Month: September 2003

[With a few minor Survivor Spoilers]

A million or two years ago, I first learned about a little thing called a TiVo. I heard about it from a technologically-advanced friend on a mailing list, and he told me about a beta testing program directive was running. So I jumped in. See, I was having issues. My wonderful child’s bedtime was getting in the way of Survivor, I believe season 2 (although possibly season 1). His bedtime was just smack-dab in the middle of it, and because we only had a VCR, we could set it to tape but then we’d have to wait until 9:00 to watch the whole thing – any peeking prior to 9 and you could find out who got snuffed and ruin the whole episode.

TiVo solved the bedtime dilemma – set the thing to record the show, and whenever we got done with bedtime (nigh-nights, book, cuddles, etc.) we could just start watching it from the beginning, even if it was only 8:10pm!!

Since those days, I have cut down on my television viewing to maybe two grown-up shows a week. I just don’t have time, and the shows I’m watching I don’t want to watch with him or can’t. But last night my brother-in-law called to say they were re-running the 1st episode of the new survivor (I haven’t watched since the 3rd one) and I fell in love with the show all over again. I love the direction they took – make it more like real survival. Hey, if you chose to wear a Scoutmaster uniform, well then by golly you’re going to be wearing that thing for 40 days. As if you were REALLY STRANDED SOMEWHERE. I liked the buying supplies thing too. That’s when smarts pay off, not because the producers decided to supply you with four tons of rice. You want to trade your necklace for a big old chicken barbecue, I want to offer you my heartiest “well, done, I hope you win, honey” cause that was brilliant.

Drake Tribe, if you don’t win I will personally come and beat each and every one of you with my own little version of the immunity idol.

Dave Barry mentioned this in his blog, I wanted to make sure you all saw it.

Best Keyboard Ever. The best part is the customer feedback. Please, please, if you’re going to buy one, make sure you use MY link so I get the referral fee. You’ll see why when you look at the price.

How could I forget to tell you! I think talking about it here broke the Yentl curse! Seriously, this weekend at the Johnny Appleseed festival (or “festibull” as Junior insists it is pronounced) I got an entry into a raffle because I filled out a Cultural Commission Survey. You got your choice of three items to take a chance on (like a Chinese auction) and I picked the cookie bouquet because it was one from the Cookies by Design place that I love. I was raving to Gary, the guy working the book (who went to high school with me) about these cookies, so he was laughing last night when he left a message on my phone that I’d won. And he swears it wasn’t fixed. So he dropped the bouquet (all apple-y stuff about the festival) the morning and I took it to my sisters where it didn’t last long. Man, those are some GOOD cookies.

So do I declare the Yentl curse over? Maybe I should have bought some scratch tickets…

Okay, I think in the past 48 hours, I’ve spent 8 in my sister’s pool. Now before you say “are you insane!? It’s September 21st! You’ll die of pneumonia!” let me remind you that they bought a heater for the pool, so really it’s like swimming in a giant hot tub. Yesterday it was a little TOO hot (like, pushing 100) but they turned it down and today it was perfect. I mean, just exactly the most perfect temperature ever ever. There were 4 adults and 5 kids in the pool and I kid you not when I say we were all in there for at least 3 hours straight. My mom used to call me a fish, and Junior is three times what I ever was. I mean, for a kid who never liked to get his face wet, you cannot drag him out of the pool, ever. HOURS he’ll spend in there. I mean, I can think of worse thing for him to do for 5 hours straight, you know?

But man, I’m completely wasted. And I had to come home to do a little laundry and pick up the house some, just because we haven’t been home much since Friday night. Except I just want to go to bed. Being in their pool is like taking a gigantic bath, and you know how you feel all sleepy after a bath. But tomorrow night I’m going to the Red Sox game, so I had to get some laundry done now. I like wearing clothes to work. Ugh. Work. So soon?

I’m sad that it’s so late in the year – they people are coming to close it up for the season around October 11th. I can’t believe we’re going to have to wait like 8 MONTHS before we can have a day like today again. *sigh*

Now sure, they can get a little more swimming in, but it’s not going to be the same when it’s only 60 out. Yesterday was about 83, today was 77. We blew off the Johnny Appleseed parade to spend the day in the pool and I’d do it again. Cause I like being in the pool. If I’m willing to jam myself into a bathing suit in public, you know I must enjoy it.

I’m almost sad to be home and in the house. Time for bed, though. We had the Johnny Appleseed festival (pretty decent, but dudes, figure out the parking. I was thisclose to saying “screw it” and just driving home. Have you considered doing a shuttle bus from the Watertower Plaza or something?