IF I WIN THE LOTTERY WEEK 2

One of the first things I would do would be putting a Home Theater into my little humble house. "Hobbit Hole Cinema" would be my greatest building achievement to date. I would build a riser for a second row of seating. I would have leather home theater chairs with cup holders and the would recline as well. I would have a dark palette for the colors in earthy tones. The audio equipment would be Onix Rocket speakers, Outlaw Audio preamp and amp, Infocus Projector probably 720p or higher resolution and a Firehawk 110" screen. All of this would run in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. It would be a fun project and the sound and picture quality would rival the best movie theaters in town. The picture I found is kind of what I would do, check out the really cool remote control. Sweet! What will I find for next week? I don't know yet so check back often and be sure to make some comments I'd love to see what you think.

IF I WIN THE LOTTERY

This is going to be a weekly event for my blog. It's a wish list of the things I would like but will most likely never be able to afford. First up is the new Chevy Camaro that's not going to be out until 2009. I love the look of this car and I really want one. I dig the old 60's era Camaro's and they took those lines from the '69 and used them in this. Someday...Yah, Right! Next week I'll find something new.

Spoooooky!

I love Halloween and I especially love scaring the neighbor kids on Old Hallows Night. It's a gift I have. Scaring the poop out of kids is not only fun it's therapeutic. Some kids on our block are little creeps and it's going to be a good time having them run off our porch screaming for their mommy. Man I love this stuff. and oh by the way...BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Different Sub???

Well I just learned if I order my new center channel before Nov. 22nd I qualify for a $100 gift certificate from av123.com on their 15" powered subwoofer. This isn't the same sub in my previous post it is one that I have been eyeing for the past couple of months and actually is not even available for sale yet. They (av123.com) are just finishing up the design of this sub and are going to have it for sale I think by the end of the year. It will have a 15" driver a 350 watt amp and will hit down to 18Hz. With the 100 bucks off that will make this sub just a little more money than the other sub I was looking at. With all the extra features this sub is a much better deal and will sound much, much, much better. Hold on to you butts this thing is going to thump and I do mean thump. The pic above is a prototype. Notice the front firing port that runs the full width of the box at the bottom. Sweet huh!

What The Hell

Last Saturday I had a Star Wars viewing for my brothers and I and only one of the brothers showed up. We had planning this weeks and everyone was excited to come watch on my new big ass t.v. I started getting reports from a few of the brothers earlier in the week that they would probably be a little late being we were starting at 9:00 am and I was fine with that. What happened in reality was two of the brothers didn't even bother and the third showed up at 12:00 noon and watch one movie and part of the next and left at 4:00. This is not what was planned folks we were going to spend all day watching and enjoy each others company for the day and "bond" in a manly way. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO DOING WHAT YOU SAY YOU WOULD DO?

Star Wars

Sticking with the home theater theme I am having the brothers over tomorrow and we are going to watch all of the Star Wars movies back to back. It is going to be a 13 hour plus day of watching and should be good fun. I have never seen the second set of movies all in a row but I have seen the first set at the Villa Movie Theater in Salt Lake City years ago with my brother Greer. That was a fun time and my butt hurt by the end of it. I'm sure I'll be feeling it by the end of this adventure. I just hope that all the brothers come.

Boom - Boom - Boom

Subwoofers are what makes car crashes and explosions go BOOOOOOM! I am in the market for a new sub and I think this is what I'm going to get. It's from a .com home theater company called Home Theater Direct.

Here are the spec:

Level THREE Powered Subwoofer Specifications
Power 200 watts RMS, 280 watts peak
Frequency Response 22 Hz - 150 Hz
Voice Coil 3"
Shielded Magnet 9 OZ neodymium
Sensitivity 90 dB
Dimensions (HxWxD*)
(*add 2" for amp knobs and cable connections) 19" x 15 3/4" x 17 3/4"
Weight (per piece) 52 lbs

This sub is far better than the sub I have now. It should make things go boom and the best part of buying from this company is that it has a 30 day in home trial. If I don't like the way it sounds with my system I can send it back and they will give me my money back. Man you can't beat that can you.

