Well, as I thought, it didn't take Dell the two weeks they said it would to send me the new power cord for my computer. In fact, I recieved the package yesterday morning. Only problem is, they didn't send the right part!! Well, to be fair, they just didn't send me all of the correct part. They only sent me the part of the power cord that connects the AC adapter to the outlet and not the part of the cord that has the AC adapter and connects to the computer. I assumed when I told the woman "I need a new power cord, the green light on the AC adapter no longer comes on" that it was fairly understood that odds were good there was something wrong with the adapter and that I'd be getting the entire cord, or at the very least, that she would ask more questions if it seemed unclear to her. But you know what happens when you assume... And apparently that same thing happens when your "customer service reps" are stationed in a third world country and the only English they know is what's written on a script in front of them! GRRRRR!!
Anyway, I've spoken with the new rep (who I think happens to be somewhere in America) and she has ordered the correct part for me. Hopefully I'll be getting it soon!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
A Brief Sabatical
Posting will be light (more likely non-existent) for the next few days. But don't worry, loyal blog readers, it's not because I drove off a mountain or got kidnapped by the locals with shotguns while out of town last weekend. I did, in fact, make it home safely, but found upon my return that the power cord to my laptop no longer works. It had been acting up for serveral weeks now, but I guess it finally gave up the ghost.
Not wanting to wait for a new one to be sent from Dell, I ran up to BestBuy to try to get one on my own. Turns out, those suckers cost $130 !!! Well, there was no way I was paying that considering my computer is only a year and a half old, so I decided to give Dell a shot. I spent about an hour on the phone with their lovely customer service reps in India or Pakistan or somewhere that no one speaks English, and finally fussed enough to where they agreed to overnight me a new power cord for free, even though my warranty expired in February. Yeah, I got it like that! Only catch is, they say it will be mailed out by October 31. In my past experiences with Dell, they usually get stuff out much faster than they claim, so hopefully I'll have it by the weekend, but if not, I guess I'm going back to the dark ages for a couple weeks with no internet. So painful!!
Anyway, I'm using a computer at work now, but unless I get reallllllly bored, I probably won't get on here to update the blog again, so we're all stuck waiting until UPS brings me my gift from Dell.
In the meantime, reflect on this....Is there really more to life than just being really ridiculously good looking? Feel free to comment with your responses.
Not wanting to wait for a new one to be sent from Dell, I ran up to BestBuy to try to get one on my own. Turns out, those suckers cost $130 !!! Well, there was no way I was paying that considering my computer is only a year and a half old, so I decided to give Dell a shot. I spent about an hour on the phone with their lovely customer service reps in India or Pakistan or somewhere that no one speaks English, and finally fussed enough to where they agreed to overnight me a new power cord for free, even though my warranty expired in February. Yeah, I got it like that! Only catch is, they say it will be mailed out by October 31. In my past experiences with Dell, they usually get stuff out much faster than they claim, so hopefully I'll have it by the weekend, but if not, I guess I'm going back to the dark ages for a couple weeks with no internet. So painful!!
Anyway, I'm using a computer at work now, but unless I get reallllllly bored, I probably won't get on here to update the blog again, so we're all stuck waiting until UPS brings me my gift from Dell.
In the meantime, reflect on this....Is there really more to life than just being really ridiculously good looking? Feel free to comment with your responses.
Friday, October 19, 2007
And I'm outta here...
Well, I got a few posts up before the weekend, but I had planned to put at least one more up there. Change of plans though...turns out I'm leaving town tonight instead of tomorrow morning as originally planned. I was going to use tonight to write one or two more posts, but guess that's not going to happen now.
Anyway, I'm off to my last night at job #2 (yay!!!) and then am heading to the mountains. Enjoy your weekend and look for some fun posts next week!!!
Anyway, I'm off to my last night at job #2 (yay!!!) and then am heading to the mountains. Enjoy your weekend and look for some fun posts next week!!!
What's in Mark's DVR? - Dancing with the Stars
DANCING WITH THE STARSMondays, 9pm, ABC
I started watching this show last fall during season 3 and, let me say, I was hooked. Lame, I know, but I still love it and get sucked in easily. It's actually one of the few reality shows I watch (save for all those real estate/flipping shows...I pretty much watch all of them). I think I started watching it b/c a co-worker always raved about it, or maybe it was a friend, or maybe a combination of people, but anyway, the point is I started.
Here's some fun back story on Mark. For 6 years growing up (from 6th-12th grade) I took Cotillion Classes (and no, before you ask, this is not the same as Debutantes, it was definitely co-ed) . In these classes we learned etiquette, proper social skills, and, of course, ballroom dancing. I can't remember specifically what we learned, as I've taken a few other dance classes since then and they kinda blend together, but I know we learned to Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Swing. (Funny enough, I also learned to Tush Push there, as we would usually learn one line dance at our "casual night" each year.) I'm pretty sure there was at least one more, but I can't think of it. This actually was quite beneficial, as it not only taught me to dance and helped make me so etiquette focused, but also helped me not feel awkward around girls, as I had to ask one to dance once a week for years, and helped put me in some of the good social circles in school. If I still lived back home, I'd be quite well connected.
