Sunday, March 29, 2009

Just in time for our arrival...

...a snowy chicago morning welcomes us. How craptastic of you, chicago.

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Welcome back to the Midwest

Bummer.

Homeward Bound

The loyal and ever-tenacious sock monkey of Ramona known as Gordon Brown, a new Ransom Note who excels at VP, is asleep in the lap of his creator. It's a long and sleepy drive from Betsy's beautiful lake house back to the "hell that freezes over" (Chicago), and the Ransom Notes are, like the 2 dogs and cat from that movie I loved when I was 6, homeward bound.

Betsy's lake house was absolutely fantastic! It was the most perfect peaceful and relaxing end to tour that we could imagine. While we were there, we played (way too many) board games and found out the order and sex of our children, thanks to Simon's crazy Brazillian magic. I am going to be the proud mother of a son and daughter thank you very much. You can email me for an address to send blue cigars. (JUST KIDDING!!)

So far the car o'war (starring Lauren, Matt, Simon, Ramona, and Saoirse -- named after man o'war boulevard) has stopped for Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky... And we had Mongolian food and Coldstone there too! Success! Birthday cake remix is totes my fave.

We can't wait to get home to Natasha............


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Thursday, March 26, 2009

WAFFLE HOUSE

This morning, some of us took a long-awaited trip to waffle house! It was everything we always wanted... and more... In fact, it was so much that we had to get to-go boxes.


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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Breaking News!

Currently: Team Fine 'n' Dandy is battling Team Overlord Monocle in an epic game of Guesstures.

Matt Chan is looking out for Betsy's wellbeing, clarifying that she is making good life decisions.  Simon is going home to Brazil (not really though).

Also, we made a fort out of air mattresses and blankets!  It was fun, and we were able to fit the majority of the Ransom Notes in the fort.  It wasn't long, though, until the fort fell down and created many layers of people, mattresses, and blankets.

Tomorrow we're going to the University of Georgia in Athens and we get to meet Betsy's sister!  Yay!

-Emily

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

This one's for J.J.!

Don't try this at home.

At callaway with my fam

Lovely Notes!
Everything is quiet, too quiet.

(I keep thinking of the epic entrance of the missing car, running in
in the middle of a song. It was joyous.)

Thank you for LaGrange (y)all.
All were so impressed--you are rockstars in the home of the Grangers.
It meant so much to my family and me that you made the trek out here.
Great concerts! I'm honored and proud to sing with you all.

Love love love,
l

Ps: sweet dreams!
Pps: now do you forgive me for incessantly speaking of slawdogs?

LaGrange College

We sang at LaGrange college today! It was awesome! We had a fantastic audience!


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Butterfly pavillion! Pine Mountain, GA

The Car of Angels?

After the rental car, Emily, Simon, Betsy, Ramona, and Matt Chan, went heartbreaking and hopelessly in the wrong direction, they made their way back to Atlanta and tried to as quickly as possible make their way south again. Driving down I85, Simon pointed calmly to an exit about to whiz by, "oh, its that one."

Ramona, driving, later described the action that followed as something she was born to do. Blank-faced and steady handed, Ramona pulled the wheel hard to the right. Off roading and rumbling over what can only be described as Not The Highway, the Impala careened onto the street.

Exclaimations and profanities flew through the air like Simon's magical luggage had a mere three days previous.

We now consider those days to have been a lifetime ago.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the car levelled and sped onward down the correct path, 85. Catching our breath we all feel blessed and closer to one another. This time, no kidding.

85 South!

Heading to LaGrange, triumphant champions of ATL.
Andy, bill, hunter merry and I rocking out to the Odessey.
And we had chicken biscuits for breakfast.
All is well, y'all.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Betsy, Lila, and Bill ran into a legend at Walgreens!

Dancin' to Luda on the approach to the ATL.

Seriously, get out the way.

Fun car in Birmingham, on the road to Atlanta

Shoe-less Merry finds out while driving that driving shoe-less is illegal! It boggles her mind...

Saoirse ate too many french fries today and is thirsty.

Matt Chan is drooling and we're going to find things from the floor to put in his mouth.

Bill is working on debate stuff. He's boring. I (saoirse) almost called him "mom" today.

Hunter is heckling Merry.

We are content.

Fun car out.

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'BAMA!

Driving through Alabama, " the beautiful."

Power car wonders:

Would anyone buy savory bodywash?

Ex. Heavenly Hamsalad, robust roast, deviled egg dream or springfresh
spam.

The Ransom Notes featuring... CHER!

