Chicken Butt

Marshal Marshall Mann I want to marry you

I'm quickly running out of In Plain Sight episodes to watch. I've been watching DVDs exclusively for at least a year. When I last moved furniture around I didn't hook up my ruku box I use to watch Netflix. Actually, it was hooked up to my receiver, but the speakers aren't set up, so I never used it. So last week I connected directly to my TV and I've been captive of it ever since. First I watched all of the second season of Dollhouse, then I started on In Plain Sight. There are only seven episodes left in season three, then no more.

I am loving this show. It was a Netflix recommendation and I've never read about or heard anyone mention it. I poked around on IMDb a bit to see if I could find a connection with West Wing in the crew because three actors from WW have appeared in In Plain Sight. I was bewildered that the creator or producers didn't link up. Which makes me an idiot, because the lead actor of In Plain Sight, Mary McCormack, played Kate Harper in 32 episodes. D'oh! I just finished rewatching that whole series a few weeks ago. First it was Joshua Malina, who I've adored since Sports Night, then Richard Schiff, and finally Allison Janney. If Bradley Whitford shows up I'll have to purchase the whole series. I may have to anyways. I have a ol' big crush on Frederick Weller. I'll wait to see if I find myself wanting to watch it again. Some shows I really love, but not for repeated watching. I'm glad there will be a fourth season, just wish it already existed to I could watch them all this weekend.

Am I in heavy duty hibernation mode? You bet.

Too normal?

Once upon a time I was a guest on a national daytime talk show. The experience was a mixed blessing, but overall it was worth it and I'm glad I did it. For a few years the staff kept in touch, but I haven't heard from them in maybe five years. Today I got a call. They are reviewing all the old shows and catching up with past guests. It was a short interview, about 20 minutes long.

I'm blessed that my life is drama-free. (Okay, more accurately, my life is as drama-free as I let it be. All drama over the last few years is self-generated. Probably it always has been, but never so clearly to me.) I felt dull, dull, dull. I couldn't think of anything interesting going on with me. There were a few questions I could have answered better, but really, my life is ordinary. This is a very good thing, but it made me a little wistful for a more interesting life. This is not an invitation for fate to make life interesting, so knock-fucking-wood!

If only I was 150 pounds lighter or solving world poverty or even sewing and crafting more than reading about sewing and crafting. It would have been cool to say, "Yes, I'm still fat but I've solved the problem of poor sizing and styling options for women of size by sewing my whole wardrobe." But I couldn't really bring up the partly done projects in my craft room.*

So I doubt I'll be returning to the boob-tube anytime soon, but it was fun to think about today. I would love to know what the other guests on that show are doing now. How many of us managed to take the weight off long term? I'm minus 30 from when I was on, I wonder if I'm higher or lower than average. I wonder how the "success story" of our show is. Was she able to keep off the 100+ pounds she had shed? Actually, that makes me really curious, because I'm now a member of the same program she was in. I hope she is still a member too. I would totally watch that show.

*I'm theeees close! Really, any day now I'm going to get back to that shirt and finish the window treatment and buy the fabric for that other shirt and finish the bags I intended to make for sis but ran out of time at Xmas. Yep, any day now. [Cue crickets.]

I'm dull but drama free

I finally replaced the shower head in my bathroom last night and what a difference! I had not realized how miserable my showers had gotten. The water pretty much dribbled out, straight down, with no pressure. I probably could have soaked it again in vinegar and water, but I splurged and bought a $9 replacement.

There is a wide price range in shower heads. Most that I normally would have picked are in the area of $35. There were options going up $100 and more. There was a $1.99 option too. The $9 head is sort of cheap feeling, but the looks are all about the same between $9 - $42. I went with the $9 with three settings and I'm quite happy.

I did splurge on the replacement toilet seat though. The seat on my elongated toilet in the hall bathroom cracked and it pinched my ass. I put duct tape on it, but I can only bear that for a week before it is too gross even for me. So there I ended up getting the most expensive option at Lowe's for $30. I really despise the cheap plastic seats on newer toilets. 

This more frugal me has been going pretty well, except when I step into Barnes and Noble. Even trying to be good and putting back stuff I still walked out with $137 of books and DVDs on Friday night. I picked up the latest hardcovers from Connie Willis, Robert B. Parker and Jim Butcher. Willis and Parker died this winter, so this may or may not be their final book. I would have gotten Butcher on my Kindle, but I busted the screen last week and haven't figured out what to do about that yet. It is still usable, only the right side is gone, but I'm feeling a bit trapped in a DRM dilemma.  Oh, and MI-5 Series 7 is out. BBC Television shows are never cheap.

Wow, that is usually the type of post I write and decide not to post because it's boring even to me, but I haven't posted anything in a while. So yeah, sorry about that.

Russel T. Davies is a Genius

It's quite possible I'm watching too much British television. I've been re-watching Doctor Who again, commentary, extras, the whole tamale. While I adore Doctors nine and ten and honestly can't pick a favorite, I think I may be in love with Russel T. Davies, writer and Exec Producer. He is brilliant like Aaron Sorkin, but geekier and Welsh. I've started using "Hooray" in conversation. Davies and his co-exec producers use it all the time in the commentaries and it has stuck in my brain. The thing is, I can't get any sort of fantasy from Davies because he is gay. It's not like that is anymore of a deterrent than living in the UK or being a famous television writer. It's not like I have a better shot with Eccelston or Tennant because they are straight (probably straight). It's just that adoring someone's mind isn't enough. A good fantasy requires a possibility, however minuscule, that if the person met you they just might find you attractive (and, because it is after all a fantasy, utterly irresistible). Gaa. Too much time spent in my head.

