General Post

1. When did Moe grow a beard? I logged into Blogger.com just now, and this picture popped up as one of their current members. I don't know why I could care that this Mountain Man Moe is a member of Blogger.com, but the doppelganger pic gave me a chuckle.

2. Working from home is nice some times. 300 central Ohio schools are closed today, due to snow. I was watching the news and the trafic report said that there was a car overturned at the exit I would use to get to my office (if I were to go to my office). The downside is that, if people call off because of the snow or the office closes because of the snow, I get to pick up all the slack.

3. I can't remember if I mentioned this, but I got a poker DVD through NetFlix a while back. It really changed the way I think about playing poker. I would like to say that I am unstoppable now, but I still have some bad habits I need to break. Plus, winning poker really depends on the cards that you get (to a large degree). Sure, you can bluff every hand, but that wouldn't work for long. Still, the last two games I played, I came in 3rd and 2nd place.

4. What the fuck is going on with Lost? (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!) The show is good enough that I am going to watch the rest of the season, but I think that the writers smoke a bag of pot before writing and try to think what they can do to give watchers more questions. "How can we fuck with them this week?" I am getting really thrown by the way they are showing flash forwards. Mostly the time lime is throwing me. In the season opener, we see Jack and Kate meeting with Jack saying they need to go back. Last night we see Kate on trial. Did the trial happen before or after their other meeting? Plus, we see Aaron looking like a three year old. Why wouldn't Jack want to see him? I assumed it was because Kate got knocked up by Sawyer. I think probably the biggest question now is, why are there only six survivors from the island? Did everyone else die ro stay? I really want to kick Locke in the balls for being so wishy washy and a whiney little bitch. AAAARRRGH!!!! There are just SO many questions about this show! There are so many new questions that I am forgetting old questions from previous seasons!

TV Updates

So, Knight Rider was a bit of a disappointment. They spent entirely too much time on making the car effects look cool, used them too many times, and forgot that plot is pretty important to a show as well. I am hoping that it was just a pilot episode blunder. The effects were good, but not enough to make up for a weak story and a stupid cameo by David Hasselhoff. Plus, I was really hoping for an appearance by the original KITT. There were also some time line issues. KITT is supposed to go hundreds of miles per hour, and yet the bad guys were always one set ahead of Mike (the new good guy). Yes, the bad guys had a helicopter, but they are not as fast as a super powered Mustang. Maybe it was the "as the crow flies" routes they took instead of being confined to roads. I will give Knight Rider another shot, but it may fall to the way side if it does not get better.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is still pretty good. I am a little worried that they are going to try to make too much of character intrigue. They are casting suspicion on Uncle Reese a bit and making some conflict between him and Summer Glau. I guess they need to do something to make the show more than just fighting T-888s. I still like the show alot. I just hope they don't ruin it by trying to make too much out of it.

Ain't I Sweet?

This is a picture of Jessica's Valentine's Day present. I know, I know.... flowers die, but they always seem to make her happy. I usually ger roses, but decided to switch things up a bit. I thought these looked nice. Plus, I thought the vase was nice. I felt a little bad because I was out a little late. Valentine's Day fell on my bowling night. Still, it was an OK day, I guess. I usually don't get into Valentine's Day much more than dinner and a card or flowers and a card. I guess that is more than some guys do. Jessica got me a Vader bobble head. Fun stuff.

Multi-Bloggin'

I was bored at work yesterday (we were out of work and I was counting the minutes before I could log off) so I did a blog search on poker. I found several blogs and checked a few out. The first didn't have much to offer, but the second was slightly interesting. Hella Hold'em is the site name. I haven't read much of it, but what I did read, I liked a bit. Anyway, during the search, I found the person first and she had several blogger pages. One looked like a general posting blog, there was the poker blog, and a few others. I wonder, does the author have too much time on her hands, or does she separate her posts for her readers. I'm sure that most of you would rather skip my OSU football posts. Should I have an OSU blog for football season? I know Amy did it while she was preggers. I would check both on occasion. Honestly, I doubt I will check this stranger's daily blog, but I was glad to find the poker blog. I don't think I am going to separate my posts into two or more blogs. Honestly, I don't have enough time or material to multi-blog. So, I guess you will just have to read this some days and skip it on others.

Speaking of poker I won a bit of cash last night. I bought in for $40 and left with $101. I can live with that. I would have won more, but I went all in with pocket aces and lost to pocket kings. A third king came up on the board and kicked my ass. I had a bad feeling that he had kings, but had to play my hand. It cost me about $80. I hate those hands where I know I am beat but have to play anyways.

Enough is Enough Already

Ok Winter, you can go away now. I usually don't mind this time of year. I like cold weather. The snow and ice is what I am getting tired of. Trash day was Tuesday, during a long snow and rain storm. The lid was left off the can, so it filled up and then froze. Plus, it melted a little during the day and refroze, effectively freexing the trash can to the ground. I fixed that yesterday by bumping it (on purpose) with my car, but it is heavy as hell because of the ice in the bottom. Don't get me started on my gas bill. I guess what I am saying is, I am ready for Spring.

I'm sure I have already mentioned, but Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love all the green stuff popping out of the ground. Tree blossoms, flowers, green grass, are all so nice in the spring. Plus, the temperature is perfect and there are no bugs. I also look forward to the gardening/landscaping plans I think up during the winter. Sure, it is tiring, but I like making my yard look nice. I sort of let things slide last summer, so I have alot to do thins coming Spring. I want to expand some flower beds and 'fix' my front yard. There is a big tree in the front and its roots are popping up making it hard to mow the grass. That means putting down dirt to comer the roots and then planting grass. While I am at it, I am going to put in a flower bed around the tree. I also need to prune my trees and bushes and spread mulch. I don't enjoy those things too much. The bad things about alot of flower beds are the mulching and pulling weeds. I will probably take a week off to get all of these things done. Fun stuff. Actually, if starting a business isn't so scary, I would do landscaping stuff as a career.

A Happy Birthday Present we want to return

Why have a party for your kid's birthday at Chuck E Cheese's? Games, pizza, fun all around.

Why NOT have a party at Chuck E Cheese's? Germs, bacteria, and viruses all over the place.

Since Gabriel's party last Friday, both he and Ally have been sick. This illustrates how parents are irresponsible and allow sick kids in a public places so that they can spread their germs and also illustrates how poorly Chuck E Cheese's crew cleans and sanitizes. It isn't the same illness either, I don't think. Ally has had a runny nose, bad cough, and a mild fever. Gabe has a higher fever and a cough, not so much the runny nose. Ally seems to be getting better, but Gabriel's fever has been going strong since Sunday. He is being a trooper, saying that he feels OK, but that fever just won't go away. This will be his fourth missed day of school this week. Jessica is taking him to a doctor today. Hopfully, he will kick this soon so that he can go back to school. Not that I want to get rid of him, he likes school and is sad when he can't go. Seriously.

The Orange Box

Since I finished Bioshock, I wanted to get a new FPS (first person shooter) game. I was thinking about Turok, which looks pretty good, but I went with a game that I knew more about. Although they called it The Orange Box, it is really Half Life 2. I had played Half Life on my PC WAAAAAAAY back in the day. The situation is kinda like Doom 3, what with the old game getting new life on the new gaming console. Anyway, the reason I went with Half Life 2 is because I remember that the old game scared me a bit and was quite fun. Although I have only played The Orange Box for a few hours, it is not disappointing. The graphics are good and, so far, it is playing quite well. I am trying to get to some doctor's lab through a maze of tunnels with bad guys trying to kill me. Not an easy task since the tunnels are dark and hard to get though.

Another feature of The Orange Box is called Portal. I haven't played it yet, but have heard good things about it. You get to be the unwilling participant in some lab experiments, like getting through mazes and solving puzzels. My firends say that it is something that I "need to try." I am unsure if I will give Portal a shot right away or get all the way through Half Life first. Plus, I still will need to feed my Halo 3 addication. One bad thing about Half Life is that the buttons are a little different than H3. Hopfully it won't though me off too much when I switch back and forth between the two games.

On a side note: FUCK ME!!!! IT'S COLD!!!!! The pipes to our shower are frozen. Luckily the other shower is fine.

Party Time

I can't believe it, but my little boy is turning six this weekend. It amazes me how quickly he seems to be growing up. Again, Gabriel asked that we have his party at Chuck E Cheese's. That is OK by me. The kids have fun and we don't need to clean up at all. I think three or four of Gabe's friends will be coming along. My parents will be here as well. The party is tonight, but his actual birthday is this Sunday. He also lost his first tooth this week. He lost it at school, and then he lost it at school, so the tooth fairy didn't get to take it. He still got a dollar though.He has other loose teeth, so pretty soon he will be missing all his front teeth. I think kids are cute when they are missing their front teeth.

Anyway, I will be sure to post pictures of the party on my Flickr site.

Poker on the Brain

I know I have been posting about poker alot lately. Sorry. Really though, I would love it if I could make playing cards my career. I know I am not good enough for all that and Jessica would probably frown at moving to Las Vegas, but could you imagine playing cards for your job? how fun would that be?

I am going to watch an instructional DVD today about playing in tournaments. It will probably be boring and include alot of things that I already know, but if I can learn something to improve my game, it will be worth it. I am playing in a little tournament tonight and will be playing in the big one in April. you all know that though, so I won't go over that again.