Center Channel

All I want for Christmas is a center Channel for my home theater. The Speaker I want is $139.00 from a place call av123.com. The speaker I want is not this color but is Satin Black. It measures 8.5" H x 20.0" W x 15.5" D, it's huge and it weighs in at 33lbs. It is considerably better than any of the speakers I have currently so I will be updating the rest some time next year. I think this new addition will make my "Hobbit Hole Cinema" even that much better. What do you guys think?

THANK THE MAKER FOR "PMS"

So, it's been some time since I last posted. Life has taken a different turn in the last couple of weeks for us (for the better that is). Kami has taken a job doing what she loves, speech therapy. She also opened up a can of whoop *ss on RC Willey and got us a replacement T.V.

Oh, didn't I tell you about her finding our original sales receipt for the T.V. and us finding out that we had indeed bought the five year extended warranty. My T.V. had been out for more than nine months and we were considering selling it cheap at a yard sale just to get the $1,500 shelf out of our basement. Kami called RC Willey and they sent out a repair guy to diagnose what the problem was.

I had done quite a bit of research on my particular set to see if there was anything I could do to fix it (this was before we realized we had the warranty) and the main thing all the forums were saying is that certain parts of the set are not to be exposed to direct light which can and will screw up the programming on the main board so much so that the only way to fix it is to send it to JVC in Japan and they will fix it. Well I was at work when the repair guy came and opened up the set and gutted it and he asked Kami to help him carry the thing up the stairs and out to his van. Are you guys seeing where I'm going with this.

A week later Kami called the repair place and they said to her that they had ordered some parts for our set and realized that they needed to order another part that they had not anticipated ordering, the main board. The main board was going to cost $1,000.00 and they needed RC Willey's permission to order it. They proceeded to tell her that the case worker they were dealing with was on vacation and would not be back for a week and there was nothing they could do. She suggested to Kami that perhaps she could call RC Willey directly and see if she could work it out with them.

Kami called them and they started giving her the run around. "Well your case worker is on vacation and she can help you when she gets back in town next week" Kami opened a can up on the dude on the other line. He promptly apologized and offered to have his manager call her when she got back from lunch. Within the hour a nice lady called back and told Kami that, she had been working on her case and this is what she could offer her. She apologized but the best they could do would be replace the set with another. She didn't want her to be upset because they could only offer her a 51" Hitachi T.V. instead of the 48" set we had bought (being JVC no longer make our T.V.) and that they would be happy to have it delivered to us the next day if that would be o.k.

If we had found the receipt any sooner we most likely would not have got a replacement T.V. this nice since it only came out a month and a half ago. Things work out in the end. I'm like Seinfeld that way I guess. So, last month I think I'm the only man who was thankful for PMS. Good job gal on getting a rockin job and for taking no guff and getting us the T.V.

Wal-Mart Sucks

So wale-Mart in their great wisdom has decided not to hire me. I was called yesterday by the HR person and she asked if I could do an all day orientation in the morning. I arranged with my boss here to take the day off (one of my last three days I have left mind you) so I could go. I was to go and be at this orientation at 7:00 am and it would last until 4:00. I got a phone call this morning at 6:30 from this same HR lady and she asked if I had taken the drug screen test yet. I said no, because there was an accident on I-15 last night on my way home and I sat in traffic for well over an hour waiting for the road to be cleared (a semi carrying hay lost about half his load over all lanes of traffic and they closed the freeway for about 45 min.) so traffic could move through, the were closed by the time I got into Utah County. When I had my interview they said in order for me to get hire I needed to take a prehire drug screen. They gave me the paper work and the interviewer told me to sign it and that after they got the results back I would have one more interview and it would be official and I could start working. They did not mention that I needed to take the test within 24 hours or that I could not be hired or even considered for a postion for an entire year after that date. I explained that I had no control over the traffic and I would be happy to take it today but they have a policy in place and there is nothing she could do about it.

