So JK2 and I watched Moment of Truth tonight. What a weird show. It's sort of a mix of Jerry Springer and "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" And I had to look on Wikipedia to understand the concept behind it. Apparently before the show, the contestant sits for a polygraph test, but is not informed of the results. Then on the show, the contestant brings her closest family members on the show and answers some of the questions again, either the same way as before, or differently. The polygraph test supposedly knows the truth. After each question, the person wins progressively more money if the test is true. The camera is sure to catch the looks on the family members' faces as they learn the truth about their loved one. You can watch their faces falling as the questions get more and more personal. The show always cuts to commercial right before the contestant answers a particularly juicy question. The woman tonight, for example, brought on her husband, father-in-law and best friend. She then admitted that she gave her kids objects that she shoplifted, that she had intentionally set a neighbor's photos on fire in revenge, and that she liked being a firefighter because other men besides her husband paid her attention.
Why would anyone do this? And if they did, why would they lie? And in particular, if you have a colorful past that your family doesn't know about, why would you bring them on the show? But apparently this woman lied. I think she got through about 8 questions before the polygraph test told everyone that she was a liar. Then, of course, there's the question about whether a polygraph test is an accurate measurement of truth anyway.
But then again, why would anyone go on Jerry Springer? It seems like maybe it's a combination of really, really, really wanting to be on TV and the chance to make a lot of money. Of course, with this show, you might win lots of money, but will you have a family to enjoy it with at the end of the show?
Has television devolved into reality-based, Jerry Springer-type shows? Is anyone out there able to write smart comedy or drama anymore? Or perhaps it's too expensive to hire writers for it?
We've been watching different TV series on Netflix for a couple of years now, after giving up cable. We've watched the entire series of Sex & the City, the West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ballykissangel, Grey's Anatomy, and Scrubs. Now we've having trouble finding something entertaining to watch. Jim's got JAG, which I'm bored with, and Robin Hood, which is not my style. We rented the first season of "As Time Goes By" but it feels like such an elderly comedy ... although we've only watched 3 episodes, and I feel I need to give it a fair try, since my dad liked it. But I wish we could find a good series that wasn't so reality-based. I guess we'll keep looking.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
It's too hot
It's really hot today in Boston. When I got home tonight, close to 7:00, it was still about 91 degrees outside. Now the sun's down, and it's still 82. Supposedly, there is a 50% chance of "scattered thunderstorms" (according to the Weather Channel). So if that's the percentage for scattered storms, what the percentage of us actually getting a storm? Doesn't it seem like that percentage should be even less?
Here are the Top 5 Things that JK2 and I did today:
1) Watch Hell's Kitchen, preceded by a really bizarre show called "the Moment of Truth" (JK2)
2) Go to jail for a "house call" so to speak, then walk through the jello-like heat and humidity to the Silver Line, to get back to the office (me)
3) Make a really neat cabbage and tofu salad for dinner (JK2 ... quite the chef)
4) Finish what previously seemed like the endless bureaucracy surrounding our boat (registering for excise tax and a mooring permit) (me)
5) Thank the heavens that we now have central AC (both)
I'll have to do a separate post on "Moment of Truth." What a weird show.
Here are the Top 5 Things that JK2 and I did today:
1) Watch Hell's Kitchen, preceded by a really bizarre show called "the Moment of Truth" (JK2)
2) Go to jail for a "house call" so to speak, then walk through the jello-like heat and humidity to the Silver Line, to get back to the office (me)
3) Make a really neat cabbage and tofu salad for dinner (JK2 ... quite the chef)
4) Finish what previously seemed like the endless bureaucracy surrounding our boat (registering for excise tax and a mooring permit) (me)
5) Thank the heavens that we now have central AC (both)
I'll have to do a separate post on "Moment of Truth." What a weird show.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Movie and brunch
We saw Sex & the City today at the movie theater on the Boston Common. When we can, Jim and I like to go into the city on Sunday for a movie and brunch. You get the movie at the matinee price (I think it was $6 ... I remember when $6 was the price for the evening movie, but that's another story), it rarely sells out, and you get a nice meal out of it too!
