boots.

We get home, and the BEST BEST BEST has happened....

Mets Clubhouse and a Walk

2008-02-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Back to the office again (suebe has a meeting coming up) we pass the Mets Clubhouse Shop and who is in the window but Carlos Beltran himself!!! Gerald poses with Carlos next to his new livingroom chair. Wow, this day is really going well.

suebe finishes her meeting early (yay!) and got an email from the building management that there is going to be a demonstration across the street and they have a permit for sound! Yay! Crowds, chanting - we fly down the elevator to Bryant Park across the street.

Sure 'nuff, the demonstrators are stirred up and chanting

"Get up
Stand up
Stand up for your rights...

Get up
Stand up
Don't give up the fight...

Stand up
Stand up"

Gerald and I chime right in. We don't care what we're fighting for, we're fighting for their rights! And they all have long purple nerf bats or something that the demonstrators are waving around.

Behind the speaker was the demonstrator's fearless leader, Mr. Count Sir. He kept revving us up, chanting, waving purple bats.

Gerald was getting hoarse, so I took him back inside.

Soup Nazi

2008-02-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

Always hungry, Gerald wanted soup. What is more NYC than the Soup Man (think the Soup N*zi from Seinfeld). Yes himself! Here's the Soup Man showing Gerald today's menu. Gerald took care to order properly so he would get his soup. Then he flirted with the ladies eating soup at the window counter. They were really happy to meet him, but didn't share any soup.

After his soup, Gerald wanted to meet the lions at the NY Public Library. Sure - nice day, let's go.

We round the corner of 5th Ave and 42nd St and there's a huge crowd on the library steps. We walk over to be greeted by film crew notifying us that "Sex & the City - The Movie" was being filmed right there! w00t! - Carrie, Samantha, Miranda & Charlotte??? Hawt HAWT chicks!!

We go up to the library mezzanine for a better look. Gerald is so excited now. They're filming a scene in a limo - who's that on the cellphone in the back seat?

Mr. Big! Well, if Gerald can't see the hawt chicks, at least he can see Mr. Big calling Carrie.

Ok, you have to look really really close, but that IS Mr. Big in the back seat on his cell phone talking to Carrie.

Shoeshine and a Taxicab

2008-02-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Gerald had an amazing day today!! First, we had another miniWorthmeet with V1ctorya - I went to her office and we went for a walk with Gerald. They said their goodbyes and I headed back to my office. by the way I did notice that V1ctorya was wearing a blouse without buttons - naughty Gerald likes to poke them open.

After all the festivities this weekend with V1ctorya, I noticed that Gerald's boots were a bit scuffed. We headed straight to the shoeshine stand outside of Grand Central Station. He got a great spit shine and made a couple of new friends.

Gerald wanted to take a one of those flower power hippie decorated cabs back to the office, but it's such a nice day that we decided to walk. You can learn more about why the taxis are decorated here at Garden in Transit

Day of the Dead

2008-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I got out with Gerald 2.0 today, but am too tired to upload pictures. It was a full day, we rode the subway around Manhattan, then celebrated the Day of the Dead. Here he is at the altar, leaving a memento for the lost (Gerald 1.0)

We were all over the celebration, and he even made a painted skull, which I'll have to take pictures of. He also made a skull stick/dancing skeleton but he was playing a bit too rough with it, got paint all over my shirt (just before my date, thanks G) and then dropped it and it broke.

Gerald has a sister!

2008-02-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

Daisy is on her way to visit Gerald!

The Station Master's Office

2008-02-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

After all the oysters, Gerald felt a little feisty. Here he is dancing at the Transit Museum.

And sometimes. you just gotta go

Before going home, we checked in at the Station Master's Office

Gerald is checking the track for the 6:20 - not posted yet.

Good thing we checked in - have plenty of time to get desert. Nothing like Junior's cheese cake!

Grand Central and the Oyster Bar

2008-02-18T10:43:00.002-08:00

Gerald is planning ahead for when he travels internationally, so he's checking out the currency exchange at Grand Central. Do you like his new boots?