Anyway, so I know how to dance, which helped me like this show, since I actually knew what they were doing. And I was amazed at how well some of the celebrities were. I mean, granted they got intense lessons for several hours each week, but I know a lot of people can't even find a beat (ahem...Billy Ray Cyrus) so they wouldn't even stand a chance. The first season I watched I was pulling for Mario Lopez the whole time. He was an amazing dancer and ended up getting to number 2. In my opinion, he was better than Emmitt Smith, who won, but Emmitt did have a bit more charisma. Season 4, last spring, I was throwing my vast influence in the ballroom dancing competition world behind Laila Ali. I think when I first saw Laila do a ballroom dance I was so amazed at how gracefully elegant she looked (which was unexpected, considering she's a boxer) I knew she had what it took to go all the way. Sadly, she too was robbed, only getting to 3rd place...she definitely was better the Joey Fatone.
So far this season, I've not really fallen in love with anyone and am not vested in any of the competitors. I mean Mel B is good and should hang around for awhile, but probably doesn't have what it takes to win. Helio is also very good and is a bit unexpected in my opinion too. Sabrina is far and away the best and, barring any major mishaps, should go on to win it. I will say...her Paso Doble this week was AMAZING!!
While I always love the energy and sensuality of the latin dances, my two favorite dances by far are the Waltz and the Paso Doble. Anyway...that's my take on DWTS!
PS - I'm glad Samantha is back as co-hosting. She may have her ditzy moments, but she's much better than Drew LeChay was at it. He needs a real job...someone should tell him that he is not actually employed by DWTS. Oh, and at the risk of sounding like a complete sexist pig and being entirely inappropriate...but it was very clear with that dress she was wearing this week that she is very clearly breast feeding the new baby. Did anyone else notice that? Yikes!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I think we've reached a new low...
For years I've been joking that they'll deep fry anything in the South. I generally don't eat much fried food personally, but since moving here I've seen almost everything imaginable fried. On restaurant menus I've not only seen the normal fried items: chicken, fish, pork, okra (eww), etc., but have also seen some rather unique things such as fried pickles! (I think that one was actually on the menu of a Sonic somewhere.) And of course, every year when the fair comes they advertise some new fried food. I really thought I'd seen it all when two years ago I saw a billboard for fried Oreos at the fair...and then last year they seemed to top it with fried Snickers. But then I read this...
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/203956.html
You've got to be kidding me...fried Pepsi???? Huh? How is that even possible? I guess it's just proof that if you cover anything in grease and bread crumbs they'll eat it around here. Is this really the best idea for a state with such high incidences of heart disease and obesity? Oh geez!
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/203956.html
You've got to be kidding me...fried Pepsi???? Huh? How is that even possible? I guess it's just proof that if you cover anything in grease and bread crumbs they'll eat it around here. Is this really the best idea for a state with such high incidences of heart disease and obesity? Oh geez!
Wait for it...
Okay, in an effort to not be a lazy blogger, I'm going to encourage myself to post by letting you know things to come. The 'rents are rolling through town tomorrow night, so I won't be blogging then, as I'll be playing host; and I'm heading up to the mountains this weekend, so blogging will be pretty light then as well. Don't worry, though... a weekend with the parents almost guarantees some great blogging material for next week! (Note to self...blog about my parents picking me up from the airport in full costume!)
Before I leave though, I'm going to try my best to add a few posts. I'll definitely add one or two more segments of "What's in Mark's DVR?" (you didn't really think I was done with 2 shows, did you?). I was also going to post something about my thoughts on Halloween, but that may get postponed until next week. Hopefully I'll be able to make at least one random post before I leave Saturday morning. Either more insight into the complex (but not necessarily deep) character that is Mark, or at the very least, I'll type up one of my "Only Mark" stories for you. Either way, expect at least 2-3 more posts before the weekend. Don't read them all at once, though...use some self control and ration them out for a full weekend of entertainment! Trust me, a little bit of me goes a looooong way!
Oh yeah, I'm also quitting job #2 this week! Technically, I suppose I quit 2 weeks ago, but the point is, my last day is Friday! Yay!!! Perhaps I'll post something special to celebrate, who knows!
Before I leave though, I'm going to try my best to add a few posts. I'll definitely add one or two more segments of "What's in Mark's DVR?" (you didn't really think I was done with 2 shows, did you?). I was also going to post something about my thoughts on Halloween, but that may get postponed until next week. Hopefully I'll be able to make at least one random post before I leave Saturday morning. Either more insight into the complex (but not necessarily deep) character that is Mark, or at the very least, I'll type up one of my "Only Mark" stories for you. Either way, expect at least 2-3 more posts before the weekend. Don't read them all at once, though...use some self control and ration them out for a full weekend of entertainment! Trust me, a little bit of me goes a looooong way!