Next tour, the Power Car would like to feature Cher as a tenor one. We think she might have a shot at a few solos, but mostly, she'd be great on Drive My Car as a tenor. Also, we'd like to nominate her for VP on Walking in Memphis. She will invariably fail to follow our dress code, but since Simon is refusing to take off his Bengal Tiger jumpsuit, that's probably ok. They can stand to the side and do hip gyrations.

We're driving through Oxford, Mississippi...

"a nice place to live"
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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Hound of the Coffeevilles (a ridiculously short story)

Wheels grumble over the dark Mississippi road as four young
students head out to marvel at the grandeur of the night sky.
They decide that the upcoming road is fairly secluded and
should give them a good look at the stars. After the car slows
to a halt, they get out for a good look. As the driver turns
off the lights, they realize the magnitude of the night.
Accustomed to cities, the countless pinpricks of light astound
them. Conversation about constellations, astronomy, and nature
unfolds as the beauty of the night mingles with thoughts and
wonder. There is a sort of palpable tranquility; the crispness
of the early spring night, the evening dew, and the crunch of
leaves under their feet remind them that they do not live
exclusively in a world of metal and concrete. No- the earth
and the sky, life, exist around them. It is exhilarating,
although it is somehow reminiscent of a bad nineties horror
film with shotgun-toting southerners (read: Vice Presidents)
and drawn-out gore scenes (read "I […]invented the internet").
Roused by movement in the bushes, the group decides to leave.
Their parting is reluctant, the beauty still etched in their mind.
After driving part of the way back, consensus decides that
it's not quite time. Turning on another side road, the car
makes its way off again to the backwoods. This route, however,
is wilder than expected. As the pavement turns to gravel,
turns to dust, the car quivers. It feels as if the black woods
are encroaching on the road. A groan.

Did you hear that?

Groan.

It's just the car.

Groan.

No, it's getting louder.

Groan.

This road doesn't seem like it's going to end. Do you want me
to turn around? I think it's only my car, but--

Groan.

YES.

The driver turns a 90 degrees and the backseat screams.
Shooting his head over, he sees a spotted basset hound howling
at the car full of city-slicking intruders. A pack of (half)
domesticated hounds angrily converges on the car. In a slew of
expletives, the turn is completed and they drive in the
opposite direction. With ridiculous vivacity, the dogs pursue.
However, being a car, the dogs cannot persist for very long
and the chase is abandoned. Their hearts pound as they tear
out of the gravel road, fleeing from…dogs.

Demon dogs rain supreme in backwoods Mississippi.

---------
Driver: IMo the screaming fury
Shotgun: Simon, the chill Brazilian.
Backseat: Ramona and Saoirse, they screamed a lot, too.

written by IMo

Omgz!

Peter is in the other room MAKING A
LESSON PLAN!!

Chilling at Peter's Homested on Main street.

Coffeeville,MI
Southern hospitality at its finest.

The fun car is a sleepy car today...

But we (well, i) also encountered the crazy rain and are extremely jeal of the alto section's nails!

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Elvis iz ded. I can has sum souvenirs nau?

Crazy Rain!

On 55-- " a storm concentrate" ( as Andy said).

A five minute ministorm and blue skies again.

The alto section now has skully, rhinestone fake nails...

Eating (and walking) on Beale St.

Some members are thrilled by this brave new world filled with a drink
called an Arnold Palmer.
Fried green tomatoes, alligator nuggets, catfish po'boys and gumbo.

To Graceland... Or not to Graceland?

Hunter, Bill, Ali, and Emily and Saoirse were too cheap pay $25 dollars each to see Graceland so we stood outside the gates that were covered in Elvis lovers' graffiti, feeling slightly lame but to make ourselves feel better, we thought about exchanging the 25 dollars in our pockets into singles and get messages.... But instead decided to check out Sun Studios and the Memphis Zoo. Epic and such a fantastic idea. Sun studios was incredible... We didn't go inside the studio itself but we went to the giftshop, which was this old soda fountain where coffee was $1.09 with free refills... It was a great atmosphere. THE ZOO was also a-ma-zing! We saw lions and tigers and... Pandas!!!!!!

The half-fun, half-quiet car.


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We're getiing Simon this tiger suit!

Welcome to the Jungle (Room)

We love you Amanda!

Love,
the tourin' RN.

We are going to Graceland!

Graceland. Period.

Memphis is cool.

