Fifty-seven channels and I know exactly what’s on…

I spend about twice as much money on my cable bill each month than any other utility. I don’t have any of the “premium” channels, but with my cable internet, my digital cable service, my DVR, and my HD service, Comcast is happy to get my check. I justify the DVR because I end up watching more of the TV that I’m paying for (the whole pause button rocks), the HD is luxury but it’s really a wash because it’s the same box as the DVR and I spent all that money on the TV, so really it it’s something I have to have. (I’ve always been a master of rationalization.) Before I bought the TV, I was seriously considering getting rid of the cable entirely, but once I took that plunge that idea went right out the window. Bottom line, I spend a good portion of my entertainment dollars programming the home theater.

However, everytime I go and visit the neighbors, I’m amazed at the amount of channels that they have compared to my setup. I should preface this…they have the same cable company that I do, but they don’t have the digital service, the DVR, or even the cable box. They actually have less channels than I do. They don’t have HD, they have a coaxial cable that goes from the wall into the TV without going through a converter, a stereo, a DVR, or even one of those cable amplifiers you can buy at Radio Shack. They have the most the most basic setup, and they pay the basic minimum each month. What’s the difference?

The damn program guide. With my setup, flipping from channel to channel is so slow (it takes at least three seconds between each channel), it’s a lot more efficient to browse through the program guide. Doing that, you see the channel name, the program name, and a four word description. When you flip through the channels, it really doesn’t give you as much information as you can visually discern what’s going on, who’s on the screen, and whether or not you want to watch the crap you see. I noticed this today when I (painfully) used the underused channel up button. The words “Barefoot Contessa*”on the guide offered me no reason to stop, but the smoked salmon dip she was making surely did. With the guide, I find that I’m more likely to stop on something I’ve seen before, rather than getting to play that game “What the hell is this show?” or even, “Who is that actor, I’ve seen him before somewhere?” The guide takes that fun away. At the neighbors, I can quickly (lightning fast channel finger) scan through each channel until I see something interesting to watch.

But I’m not giving up that DVR.

* The Barefoot Contessa is named Ina Garten. In a Garden? As a name for a chef that focuses on fresh vegetables? C’mon, you can make up a less obvious pseudonym than that, Ms. Contessa.

Separated at birth?

I guess not. I don’t really drink coffee.

My hair has never been this long. I’ve got to do something about it, feral hair is not something that I am used to dealing with. Normally when I need a haircut,I walk into one of the chain establishments, tender the admission price and politely ask for a haircut. Then I’m asked the question that I never really have a good answer to, “How would you like it cut?”

This time, I want to find a stylist (or other professional, whomever will take me) and let them try something new. I’ve surely given them a lot to work with. Ideas?

No thanks, I can roll my own…

Went tonight to the Home Depot and acquired supplies for a little IT project at work. We’re getting all new systems furniture, it will require that I run all new ethernet to all of the new stations. Tonight for the first time I successfully made a patch cable, all while watching The West Wing.

Maybe do-it-yourself cabling will overtake knitting as the latest fad cottage industry.

My First Moleskine or: How I learned to stop worrying that I am a victim of marketing.

Tonight after I visited Green Hills’ latest eatery, I wandered over to the Davis-Kidd for the express purpose of buying a Moleskine notebook. Now, as a survivor of architecture school I’ve had my share of little black sketchbooks, so the allure of a little pocket sized black book is not foreign to me. Of course, it’s just a notebook, regardless of what they say.

Why did I do it? I find that I don’t ever write anything down anymore. Consequently, I don’t ever remember anything either. I bought the book as a way to keep track of things that I tell people that I’m going to do. It’s not a to-do list, per se, those seem to be only handy for keeping track of things I’m told to do (my email inbox, for example.) This stuff deserves it’s own category and container.

Hopefully I will find myself in more situations where I’ve actually followed through with things that I said I was going to do, rather than have to come up with excuses. I also hope it will get me to learn how to say “No” sometimes, once I see all of the ways I’ve overpromised things all written down in one place.

Now all I need is a good pen.

“Forward,” says the cow…

I heard on NPR that some the Wisconsin quarters have been showing up with an extra leaf in the ear of corn. As coin collectors love this sort of thing, they are selling on Ebay for hundreds of dollars.

I didn’t think much of it until I got back, when I realized that I had three pristine straight-from-the-roll Wisconsin quarters that had been given to me as change from my twenty at Marble Slab Creamery at the San Antonio airport. One of these quarters (shown above) turned out to have the extra leaf.

I guess I can stop saving those bicentennial quarters. See you in Aruba.