Oh yeah, I'm also quitting job #2 this week! Technically, I suppose I quit 2 weeks ago, but the point is, my last day is Friday! Yay!!! Perhaps I'll post something special to celebrate, who knows!
I hate exercising!
So for a while now I've been telling myself that I've been sedentary for far too long and that it wa
s time to get off my rear and do something active. Joining a gym would be nice (and is still on slate for the future) but frankly, I knew until I could get a personal trainer, the membership would be wasted, as I'd avoid going and wouldn't really know what to do to achieve my desired results when I did get there. I was actually perfectly content to continue putting off exercise until I found out that several of my friends have a little running group that goes out a few times a week. Working two jobs, I normally could use the wonderful excuse of "I have to work" on the evenings when I was invited, but I knew this was short lived. On Monday, I didn't have to work, so I decided to give it a shot.
To be honest, I actually was a bit excited to run just because I knew it meant I would finally be doing something productive and, as time goes on, would get me in better shape* and help me feel better.
(*Please note that by "better shape" I do not mean as in weight loss or body toning or anything like that. I actually have one of those insane metabolisms that burns off fat as fast as I can take it in or faster. So regardless of what I eat, I've been within 10 pounds of my current weight for several years. This thin body is deceptive, however, because I can still have higher than normal cholesterol or other problems associated with a poor diet and inactivity, even if it doesn't show on the outside.)
My friends had mentioned that they normally run 3 or 3.5 miles! Yeah, Mark's never run that far in his life! Frankly, I don't really even like to drive that far most days! Nonetheless, I told them I'd tag along and see how far I could go. Well folks, I got to the park where we were running shortly after some of the others, so I was left to run on my own (which was good b/c I know I wouldn't have been able to keep their pace). After deciding to walk the first quarter-mile as a warm up, I start my jog. I wasn't sure how far I'd make it, but I knew the last time I jogged regularly (back in 2
002) I really couldn't go much more than a mile without feeling exhausted and wanting to walk, so my hopes were not set very high. After running for a quarter mile, I started feeling it, but made myself go further because, honestly, that would have been embarrassing. I push myself on further and when I got to where the three-quarter mile marker would probably have been located (if it weren't missing for some reason) I finally gave up. I really felt like I was going to pass out into the canal I was running along and float down stream. Yep, that's right...after a whole half mile of running, I was done! I felt like the girl in that picture (except my guess is she'd done a bit more than a half mile) I walked the next half mile to regain my strength and was just about to start jogging again when I ran into another friend who had turned around and was on his way back. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to join him and turn around. We walked a bit more and he wanted to slow jog. I did this for a little with him, but honestly, the slow jog was more difficult to me than a full paced one I was used to, so I gave up and went back to walking.
It was horrid, all in all. I'm not lying to you, at one point I felt the strange feeling that I was going to start crying from the work, haha! Sad, huh? When it was all said and done, I formed 2 conclusions:
s time to get off my rear and do something active. Joining a gym would be nice (and is still on slate for the future) but frankly, I knew until I could get a personal trainer, the membership would be wasted, as I'd avoid going and wouldn't really know what to do to achieve my desired results when I did get there. I was actually perfectly content to continue putting off exercise until I found out that several of my friends have a little running group that goes out a few times a week. Working two jobs, I normally could use the wonderful excuse of "I have to work" on the evenings when I was invited, but I knew this was short lived. On Monday, I didn't have to work, so I decided to give it a shot.To be honest, I actually was a bit excited to run just because I knew it meant I would finally be doing something productive and, as time goes on, would get me in better shape* and help me feel better.
(*Please note that by "better shape" I do not mean as in weight loss or body toning or anything like that. I actually have one of those insane metabolisms that burns off fat as fast as I can take it in or faster. So regardless of what I eat, I've been within 10 pounds of my current weight for several years. This thin body is deceptive, however, because I can still have higher than normal cholesterol or other problems associated with a poor diet and inactivity, even if it doesn't show on the outside.)
