After having problems with two different JVC 48″ HDTVs, I did a little research and decided to switch for a Mitsubishi WS-55517 HDTV. No, it doesn’t get better gas mileage, but it’s by far a much better package. It’s a little bigger (55″), the picture is so much nicer, the built in audio sounds good enough that I don’t even use my BOSE speakers most of the time, the setup was/is a little confusing, (no I haven’t and probably won’t read the instructions) but now that I’ve got it working it is nice. Switching sources is as easy as changing a channel… with a simple interface on screen that tells me what I’m selecting/watching (VCR, TV, or DirecTV not Input 1, Input 2, Input 3, etc.). I also managed to pick up more local stations than ever before (7, 50, Fox 28, and 16) ALL IN HIGH DEFINITION!!!!). I watched the Amazing Race last night in HD… only bad thing is now I’m wanting more HD channels. How is it I can get HD television signals… BUT NO &^%&^*% BROADBAND!?!??! *sigh*

The other bonus/curse with the Mitsubishi is firewire connections (IEEE 1394). I have one in the front… and two in the back. I spent hours last night trying to get my PowerBook to get any source to record from the TV… unsuccesfully. I read forums and articles to no avail. I downloaded the beta developer software from Apple. Nothing. The TV sees my PowerBook and tells me it’s connected… and the PowerBook sees the TV, but I don’t get any picture to capture. I’m gonna try again tonight… otherwise it looks like I need to get a new VCR…. yes, I said VCR. *)&^^&*%&^$#675 technology.

…continues to ruin my life. Bill Watterson

Santana… plus a bunch of other people… Michelle Branch (again), Bo Bice, Kirk Hammet and Robert Randolph, Los Lonely Boys. This is becoming a habit for him. Heck, if it ain’t broke…

We did the annual after Thanksgiving Christmas decorating early this year… and I even put up lights OUTSIDE. Very Griswold of me… no? Especially considering all the traffic I get by my house…. well worth the effort. *sigh*

Can’t you see that!?!?! After spending some time Saturday on the ice at a birthday party with the Barton twins, Ethan decided (with some prompting) that he wanted to “try” hockey too. They let him use one of their sticks, and he started skating pretty well with them around the rink. I on the other hand, had to sit down after a few minutes before I hurt somebody, or hurt myself. So Trisha called around and found out practice times, scrounged up some old gear, and we took him down Sunday at noon. At first he wasn’t real sure… kept real close to the wall… but after a bit he warmed up and had a good time. As we were undressing after practice, Hayden and Hunter wanted to know if he liked it or not.

Ethan replied… “No. It’s slippery on the ice and it hurts when you fall”

We’ve decided to make him stick it out for this year so he can learn to skate, interact with the other kids and get used to being “coached”… besides, the fact that I still skate like he does in these videos, tells me that some day he’ll thank me.

Ethan - Hockey Clip 1 // Ethan - Hockey Clip 2

What was I thinking…

This song/video just makes me laugh and sing along everytime. Is there anything wrong with that? Probably.

This weekend Ethan and I went to Lowes, piled the truck up with lumber, and I started building the interior walls. I really had no idea what the heck I was doing, but it was fun, and I learned alot in the process. I grossly miscalculated the number of 2×4’s I would need, so around 12:30am, Monday, I ran out of wood. I still have to finish the closets in the boys’ rooms, the rest of Autumn’s closet, and the entire bathroom. Oh well, progress, I guess. Still so far to go.

Third Day just never gets old… I’ve got 111 Third Day songs from 15 different CDs in iTunes. How can I not get one more. This isn’t as “rock” sounding as Wire… more “mellow” but it’s still good stuff.