About as sick as I can ever remember feeling ...

I am told by Cheryl that when I get sick I am something of a whiner. It goes like this: I get sick less often than Cheryl, but when I do get sick, I get really sick.

The first in our family to get sick was Chas, which is always stressful because of the whole asthma thing. We worry about those challenged lungs of his. But what's interesting is that he tends to get better more quickly than the rest of us because he's got high-powered medicine.

Anyway, he was starting to feel better by Friday, when my health took a turn. At first I thought it was the kind of cold I could beat back with a handful of cold pills and a bad attitude. Not so much. I woke up Saturday morning, determined to shower off my sickness and start my weekend. Then, while in the shower, I nearly passed out. And yet I attempted to shave under my arms. Brilliant move, that one. No bleeding ensued, but suffice it to say the results were a bit ... uneven.

Anyhoo, I got out of the shower and went straight to bed, where I pretty much spent the next 30 hours or so. I got out of bed briefly on Sunday, which didn't go well. (I fell and tweaked my injured foot again. Awesome.) By the end of the day Sunday, I had the energy to turn on my computer and do a little work while I watched the Oscars.

An aside: Happy Feet beat CARS?????? WTF??????

By today (Monday), I started to feel something resembling human. Did some work remotely (thank God for technology -- you know, sorta. I was still working after all. And coughing.).

Well, I can't say I blame Costco for doing this ...

I never even got a chance to take advantage of the greatest return policy ever. And now it's going bye-bye. Leave it to Costco to throw in a generous two-year warranty.

Yes, I love Costco.

Costco tightens its return policy
'A few jerks' prompt retailer to alter rules on electronics
By CRAIG HARRIS
P-I REPORTER
Costco Wholesale Corp.'s liberal return policy on most consumer electronic products is being reined in.
The Issaquah-based retailer has begun limiting money-back returns on TVs, computers, cameras, camcorders, iPods, MP3 players and cell phones to 90 days. Previously, there was no time limit except for personal computers, which was six months.
The change went into effect Monday in Costco's 109 California stores and begins March 12 in all 27 Washington stores. The company has more than 500 U.S. stores.
The policy also will begin in other West Coast states on March 12 and then move through the country until all U.S. and Puerto Rico stores adopt the 90-day return policy by April 2, Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said.
The cash-and-carry retailer will provide a free two-year warranty for TVs and computers as part of the policy change. Electronics goods purchased before the new 90-day policy goes into effect can be returned at any time.
"If we are going to make a change, we want to make it the best policy out there," Galanti told the Seattle P-I.
The change was implemented because the company was losing "tens of millions of dollars" in returns, Galanti said. He declined to specify the losses.

mmmmm..... this looks like a yummy cell phone

So, I just start thinking about how I need new phone, and I come across this on MSNBC ...

No more Blackberry thumbwheel
New 8800 is also thinner, more powerful with more features
By Gary Krakow
Columnist
It was only a matter of time. When the Research in Motion people came to show me a Pearl a few months ago — they also had a prototype of another phone in its very early stages.
That prototype would borrow some of the innovations in the Pearl and add them to larger phone format. You know which ones I'm talking about —the with full keyboards. The new handset was thinner and lighter than previous “large” bristling with new features.
They did a lot of work to make their new model but apparently didn't spend much time coming up with a name. They called it the Blackberry 8800.
For all you “CrackBerry” addicts I must warn you at the outset that the 8800 is different from any other . It’s the first one without a thumbwheel. The experts at RIM, seeing the success of the Pearl and its little trackball, decided that their new model didn’t need an ancient-style navigation device. Don’t worry; you’ll get used to the new system within an hour.
The 8800 is a quad-band world phone. It runs on the 850/900/1800 and 1900 MHz GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks. In the United States, the 8800 will be first be sold by Cingular Wireless. The big, bright color screen has a built-in light sensor which adjusts the brightness of the screen, keyboard and trackball depending on your surroundings.
The svelte handset measures 4.49 by 2.6 by 0.55 inches and weighs less than 5 ounces. There’s a new, 1400mAh, high-capacity lithium battery inside which is said to provide up to 22 days of standby and a whopping five hours of talk time. In my short time with the 8800 I found that the battery lasts 2-3 days of heavy use before needing a recharge.
The other big new feature in the 8800 is the addition of a built-in GPS location finding system. You can use your BlackBerry with add-on, location-based software and services to figure out where you are (a good thing for me) or to track others (co-workers, loved ones, etc.). There’s also a Push-to-Talk feature on the 8800 a la Nextel’s ubiquitous wireless intercom system.
The 8800 has one of the best portable Internet browsers in the business, a terrific media player, a microSD slot for extra storage, a full QWERTY keyboard and, of course, the now legendary BlackBerry wireless e-mail system with the ability to handle up to 10 different accounts on the same handset. All in all, quite a neat little package.
I’ve been playing with a pre-production handset for more than a week and had no problems, which bodes well for post-productions handsets that will ship to stores. I love the 8800’s size and shape. It has great hand feel and does everything it’s supposed to very, very well. I didn’t miss the infamous thumbwheel at all. Neither will you.
Cingular has set their price for the 8800 at $299.99 with a two-year service commitment after rebates. If you’re a BlackBerry fan — you have to see the new 8800.