My friends had mentioned that they normally run 3 or 3.5 miles! Yeah, Mark's never run that far in his life! Frankly, I don't really even like to drive that far most days! Nonetheless, I told them I'd tag along and see how far I could go. Well folks, I got to the park where we were running shortly after some of the others, so I was left to run on my own (which was good b/c I know I wouldn't have been able to keep their pace). After deciding to walk the first quarter-mile as a warm up, I start my jog. I wasn't sure how far I'd make it, but I knew the last time I jogged regularly (back in 2
002) I really couldn't go much more than a mile without feeling exhausted and wanting to walk, so my hopes were not set very high. After running for a quarter mile, I started feeling it, but made myself go further because, honestly, that would have been embarrassing. I push myself on further and when I got to where the three-quarter mile marker would probably have been located (if it weren't missing for some reason) I finally gave up. I really felt like I was going to pass out into the canal I was running along and float down stream. Yep, that's right...after a whole half mile of running, I was done! I felt like the girl in that picture (except my guess is she'd done a bit more than a half mile) I walked the next half mile to regain my strength and was just about to start jogging again when I ran into another friend who had turned around and was on his way back. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to join him and turn around. We walked a bit more and he wanted to slow jog. I did this for a little with him, but honestly, the slow jog was more difficult to me than a full paced one I was used to, so I gave up and went back to walking.It was horrid, all in all. I'm not lying to you, at one point I felt the strange feeling that I was going to start crying from the work, haha! Sad, huh? When it was all said and done, I formed 2 conclusions:
- I'm more out of shape than I thought. (Actually, I'm probably just as out of shape as I thought, but I was kinda hoping that I was selling myself short. Guess not!)
- If I actually want to make any progress, I'm going to have to do this more than the once or twice a week I was planning. Looks like I may need to do half a mile around the block every morning for a while. Something I'm not particularly looking forward to.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
T.I.N.S.T.A.F.L.
So, I've known for some time that there truly is no such thing as free lunch...I mean everything's gotta cost you (or somebody) something. But my dreams of a deeply discounted lunch are becoming dashed now as well.
A few months ago my brakes started making noises, so I knew something needed to be done. Not having tons of money to dump into car maintenance, I decide to call up a friend of mine who rebuilds Nissans for fun (I know, crazy hobby, but it works for him). Anyway, I determine that the noise just means that my front brake pads need replacing, so I get some pads, set a time to meet with him (which took about 2 weeks because of our busy schedules) and we get started. While changing the brake pads, we notice that one of my wheel studs was stripped, meaning the lug nut wasn't tightening all the way and was in need of replacement. After driving to 3 different auto part stores, we cannot find a wheel stud to fit my Maxima.
So over the next week, I head to the dealership to get a wheel stud and call my friend again to set up a time to get him to install it. We play phone tag for several weeks and I get a bit frustrated. After about 3 weeks of carrying this stud around in my cup holder, my car starts making even more (and notably worse) noises coming from my wheels. At this point, I assume one of two things...either there's something wrong with the new brakes or the missing wheel stud is causing greater issues and must be installed immediately. I guess I finally sounded desperate enough on the phone b/c my friend finally worked in some time to look at my car.
So we finally meet, he hears the horrible noises and tells me that it is actually coming from my rear wheels. Yes, that's right...now my back brakes have gone out and need changing. Arrgh! Well, he didn't have time to change them then, so we just changed the wheel stud and agreed to meet again at a later date for the brakes. More phone tag ensues (keep in mind, with every mile I drive, I have to listen to my brakes rubbing on my rotors b/c the pads are essentially gone) and finally, about two weeks later, I'm able to get a hold of him and we agree to meet last Friday afternoon b/c he was getting off work early. Friday comes, I get to his house and, lo and behold, no friend. I wait...no friend. I call him at work...no answer. Call his cell...no answer. After sitting in his driveway for 45 minutes or so, I give up and go on to my second job. Finally we agree to try again this morning as he was off work today.
Well, I get to his house this morning, and he was there waiting (fortunately). We knew we needed to have the rotors turned (since driving with the bad brakes for so long created groves in them) so what was to be a simple brake pad change, turned into removing the whole wheel, taking the rotors to a shop and having them turn them. One of the rotors is stuck on, but after 20 minutes or so of fighting, it finally breaks loose. We take them up to a shop where a friend of his works to get them turned and they tell us it will take an hour! We go off and run some errands he had to do and came back to pick them up. Then, when putting it all back together, we realize the auto parts store gave us the wrong pads! Back in the car we go to exchange those and finally we get them put on. What should have taken 1 hour or an hour and a half at most today (including having them turned) ended up lasting about 4 hours!! And of course that's not to mention the 3 or 4 months that have passed since I first started having problems!
Don't get me wrong, I'm very appreciative of the help my friend has offered b/c I know, even if he doesn't mind doing it, there are better ways he could be using his time. And although it was insanely frustrating playing phone tag for a couple months (and by phone tag, I basically mean me leaving him voicemails which were unreturned), I do realize that we both have very busy schedules, so it was bound to be difficult. I'm just frustrated b/c what should have been been an easy thing to do and shouldn't have cost much ended up becoming an ordeal! To top it all off, between the pads and the rotor turning and everything else, I still ended up spending about $70 on the rear brakes alone. Naturally that doesn't include what I had to pay for the front pads and wheel stud and everything else. So really how much money did I save? I know a shop would have cost more, probably $150-$200, but also with a shop I could have just dropped my car off in the morning months ago when I first had issue, told them to look at the wheels, had them find all the problems at once, fix them and I could have been back in my car, problem free by the afternoon. This whole ordeal never even needed to be an ordeal if I could have just paid someone to do it up front!
