- I am an absolute zombie today. I stayed up later than usual last night, then I woke up at 2:00 am wide awake. I hate it when that happens.
- A couple of years ago, we got a Cuisinart soft-serve ice cream maker. It makes the BEST. ICE CREAM. EVER. It came with a recipe book, but we’ve only ever used it to make chocolate. We decided to branch out Sunday and made the orange sherbert, expecting something like a Push-Up. We threw it out. It was DISGUSTING. It reminded me of some kind of medicine that I took as a child. We’re trying again with the peanut butter ice cream recipe tonight. I don’t see how that could go wrong.
- I hereby retract my “You suck, Samsung!” statement from yesterday. I called them ready to argue but didn’t even have to. They acknowledged that it was a known issue with that television and set us up for an in-home repair. Glad D hadn’t ordered the part yet.
- I am positively HOOKED on the Glee. Thanks, Netflix!
- Responsible pet ownership is ridiculously expensive. It’s ALWAYS something!!! Bella now has atopic dermatitis.
- I’m taking a vacation day Friday. Four-day work week. YAY!!!
Month: June 2011
They Just Don’t Make ’em Like They Used To
When D and I got married and built this house four years ago, we bought a new TV. And if you know me or D, you know that we don’t just go into a store and buy anything on a whim. We spend countless hours first researching what we are buying. We ultimately decided on and purchased a 56″ Samsung DLP. It got great consumer reviews; it appeared to have a superior picture on the Best Buy floor; and it was within our price range. Win-win-win.
And we lived happily ever after.
Until last Friday. Last Friday night I noticed a little white dot on the screen. D said looked like one of the mirrors had gotten stuck. I googled it.
My, how the reviews have changed over the last four years. Apparently we are one of the LAST people to have this problem with this TV. We even found information that Samsung was repairing the issue for free. Until December 31, 2010. A lot of damn good that does us now. That’s pretty shitty of Samsung to KNOW that there is a problem and not issue a recall. I also found several forums in which other customers who had the same problem said that once it starts it gets progressively worse quickly. They couldn’t be more right. What started out as one dot last Friday night has now ten days later turned into 13 dots. (Just try watching a baseball game and trying to keep your eye on the ball with 13 extra little white dots on the screen!)
And guess when our extended warranty ended. No, really. Go ahead. Guess.
A MONTH AGO. June 24th, to be exact.
D, being the electronics guru that he is, thinks he can fix it though. He’s gone deep into the forums and found a part number for a chip that controls the mirrors, and supposedly this chip will fix it. It’s worth the $100 to try it because a new TV is NOT in the budget right now. I guess we’ll find out in a few days. But regardless of whether it fixes it or not…
It Ain’t Purple, but…
Tuesday Tidbits
I’m enjoying doing the Tuesday Tidbit series. So many times things happen that I want to document but aren’t in and of themselves postworthy. Such as…
- We finally joined everyone else in 2011 and signed up for Netflix. I am totally digging the instant streaming.
- I’m doing Adam’s virtual Sweat Your Thorns Off 5K this Saturday. It’s gonna suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
- I’m just getting started on the third book in the Harry Potter series. I’m rather enjoying them.
- Me, my sister, and two of her friends are having a girls’ night at a local winery Saturday night. Every so often they have a “Concert in the Vineyards.” It’s just an outdoor nighttime concert where everyone brings lawn chairs and picnic stuff. They only ask that you don’t bring in other alcohol because they keep the store open until the concert ends. The winery is 3.5 miles from my house, but I’ve never been to one of these events. Should be fun!
- I want a boat.
- I don’t think I’ve ever been this un-tan in June.
- Work still sucks. In addition to everything else, I’ll find out this afternoon when one of my full-time carriers goes out for a worker’s compensation carpal tunnel surgery. Since her sub will be tied down on her route the full 4-6 weeks that she’s out, that will essentially leave me with NO subs. God forbid someone get sick or have car trouble.
- We have ants. Not inside the house, thank God, but they have taken over outside. I was trying to pull some grass out of the landscaping a few days ago, and everywhere that you pulled and disturbed the mulch, they came crawling out by the hundreds. Pest control came and sprayed yesterday. She said we were one of the lucky ones if they weren’t inside because they have been HORRENDOUS this year.
- Remember that used bicycle I bought a few months ago? It’s still sitting in the exact same place in the garage in the exact same condition I bought it in.
- I love this time of year (minus the heat, humidity, and bugs). My belly is happy and full of fresh local veggies. I’ve already eaten more squash and zucchini this year than I think I ever have in my life.
- Hot or not, I have GOT to get my running base back up. That 10K I ran back at the first of May is the longest I have run since my last half-marathon in April. This three miles here and four miles there stuff isn’t gonna cut it anymore. I’ll never acclimate to the heat if I don’t just get out there and do it.
- I took the afternoon off work, but I don’t even get to enjoy it. Eye appointment at 1:30 and chiropractor at 3:45. I hope it doesn’t make me as sore as it did last week because it’s Tuesday. That means 400s! That has quickly become my favorite workout!
Out of Whack
For the last couple of months or so I’ve known it was way past time for a chiropractic adjustment. I just start to feel kind of “off” when it’s time, and I’ve had that feeling for a while now. I hadn’t had one since shortly before the marathon back in the winter, so I made an appointment and went last Wednesday after work. I went to a new guy this time because my old one really pissed me off the last time I was there with a lot of misinformation and inaccurate billing. I’m so glad I changed. I like this guy a LOT better. I didn’t realize what all I was missing out on since the other one was the only chiropractor I had ever been to.