So I say Bite Me Wal-Mart! I'll find another job.

Part Time Work

I don't want my family to be just part time work, so yesterday I got a part time job working at my local Wal-Mart in the electronics department. (that's right up my alley, huh) It will be good to have a little extra money coming in so we can take care of our last little bit of debt and it will pay for Christmas and also get me on the way to buying the front projector and speakers I want for my "Hobbit Hole Cinema" (which isn't so important right now but it would be fun).

I'm actually pretty excited to be doing this and the reason is I HATE BEING IN DEBT. DEBT SUCKS!!!! I will be paying off everything as fast as possible so that with our taxes next year instead of paying on bills I can take the family to Disneyland for a week of bliss. I don't know if this line from a movie works here but it is my favorite line from any movie and it's from Gladitor, "What we do in life echoes in eternity". I want to take care of my family so we don't have to worry about the bills and other trivial things and focus on what's important, being a family.

Home Theater

So it's been some time since I posted last and I thought I would let you know what's on my mind. My home theater is on my mind. I have plans to turn my wife's craft room into a dedicated home theater and I'm looking for a name for it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Headlines from the year 2029!

One of my coworkers e-mailed this to me yesterday I thought I would share.

HEADLINES:

*Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California

*White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

*Baby conceived naturally - - scientists stumped.

*Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

*Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

*France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica .

*Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported >legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

*George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

*Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

*85-year, $75.8 billion study : Diet and Exercise is the key to weight loss.

*Average weight! of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

*Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

*Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

*Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.

*IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.!

*Florida voters still having trouble with voting machines.

Nathan and the Newspaper

So yesterday morning I heard Nathan get out of bed at about 7:15. This isn't an unusual thing for him to do so I relaxed back into bed for another ten minutes or so and then I decided to get up. I went directly into the kitchen because I could hear him rustling with some papers. When I got around the corner there was my little buddy sitting at the table in his booster seat polishing off a rice crispy treat (he had left it on the table the night before) and reading the newspaper. I said to him, Nathan what are you up to buddy? He turned his head toward me and very matter of fact like and said "Reading". I asked him what he was reading and then I poked my head around to see what he was looking at, it was a Lowes Hardware and Garden add. I asked him what he was looking at in that add and he pointed to a bird bath/fountain and he said to me, "I think I want that for the yard". For the yard are you sure you don't want a truck or something like that instead, he said "No, I want that", pointing to the fountain again. I told him I'll have to see what we can do. I turned around to go get in the shower and I asked him what he was going to do while I was in the shower and he said "I'm going to read RC Willey next". I almost woke up the baby laughing so hard.

Contiguous or Non-Contiguous

Contiguous: Near or close to, whether actually touching or not. Generally refers to actual touching or bordering.

This word is used in my line of work on a day to day basis it refers to boundaries between property lines or whether two pieces of property actually touch or are separated by a given distance. I want to use it in a non Real Property way. Is what we do in life contiguous or non-contiguous to those around us? By acting in a certain way am I adversely or inadvertently affecting those around me????

I have a profound ability of being straight forward if not contentious with those around me in both my personal and professional life. If I show up at home in a bad mood and the kids sense that, it affects the whole night and things have a tendency of being out of whack the rest of the night. It's the same at work if I have a run in with some one that I don't see eye to eye with it can be awkward the rest of the day.

I feel I need to be more contiguous with those who are in and around me. I will from this point on do my part at being more .... Wait.... Nah, never mind. Lets face it most people are idiots so I'll be whatever I am, the way I am, to who ever I am, stick it up your bum you arss kind of jerk as ever. Keep in mind I really do try to check my attitude at the door as it comes to my family but at work screw you I'm here to do a job and get it done in the best way possible. If you don't like it here's my size eleven up your....

I'll go along with being contiguous with my family and non-contiguous with the rest of the world so look out you sons of .......

ALIVE, I THINK!