Ugh! All I can say is, I can't wait until I have enough money coming in to just take care of stuff like this the right way from the start! I'm not necessarily trying to say money can by happiness (although I'm not denying it either) but in this situation, a little bit of money sure could have saved a lot of frustration and time! So much for big discounts!
A few months ago my brakes started making noises, so I knew something needed to be done. Not having tons of money to dump into car maintenance, I decide to call up a friend of mine who rebuilds Nissans for fun (I know, crazy hobby, but it works for him). Anyway, I determine that the noise just means that my front brake pads need replacing, so I get some pads, set a time to meet with him (which took about 2 weeks because of our busy schedules) and we get started. While changing the brake pads, we notice that one of my wheel studs was stripped, meaning the lug nut wasn't tightening all the way and was in need of replacement. After driving to 3 different auto part stores, we cannot find a wheel stud to fit my Maxima.
So over the next week, I head to the dealership to get a wheel stud and call my friend again to set up a time to get him to install it. We play phone tag for several weeks and I get a bit frustrated. After about 3 weeks of carrying this stud around in my cup holder, my car starts making even more (and notably worse) noises coming from my wheels. At this point, I assume one of two things...either there's something wrong with the new brakes or the missing wheel stud is causing greater issues and must be installed immediately. I guess I finally sounded desperate enough on the phone b/c my friend finally worked in some time to look at my car.
So we finally meet, he hears the horrible noises and tells me that it is actually coming from my rear wheels. Yes, that's right...now my back brakes have gone out and need changing. Arrgh! Well, he didn't have time to change them then, so we just changed the wheel stud and agreed to meet again at a later date for the brakes. More phone tag ensues (keep in mind, with every mile I drive, I have to listen to my brakes rubbing on my rotors b/c the pads are essentially gone) and finally, about two weeks later, I'm able to get a hold of him and we agree to meet last Friday afternoon b/c he was getting off work early. Friday comes, I get to his house and, lo and behold, no friend. I wait...no friend. I call him at work...no answer. Call his cell...no answer. After sitting in his driveway for 45 minutes or so, I give up and go on to my second job. Finally we agree to try again this morning as he was off work today.
Well, I get to his house this morning, and he was there waiting (fortunately). We knew we needed to have the rotors turned (since driving with the bad brakes for so long created groves in them) so what was to be a simple brake pad change, turned into removing the whole wheel, taking the rotors to a shop and having them turn them. One of the rotors is stuck on, but after 20 minutes or so of fighting, it finally breaks loose. We take them up to a shop where a friend of his works to get them turned and they tell us it will take an hour! We go off and run some errands he had to do and came back to pick them up. Then, when putting it all back together, we realize the auto parts store gave us the wrong pads! Back in the car we go to exchange those and finally we get them put on. What should have taken 1 hour or an hour and a half at most today (including having them turned) ended up lasting about 4 hours!! And of course that's not to mention the 3 or 4 months that have passed since I first started having problems!
Don't get me wrong, I'm very appreciative of the help my friend has offered b/c I know, even if he doesn't mind doing it, there are better ways he could be using his time. And although it was insanely frustrating playing phone tag for a couple months (and by phone tag, I basically mean me leaving him voicemails which were unreturned), I do realize that we both have very busy schedules, so it was bound to be difficult. I'm just frustrated b/c what should have been been an easy thing to do and shouldn't have cost much ended up becoming an ordeal! To top it all off, between the pads and the rotor turning and everything else, I still ended up spending about $70 on the rear brakes alone. Naturally that doesn't include what I had to pay for the front pads and wheel stud and everything else. So really how much money did I save? I know a shop would have cost more, probably $150-$200, but also with a shop I could have just dropped my car off in the morning months ago when I first had issue, told them to look at the wheels, had them find all the problems at once, fix them and I could have been back in my car, problem free by the afternoon. This whole ordeal never even needed to be an ordeal if I could have just paid someone to do it up front!
Ugh! All I can say is, I can't wait until I have enough money coming in to just take care of stuff like this the right way from the start! I'm not necessarily trying to say money can by happiness (although I'm not denying it either) but in this situation, a little bit of money sure could have saved a lot of frustration and time! So much for big discounts!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
What's in Mark's DVR? - Two & A Half Men
TWO & A HALF MENMondays, 9pm, CBS
So here's a show I DVR each week, but probably more out of habit than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I do watch it, but I probably wouldn't be devastated if I ever missed it. I think I started watching it a couple years ago because a former coworker always talked about how funny it is...and because at the time it conveniently came on right after HIMYM. I've kept watching it, and it is a funny show, but it's kinda the same story every week. The kid in it is funny, and of course I love the deadpan humor of Berta, the housekeeper.
Now that I've started writing this, I'm realizing I don't have a ton to say about this show, haha. No fun back story, no great emotional draws, just a good old fashioned entertaining sitcom. It makes me laugh and I usually put it on in the background as I'm playing online or doing something else. I guess that's it...Two & A Half Men...see what you think!
