Categories
music

linkin park live

So, awhile back I went to a Linkin Park concert – and while I was at the merchandise booth picking out a t-shirt, I noticed that they were selling a live download of that night’s show. It seemed like an intriguing idea – and being only a fraction of the cost of my (hugely overpriced) new t-shirt, I decided to try it out. I paid my $11, and got a URL, a code and a blank CD.

It took a week or two for the concert to show up online, so some of the excitement had worn off by that point. I downloaded the 21 tracks, and put them in my iTunes library. It took me a couple more days to sync it to my iPod, and then probably a few more days before I actually gave them a listen.

All I have to say is, it is AWESOME! I’ve never been a huge fan of live CDs, what with all the screaming and the talking – but since I was actually THERE, at the concert, and I remember when they dedicated a song to ‘the guy in the Meteora shirt’, and when they discussed how cool it was to get punched in the face, it’s actually pretty fun. I was in that screaming crowd! That’s me screaming at the end (and middle, and beginning) of the songs!

I’m glad I gave it a try, and I hope more concerts follow suit. 🙂 It was well worth my $11.

Categories
nerdly technogeeky

logitech harmony: it will change your life

logitech remote5 years ago, as a single gal, my home entertainment system consisted of a tv, a digital cable box, and a dvd player. The cable guy was kind enough to program the cable remote to work the tv. And when I wanted to watch a movie, I had to break out the dvd remote. So I had 3 components and two remotes. And I knew how to work them. And life was simple.

Then I got married. Enter surround sound, directivo, an xbox and a game cube. And a universal remote. It was a mid-range universal remote, one that could “learn” from any remote, so you never had to worry that it wouldn’t have the right codes for your stuff. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite have all the right buttons for all of our devices, so my husband mapped a few buttons to things that weren’t labeled what they were.

One remote is easier than 4, and it’s certainly less to get lost in the couch. The remote worked fine, and for the most part, I remembered which buttons did what. I could go from watching tv, to watching a dvd, and back again. But if my husband left it set up for gaming, I couldn’t always remember which buttons to push to get the video and audio back to where I wanted. There was many a holler through the apartment when I needed to know which video input the directv was on, and which button to push again to change the audio. Even when I could remember which sequence of buttons to push, it was a fairly involved process that took 5 or 10 button-mashings. Certainly not beyond the ability of a capable adult, but remembering each sequence for the 4 different options (directv, dvd, xbox or gamecube) could be challenging, especially when I didn’t use all the options on a regular basis.

When we bought our house, I made a deal with my husband: If I got a house, he could get a fancy new tv. What with the nearly half-million dollar mortgage (welcome to 45 miles outside of dc …), it didn’t seem so crazy to spend a few thousand on a tv. I almost balked at the $250 logitech harmony remote – there are tvs that cost less than that! – but, again, what’s a couple hundred when you are signing papers for a couple hundred thousand? I didn’t get why this new universal remote was so much better than the universal remote we already had – that I had almost mastered – but he was so in love with it, I gave in. Plus, it was made by logitech, and, well, who doesn’t love logitech?

To program it, he had to hook it up to his computer, via usb cable. It took an hour or two, and needed a few quick tweaks over the next week or so. But once he was done – once it was finally ready – I understood what was so awesome about it. It became very clear to me that it was the best remote. EVER.

When you pick up the remote, the lcd screen lights up, and you see the list of ‘Activities.’ The activities on my remote right now, for example, are ‘TiVo’, ‘DVD’, and ‘PS3.’ You push the button next to the activity you want, and the remote figures out what it needs to do in order to get you there. It knows what state the system was in last, and it sends all the right signals to all the right devices to get you to your final destination. It gets to the right video input, and to the right audio output. I push ‘TiVo’, and then I am at my tivo list, with my list of available shows. One button push. If I want to then watch a dvd, I press the ‘Activities’ button at the top of the remote to get my activity list back. And then I push the button next to the ‘DVD’ option. Two button pushes. And I’m ready to roll.

The other great thing the remote does, is it makes the rest of the remote buttons control the right things. When I am in tivo mode, the fast forward/rewind/pause/play buttons control the tivo. When I am in dvd mode, they control the dvd player.