I won a tournament on my Xbox yesterday. I was pretty happy. I got three achievements for it, which I need to catch Woody in achievement points. He made a huge jump this past month. Anyway, it was a seven card stud game, which is really different from Texas Hold'em. In seven card stud, you get two cards face down (you can look at them) and one card face up. There is a round of betting, another card face up, a round of betting, another card face up (betting), another card face up (betting), and a final card face down. Basically, you get three cards face down and four face up. You make the best five card hand out of the seven cards. You get to see half of your opponent cards, so it kinda makes the game a bit interesting.

I was thinking about getting a card related tattoo. I'm not sure what or where though. I was thinking about an ace of spades with the Japanese symbol for the word patience in the center. My biggest poker problem is being over aggressive when I should fold cards. I was also thinking about a spades royal flush. I just don't know where I would get a tattoo. I am kinda hairy, so placement would be difficult. I would be silly to get a tat and have hair grow all over it. I'm not Robin Williams hairy, at least. I was thinking either my calf or my forearm. Probably some place hidden so that my parents wouldn't give me crap about it. Actually, I don't care about that. Cost is another issue for me. Tattoos can be expensive. Especially if I were to get the royal flush. I'll probably just go with the Ace of spades idea.

Not Going Well Bloggin' in 08

It's been a slow blog year so far. Sorry about that. I don't really know the reason. Maybe I am just running out of things to babble about. Let's face it, I don't exactly have the most exciting life. I get up, get out of bed, drag a comb across my head...... Go downstairs and drink a cup..... ok, ok, you know the song. Seriously though, I don't really do too much that is intersting enough to write about my daily life. Maybe my life has gotten even more bull, since January 08 has the fewest posts in one month since 06. Maybe I am just getting lazy.

Anyway, the Super Bowl was on last night. I am glad the Giants won. Not because I like the Giants, I just dislike the Patriots. They cheat and are sore losers. Their coach left the field before the game was officially over. Are you kidding me? Show some class, you dick.

I watched House after the Super Bowl last night. It is one of our usual shows. I was a bit leary about this episode when I started seeing the commercials. (SPOILER ALERT) They were video phone calling someone in the South Pole and talking them through tests and diagnosis. They made the patient poke, prod, and stick herself over and over trying to figure ou twhy she was dying. It was highly unbelievable. After all the tests and telling her she was dying, it turned out she had a broker toe. Are you kidding me? How retarded. "Sorry we made you stab yourself with a needle and then drill a hole in your head. Our bad."

Jessica's New Ride

We went to the car dealership to get a new car for the family. I was on the fence about getting myself a truck or getting Jessica a car. We decided on a car. Initially, we were looking for a used Toyota Yaris that was on the web for $11900. I think it was a 2003 model. With the payment we could put down, the payments wouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately, when the salesman started up the car, it sounded like shit. Plus, it was obvious that the windows were left open during a rain storm at some point. The seats were wet, the windows fogged up, and a mildew smell was present. So, we started looking around some, test drove a Toyota Carolla and then a Toyota Matrix. The Matrix is basically the same as a Carolla, but has more room and an SUV-type body. We ended up going with the Matrix. If you want to check it out, follow this link. It is a little more than I wanted to spend, but it is a 2004 model and looks brand new. It has some milage on it, but we have a five year warranty and Toyotas tend to last forever. Plus, Jessica really likes it. I just hope she doesn't wreck this one. It has some really cool features, including an actual plug outlet, a moon roof, and I think a plug for your MP3 player to go into. I must admit, I am a little jealous. I guess it is a little small for me, if I want anyone to ride in the back seat, but I like the extra features she gets to play with.

Best Time of the Year

Well, for us it is. Tax time is always fun for us. The best thing about having kids isn't making them. The best thing about kids is the tax credit that you get after the end of the year. Especially if you have more than one. Ok, Ok. I guess the love that you get from them is OK too. Anyway, I think I still have my tax reporting through work indicating that I am single. This means more money is taken out during the year and a bigger refund. I't kind of like a savings. I won't tell you how much we are getting back, but I will say that we are going to buy a new shed for the back yard and a new garage door. Maybe a new lawn mower. After that, we should have a substantial amount left over. An indicator at how much we get back: we got our last W2 on Thursday and out return was mailed today. Give me my money back Uncle Sam! Plus, we should get the $800 bonus refund from G Dubya. He is an idiot, but he sure likes to give us money back.

Ever have a conversation take a SHARP turn?

So, I went to Krogers last night to pick up a bottle of wine to have with dinner. I went in, got the wine, and went straight to the checkout line, no hustle, no bustle. I like to powershop. Anyway, the cashier was under age, so she had to call someone over to ring up my purchase. So, it was me, the guy scanning the wine, and the bag girl. As I am waiting, the conversation between these three people went to the fact that the cashier didn't like the dark and slept with a night light. I understood this, since I have trouble sleeping in pitch black. The guy ringing up the order laughed at the girl, so I jokingly chastized him, asking why he had to make fun. "Lots of people sleep with night lights." This is when the turn took place. The SHARP turn. The cashier who started the night light talk said something like, "Yeah, I need to have a light on when I sleep. I see demons." Bwwwhhhhaaaattt????? She had a dead serious look on her face. I quickly shut my mouth, paid, and ran. How do you have a conversation at your work, in front of customers, where you state that you see demons? Wow.

That is all I can say.

General stuff

1. I started playing Marvel Universe Ultimate Alliance this weekend. It was free with my latest Xbox. I finished Bioshock and wanted to play something new. I think I am getting frustrated with Halo 3 and not getting better in the multi player stuff. Plus, I can never find buddies online to play with. Anyway, I guess MUUA is OK. I don't really like third person perspective in games, but it is unavoidable in this case. It would be too hard to make this a first person game. My favorite mutant to use is Wolverine. Probably because he is my favorite mutant. All in all, this is not my favorite game, but it is good enough to make me want to finish it.

2. Jessica wrecked her car last week. I am not thrilled with the situation, but at least she is OK. It was not a serious accident, be the car was totaled. I am just glad that I got the top grade insurance on the car, or else I would have been screwed. We would have lost money instead of getting a check from the insurance company. I am going to use it to put a down payment on a new car. I should say a used car. I can't afford a new car. Really, I just want something that Jessica can drive to work and back. I don't mind doing most of the driving. I am thinking another Toyota or a Honda. Those cars are usually reliable for a long time.

3. I got my butt kicked in cards last Friday. I couldn't catch a hand to save my life. The best hand that I got all night was a king high flush and I got my ass kicked by a straight flush. It was pretty frustrating. I played for five hours, so I wasn't being wreckless, it was more like a slow, painful, bleeding of chips from my stack. You will have nights like that though. Considering that I have been winning money most of the time, it is OK when I lose a bit. I really take those nights as learning experiences. To put it into perspective, I once read an interview with some pro poker players, and one of them said that it was not a big deal to lose $1mil in a month because you will likely win it back next month. WOW! Anyway, I have been keeping track of my poker money since January 1st and I am only down $40 so far for 2008.

It's almost that time again.....

It amazes me how time seems to whiz by now that I am over 30. The days seem to melt together into the weeks and months. In two months, I will be going to Caesar's casino in Indiana for another shot at their World Series of Poker tournament. If you remember, I played last year and got my butt kicked. I had a full house and lost to a better full house. Craziness. Still, I had a good time and I am sure that I am a better player from the experience. Now, I have almost another year or poker playing under my belt and think that I could really make a run in a big tournament. Unfortunately, like my bowling game, my poker playing is inconsistant. I have been winning alot lately, but there are times that I make big mistakes that cost me big money. All in all, I have only lost money in a night of cards twice since November. I may not win a lot of money, but I win. I think my main problem is that I am impatient and tend to bet when I shouldn't. Over-aggressiveness is the word. Still, I am reading players better and playing my hands better.

A test for my readiness will occur tomorrow night. My friend is having a big cash game with alot of people I have never played with. I want to see how I do against people I don't know. I am hoping for a big night so that I can win enough money for the $340 WSOP buy in. I have won that much in a night before, but it is rare. My goal over the next two months is to win enough so that can pay the buy in and hotel stay with cash. $1000 should do.

A fun fact about my poker playing: I have been playing off of the same $40 since November.

Not sure what I think about this.....

Watching TV last night, I saw a commercial that took me off guard. I wasn't really paying attention, so I wasn't sure I saw what I saw. Instant replay (DVR) confirmed the call on the field and a new Knight Rider series is set for the 2008 season. As the title indicates, I am not sure how I feel about this. I was a fan of the old show, staring David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight and his kick ass, bullet-proof, talking car, KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand). Knight would drive around the country helping those in need. Some of the most memorible episodes included KITTs evil twin, KARR and a huge, armored semi truck (I forget the truck's name). Obviously, TV producers are through looking for new ideas. Battlestar Galactica seems to have opened the flood gates for remakes of the 80 sci-fi show. Now, we have Bionic Woman, which I don't watch anymore (it bored me), BSG, a GREAT show, Doctor Who, another great show, and soon, Knight Rider. Plus, there are movies based on old shows coming out as well (Get Smart comes to mind). I know that originality in television and movies is a think of the past, but you would think that they would make more of an effort to produce something new. Look at Cloverfield, a movie with the Bad Robot label of JJ Abrams. I haven't seen it, but watching the preview, does anyone else think it is Godzilla all over again? I am a little suprised by this, considering the one truly original show, Lost, is a Bad Robot production. I guess that there just aren't any new ideas out there.

Not much to write about lately.....

Three posts in thirteen days is not how I want to run this blog. Sorry for being lazy. Actually, it is more that I don't really have too much going on to post about.