Wait ... what about T-Mobile??? God bless obsessive people and the Internet, cause they've gathered info here.

Apparently it's coming. I want the one with the camera ....

Late add: more details

This made me want to call my Dad ....

OK, first let me say that I talked to my Dad a week ago, tops. But this made me think of him. Or me, if I have the misfortune of outliving my loved ones.

Man's body found in front of TV year after death
Television was still on, authorities say; body partially mummified

HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. - The partially mummified body of a man dead for more than a year has been found in a chair in front of his television, which was still on, authorities said.
Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County’s deputy chief medical examiner.
Police found Ricardo’s body this week when they investigated a report of burst pipes.

You can read the rest here.

My cell phone and I are going to party like it's 2003!

I love my cell phone. It's a Sony Ericsson T610, with some terrific multimedia featues: camera, games, Web (in scaled-down form), and more.But my cell phone is old. Like more than three years old. And I think we all know that's an eternity in the world of cell phones.

Cheryl has mentioned -- more than once, come to think of it -- that we should get new cell phones. And I can't really argue the ponit. We probably should. (Of course, I'll need to check on our contract status.I think we're clear of whatever promises we made to get more minutes for less money recently). And I'd have to say goodbye to my beloved Sony Ericsson T610, a happy result of the fact that I for once didn't cheap out, and got a phone with a built in camera and some buzz (at least it had buzz back in the day).

Of course, getting a new phone would mean that my happy discovery of last night would be semi-wasted (unless I play a LOT of video poker over the next few days). I found, on the Sony Ericsson site, free games. I was looking for Dixie Chicks ringtones for Cheryl, and found only crap and more crap and crap that pretends not to be a scam and crap that pretty much is what it is. Sorry, baby. But I'm happy to share my simple Space Invader-ish thing and some casino games. Did I mention that they were free? I was thisclose to paying $9.99 for a video poker game not long ago …..Thank God for inertia and procrastination! :) You know, sometimes.

But since I don't dive into these things quickly (unless I do), I am considering my options. Blackberry?

My dream device? It would combine the calendar/address book/reminder functions of my Palm, plus connect me to my work email. It would be as multimedia friendly as my cell phone, with a pretty screen, a better camera and decent Web surf-ability. It would have an easy to use keyboard, preferably QWERTY, so I can put my touch-typing skills to work (the main reason I'm not more of a text is that it's a FREAKING PAIN, and yes, I am old.) My ideal would have some games, though I don't need anything screamingly fancy (Ms. Pac Man would be nice, though, since I'm wishing.) Oh, and it would play videos from Amazon Unbox. (I'm not holding my breath on that one right now).

Hmmmm. Wonder if I can get video poker or blackjack or fake Space Invaders for my Zen Vision: M.

Punk rock dog stuff at Target. I have no words.

My sweetheart says "I Love You" with pink cheesecake (that was soon all gone)

Babyfest 2007 (with a little 2006 thrown in)

So my dear friend R just had her second son, and he is gorgeous. Here are the stats:

Nathaniel Manzanita
Friday February 9, 3:11PM
8Lb 15oz, 21 inches

Cheryl and I have seen a lot of baby pictures (we have fertile friends, I guess), but there's something about this picture in particular that has set off her baby urge. It's the interaction between older bro (in this case, Benjamin) and younger bro. Yeah, we have two, but it is cool to imagine how they'd react if a new baby came on the scene.

