2.29.08

Warranties... I am in a bad mood. How do I begin? Back in October I had to submit my mp3 player for a repair. It was under warranty, so no big deal, right? WRONG... I received my mp3 player back and it was claimed to have been "fixed". It wasn't, they even replaced a part that had nothing to do with my problem. So, I sent it back to the warranty company re-explaining my problem and today I received the resolution (see scan). They sent me a completely different player. AND, that is all they sent. No hookups, No software....NOTHING!!! So now I have a brand new paper weight that can play movies (if I could connect it to my computer). I called the warranty office and Barbara was of ZERO help. She told me there was nothing she could do... She even went even as far as telling me to sell it on eBay and using the money to buy what I wanted. Then, in true customer service fashion, asked if "there was anything else she could help me with." I said, I want to speak to someone else. Anthony (her supervisor) was very helpful.... He understood what I was explaining. Apparently, the service center was SUPPOSED to contact me if they were going to replace my mp3 player... He is putting in a request for a full refund of my player.... We shall see... I will keep you posted.

2.28.08

Poetry... Today's scan comes from a 3rd grade poem I penned. My poetry was doomed from the beginning. I can still remember the day w had to write this. I couldn't get my original poem to rhyme. I remember I went to my teacher (Mrs. Anderson) and I broke down in tears. She instructed me to to write about my current feelings. How insightful of that educator to allow me to express my feelings of death at the age of a 3rd grader. What she doesn't know is that this poem has brought me great laughter and entertainment since then. It has also encouraged me to the fact that I am not a poet.

2.27.08

Music... It's difficult to describe my passion for music. I love it! I love all kinds of it. You'll hear me say it again and again. I am particularly fond of music with a great beat (hip-hop/pop/rap). There is nothing quite like listening to a favorite artist full blast in your car with the windows down... Of course its much funner (yep, funner) when the weather suits such activity. The weather is beginning to make a turn for warmer times here in Utah so music with the windows down will be on the uprise. So, if you have some cool new tunes for me to listen to, let me know.

2.26.08

Spelling Bee... I went to the Spelling Bee musical tonight at Kingsbury Hall. It was excellent. A good combination of comedy, song and audience participation. At one part there was an explosion of popcorn and packages of cotton candy. I caught one of the cotton candy packages... How could I not, I was on the front row. I had never been on the front row before. It was quite an experience to see the actor's facial expressions.

SIDE NOTE: Haven't had a side note in awhile (brief side note to my side note: Should I be allowed to call these "under notes" side notes?) I like Cotton Candy, but not when it comes pre-packaged and condensed.

2.25.08

Ironing... I have to dress up this week for work. I hate ironing, but I love the look of freshly ironed clothes. I am grateful that the people at Downy have attempted to make our lives easier with products like a wrinkle releaser. The only problem is, it's not as easy as smoothing away wrinkles... In fact after you've sprayed the garment and "smoothed" out the wrinkles, you're gonna want to use an iron to dry it...or the dryer, which is a complete waste or time and energy. So, what are you left with in the end a damp shirt that would look a whole lot better if you just ironed it instead of going with the easy route.

2.24.08

Oscar Party... The Oscar party has come and now it's gone. I lost the Ballot competition and therefore have lost my reign of the Oscar trophy. As you can see I only got 12 right. My mom won with 14. I tried. Had I gone with my gut feeling of Bourne Ultimatum in the Editing categories, I would have won. So much for following predictions. It probably didn't help that I had only seen Juno. Oh well, the food was good, I made homemade soft pretzels. Don't mean to brag, but they were good.

2.23.08

Playbills... I was testing the scanner's capabilities today and I needed multiple items to scan in order to take it to the limit. I decided on the various playbills I have collected (mostly cuz they are readily available). I have been to many professional productions... But, I haven't been to any since 2004. There just hasn't been anything that peaked my interest...but the theater drought is about to end this coming week. I am going to see the touring production of Spelling Bee. I don't know a whole lot about it, except that it is supposed to be funny. Well, here's to that.

2.22.08

Taxes...Filed my taxes today. I gotta refund. It just pisses me off (yep, I said 'pisses') that the government got a interest free loan from me. Does anyone ever do that for me? If I were to go to the bank today and say, "I'd like to take out an interest fee loan.... and I may or may not pay it back." ...I'd be laughed at. So, why is it ok for the government to do that? Grrr... I wouldn't mind (as much) if they were borrowing with the intent to pay back plus interest. One can dream right?

2.21.08

Oscars... This scan was difficult, because my scanner isn't big enough to fit my award. This award is the official "Oscar Ballot Champion" Award. I won it at last year's Oscar party for guessing the most correct winners. We have been having these parties for quite some time... The first more official one I can remember was the same year that Titanic won a bazillion awards... I know we've been having them a lot longer, but that's the first that comes to mind. It's actually become quite an event. Food, Games, Fun.

