The Thinking Putty Blog

Crazy Aaron performs on Used Wigs Live

My good friends at Used Wigs decided to put a live show together at a local coffee house.  As the 'science guy' I did some glowing pickle experiments.  Good times were had by all.  No one was electrocuted.  A number of risk-taking teens ate the disgusting cooked pickles. Oh god these smelled awful!  And at the end, I succeeded in popping the circuit breaker and making sparks fly. Yippee!

Check out the rundown of the show here.

"UsedWigs Live inaugural show sadly had to end (a senior citizen puppet show was scheduled for 11:00pm sharp), but not before Crazy Aaron pounced on stage and administered some serious pickle electrocutions (not a euphemism) with some old-timey contraption, dazzling and endangering the excited audience who were clamoring for more pickled-fried goodness. It was a sizzling good ending to a fun-filled night." 

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Check out Thinking Putty on Polish Television

We received a very nice product review on a Polish TV Gadget show.  Check it out here:

Putty from Wind Power?

People have been asking me about the environmental benefit of our products. 

I always felt like Thinking Putty didn't have anything particularly good about it environmentally.  Nothing bad really, just nothing exceptionally good.  It isn't grown from end-of-life rubber trees.  Though our colors are beautiful, they aren't made from harvesting rainbows (which are a renewable resource ;-).

Then I did some thinking.  Maybe our product has benefits I hadn't previously considered:

- Thinking Putty is made from sand (quartz), the most common and plentiful mineral on earth.
- Our product does not contain petroleum products.
- Our office uses 100% wind energy.
- Our metal tins are made from a high percentage of recycled material and are 100% recyclable themselves.
- Our printing process is dry and is VOC-free (volatile organic compounds). 
   (VOCs can harm air quality and human health)
- Our putty lasts a LONG time. It doesn't dry out.  So you don't end up consuming more than you need.
- Over 99% of our raw materials are sourced inside the USA.  That means their manufacture is bound by USA environmental regulations.  We are not supporting the manufacture of raw materials offshore to avoid environmental responsibility.

Am I being silly?  Are these real benefits that matter?  If you have an environmental bent, I'd love to hear your comments.

Also, I am considering converting our factory to 100% wind power.  I'd like to do it but, there is significant expense.  It would need to be offset by gaining customers who appreciate our environmental efforts.  Do you think that would happen?

Crazy Aaron's Toy Fair Round-Up

Crazy Aaron returned from the New York Toy Fair and thought some shout-outs were appropriate.  Thinking Putty is loads of fun, but other toys are fun too.  Some of these are really for kids and a few will appeal to adults.  Here's a list of things that caught my eye:

The Cricket Toy - For those awkward moments, a keychain fob that chirps like a cricket.  Its a gimmick, but a funny one.  And Jeff Anderson, the creator, is a fun guy who knows how to turn an awkward moment into a laugh.

OK To Wake Clock - The inventor tells me it works.  I've got one on order and will test it out.  Its the clock that teaches kids to sleep in...so you can too!  The clock glows green when its wake-up time and apparently toddlers will lay in bed staring at it for hours waiting for it to change color.  Then they race to awaken the happy parents (who are happy because they get woken at 7am instead of 5am). 

Triops - I've always been fascinated with SeaMonkeys but they are more hype than reality.  They are tiny and hard to see.  They aren't really monkeys.  Triops takes the concept to a new level of awesomeness.  Billed as "creatures that time forgot", you place the eggs into water and they have growing into swimming creatures that a blend of silverfish, horseshoe crabs, catfish and alien facehuggers.  They get to be about 1 1/2" long.  I saw them in person and they are great.  A tank will be going in to the Puttyworld office very soon.

Crazy Forts - As a kid, I was always rearranging the furniture and blankets to make forts.  With Crazy Forts, you basically have oversized Tinkertoys to shape into fort-like structures. Cover with blankets and the kids can crawl through them.  Then, they pack away in a tiny box for later use.  So obvious, I'm surprised no one ever did this before!

Levitron - The inventor of Levitron has a new invention which will be released later this year.  If you have any kind of collection: action figures, minerals, figurines, this is going to blow your mind.  For about $100 retail, you can buy a floating pedestal that hovers about 2 1/2" above the surface and rotates indefinitely.  Very cool.  Very inventive.  I expect that you'll see this in stores everywhere for demonstrating products.  A great new invention.

Q-Ba-Maze - This building set caught my eye and my ears.  You build towers using a series of cubes which allow steel balls to fall through.  The movement and sound of the balls is just like the Pachinko machines I used to play with as a child.  The pieces are beautiful colored clear plastic and it looks like a lot of fun.  Check out the videos on their site.

SpherePlay - While this is not a new product, it is an opportunity to give a shout-out to the movie Labryinth and David Bowie's cool sphere rotating tricks.  This company makes some beautiful clear acrylic spheres and also a DVD training video.  It looks hard but after 5 minutes of practice at their booth, I could tell that an hour or two will have you seriously impressing your friends with some awesome tricks.

Thanks and have fun!

Timberdoodle makes a great putty video

Timberdoodle has become one of our favorite Thinking Putty retailers.  They have lots of educational products marketed to homeschool parents & children as well as special needs kids.  Take a look at the video they put together about our Thinking Putty.

Squidoo

Late one night I decided to create a Squidoo page for Bouncing Putties.  I included some information on 'make your own' putty recipes, slimes, and other putty topics.  You can check it out here.

If you find it interesting or if something piques your interest and you'd like to know more, why not let me know using the Guestbook feature at the bottom of the page.

Almost...But not quite...

Yesterday, in our holiday email announcement, I offered a free set of Christmas Thinking Putty to whomever was the first to send me a photo of themselves with the life-size Crazy Aaron cardboard cutout which lives at Ogelvie's Taos Bar & Grill in Taos, NM. 

Christopher Ledoux was quick to respond.  Perhaps, a little too quick!

"Attached is my submission!!!! Best I could do from Florida!!!"

Thanks Chris.  To all you putty fans, the offer still stands.  Score some Thinking Putty, get a nice mexican meal, and have fun doing it!

