Fall (Behind) Lineup

Remember when we had one chance to watch a show on TV and if we missed it, well, it was gone forever? I wouldn't have dreamed of missing Romper Room in the morning. What if I didn't watch and that was the one day she finally said my name??

She never did, by the way.

Decades later, when we realized we could use VHS tapes to record our shows, we occasionally allowed ourselves to miss something, as long as we had the programmable kind of machine (and we still kept our fingers crossed that it would kick in on time so we wouldn't miss Friends or Knots Landing).

Now, with "TiVo" and DVR'ing, it is easy to choose something else to do over television watching. A click of a button and it will record our important show while we get on with life. Then we just have to watch it before the DVR queue gets too full and starts deleting the "old" stuff.

This week was the main start of the fall season on most network and cable stations. Since I was busy every night doing work, going to nail parties and meetings, I have already started filling up the DVR space with Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Voice and some new show called Blind Spot, which looked intriguing. Not interesting enough to keep me up late at night, but I'm curious.

Since I got home at 9:30 tonight and have 5:40 a.m. class, I know I won't have time to catch any of these yet. Will have to see what "old" stuff I can delete to make space. Jim is just lucky that I haven't been recording the nightly airing of CHiPS. Oh yes, I am sorely tempted. I can't just watch it live with hubby in the same room. Don't need him catching me drooling.

At least I won't short-circuit the VCR!

Any recommendations for new shows that I may or may not have time to watch this season?

The Other Voice

Two things happen at this time of year... I tend to use The Voice (aka Homework Nag-igator) and the other Voice starts a new season.

Tonight was like season opener for fall TV shows. I don't watch much TV but I enjoy Modern Family, Big Bang Theory (which is now on Mondays) and The Voice (which may or may not have to do with any crush on any judges).

I'm sure Carter would prefer if I just watched The Voice rather than use it, but that's really in his hands, not mine.

He did not have school today since the teachers had some conference. He could have gotten all of his homework done before cross-country practice at 3:30 p.m., but no, that's not his style. So now I have to hop off the computer so he can use it. Even if it was available for quite some time.

That's fine. Adam and Blake are calling me to the other room any way.

We'll see whose chair I can get to turn around tonight!

Are You Ready for Some ... Emmys?

I'm an awards show junkie, but I was surprised when I learned today that the Emmys are on tonight. Tonight? One night after the VMAs and on a MONDAY night, no less?

Thinking Monday nights were for football, I was ill-prepared.

I texted the guys and reserved one couch as MINE for the night. My plan was to don some orange to support Orange Is The New Black nominees, plus wear a smile to support the hopefuls from Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.

I got as the orange transformation but never made it to the couch until now, after 9 p.m. My fault for volunteering to do a "little project" / "little favor" for a friend. It's done now and beautiful, of course (ha), but I missed most of the show. Do you think they'll have results online?

I did just catch the "In Memoriam" segment and have weepy eyes. Will have to get back to the couch and watch more for some humor.

As long as the couch is mine, I better use it, right?

Unconditional

One can't even come close to measuring the value of unconditional love. It is a gift to give it or receive it. The catch, however, is that it might not be reciprocated.

Take these two for instance...

Sylvester is definitely "Daddy's girl." Even though Santa technically gave her to Carter and even though there is another female in the house to bond with, she gives a good 95% of her love to Daddy. And he gives it right back.... but thankfully is able to give larger doses to Carter and me.

It doesn't always work human to human, though.

We were watching our favorite show Modern Family tonight. In it, the mom was thinking that her grown daughter might be "coming back" to her, so to speak, after the years of not reciprocating that unconditional love. Why yes, that did occur during her teen years. And yes, I did look at Carter when this was playing out on TV.

He looks at me and says, "What, Mom? It's just a show. You don't have to lecture me!" I responded by pointing out that I just looked at him, I didn't say anything or lecture. But that is the typical give and take right now. He does have his moments when he forgets to be too cool to interact with me. Like last night when I arrived at the basketball game late, I was walking past the student section and he yelled out, "Hi Mom!" I will tuck that little memory away so I remember it when he is rolling his eyes at me.

And I know he'll do it often. Trust me. After spending the weekend with my teenage BFF, I know darn well we thought our parents were clueless and, like, not even close to cool. Like, totally not.

So I'll just keep on lovin' him (as REO Speedwagon sang in my teen years), and be patient for the return trip. Very patient.

Like. Totally patient.

