National Museum Day!

Saturday, in case you didn't know, was Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day, during which participating museums offered free admittance. Quite roaring, I know.

Anyhow, I decided that since I had the day free, I'd go to the Eastman House (where the founder of Kodak lived and died), and the U of Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery. Normally, these museums cost $8 and 10 respectively, but not for me, bitches! I printed my free pass at work 3 days ago! (Seriously, if you're at work, check that work link out.)

So, I wake up at about noon, and eat, and generally lolligag while waiting for the rain to pass, and by the time I'm showered and out the door it's about 2. They both close at 5, so I decide to hit the Eastman House first, because I really wanted to see this lavish house. It's amazing, but more on that later.

I'm riding my bike along East Ave, when all of a sudden, a car pulls out 8 feet in front of me. I hit my brakes, and to no avail, because the next thing I know, I'd nailed this guy's front quarterpanel. And I am not making this up, I flipped over the handlebars, hit the hood with my back, rounded off, and landed on my feet, facing the car. My sunglasses didn't even come off.

The driver just looks at me, and the first thing out of his mouth is, "Are you kidding me?"

He was really cool about the whole thing. I think he was just happy he wasn't getting sued. I was okay, but mostly dumbfounded; plus it would've been my fault, as I was riding on the sidewalk. What? East Ave's scary on a bike! It was hilarious in hindsight, but that's not counting where the whole encounter left my bicycle's front fork broken. That's still kind of hilarious.

Eastman House! This place was incredible. It was the way I'd picture Hemingway's house, actually, if I thought Hemingway could tend a garden and had any class. Animal skins everywhere - apparently, he was a prolific hunter, and they even did a whole room on his outdoor adventures.

They managed to tuck the fact that he committed suicide at age 73 back into a hallway in the elaborate labyrinth of the 2nd floor, but I found it. To his credit, he was suffering from spinal stenosis, and his note (they had the original on display, which kinda shocked me) said "To my friends, my work is done. Why wait? GE."

So, now they have tours through there. Yay! But they also have some of the very first cameras and camera equipment ever made (back to the 1840's), as well as several photographic exhibits from modern artists, and his extensive garden that they keep up as his memorial. Also, they have a café on the first floor that serves gelato, which I'm sure George Eastman was a huge ... fan ... of? Then again, they did have a wax lemon pie next to a quote placard that read "I enjoy lemon pie as much as any man alive."

As far as museums go, I'd give this one four and a half Louvres out of five. The man was pretty interesting, and had lots of great ideas. Plus, his estate is as gorgeous as any house I'll ever be in. The half off is for keeping me from getting to go to the Memorial Art Gallery, they took my printed pass there and kept it. And the whole hitting a car thing. But yay helmets and ninja skills!

And then I got a haircut.

Here's where it all went down:

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It works now!

Okay, thanks to everyone who wanted to see this. I've figured out how to make a start button now, so i can start posting things that don't auto-blare Weezer.

So, for everyone that's late, this is the second animation I've ever made in Flash, and also the second animation I've ever done, period. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - now I just hope my professor is as well.

This is the rough draft, I still have some fleshing out to do.
Learning Flash is fun. Thanks, Adobe!

In case you don't make it through all 45 seconds, and don't recognize the song, it's "Holiday" by Weezer, from their 1994 self-titled album. It's not my favorite Weezer song per se, but it was the mood I was in when I was picking text to animate.