Gerald is still hungry. He insists that we go to the Oyster Bar on the lower level

He gets a table and eats so many oysters...

Hmmm....That's probably why he started unbuttoning V1torya's blouse!

Cosi and Gerald's new boots

2008-02-18T10:43:00.001-08:00

V1ctorya and I rendezvous at the clock in Grand Central Station. We immediately head out to get Gerald the proper medical attention.

The doctor recommends that Gerald wear supportive boots. He feels better immediately and we head back to Grand Central.

On the way, Gerald gets hungry. First we check out a COSI - he starts eating all of the freshly stone oven baked flatbread. This is a good sign that he's feeling better.

Then, while walking through the MetLife building, Gerald gets excited about a pumpkin patch at Cucina!

Back to the clock in Grand Central. Gerald needs to check out the time. A fellow traveler gives Gerald a boost so he can check out the time.

Toys R Us

2008-02-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

Next stop - the Times Square Toys R Us!

We cross the street - so many people recognized Gerald! It was hard to get him away from all the people who wanted to have a Gerald experience

We broke away and entered Toys R Us and were surrounded by paparazzi! They insisted we pose in front of the Ferris Wheel

Gerald was so excited! We went up to the 2nd floor and Gerald saw a fellow traveler, Dora the Explorer! He went up to her and I moved back to take a picture.

NYC and the Crazy News Reporter

2008-02-18T10:40:00.002-08:00

I took Gerald out at lunchtime to Times Square. You can't go to NYC without visiting there.

Low and behold, there was an event taking place. We jaywalk across Broadway to check it out. Cool - it's the premiere of the new season of "24"'s trailer! Keifer dude on the big screen.

First we cozied up to the engineering crew-they recommended that Gerald stand right next to their console. Then Gerald was interviewed.

After the interview, this guy really tried to get close to Gerald. He tried to give him tongue!!!

I got him away from him fast!

Gerald is now anxiously awaiting the countdown to the trailer premiere - only 1 minute, 32 seconds to go!

w00t! There's Keifer on the big screen! Gerald turned around after this.

Gerald noticed an on-camera interview going on - oo, oo - celebrities???

I gave Gerald the camera - he had a better vantage point above the crowd. w00t - hot chicks!

Now we need the giveaways!! WPLJ was co-sponsoring this event with Fox TV.

Gerald got a cool 24 cap. I got a "Jack Bauer, Limited Edition" USB Flash Drive !!! This guy was so generous!

The Fox News talent was definitely enjoying herself during this interview

Metro

2008-02-18T10:40:00.001-08:00

Time to go home with suebe. The Metro North railroad is a nice ride. Gerald has his ticket ready for the conductor.

Work

2008-02-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

So, Gerald came to work with me today. First stop, security:

Picture turned out better than mine! by the way - You can see 42nd Street and Bryant Park out through the windows.

It's time to check out worth1000.com. Thankfully, not blocked on the office network.

Dentist and the Store

2008-02-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

Gerald and the Coastie Gnome slept in today. Not even the fishing party boat loudspeakers and horns woke them up. They did manage to tear the new vintage bag last night while fooling around - gnomes will be gnomes after all. Luckily I have a nylon lunch bag that Gerald fits in that I can use until I find a replacement.

Late this afternoon I had a dentist appointment. Gerald said he hadn't had a check up in centuries, so I brought him along. The doctor and his assistant checked his teeth and mouth, gave him a cleaning and a new toothbrush. Look worthians, no cavities!

After the dentist, we went to the craft and fabric stores to look for things for Gerald's Halloween costume. He took a break at one point, but we did pick out a few things.

Maybe we picked out too much stuff???

I made him pay, too.

We get home, and what do we find...another guest - the Sea Captain.

Coastie Gnome invited Sea Captain home for a few beers. Gerald is still trying to figure out what to do about this one. I hope he doesn't stay for dinner.