Roadtrip Epilogue

While the trip may have been unconventional, it was fun for us, as well, we hope for the many people we encountered on our travels.  We met interesting people in an unusual way and had some memorable adventures.  Surely, there were those who thought we were selling something or had other motives but the vast majority of the folks we met opened themselves to the adventure, as well.  Whether it be putty, a smile, or lending a helping hand, we’re all here together to share the fun!

Some Thoughts From Crazy Aaron:

I can't thank Cris and Jim enough for carting a 5ft tall foam-core Crazy Aaron around the American Southwest.  I am very appreciative.  I know that all of us at Puttyworld got a real kick out of watching his travels.  I hope you do as well.

If you have your own crazy idea involving putty or Crazy Aaron, let me know.  Maybe I'll be crazy enough to help make it happen!!

Roadtrip Day 15

With Aaron at his new home, Cris and Jim headed north to Denver for the flight out the following day.  There were still two last cans of putty to hand out.  On the way to Denver, Jim and Cris looked at each other a half a dozen times thinking, this would be a great place to get a picture with Aaron.  We missed his smiling face in the back of the Jeep, and even though he was a silent foam core figure, he did have a certain presence.  We arrived at the hotel, checked in, and rested from the trip.  

On the way out of the door of the hotel, Jim provided a can of putty to the desk clerk.  Out to dinner and back, packing up, and making ready for the final leg of the trip, a United flight from Denver to Omaha.  While having breakfast, Jim and Cris spotted a mom with two chatty little girls. That was where the last can of putty went, along with two Crazy Aaron t-shirts.  The mom thanked us and immediately the girls went to work creating all sorts of marvelous, creative, and interesting shapes with their new putty.  The smiles on their faces left Jim and Cris feeling that through Crazy Aaron we had helped increase the fun factor in a few lives.

Roadtrip Day 14

This was really the last day of our big adventure with Aaron in the southwest.  By the end of the day we had to find Aaron a good home and say our goodbyes.  We had a late start to the day and stopped by a coffee shop so that Aaron could catch up on his emails.  He had made so many friends on this trip and was still dizzy with excitement with regard to the places he had been and what he had seen.  And yes Lori, he did have enough underwear to last the whole trip.

We headed up to the Millicent Rogers museum.  It was a small museum that housed a variety of Indian art and jewelry pieces collected by Ms. Rogers.  After the museum visit, Jim and Cris headed to the post office to lessen the suitcase load for the trip back.  We returned from the post office and Jim had a nap.  While Jim was napping, Cris headed out to finish up some last-minute shopping.

You might recall that a couple with a condo in Santa Fe wanted Aaron at the end of the trip.  We did pass though Santa Fe but Aaron really wanted to go to Taos. We listened to Aaron and kept him with us the last three days.  Now we had a dilemma, how do we get Aaron to his new friends?  Well timing and distance kept us from meeting up with Coral and Michelle.  We called the couple from Santa Fe mid afternoon to try and arrange a meeting point somewhere between Taos and Santa Fe.  We were heading north, they were an hour south.  After some discussion and difficult choices we decide that Aaron should stay at Ogilvie's.  If you’re in Taos do stop by and see Aaron, let them know you heard about it at Puttyworld.

Escorting Aaron to Ogilvie’s we stopped along the way to take some photos in the main Taos square.  A young girl assisted with this effort, and of course, received some putty.  Arriving at Oglevie’s we spoke to the manager, who agreed to let Aaron stay.   After some discussion we said our goodbyes and left.   

We walked just down road to Graham’s Grille, where we had decided to have dinner.  It was a great place, with an interesting menu and a mod décor. We sat beside a couple from New Jersey who shared some of their experiences with home sharing, their travels, and stories of their grandkids.  At the end of the meal, we provided putty samples to the couple from New Jersey and to our waitress.  On the way back to the Jeep, Jim introduced himself to a man and his niece from South Dakota and Chicago, respectively.  All welcomed the gift and the idea of fun that came with it.

Roadtrip Day 13

Today was our first full day at Taos, rested and starting early we were ready to go.  We started by going to the Kit Carson museum.  This was a small humble home where a frontier hero lived.  It is unfathomable the distance that Kit Carson covered during his lifetime as a trapper, scout, and military man.  We moved through the small 6 room house reading about parts of Kit Carson’s life. 

We headed out to Bent Street to look for a new wallet for Jim.  As we traveled up and down the small alleys, streets, and squares, we marveled at the selection of art available.  It seems as though the entire town is focused on providing service and a unique experience to each person coming to the town.  Cris bought some do-dads, darting in and out of the shops.  The entire town/city is built using adobe style build, much like Santa Fe, but smaller.    As we moved from shop to shop we provided putty samples, all which were accepted with enthusiastic smiles and thank yous.

As lunch approached we looked for a simple place to eat, The Alley Cantina is what we found, and oh what a nice find this small Cafe was.  Entering a small passageway beside the restaurant we moved to the back and took a table with a umbrella.  We ordered a green chili stew, simple, yet fantastic.  At lunch we met two women, one from Louisiana and one from Dallas who took a trip with each other every year or two.  We provided a sample of putty to them and also to a couple from France.

After lunch we hit the road, out to the Rio Grande Bridge.  Stopping at the parking area there were about 6 vendors selling everything from Jewelry and wood benches, to fossils and rocks.  At this point Jim had Aaron with him heading to the bridge.  All of the vendors lit up and as Jim passed some of the vendors he provided samples of putty.  A man from Pennsylvania wanted to know about Aaron, he got a sample of putty, chuckled and wandered off.  Off to the heights at the center of the bridge, Cris took shots of Aaron with the Sangre Cristo mountains and the Gorge in the background.  We did notice traffic slowing, trying to determine what was going on.

Heading back to the Jeep, Jim, Cris, and Aaron headed out to the earthship.  Fully self contained, off grid earth homes.  The tour was fascinating; if you haven’t seen one, go.  Windmills and solar panels provide electricity to these structures made out of tires.  Water is used 4 times, reusing every drop in sensible and safe ways.  Aaron posed for a picture outside one of the structures.