This weekend I will watch the first three DVDs of MI-5 series two. I'm finding all sorts of Anglo phrases and speech patterns in my self-dialog. I really do like the word flat instead of condo to describe my home. Condo feels so awkward and hard. Home is weird. House is incorrect. Apartment is also incorrect, but often slips out. Flat sounds right to me. I don't want to start getting all Anglophile though. I already have a MINI with a boot and bonnet. I must not get pretentious or silly. Maybe I should switch over to Buffy again, or Gilmore Girls. I could always try to rekindle my obsession with Vin Diesel or Andrew Lauer. (You probably know Lauer as Charlie from Caroline in the City, but I obsessed over him as Charlie in the short-live series, Going to Extremes.) Okay, enough exposing my crazy.

Is it spring yet?

Timey-whimy

I want a "The angels have the phone box" t-shirt. I also want some friends who love Doctor Who (Doctors 9 & 10).

I am currently watching season 3 for the second time. As much as I loved Christopher, find myself adoring David.

I other news I'm now a size 6.25 ring size. Last time I was properly measured I was 7.5. I got my ears re-pierced last week in anticipation of diamond earrings. I've decided to buy them now rather that wait until losing 150 pounds. That was an old milestone diet reward. Now I feel that I'm as worthy of diamonds now as I will be when I've lost 49 more pounds.

I've gotten out of the habit of writing regularly. Now that I'm back to work after 18 days off in a row, I want to return to more regular sharing here and on WIT. I think my work laptop had more trouble waking up than I did this morning.

Bigger *is* better

I just took delivery of my new 40" LCD Widescreen HDTV. It's beautiful.

There is a long story behind this delivery, but I'll spare my gentle readers and summarize thus:

• I finally decided to buy a flat panel TV, so I researched and decided what I was willing to spend for top quality.
• I purchased the 32" model Saturday night and carried it home (bruising my wrists carrying it up the stairs).
• I was underwhelmed by the size but quality is fine.
• Monday afternoon I obsessing over the tiny size.
• Monday night I went to the store, and after much deliberation exchanged it for the 40".
• They delivered it a few minutes ago.

It is verging on obscenely large. Just as it should be.

P.S. Crap! I realized about an hour after the TV arrived that I forgot to tip the delivery guys. I suck! They were really nice too. I was so dazzled I forgot. Now I feel guilty as hell.

Love the people, hate the plot

I know I'm over a show when two weeks in a row I am relieved that it isn't on because there are other things I'd rather do. West Wing isn't on again tonight and I'm relieved. I intended to catalog some more books and shelve them, but LibraryThing is having a surge of traffic and I can't enter any books. I want LT to be successful, but tonight, I'd rather get my books cataloged. Bummer. I'll have to keep checking back.

West Wing hasn't been the same since Aaron Sorkin left the show. I miss all the character-driven plots. Now it's all crisis and drama, but some of my favorite characters are hardly ever on. I'm stuck watching it because I'm invested in the characters, but I kind of hope this is the last season. Kind of like Elizabeth George novels, I am frustrated with the lengthy and not always interesting or well-written books, but I am invested in the characters of the Inspector Lynley series.

Well, LT looks like it's up again, so I'm going to try to get through my hardcover books tonight.

Thank god for baseball

The problem with becoming more involved in my life is that it doesn't leave enough time for television. I haven't had time to watch all the shows I taped last week and now this week's shows are joining them. At least Veronica Mars was bumped by baseball tonight.

Last night I was more interested in finishing a CB post and visiting my internet friends/stalking targets than watching Prison Break. This is a good thing. I watch way too much TV but I want to keep up with my favorites. So instead of babbling more I'm going to go watch some of last week's shows. Or maybe tonight's Gilmore Girls.

My life is getting more interesting, but I'm not ready to give up my TV "family."

Surrendering to the man

I did it. I gave in. I called Comcast and ordered the most basic cable package they have. $15.99 + tax a month. Sometime between 1-5pm on Wednesday I should be hooked up.

My antenna works fine as long as I don't want to watch a channel above 11. If I do, I have to switch to an amplified antenna. But then I can't surf to the lower channels. And channel 2 is always iffy reception. And I can't tape anything on 2, too much static. But thing that pushed me over the edge is Gilmore Girls on 9 followed by House on 32. I have a meeting at 7:30 every week. It is impossible for me to tape both Gilmore Girls and House. I'm forced to choose. And I'm sick of crappy reception.

I never realized before that I actually felt some kind of moral superiority about not having cable. How weird. I won't get any premium channels and I don't see myself becoming attached to cable access. But I will now have access to all three PBS stations in the area. Yeah!

I haven't had cable since college when ksl and I didn't pay a single cable bill and didn't return the box for 4 years. We stayed up way too late watching before they cut us off. I remember us discussing that we shouldn't get involved when Dangerous Liasons started at like 3am. I think we watched it to the end. Good times.