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Alright everybody. I'm off on my big vacation to Crete, Greece, for a few weeks. I will try and check in here to let you know how it's going and post some pictures. (Yes, ladies, swimsuit pictures.)

In the meantime, please leave a comment here when you miss me. If you really miss me, click on the picture at left to enlarge it. (Did you all know you can do that with these pictures in the posts?!)

Also, the success of Scott's high school dance picture post inspires me to request that you send me (paolomottolajr[at]yahoo.com) your high school dance photos (or photos of friends) so that I can post a God-awful, entertaining album of pictures. It'll be funny, I think.

Before I go:

  • Shop with parents
  • See Michelle and Tony
  • Punch Sergio in the arm, for good measure
  • Call some of my peoples
  • See Scott
  • Go to band practice

I love you all.

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Can you picture this guy getting down with the homies on Beacon Hill or spitting game at the clubs? Can you picture him rolling downtown in a slammed Cadillac bumpin' T.I.?

While this might be a stretch for the imagination, Seattle mayor Greg Nickels does participate in the Seattle hip-hop community. He hands out the annual Mayor's Award for Excellence in Hip Hop.

According to the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Web site, the award "acknowledges and honors innovative performance, community service and entrepreneurial achievement by locally based members for the hip-hop community whose work has had significant impact in Seattle."

Nominations for this year's award are due by Friday, August 4. If you're so inclined, go to the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Web site to get the details. And you know what, there are some worthy hip-hop artists in Seattle. Don't believe me? Check out the following videos from the Mass Line concert I went to with Sergio, Katrine and Kailyn a couple weeks ago...

Blue Scholars performing "Motion Movement" and "Blue School"

Common Market performing "Push"

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Well, Scott has been bugging me about putting up the pictures he took during his B24 flight with Courtney. I hadn't had time to upload the pictures, so I figured this picture of Scott and Dorkis would be a quick fix to post something entertaining. Because this picture is so popular I'll go ahead and leave it up. ;)

I have finally uploaded Scott's photos here. They're cool for a couple reasons. First, this is the last functional B24 in existence and Scott and Courtney basically risked their lives to take the flight. Second, Scott got artistic on some of the shots. I also uploaded some photos Sergio sent me into the Yahoo album.

Remember kids, if you have any photos (appropriate for all ages) that you'd like me to post, send 'em my way and I'll hook it up.

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Editor's note: Matt originally published this as a MySpace bulletin, and I just thought it was too funny not to publish here.

I would consider myself to be a fairly smart person who, for the most part, is centered and rarely a wild man. This afternoon, all of this was about to change. I headed out with my cousin into the wilderness of Cheney, WA.

We started on what we thought would be a great Sunday afternoon walk -- catching up on family gossip and having a few political and theological debates. Sounds pretty wild right? The weather was a cool 79 degrees when we started walking down a old railroad track that has been changed into a walking path about five miles outside of town. This path is so straight that you can see about three miles down before the earth curves and you lose sight of the distant tunnel. Anyway, about five miles down this path the sun starts to burn off the clouds, and the hot rays start to scorch our bodies. At about this time, we choose to turn around and head back the five miles we had traveled.

Being the smart persons we are, both of us forgot to bring any water or suntan lotion. The sun starts to bake and the temperature really spiked (to what I later found out was 92 degrees). About three miles later I almost threw up, and my body completely stops sweating, which, let me tell you, is a wonderful feeling when walking in the heat.

My cousin stated that his brain was no longer working and he would agree with almost any comment I would make if I would just stop talking. Long story short, when we made it back to the car my face, hands, and legs were burnt to a crisp. Tonight it is quite painful to move my arms or legs. We went to a Taco Bell and drank water so fast that, quite frankly, I was unsure where I was. I have never been so disorientated (except after heavy drinking of gin or Jack). The lesson learned is that the sun can hurt you and cause much pain. Also, water is very important and if you are in the heat too long bad things happen.

Finally, to get someone to agree with you radical right political positions you need to take them out into the heat for a 10 mile walk.