I could write about movies I have watched lately, but none of them have been very good. Mostly they are predictable B films that looked mildly interesting. Let's just say that I am getting to the dregs of my NetFlix queue. Only about ten more DVDs until I am to zero. Lately, I have been watching the so-so films I kinda wanted to see, but not enough to pay good money for them. I can't even remember the names of the movies I've watched. That should tell you how bad it has gotten. You may think that I watch too many movies and you are probably right, but they are mostly to have as background noise while I work. If there is a movie I really want to watch, I wait and make sure I can give it my full attention.

Noah is doing pretty well with his arm. He had to go back to the ER twice because the cast was too tight and was cutting off the circulation to his fingers. Mostly, he is being a drama queen and acting like he is the first person to ever break his arm. I guess I was a little over dramatic when I broke mine, but hearing the same stories over and over is getting a little old. Plus, he is acting helpless, like a person couldn't survive life with only one arm. Hopfully he will get to go back to school tomorrow.

I don't wanna talk about it.

If you want to hear my rants about the game Monday, check out my post on Woody's blog. It was riddled with OSU mistakes and had very few LSU mistakes. Man! I am getting SO tired of being an Ohio sports fan. The Buckeyes lose three titles (2 football, one basketball) in two years, Browns get booted out of the playoffs, Cinnci had a rough year, the Blue Jackets never make the playoffs, the Indians screw up the in the playoffs, heck, even the Columbus Destroyers were close to a title this last year. We Ohio fans should start holding up two fingers when the TV camera is on us at a sporting event. "We're number two!" Sorry, I said I wasn't going to rant. At least we beat our Div 1-AA opponent.

My day yesterday was pretty shitty. First, I get a call from Gabriel's principal saying that he is getting in trouble on the bus and at recess. I don't get it. He is so sweet when he is at home (most of the time). Anyway, is got kicked off the bus one day and we have to go in for a conference tomorrow with the teacher and principal.

While talking to Gabriel after school, I hear a frantic knock on the door. I grew concerned because I knew Noah was outside riding his bike. Well, he flipped over the handle bars after trying to jump his bike and broke his arm. So, my ass was in the hospital for five hours. I don't really care b/c it was something that us parents need to do for our kids. It was just a big huge drag. Luckily, Jessica's dad came to get the little kids. This break was almost as bad as mine a few years back. Only he broke both of his bones in the forearm and I broke my humerous (upper arm). They were able to set it without operating, but he still may need to get it reset if the bones aren't healing together correctly. It It is amazing how extreme situations can bring out different sides of a person. Noah was very polite and kept telling everyone 'thank you' for helping him. It was probably the drugs. Normally, he is a moody teenager who speaks monosyllabicly like Rinnert. Not moody like Rinnert, talks like Rinnert. Rinnert isn't too moody these days that I know of.

General Posts

1. The Halo 3 online servers have been a little slow lately and I have been a little frustrated with the lack of my friends playing H3 lately, so I put Halo 3 aside for a while this weekend. Try not to gasp too hard so that you don't choke on your gum. Anyway, I revisited Bioshock. I had posted about it a long time ago, but I hadn't played it too much at that time. Basically, it is a first person shooter with some different angles. You still get your main weapons, which increase in power as you go along (wrench, then postol, machine gun, shot gun, etc.), but you also have the opportunity to use 'plasmids'. Plasmids are genetic upgrades that give you special powers. It is kind of like mixing a game like Fable (where you gain experience and pick up new powers and abilities) and a classic FPS. I am REALLY liking it. I loved Fable and I love shooters. You have to go through and complete quests while killing and explloring. LOTS of fun.

2. I did put Halo 3 back in after a while because I downloaded some new maps. I wish I had saved my Xbox Live credits. The maps are huge and confusing and only used in team games. I usually play solo and am not too good in the team matches. I guess I like capture the flag, but there are some games I don't like too much. Plus, since I am a solo guy joining in the big game, none of the teams I join really communicate. You need communication for for these big games. I will give the maps a few more tries, but will revert back to the traditional maps after some time.

3. Was that Betsy Reutz postin' on my blog? Hi Betsy! Good to hear from you! I always feel bad when I am reminded that I live no more that 30 minutes away from my highschool and college friends. I am such a jerk for never calling or visiting. There's Betsy, Heather, Rinnert used to be here, and I have LOTS of Ohio State buddies in the area. I guess that's the way of life. I think I am DEFINATELY going to have a cookout this spring/summer. I have a nice area for it with the deck. I am thinking probably spring since my deck gets really hot in the summer. Food, drink, good people, and good times.

4. Oh yeah. Big game tonight. I have probably beat the Ohio State vs. Louisiana State National Title Game to death, so I will just say: GO BUCKS!!! Hopfully they confuse the LSU purple and gold with M*ch*g*n's maize and blue. I predict a close game that will come down to the wire. Either team could win, but hopfully OSU will avenge last years embarassment.

It's been a while. Sorry

Sorry that it has been a while since my last post. I have had little time and little content. Not too much has happened these pase several days. Or, maybe I am just lazy and haven't wanted to take the time to post. You decide.

1. Happy New Year! We didn't do anything special. I view New Year's Eve and Day as a reason to buy a new calandar. I always get a Dilbert daily calandar. Dilbert makes me laugh. Jessica was in bed around 10:00 New Year's Eve and I played Xbox until I went to bed around midnight. We are really exciting, eh?

2. My poker roll is still trucking. I can't explain it, really. I guess I have just been getting new cards. I am definately having fun with it, but I worry that my poker friends might be getting a little tired of my winning. Since the beginning of November, I am at least up $1000. I wish I were closer to a casino so that I could take this hot streak somwhere that I could win some real money.

3. I need a vacation. Work was a little hellish last week. Two of my co-workers were out (one on vacation, the other on maternity leave) so I was basically holding a lot of things together. There are a few other people that do my job, but they do not have my experience. So, every messed up issue and question were routed to me. No fun. I feel really burned out right now. I am trying to be stingy with my vacation time though. I would rather try to save it for later in the year. It's hard to do though with this nice, annual infusion of vacation time.

4. Is anyone going to watch that Terminator TV show? I think they are calling it the Sarah Connor Chronicles. Don't know why since John Connor ends up being the savior of mankind. I will probably give a few episodes a try. Might as well, considering all of my regular shows are down with the strike. I liked the Terminator movies and am glad that Arnold isn't in the Terminator roll. Plus, it has Summer from Firefly. It should be good, I think.

5. So far so good with the diet. I haven't weighed myself yet, but I have made the transition from my bad eating and drinking habits to eating better and not drinking. I have basically cut almost all of the carbs out of my diet. I eat eggs every morning and meat and veggies the rest of the day. For an afternoon snack, I have a few nuts. Add nothing to drink but water, and I should be losing weight here pretty soon. I need to get on the tread mill and to the gym more to make the process go faster.

One Game Left

I only have one football game to look forward to this year/season. After the Browns blew it last Saturday against Cincinnati, they needed Indianapolis to pull through and beat Tennesee. No such luck. After pulling their first string offense, the Colts looked like St. Mary's School for the Blind playing against the Titans. Now, the Browns are out. They are the only ten win team in the NFL not to make the playoffs. Granted, I don't think they would have survived the all road game schedule they would have faced if they did make the playoffs as the wildcard, but it would have been nice to see them have a shot. Now, I don't know if I can get excited about the NFL playoffs. I usually pull for Indianapolis, but after they let me down, I just can't get excited for them. As we Cleveland fans are used to saying: there's always next season!

The one game I have to look forward to, of course, is the BCS National Title game in seven days between Ohio State and LSU. LSU is picked to win by 4 or 5, but I think either team has a legitimate chance of winning. I like that the Buckeyes are under dogs. They may go into the game with a chip on their shoulder. My only concern is that LSU has two mobile QBs to choose from and a mobile QB is one thing that the Buckeye defense has trouble with. Anyone remember a guy names Juice Williams? Still, I a hopful for an OSU win and National Title.

I guess am looking forward to today and tomorrow as well. Some pretty good bowl games coming up. (OK, so I am excited about more than one game. So what?) Is it weird that the Indiana/Oklahoma State game is going to be on the NFL Network? I will probably watch Wisconsin take on Tennesee, M*ch*g*n against Florida, and Illinois against USC. I try to hope for all Big Ten teams in the bowls, but I must admit I am a little torn for the UM vs Florida game. This may be a game that I hope for all of the players to get food poisoning and the schools must put in the marching bands to play. Honestly though, I see UM getting their asses kicked by a tough Florida squad. It will also be interesting to see if Hawaii can finish an undefeated season against the team that could be playing in the BCS title game.

Ever Google Yourself?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Four Days of Fattness

I have madeup my mind that this coming year, 2008, starting January 1st, I am going on a major diet. No more drinking booze. No more Christmas cookies. No more fast food. Add some excercise. I am hoping to get back down to my college weight by summer. It will be difficult and improbable, but it is a change that I need to make. I haven't weighed myself for a long time, but I know that I need to drop some pounds. So, that means that these last four days are the last days for me to be a bad boy. I won't be a glutton, eating nothing but cookied and carbs, but I will allow myself a few favorites before I impliment my diet. I will probably get some Roosters (like Hooters or BW3's, but better) and some Chipotle. The rough part is going to be no more beer, whiskey, or wine. the diet books say that some alcohol is OK, but I usually put my liver to the test and drink too much. The easiest way to do this is to just not buy anymore.

The hardest part about dieting, for me, is taking the time to prepare all of the foods that I am allowed to have. It takes time to make a nice salad and grill some chicken. Plus, it is hard to make these foods interesting everyday. What I usually do is make a big bag of salad and cook up several chicken breasts and eat off them sor a few days. Another negative is the cost of the diet. Eating salad and chicken or steak gets pricey. Still, I need to do it for myself and for my kids. I don't want to be that dad that never does anything with them because I am too fat and tired all the time. After all is said and done, I may post my before and after weights, but I don't want people to know how much I weigh now, until I have lost all I want to lose. I only hope that there are no major stressers in my life while I try to lose weight. I am a stress eater and drinker.