I'll be back home tomorrow night, with the camera software and cable. I'll download all the pictures tomorrow.

Jesus and Sandy Hook Lighthouse

2008-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Going through the parking lot, Gerald encountered "Jesus"

Gerald realizes that he has to take stock of his spirituality at this point in the parking lot

No trip to Sandy Hook would be complete without visiting the Sandy Hook lighthouse">, the oldest working lighthouse in the country.

While there, Gerald made a few new friends, including a couple of boys that attempted to steal him.

Later at the lighthouse, Gerald's cover was blown. A woman came up and said, "OMFG it's a traveling gnome! Where did he come from?" We regaled her with Gerald's travels, then continued touring Ft. Hancock, the officers' quarters and just grooved on Sandy Hook.

Battery Gunnison

2008-02-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Gerald recalls how Sandy Hook where Fort Hancock is located, was an important part of the defense of New York Harbor. He toured Battery Gunnison, checked out the 6' gun and made sure that New Jersey and NY Harbor was safe for the day.

While touring Ft. Hancock, Gerald met a Coastie Gnome.

The US Coast Guard has a station on Sandy Hook, but alas, we couldn't get clearance to get on the actual base.

Nude beach?

2008-02-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

Gerald started his day buying bagels at Atlantic Bagels in Atlantic Highlands. Ross, one of the owners, treated him to a plain bagel for free. He just wouldn't give him a bag.

The weather today got up to near 80 - beautiful clear sunny day - it's a beach day!

So, we packed Gerald up in his bag, and head for Sandy Hook. Our first stop in the 'Hook was Gunnison Beach!. Gerald was a little shy about taking off his clothes at this naturalist park, but still enjoyed the sand, water, spectacular view of NYC and, of course, oogling all the bare-assed chicks!

Ok, I snuck a picture of Gerald with my cell phone (another 75¢). Cameras are forbidden at this beach, in respect for people's privacy. I was careful not to get anyone recognizable in the picture, and took it from a distance. I'll try to enhance it once I get back home, but thought you'd enjoy seeing how much fun Gerald was having today.
In the background if you squint, you can see the NYC skyline from the beach. Gerald was too busy looking the other way at the nude beach to notice.

Sandy Hook is part of the National Parks system and has a carry-in, carry-out trash policy. Gerald was happy to comply, and also respected the "Do Not Feed the Wildlife" regulations.

Gerald felt so strongly about it that he joined the totem

Dave's Charter fishing boat

2008-02-18T10:25:00.002-08:00

Our first stop was at Capt. Dave's charter fishing boat. Capt. Dave and his first mate helped Gerald up the stairs to the upper deck. They were really happy to meet Gerald and told us to visit another ship.

The "Atlantic Highlands Princess" is a faux paddle boat that offers dinner and dancing cruises. The skipper, another Capt. Dave was not on board, but his son, Trevor was. Trevor took Gerald topside in his tour of the boat.

Our last visit on the marina was to the party boat, "Atlantic Star". Gerald helped Brian, a part-time mate, shuck clams for bait for tomorrow's sailings. The weather has been so nice they expect a packed boat tomorrow. Gerald was glad that he helped Brian get a head start.

Gerald's taking a nap now. More later.

Postcard!

2008-02-18T10:25:00.001-08:00

Gerald mailed this cool postcard to his owner today.

You can see the high speed ferry NYC on the bottom right. We're going to take that to the office on Tuesday!

Then, we headed for the marina!

2008-02-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

I realized I needed a better bag to carry Gerald around. We tried the True Value hardware store, but no luck. Then, we went shopping at Vintage Variety on 1st Ave in Atlantic Highlands, and the owner found a really cool vintage 70's plaid school bag for Gerald. It's the perfect size and he can sleep in it.

While shopping in the store, Gerald met a girl...a troll. She was trying on shoes. Gerald started following her around the store.

I then picked up Gerald's first souvenir, a pin that says "Bad to the Bone". Gerald thanked the store owner and we left to take a break.

Updates from last year...