...Oh! Here's a little random tidbit from me. It has always kinda bugged me about this show how Charlie Sheen's character, Charlie (creative, I know) almost always wears bowling shirts, cargo shorts and tube socks! How horrible is that look? And he's supposed to be the big ladies man who lands all the hot young bimbos...how many young bimbos do you know that would ever hook up with someone dressed like that; even if he does have a house on the beach in Malibu? Ugh!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
What's in Mark's DVR? - How I Met Your Mother
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHERMondays, 8pm, CBS
So this show is one of the rare few I actually have watched since the first episode. I initially took a chance on it b/c I felt I somewhat identified w/ the plot line and it has definitely grown on me more and more! Of course, for you to know how I identified w/ the plot requires a little back story...time to step into the Wayback Machine!
In the first episode of this show, you learn that Ted is sharing an apartment with his two best friends from college, Marshall and Lily, who have been dating since college. While many might think this would make Ted the perpetual 3rd wheel (even in his own home) he actually is an integral part of the relationship (well, aside from the sex...as far as we know) and the three of them actually work really well together. When Marshall announces to Ted that he is going to propose to Lily, however, Ted realizes that the happy little family he has grown accustomed to is about to change dramatically. It was time for Ted to leave the comforts of this home for a life (and relationship) of his own. This scenario is basically exactly the same as my life in college.
For two and a half years, I lived with a friend of mine and we got along great. About a month or so after we moved in together, he started dating a mutual friend of ours who I was equally close to (not in a romantic way, but we were good friends). After about a year of their dating, they got engaged and, just after graduation, they got married and moved on. Well, since the girlfriend-turned fiancee-turned wife (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Roommate's Wife") and I already got along so well, (and since we lived across the hall from each other the first semester they dated) it somewhat became natural that our place would be the one they would spend most of their time at. Even though she never officially lived with us, she sorta became the third roommate (which was a little awkward when we actually had a third roommate b/c The Roommate and I both liked The Wife better than the new roommate, so she kept the title as #3 and he got bumped to #4, but I digress). Instead of me feeling like the third wheel, our little trio actually worked out well. When The Roommate wanted to discuss sports, or something that disinterested the Wife, he had me to talk with. When The Wife wanted to talk about superficial meaningless stuff like Will & Grace episodes or fashion or whatever, I was right there with a willing ear and ready opinion. And when the two of them wanted to move on to something deeply intellectual like literature, I had the perfect excuse to leave the room! Although I was happy for them when they got married, it was a little disappointing b/c to me, it was more like I was getting divorced from our happy little family, as they moved 250 miles away.
With that said, when I first saw the previews for HIMYM, I knew I had to jump on board, as it premiered only about 2 months after their wedding. I've been hooked ever since! It is LEGEN- (wait for it) -DARY! C'mon...I had to! (Incidentally, a former coworker has on more than one occasion said I remind her of Barney from the show...I love it!)
Here's a few more HIMYM links for fun...
Barney's Blog (Here's the blog from previous seasons)
SlapCountdown.com
Swarley
What's in Mark's DVR?
So it's been a few days since I've posted and, if I were a good blogger, I'd tell you that was because I was out creating fun stories for everyone to read (and by everyone, I mean those people who will some day in the future accidentally stumble across this blog and will be bored enough to read through the archives to catch up on all the fun Mark stories). Well, the sad truth is, future blog readers, that simply isn't the case. Since my last post, I've basically been working, doing a bit of yard work and sleeping. Oh yeah, and repainting my bathroom (random post for another time).
In lieu of a fun story, however, I guess I'll begin a series of posts about one of the best parts of the fall...new TV!! I know it may sound sad, but after a long summer of re-runs, I feel I've earned the right to be really excited about the kick off of the fall TV season every year. And, thanks to the joys of DVR, I actually get to watch all my shows, instead of having to rush home or risk missing one. (Honestly, how did we survive before this thing?) Anyway, I figure I'll take the opportunity to run through the list of shows I record every week (and maybe even a few that aren't in season now, but I love anyway) and tell you why I watch them, what I like about them and whatever else seems appropriate. This will also set me up perfectly to give reviews on certain episodes of my shows as time progresses. Yay! Something to blog about!
For the sake of archiving, and because I'm a tinge anal retentive and neurotic, as was previously discussed, I'm going to give each review it's own post.
I now present to you, my new series entitled "What's in Mark's DVR?"...
In lieu of a fun story, however, I guess I'll begin a series of posts about one of the best parts of the fall...new TV!! I know it may sound sad, but after a long summer of re-runs, I feel I've earned the right to be really excited about the kick off of the fall TV season every year. And, thanks to the joys of DVR, I actually get to watch all my shows, instead of having to rush home or risk missing one. (Honestly, how did we survive before this thing?) Anyway, I figure I'll take the opportunity to run through the list of shows I record every week (and maybe even a few that aren't in season now, but I love anyway) and tell you why I watch them, what I like about them and whatever else seems appropriate. This will also set me up perfectly to give reviews on certain episodes of my shows as time progresses. Yay! Something to blog about!