2.20.08

3D... This scan/post may seem odd (but aren't they all?), but I just tried to watch a 3D video and it made me sick!! To top it all off, the 3D aspect of the video didn't really work, I found myself trying to watch the video without the glasses, but then you have to deal with blurry images. It's so frustrating! So, in the end, I feel sick, I didn't enjoy the video and now I have to take some Excedrin....boo....whatever.

2.19.08

Cereal... I love cereal. Today, I had it for breakfast and for dinner. It's the only food that I can eat when I don't feel too good. I think it has a lot to do with the cold milk and the sugary goodness combined. Just tonight, I shared a bowl of cereal with my nephew...It was good times. My favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, wasn't available for scan....most likely the cause was the fact that I ate it all... Any other cereal lovers out there in the blog-sphere?

2.18.08

Tools...This evening, I was helping my Dad install a new faucet in the kitchen. My Dad doesn't usually get mad......but......when he does, it usually is directed towards inanimate objects such as tools. I can't explain it, but something about tools gets my Dad sooo incredibly frustrated. I have to stand back with my jaw dropped wondering to myself why he is so mad at a tool. It's either the tool doesn't work to his specifications or the tool isn't the right size, or it just isn't the right tool at all. Well, whatever it is, it sure makes my Dad upset.

2.17.08

Toilet Paper... Yep, that's right, I scanned a square of toilet paper. Don't worry, it's not used (that would be uber-odd). I for one am grateful for the toilet paper. Plus, they have some of the awkwardest commercials/advertisements of any consumer product. What do granny's quilting toilet paper have anything to do with its purpose? How about bears doing dances with streams of toilet paper...Have you ever seen a bear use toilet paper?

Remember when Sheryl Crow said we could do a lot for the environment if we would just use one square??

2.16.08

Disney Classics... I miss the old fashioned disney animation. I miss the songs and I miss the fun. I feel like they have been replace with video games. I saw a preview for the latest Pixar/Disney flick. It's about some robot that's been stranded. Everytime I see a preview for one of those movies, I am reminded of computer games. If I wanted to be entertained by computer animation, I would have stayed at work and created a cool looking spreadsheet or pie chart. I don't see these movies going away anytime soon, so I should be grateful that I am able to watch them on DVD.

2.15.08

Junk Mail... It's fun to get mail, but not junk mail. I get atleast 3 credit card offers a day. It's always from the same credit card companies. When (if ever) will they get a clue that I don't want their credit cards. Can you imagine the trees that would be saved if we eliminated junk mail? Think of how much fraud could be eliminated without the mass credit card applications sent out everyday!!! This reminds me of a Seinfeld episode (as most things in life do).

2.14.08

Valentine's... what a funny holiday. Shouldn't we show our love all year? Oh well. I received this valentine's from my neice and nephew... they rock!! Plus, it even comes with a complimentary tattoo!! It's my lucky day. It's a Barbie valentine... which is very Kylee. I hope everyone's valentine's finds you happy.

2.13.08

VHS... You know you're old when you can say stuff like "Remember VHS tapes?" how about Beta Tapes? I remember going to the video store and renting the VCR along with the movie .... This VHS tape has me thinking of some remembers:

Remember slap bracelets?
Remember audio tapes?
Remember Tamagotchi Pets?
Remember when we didn't think music could get better than with a CD?
Remember life without a cell phone?
Remember Dial-Up internet?... for that matter remember AOL?
Remember ALF? Growing Pains? Full House? TGIF?
Remember MySpace? Just kidding.

Do you have any remembers?

2.12.08

Writer's Strike... I for one am glad that the Writer's Strike is coming to a close and that the writers will get some residuals from new forms of media. Because of the writer's strike, I was not able to attend the People's Choice Awards. Not that I would have actually gone, but it would have been nice to know that I could have, especially after a friend won tickets (see scan). Anywho, THANK YOU writers. Why? I have never been a huge fan of reality television. Sure, it was fun at first but it overstayed its welcome, by about 10 years or so. Bring on 30 Rock, The Office, Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters, Samantha Who, Gossip Girl, The Riches, Damages, Traveller.....blah, blah, blah....and whatever else you all watch!!!

2.11.08

Impulses... I need a new laptop. I really like my Sony Vaio, but I think it is dying. I came across this slamming deal for a laptop. $699 (3gb RAM, 250gb memory, Vista Premium, Dual layer DVD burner). There is a 5 per store limit. It was a flashback to the day after Thanksgiving sales. On top of that, the laptop is red. I don't have anything against the color red, I just never imagined owning a red computer. I would like for my computer to have a sense of professinalism. Well, I didn't attempt to purchase the computer. I know I have mentioned earlier my difficulty with making decisions when it comes to spending money, so I want extend that point. Am I feeling remorse for my non-purchase today? No, not really... Thanks for asking though.

2.10.08

Music...Right now the Grammy's are playing in the background. I love music of all kinds. It's true I do like some more than others and that all depends on my various moods at the time. I just heard the duet between Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra. Artists such as Alicia don't come around too often and a lot of times they go unnoticed amongst all of the "manufactured pop". So, I am glad to see that she is being rewarded with a hit record and some Grammy Awards. It's true that I enjoy a good "manufactured pop" single, and they get their reward through their radio airplay, but those with the true talent should be rewarded in the awards.

