Beachy Goodness. |
I spent a lot of time shopping this week.
Oh the horror!
It started off last week when my little 20” TV didn't survive the trip. Well, the audio didn't, picture is great.
I've been saying that the next TV I buy will be a plasma HiDef. Circuit City was having a 2-year no interest deal, so I thought I would make the leap. I looked at several, and decided that the hi-def ones were way too expensive still. Enhanced Def it was going to have to be.
A 42inch plasma screen is surprisingly heavy, and quite awkward to move on your own. I some how managed to get it up in the truck, then back out, and up a flight of stairs. (Oi! My aching back!)
Got it setup and ugh…I hated it! I could see all the pixels and the blacks just weren't black. I fussed with it some more. Went back and got some Monster Cables (50 bucks, what a racket!) and even borrowed a new progressive scan DVD player to double check it.
The screen looked fine from a distance, but if you are within 6 feet of it (and I am), it's terrible. I guess I am used to looking at my LCD with super sharp hi-res goodness.
Time Warner came on Wednesday. I had a video shoot, and my production assistant (yeah..I have one! Cool!) came over and let them in. Soon I will have him picking up my laundry and walking the dog!
Seriously, it sucks when you don't have a core of friends or roommate to help with these “someone's gotta be there” moments.
I came home and the TV was all hooked up, but it just still didn't look good. I called Circuit City and talked and they were all about, “ Well, your signal isn't truly digital, you need a satellite, and your not seeing hi-def either..blah blah blah.
I don't think I have ever taken such a large expensive item back. I had to repack the sucker in the box, pull it down the stairs and get it back up in the truck. Circuit City was REALLY nice about the return though. I think they totally understood spending that much money. They gave me a tour of some other TVs that would likely make me happy, but at this point I was thinking 26” tube for under $400. All they had were giant ones that made me shudder to think about moving them.
I went over to Best Buy and found a nice Phillips 26” widescreen for $399. It looked great.
They used the giant lift machine to go up to the ceiling and pull it off the top shelf. It took forever. I got it out to my car, and surprisingly even the 26” screen was heavy and getting it up there by myself was no fun.
I somehow managed to get it up the flights of stairs, flipped the box and slid the sucker out.
It was the wrong TV!
The box says 27” inches not 26”! And it's not the cool widescreen!
Shit!
I plugged it in, and the quality was really good. Just no widescreen feature.
I looked at my receipt to see if it was more expensive. Instead of $399 it was $299. I did look over the receipt when I signed out. The price difference didn't register with me I guess.
I debated for a half hour what to do. I unhooked it and started to figure out how to get the thing back in the box. Did I REALLY want to pack up yet another TV, carry it down those stairs, and then go pay another $100 for the other one…and go through the damn return process, thereby blowing the rest of my day?
The TV was looking mighty heavy sitting there.
It called out to me and said, “Don't take me back! I hate it there! I will help puppysit!”
I hooked it up again. Who needs widescreen? And it was cheaper!
I bought basic cable also. No Music Choice channels. I listen to music a whole lot while I am working. The thing is, the channels have really got into Repeat mode, and it would add another 12 bucks to my monthly bills.
Then I realized I had XM Satellite. I already had the “home kit” but moving my one xm radio back and forth between the car is a pain. I would take it inside, then forget it, and be stuck listening to static in my truck.
So I bought another one while at Best Buy. Having a second one was only 6 bucks a month, and I prepaid for two year. So I have about 8 really enjoyable music channels.
Yeah..I am roughing it here in the wilds of San Diego!
I also didn't bring any dishes or silverware- just a few Rudy's cups.
I didn't think to bring lamps. Duh..they don't always put overhead lights in houses these days.
So I took a trip to Ikea and bought 5 dollar silverware, 15 dollar set of plates, and a $20 lamp.
I just don't want to load up on a whole bunch of shit that I will move again, but I guess there are some things you just gotta have.
Like garbage cans. I didn't think to pack those. I had to buy one for the kitchen and the bathroom. I bought the cheapest I could find at Target.
Before I left, Bill taped a note to my super stinky vacuum cleaner. The note listed out the model and location where I could get a new filter. I ordered up a new one, cuz man, that vacuum cleaner stinks so bad I have it sitting out on the deck.
My printheads in my Officejet D135 printer didn't survive the trip either. I ordered 4 new heads at $33 a piece…almost a 1/3 of the cost of a new printer!
I got them installed, and the thing still was giving me print head errors.