In other baby news, another pal has a new addition to her family: My friend Winda, she of the world travels and hipster adventures, had a baby named Oz. I only have the "safe" kind of baby picture to share (cute baby, no siblings) as Oz is Winda and Richie's first. Here's an excerpt of her email:

For those who don't know, Oz was born Jan. 19th after 28 freakin' hours of labor. OUCH! He weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces. Richie and I are totally in love with him. We don't even mind all the poopy diapers. (We've discovered that babies put the FUN back into bodily functions.) However, we do miss our sleep. Sweet sweet sleep. We STILL haven't decided on a middle name yet. Sheesh. Decisions, decisions. We're taking suggestions.

Winda and R are both former newspaper colleagues. In fact, they both used to work for me. And, two other women who worked for me had children recently also .... I guess it must have been the exposure to Eddie and Chas, in all their glory. :)

Here is my friend Hsiao-Ching's baby. (Husband Eric had something to do with it as well, of course.):

Meilee (pronounced May-Lee) Chou Riddle was born Tuesday, October 3rd at 6:20 PM. She weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces (Most of the weight is in her hair!).

And then there's my friend Kristin. She and her husband Gene had their sweet baby Kyra ...... shoot .... a year ago? I suck. But hey, here's a picture of Kyra and her mom from last Halloween.

This morning's commute

It's a great morning to be on the bus. I say that not because of the mystery liquid I had to wipe off my seat, but because we're in the HOV lane, tearing past massive numbers of stopped-up cars while I watch CSI on my computer.

It's just such a good feeling not to have to face the frustration of being unable to move forward (not to mention the good feeling of being able to watch TV). It makes the temporary presence of a mystery liquid all the more bearable. That, plus the fact that the only thing coming in contact with the mystery spot is my ass (but don't think I'm not going to give it a goings-over with a Clorox wipe when I get into work -- 'cause that's just how I roll).

I think you're not supposed to take pix in the SciFi Museum, but ....

MySpace: Not so much

So, I came across a MySpace page for my cousin, Sam Bland (http://www.myspace.com/kingofuniverse). Last I'd heard, he was pursuing his "artisting" in NYC (good place for it). But I've not seen him in quite some time. Like once in the past 15 years or so, probably.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I wanted to drop him a line. But you can't do that sort of thing unless you're signed on. But I REALLY wanted to drop him a line. So I tried to sign in. It didn't go well. In fact, the message I kept getting from MySpace was that I am ineligible. The answer I found for this problem online was "lie about your age, you're too young." Actually, I think I'm too old. It's a Logan's Run world, and I'm 9 years past 30!

My hipster colleague Michael, who has a MySpace page, told me I shouldn't give up. That if I got one I'd be cool. Sadly, I think that's not true. If I got a MySpace page, it would only mean that I had a MySpace page.

David Sedaris is like a ray of sunshine

Well, not really. But he is brilliant. Here's his latest, just posted on the New Yorker site. (For the record, I am not generally cultured enough to add this site to my list of regular checks along with Defamer.com et al. The article was pointed out to me by a colleague.)

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070219fa_fact_sedaris?page=1

I don't so much relate when hilarity ensues from, say, a strong desire for pot while at home for the holidays. Here's a sample. WARNING: It contains strong language, which I believe adds to the experience by contrasting so nicely with the music his words overall:

“Either of you guys married?” Little Mike asked, and Paul shook his head no. “I got preëngaged one time, but David here hasn’t never come close, his being a faggot and all.”
Little Mike laughed, and then he looked at me. “For real?” he said. “Is Bromine telling me the truth?”
“Oh, he’s all up inside that shit,” Paul said. “Has hisself a cocksucker—I mean a boyfriend—and everything.”
I could have done my own talking, but it was sort of nice listening to my brother, who sounded almost boastful, as if I were a pet that had learned to do math.
“Well, what do you know,” Little Mike said.
His wife stirred to action then, and became almost sociable. “So this boyfriend,” she said. “Let me ask, which one of you is the woman?”
“Well, neither of us,” I told her. “That’s what makes us a homosexual couple. We’re both guys.”
“But no,” she said. “I mean, like, in prison or whatnot. One of you has to be in for murder and the other for child molesting or something like that, right? I mean, one is more like a normal man.”
I wanted to ask if that would be the murderer or the child molester, but instead I just accepted the joint, saying, “Oh, we live in New York,” as if that answered the question.

Natalie's ready to make nice (with the non-Nashville part of the music industry, anyway)

So the Dixie Chicks got some love tonight at the Grammys. The Country Music Association shut them out (forget wins -- the Chicks didn't even get any nominations for their latest disc, Taking The Long Way). But the liberal left coasters cast their lot with the blue state outcasts.

