A Free-Fair-All

So thanks to one of our most anti-lame Campaign members, Sarah, we got free tickets to the Oak Mountain State Fair in Pelham, Alabama this past weekend. Allow us to share with you some thoughts on the whole deal...

Sunscreen. Never leave home without it. Carnival rides not only hoist you up much closer to the sun, but they generally take place during the peak sun hours of the day, so take heed and don't look like a lobster by the end of the day.

Appropriate clothes. Wear something you can sweat in, but also something that protects the parts of your body that will come into contact with carnival rides, because, well, we're just not sure about those surfaces. Also an extra dose of deodorant wouldn't hurt. This is the day to forgo the Toms and lather on that antiperspirant. You need chemicals.

Make new friends! Especially with Carnies. Because the last person you want on your bad side is someone controlling the metal cage of death you are strapped to.

To-go plates? Could we get some?? Since I'm always on the more nauseous end of the stomach spectrum when I'm at a fair, I am never able to fully enjoy the food offerings of such an event. However, several hours after I've been home, nothing sounds more appetizing than a deep-fried oreo and fried alligator on a stick.

Be sure to catch a show! Whether it's monkeys riding dogs or racing pigs, no carnival experience is complete without seeing animals doing cute things. While we're not sure how PETA feels about it, us at the Anti-Lame Camp believe that these animals are just living out their childhood fantasies of being a carnival act.

Bethany would like you to pardon her sweat stains. But we're just bein' real.

You know it's an intense ride when you can take a photo while you're mid-air.

Go Ride a Bike

Enjoy this post from guest blogger and from Anti-Lame friend, Hunter Van Wagenen!

Last Saturday, April 21st, was the day of the annual Old Howard bike ride. The race is named for the fact that the course takes riders past the original site of Howard College (so technically it’s in Marion, AL and not Birmingham), which moved locations twice and then changed its name to Samford University. Participants have a choice of taking a 30-, 45-, 75-, or 100-mile course, and it is a beautiful ride. That’s enough history. I, Hunter (or Veedubs if I get to choose my own nickname), decided that one of the best ways to make my final semester as an undergraduate at Samford NOT lame would be to ride in this race. At first, naïve young fellow that I was, I thought I would do the 100-mile ride. Reality quickly set in, however, that riding 100 miles on a bike is roughly equivalent to running a marathon, so I set my sights at the more achievable 45 miles, which had the added bonus of convincing a friend of mine to do it with me.

Training was fun, because we both have old Craig’s List types of bikes that are reliable but that no “real” biker would ever use. It allowed for a lot of male bonding and feeling extremely professional once we got to the point where we were pretty good. Then came race day.

45 miles sounds pretty easy. It’s a short drive, right? Those hills aren’t that steep. Wrong. I’d say that ride ranks as the most physically difficult thing I’ve ever done. The rest of the day my legs felt like jelly and this entire week my metabolism has been in overdrive with the side-effect that I’ve been hungry all the time. But the excitement of our achievement kept my friend and me smiling despite the fatigue, because we FREAKING BIKED 45 MILES! Plus we got tshirts to proclaim our greatness to the world.

So here are some tips for when you decide to up your anti-lame factor by riding in a race:

Train – however in shape you are, however long the ride is, make sure you have actually ridden a real bike a few times before you get into it. It will lead to much less pain for your experience.

Get bike shorts – up until last Saturday I was among those who make fun of people who wear spandex. No more. Sitting on a bike seat for 45 miles was roughly equivalent to getting kicked in the bum in slow motion for 3 hours. The spandex may be silly-looking, but the padding to support your southern areas is worth
swallowing your pride. Pride is lame anyway.

Do it with a friend – there were at least a couple dozen times that I was about ready to die on an uphill or my posterior was throbbing, but every time I groaned my friend had an encouraging word to cheer me on, as I did for him. We could not have done it without each other. Also, it’s way more fun to give victory high fives to friends than strangers.

Get Sponsored? – Get friends and family to pitch in a dime or a quarter for every mile you ride and you could be able to raise a fair amount of money for your favorite charity or organization (e.g. www.mpowerministries.org). I was too busy with senior stuff to figure this one out in time, but next race I do, I’m definitely going to try to make it about more than just my awesomeness.

Wear a cape – because no amount of charitable feeling completely rules out wanting to look awesome. Just make sure it doesn’t get caught in your chain.

Lessons in Blogging

Since starting this blog more than one year ago, we have experienced the highs and lows of sharing in the blogosphere. Not really. That's mostly an exaggeration. What's more true is that we've learned a couple of things in the past year. And we want to share those lessons with you.

Lesson #1: This advice came from a good friend when we first launched the Anti-Lame Campaign. He said, "Starting a blog is easy. Maintaining it is the hard part." So true, Rick. We've learned that blogging frequently doesn't always happen. And when you don't post frequently, it's hard to create a revolution. Which, as you know, is our goal.

Lesson #2: When you post videos, not everyone will appreciate their ridiculousness. But post them anyway.

Lesson #3: The more obscure references used in posts and post titles, the better. Because if someone recognizes it you give them a sense of belonging.

Lesson #4: We haven't employed this lesson yet, but rest assured we will soon. If you can't think of a clever reference, make one up and pretend it came from somewhere.

Lesson #5: Get other people to give you material. We want to have more guest posts. More people involved = more people who are invested in the cause.

Lesson #6: Photos make posts more fun.

Lesson #7: Don't take your blog too seriously. Sure, we've passed out our blog's business cards on cruises and at church, but we recognize it's all in good fun. Some people may want to stay lame. Our job is only to present the opportunity for change.

We hope these suggestions have been informative and helpful. And if not, at least it's another post from us!

How to Camp (like a boss)

Camping has been a pastime for centuries. Heck, it used to be a way of life. These days, though, life has gotten a little cushy. So, the Anti-Lame Campaign decided a trek in the wilderness was just the dose of reality needed once springtime weather reached Birmingham.

Tips for planning your next camping trip:
1. Don't do it last minute. Unfortunately, people are busy these days. Well, some people are.
2. Buy the proper gear instead of relying on others. You'll be happier and less stressed. And maybe your air mattress will actually inflate.
3. Invest in kindling.
4. Invest in hot dogs with fat in them. The fat free kind roasted over an open flame are insufficient.
5. Wear appropriate attire. See video below for suggestions.
6. Have more than two people. Even if the two people are awesome. Have more than two people.
7. Brace yourself beforehand for a rough night's sleep. Oak Mountain State Park's wilderness is not the Marriott. Roots and leaves are not nature's own pillowtop mattress.

All in all, our adventure was fun. There was mystery - will we actually succeed in pitching our tent? Intrigue - what is this bingo at campsite B we see signs for? And danger - will we injure ourselves opening a bottle sans bottle opener? For answers to theses questions, and much more, see our instructional video below.

Thank you for following the Anti-Lame Campaign, and happy camping!
Bethany and Erin