Anyway, long story short, my hips were out of whack again. That was the root cause of my foot tendonitis that I battled back in the fall of ’09. Regular adjustments have kept it at bay, but as I said it had been a while since my last one. I had just been putting off trying to find a new doctor and went longer between adjustments than I should have. He put me through the wringer. I felt SO much better when I left. For a couple of hours anyway. Then the soreness set in. By that night and for the next couple of days I felt like I had been hit by a truck. After having run Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and feeling good about getting back into a groove, the soreness kept me from doing much of anything (even making sleeping difficult) for the next three days. I finally ran again yesterday morning, and I was amazed at how different it felt. Funny how running with two legs that are the same length just feels so much better! I go back on Tuesday, and I’m hoping I won’t be quite so sore afterward. Hopefully he worked out the majority of the kinks during round one.
Lesson learned. I’ll be sticking to regular adjustments from now on.
How do you feel about chiropractors? Miracle workers or quacks? Ever been to one? Or any other holistic or homeopathic practitioner?
Tuesday Tidbits
- I ran four miles last night. Considering the slump I’ve been in, that’s a pretty major victory. It wasn’t fast (10:24 pace), but the sign at the sporting goods store I ran past said 88 degrees and I was in full sun. I’ll take it for now.
- I’m seriously considering getting my dogs a salt lick so maybe they will quit mauling me when I come in after running
- I’m making upper body strength training a priority. When I was running in Gatlinburg, I caught my reflection in a storefront window and saw my arms jiggle. We ain’t having that.
- I bought the most pungent, strongest tasting onion in the history of the world this weekend. Seriously, I wish they would invent scratch-and-sniff for blogger. You wouldn’t believe it.
- Google Chrome has been the solution to all my blogger/commenting woes.
- I keep seeing the word “edamame” in recipes in blogs. I finally googled it a few weeks ago to see WTF edamame is. I’ve since been looking in my grocery store but can’t find it.
- I got dealt a pretty big blow at work last Monday. How can a company expect employee loyalty when that company shows the employee no appreciation whatsoever? (I’m not even referring to myself this time, but it does directly affect me.)
- I’m interviewing AGAIN for the vacant position in my office. It’s been vacant since January and I haven’t been able to find any help yet. And as a result of this big blow I was dealt last week, in August I will be short another person. AND I just received two weeks’ notice from another substitute carrier this morning. This is beginning to piss me off.
- This is my 200th post.
- I’m addicted to Cuties mandarins.
- I am also addicted to caramel Hershey kisses.
- I stayed awake for an ENTIRE movie Friday night! “Just Go With It.” It was pretty funny!
- I haven’t bought the VFFs yet. The photo from a couple of posts ago was from where I tried them on in a store. I was planning to order them online. Now I’m not so sure. I read about Amanda’s top-of-foot pain and Jen’s continued injuries and it makes me really, really nervous about even trying minimalist running. I’m not injured now, and I’m kind of looking at things from the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” perspective.
- Intervals this afternoon!
Gatlinburg (and my bear encounter!)
As you may recall, we spent the majority of last week in Gatlinburg. The whole family was there because my nephew was getting married on June 1st. They all (and I mean ALL–nephew and his bride-to-be, his parents and two sisters, both sets of his grandparents, her parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle) all rented one big cabin to stay in. We got our own place. We were invited to stay in the cabin, but that’s just a little bit too much togetherness for me. Besides, if I want to get up and walk to the kitchen nekkid at 2:00 am, by George, I’m gonna do it.
We drove up on Tuesday, arriving in just enough time to get checked in and changed before the rehearsal dinner at Tony Romas. After dinner, we joined everyone back at their cabin, which had a gameroom, for a lot of this:
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D and his Dad |
and this:
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Father of the Bride and the youngest neice |
While they were doing that, I preferred to sit on the balcony with a cold beverage enjoying this:
We left around 11:00 when everyone started turning in to get a good night’s rest before the big day.
It was SO AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL to be able to sleep in the next morning! SO nice not to be awakened by a dog needing to be let out or a cat howling that her breakfast is late. The drawback to sleeping in? It got hot and I was planning to run. It was a pathetic three miles. (If I had known that’s all I was going to be able to do, I probably wouldn’t have even done it. I HATE getting ready and getting all nasty for three measley miles.)
Then it was time to get ready for the wedding! The ceremony was outdoors at the very tip top of a mountain, and it made for an absolutely stunning setting. I don’t have any pictures because photography was prohibited while the professional photographer was there. We were able to sneak in a few with my camera after the ceremony, though. I couldn’t let the occasion pass without at least a couple of pictures. It’s not too often we’re all dressed up.
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Dang sun, making us squint |
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Neice, T |
And then we all loaded up and went back to the cabin for the reception, which was lovely.
After the party was over, we went outside to discover this little fella in the trash. He was licking cake icing off of a plate before I disturbed him. If you look, you can see he still has some on his nose.
The next day was a very laid-back one, spent walking around the downtown area, window shopping, playing putt-putt golf, eating fro-yo, and we ended the night with The Hangover 2. HILARIOUS. Oh, and you know those old-time photo things? We got those done too. I’ll have to remember to scan the photo and post it later. I’m not a big country girl or anything, but I’ve got to say that my husband makes one damn fine cowboy.
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