When they won Record of the Year, the sisters (Martie and Emily) were crying. Lead singer and legendary Bush basher Natalie looked moved for a second, then shit eatin' grinnish, then teary onstage. It must be hard not to be drunk on vindication on a night like tonight. They deserve it, though nothing will ever make up for what they've been through. If you haven't seen Shut Up and Sing, you need to. It was worse for them than you thought, and will never really end.

P.S. Hey Toby "We'll Put a Boot In Their Ass/It's the American Way" Keith -- Remember when you said the Chicks weren't songwriters? How many Song of the Year Grammys have you got?

Telling my story

So got invited to share my story at a church service tonight. Which story? The one about how I married a guy before I figured out that I was gay, and then found my inner truth and the love of my life (not necessarily in that order). It was a service for the Pacific Northwest Reconciling Ministries, which is all about getting the gays and the Christians together with love (http://www.pnw-rmn.org/). Talk about the way of Jesus, right?

I'd tell you what I said, but I don't really remember. I step up to the mike, start rolling and ... well, they laughed when I meant them too, nodded and seemed as though they appreciated the tale.

Lacking the words from tonight, I'll just share the coming out story that I wrote for the gay/lesbian email listserv at the big internet retailer I work for ....


Here's how my story ends: My ex-husband is happily married to a woman who was a pal of my current partner and I. They have a kid, we have two, and while we didn't get through everything neatly enough to, you know, stay in communication with each other, we all wish each other well and our drama seems distant and unbelievable, like it happened to someone else.

Here's how my story begins: I married this nice fellow, because that was what I felt like I was supposed to do. I think on some level I figured it would prove to myself that my close friendships with women (never sexual, except that one moment with a college friend that remains unspoken of and would likely be denied by her) were just friendships, and not (yikes!) crushes. I found out later that the woman catering my wedding immediately read me as gay and predicted a quick end to the marriage. We hit five years, which outlasted her prediction.

For a while, all was well. Then I met Cheryl, the woman I've gone on to marry (several times, in the hopes that one of our ceremonies will finally be legal here). Cheryl and I were colleagues. Actually, I was her boss. And I immediately clicked with her: she's smart, talented, fun ... all that good stuff. Before long, she and I and my husband and another friend of ours were hanging out. After a summer of this, we began to realize that the chemistry was working in unexpected ways. Cheryl and I had pretty much fallen in love, and my husband and our other friend were really connecting. Finally, on the eve of a trip Cheryl and I were taking to NY (because my hubby didn't want to see Lucy "Xena" Lawless in Grease, or other Broadway shows), I confessed: first to my husband, and then to my boss, as I knew I could no longer be Cheryl's manager. Much drama ensued, at home and at work (all four of us worked together, so we were pretty much Ground Zero for all gossip for what felt like an eternity). My mom suggested I just stay married an have an affair with Cheryl. But when I told her that was untenable, she adjusted. Before she died, she referred to Cheryl as her second daughter. My dad considers her and our children family, though he's against gay marriage and other such civil rights and seems amazingly able separate his feelings for us from his feelings for gays as a whole. He doesn't understand that in most states, I would not be allowed to adopt these children Cheryl gave birth to, and that in the eyes of the government and many other major institutions, she and I aren't really family. Cheryl's relatives, meanwhile, were uniformly great, and while we worried that some LDS branches of the family tree might not be too friendly, it's not been a problem. I have never for a second felt anything loved, welcomed and accepted. Even when I was just the "friend" she brought to her family gatherings.

Now, I lead a typical suburban life: enjoying time with my wife and twin sons, taking the bus to work, trying to keep the house clean, looking forward to the next R Family cruise with Rosie O'Donnell and Co., going to church on Sundays (a wonderful, accepting church that is all about social justice). I'm ashamed to admit that I don't always expect people to be accepting, even of what I think is a ridiculously noncontroversial life. But I'm happy to say that I have been pleasantly surprised many, many times.

Steph

riding the ferry boat home from Bainbridge

I installed a Badger tonight

A Badger is, by the way, a garbage disposal. Our old one gave out, and Cheryl picked up a new one tonight.

Fortunately, I was able to fairly easily do the main connection to the drain. I also wired the old plug into the new disposal, which I know frightening Cheryl (sheesh, you cut through a live wire with scissors ONE TIME and the love of your life gets all panicky whenever you're around electricity).