For the sake of archiving, and because I'm a tinge anal retentive and neurotic, as was previously discussed, I'm going to give each review it's own post.
I now present to you, my new series entitled "What's in Mark's DVR?"...
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Outdoor Concerts
So, today was a great day. It was the first Saturday in a long time that I didn't have to work. Well, the first Saturday in a while that I didn't have to work and was actually in town. And, since I got to go to the football game on Thursday night, I didn't have to spend my free day watching the Gamecocks beat some unsuspecting team this week.
To start my day, I got to sleep in. I mean, truly sleep in...not just sleep a little later than normal, but one of those really good sleeps where you really have no pressing reason to get up, so you can stay in bed as long as you want to. That's a great feeling and one I truly miss about Saturdays. Then, I thought I was going to have to go by the office of job #1 for a little bit, but I called up my boss and (surprise!), she didn't make it to the office so said there would be no point in me going. Sounded good to me, so I laid around the house a bit longer.
The little town I live in had planned a little street party (well, rooftop party, to be exact) on the top of the parking garage of the "mall" across the street from me. Having nothing else to do, I had planned to go on over...if for no other reason than to see The Tams, (also here) a great old Beach Music band that's been touring the Southeast for almost 50 years. I've seen The Tams perform a few times before and they always put on a great show, and this time was no different. They were the first act on, so when I heard them start playing, I decided it was time to get dressed, walk across the street and enjoy. As always, The Tams put on a great show and I enjoyed myself,
although the crowd was light (probably because it was at 2:00 in the afternoon and they were the first group) and was almost all older people (which is to be expected for the town I live in). I couldn't find anyone to go with me, which means I had no one to shag with, but I just bought a glass of merlot and a slice of pizza and enjoyed the show. I tried taking some pictures for you, but apparently I don't really know how to work the camera on my cell phone, so I stole some pictures from the Tams website for you.
After the Tams performed, some other band was supposed to come on, but they took too long to set up and it was no one I had heard of...looked kinda like some teenage group with nothing much to offer. Maybe I was selling them short, but I didn't feel like hanging around so I went home. Then I grabbed something to eat, did some yard work, then went up to church to hang out with some friends. I did enjoy hearing the rest of the bands performing at the concert while I was doing my yardwork, so in effect, I guess I did get to hear most of the groups toady. All in all, a good day.
The real point of this post, however, was to editorialize a bit on outdoor concerts. I know this isn't a uniquely South Carolina thing, but it seems it really is the thing to do here. All fall and throughout the spring you can find an outdoor concert (usually free) pretty much at least once a week somewhere around this city. And I gotta say...I love them! There's very few better ways to spend an afternoon or evening to me then just hanging out outside in good weather, having a little food and some drinks and listening to some good music. It really fits with the culture here too...people are laid back and kinda down home, and they certainly enjoy their alcohol! Like I said, I know these aren't unique to SC, but they do seem to go perfectly with the southern way of life!
Well, LSU and UF are battling it out on TV and (for once) I'm actually pulling for the Gators, so I'd better get back to cheering them on! Catch ya later!
To start my day, I got to sleep in. I mean, truly sleep in...not just sleep a little later than normal, but one of those really good sleeps where you really have no pressing reason to get up, so you can stay in bed as long as you want to. That's a great feeling and one I truly miss about Saturdays. Then, I thought I was going to have to go by the office of job #1 for a little bit, but I called up my boss and (surprise!), she didn't make it to the office so said there would be no point in me going. Sounded good to me, so I laid around the house a bit longer.
The little town I live in had planned a little street party (well, rooftop party, to be exact) on the top of the parking garage of the "mall" across the street from me. Having nothing else to do, I had planned to go on over...if for no other reason than to see The Tams, (also here) a great old Beach Music band that's been touring the Southeast for almost 50 years. I've seen The Tams perform a few times before and they always put on a great show, and this time was no different. They were the first act on, so when I heard them start playing, I decided it was time to get dressed, walk across the street and enjoy. As always, The Tams put on a great show and I enjoyed myself,
although the crowd was light (probably because it was at 2:00 in the afternoon and they were the first group) and was almost all older people (which is to be expected for the town I live in). I couldn't find anyone to go with me, which means I had no one to shag with, but I just bought a glass of merlot and a slice of pizza and enjoyed the show. I tried taking some pictures for you, but apparently I don't really know how to work the camera on my cell phone, so I stole some pictures from the Tams website for you.
After the Tams performed, some other band was supposed to come on, but they took too long to set up and it was no one I had heard of...looked kinda like some teenage group with nothing much to offer. Maybe I was selling them short, but I didn't feel like hanging around so I went home. Then I grabbed something to eat, did some yard work, then went up to church to hang out with some friends. I did enjoy hearing the rest of the bands performing at the concert while I was doing my yardwork, so in effect, I guess I did get to hear most of the groups toady. All in all, a good day.