2008-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Long awaited old updates :-/

Gerald's been really busy since he arrived. We took him out for Italian food at Ciao Bella's last night, but he didn't care for any of the specials.

This morning, we took Gerald to "walk the boards" along the ocean in Long Branch. We did about 2 miles then he took a break.

Gerald met surfers and they let him "lawn surf". They were packing up and didn't want to go back in the water, but they thought about it!

On the way home, we needed to pick up BF's daughter's car at the tire place. Gerald couldn't resist kicking a few and wound up getting tangled up in a pile of them.

Ambulance ride-along!

2007-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

Gerald had a good day today....... He did his Ride-a-Long with St. Francois County Ambulance Dist. today!

I think he liked the ambulances too. Kinda hard to get into when your only a foot tall though...

He really did like the sirens....

Not sure if he liked going on a "City Trip" though. He wanted to see the Arch. This was as close as we could get today...

He is going to a Football game on Friday night...

Missouri

2007-09-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hickster81 posts:

Today Gerald started his visit in Missouri.....

Can we grow rocks or what...????

Gerald checks out the Elephants

Seemed to enjoy the rock climbing..

Learning some History...

What a View!!!!!

More to come!!!

Gerald finally continues...

2007-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Gerald has been found and sent to Florida!
Karmalilly posts the pictures:

So Gerald arrived safely and we had a smashing sleep over filled with shenanigans and such - but unfortunately for little Gerald, his three day weekend with me was mostly rainy :/

However - we did get to make two beach trips, although our St. Augustine fort trip got washed out :/

I'd love for him to stay longer so we can hit the fort and disney amongst other places, but due to his long hiatus I had to convince him it was time to go. If he every makes another round a'bout in Florida, he promised to visit me

Welcome to the beach little man

We spent the first 1/2 of our day learning the basics. Needless to say Gerald doesn't quite yet have his sea legs.

During his only paddle out, Gerald lost his footing - but as a result made friends with some of the local lifeguards.

By then he had enough surfing practice, and was content riding on the back of their hip four-wheelers, and learning about the beginnings of Nascar right where he was standing.

Today we said our farewells, and I toasted to him in hopes of a safe voyage to Hickster's part of the country

(No worries, that was my beer - not his. )

He didn't just learn how to surf - he skateboarded a tad too That was for mine and his amusement mostly - but it can't hurt to share a few pics.

He's on his way to you hickster

Missing... again

2007-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Gerald has been missing for around two weeks and everyone is getting worried. Some have made tributes to our lost gnome Gerald...

Popkheetza wrote:
Oh, Gerald I'd give anything to know where you are now,
I know you're not able to tell me, but we'll find you anyhow.
Oh, Gerald you've been, you are like a friend, like family and even more
Even though it's not possible I'd love to have you knock at my door
I can't believe the post office stole you, though I have no doubts they want to have you all to themselves
But it could also be a witch's hex or a prank of some missunderstood elves.
I just keep racking my brains but I don't have a clue,
Gerald, oh Gerald, what happened to you?

RJMiller created this:

We miss you Gerald! Show up soon!

Texarkana, Texas, USA!

2007-07-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

We've got pictures from Texas:

Here I am to save the day! Sort of...
Here are the pics I took with Gerald...with a brief description for each...

The world famous "Ace of Clubs" house, where there was a wedding reception going on at the time. So Gerald chose to stay outside.

A short trip to Fouke, AR to bring you horror movie buffs this little tidbit. It rained to hard to go to Spring Lake Park for a murder mystery shot. Sorry.

Close up of the "gerald Monster"! And here he is with my boys! Aren't they cute?

And the much requested "BiState" shot!

This shot is taken in front of the Down Town Post Office which literally straddles the two state lines!

Here's the actual spot where Gerald stands in two states at once! Oooooh, the wonder of it all!

Welcome to Texas, y'all! (please note the CORRECT spelling of y'all).

Kinda puts things in perspective, don't it?

H... hello?