Back to the Jeep, we headed to Arroyo Seco to visit the galleries that were there. The first one we walked into was a jewelry studio of Claire Haye.  Jim spoiled Cris; after Cris selected a few items, Jim provided a surprise purchase.   Claire was fun and her work was interesting.  Cris really appreciated the whole experience, including the branding; all the names were way cool.  Yes, you guessed it, Claire received a sample of putty as part of the experience.

Aaron, Jim, and Cris headed back to 125 Los Lomas Plaza and headed out to dinner.  Originally, we planned to go to Doc Martin’s, recommended by friends from Omaha and Santa Fe.  We escorted Aaron into the wait to be seated area and were beckoned from the bar area where a live jazz band was playing. At one of the tables, there was a small group who had seen us on the bridge earlier in the day and wanted to know what we were doing.  We explained our trip and found that part of the group was a couple, Robert and Diane, who were in the process of moving from Austin to Santa Fe. We provided putty samples and Diane, who was also a local artist, received some t-shirts for her grandchildren.  We returned to the other side of the establishment but in the end left Doc Martin’s as it was a tad too formal for Aaron.  We crossed over into the Taos plaza and headed into Oglevie's.  The wait staff immediately embraced Aaron’s presence.  We met Martina (originally from Germany) and Rudy from Taos.  A lively pair they were; we all chatted, laughed, and had a great time.

Returning to our cute casita, we called it a day…

Roadtrip Day 12

Today was another travel day, moving our base of operations from Albuquerque to the small artisan town of Taos.  We had found a great little Casita on vrbo.com and were looking forward to our last three nights of vacation in the northern New Mexico town.  Aaron helped us get our bags together while at the same time rifling through the souvenirs we had picked up along the way.   

We left right after breakfast, on the way to Santa Fe.   A friend of ours, Nancy, lives on the east side of town with her husband.  It’s a good thing that Greta was there to help us, the streets in Santa Fe, while quaint, go all over the darn place.  Arriving 30 minutes early, we decided to top up the gas tank in town.  After making what seemed to be 33 turns we arrived at a Shell station operated by a man who was originally from New Jersey.  Jim stopped to talk to the man, who had been to Rochester New York to go to race tracks up there.  Jim provided some putty and was surprised to see how excited this man became about the putty.

All filled up, we headed back to Nancy’s.  She has one of those half number addresses; really, it was a whole house, why couldn’t she have a whole address?  Nancy told us of her newly acquired horses and her efforts to acquire some property for boarding them.  While having mucked manure in the past, she was thinking she would be need an MME (manure mucking engineer) for the new property.   

Nancy and her husband, George, have a wonderful historic adobe house, or should we say houses, since they have a casita on property.  We chatted, laughed, and shared the stories of our trip with Nancy.   We met her two cats and saw George’s amazing old radio collection.  He has such neat stuff, really.  Then, off to lunch it was, down the roads and another 37 turns to the restaurant that was probably ½ mile away as the crow flies.   More chit chat, great food, and an overall wonderful Santa Fe experience was had by all.  Despite the rain, we are already planning our next trip to the Santa Fe area.  

Returning to Nancy’s hacienda (see, already it’s getting bigger), we received George’s Book, “The 10 Most Beautiful Experiments” and had it signed by George.  His name is George Johnson if you are looking for the book on Amazon, and it does come in the Kindle edition.  Imagine that, just wandering around, and we run into a great science writer.

Leaving Santa Fe it was still cloudy and raining, so rather than taking the slower more scenic view, we took the fast road to Taos.  It was surrounded by scenery; we can only imagine that the other route was more scenic; it does not seem possible.  Arriving at Mabel’s late in the afternoon, we decided to take it easy. The casita has 4 rooms and as Aaron stretched his legs he peaked into the standing cast iron stove, checked out the eating area, and looked at the various artwork.  Aaron was the first to discover the hot tub in the back yard. It seems we were set for this last part of our trip.

Jim and Cris headed out to a local Albertson’s to do some light shopping.  Calling it a night we settled in, relaxing in front of a small TV.  

More to come …

Roadtrip Day 11

We decided that the big event for the day was for the three of us to head to the Sandia Peak Tram.  The clouds and wind from the prior day that grounded the Balloons had cleared.  From Old Town the base of the tram was a short 15 minute drive.  Arriving at the entrance we paid a parking fee and provided the toll person some putty.  He appeared to be young, well to us anyone under 30 seems to be young now, so we told him not to let any of the putty get into his mother’s carpet.  He chuckled and thanked us for the surprise gift.

Aaron helped us collect our electronic do-dads and we headed up to the ticketing area where we purchased two tickets.  When we provided a putty sample to the ticket person, she was overwhelmed; she was very appreciative of her new gift and smiled.   We were herded onto a room (the Tram) with 139 other people, well really only 30 but it seemed like more.  Fortunately Aaron has been watching his weight and remains his slim ½ inch thick self. 

On the way up we struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger and her grand-daughter.  Passing out sample putty to the young girl we also provided some temporary tattoos.   They were from Dallas and were intrigued by our trip and Aaron.  The tram cables pulled us up thousands of feet past two towers to the tower at the top.  We looked down between tower 2 and the top tower; it did not seem that high but the Tram operator told us that we were 1000 feet in the air.   A spring at the top of the mountain enabled deciduous trees to grow at over 10,000 feet. 

 Arriving at the top we escorted Aaron to several overlooks before heading to the top of the Sandia Ski area.  The view towards both the South over Albuquerque and to the North towards a mountain filled vista was phenomenal.   Cris, Jim, and Aaron headed out for a walk in the woods where it was noted there might be bears.  Jim was calculating that by holding Aaron over his head, the resulting shape would be about 11 ft tall; certainly enough to scare off all bears under 10 ft tall.  Hmm, how tall is a bear when it stands up?  Jim reconsidered and looked at groups of Aspens forming a hedge alongside of the road and told Cris and Aaron if a bear shows up, keep the trees between them and pelt the bear with rocks or pine cones.  Cris was looking quite worried at this point and frantically looking around for potentially hundreds of bears.  Lucky for the bears, Jim and Cris saw none.

After a mile or so, Jim and Cris retraced their steps to the lodge, took some more photos, and handed out some more putty; to a man from Kent Ohio, to a waitress in the lodge, and an interpretive guide who was of German decent that indicated that putty with .. above the ‘u’ caused the pronunciation to change to ‘pitty’.  All were grateful of this new, albeit unusual, gift.