The real point of this post, however, was to editorialize a bit on outdoor concerts. I know this isn't a uniquely South Carolina thing, but it seems it really is the thing to do here. All fall and throughout the spring you can find an outdoor concert (usually free) pretty much at least once a week somewhere around this city. And I gotta say...I love them! There's very few better ways to spend an afternoon or evening to me then just hanging out outside in good weather, having a little food and some drinks and listening to some good music. It really fits with the culture here too...people are laid back and kinda down home, and they certainly enjoy their alcohol! Like I said, I know these aren't unique to SC, but they do seem to go perfectly with the southern way of life!
Well, LSU and UF are battling it out on TV and (for once) I'm actually pulling for the Gators, so I'd better get back to cheering them on! Catch ya later!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
What's in a name?
I felt I should give you some insight into the title of this blog...Only Mark. I suppose Only Mark could be interpreted as some modest or humble way of saying that this is Only Mark's point of view, or just what Mark thinks or something, but frankly anyone who knows me will tell you my ego is much healthier than that. :)
Actually the title stems from a series of random events and encounters that seem to only happen to me (Mark). I can't tell you how many times I'm telling a story that ends with "Only Mark" or "Who else, but Mark". The goal of this little blog is to share some of those random (and usually quite entertaining) stories as well as maybe even throwing in a few fun little tidbits and insights into my life.
So many stories you've already missed out on because of my procrastination in starting this blog (see my last post), but perhaps on slow days I'll be able to relive the highlights for you.
Oh, and as far as posting to the blog goes, I figure one of two scenarios will play out...either I'll become almost addicted to the blog and to posting and put something new up almost daily, or I'll burn out really quickly and get caught up in everything else going on and hardly post at all. In all likelihood, it'll probably be some combination of the two happening...sometimes I'll post frequently and other times I'll get rather light on the posts. I guess we'll just see how it goes!
Actually the title stems from a series of random events and encounters that seem to only happen to me (Mark). I can't tell you how many times I'm telling a story that ends with "Only Mark" or "Who else, but Mark". The goal of this little blog is to share some of those random (and usually quite entertaining) stories as well as maybe even throwing in a few fun little tidbits and insights into my life.
So many stories you've already missed out on because of my procrastination in starting this blog (see my last post), but perhaps on slow days I'll be able to relive the highlights for you.
Oh, and as far as posting to the blog goes, I figure one of two scenarios will play out...either I'll become almost addicted to the blog and to posting and put something new up almost daily, or I'll burn out really quickly and get caught up in everything else going on and hardly post at all. In all likelihood, it'll probably be some combination of the two happening...sometimes I'll post frequently and other times I'll get rather light on the posts. I guess we'll just see how it goes!
The Official First Post
Well, this blog has been a long time coming. I've been saying for months, "I need to start a blog!" But basically two things have held me up...the title and the first post. As for the title, well, Google helped me pick that by eliminating nearly every other idea I had thought of, but I still had free reign with the first post.
Why is this first post so important, you ask? Well, the first post to a blog is a very monumental one. It basically serves to set the tone of your entire blog. Sure, a well written blog will evolve over time and possibly even begin to take on a life and personality all it's own, but that doesn't change the fact that the first post is still out there reminding everyone of where you started. I've felt pressure to make the first post something spectacular - some amazingly random or hilarious story that has happened to me. I wanted it to be one that, months from now when a new reader clicks back in the archives to figure out what the heck this thing is they've stumbled upon, would entice people and get them to keep reading. But, all that pressure just left me without a blog! So, I decided to suck it up, write a random and boring first post just to kick things off - and this is it!
This is my first post...so far you know nothing about my blog, nothing about me (other than a little insight into my sometimes neurotic life and what looks like a slight fear of commitment) and nothing new about the world. Whew! Pressure's off as soon as I hit publish and I can begin with the blog!
Hope you enjoy it!
Why is this first post so important, you ask? Well, the first post to a blog is a very monumental one. It basically serves to set the tone of your entire blog. Sure, a well written blog will evolve over time and possibly even begin to take on a life and personality all it's own, but that doesn't change the fact that the first post is still out there reminding everyone of where you started. I've felt pressure to make the first post something spectacular - some amazingly random or hilarious story that has happened to me. I wanted it to be one that, months from now when a new reader clicks back in the archives to figure out what the heck this thing is they've stumbled upon, would entice people and get them to keep reading. But, all that pressure just left me without a blog! So, I decided to suck it up, write a random and boring first post just to kick things off - and this is it!
This is my first post...so far you know nothing about my blog, nothing about me (other than a little insight into my sometimes neurotic life and what looks like a slight fear of commitment) and nothing new about the world. Whew! Pressure's off as soon as I hit publish and I can begin with the blog!
Hope you enjoy it!
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