Rifftrax has gone all Web 2.0-ish with their new iRiff service, allowing users to upload — and charge for — homebrewed Rifftrax.

I’m surprisingly tempted to buy some recording equipment and try this. It’s something I wanted to do about two years ago anyway, until Rifftrax launched, and this time around there’s a waiting audience of like-minded souls willing to spend time and money on funny riffs. And I seem to have some time on my hands, until I find a job…

Trouble is, I’m the only person I know with that kind of time, so I’d be doing it by myself. Not only is it less fun, I don’t think I’d be all that funny on my own. Alternate viewpoints help my own creativity, and these things are just less funny without banter.

Still, wouldn’t it be satisfying to take on, say, Uwe Boll’s Alone in the Dark?

It’s been long enough, I should probably catch up. I guess I haven’t felt talkative. Er… blogative?

My brother and sister came up from the DC area our first weekend in town to help us unload from the U-Pack crates. That night, we visited the Korova Milk Bar in White Plains, which is done up just like the movie. There must not be a lot of Kubrick nerds in the area, though, since we were the only customers on a Friday evening apart from a couple of people at the bar. The food was good, too, and not that expensive, which added to my confusion. Come on, New Yorkers, learn your movie history!

The next day, we did some sightseeing in the city, taking trains and subways to the southernmost point of Manhattan and working our way back up. I’m not sure what they got out of the New York experience, but Kristie and I stumbled on Jim Hanley’s Universe, one of the nation’s best comic book stores, so we were satisfied.

Since then, well… to be honest, I’ve had a hard time adjusting. I’ve avoided posting anything until I could figure out exactly what I was feeling. And then it hit me: I don’t know anyone. I can’t find my way around. I don’t know the UI. Half the males apparently suffer from testosterone poisoning. I’m being tested by people in positions of authority. Almost everything is intimidating.

Essentially, it’s 9th grade all over again.

Seriously, I’m not sure I’ve felt this way since high school, and that’s… not very good for my peace of mind. I can’t even drive anywhere without getting honked at. Most kids are taught to drive with their hands at 10 and 2. Apparently, for everyone in New York (and New Jersey, according to Vern), it’s 10 and Center.

I’ve been handling things better the last couple of days. And let’s face it, I’ve only been here two weeks, so I just have to remember that my situation will improve. I’ve had two job interviews so far, one with an employer and one with an agency representing an employer. We’ll see how those go.

Meanwhile, we’re slowly but surely supplying our new home with furniture. The next step is a rather large amount of bookshelves for the dining room, I think. Being out of boxes, at long last, would be a nice improvement.

It figures, I post almost every day from the road, but once I arrive in New York, my blog is silent.

We’ve been busy, as you might expect — so busy that we didn’t even make it to the grocery stores until today. Kristie met with her new employers today and goes back again tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’ve been spending some gift cards her mom sent to us on plates and towels and things like that.

Our stuff is scheduled to arrive on Friday, and my brother and sister are coming up from the DC area to help out (and also get free lodging while they sightsee in New York City). Once that’s all finished, perhaps the thought of job-hunting will begin to speculate about the merest possibility of crossing my mind.

Long day of driving today, ending in Youngstown, Ohio. Tomorrow will be mostly filled with Pennsylvania, and should see us arrive at our new home in New York.

Each of the cats had physical issues the last couple of days that nearly derailed our trip. First, Clem had a seemingly bad reaction to the vet-prescribed sedatives we’ve been giving them for traveling — he was unconscious and non-responsive, unlike the previous three days. So today, we skipped the sedatives since they seemed to be doing better without them… and Peter freaked out two hours into the drive, mewling strangely, shredding his claws on the carrier door. The scary part was that he was panting when it wasn’t hot in the car — he has a heart murmur and the vet says that’s one of the signs he’s having heart problems.

In each case, we talked about what to do, then I ran off to get directions to an emergency vet. And in each case, the cat was doing much better by the time I came back. So we continued on our way.

Not much else to report, except for almost being run off the road by a trucker whose training video for his license was apparently Duel.

No Internet access until the cable guy comes on Tuesday. I don’t think I’ll miss it tomorrow night. I’m just happy this six-day odyssey is almost over. America is too damn BIG!

(…see, because we’re in Missouri now, and Kristie’s job is in Suffern, NY, and they sound like “misery” and “sufferin’.” Oh, never mind, I’m tired.)

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to be in Missouri. I had zero positive experiences in Oklahoma, between the traffic, the construction, the unmanned exact-change tolls, the giant Dodge trucks, the sticky heat, the endless flat nothingness, and the people… oh, the people. Oklahoma is assuredly the Perineum of America.

Not to say southwestern Missouri is much different, but at least it has the distinction of being my birth state.

Anyway, on to greener pastures (literally) tomorrow for a visit with family in rural Illinois. Not much driving, should be more fun than today.