Go Colts!

I don't say that just because the Colts have been my 'play offs' team in the past few years(the team I root for in the play offs, since Cleveland is never there), I say that because the Browns need a Colts win to make the play offs this year. I am not sure how it all works out, but if both Cleveland and Tennesse win this weekend, the Titans go to the play offs, but if they both lose (or if just Tennesee loses) Cleveland will go to the play offs. Weird, huh? I don't really know how that math works out. Anyway, we Cleveland fans need Indianapolis to start Peyton and the rest of the first team offense for at least a half, so that they can build a lead, win the game, and bump the Browns into the post season for the first time since........ I can't remember. I am feeling a little doubtful about Cleveland's chances, after blowing their chance to clinch a play off spot by losing to Cincinnati last week. What the hell was up with that? Anderson threw back to back interceptions that lead to Bengals TDs in the last minute of the first half. TAKE A FUCKING KNEE ALREADY!!! It was really terrible. All I can say is, if the Bungles (oops) Bengals lost that game (which they almost did) they should have all returned their salaries and wrote the city of Cincinnati a letter of apology. Anderson should do the same for Cleveland, since he basically blew the play offs with his piss poor performance. I think he threw four interceptions in all: two leading to Cincinnati points and the other two halting Cleveland scoring drives. They definaltely looked like the Cleveland Clowns of years past.

Happy Christmahanaquanzikmidan!

No matter what your religion, nationality, race, color, or creed, Happy Holidays! I hope that you get to spend your time with friends, family, and loved ones.

Christmas has been pretty good so far. I was able to sleep until 9:00, if you can believe it! Considering I have two little kids, I figured I would be up at the crack of dawn. The kids all seem to be happy with their gifts. The big ones were: Noah - Ipod Shuffle Gabe - a Robosapien Alydia - a talking playset for her dolls. They were all pleased.

Again, Happy Holidays! Time for me to go eat some cookies!

Christmas Rant

I hate wrapping presents. Actually, truth be told, I SUCK at wrapping pictures. However, year after year I seem to get stuck with wrapping duties. I guess I don't mind, but I get very frustrated with the task. Not the easy square angle boxed items so much, but the weird kid toys that come in a container with a round side, a cut off corner, and weird angles. I hate those. The problem is, every damn toy out there is contained in a weirdly shaped box. The probability of a neatly wrapped toy is next to nothing. Honestly, some of the gifts I have wrapped look like they were wrapped by a two year old. I doubt that the kids will care though, they are just going to rip it all of in a few days. Still, any toy manufatcurers out there reading this post: USE SQUARE BOXES FOR FUCK SAKE!!!!!

Wood? Really??

So, Jessica and I are approaching our fifth wedding aniversary (01/06). It's hard to believe that it's only been five years....it seems like an eternity! JUST KIDDING!!! Seriously though, I really can't believe it's only been five years since we went to Las Vegas to get hitched. There have been ups and downs, but all in all I think we are doing very well. At least we aren't planning on separating or anything. We have some great kids, a nice house, are financially independant (more or less), and have good times together. What more do you need? So, I was wondering what one gets for one's spouse on their fifth anniversary. I firgured it would be something nice, like gold, wine, china, or something sentimental. Nope. Apparently, the fifth anniversary is the wood anniversary. "Happy anniversary, honey! Here's a stick!" I guess it could be something like furniture or a wooden picture frame, but wood seems like a pretty weak gift for the fifth anniversary. Considering I know people that have been married, divorced, and remarried in less than five years, I would think that a fifth wedding anniverary would rate something a little more flashy. I think maybe I just like spending money too much because I think of jewelry or other expensive gifts when I buy presents for my sweetie. The only bummer this year is that Jessica has to work on our anniversary this year. I guess I can cook a nice dinner or something before give her a twig. Maybe I will give her a homemade certificate good for one tree to plant in the spring. It can be our love tree! How cheesey! Seriously though, I know she wants a weeping cherry tree, so maybe that's not so bad of an idea.

Fuck you Nintendo. Fuck you and the Wii you rode in on!

I may have mentioned previously that Jessica and I have been looking for a Nintendo Wii for the kids for Christmas. Ok, Ok.... it is for us too, but mostly for the kids. Well, the Nintendo Wii is about as easy to find as a VD-free hooker in the ghetto. No, scratch that. A VD-free hooker is probably easier to find (not that I would look for one of those). Needless to say, the search has been frustrating. The reason for this is because Nintendo has been holding back production to keep demand high. This has created a Cabbage Patch Kid type frenzy when it comes to finding a Wii. I went to a Game Stop a while back and there was a line foe a Wii just because there was a delivery coming in that MIGHT have a Wii included. There were none. Anyway, yesterday, I found out that both Best Buy and Target were supposed to have Wii's available. So, I got up at 7:00 thinking I would get to Best Buy before they opened. I did, behind about 100 other people that got up earlier. So, I went to Target. There was no line, but when I got to the door an employee said they passed out tickets for the Wii at 7:00. I tried another Target and was told they passed out tickets for the Wii 15 minutes before I got there. If I would have went there first, I would have gotten a ticket and a Wii. Seeing as how this is the second time that I have checked multiple stores for a Wii, I have decided to call it quits. If Nintendo doesn't see fit to provide enough Wii's for the hundreds of people that want one for their families, I say, "Fuck you Nintendo!!" I have my Xbox and have had hours of fun with it and will have hours more to come. If I happen to see a Wii in the future, I will pick one up, but I am no longer going to actively search. It's not that important to me. Besides, we have already bought the kids enough stuff for Christmas.

I Am Legend - Worth Seeing in the Theater

I like sci-fi/horror movies. More specifically, I like the zombie genre: Dawn of the dead, Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil.....these are all fun movies to me. I can't say why, maybe I just like being scared. Anyway, I Am Legend is the same type of film. Jessica and I went to see it last night and I really enjoyed it. It was really much better than the films I mentioned above. I was right in my post earlier this week. I Am Legend is very similar to Resident Evil and 28 Days Later. Will Smith play a survivor of an outbreak that has wiped out a large part of the world's population. I won't go into details though, because it was a really good movie and worth watching. Will Smith gave a really good performance. Some of the effects were a little fake looking, but they were not bad enough to be turned off by them. There were enough good scares and good plot twists and turns to make this a fun movie to watch. It was weird though. at the end of the movie, people clapped. I don't get that. I guess they are showing their appreciation for the film, but the actors and film makers can't hear them clapping. What's the point?

I was really excited my one of the previews that I saw: The Dark Knight. It is the Batman Begins sequel. It was weird, because I was thinking to myself, "Self, I wonder if there is a new Batman movie coming up sometime soon." just before the trailer started. The movie looks pretty good. The villian this time is The Joker, played by Heath Ledger. I was suprised by this because Heath Ledger is such a pretty boy and he looks hideous as The Joker. I must say that I really like the route that they took for these new Batman films. They are bringing out more of the darkness of the story rather than trying too hard to make the movies look like the comic books. Batman was good with Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, but then the films just got silly. Anyway, I am excited about this movie.

Best Poker Night Ev'

I played some cards last night after bowling. Considering the shitty shitty night of bowling I had, it was apparent that all of my karma was going towards playing poker. I couldn't buy a strike to save my life and out team got DESTROYED every game. Anyway, the highlight of the evening was poker. One of my poker buddies lives close to the bowling alley and usually has a cash game on Thursdays. I mentioned a few posts ago that I was doing well lately in cards. I am up about $200 since the beginning of November. Not a bad chunk of change. Well, last night made that chunk of change over a month look laughable. I was hitting hand after hand and playing them well. There were only a couple hands that I play where I was upset with myself. I started out with $20, played with it for a while, went up, went down, up again, and then lost it all. I bought in for another $20. I played with it for the rest of the night. Went up, and up, then down a little, and then back up and up some more. All in all, I turned my $40 total buy in into $339. WOO-HOO!! Honestly, some of the winnings were due to luck, but I think most of them were due to playing well. I am amazed at how much money some of the guys lost last night. One guy, Benny, went to the ATM three or four times. He was easily in for at least $200. I guess he can afford it, but I only play with $20 or $40 before I quit. Anyway, I stopped keeping track officially, but I think that I am now even in my poker winnings and losses. I am rather pleased with myself. I hope that it is a sign that I am actually getting good at playing cards, rather than just being lucky.

December DVDs = Me Spending Lots of $$

Ah, the Christmas season. Time for lights, family, food, and mass DVD releases of summer movies. This is always an expensive time of year for me. So far, I have bought the following:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I saw this in the theater, but these movies are all so good. If you have never seen them or read the books, get out of your hole. The stories are really good.

Pirates of the Carribean At Worlds End - The third enstallment of this movie franchise. I also saw this in the theater, but I had the kids with me, so I was distracted and missed alot. It is a good movie, but the first one is better. Kiera Knightly is hot, but she needs to eat something. WAY too skinny.

Bourne Ultimatum - Another third movie. This is a really fun spy-type film. Matt Damon is a pretty good actor. He definately has made better movie choices (after Good Will Hunting) than Ben Afleck has.

Lost: Season 3 - I don't know why I watch this show. It is so frustrating to me. Every question that is answered poses new questions. I guess it is a show that I love to hate and hate to love. there is supposed to be alot of extra content on the DVDs, so hopfully I will get a few answers.