We boarded the next Tram down and along the way provided a sample to a Lady who lived near Whidbey Island in Washington State.  A man in the Tram asked if the Aaron adventure was like ‘Flat Stanley’.   Arriving now at the Tram base we ventured into the gift shop making sure that Aaron did not knock over any of the pottery.  We scanned the shop and made a beeline for some garish fridge magnets and a stuffed animal for a friend who lives a long distance from Nebraska.

We tried, unsuccessfully to have Greta help us with some sights; we first selected the Gruets Winery, arriving at a two story building with a Trailer park rather than a vineyard behind the building.  We weren’t quite sure what type of wine one would get from a trailer park (perhaps balloon wine?).  Feeling we needed a bit more fun we selected ‘tinkertown’.  A series of closed interstate entrances confused Greta who turned a 7 mile trip into a 45 minute journey that left us again, unsatisfied. 
Cris picked a national park that had Petroglyphs.  We ventured 30 minutes down the trail looking for ancient figures.  We did see what appeared to be more modern graffiti but minimal ancient figures.  We looked and looked but really saw only piles of rock.  Reading the literature it indicated that the figures chose who they reveal themselves to.  Jim thought that perhaps hallucinogenics were required.  It was hot, dusty, and it was getting late in the day so we returned.  Some research will be required before we return to that particular park again.

We returned to the same Church Street Café for the second time in as many days for dinner and afterward indulged in an ice cream cone.  We returned to the room to ready for our trip to Taos tomorrow, stopping to see a friend along the way.

Roadtrip Day 11

We decided that the big event for the day was for the three of us to head to the Sandia Peak Tram.  The clouds and wind from the prior day that grounded the Balloons had cleared.  From Old Town the base of the tram was a short 15 minute drive.  Arriving at the entrance we paid a parking fee and provided the toll person some putty.  He appeared to be young, well to us anyone under 30 seems to be young now, so we told him not to let any of the putty get into his mother’s carpet.  He chuckled and thanked us for the surprise gift.

Aaron helped us collect our electronic do-dads and we headed up to the ticketing area where we purchased two tickets.  When we provided a putty sample to the ticket person, she was overwhelmed; she was very appreciative of her new gift and smiled.   We were herded onto a room (the Tram) with 139 other people, well really only 30 but it seemed like more.  Fortunately Aaron has been watching his weight and remains his slim ½ inch thick self. 

On the way up we struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger and her grand-daughter.  Passing out sample putty to the young girl we also provided some temporary tattoos.   They were from Dallas and were intrigued by our trip and Aaron.  The tram cables pulled us up thousands of feet past two towers to the tower at the top.  We looked down between tower 2 and the top tower; it did not seem that high but the Tram operator told us that we were 1000 feet in the air.   A spring at the top of the mountain enabled deciduous trees to grow at over 10,000 feet. 

 Arriving at the top we escorted Aaron to several overlooks before heading to the top of the Sandia Ski area.  The view towards both the South over Albuquerque and to the North towards a mountain filled vista was phenomenal.   Cris, Jim, and Aaron headed out for a walk in the woods where it was noted there might be bears.  Jim was calculating that by holding Aaron over his head, the resulting shape would be about 11 ft tall; certainly enough to scare off all bears under 10 ft tall.  Hmm, how tall is a bear when it stands up?  Jim reconsidered and looked at groups of Aspens forming a hedge alongside of the road and told Cris and Aaron if a bear shows up, keep the trees between them and pelt the bear with rocks or pine cones.  Cris was looking quite worried at this point and frantically looking around for potentially hundreds of bears.  Lucky for the bears, Jim and Cris saw none.

After a mile or so, Jim and Cris retraced their steps to the lodge, took some more photos, and handed out some more putty; to a man from Kent Ohio, to a waitress in the lodge, and an interpretive guide who was of German decent that indicated that putty with .. above the ‘u’ caused the pronunciation to change to ‘pitty’.  All were grateful of this new, albeit unusual, gift.

We boarded the next Tram down and along the way provided a sample to a Lady who lived near Whidbey Island in Washington State.  A man in the Tram asked if the Aaron adventure was like ‘Flat Stanley’.   Arriving now at the Tram base we ventured into the gift shop making sure that Aaron did not knock over any of the pottery.  We scanned the shop and made a beeline for some garish fridge magnets and a stuffed animal for a friend who lives a long distance from Nebraska.

We tried, unsuccessfully to have Greta help us with some sights; we first selected the Gruets Winery, arriving at a two story building with a Trailer park rather than a vineyard behind the building.  We weren’t quite sure what type of wine one would get from a trailer park (perhaps balloon wine?).  Feeling we needed a bit more fun we selected ‘tinkertown’.  A series of closed interstate entrances confused Greta who turned a 7 mile trip into a 45 minute journey that left us again, unsatisfied. 
Cris picked a national park that had Petroglyphs.  We ventured 30 minutes down the trail looking for ancient figures.  We did see what appeared to be more modern graffiti but minimal ancient figures.  We looked and looked but really saw only piles of rock.  Reading the literature it indicated that the figures chose who they reveal themselves to.  Jim thought that perhaps hallucinogenics were required.  It was hot, dusty, and it was getting late in the day so we returned.  Some research will be required before we return to that particular park again.

We returned to the same Church Street Café for the second time in as many days for dinner and afterward indulged in an ice cream cone.  We returned to the room to ready for our trip to Taos tomorrow, stopping to see a friend along the way.

Roadtrip Day 10

We woke very early in the morning, planning to get up at 3 a.m. we slept to almost 4 a.m.  Rushing down I-40 in the dark (thank goodness the wind had subsided), we set our sights on the Albuquerque Balloon Festival.  We arrived about 45 minutes later than we would have liked.  Driving to the balloon park, we kept looking around every corner and curve but saw no balloons. We didn’t think that in an hour’s time, they could have all taken off (850 balloons) and landed already.  Passing through an intersection into a parking lot, we asked a worker for the latest – it turns out we didn’t miss the takeoff – it was cancelled because of high winds.