Life has been so busy lately. Just random thought I found myself reflecting on as I put in a garbage disposal after 9 p.m. on a Thursday night.

No more Animal Planet for a while ...

So Eddie was going potty tonight, and having a little trouble with a turd of significant size. Which apparently got him thinking about a show we saw last week about a baby giraffe (not just its life, but its birth).

He asked where a giraffe's butt was. Under the tail, Cheryl replied, probably wondering where this was going.

"And the baby giraffe comes out there?" Uh, not really ... but there's only so much explaining you can do when it's past a little guy's bedtime.

Anyway, Eddie said that his poop made him feel like he's pushing out a baby giraffe. Awesome.

"Cheating" on this blog ....

So, here is one reason why my number of blog posts has dropped: I am blogging in another place.

Here's a sampling of what I wrote today about Anna Nicole:

Anna Nicole apparently told people that she wanted to be the next Marilyn Monroe. She certainly embraced the style at times, but never became a movie star. ... And Marilyn lived in a time when it was easier for us to see a star through the prism of our own dreams and wishes -- it often took the finality of death for ugly realities to intrude on our perceptions. I can't help but wonder what Marilyn's final years would have been like if there had been an E! network, not to mention celeb bloggers like Perez Hilton.

The whole post is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/plog/post.html/ref=cm_blog_pl/104-2017613-0507122?ie=UTF8&pt=personalBlog&aid=PlogMyCustomersAgent&ot=customer&pd=1170972620.315&pid=PMCASDQOJGOVEX58at1170969916&iid=ASDQOJGOVEX58

I have also blogged about Joss Whedon not doing a Wonder Woman movie anymore:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/plog/post.html/ref=cm_blog_pl/104-2017613-0507122?ie=UTF8&pt=personalBlog&aid=PlogMyCustomersAgent&ot=customer&pd=1170790880.648&pid=PMCASDQOJGOVEX58at1170790039&iid=ASDQOJGOVEX58

And CSI, which I have grown to appreciate:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/plog/post.html/ref=cm_blog_pl/104-2017613-0507122?ie=UTF8&pt=personalBlog&aid=PlogMyCustomersAgent&ot=customer&pd=1170747624&pid=PMCASDQOJGOVEX58at1170745857&iid=ASDQOJGOVEX58

So, my attentions are divided. But my heart belongs to betterlater.

Light in the sky makes everything better

So I'm on my way home, riding the train. It's 5:15, and it's not dark, which is terrific. Not so terrific is the throbbing in my foot. Of course, throbbing is better than screaming pain, so I shouldn't complain. I made it a little worse, I think, by running to catch the train. But the fact that I could run at all shows how much better I am doing.

Days like this make me glad I have a window seat at work. Now, if only I could go outside during the day. I need to make sure I don't get in the habit of just sitting on my arse all day without ever breathing fresh air or working my muscles. It's an all-too-easy pattern to fall into. Hell, I was in it for years and have only moved into a realm of walks and workouts with baby steps.
I can't wait to get back to it. I know it will be a while before my foot is no longer the color of a sunset, but the light in the sky makes everything better.

When newspapers die ...

Journalists gather for vaguely uncomfortable parties.

I went to the wake for the King County Journal (formerly the Valley Daily News, formerly the Bellevue Journal American). And it was wonderful, in that I got to see some former colleagues who are still dear to me. People like Curt Milton, for example. (Here are some pictures he took: http://www.flickr.com/groups/kcjparty/).

It was cool to meet people I'd heard about from my dear Cheryl, who shared many wonderful stories of joy and oppression at Valley.

But it was sad in that for every story about the joys of leaving journalism, there was at least one and probably more stories of people who have found themselves lost and lacking options in the no man's land between middle age and retirement.

It made me glad I left journalism. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad that I was a member of the club. But leaving has forced me to push myself in new ways. I've actually even flirted with the idea of getting my MBA. Which is scary. But working at a newspaper, for all of its challenges, can make one myopic. Like newspapers are all there is, and for some people, print newspapers are all there is.

"That is very purple"

So said Eddie about my foot. It's getting better, which is to say I can walk on it without screaming. Mostly. And, oddly, I think it's less discolored right now than it was last night.

It's very strange to feel this way. I am really not used to being lame. Well, lame physically anyway. I know I've been lame in other ways. It's funny how full of joy I was to get crutches. It's funny how full of joy I am when I put ice on my foot.