(There are more advanced options available – using the lcd screen, for example, you can get to every single button on every single remote for every single device you have. I, for one, have never done it. I’ve never had a need to. But, the remote is capable of more than just the simple stuff I outlined above.)

This is the year 2007. We send rovers to mars. We do surgery using itty bitty cameras that are threaded though people’s bodies. We have cars that parallel park themselves! It is high time we had a revolution in remote control technology. This isn’t 1970 when a home entertainment system meant you had a television set – we are in an era where home entertainment systems are composed of multiple components, all intricately connected. It is a little silly to use 4 remotes just so you can sit down and watch the evening news. It’s even silly to have a clunky universal remote that makes you push 10 different buttons just to go from playing your PS3 to watching a DVD. In fact, It is downright ridiculous for someone with a high end system – a tv that cost over a thousand dollars, dvd player, sound system, etc. – to NOT have a logitech harmony remote. (Or one with similar capabilities.) I mean, honestly, if you spend $2000 on a tv and $200 on Monster cables, and then you skimp on the remote – that’s like wearing $2 old navy flip-flops with a designer gown. If you are going all out, then finish the package, and get the nice remote.

I love the logitech harmony remote. We started with the $250 logitech harmony 880, but just replaced it with the newly released $170 ($120 at Costco till October 31) 720. It is one remote. With one button to push to get you where you want to go. There is no more frustration. There is no yelling across the house. There is just me, enjoying my home entertainment system. I will never again live without such a remote. Trust me ladies, this remote will change your life. Logitech has several models in different price ranges (I actually prefer the cheaper 720 to the 880), so you do have a little flexibility as to how much you spend. (It looks like currently, Best Buy has models that range from $100 to $400.)

Categories
food

review: sweetwater tavern

meh.

I was excited to finally go to the restaurant that I’ve heard so many people rave about, but as I sat in my booth and read the menu, I knew I was in over my head. It became abundantly clear that Sweetwater Tavern is a fancy place.

I work for a company that loves to treat its employees to fancy fare. And most would consider that a nice perk, to be able to eat at Clyde’s, The Capital Grille, or Bob Kinkead’s Colvin Run Tavern on the company’s dime. But not me – I’m more than happy with a kid’s meal and some cheesecake from Chick-Fill-A.

I ordered the grilled salmon, and was surprised when the waiter asked how I wanted it cooked – the menu clearly stated that it was grilled. When he clarified that I could get it cooked to order like a steak – medium rare, medium, etc – I asked him what was best. I went out on a limb and ordered the medium he recommended, and made a mental note that at fancy places, you don’t have to have your fish thoroughly cooked.

When my food arrived, it was arranged on my plate in a rather odd manner. My mashed potatoes were dead center. My salmon was draped over the mound of potatoes. There were 3 sweet potato chips stuck into the left side of the potatoes, where they emerged from underneath the salmon filet. And the right side of my plate was covered in mustard sauce for the fish. It was very artistic and all, but food is … food. I want to be able to eat my potatoes without disturbing the fish. And without mustard sauce running all over everything. And without having to remove sweet potato chips.

I suppose the atmosphere was … fancy … and the food was … fancy … and I suppose the food was even pretty good. But I was so out of my comfort zone, that I couldn’t wait to get out of there. (I took half my food home in a box, and had it for dinner – it was much better the second time around, in the comfort of my own dining room, after the microwave nuked that medium salmon to completely cooked.)

I have to say, though, the best food I’ve had recently is Kenny’s Barbecue. Never heard of it? That’s because Kenny is my father-in-law. Any time my husband’s family has a big get-together, Kenny barbecues up every kind of meat known to man. Chicken, brisket, pork loin, sausage in a variety of spiciness levels, you name it, he’s barbecuing it. And not only did I get to enjoy his barbecue, there’s always all the ‘fixins’ that come with it, prepared by the rest of my husband’s family: butter potatoes, rolls, black-eyed peas, bacon-wrapped asparagus, apple pie. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, Texan cuisine is something I missed out on – but I’m trying to make up for it on every trip to Texas.