We like to go to a restaurant called Scollay Square, which has a nice brunch, and if the weather's nice, you can sit outside. The restaurant is named for a former section of Boston, called Scollay Square, known for its bars, vaudeville theaters and other "establishments." It was torn down in 1963 to make way for the barren wasteland that is Boston's Government Center. Many people mourn Scollay Square. If you've ever seen Boston City Hall or the JFK Federal Building, the two ugly buildings that were built on the remains of the Square, you will understand why.
The movie was not even close to as good as the TV series. It just seemed like everything was flat: the characters, the twists of fate that occur, etc. The movie's plot seemed a whole lot more preposterous than the TV series did, but maybe I just don't remember the TV shows well. At the end, everyone's pretty much in the same situation as they were in the beginning. You don't feel like they've made any progress. And by the way, it's a long movie - 2 1/2 hours, and that's not counting all the previews and other crap at the beginning. I guess a good word for the movie is gratuitous: gratuitous costume changes, shopping sprees, breakup-and-makeups, drama, etc. Then again, maybe that's why the TV series was so much fun. I actually enjoyed the gratuitous New York shots - the TV show always made me and Jim want to go to New York. Somehow, all the gratuity (?) gratuitousness (?) didn't work so well in a movie.
Tonight we had Mark and Lauren over for a little cookout, which was fun. Jim grilled fish and corn-on-the-cob. Of course, we finished it up with a walk over to Frozen Freddie's for an ice cream cone. I got a flavor called razzleberry supreme, or something like that. It was quite good. Tasted a lot like strawberry cheesecake, with chocolate pieces in it. I like trying new flavors. After all, I can now say that I've had black licorice ice cream.
On to another week at work ...
We like to go to a restaurant called Scollay Square, which has a nice brunch, and if the weather's nice, you can sit outside. The restaurant is named for a former section of Boston, called Scollay Square, known for its bars, vaudeville theaters and other "establishments." It was torn down in 1963 to make way for the barren wasteland that is Boston's Government Center. Many people mourn Scollay Square. If you've ever seen Boston City Hall or the JFK Federal Building, the two ugly buildings that were built on the remains of the Square, you will understand why.
The movie was not even close to as good as the TV series. It just seemed like everything was flat: the characters, the twists of fate that occur, etc. The movie's plot seemed a whole lot more preposterous than the TV series did, but maybe I just don't remember the TV shows well. At the end, everyone's pretty much in the same situation as they were in the beginning. You don't feel like they've made any progress. And by the way, it's a long movie - 2 1/2 hours, and that's not counting all the previews and other crap at the beginning. I guess a good word for the movie is gratuitous: gratuitous costume changes, shopping sprees, breakup-and-makeups, drama, etc. Then again, maybe that's why the TV series was so much fun. I actually enjoyed the gratuitous New York shots - the TV show always made me and Jim want to go to New York. Somehow, all the gratuity (?) gratuitousness (?) didn't work so well in a movie.
Tonight we had Mark and Lauren over for a little cookout, which was fun. Jim grilled fish and corn-on-the-cob. Of course, we finished it up with a walk over to Frozen Freddie's for an ice cream cone. I got a flavor called razzleberry supreme, or something like that. It was quite good. Tasted a lot like strawberry cheesecake, with chocolate pieces in it. I like trying new flavors. After all, I can now say that I've had black licorice ice cream.
On to another week at work ...
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Plumbing
So much for an open, carefree Saturday morning. I went into the basement this morning to do laundry and saw that our main drain in the basement was leaking. We called a plumber, who snaked a small camera through the main drain, all the way out to the street. $350 later, we learned that the pipe was clogged, has rusted and does not entirely connect to the pipe in the street, due to age. The good news is that it's a good enough fit with the pipe in the street, and even better, it wasn't a collapsed pipe, which may have required ripping up our porch to fix it. He was able to clean it out so it won't back up.
Here's the silly invoice:
Cabled main line: $295, minus $20 for Beeline Discount (because Beeline, our normal plumber, referred us to him)
Camera Inspection: $375, minus $300 (also apparently for the "Beeline Discount.").
Who knew we were going to save so much money by going through our normal plumber. :) Sounds a nice load of B.S. to me. He was probably trying to make us feel better for paying $350 for 1 hour of work.
The joys of home ownership.
Here's the silly invoice:
Cabled main line: $295, minus $20 for Beeline Discount (because Beeline, our normal plumber, referred us to him)
Camera Inspection: $375, minus $300 (also apparently for the "Beeline Discount.").