Wonder what it will feel like tomorrow. It felt crappy this morning, exploding my cocky dreams of quick healing.

Watching Animal Planet has this effect on me ...

So, with the boys around, watching TV means watching more Animal Planet and less MTV and VH1 (at least until they go to bed).

And right now, I'm watching a show like about giraffes -- giraffes who live a lot closer than Africa, and not in a zoo. Specifically, they live in wine country, of all places. It's a place called Safari West -- and until I can get the family to the actual Savannah, this may tide us over.

This is from their Web site, minus the blah blah about how our world moves too fast, etc., etc.:

Nestled on 400 acres in the heart of California's wine country, Safari West is home for over 400 exotic mammals and birds. Not a zoo, not a drive-through park, it's a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature's most beautiful animals in a natural habitat.
Established by Peter Lang in 1979, Safari West gained membership in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, one of only six private facilities in North America to belong to that prestigious organization. The ongoing mission of Safari West is wildlife preservation through breeding, education, research and public interaction.
What happens at Safari West?
Safari West serves two important functions: first and foremost, we are a wildlife preserve, with several important ongoing projects such as:
The propagation of endangered species. Safari West is the home of zebras, giraffes, cheetahs and many more exotic creatures.
Under the directorship of Nancy Lang, Safari West is breeding several endangered bird species.
Conservation programs are in place for two species of Saharan Desert antelope now extinct in the wild.
But Safari West is more than a preserve. We are dedicated to raising awareness of our exotic neighbors and promoting understanding through in-person contact. That's why we offer safaris year-round. If your only experience with a zebra or giraffe has been at a zoo, you should see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. You owe it to yourself, and to them.

The safari is something like $30 a pop, and then there are lodging opportunities ("luxury tents on the Sonoma Serengeti")

Googling a broken foot

I'm working from home today. Here's an excerpt from the email I sent:

So I wish I had a better story, but while walking through the park and ride lot to my car last night, I misjudged a curb and abruptly met the ground. The good news is that the intense pain and swelling in my foot has taken my mind off the non-intense pain in my knee and hand. The bad news is that if I try to, say, move my foot or, God forbid, walk on it, I must loudly scream (usually obscenities). This could be disruptive in an office environment. Seriously, it's really messed up. So, I'm going to be working from home today, foot up, on ice. And possibly going to the doctor, though I think all a doc will say is that it's not broken and good luck with that.

And it's all true. I feel compelled to add this last part after getting this response from a friend of mine:

I once cranked my ankle at a strip club after I slipped on some body oil. But when I called in to work the next morning, my story pretty much resembled yours. Anyhow, I found immersing my foot in buckets of ice to be helpful.

Because my pain is so ... pain-y, I'm consulting with Dr. Google to see if I need to see a real doctor. I think I might. Cheryl, meanwhile, is dealing with the oddness of me being the one in need of medical aid. She says she's used to filling that role herself. And she has had actual surgeries and stuff (I haven't) not to mention all of the rigamarole that went into IVF, etc. But she should remember that she is the one who even got me to take medicine of any sort, from aspirin/ibuprofen on up to antidepressants. I may not usually be limping and swearing, but if it weren't for Cheryl, my medical interactions would be dominated by the influence of Grandpa (didn't see a doctor until his femur broke from cancer) or Mom (let diabetes rage untreated, and didn't start seeing medical professionals until it was essentially too late).

I never thought I'd own a 52-inch TV ...

But I do! (Actually, my family thinks it is also theirs, but that's OK -- it's big enough to share). It is, specifically, a Panasonic 52 inch LCD projection TV, which means it's not skinny enough to hang on the wall, but still pretty small (17 inches deep, and only 68 pounds -- which is probably a quarter of what our 36-inch CRT TV weighs).





It lives in the alcove above our fireplace, and pretty much fills it. There was barely room for Cheryl and I to make a shelf above it, which holds the Tivo box and VCR. It's a Series2 Tivo, which means we are still without HDTV content (that comes from a Series3, or a special cable box, neither of which we're willing to spring for). But even regular TV looks really good, and DVDs look fabulous.


And now I'm going to say something nutty: It "only" cost $1000. Well, $990-something plus tax. Now it's back up to $1699, so we feel quite smart. I'mat least as happy as the golf dude in the picture.

Here are specs: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Specifications-of-Panasonic-52-LCD-Projection-HDTV-PT-52LCX66/sem/rpsm/oid/152131/rpem/ccd/productDetailSpecification.do#tabs