So we set out for the B&B, Casas de Suenos, where we had reserved the Taos room.  Arriving 6 hours before check-in we had slim hopes that we would be able to get a room when we arrived.  The staff did their best to bring back the check in time, and we headed out for breakfast in Old Town Albuquerque.  The architecture everywhere is based on adobe style housing with a light shade of terra cotta.  A square anchored by a convent and church had shops galore and Indian vendors offering crafts on sidewalks on one side of the square.  We found a small restaurant, Julia’s, at the back of one of the small plazas.  She wasn’t quite ready to open so we wandered and returned.  We had a great New Mexico breakfast, with eggs, beans, potatoes and sausage covered with red chili sauce dish for breakfast.

Back to the B&B. Our room was not quite ready, so we started handing out putty in the lobby. The first recipient was a professor named Emilyn from the Bay area. Emilyn then introduced us to Frank Peterman and later his wife, Audrey. They were a most interesting and engaging couple.  Frank and Audrey are both strong supporters of the national parks and naturalist organizations. After Jim bestowed some putty on Audrey, who was quite delighted by the randomness of it, they left in a rental car to continue their trip. Then, we went for another walk in Old Town with Emilyn, who had some time to kill before she headed to the airport. We ran up and down some alleyways and then went to the front of the Albuquerque Museum.  A set of sculptures of the early explorers of the New Mexico area consumed the entire corner near the street.

Just after noon now, we checked into our room and had a well-deserved nap.  Waking refreshed, Aaron was escorted around the property where a number of photos were taken. The desk clerk peered through the various windows in the lobby watching us. We’re not sure what she thought.

Later, Jim and Cris went out to dinner at the Church Street Café, while Aaron decided to take in C-Span in the room. He was glad to see us when we returned.

more to come ...

Roadtrip Day 9

Today we left the Grand Canyon area and headed to Holbrook Arizona.   Holbrook is also on Route 66 as we found out when we arrived.   We dropped off some laundry drove to the Petrified Forest.  It was extremely windy, hearing accounts of anywhere from 36 to 90 miles per hour.  Jim attempted to open the door at the entrance to the park and nearly had it ripped out of his hand.  We decided to leave Aaron in the car until later.

After paying the park entry fee and handing out some putty, we headed into the park.  Stopping at the first park building we entered and saw a short movie on the history of the park.  Apparently over 1 ton of petrified wood is still taken from the park each month despite the warnings.  In the area, there are plenty of shops selling the stuff from private lands around the park.

The power went out and came back on when we were in the building; the wind was causing havoc with the electricity supply in the area.  We left the building for a short half mile walk.  The wind seemed to be picking up pebbles the size of golf balls and pelting us with them.  It was really sand, but they hurt when they hit us.  We observed a small child being pulled inside by his mother, crying from the grit being forced into his pores.  We talked, actually shouted over the wind, to another couple on the trail, they were from England.  They took the high trail, we returned to the building on the faster low trail.  Back in the visitor center we purchased some odds and ends.  The English couple came in and said one of them had been blown over by a gust of wind.

We continued up the 30 mile road to the painted forest.  The view was more of a sandstorm rather than a landscape of layered sedimentary rock.  From time to time the sand would clear for 10 to 20 seconds and we would take a photo.  From what we could see, the white, pink, and green layers in the rock certainly did make the painted forest a site to behold.  We continued our drive, not stopping to hike due to the unusually high wind.  We took Aaron out carefully and took some quick pictures at opportune locations.  When exiting the park, two rangers were particularly pleased to receive putty.

Exiting the park we worked our way back west to Holbrook, stopping at a rock shop to buy rocks.   There was quite a selection of petrified word and more Indian jewelry.  We went to Adamana to see what was still there from the 20s when the park was opened, nothing except a propane storage facility.  Although Jim thought that this looked like an Alien holding facility with all sorts of odd sensors, electric fences, and big nasty signs around.  We took a photo of the Alien holding center for further research.

Returning to Holbrook we picked up our laundry and checked into the Wigwam hotel.  There were about 15 Wigwams with cars from the 40s, 50s, and 60s parked in front of each one.  Jim and Cris could not tell the models but we took some photos so Ken could identify them for us.  The Wigwams were about 25 feet high on the outside made of stucco and on the inside had standard 8ft ceilings.  A large bed, heater, air conditioner and bathroom were all inside each of the Wigwams.  Much of the town had lost power so we stopped to buy flashlights and candles for the Wigwams.  

Off with the laptop to have Mexican cuisine at a place with Wi-Fi.   Returning from dinner we could see that the Wigwams had power, but entering ours we found no power was available.  A handy man replaced and blew two fuses before declaring there was a short somewhere.  We spoke to the owner who provided a key to the next Wigwam down.  (We noticed that these were no-smoking Wigwams and we found this ironic).

In for the night for a very early start the next day, off to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival

Crazy Aaron on Used Wigs Radio Podcast

Yes, they invited me back one more time.  It seems I didn't wear out my welcome.  ;-)  Take a listen to Podcast 53 featuring yours truly.  I'll discuss our Hellfire Thinking Putty, upcoming Christmas colors are reviewed, as well as other putty goodness.

This broadcast is safe for work.  I gave it a good listen and didn't hear any naughty words or naughty topics discussed.

Roadtrip Day 8

"Today, we decided to go on an all day Jeep tour with major with major features being the Grand Canyon Caverns, the chance to see the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and the fact that all of the helicopters were grounded due to the high winds.

We spoke tour organizer to help select the tour.  Unfortunately, Aaron could not attend and spent a restful day lounging in room watching Mad-Money, C-Span, and the Weather Channel.  After picking the all-day tour we provided a putty sample along with an explanation and went to get a coffee while we waited for the start of the tour.

While traveling to the Grand Canyon Caverns on motor coach we passed through Seligman, a kitschy, Wild West town and the birthplace of Route 66.  Once the interstate system was built, the need for Route 66 diminished.  Towns along the old main thoroughfare created roadside attractions to bring hordes of people in.  If you’re looking for the best place to pickup first-hand junk, entertainment, and your own Americana experience, Route 66 is the place to get your kicks.