I got on HP's live chat helpline. It really annoys me when a computer is talking to me. After a while it kicks you over to a real person, and they directed me to a page on how to clean the print head wells.
I pulled out all the printheads and with some water and q-tips, cleaned off a bunch of ink that had leaked on to the contact points. Put the printheads back in, and the thing works like a charm.
Grrrrrrrrr…all I had to do was clean contact points..ink had dribbled all over them during the move. I spent all that money for nothing. Grrrrrrr…
New Rule. Remove inkjet cartridges AND the printheads before a big move. Hey, at least I knew to remove the inkjet cartridges first!
Kitty! has been a pain in the ass. Well, dog walking is a pain in the ass. Just like the grocery store is not something I enjoy, getting up at the crack of chilly dawn to wander around my neighborhood, waiting and hoping she will take a dump is not my idea of fun.
Worse, the ground is always wet. She won't go into the grass to even pee. So I have to find a dry area for her or drag her kicking and screaming onto the moist grass. I know, I'm so cruel.
A couple times in the morning she wouldn't do her number two action, and I just had to give up and put her in the apartment for the next 9 hours while I am gone.
She rarely has an accident if she can be coaxed into doing her business.
They do have dog walking services, but I think I have a schedule now. She gets 3-4 walks a day.
The gym thing worked out well too.
I did go to Powerhouse and joined for 6 months for $300 bucks. $100 bucks cheaper than Gold's- which is still irking me that they couldn't just give me a good deal seeing as how I am STILL paying their company money each month.
Powerhouse is great. It's a gym gym!
I have been working out in the mornings, cuz most of my photo and video shoots are in the late afternoon.
The morning crowd is very light. There are about 10 guys working out with their trainers, and about 4-5 guys like me that are training solo. I have met a few of the guys and I'm making a commitment to meet all of them. They are all there everyday, and its ridiculous to not be on the “Hi John, how are you today?” basis.
I get into the gym about 6:30 and finish by 8 or 8:30 if I am doing cardio.
I talked to one of the guys named Sam and he suggested he show me around Friday night. He has a boyfriend, that was clear, so it wasn't a date date.
We went to Margarita Mary's (a new name is being picked cuz of a conflict with Hamburger Mary's). Ironically, we met up with Margarita, one of Sam's friends and co-workers.
I liked her instantly! She was lots of fun and we talked a lot during dinner. She might even pose for me.
After dinner, Sam took me around downtown San Diego. I had seen a smidge of it last week when I was bike riding, but I had no idea that the nightlife was so vibrant. I tend to think of Hillcrest and the beach areas as the places to be. But there was a lot going on. I especially liked the convention center with what was probably inspired by rolling waves.
Sam dropped me off, and I had him look at the plasma screen to have him verify that it WAS a really bad screen, and that I wasn't being picky. He agreed and that was the final nail in the coffin for the plasma TV.
I'm not faring so well on the biking front. I've only been biking twice. I haven't found a good route that doesn't have a bunch of starts and stops.
I've been looking online for fellow cyclists, or even a gay riding group. I picked up a couple gay mags and none had anything listed. I am sure I will meet someone who rides. I did buy some trail books and routes. One book for road biking looked promising, but it didn't even have Friar's road on it..and there is a GIANT bike lane that runs a good 5 miles. I'm not inclined to trust it.
I took one ride up to Balboa Park up from Mission Valley. Texas St. is the only way I could find, and it is pretty steep. I had no problems getting up there, but riding through city streets is not a good workout, and dangerous. Someone came REALLY (like inches) close to hitting me dead on. They were on their phone and turned right into me. I need to find a highway with few breaks in it. There are some mountain bike trails nearby that I will explore also.
I also road my bike all around downtown San Diego. I think I am gonna really like the Gaslamp District. Lots of cool shopping places.
I live by Qualcomm Stadium, so was surprised to find another stadium downtown. Cool! I love Hockey! Touchdown!
Work is going well. Like I said, love the people I am working with, and I think I am really getting into the groove of things and making progress.
I got a little homesick this week. Just a twinge or two. I think that's why I am working so hard to make my little apartment a fully functioning home away from home. I certainly do miss my roommate and my big ole house.
I have been going over to the Urban Grind a couple nights a week. Lots of guys there on laptops, and there are some nightclubs nearby, so I can even look at cute guys while I work.
Well, that's about it. Sorry for the shopping re-cap, but it is about all I did this week!
| 