All in all, I’m sure Sweetwater Tavern is a fine place. If you’re in to that kind of thing. As for me, I’ll take Kenny’s Barbecue any day of the week.

Categories
home improvements

another round with the law

And I didn’t even cry this time. 🙂

I attended the HOA ARB meeting tonight, to discuss how one might go about building a Japanese rock garden that would meet with HOA guidelines, and was surprised to find that they all thought my garden was beautiful. One of the members, seeing me on the agenda, even came to my house to check it out, and was surprised to find a flowerbed filled with dirt.

The problem seemed to be, however, that they had turned down tons of other people for having rocks in landscaping. Because, really, what they want to have a rule on, is “no white trashiness.” Since that is not quantifiable, they instead made a rule of “no rocks in landscaping.”

They have allowed people to have “foundation” rocks, within the first 18 inches from the house. And they would like to see “more green” in my garden. I’ll certainly try with the “more green” part, but I was not blessed with a green thumb – nothing I plant will stay green for long …

So, I got some … tips … on adding more green, and making things more zenny, so I’ll make up another design, resubmit, and see where it goes from there.

I also told them I want to participate in the HOA. That should win me points, right? I actually really do want to join some HOA board, because someday, I want to work my way up to be in charge of sending out letters to “offenders.” Because the letter they sent me made me cry. (Now, I didn’t even cry at my own wedding. I wasn’t one of those teenage girls who ran to my room in tears all the time. So the fact that they brought me to tears is an impressive feat.) Nine times out of ten, the offender isn’t going out of their way to be offensive or neglectful. It’s just an oversight or a lack of knowledge about rules – so there’s no reason to get snippy and make people feel like criminals and not give them any options other than “comply in 10 days or you will be fined.”

So, if I’m on the board the next time my application comes around, I’ll be just one step closer to my own personal zen.

Categories
life technogeeky

they do exist!

I’ve been telling people that I was taking today off to wait for the FIOS man. I had the brief thought that there was no reason my tech had to be male, but I brushed the thought aside, seeing as, well, I’ve never had a woman set up my cable, phone, directv, or internet service.

But it turns out, female FIOS techs do exist! She’s wiring up my house as I speak. She was a little wary of my two-cablecards-in-the-tivo setup, but I think I’ve talked her into giving it a try. And that wariness has nothing to do with her gender; my Comcast cable man had similar misgivings.

A lady tech ranks right up there with a female airline pilot, or a woman-owned car dealership. You know they must exist, but I’ve never been on a flight piloted by a woman, nor do I recall ever driving past a car dealership with a woman’s name plastered all over it. (To be fair, some car dealerships just have a last name, or they are named for some landmark, so who’s to know who actually owns the place if all you do is analyze the signage.)

So, heres to ladies who aren’t afraid to give “man-jobs” a try: you go, girls!

Edit: I just ordered a pizza and got a pizza girl! Girl power is strong today!

Categories
life

where was I?

The day started out bad. One of the worst days I had had in a long time, in fact. I was ready to head to work, but my car didn’t seem to be where I had left it. In fact, it wasn’t in the parking lot. At all. Anywhere. I realized that I had been towed, and it was all my fault.

I had lived in the Arlington apartment for 3 months, but had never bothered to put the parking sticker in my window. I knew that I needed to, that I risked the chance of being towed, but I had forgotten for the first few weeks, then the sticker disappeared in a pile of mail and old papers. So I had just never done it.

I didn’t know the towing company the complex used, so I had to wait till they opened so I could call and find out. My roommate was surprised to see me still home at 7:30, and I managed to growl a good morning. Sensing my mood, she let me be till I could figure out where my car was.

At 8, I called the apartment office, and got the name and number of the towing company. Then I called the towing company to find out where they were located, and found that they were in Springfield. Directly the opposite direction of work. They informed me it would be $72 to get my car back. And they only took cash. I called a cab to pick me up at my apartment, then realized that I didn’t have much cash on hand. So with no car, and no cash, I walked to the Safeway down the street to hit up their ATM. And then with no car, but some cash, I walked back to my apartment building to await my ride.