At the caverns, we took a 1963 elevator  and descended 250 feet into the ground.  Johnnie, our tour guide was most knowledgeable.  Many of the stories included the founder, Walter (whose last name escapes us).   The caverns, one of the largest dry caverns in the world, were discovered in the 20s and the site has changed hands three times.  About a third of the way through the tour we discovered that the current owners were lawyers from California, perhaps they are even politicians. During the Cuban missile crisis the caverns were a potential bomb shelter.  There were rations – nutritious saltines and hard candies (vitamin-enhanced) stored down there with water allowing for the survival of 2,000 people for two weeks.  Certainly, enough time for nuclear fallout to pass (not).  As Johnnie explained, it was more expensive to take the rations out of the caverns then let them sit there. The caverns were not all gloom and doom,  as we found out three weddings have been held down there, generally people who worked there. Their bouquets are still down there, pretty well preserved.  Right up a cement path from a mummified bobcat and a giant stuffed sloth. 

Then on to the bottom of Grand Canyon! We were loaded onto the a modified Jeep with couple from  Sacramento, Tony and Dreama, and a another couple from Arkansas,  Doug and Anita (she pronounced it “AH-NITA”).  Following a wind-blown, open-air trip down the highway, we entered the Hualapai reservation.  We got our permits and headed down one of the only roads to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  The views along the way were spectacular, Robert our guide, pointed out various plants including several varieties of cactus (Tim, we’re bringing a big one back for you:) and a century stalk that lives 35 years and blooms only once.  As we traveled closer to the bottom of the canyon, the temperature rose 25 degrees. 

We stopped at the bottom, in Granite Gorge, and ate a box lunch. We chatted with a family from Canberra, Australia, and Jim – in a very animated manner – explained his speeding ticket experience Down Under.  We gave some putty to the kids, in this case, one that changes color with heat.  It was already yellow, so we had the children run down and dip it into the 52 degree Colorado River to see what happened.  They ran back very excitedly to tell us it changed color –  to orange.

On the way back, Jim baited Dreama, our resident photographer by boasting of taking more and better photos.  Every time Dreama took one photo, Jim took two.  This continued until the two separated at the end of the trip. Tony and Dreama, Doug and Anita, all received putty samples.

On the way back, there were two coaches. Close to Williams, our coach, the lead coach slowed, until it stopped at the side of the road. The second coach was notified by walkie-talkie (our driver loved  the walkie-talkie and the 10-number language).  The second coach pulled up behind the first and passengers were consolidated, standing room only.  As we started, Doug shared with the vanload of passengers “the putty is hurting my bootie” (in fact, he was sitting on the tin which was in his back pocket).  The remainder of the trip back to Williams was crowded, if uneventful.

Robert, our tour guide, insisted on meeting Aaron.  We went back to the room and had to turn off C-Span to get his attention.  Aaron, Cris, and Jim headed back to the tour office where Aaron posed with Robert for photos and handed out several putty samples.  Unlike the women from the day before, Robert was very interested in being on the Internet.

Jim, Cris, and Aaron stopped by a café for dinner where Aaron handed out some more putty.  When we left the café, a woman in a biker jacket outside of a bar across the street mistook Aaron for a snowman.  Jim went across the street with Aaron and clarified this situation.  During the conversation, Aaron thought he might have to help this woman stand-up, as she was quite, ah, fluid in her movements.  A putty sample was provided and Jim and Aaron rushed back to the Jeep before more patrons left their stools for putty samples.

Calling it a night, Jim, Cris, and Aaron returned to the room.

more to come ...."

Roadtrip Day 7

"We woke up early to head up to the Grand Canyon, stopping at the IMAX for a spectacular – albeit loud -- documentary on the Grand Canyon.   After the documentary, we took a 7 mile stroll along the rim of the Canyon.  The views are like none other Cris and I have seen in all of our travels.

We met up with Ranger Pat for a basic talk on geology, sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks.  Ranger Pat had samples, which he carried around in a bag that he passed out to a crowd of 40 attending the talk.  The true passion of each and every one of the rangers we meet at the national parks is refreshing and inspirational, although Jim still is not too crazy about saving owls.

We headed back to the Jeep to get Aaron out for a few photos with the Grand Canyon in the background.  Aaron had been sweltering in the Jeep for over 4 hours, maybe we should have left more than one of the windows open.  Anyway, he was happy to see us and to join us for a walk to the rim.  The wind, like at Mesa Verde, threatened Aaron a bit, as he was nearly blown away twice! The first stop was at the Yavapai lookout.  A nice couple from Des Moines Iowa took a picture of the three of us, Jim, Cris, and Aaron, and we happily provided them with a putty sample.

Aaron then sauntered over to the sign about Ranger talks to look at the offerings such as geology, condors, fossils, and others.  Aaron then decided to take in some sights instead.  With Jim as his trusty guide, Aaron headed to a vantage point where he could peer into the Canyon. Satisfied with the glimpse down, Aaron anchored himself to a tree and posed for a few photos.

We did meet a few more people while we had Aaron with us.   First, we passed by two women, one from Iowa and one from Pennsylvania, who looked cautiously at Aaron.  Jim ran them down and provided a putty sample and asked if they wanted a picture with Aaron. One immediately said no, the other was wavering.  When Jim prompted that he could get them on the Internet, the other one said no, and then they ran away. Really, they trotted down the path in horror.  We, however, laughed all the way back down the walk.

Returning to the Jeep, we passed out some putty to some people from Arizona and then came across a man from NYC resting on a large stone. He asked about Aaron and received a putty sample.  While we were chatting about their travels prior to coming to the Canyon, his wife came along and wanted to know what the scoop was, as well.  She loved the color, the idea of putty, and just the whole idea of being singled out for a free sample of thinking putty.

Jim and Cris stopped at an Indian ruins and small museum inside the park to learn more about the pueblan Indians in the area.  They sure have been around for a long time.