Next Tuesday: THE SIMPSONS MOVIE!!! I have not seen it yet. Yes, I am that guy. I wanted to, but having three kids restricts the amount of time you get to go see movies.

I think Jessica and I might go see I Am Legend this Friday. It looks like a pretty good film. I like Will Smith as an actor. The story looks like it may be like a Night of the Living Dead or 28 Days Later type film, where the majority of the people are infected and there is only one survivor. Still, it looks like there will be some originality in this film.

BSG bummer

I was watching BSG Razor on DVD. It had some extended scenes that were OK. If you saw the Razor "flashbacks" on Sci-Fi.com, then you saw most of the extended scenes. Mostly it was a young Adama kicking Cylon ass in the old war. There were some other good special features, including interviews and deleted scenes. I found it really disturbing when the actor playing Lee Adama was interviewed and he had a British accent. He sounded like a nancy boy. Anyway, there was conflicting information in the special features. One of the writer/creators said that the final Cylon may be revealed this season. Thus, implying that there will be more seasons. Then, there was a season four preview which said that it was the final season of Battlestar Galactica. WHAT???? This bums me out a bit. I seem to think that one season may not be nearly enough for BSG to wrap up satisfactorily. There are so many questions and loose ends from season 3. I hope that they are not going to use vague explainations to wrap up all of the lingering questions. They probably will though. Anyway, it is supposed to start in March.

General Stuff

A Rant - What's up with DVD sleeves? Do you all remember when CDs came in those huge cardboard boxes? I thought they were neat because I would keep them and hang them up on my walls in my bedroom, but the music industry put a halt to the use of these boxes in order to become more green friendly. Less cardboard used, fewer trees cut down. I got it. Now, the DVD industryhas started the same practice. Not all, but several DVDs are packaged in sleeves, both cardboard and plastic. What the hell for? Nine times out of ten, the box is identicle to the main DVD case: same pictures and same information on the back. I just don't get it. They waste space and make it harder to get into the DVDs. I usually just throw them away.

Bowling - I got one of my bowling balls worked on this past week. I have three, but really only use two. The one I got worked on is the older of the two, my Brunswick Zone. It is probably the more aggressive of my two bowling balls, but I don't use it as much because it was drilled wrong. I guess my hand has changed some through the years. Anyway, I got inserts put into the finger holes. They are rubber sleeve thingies that go into the finger holes to improve grip and reduce finger irritation. Well, I used my Zone last night and rolled a 648 series (216 per game average). I was pretty excited.

Poker - I won more money last night. We played a little bit after bowling at the ally. We have done it before, but this time the security guy told us that the assistant manager didn't want us playing anymore. We didn't have any money on the table, but were using chips. I guess they (the manager) were worried that the chips would violate their liquor license. Well, at least we played long enough to win $30. I am now up $230 for the past month. Nice. It probably would have been more because some guy at the ally asked to join the game and he lost $11 in three hands. All to me, actually. I am on my game, but I need to keep my head about myself. Last time I won a lot, I started playing sloppy and lost it. I am trying to hone my game enough so that I can do better next time I attempt the World Series of Poker even in Indiana coming next year in April. I am going to try to play in as many games as I can up until April.

Multi-post bloggin'

1. Tin Man - The Sci Fi Channel is getting some pretty good programming these days. This past week, Sci fi aired a mini-series called Tin Man. If you are not familiar with the show, it is based off of the story The Wizard of Oz. It is not the same story that the old movie told. It is losely based of the same story, but is more modern. Thee is a Scarecrow type character, a Cowardly Lion character, and a Tin Man Character, only each character is a bit different from classic story (the Tin Man is a police officer. The badge is made of tin Get it?). I won't go into details too much, but it is definately worth watching. You can see it on SciFi.com and I think it is being aired again this weekend.

2. Superbad = Super Hilarious!!! Get the DVD.

3. BUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRR - It snowed about six inches here yesterday. I like the first snow of the year. It is very pretty. I also like it snowy for Christmas. It just seems like it's not really Christmas unless there is some white powder on the ground. Beyond that, I wish the weather was a constant 80 degrees and sunny. Occasional rain is nice too, but the first days of Spring is the best time of year in my book.

4. How my mom stole Christmas - This year my mom told me that she is not buying presents for "adult children" this year and that we are not allowed to buy anything for her. Talk about bah humbugging Christmas! She said that it is because she hates shopping because she never knows what to get anyone. I like that this happens the year AFTER I buy them a DVD player. I was expecting to cash in this year. Plus, we usually hand out pictures of the kids this time of year for presents. I guess she doesn't get any this year. I have a way around it though. My parents' anniversary is Dec 28th, so instead of Christmas presents, they are getting anniversary presents. She is going to hate it.

5. In regards to above, we have almost all of the shopping done for the kids. Noah is getting a Ipod shuffle and some other odds and ends, Gabe is getting a RoboSapien, which is a remote control robot and some Transformers and other toys, and we are getting Aldia some dolls and toys. Actually, we only need to get things for Ally still. The boys are taken care of. We also want to get a Wii, but they are hard to find.

6. Wii's are hard to find. We have checked WalMart, Target, and GameStop. Each place tells us they are sold out and are expecting a shipment any day. I would try to order one online, but I doubt I will find one at a reasonable price that will ship in time.

Here we go again!

Once again Ohio State is in the BCS National Title Game. Nice. Honestly, I was perfectly content playing in the Rose Bowl, but then West Virginia and Missouri both lost Saturday night. It's a Festivus Miricle! The Buckeyes will meet the LSU Tigers, which is the match-up that everyone wanted before both teams lost late in the season. I think it is going to be the best match-up in the country, but I also think some teams got boned. For example, Georgia was ranked 4th last week, behind Ohio State (3rd), and both the #1 and #2 teams lost. Shouldn't that mean that the #3 and #4 teams should become #1 and #2? Then, there is Kansas, the only "big conference" team with one loss. Finally, Hawaii was undefeated this season. Sure, they had the weakest schedule in the nation, but they won all of their games.

Honestly, I don't know too much about LSU. I know that they are good and that they won the SEC title. They dropped two games, one to Kentucky and the other to Arkansas (both in triple OT), but they won six games against top 20 teams. They have a good QC, a 1000 yard rusher, and several good receivers. Also, their defense is tough and hard hitting, much like the Ohio State defense. I think that the LSU offense will give the OSU defense fits, buthopfully the Buckeyes learned their lesson when it comes to playing a team with a QB that can run. I believe that I have heard that LSU is favored in the game by five points. I am hoping that this game will resemble the 2002 BCS title game. No one thought that Ohio State could do anything against Miami, but the Buckeyes shocked the world by winning the game. I am excited to see what happens. GO BUCKS!!!

Special props to Illinois for going to the Rose Bowl to play USC. I fear that they may get their asses kicked, but hope that they show the country that the Big Ten is not the push over conference that everyone seems to think it is. Also, it looks like M*ch*g*n will get to have thier asses handed to them by Florida in the Capital One Bowl. Honestly, I hope the boys in blue win. I always try to support the Big Ten in the bowl games. I won't cheer if scUM wins, but I will be glad if Florida loses. Here is the bowl schedule.

Der Dutchman is Der Delicious

For Thanksgiving, I picked up my cousin Carrie and we went up to my parent's in Toledo. Carrie lives in Marysville, which is northwest of our house (in Hilliard) and is on the direct path to my parents' house (if you take the back roads). On the way home, we got a little lost and ended up in Plain City (in between Marysville and Hilliard). As we were trying to find our way, we passed a resturant called Der Dutchman. The name reminded me of the show Dead Like Me (only on DVD, but a really good show) because the characters all meet at a place called Der Waffle Haus. I really wanted to go to Der Dutchman because it has 'Der' in it's name. Sure, der is only German for 'the' but I am a simple person. So, last night Jessica and I went out with our friends Barb and Brian and we ate at Der Dutchman. It has a normal menu and a buffet, so most of us got the buffet. It was pretty limited in choice, but the quality was outstanding. Imagine all of your favorite comfort foods: ham, chicken, roast beef, meatballs, mashed potatoes, stuffing, beans, corn, YUM!! It was a little pricey for a buffet, but TOTALLY worth it. We walked in, sat down, and was done in under an hour. It was amazing since the parking lot was jammed packed.

After dinner, we went to Barb and Brian's house and played on their Wii for a bit. I think it convinced Jessica that we need to get one. I am fine with that, since it was pretty fun. We played the bowling game and I boxed Barb once. My only concern is how I will connect it to our TV which already has sat TV, DVD, and the Xbox connected to it. I guess I will need to figure it out. The boxing game was fun and made me sweat a little.

As a side note, it looks like the Buckeyes will be playing for the National Title again this year. Both West Virginia and Missouri lost. The only question is going to be which team will meet the Buckeyes. The experts seem to think it will be LSU. I am a little nervous about the Buckeyes playing in the title game again after last year's ass whipping they received from Florida. Hopfully, they have learned a lesson and will not take their opponents lightly. GO BUCKS!!!

We Find Out Today

One one hand, it sucks that the Buckeyes' fate is in the hands of other teams, but on the other hand, all they need to do is sit, wait, and see what happens. Ohio State is number 3 in the BCS rankings behind Missouri and West Virginia. Both teams play today, Missouri against Oklahoma and West Virginia against Pittsburgh. The best shot for OSU is that Oklahoma beats Missouri. It has happened already this season. Honestly, I am happy no matter what happens. It has been a good season for Ohio State. #3 in the country and whooping on M*ch*g*n is a great season in my book. If both Missouri and West Virginia win, Ohio State still goes to the Rose Bowl for a probable game against USC. Not a bad deal. Honestly, a match up with West Virginia scares the crap out of me. The way Illinois mobile QB tore us up is a pretty good indicator that WVU would run through our defense as well. Well, I guess what happens happens. No matter what happens, Ohio State is going to get to go to a good Bowl game.