It is impossible to act out Morgan Freeman in a game of charades. Ramona knows all sorts of fun facts pertaining to plumbing and hoses and such, she's a regular wonder woman. The south is awesome and delicious. I learned lots today.

Memphis is really friendly and stuff. So far, tour is kind of amazing...it's great spending so much time with such absolutely wonderful people. Makes you all warm and fuzzy inside =P It really does feel like we're one big loving family of a cappella nerds =) I was thinking about last night's party, where some boys wanted to dance with ransom notes girls. And I realized I felt the same way I would as if it were my little sister. A little bit protective, which is super silly, but it's just cuz you love your little sister and wanna watch out for her, you know? The point is, I love how close we're all getting. It's cool.

Anyway, it's late, and graceland awaits in the morning.
Time for bed!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Discovery...

Room 205 is not vacant. Experiments conclude that the occupants wish to sleep at 4 am and Saoirse thinks they're politely knocking because they'd like to use the bathroom.

-IMo

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Suggestion from waiter at Central BBQ

"y'all should go down to the crossroads in Clarksville and sell you soul to the devil. Sell your soul to the devil and he'll teach you to play the guitar."

"oh well, we're an a cappella group so we don't use instruments."

(after a thought) "well, if you sell your soul you'll be able to play the guitar. You won't have to do that anymore."

Thanks, guy.

Hey, Baby-Dude...

Whatcha doin' this weekend?

Aspiratin'. Maybe a peanut. Maybe several.

We are eating the best bar-b-que in Memphis as deduced from a cross-check of two "best of Memphis" lists. The peanut butter pie is delicious. I'm looking forward to the vinegar based sauce in North Carolina.

The fun car gets lost a lot...

Because WRONG WAY BILL takes wrong turns. Yep, that's bill's new nickname. We even got him a keychain that says Wrong Way. Merry is a creep and "likes" graveyards... So in addition to Frodo, we've nicknamed her... Something explicit. Hunter is yet to get a nickname. And Matt Chan... punches babies in the face (not really!).

Sersha Fierce, out.
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WHY ISN"T PITTSBURGH IN THE SOUTHHH????

Ransom Notezzzz!!! I is in Pittsburgh after 8.5 hours in the
car today and I totally figured out how to use a blog even
though I am technologically challenged! I am suuuper pumped
after reading the blog--yayyayay FUN TOURRR!! Enjoy those
waffle houses and accents. Ha. And battlegrounds. I loves
you all so much it hurts sometimes (quote from scrubs I'm not
that crazy). Posts to come from FRANCE!!

LOVE,
Amanda

Oldies but so goodies

Power car Is listening to old RN CDs.
We <3 alums!!

The south is having an effect on Merry...

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Musings at the Dairy Queen

Simon with a chicken (finger) pipe... How would it work? Would it smell after a time?

Purity rings!!!!!

-the fun car

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We're going to break off and chill at the Bavairan Halle. Deal.

In which Ramona creates an entire WW costume out of ducktape and a blanket!

Dancing to All Shook Up!

On the road to Memphis!

Fun car here, listening to Bed of Lies and Harmony X... SO good!!!

After some craziness in the morning, we had a little too much strong coffee, and went to Best Buy, where we saw that all the members of the car of power minus Andy were all wearing black and white stripes. They took a zebra picture.

At the arch, we took awesome pictures, (including evolution), got excited about hills, and I got my tour nickname, "Saoirse Fierce" for my epic arch pose. We also peed in what we thought was the capitol but it was just "the old courthouse"... Now we're stopping for has for the drive to MEMPHIS(!!!) and planning boy band songs to arrange. Yessss

-The fun car

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Can't read my P-P-P-PO-POKERFACE!!!

Bill poses with Martin Luther King

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Fun fact

A total of two members in ransom notes can do the worm, and did so to
one up the stereotypes in performance last night.

Ramona and Lila= dance buddies

Andy about a guy in the crosswalk:

"that's a sweet prosthesis, yo"

Goin' to Graceland!

Car of power here.
Listening to the Odessey (the epic 30 minute metal saga courtesy of
Andy)

Then Paul Simon, of course.

Searching for a figurine of the arch and buying up Bill Clinton
trinkets as we drive through Arkansas.

We're feelin the love, Looking for 'Merica.

x
Lila

Arc in the arch!

Manifest Destiny, fool.

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Team Quiet reigns supreme...

Frozen cheesy peas, of course.

--
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In which the unrepentant quiet car visits the jank-ass arch of cheesy peas.

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The Power Car definitely knows where it's going

We wanted to go to Restoration Hardware! Seriously! Have you seen their cabinet pulls? Best Buy? What?