Jim, Cris, and Aaron exited the park and returned to Williams. The daring trio headed out to a pizza place, right on Route 66. Aaron insisted on getting his picture taken under a Route 66 sign – we believe it was so he could “Get his kicks on Route 66.” At the pizza place, people looked at Aaron and Jim quizzically when they entered.  During dinner, Aaron leaned up against the wall and waited.  It seemed that most of the customers who entered after we did assumed that Aaron was simply part of the décor of the place. It wasn’t until we left, when Jim picked Aaron up and walked out with him under his arm, that people realized Aaron was not a pizza parlor regular. Some people smiled, some laughed and some tried not to look as Jim and Aaron left, followed by Cris.   Before turning in for the night, we stopped at the Thundering Eagle, a shop on Williams’ main strip, and offered a putty sample to the proprietor. It took some persuasive talk, but in the end we convinced him that we weren’t selling anything and he accepted the sample.

Finally, calling it a night, we returned to the Canyon Country Inn"

Roadtrip Day 6

"A long day of driving was ahead of us, travelling from Kayenta to Williams.  We stopped for gas, money, and latte at the Shepherd’s Eye Coffee.    The coffee shop also provided tourist information and offered Internet access.  We spoke to the owner who indicated he was studying civil engineering.   A nice fellow with lots of information about the area and the Indian culture.  We fetched a sample of putty from the Jeep and offered it to him.  He smiled, asked about how the product was used in a very civil-engineering type of way, and also inquired what we were doing with it.

On the way to the Grand Canyon, we consulted Greta the Garmin on other interesting spots in the area and discovered there was a Hopi Cultural Museum about an hour east of our current location. Seeking possibilities for remote putty give-aways, we headed to the Hopi reservation which is actually inside the Navajo reservation. 

It was an interesting side trip. We stopped at the museum and learned about Hopi culture, history, and people.  The Hopis had moved to the top of the mesas after forcing the Spanish back to Mexico in the Mid 1500s. We learned that the Hopis received 1.6 million acres of land, while the Navajo got 17 million acres and that to this day they still are in disagreement over the land settlement.  We witnessed and read about the arid farming methods they have used for centuries to grow corn, much different than the modern methods we use in the Midwest.  Unfortunately, no photos are allowed on the Hopi land…we didn’t want Jim’s camera – or Jim – confiscated!

While exiting the museum we provided putty to museum curator.  Putty of any type appears to be a mystery with most of the Indians we have encountered.  This has made the giveaways even more interesting and fun for us.  After the museum, we drove to an Indian market on the Hopi reservation where we met Harry.  Harry talked to us about how land ownership works with different clans and how people are allowed to join a village (pueblo).  It all has to do with the chiefs of the pueblos and what dances they want in their village. He explained that much of his family was originally from a pueblo about 40-50 miles away. They were recruited, so to speak, to move.  He was a silversmith and talked to us about the stories behind several pieces of jewelry.  We purchased a few items and provided putty samples to Harry.  For those of you who are interested, Harry has a Web site; you can check it out at http://www.hopimarket.com/

After our two-hour side trip, we moved on pretty quickly through Flagstaff to Williams, a small town probably best known for its location along the historic Route 66. We did stop in Flagstaff rush hour traffic to get a photo of Aaron at the official Flagstaff marker. When we got to Williams, we checked   into the Canyon Country Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast. We made a stop for a few necessities and met the proprietor of Clothes for Gracie (that would be Gracie’s mom).  She was selling Burt’s Bees products including, get this, marshmallow vanishing cream, really who would want to make a marshmallow vanish?  We had dinner and a drink each at Pancho McGillicuddy’s, a sort-of-all-in-one establishment just a few blocks away.   

In addition to lots of Route 66 memorabilia, we saw some interesting sights throughout town. For example, there were two bikers decked out in leather sipping lattes. We also found a store with dozens of different types of hot sauce, some with some amusing, but not for polite company, names!"

Roadtrip Day 5

Jim and Cris headed out of Durango on the way to Kayenta for the night. 

"As we passed through Cortez Colorado, we saw a sign 'Tune to 530 am for tourist information', we did and all we got was static. We were sure that there must be something for tourists to do; fortunately we had other tourist spots already planned for the day.   We did note that there was a dog bed and breakfast in Cortez; perhaps this was a canine tourist destination.  Along the way we stopped at Four Corners, where Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado meet.  The land is part of the Navajo Indian reservation.   We passed through a fee collection point, and proudly provided the staff person with a putty sample.   She did not know what Thinking Putty was, but she took the putty anyway.   The dusty lot was bordered on one side by Indian jewelry vendors, but was highlighted by a small stage set with state flags and a commemorative plaque. After making an initial pass of the dozen or so vendors we returned, purchased some items, and to a few fortunate Indians, passed out some putty! One had grandchildren she planned to share the putty with.

Shopping completed, we knew that Aaron needed to stretch his legs. So we helped him out of the van and took him over to a plaque where he peered over the top.  Aaron also escorted us to the center of the monument where our trio had our photo taken by some fellow tourists.  After a few photos, Aaron insisted that we provide a sample of the putty to the man taking the photos, who was from near Snake River, WA. Driving out of Four Corners we saw a honeymoon couple taking pictures at the entrance. We felt obligated to provide a wedding present of, you got it, “thinking putty.” They thanked us and walked away giggling; we weren’t  sure it was the putty or pure matrimonial joy.

Leaving the Four Corners area, we looped around and headed to Mexican Hat, both a rock formation and a small town. We took photos of Aaron with the rock over his shoulder and then stopped at a café for a couple of burgers and serendipitously met up with our friendly photographer from Four Corners.  The café was modest, but on the walls were paper and coin currencies with notes from people from all over the world.  On the way out, Cris saw a Chihuahua and thought a picture of a Mexican dog at Mexican Hat would be a great thing to have.  The dog attempted to elude Cris but she persevered and backtracked on the dog, cornering him.  The dog responded with a growl and a bark which Cris caught on the digital camera.

Onto Kayenta we went! We drove through winding roads, down a long hill and into Monument Valley. The view was spectacular so, again, we pulled to one side with Aaron and took a shot of Aaron and Jim with the geologic formations in the background.  At the lookout parking spot there was a van full of people from Montreal.  They watched us take photos and asked what was going on.  We told them of our journey with Aaron and provided them with a putty sample.