I'm still here but now there is less of me and in more ways than teeth. I haven't had real food since last Thursday. Man do I ever want a cheese burger and fries. I saw on Thai last night that Whopper Jr.s are currently .99 cents, boy that sounds good, did I mention I'm hungry. I'm sure over the last three days I've lost about sixty pounds and 27 inches around the waist. I'm a thin shell of my former self.

Pain! That is what I have going right now. I never thought of my self as a wuss but now I'm reconsidering that view. I don't like pain. I really don't like pain. I mean it I really, really don't like pain. My mouth hurts and the hunger pain is almost unbearable, (you didn't think I was going to go back to the not eating did you). Really how do people starve them selves to death. I think I would cut off my left leg and eat it before I'd starve myself to death.

Anyway I'm alive, I think!

Summer Blockbuster Mania

I love the movies and can't wait to see these few or not so few movies. Sitting in the dark theater with the anticipation of watching some new and exciting just moments away is one of my favorite things to do. For a short while I was a manager of a movie theater and learned the ins and outs of how to thread movie projectors and tweeking the DTS sound and having long lines of people excited about opening night. Having gone through this experience of managing a theater only heightened my love for the movies.

This summer looks like it will be a good one as to the all important summer blockbuster. I am particularly looking forward to seeing these movies: MI 3, X-3, Cars, Poseidon, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest, Miami Vice, World Trade Center, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and most important Superman Returns.

O.K. my peeps let me know what you are looking forward to as it comes to the summer movie season or as we in the biz call it Summer Blockbuster Mania.

Lawn Care

This weekend I have to mow the lawn and I'm not sure about one thing, should I mulch or should I bag? HELP ME! I'm drawn between the two.

A-Rone-ic's-Notes

Why are wisdom teeth called "wisdom" teeth? Why aren't they called useless, good for nothing, going to cost you $1,600.00, wish you got them out twenty years ago when the parents could have paid for them teeth. I'm having mine out next Friday and am confused about something. What's so fracking wise about the teeth in the back of your mouth that are good for nothing but giving you grief? Most of the time they don't even come in all the way and they can get compacted (and no I'm not talking about the Broke Back kind of compacted). Nothing is wise about them, so why the hell are the called wisdom teeth? Do they give you wisdom when they are in your mouth or do you gain wisdom when they are taken out? I'm hoping for the latter.

Reality Check

Last Friday my wife and I were sitting on the couch in our basement and were having a great conversation about whatever when it hit me, I'm a father and have a house, two cars and a cat. Man every once in a while reality just smacks (or Kung Fu's punches) you in the face. Of course I have had these things for a while now but when you think back on not that long ago things were much different then they are now.

Lets go back 14 years or so ago. I had hair, I was skinny, very good looking and I was sitting around doing nothing. I would do the odd job at Kelly Temporary Services that would last two weeks or so. I had really no future vision for my life at all. I decided to go down to Snow College and that's when life took the really big turn for me. There I met the most gorgeous woman, the blond haired beauty of my dreams (thanks Shauna, I know you'd be ticked if I didn't say so). Kami is her name and she changed my life.

I met her while doing Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew) I played Biondello and got the most applause out of the entire cast every night, but that's beside the point. I asked her out three times before our various schedules matched up and we have been inseparable since. I know a lot of people go through ups and downs and break up for a while, while dating we never had that. Sure we went through rough patches but on the whole I knew I was in it for good. Life has taken off from that point.

I was on a path to no where back in the day but now I'm golden. Life is good, no great. Sure I have my ups and downs over the years but all in all it's very satisfying to be me. Every once in a while reality hits and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished in my life. Finding the right person worked out for me, Job situation worked out for me, having a home worked out for me (I'm now on my second that i've owned), children worked out for me (I have the most beautiful children ask anyone), I have a great family and that worked out for me, I'm still thin as a rail and have a full head of hair (NOT), Religion worked out for me (I've come along way as it comes to this aspect).

My reality isn't so bad is it.