A $25 cab ride later, I was at the towing grounds. Trading $72 for my parking-sticker-free car. After getting directions to Herndon – turns out there’s a road that goes right from Springfield to Herndon, a rare occurrence in the Northern Virginia area – I was finally on my way to work.

I was frustrated, almost to the point of tears. I had just paid $100 for the privilege of driving my own stupid car. And I was going to be late for work. I was having the worst day ever. I was already formulating the story I was going to tell my coworkers when I finally made it in to work.

I was listening to one of my radio stations, when they stopped playing music. Not one for talking-on-the-radio-in-the-morning-especially-when-I’m-having-a-bad-day, I started cycling through all my stations, trying to find a song I liked. But they had all gone to talk at the same time, like they often seem to do. Just before I switched over to a cd, I caught some of the talk – something about planes in New York, hitting the World Trade Center towers. They didn’t seem to know much, there were people calling in saying all kinds of things. It was so completely unreal, I bounced around from DJ to DJ, trying to get the news. Nobody seemed to know what was happening, but one thing was clear: it was bad. Very, very bad.

I got to work just in time to watch the towers collapse on CNN. We were all gathered around the tv, trying to make sense of everything, the towers collapsing, the bomb or plane at the Pentagon, there seemed to be reports of both. There were reports of other planes headed to other places, of bombs going off in various government buildings in DC, it was all a chaotic mess.

And so we were sent home. I made my way back home, to Arlington, half a mile from the defaced Pentagon. I realized what a truly horrible day it had become. And I realized that in comparison, I was having a GREAT day after all.

Categories
fashion nerdly

don’t even try to out-nerd me …

I own an atomic watch. No, that doesn’t mean it’s extra small. Ironically, it’s a rather large watch, almost as large as a man’s watch.

The great thing about it, is that I don’t have to set it. Ever. I just have to tell it what time zone I’m in. As long as I’m in North America, it picks up the signal from Colorado, and I don’t have to do anything. Congress can mandate daylight savings to happen 100 times a year, and I don’t have to worry about setting my watch; Colorado will tell me.

I got this lovely gem for Christmas last year. And it’s wonderful, I wear it every day. Recently, however, I discovered that Casio has unveiled a new women’s atomic watch, something a little less sporty. And I hope to soon become the proud owner of not one, but two, atomic watches.

Categories
food

recipe: little piece of heaven

Ingredients:

  • One box thin mints
  • One container cool whip

Directions:

  • Dip cookie in cool whip. Eat. Repeat. (For maximum indulgence, do not let spouse see.)
Categories
hobbies

baby fever

(On the west coast, my mother just dropped her latest sewing project and ran across the house to read my blog. She just heard my dad think the words ‘baby fever,’ as he noticed the title to my latest post.)

Nope, I haven’t caught it. But everyone else seems to have! There’s another round of it going around the neighborhood. Which means I have to get going on some serious knitting if I’m going to be ready for all the impending babies. I have one ‘girl’ blanket in the hold, one half-completed ‘boy’ blanket, one mostly-completed ‘boy’ blanket, and one soon-to-be completed ‘neutral’ blanket. Hmmm … mathematically, that comes out to just over 3 blankets … maybe my work is done …

Categories
food

soy milk

blech. I thought I would give it a try, especially after it was recommended by my sister, but I really don’t like it. At all. I bought the ‘vanilla’ flavor, thinking it would help mask the soy flavor, but I found it bitter. And with a really horrible aftertaste that stuck with me for hours. I had it on my cereal, so I wasn’t like I was just drinking it by itself.

So – for any soy milk lovers out there – if I stick with it, does it get better? Does it get less bitter? Did I pick the wrong flavor? Did I pick the wrong brand? Do I need to make sure it’s supa cold before I drink it? I made the switch to lactose-free milk a while back, and that definitely took some time to get used to – and it’s based on actual milk.

I should know better than to try foods recommended by family. My dad likes greek olives, my mom likes kimchi, and my older brother likes a whole host of foul smelling foods, including buttermilk, sour kraut, and emmenthaler cheese. Perhaps I’ll finally learn my lesson …