The little blue dot is not on track. The little blue dot is not on track.

Last night was epic!

The Stereotypes are just about the coolest, cutest, most talented a
cappella group we have yet to encounter (special shout out to the
boys at Thai pizza)! We performed in a sort of (friendly) group sing-
off, swapping Missouri-shattering numbers at and epic rate in slightly
chilly temperatures. Lila and I did the worm during Hip-Hop 3. You
should've been there.

Then there was a 3-4 hour dance party.

Basically we wish to adopt every single member of the Stereotypes and
get sex changes for the rest of us.

Gahhhhh!!!

- R.

Matt Chan punches babies by means of puppies!

See subject.

Good morning, day two!

Lauren's ready.
Are you?

Coffee,
Lila

Friday, March 20, 2009

SAINT LOUIS!

Here we are in Saint Louis!!!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED! We're with the amazing STEREOTYPES! We sang under the "underpass," where they paint announcements on the walls... It. Was. Fantastic. Period. There are no words to describe how well it went. Still crazy went amazingly. We sang almost every song we all know, and PEOPLE EVEN GAVE US MONEY!!!! Haha... It was so much fun! Ahhhh!!! Eee! Oooo!

- the fun car
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So, the Stereotypes blew us away...if we were both facebook people, we'd be 'in an open relationship' . Hot.

-IMo

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IMG00330.jpg

The Stereotypes are sometimes sarcastic...

...but are also extremely, extremely nice. Go Team 2 in taboo!

Also, Harry Nangle, are you out there? Adam Handler says hello.

Cute boys from The Stereotypes - Wash U!

Stereotypes = awesomeness!

Just sang under the "underpass" and going to dinner! They performed
"I'm so excited an I just can't hide it!"
We sang ABBA!

Yay music sharing!

St. Louis!

Quiet car to Other cars

Alpha, alpha. We have archage, over.

We are on the Paul Simon freeway!!!

Other headlines:
Impala is in second to the fomoshfine (Finnish for finishline)

Betsy and lila to form a handclap and waterbottle rhythm band
(hello hit machine)

Impala was propositioned by another impala bearing men in reflective
in sunglasses, trucker caps, and variations on orange mantanks

Lovelove,
Betsy and Lila

37 Miles to St. Louis....

Is the quiet car winning?

Sent from my iPhone

Stuff flies out of the back of car!! Simon nearly dies! Alert the Brazillian consulate!

After accidently leaving the trunk open after leaving the gas station, driving fast down 55, the luggage of the Rental "Fun" car fled from the back like birds after a close gunshot. Pulling over swiftly (not difficult for Lauren "hugging the curve" Makholm) we rushed out of the car, dashing after our luggage fluttering like moths in the wind, perhaps powered by the magic which allowed Simon to pack so tightly. Suddenly, out of the blue, a herd of angry pigs descended upon us, heading straight for Simon. Barely escaping with our lives, having pulled Simon from the jaws of vengeful hogs, we rushed back to the impala.

On the road again, Lauren was visibly shaken. Andy reached out a comforting hand to pat Lauren's shoulder. However, rather than quelling her fear, Lauren was surprised and, screaming, swerved. "Tiny Dancer" skipped haphazardly on the stereo.

Narrowly avoiding a truck to The Heartland, we continued on. Simon is on the phone with the Brazillian consulate, speaking in rapid Portuguese, making sure all "arrangements" that must be made sometime in the future will be swift and simple.

Meanwhile, fineladies Betsy and Lila were distressed to find their lattes had spilled a bit during the commotion, were surprised by the latest trends in Lucky (butterflies?), and conducted a backseat photoshoot. They also wonder if the snacks that fell out of Simon's bag are edible.

The FUN car!!!!!

Hey y'all!

Did you enjoy my use of the Southern dialect??

Greetings from Springfield, IL! That's right guys, we ARE the fun car. Sorry it's taken so long for us to post an entry... We were just having too much fun. What with lady GaGa and all. But alas even we, the FUN car, have been longing for the warm gooey comforts of the wafflehouse while staring at all the... Nothingness. (see attached photo) We also stopped for beef jerky (and the clerk at the gas station warned us about the excruciating heartburn it gave her last week).

And now, we're at the capitol building, taking photos, looking for a place to pee, and Bill is menacingly switching chairs in the Hall of Flags so they're backwards.

THAT'S RIGHT!