Who knew we were going to save so much money by going through our normal plumber. :) Sounds a nice load of B.S. to me. He was probably trying to make us feel better for paying $350 for 1 hour of work.
The joys of home ownership.
Saturday morning after a good week
It's been a good week. I'm surprised at how fast it went. Usually, when I'm tired, the days tend to drag. Not this week.
I basically spent the whole week at work writing a 28-page brief. I'm glad to have it finished. I really like to write, and it's satisfying when you have a good piece of work at the end of it. I have another brief due at the end of the month that looks like an interesting case.
We went sailing in the Harbor on Thursday night with Nate. It was fun, although quite chilly. We got sandwiches at the little grocery store around the block from the wharf, and ate dinner on the water. We sailed out, and saw the coast guard everywhere. At one point, it seemed like they drove up to check us out, and then continued out further into the harbor.
As we were sailing back to the slip at the end of the night, we realized the reason for the coast guard presence. There was a huge LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanker coming out of the harbor. The police and coast guard were everywhere, and the police approached our boat and told us to pull the boat into an inlet while the tanker passed by. (Luckily we had already taken the sails down and the boat had a motor ... I don't know what we would've done if we had been in one of those boats with no motor - pretty hard to maneuver it into a small space!) The presence of LNG tankers in the harbor has been a source of controversy since 9/11, because of the volatility of the fuel and the danger to Boston if it exploded. It was pretty interesting watching the big tanker go out to sea.
Last night, I put my veggie plants into the ground, weeded, and made a big bowl of tabbouleh from the parsley in my garden! But it wasn't ready in time for dinner, because the bulgar had to sit for 2 hours. I let the tabbouleh sit over night and I'll bet it'll be great for lunch today. Today it's supposed to be 90 degrees here and we might (finally) go see Sex & the City.
I love Saturday mornings. It seems like the possibilities are endless for the weekend. You can finally do what you want, instead of what you are required to do at work.
I basically spent the whole week at work writing a 28-page brief. I'm glad to have it finished. I really like to write, and it's satisfying when you have a good piece of work at the end of it. I have another brief due at the end of the month that looks like an interesting case.
We went sailing in the Harbor on Thursday night with Nate. It was fun, although quite chilly. We got sandwiches at the little grocery store around the block from the wharf, and ate dinner on the water. We sailed out, and saw the coast guard everywhere. At one point, it seemed like they drove up to check us out, and then continued out further into the harbor.
As we were sailing back to the slip at the end of the night, we realized the reason for the coast guard presence. There was a huge LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanker coming out of the harbor. The police and coast guard were everywhere, and the police approached our boat and told us to pull the boat into an inlet while the tanker passed by. (Luckily we had already taken the sails down and the boat had a motor ... I don't know what we would've done if we had been in one of those boats with no motor - pretty hard to maneuver it into a small space!) The presence of LNG tankers in the harbor has been a source of controversy since 9/11, because of the volatility of the fuel and the danger to Boston if it exploded. It was pretty interesting watching the big tanker go out to sea.
Last night, I put my veggie plants into the ground, weeded, and made a big bowl of tabbouleh from the parsley in my garden! But it wasn't ready in time for dinner, because the bulgar had to sit for 2 hours. I let the tabbouleh sit over night and I'll bet it'll be great for lunch today. Today it's supposed to be 90 degrees here and we might (finally) go see Sex & the City.
I love Saturday mornings. It seems like the possibilities are endless for the weekend. You can finally do what you want, instead of what you are required to do at work.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Back in Boston
We made it back to Boston on Sunday night around 11:30pm. Jet lag is a bitch. I'm still feeling it. The flights were fine. The cross-country flight was even about 30 minutes early into Boston. It is actually much hotter here in Boston than it was in any place we were on our trip, including California. Funny.
We flew through Salt Lake City. Every time I'm in that airport, I really, really want to see the city. You can see the snow-capped mountains from the airport and the city looks amazing. We always fly over the Great Salt Lake.
We got back in time to see my lilac bush and clematis vines in full bloom. The irises are past peak but there are still some blooms on them. Same with the pink azalea. So I didn't miss out after all.
We have a stack of mail about a foot high. Most of it junk.
