Arrested development

Glenn Weatherson is nearing the end of his five-month house-arrest sentence for a felony conviction for graffiti. To pass time, Weatherson created a day-to-day video blog of his everyday life as he struggles with being stuck in a studio apartment in Midtown Sacramento. At www.sixty-days.com, Weatherson documents waking up, brushing his teeth, eating mounds of cereal and a seemingly endless amount of turkey sandwiches, napping, showering, playing video games, drinking coffee, working, doing the dishes and spending time with his kitten, girlfriend, friends and family. Sounds pretty mundane, but the high-quality videos on the Web site are somehow incredibly addicting.

How did you come up with the idea?

My girlfriend, Liz, thought of the idea to document my everyday routine while I am on house arrest. It was an idea that we developed about 30 days ago. So we decided to call it Sixty Days. I have a little over 30 days left. The video blog helps me pass time and allows me to be productive and creative. I didn’t expect it to become as popular and interactive as it has.

Interactive?

My viewers can comment on my videos each day. Sometimes Liz and I reply to their comments and questions.

How many people visit Sixty Days per day?

Around 1,000. I have viewers from Australia, Germany, Canada, London, the United States and a lot of viewers from Sacramento. Random people from Sacramento have recognized our apartment complex from the videos and have shown up at our door to say hello and tell me they like the site.

Sixty Days was your girlfriend’s idea, but how does she feel about it now that it has progressed?

There have been days that she does not want to be recorded, which results in her slapping me, slapping the camera and then ignoring me or going somewhere. She has been a very good sport, even when I went on a prank spree where I would mess with her and try to catch it on camera. I am surprised how much she and her family put up with me.

What kind of pranks?

My best was stacking all of our furniture into one pile in the middle of our studio apartment. Then I hid and filmed her reaction when she came home. That was day 14, which has been my favorite day so far. My viewers wrote in with suggestions of things I should do to pass my time. That day, I stacked the furniture, peed while riding my bike and attempted to drink a gallon of Tampico juice but ended up projectile vomiting. Day 14 was also the end of taking suggestions from viewers. I didn’t want the site to be anything like Jackass, and that seemed to be the direction it was taking.

Day 13 is my favorite.

Day 13 is the day I rapped, danced, and ate chicken and Skittles together while listening to hardcore music, right?

Yes! But even when you’re not doing something ridiculous, your videos are still interesting. Describe your typical day on house arrest.

Every video has its own individual cool thing. I wake up every morning around 7 a.m. when Liz wakes up. I put clothes on and brush my teeth. But instead of leaving the house when she does, I just stay here. I work from home, so that takes up a lot of time. When I am not working, I am playing with our kitten, playing video games or hanging out with friends that stop by to keep me company.

What are you going to do on April 7, day 60?

One viewer suggested that I go spray-paint a building on my last day of house arrest and film it. I will not be doing that. I have learned my lesson. I have also learned the value of a dollar. Every Monday I have to pay $170. You have to pay to be on house arrest.

What will you be

doing on April 8?

I will be outside all day. I want to ride my bike! I also want to start doing activities that are legal but still give me an adrenaline rush, like sky diving.

What will happen

to the Web site?

It is going to be a sad day, but constantly recording is a struggle. It is easy to forget and miss some good pieces from the day and then it’s like, “Oh man, I forgot to record myself making that sandwich or opening the fridge!” Filming every day has opened my mind to new possibilities and interests.

So should we be on the lookout for more films or documentaries?

Yes! I would love to pick up an HD camera in the future and get into some bike films or interviews with strangers. Having a camera would be another way to express myself and get my foot in the door.

Can you keep your ankle bracelet?

Yes, but it costs a lot of money to do so. Liz and I want to keep it and Bedazzle it.

Will you be home tomorrow if I need to come by and ask you a few more questions?

Duh.

Oh, right. Sorry.