2.09.08

Concerts in small venues... Apparently, blogger is not going to let me post my scan... Don't worry, I will keep trying. I went to a concert tonight at a small venue. The evening began with trying to find parking downtown during a Jazz game. After driving around to multiple lots we had to settle on the Gateway...lame. The concert was filled many awkward moments (we were able to count at least 10). The music was fairly good, but got repetitive/old after awhile. The night ended with a trip to Wendy's Drive-thru. Fast food at midnight is never a good idea, but in this case it was absolutely necessary.... I was starving. Wendy's needs to do something to improve that Snack Attack meal... It's basically a Kid's Meal without the frosty.

2.08.08

Super Nintendo... I have never really cared for video games. I can't really pinpoint a reason why. It might have something to do with the fact that I am not really good at them, I lack all patience with them and I hate just sitting and staring at a TV screen for hours. Having said that, I really do enjoy Super Mario Kart for Super Nintendo. I do pretty good at that game. The Super Nintendo system was gaining a lot of dust rather than use....So, I gave it a try... I still suck at it, but I had a good time, and even a better time rambling about it.

2.07.08

Clementines... Oranges are great. What makes oranges better? being clementines. They are the perfect size, they are easy to peel and they are always satisfying. They make surviving these never ending winters easier to deal with. Oranges have a great color and a great scent. The one possible detraction to this great fruit is the fact that you can't seem to get the scent away from your fingers after peeling. Is this a bad thing? maybe.

2.06.08

Eric Hutchinson... I highly recommend this album for a good listen. It's high quality tunes that you won't have to keep hearing on the radio over and over. If you remember (and it doesn't matter if you do or don't) but this guy was the highlight of the OneRepublic concert I went to a couple of weeks ago. If you like Jason Mraz and you are looking for some new material to listen to...this is it. My favorite tracks are "Ok, It's Alright With Me," "Food Chain," and "Oh!" (not to be confused with Ciara's Oh! which is also a great tune, but completely different genre).

2.05.08

Super Tuesday.... Besides going to the dentist today (finally), I voted. I hope all of you involved in the Super Tuesday primary took the opportunity to let your voice be heard. It's hard to complain about the way things are going if you don't take the opportunity to say something... If you missed your opportunity to vote tonight, I hope you will get registered and get out to vote in Novemeber, regardless of your party/non-party affiliations.

I must say, they need to do something about the people that work at the polling places. The people that help you sign in are so incredibly slow. It's one of those moments where you wish you could hop behind the table, because you know you could do it faster and more efficient. (This should not detract you from voting, it is still well worth it).

By the way, the dentist went excellent... He used some laser thing, it was as close to painless as I could ever expect from a dental experience.

2.04.08

D-Day... I was supposed to go to the dentist today.... or so I thought. As you can see from my scan, the dentist's office thought so too.... I guess it wasn't meant to be, because the receptionist called me this morning and was confirming my appointment for tomorrow. I corrected her and told her it was today at 9:50 am per the tooth sticker sitting on a calendar. She said that she must have written down the wrong date and time. I was annoyed because I had mentally prepared myself for a dentist appointment today NOT tomorrow.... Now, I have to re-prepare myself to go to the dentist. NOT HAPPY.

2.03.08

DVR... Can I just tell you how much I love the DVR. I rarely (if ever) watch live television anymore. When people talk about funny commercials (I personally don't think they exist) I have no idea what they are talking about.... Why? I don't ever have to watch commercials, thanks to a DVR. I was surprised to learn that the technology behind the ability to record a broadcast on a hard drive is not a new one and was NOT invented by TiVo. In fact the first consumer system as we know them now was not TiVo either, it was a company named ReplayTV. At an rate, DVR's have changed the way I watch television...definitely for the better.

2.02.08

Gap... Where art thou? I went to the South Towne Mall today. The Gap is gone. Just when I was starting to like the Gap's clothing again, they disappear. It got me thinking. If the Gap is leaving a major mall in a city, what's next? Is this company really in that much trouble? Is Gap heading down the row to follow such retail giants as Kmart, Woolworth's, Weinstock's, and Mervyn's. I can't say I was a huge shopper of those places, but they were an American institution. And now, they are dead, or slowly suffocating to their death. The past couple of years, I had observed that I really didn't care for Gap's clothes anymore... I didn't know if it was an effect of age or if they were just out of touch with their customer base. Well, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts from the day as I wore my Gap jeans and my Gap shirt (a rare occurence).

2.01.08

Juno...I haven't been to a movie in a theater for a long time. I am glad that my innagural movie of the new year was a quality one like Juno. Everyone and their dog has been telling me to see this movie. Well, I did and I liked it. It had a good mix of comedy, drama, and story. The soundtrack wasn't too bad either. I recommend this movie to all.