2007-07-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

Well, Gerald arrived at Texas, but then he disappeared again. No one knew where he was! Then we finally, after a few days, got a post from his new host...

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry! I actually forgot I had the little guy! I put him up in the closet to keep my kids from messing with him (they're 6 and 3) and I just went blank! I'l get some pics taken today and get him in the mail by Friday! Again, I am SOOOOOOO sorry about this slip of the brain!

Good news!

2007-07-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Gerald has been found! He arrived at my house yesterday with all his stuff in tow! So we will begin his adventure this afternoon! Will start posting pics as they are available! Get ready to be sorely disappointed, Texarkana is B-O-R-I-N-G, it has a couple of interesting points of interest...mainly historical.

Where is Gerald??

2007-07-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Possibilities:

1.)Gerald has fallen behind the letter/package sorting machine and will not be discovered for 15 years until the post office decides to put a new coat of paint on the walls.

2.)Gerald is in the attic of some disgruntled postal worker along with 3,000 pounds of undelivered mail.

3.)Gerald has met some cute gnomette and has run off with her. Probably to Vegas.

4.)Gerald has really been kidnapped.

5.)Gerald is just taking his time...

Lost?!

2007-07-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

It seems Gerald has gone missing. He has not yet been received by anyone and he HAS been sent!
Well Grandpa Gunther learned about Gerald, so he came out of the bushes to see for himself.

now just look how disappointed he is to see his long lost grand son is missing.

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

2007-07-14T10:07:00.002-07:00

Gerald visited the Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta yesterday!

In front of the pool at Centennial Olympic Park:

Georgia Aquarium in the background:

CNN in the background:

Watching the fishies:

Posing with the seals:

Breaking the rules - what a rebel he is, I tell ya!

True confessions...

2007-07-14T10:07:00.001-07:00

Chicago, Illinios, USA: more pics!

2007-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

OK as promised, more Gerald in Chicago:

Wrigley Field was glad to see him:

Gerald wanted to ride the el, but he could not make it up the stairs:

Gerald has become a big admirer of Frank Gehry's work:

On the way home we stopped in South Bend and got caught in a rain storm:

Gerald was missing garden time, so he took a tour of my yard:

And made friends with my dog Coconut:

Chicago, Illinios, USA

2007-07-14T10:04:00.001-07:00

Whew, we had a very busy weekend and Gerald made a lot of new friends. Here is a sample, but I will work on a more complete story later.

We started out at a wine tasting party - lots of wine:

A real Chicago hot dog got Gerald energized for hours of sightseeing:

The weather was fantastic, so we thought about a tour on the river:

But we decided to go to Millenium Park where Gerald made a couple of friends:

What is real and what is a reflection?

Then he had to test out the reflective qualities of the bean for himself:

Chicago, Illinios, USA

2007-07-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ohio, USA

2007-07-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Gerald is safely here with me. We are going to Chicago tomorrow and if the weather is nice enoguh we will walk around town and see the great architecture! Otherwise we might stay inside and drink. Always a good option.
This morning we went to Target to run some errands and he asked for something more comfortable to travel around in. He picked this bag, which will make it easier for me to carry him from place to place. This fits fine in the Gerald box.

OK, we are off for Chicago!

Silicon Valley!

2007-07-14T10:01:00.001-07:00

Gerald is on his way to Kookaburra in Ohio and
will arrive in time for a side-trip to Chicago.

On the way to the airport he insisted on a
whistle-stop Silicon Valley Corporate Campus
Geek Tour, so one last round of pics before
he leaves the West Coast (click pic for larger
view or click '' for full-size view):

After being away from home for a couple of weeks
Gerald was feeling a little lost, so what better
place to go search for yourself ...

Dreaming of Dual Core ...

Shame I missed focus on Gerald and his friend
for this shot . Going for depth-of-field,
set apperture override then forgot to actually
step down the apperture size ( The photo-heads
will know )

Apparently Gerald was getting hungry. I think
I misunderstood when he asked if we could go
for a Big Mac ...

And finally ...