Our stairs are beautiful!! Here are two photos of them:
The only thing left to do are the spindles on the banister, which had to be ordered. They will be in white.
I had forgotten that we had our floors refinished. When we came home, everything looked different. I love it. :)
There was quite a saga with our cats, however. While the stairs were ripped up, Solomon figured out a way to get out from the basement through a hole. Nate and Jess came over to check and they saw him running out of the kitchen, but when they opened the basement door, they also saw him with Zeus. For a time, they thought there were 3 cats in the house! They finally figured out what had happened. Our contractor was able to get both cats in the basement before he put polyurethane on the floor, but somehow Solomon got out again, and also managed to go outside. When we came home, he was waiting for us in our backyard. Scary. I don't know how long he had been out there. He was totally freaked out.
Anyway, it is good to be home. Things are really busy this week - I've been out late in Boston both last night and tonight for different functions. Tomorrow is brief-writing day at work, and hopefully I'll get most of that done.
Hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep at a normal time tonight. My body still thinks its on the West Coast and I didn't fall asleep until after midnight last night. Ugh. Hard to get up in the morning.
Good night!
We flew through Salt Lake City. Every time I'm in that airport, I really, really want to see the city. You can see the snow-capped mountains from the airport and the city looks amazing. We always fly over the Great Salt Lake.
We got back in time to see my lilac bush and clematis vines in full bloom. The irises are past peak but there are still some blooms on them. Same with the pink azalea. So I didn't miss out after all.
We have a stack of mail about a foot high. Most of it junk.
Our stairs are beautiful!! Here are two photos of them:
The only thing left to do are the spindles on the banister, which had to be ordered. They will be in white.
I had forgotten that we had our floors refinished. When we came home, everything looked different. I love it. :)
There was quite a saga with our cats, however. While the stairs were ripped up, Solomon figured out a way to get out from the basement through a hole. Nate and Jess came over to check and they saw him running out of the kitchen, but when they opened the basement door, they also saw him with Zeus. For a time, they thought there were 3 cats in the house! They finally figured out what had happened. Our contractor was able to get both cats in the basement before he put polyurethane on the floor, but somehow Solomon got out again, and also managed to go outside. When we came home, he was waiting for us in our backyard. Scary. I don't know how long he had been out there. He was totally freaked out.
Anyway, it is good to be home. Things are really busy this week - I've been out late in Boston both last night and tonight for different functions. Tomorrow is brief-writing day at work, and hopefully I'll get most of that done.
Hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep at a normal time tonight. My body still thinks its on the West Coast and I didn't fall asleep until after midnight last night. Ugh. Hard to get up in the morning.
Good night!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
San Diego photos
We thought about going into Mexico tonight, but then we found out that there's usually a 3-hour wait at the border to get back into the U.S. on a Saturday night. So that wasn't going to happen. Instead, we drove into Old Town San Diego and had dinner at a very nice Mexican restaurant that even served ceviche. We got to each outside and it was a nice evening.
Here are the photos from San Diego. First, the Jacaranda Tree that I keep writing about. It's incredible:
Some animals we saw. A giraffe, an elephant, and a polar bear:
Directly after this photo, the elephant let out a roar, turned around so his butt was facing us, and took a big dump ... it was really funny:
Jim eating lunch on the patio of this cafe. There was a waterfall in the background. Nice.
As always, the rest of the photos are on my flickr site, so check that out too.
I talked to my mom and Laurie tonight. My mom made it into Seattle and got a Prius as her rental car. Go figure. We get a Kia, but she gets a nice Prius. :) Oh well. They probably didn't have too many Priuses in Wenatchee.
Good night!
Here are the photos from San Diego. First, the Jacaranda Tree that I keep writing about. It's incredible:
Some animals we saw. A giraffe, an elephant, and a polar bear:
Directly after this photo, the elephant let out a roar, turned around so his butt was facing us, and took a big dump ... it was really funny:
Jim eating lunch on the patio of this cafe. There was a waterfall in the background. Nice.
As always, the rest of the photos are on my flickr site, so check that out too.
I talked to my mom and Laurie tonight. My mom made it into Seattle and got a Prius as her rental car. Go figure. We get a Kia, but she gets a nice Prius. :) Oh well. They probably didn't have too many Priuses in Wenatchee.
Good night!
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