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at Monument Valley so we spent some time taking pictures and making the obligatory visit to the gift shop.  Unbeknownst to us, the movie “Stagecoach” was filmed in Monument Valley and there were many items with the film’s star, John Wayne, on them in the gift shop. To get to Kayenta at a decent hour, we headed out again, setting our Garmin destination for the Hampton Inn, had dinner, and called it an early night."

Roadtrip Day 4

Today we woke and planned our trip to Mesa Verde, a national park, and World Heritage Site.  The drive from Durango to Mesa Verde passed though a scenic yet spartan landscape – basically red rock dotted with tufts of grass and short brush.

After stopping at the entryway for a photo op, we continued onto the booths to pay our way into the park.   We provided the ranger at the gate a sample of putty and got a great smile in return. Then it was onward and upward, as we drove about 15 miles on a climbing road to reach the visitor center. There we evaluated the options and decided to tour the Cliff Palace, the largest and best preserved of the pueblo village dwellings in Mesa Verde. After hearing that there were ladders and climbing involved, we decided to leave Aaron in the Jeep with a good book.

The tour we participated in was fantastic! Park Ranger Tom Wolf (according to him, he’s the only wolf in the park) provided an immense amount of information and plenty of good humor in the hour-long tour. We learned about the impact of the fires on the park and why the cliff dwellers may have moved down from the mesas involved (changing climate conditions), the energy they expended making just one brick (took one man 3 hours!) and the important role that the turkeys played in their culture (turkeys were protein and the Indians domesticated them with the corn grown on the mesas). We also learned about the engineering marvels known as kivas, large, round pits in the ground where the Indians honored the spirits. In addition to featuring benches where the Indians would gather in the colder months, there were air deflectors and something called a “sipacu,” which was a hole – basically a two-way street – between the underworld and the world above.

After the tour and on the way to the Jeep Jim offered one of our tour mates a can of putty.  She was from the greater Kansas city area and was touring with her mother.  We later found ourselves at the same restaurant in the park and had great lunchtime conversation with the two.

While leaving the park, we handed out a final putty sample and some material to a couple from Brazil who had gone on the tour with us. The Brazilians were elated to receive the gift and seemed unfazed by the sight of Jim racing down the path toward them!

On the way out of the park we stopped for a few photos. First, at the 1 million gallon water tank that helps protects Mesa Verde from fires and also at a high lookout point at the top of a winding road bordered with charred pinon trees. At the top it was very windy and as Aaron (and Jim) worked his way up to the very top, he spun and was tossed and turned just a bit. On the way back down, Jim shared a putty sample with a couple from Cedar City, UT coming up the trail.

Roadtrip Day 3

"Jim and Cris packed up early in the morning and headed out to the Train from Durango to Silverton.  Relying on Greta (our Garmin GPS lady), we arrived at the station, rifled through the putty provisions, selected some samples then escorted all five feet of Aaron to the ticket counter.  As we moved around the station, and got ready to board our assigned car, the ticket staff on the ramp joked about a ticket for Aaron.  Had they pressed the matter, I was ready to reply, “Certainly, Aaron’s standard currency is putty, here’s a can.”

Shortly before 9 a.m., we boarded the train and located Aaron at the front of the railcar where he could keep a close eye on all passengers.   

After the train departed, we chatted with another couple on the train who wanted to know the story of Aaron.  We filled them in on the details and provided them with a sample can of putty.  They were thrilled to receive the item. Several of the children around us received temporary Aaron tattoos.  They very politely accepted the gift and said thank you. 

We arrived in Silverton to a rainy, bleak day.  Fortunately, Aaron is laminated and resists rain.  We moved to the front of the train where we took several photos. 

Heading down the road, looking for somewhere to eat, we settled on the Bent Elbow Saloon.  We propped Aaron up beside our table and ordered food.  One of the waitresses came over to ask what was going on with Aaron.  We filled her in and provided a putty sample.  Later we found out she was also one of the town EMTs and the Coroner.    Hopefully she was good at one of those professions.

Moving up and down the streets, between the raindrops, of Silverton we stopped to take photos of Aaron and handed out putty samples to several store clerks.

Waiting at the station to board the train we met an English woman currently living in Texas.  She also was fascinated and entertained by the whole Aaron experience.  As she looked like she was “fixin’” to have fun, we provided her with a putty sample.

Back on train, and the brakeman who visited our car asked “Whose sign is this?” Once we explained our idea of introducing Aaron to the southwest, and providing putty samples, everyone on the car wanted to know what’s going on. Mind you, at this point, they had sat on train for four hours with Aaron already!

During the discussions, a doctor and his wife indicated that they would like the cutout of Aaron dropped off in Santa Fe when we were done with him.  We provided a putty sample and collected the telephone number for the drop off.  This was the last sample we carried onto the train.  A family from Sydney, Australia wanted to know more about the product so we provided some marketing literature and extolled the virtues of putty.  Not too long after that the doctor swapped his putty for the marketing material.  The mother from Sydney was astounded that this simple item could keep two children entirely occupied for over two hours.

Arriving at the Durango station we gathered up Crazy Aaron and escorted him to the Jeep.  A quick stop at Taco Bell, where of course the drive through clerk received a sample of putty, and we headed back to our cabin for the night.

more later ... "

RoadTrip Day 2 Continued

An Addendum From Cris on Day 2 of their Adventure:

"You may recall that Cris and Jim returned from Lobo Outlook to the main road.  We forgot to mention that there was a putty giveaway opportunity on the way down.  There was a man with his girlfriend doing some target practice with a pistol.  Cris thought it best not to provoke a gun-carrying citizen with a putty offering.  Given that a Kevlar vest was not available, Jim reluctantly agreed that a man with a gun might not enjoy the same power packed fun with putty as bullets.

After arriving at Durango, we ventured out to do some shopping, picking up odds and ends for the three days we planned to be in Durango.  On the way out to the Jeep, we were approached by two missionaries looking to exchange chintzy sun catchers for cash.  We’re not quite sure what religion was involved, only that cash was needed.  After a polite no thank you, the girls continued to request cash.  Jim quickly and deftly reached into the Jeep, pulled out a can of putty and put it into one of the missionary’s hands. Surprised, she said “what’s this,” and Jim said “it’s putty” and Cris said “it’s fun.” We then left, pleased that we had spread our message about the power of putty."