Who knew Gerald was such a geek!

Goodbye Gerald!
Bon Voyage.

Gerald paragliding: set 2

2007-07-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

I confess to a bit of selective level adjustment of Gerald's face in the bottom pic, above; I accidentally left the flash on and nearly burned his face completely off

It wasn't a much better day for my friend with the long lens on the hill. She took some of these pics while I was setting up then came back and took the rest when I was ready to launch; somewhere in between she set her camera to ISO 800 for some reason and forgot to reset it resulting in overexposure beyond my pathetic powers of photoshoppery.

Unfortunately I had Gerald tucked inside my harness for launch so in a few shots of me on the ground only his feet are visible (you don't want 3lb of cast iron swinging around your knees when you're trying to launch paraglider into strong, gusty wind.

Here we are checking the lines :
...

Getting ready to go ...
...
(Is that a 3lb cast iron gnome in your pants or are you just pleased to see me? )

And we're off...
...

When it was all over Gerald said he wants to try it on his own next time.
...

Gerald paragliding: set 1

2007-07-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Gerald made history yesterday when he became California's first (maybe the world's first) paragliding gnome!

Here are a couple of not-so-great pics I managed to get in
flight:

It turns out to be extremely difficult (and nerve-wracking) to
compose a good scene trying to photograph yourself in very
turbulent air. The bad news is my camera battery ran flat right
after those pics. The good news is a friend (hopefully) captured
some action from the ground with her 300mm lens. She promised to
send those pics to me tonight. So Gerald is packed and ready to
move on to Ohio as soon as the those last few pics arrive to add
to his album.

San Fransisco, California, USA

2007-07-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Gerald was so looking forward to hiking and kayaking on the
Mendocino coast so you can imagine his disappointment when
strong wind and rain kept everyone indoors. Everyone else
had a great time but since gnomes react unpredictably to
tequilla and don't know how to play Balderdash and Trivial
Pursuit he jsut sulked in his room and wouldn't come out for
the camera.

I got a shot or two of him looking longingly out over the
crashing waves during the one brief break in the weather
...

...

To try to cheer him up a bit I took him back to San Jose by way
of San Francisco so he could see the Golden Gate bridge

Here he is looking out over Alcatraz, San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge...
......

Of course he insisted on walking across the bridge ....
...
...and wanted one last look over the bridge and
city from a vista point before heading home...

We were too late to stop and take in the sights and sounds
of the city but I promised to take him on a tandem paragliding flight next weekend if the weather is good, before he heads
out on the next leg of his trip to Ohio.

Monterey, California, USA

2007-07-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Gerald has arrived in Monterey!

Checking into the hotel:

Wheeling to his room on a bell cart:

Checking his itinerary with the concierge:

At Monterey Harbor, on his way to the wharf:

The long shot of the Wharf:

Gerald at the sign at the entrance to the Wharf:

Gerald visiting Bob, his cousin who works at Rappa's at the end of the Wharf:

Here's a picture of the sports car Gerald rented for his stay in Monterey:

Here's Gerald debating whether he wants fresh crab for lunch, or not:

Gerald is going for a ride on a surrey! The bike trail here is amazing!:

Gerald stopped at the Maritime Museum for a quick shot pretending to steer a ship:

First post!

2007-07-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am stealing the GNOME!!!!

Yes, it is today.
Okay, I am still accepting requests for the gnome and I would LOVE to get some more!

Again, if you want to send a gnome on vacation pm me your address so that I can add you to the list.

So let's review:
1. Receive Gnome
2. Take picture of gnome.
3. PM me that you got it, and I will send you my friend's address and the next address in line.
4. Send him to the next person on the list!
Optional: Add a souvenier for the gnome to bring home!

GUIDLINES (NOT optional)

1. It MUST be Safe For Work (He's 17 guys, grow up)
2. When sending a picture back, the gnome must be visible.
3. You also must write a letter FROM the gnome.
4. You have 14 days to send him to the next in line.

Thanks everyone! This should be fun!