Until waffles,
Bill, Merry, Matt Chan, Hunter, and Saoirse
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Lauren says:

"I'M DRIVING A CAROMGOMGZzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!1!'qnqnqnnm!!!1!!1!1!!!!1!
1!$"

Fineladies. (yes, one word)

So I'm new to this blogging thing.

The last three posts were by me.
Love
Lila

Kitsch!!!

Ps:

Also, I double fisted Mcd's coffee and a large water.
There are silos, but not reststops.

we almost filled up the car while it was running awhile back.
So not the smart car, but the fun car nonetheless.
Simon can't die in the US he says, " it'll be so hard to get my
body back"

Discovering truth while we venture.

( barry white just came on-- I have some lipsynching to do, people)

----

(remember the movie "win a date with tad Hamilton?" I didn't till just
now! Happy day!)

Just drove by Normal

Flat
Flat
Flat.
Vanity plates for some reason abound, my car has got folk and 90's
jamz. Simon yelled at a pig truck "I will buy you at treasure island,"
andy has been reading about how to brew beer from a Trappist monk
book. Betsy is singing harmonies and Lauren dances along to music and
get so into it that she runs off the road (just a little).

Wanted to stop to see the world's largest covered wagon... That would
have been something to tell the kids about. Sadly, it was not parked
roadside.

We're def the fun car.
And...
We all need nicknames, stat.

Lovelove

The quiet car

Alright, Ian, Ali, Emily, and I are in the unrepentant quiet car.
There were many debates at the beginning of the tour over who would be
where, with Bill promising civil war battle stops on the way, and
after many of us shouting that we wanted to be in Bill's car because
it would be "the fun car," Betsy had to remind is in a very maternal
like manner that "every car would be the fun car."

But lo, it is not true. For we are the quiet car where naps and Sufjan
Stevens reign supreme. A little taste of what's happened so far:

- Ali and I passed out for 2 hours.
- Ian stopped to pee.
- Emily demanded that I not encroach on her leg room and the proceeded
to spread out on the bitch seat. Now she is asleep with a pillow on
her head.
- We saw some corn.
- About 15 minutes later we saw some more corn.

Annnnd, that's all the news from the quiet car. Where is this waffle
house? I shall gaze for it like a green light on the end of the pier.
It shall be unto me a red sled named Rosebud which will be a metaphor
for the mother's love I never had.

150 miles to St. Louis. Quiet car out.

- R.


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I'm All Outta Faith

Here in the rental, we're listening to "Torn" after having been slightly delayed by finding the only dead-end in Hyde Park on the way to Lakeshore. We are on the lookout for the Waffle House at the end of the world.

Andy is reading Brew Like a Monk.

The Stereotypes are either really nice or really sarcastic.

We're getting ready to leave Bee block's house!

IMo

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Day 1: Bacon and Bagels at Betsy's. Later, St. Louis!

Day 1.  We're going to meet with the WashU group, the Stereotypes.

Props to Alex Walsh for setting this up.  He says we're probably too lazy to set it up on our own, and he's probably right.

General plan:
Day 1, Friday 3/20, to St. Louis, Missouri.  Singing at WashU.
Day 2, Saturday 3/21, to Memphis, Tennessee.  For kicks.
Day 3, Sunday 3/22, to Coffeeville, Mississippi (alumni Peter's place).  Singing at Peter's church.
Day 4, Monday 3/23, to Atlanta, Georgia.  Singing at Georgia Tech.
Day 5, Tuesday 3/24, to LaGrange, Georgia. Singing at LaGrange College.
Day 6, Wednesday 3/25, back to Atlanta, staying at Betsy's, and singing at her family friends' house.
Day 7, Thursday 3/26, to Athens, Georgia, hopefully.
Day 8, Friday 3/27, to somewhere near Charlotte, North Carolina.  Singing at Davidson.  It's on the Billy Graham Parkway!
Day 9, Saturday 3/28, maybe heading back North-ish, or maybe going to Betsy's lake house.
Day 10, Sunday, 3/29, back to Chicago, in one way or another!

Pretty exciting.  We're just discussing room assignments for tonight and car assignments, we've finished setting up and distributing tour packets and doing last-minute trips to Walgreens, and we're pretty much ready to go.  Everyone has just finished with their winter quarter finals, everyone feels pretty great about being finished, and everybody's ready for some warm weather, some singing, and some time with Ransom Notes buddies.  About to head out into the wild blue yonder, etc.  Woo, Spring Tour '09 is upon us!

Goooo RANSOM NOTES!  Go TEAM AWESOME!

-Emily