I have been doing pretty well playing poker lately. I'd say that, over the past month, I am up about $200. I was keeping track of the exact amount of my winnings and losses, but I was getting depressed watching the negative amount increase. I am basing this turn around on the movie Rounders. It is about poker players. I had become too cautious ad was playing my cards more that I was playing the players at the table. Texas Holdem is more about reading the players and betting on what you think they have than it is about betting on the cards that you have. For example, last night, I had two 5's in my hand and totally bought the hand. There was a king, queen, and some other cards all higher than my 5's. I kept betting the whole way, knowing there was no way I had the best hand, and was able to win me a big pot. Good times.

It's Barf-tastic!

So, I pick up Gabriel from the bus stop Wednesday and he didn't seem himself. I asked him if he was OK and he said he was ungry and his tummy hurt. I got him home, game him some chips, and he didn't touch them. Uh-oh. I knew there was a problem. He trued to go to the bathroom and them laid down on the couch. Some ttime went by and he then sat up. I asked how he felt, he said his tummy hurt still and I asked, "Do you think you are going to throw...." Bluuuaaaarrrrrrffffff!!!! All over the new couch. Twice. And then again all over his bed later in the evening. That was all for him, but now Alydia is barfing every 20 minutes or so all through the night. Jessica gave her some medicine, so hopfully it will stop so that they can get some rest.

On a side note, I dropped a HUGE bomb last night bowling. My first game was a 130. I haven't bowled a 130 in about 20 years. I . WAS. PISSED. I stopped trying to bowl with finesse and just started whipping the ball down the lane. The results were a bloody finger, a blister, and a 226 and 198.

My Tech "Support" Nightmare

So, you all know I play my Xbox online. A LOT. Probably too much, actually, but I think I am an addict. Anyway, to do this, I have a wireless router. Or, I HAD one. When playing Halo 3 online, I would get an error message saying that my NAT was moderate and I would have problems finding matches. Also, I was having trouble connecting to one of my friends online because our networks were incompatable. Well, I started looking at my wireless network on my Xbox, then on my computer, but I couldn't find a way to change my NAT to open. So, I called Time Warner. They said it was probably a router issue and that I should call Linksys. I did. And the nightmare begins. Now, I am a very patient man. I see no need to get pissed off at people trying to do their jobs, even if they are doing it badly. I almost lost it with Linksys. After the tech told me to try a few things, he told me to download an update that would fix my problem. I did so, opened the program and was told to disconnect my modem. Instead of disconnecting it from my router, I unplugged the power to my modem. I have cable phone, which is through the modem. I lost my tech guy. I called back because now I had NO internet connection. After more time on the phone with a different person, she tells me she thinks that my router is defective and there is nothing else she can do. HELLO!!! IT WAS WORKING CLOSE TO FINE BEFORE I CALLED YOU HUMPS!!!!! All three computers were connected, I was just having some Xbox issues. I was given an apology and a new customer service number to call. Probably the complaint department. Rather than fucking with them, I just went out to get a new hard line router. No more of this wireless bullshit for me. Alas, still no internet connection. Since this was an issues I was starting o have without the router, I called Time Warner again. Not once. Not twice, but THRICE!!! They were all helpful, but the first two didn't sem to know what they were doing. I got all the same advice I would get from my tech people at Nationwide: "Turn it off and on again. See if that helps." The third techie, a cute sounding female named Heather (yes, I remember you name when you get me access to the internet for my Xbox addiction) told me that the Linksys humps hooked me up with a static IP address and it was screwing everything up. So, I bet my old router is fine. Still, after buying a new router, running all of the cable, and drilling a hole in my floor for my Xbox cable, I am NOT going to try to bother with the old router. No thanks!

Got My BSG Fix

Battlestar Galactica Razor was on Saturday night. It was pretty good, but added more questions to the piles of questions left by the season finale. Basically, it was the story of the Battlestar Pegasus from the point of the Cylon attact to meeting up with Galactica. The story was good and there were some good action sequesnces. It was a little disappointing because Razor basically showed you stories that were already told, like shen Kane killed her XO when he didn't order an attack. We also discovered that Kane was a lesbo and shagged the blonde Cylon. Why we needed to find that out, I don't know. I guess they wanted to add some shock value. I won't get into the story too much because I don't want to ruin the fun for those of you that haven't seen Razor yet. I feel like I can make it to the March premire of the next season.

General Updates

Thanksgiving was pretty good yesterday. We went to my parent's house in Monclova (outside of Toledo) for turkey and all the fixin's. It was all pretty good, but I think my mom is getting a little lazy and she cooked it all in advance and just heated everything. At least it all tasted like leftovers. Still good though. We got to spend the day with my aunt, uncle, cousin, brother, and his wife. The kids always like seeing their grandparents.

I forget if I mentioned this, but the new Xbox 360 I needed to get is working well. It is nice and quiet. The only this I needed to do was recover my gamer tag. Oh, and I lost all of my saved games. Still, my online rep is intact and my status of a kick-ass level 25, grade three captain in Hal0 3 is intact as well. Plus, I got two free games with the Xbox. Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. I played both a little, but I am so addicted to Halo 3. It's a sickness, really.

Probably the most exciting news is that Jessica finally got her driver's license. Don't ask me why she never had it before, I don't know the answer to that. It was irritating and a pain being the sole driver in the house. Now, she has more freedom and I have more sleeping time since I don't have to drive her to work anymore. I am not sure what is going to cost more though, the money I spent on driving her to and from work or the money she is now spending shopping. Just kidding. Yes, she has gone shopping a few times, but always for things we need.

Happy Turkey Day!

I may not be posting again until after Thanksgiving, so I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all get some quality time off from work and enjoy some time with friends and family. I will be traveling up to my parents' house for the day. Nothing too exciting. Just going to eat too much with the family.

Sorry, More Sports

Sunday Cleveland blew a 13 point fourth quarter lead to the dispised Baltimore Ravens. Old school Browns fans would say that Pittsburgh is the main rival of the Dawgs, but I think Baltimore should be more hated. Back in the day, Browns owner Art Modell ripped the Browns team out of Cleveland and moved them to Baltimore. Hence, the Ravens were born. I feel that every win over Baltimore is a mighty 'Fuck you Art!' Anyway, the Ravens took the lead at the end of the fourth quarter. Flashes of last week and Cleveland blowing a lead to Pittsburgh went through my head. This time, with three seconds left, Phil Dawson's 51 yard field goal attempt bounced off of the upright, bounced off of the goal post support, and out onto the field. It was called a no good kick, but when they realized that the ball hit the back of the support post (it had gone though and bounced back) it was then called a good kick. The fans had left, the Ravens had left, only the Browns were hanging around until the correct call was made. The game went to OT and the Browns won. We may be looking at a Wild Card team here.

In the BCS:

Two of the six teams above OSU lost this past week. Although the Rose Bowl is a great trip for the Buckeyes and they will play a top ranked opponent, the National Title is not out of the question:


1. LSU 10-1 - Plays a good Arkansas team and then the SEC conference championship game.
2. Kansas 11-0 - Plays #4 Missouri and possibly the Big 12 conference championship game.
3. West Virginia 9-1 - Plays #20 UConn and Pittsburgh
4. Missouri 10-1 - Plays #2 Kansas and possibly the Big 12 title game.
5. Ohio State 11-1 - Done until the Bowl Game

There you go. While unlikely that the Buckeyes will go to New Orleans for the National Title game, it is possible. At least one of the teams above OSU is going to lose. I will watch these upcoming games, hoping for the best, but still completely satisfied with a Rose Bowl game. Ohio State will likely face USC, Oregon, or Arizona State. Probably ASU, who they faced in the 1997 Rose Bowl ( I was there).

OSU 14 scUM 3

Final M*ch*g*n joke:

Q: What kind of car does Jim tressel own?
A: Lloyd Carr

It was not the most exciting game, nor was it the best game that Ohio State has played this season. However, an Ohio State win over the hated Team Up North is always a great game. Although the score of the game was pretty close, 14-3, the game was really a blow out. Ohio State held M*ch*g*n to 3 points and 91 yards. Are you kidding me? 91 yards? Can we say, "good defense"? Mike Hart was held to 44 yards on 18 carries and the Buckeye defense sacked Chad Henne enough to make the Blue's total rushing yards 15. WOW! I LOVE it considering the fact that Mike Hart was running his mouth again this year. He said something like, he'd rather lose to Appalachin State instead of losing to OSU. Really, the entire Wolverweenie offense was terrible. Their run game sucked, their pass game sucked, they could catch a cold if they tried. The Buckeye offense struggled as well, but Chris 'Beanie' Wells ran for two touchdowns, including a 62 yard run (222 yards total). It was a pretty good game all in all. It was obvious that the OSU defense showed up and was going to hold the scUM offense. Lloyd Carr is expected to retire tomorrow.

My mom sent me a list of 'Buckeye Rules' today. I won't post them all, but here are a few of the good ones:

*Never agree to get married on a Saturday that Ohio State is scheduled to play football. There are typically 40 other freakin' weekends to choose from...make her/him choose one of those!

*When Notre Dame plays Michigan, it is mandatory to despise both teams. There are no winners.

*If your child says the "M" word, send them to time out.

*If you child says it again wash their mouth out with soap.

*Admit that secretly, you wished you played tuba and could dot the "i."
You'd even be willing to put on a few dozen pounds to look the part.

*Drinking alcohol before 9:00 A.M. is, at best, immature, and likely, a sign of a serious problem. Except on Buckeye game day.

*If your wife asks you what was the greatest night of your life, admit the truth - that it was January 3, 2003

Game Time

Today is the day. The Game. OSU vs. M*ch*g*n. This game has lost a little bit of it's mistique after both teams lost their games last week. It will still be for the Big Ten Title and the winner will likely go to the Rose Bowl, but Ohio State's chances of going to the National Title game with a win over the Blue has gone into the toilet. The toilet hasn't flushed yet, but five more teams would need to lose in order for the Buckeyes to be considered in the National picture. Honestly, I am not concerned with that. Right now, all that matters is a major ass kicking to be laid upon the Wolverweenies.

Last night I watched a special on HBO about the Rilvary. It was an hour long show about how the rilvary started and where the hatred came from. It was amazing some of the comments from fans on both side of the border. I am bad with names, but a news anchor from one of the networks said something about how people from Ohio weren't as intellegent as those from M*ch*g*n. I never watched his broadcasts. Another good comment from a M*ch*g*n alumi came from a football player (I forget who, but I think he does NFL commentary now) said that he has started talking Tressel up to all of the NFL teams. "We gotta get that guy out of there." Tress has owned the Wolverweenies, only losing one game. Another great quote came from an ex-OSU player, "It smells like hot dog water (up there)."

The special went back to the 1800s when Toledo was a disputed territory between the Ohio and M*ch*g*n border. That's right Toledo-born readers. We were close to being born in M*ch*g*n. How would my perceptions have changed? My love of OSU is based on my being born in Ohio. If the dispute would have gone the other way, would I have gone to scUM? Would I be wearing maize and blue instead of scarlet and gray? The game started with scUM owning the game with something like 14 or 15 wins in a row over OSU. Then OSU won a lot and it went back and forth. There have been brawls after the game, riots after the game (on each campus) and general hatred bewteen the states.

I won't bore you with all the details of the game and the rivalry. Let's just say it is big. The documentary is a good show to watch, if you get the chance. I think that the Buckeyes should roll, especially if Hart and Henne are both hurt. OSU 35 scUM 7.

When asked why he went for two points after a touchdown late in the fourth quarter with a HUGE lead over M*ch*g*n, the late Woody Hayes answered, "Because they won't let me go for three." True Story.

Jokes for the day:

Q: What do you call a pretty cheerleader at the University of M*ch*g*n?
A: A visitor.

Q: How do you get a scUM cheerleader into an elevator?
A: Grease up her hips and throw in a Twinkie.

A Buckeye fan, a Wolverine fan, a nun and a stunning blonde are riding on a train. Suddenly the train heads into a tunnel. A loud smack is heard and as the train rides out of the tunnel the Wolverine fan is rubbing his face. The nun thinks: "Serves him right for trying to grab the blonde." The blonde thinks: "Serves him right for trying to grab the nun." The Wolverine fan thinks: "The Buckeyes fan was probably trying to grab the blonde, missed her and grabbed the nun instead. Then she tried to smack him in the face and missed." The Buckeye fan thinks: "Next tunnel I'm going to smack that stupid Wolverine fan again."

Q: Did you hear about the power outage at the University of Michigan library?
A: Forty students were stuck on the escalator for three hours.

GO BUCKS!!!

Joke of the Day

A guy named Bob received a free ticket to the OSU/Michigan game from his company. Unfortunately, when he arrived at the stadium, he realized the seat was in the last row in the corner of the stadium way back in the South Stands-- he was closer to the Goodyear blimp than to the field.

About halfway through the first quarter, he noticed an empty seat 10 rows off the field, right on the 50 yard line. He decided to take a chance and made his way down to the empty seat.

As he sat down, he asked the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"

The man said "No."

Now, very excited to have such a great seat for the game, Bob said, "That's incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the OSU / Michigan game and not use it?"

The man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Ohio State game we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."

"Well, that's really sad, " said Bob. "But you couldn't find a friend or relative to come with you?"

The man replied, "No. They're all at the funeral

M*CH*G*N Joke of the day

A child is removed from his home because his parents are beating him. The social services person places him with this aunt. A month later, when the social services person checks on the boy, she learns that the aunt is beating the child as well. The child is removed again and places with his other aunt. Once again, the social services person checks in and finds the child is being beaten still. She suggests that the child be placed with is grandparents. At this, the child bursts into tears and says that, on his stays with his grandparents, he is beaten the worst of all by any of his relatives. At a complete loss. the social worker takes a strange turn and tells the boy that he can go live with anyone he wants. After some thought, the child says he wants to move to Ann Arbor to live with the M*CH*G*N football team. When asked why, he says, "After watching some of their games, I don't think they could beat anyone."

GO BUCKS!!!

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

I don't really want to talk much about the game Saturday. Needless to say, OSU fell to Illinois at home, on senior day. It was the worst performance that I have seen from OSU since the National Title Game in January. Illinois just out played and out coached the Buckeyes. It looked like a good start when OSU took a touchdown lead in the first few minutes of the game, but Illinois came right down a tied it. I do think that the refs missed a fumble that lead to an Illinois TD, but that doesn't change the fact that Illinois beat the tar out of the OSU defense. It was terrible. I was SO angry at the coaches. All that Illinois was doing in the final two drives was runnning QB draws. HELLO!!! PUT A SPY ON THE FUCKING QB!!!! Let a linebacker hang back and blast the fucker when he runs!!! Well, I must say that, after watching that game I am glad that OSU is most likely out of the title race. Oregon and LSU would most likely have pounded the Buckeyes in the title game. Now, we need to look forward to the M*ch*g*n game and, hopfully, a trip to the Rose Bowl.

The Browns lost too. They blew a 21-9 lead on the Steelers. This game had some terrible calls. It was pretty clear that these were pro-Steelers refs. I saw about three holding calls on the Steelerws that were missed, including one that was an obvious tackle in the backfield when the Browns lineman was getting close to sacking Rothlesberger. It was pathetic. Was was more pathetic was how the Browns offense rolled over and died in the second half. I was SO pissed at that game, probably even more so that the OSU game. That game shocked me more than anything.

So starts BEAT M*CH*GAN week. I would have liked to have been able to say that we were going into the game 11-0, but that is not the case. The Wolverweenies lost their game against Wisconsin, which I sorta saw coming. Both Hart and Henne sat out this game due to injuries. A few good hits on these guys and scUM's chances this Saturday could evaporate. They won't be able to beat the Buckeyes with a freshman QB. The game hasn't lost too much of the excitement, since the winner will win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl.

M*CH*G*N Joke of the day:

Q: How many University of M*ch*g*n freshmen does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. That is a second year class.

Ten Down, Two to Go

So, the Buckeyes have rolled to a 10-start again. This season is starting to look alot like last season, only it was supposed to be a 'rebuilding year'. Now, they are 10-0 number 1 in the country, and poised for another shot at a National Title. I actually think that this team is better than last year's squad. Maybe not as much pure talent, but definately a better team chemistry and attitude. However, before we get to the title game, there are still two pretty big games to play. What am I saying? These are HUGE games.

First, Illinois rolls into Ohio Staduim tomorrow. Illinios is 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Their conference losses came against 5-5 Iowa and the resurging Wolverweenies from 'up north'. they have a good offense lead by Juice Williams, who is a pretty big threat at QB, both running and passing. The game starts at 3:30 and is the final home game for the Buckeyes. That means that the crown is going to be WAY into the game. Although I think we should be able to win this game, Illinios has shown potention to cause an upset, beating both Penn State and Wisconsin.

The final game of the regular season comes against the hated Wolverweenies from M*ch*g*n. After a HUGE upset by Appalachin State and a pounding by Oregon, the 8-2 boys in blue have resurged and are tied with Ohio State in the Big Ten Standings. So, as usual, the Big Ten championship will probably come down the The Game. Not to mention the possibility of OSU going to the BCS National Title Game. A few things that Ohio State has going for them are the facts that Mike Hart and Chad Henne have both been playing hurt and they have to go to Wisconsin this week. The Badgers are probably looking to put a beat down on someone after getting beat by Ohio State last week. So, the Wolverweenies will probably be beat up pretty good when the Silver Bullets roll into Ann Arbor.

What an exciting season this has been so far. GO BUCKS!!!

Time for a New Xbox

So, I think my Xbox is dead. I was playing me some Halo last night and the game froze. So, I turned off the console, and the ring of lights that should be green were red. I think it is referred to as the Red Rind of Death. I checked the power, made sure everything was cool to the touch, tried again, and nothing. I guess I could research some more and see if it is something that can be fixed, but I bought a 2 year replacement plan from Best Buy and my Xbox is only about a year old. Can you say, 'New Xbox?' I knew you could. Actually, this is my second 360 to go down. I am SO glad I got the replacement plan. I thought it was a necessity, considering all of the performance issues reported with the Xbox 360. I am hoping that I will be able to get one of the new and improved black models.

Halo 3 killing tip:

Get a mauler (a big pistol looking thing), get in close, and shoot then hit the melee button one right after the other. The shot takes your opponents shields down instantly and the bash in the head finishes them off. Works almost everytime. The only things that can beat you at close range age the shot gun and energy sword. It's a great combo.

Another Good Game

The Browns are now 5-3 and are actually looking like a contender for the playoffs this season. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I am feeling pretty good about the Browns chances to eek into the playoffs. They were down to the Seattle Seahawks, but roared back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Seattle was able to tie the game in the waining seconds of the game to force overtime. They then drove down the field, but were stopped by the Browns defense on a fourth and inches play. Cleveland then got into field goal range and won the game! It was the most fun I've had watching a Browns game in a long time. It was an exciting game with a great outcome!

Go Dawgs!!!

What A Game!

There were ups and downs, but mostly ups. Ohio State ended up handing Wisconsin a sound beating. The Buckeyes started a little slow at first. Sure, they were up 10-3 at the half, but Wisconsin made some good adjustments at halftime and went on top 17-10 in the third quarter. That was that, as the Buckeyes scored four unanswered touchdowns and went on to win 38-17. It was really a fun game to watch. It wasn't one of these games that OSU had won in the first quarter. The TV commentators started to say all of the "number one is on the ropes again" talk and mention how all of the top teams in the past weeks have been upset. I was getting a little worried after Wisconsin scored to go on top and then stopped OSU cold on their first drive of the second half. Then, both the offense and the defense got on track and they bowled over Wisconsin in the fourth quarter. It was great.

In other news, Boston College lost, so now there will be a new #2 in the BCS. It will probably be #5 Oregon, who beat #4 Arizona State soundly, or #3 LSU who eeked one out against # 17 Alabama. They won on a last minute TD pass. I'm not sure which team I would prefir in the #2 spot. Both are pretty good and neither team has any ranked opponents in their remaining games. I believe both teams will play in conference championship games though. Honestly, I would rather that Boston College stayed in the #2 spot, but that didn't happen. I think that Oregon has a shot at leap-frogging LSU due to their solid win over the #4 team whereas LSU struggled against the #17 team.

The Team Up North barely pulled one out against their in-state rivals Michigan State. The final score was 28-24 and scUM had to score in the closing minutes of the game to come out with the win. I have to say, they really turned their season around. After back-to-back loses to open the season, including one against a Div 1AA team, I honestly thought the Wolverweenies were going to joint Minnesota in the bottom of the Big Ten ranks this year. However, after 8 straight wins, it's starting to look like the game in The Big House is going to be a real challenge. The one thing that OSU has going for them is that Wisconsin gets a shot to beat on the boys in blue. I get the feeling that Wisconsin is going to have a chip on their shoulder after OSU handed their asses to them. They play traditional Big Ten football though, so scUM should have a good shot at winning that game. It looked like Mike Hart was banged up again yesterday, so he may not be 100% for the rest of the season.

GO BUCKS!!!

Movies I've Seen Lately

As you know, I have NetFlix. I love this service. I get at least six DVDs per week for less than $20 per month. Sure, I don't always get my first picks, but when I ask for movies that are just out it can take a while. Anyway, I get alot of TV shows that I watch and return, but when I get a movie I usually burn it a watch it at my leisure. Well, movies have been piling up. The beauty of NetFlix is, I get movies I don't really want to buy, but renting them is fine. Anyway.... :

- The Reaping - This is a movie starring Hillary Swank as a religious miracle debunkafier. Kinda like Skully from the X-files, but not with the FBI. She investigates a town that is suffering the 10 plagues that hit Egypt (frogs, locusts, rivers running with blood, etc.). It is a pretty good story, but it jumped around alot and was hard to follow at times. There were alot of twists and turns. I give it 3 of 5 stars.

- Hostel part 2 - The story of a Slyvakian hostel that lures tourists in order to sell them to killers continues. If you saw Hostel, you know the story. This movie wasn't as gorey as the first and I think the story was better in this one. 4 of 5 stars.

- The Gridiron Gang - A bad boy's version of Remember the Titans. Only The Rock plays Denzel's part and the interracial highschool football team is a group of juvie inmate gang members. The concept is the same: They have to become a team to win football games. Pretty good. Not as good as Remember the Titans. Let's face it, The Rock is no Denzel. Similar ending to a done to death story. Pretty good though. 3 of 5 stars.

- Million Dollar Baby - Another Hillary Swank film. Rocky goes chick-style. A female boxer comes out of no where to become a contender. It was actually a pretty good movie. Sad ending though. It also has Clint Eastwood as an actor and the director. He always seems to like those sad ending movies. My guess is he misses his 45 from the Dirty Harry days. 4 of 5 stars.

- Smokin' Aces - The only two things about this movie were a few good action sceens and Ben Afleck looking like a main character in the beginning, but getting killed in the first half hour. I almost turned it off, but the action sceens kept me in it. There was a twist at the end that I am sure the writer thought was creative, but it really just made me hate the movie even more. One star for the action and one star for Ben Afleck getting smoked. That's two of 5 for you non-math folks.

- 30 Days of Night - I had to go to the theaters for this one. It is a vampire movie set in a town in Alaska that has thirty days of darkness once a year. It was pretty freaky. The vampires were not like Ann Rice vampires that would wine and dine you before killing you. They were fast and brutal. There were A LOT of scares in this film. It was pretty gross at times too. I enjoyed it, but didn't like the ending. It was pretty lame. 4 of 5 stars because of the weak ending.

- Transformers - I saw this in the theater way back when, but I got the DVD too. It is really an excellent movie. Fun to watch. 5 of 5.

- Ocean's Twelve - BORING - 1 of 5 stars.

In my queue:

Night Watch - a Russian film about people with superpowers. Looked interesting.
Knocked Up - Saw it in the theater. Funny and it has hottie Katherine Heigl
1408 - Looks scary
Zodiac - about the Zodiac Killer
The Warriors - 70's cult classic movie. It's kinda corny, but a fun movie to watch.
American Psycho - NetFlix says I'll like this one
Donnie Darko - (see above)

Any other movies I need to watch? How about TV shows?

They're ALL Big Games Now

This Saturday, Ohio State plays Wisconsin in the Horseshoe. I keep saying that the game every week is the biggest game or the scariest game, but this time it may be true. Wisconsin ALWAYS makes me nervous. Although Penn State worried me last week, I wasn't as concerned as I am for tomorrow's game. Wisconsin has won something like 5 game in a row as Ohio Stadium. I had an OSU vs. Wisconsin cookout a few years back and it was a bust when Wisconsin thumped the Buckeyes. So far, the Badgers are 7-2, with their losses coming at Illinois and at Penn State. Currently they are 21st in the BCS poll, but are unranked in some of the other polls. They have a huge runningback that will be a new challenge for the Buckeye defense. Most of the backs that have run against OSU have been small, quick backs instead of big bruisers. It will be interesting to see if the OSU D-line will be able to block the holes so that they can bottle up the Wisconsin running game. I think that OSU should win, just as long the offense can keep rolling like they did at Penn State.

Speaking of Penn State, did you all see that YouTube showing the Penn State fans throwing bottles and crap at the OSU fans? If you haven't seen it, you will probably need to watch news stations since the video is being taken off of YouTube due to legal proceedings. If you missed it, basically two OSU frat boys went to their Penn State fraternity chapter (they were invited) and were berrated and abused by the pack of Nittony Lion fans. As they walked away, they were pelted by beer bottles. I told you they were assholes.

GO BUCKS!!!

Too Much Going On!!!

So much to post, so little time:



1. I mentioned in Woody's Halloween post that I am venturing into the world of satellite TV. So far, I am not impressed. Well, there have been some positives and some negatives:

Positives - 1. We have new remotes for all four TVs. With cable, you would get a remote for one TV and the rest of your TVs would have standard cable with the TV remote changing the channels. Our new set up have remotes for all TVs and the main menu comes up on all TVs. Makes channel surfing easier on the other TVs. 2. We now have the Big Ten Network, which is the whole point of this. The Wisconsin game got picked up by the Big Ten Network. 3. Free HBO and Cinemax for three months. 4. We now have 30+ HD channels, rather than the 17 we had through cable.

Negatives - 1. We have had reception issues. They either set us up wrong or put the dish in a bad spot. They are sending someone out tomorrow to hopfully fix it. 2. Our phone doesn't work since installation. I think that Sat TV needs to have a phone line and I think they plugged it into the place that our cable phone was plugged into. Nice. 3. The DVR and navagation menus aren't as user-friendly as with cable. I am starting to think I should have just switched to a cable company that had the Big Ten Network. 4. When installing in my office, then knocked down a shelf that displayed my Star Wars Legos. My office floor now looks like the result of the final battle of Return of the Jedi. And they didn't bother to tell me they did it. Assholes. 5. Whole new channel line up to memorize.



2. Last night was Trick-Or-Treating in our neighborhood. Jessica likes to decorate for Halloween, so our yard looked pretty creepy. I took pictures that you can see on my Flickr page. Gabriel was Jango fett and Alydia was the cutest (and blonde) Snow White. I tried to get a good picture of her, but she couldn't hold still. I guess Gabe was a bit of a stick in the mud and was complaining about being tired after thirty minutes. We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood, so 'Beggars Night' is a big to-do. Lots of homes decorate. I wanted to hide and play Xbox all night, but I was dealing with the Sat TV bullshit. We had some older kids show up for candy. At first I frowned at this, but then I remember Woody, Moe, and myself driving from house to house asking for candy.



3. I finally saw Spiderman 3 on DVD. I have to say, I was not impressed. It was OK, but I don't think it was as good as 1 or 2. It seemed like they jammed too much story into one movie. Sandman, Venom, and the Goblin? I will say that the Venom effects and the fight scenes were pretty sweet, but the rest of the film was a little weak, in my opinion. Kirsten Dunst wasn't even caught in a downpour to make her shirt wet. Her wet-shirt-nip-shots are about all she brought to the previous movies. In 3, all she brought was her bad acting and irritating snaggle tooth. I know, I'm mean.