Hump Day

These weeks that begin with a Monday holiday really screw up my mindset. Go ahead and say it. It doesn't take much!

Today is already hump day, which on a normal week means, "Yay! Weekend is almost here!"

This week, however, it means, "Holy crap! The weekend is almost here! I have to get my work done to be off on Friday and Monday. Need to get my scrap organized and set to go! Plus this, that and the other thing... that thing I better write down or I'll forget!"

Work was busy today. On the way home, I stopped at our tax guy's house in Stevens Point to give him our documents. I also swung by Michaels looking for one particular item. You would be proud of me. It wasn't there so I walked out without spending a dime. (Hold the applause.)

I picked Carter up from school, dropped him off at home and ran a few more errands in town to get gas, last-minute items for Camp Crop-A-Lot and some groceries. I had to stop in the local scrapping store for a quick check to see if they had what I was looking for. About 30 minutes later, I walked out with a few items. Not the one thing I was looking for, but a few things I will use. (Aren't you glad you held your applause?)

When I got home, I told myself, "No TV tonight! You have too much to do!" So I set the DVR to record Modern Family and American Idol.

I made the mistake, though, of sitting down to watch American Idol while folding some laundry. Most of the female contestants they had on tonight were amazing. So I sort of kept folding -- or pretending to -- and saw most of the show. Whoops.

I still got lots done. I will just have to be super "on task" tomorrow. If it's the day after Hump Day, I better be careful or it will all be downhill from here.

Patience is a Virtue-al

With modern technology, if you can keep up with it, everything is so fast! But ohmigosh, when it's not working, I have so little patience it's not even funny!

Today at work some program on our websites wasn't working and no one seemed in a hurry to fix it even though I (and I'm sure others) needed to get some content online. I just kept going back to it every half hour to see if it was working and no, not yet.

Tonight, after a frustrating day at work, it still wasn't working on my work Mac but it works on my home PC. Why it does, I have no idea. But at least I got two hours of work done before Modern Family came on at 8!

So I am watching that and blogging during commercials because I am a chronic multi-tasker. I think it comes with the speed of everything else. Just gotta go, go, go!

Unless you're my computer! Sigh... With all the things that exist in the Virtual Reality world of technology, you'd think I'd find patience somewhere. Maybe it's just on PCs and not Macs. You think?.

Show's back on. Gotta log off so I can check laundry during the next commercial set!

Go, go, go!

Like a Lamb?

We always gauge the month of March as a Lion or a Lamb. Can't we do the same with October? I am loving the lamb these days!

I don't know if it got up to 80 today but I suspect it was close. Hubby and I took a 15-minute walk during lunch hour and it was absolutely gorgeous out! One of those days where we probably shouldn't have escaped the office -- even for 15 minutes -- because it was oh so hard to go back! Shouldn't we be golfing instead of working? Did you hear that sound? I think my deck chair is calling me!

Well, we sucked it up and went back to work.

We did get home in time for me to enjoy a nice run in the sun. I figured I better get moving since I am doing a 5k race in Amherst this weekend. Trust me, there will be no medals coming home with me this time, but I am going to have some fun, I'm sure!

After my run, I showered quick and drove Carter into town for confirmation. I was tempted to take a nice walk. (Dairy Queen is 2 blocks away.) But instead I parked somewhere to "borrow" some wireless and fired up the laptop to watch last week's episode of Modern Family. That show cracks me up. I am sure anyone driving by thinks the old lady in the CRV is a lunatic laughing with herself.

Partially true.

Now I see I still have 15 minutes before I have to pick Carter up. Do I check work email or take that walk?

Hmmm.... should probably enjoy the taste of summer before the Lions of winter return!

Rain Check

It's hard to believe I am looking out the window at a pretty pink and blue sunset sky now when it's been raining for some 12 hours. Love how it stops just in time for the moon to show up, but not in time for any sporting events in our area anyway.

Part of me is not terribly bummed about having Carter's "40-some degrees out and 7:30 p.m. on a school night" game called off. I think you know why. But now we have no ball park action until next Tuesday night! What will we do with ourselves?

Probably become couch potatoes like we did this evening!

Tonight I got some groceries while hubby did a load of laundry and we both got to watch the season finale of a mutually favorite show, Modern Family. Laugh-out-loud funny as always!

Now I'm going to catch the finale of the season finale of American Idol. Don't hate me for jumping in at week 24 or whatever. I actually did see parts of about 3 or 4 episodes. I've heard the finalist Scotty sing before, but this was the first I heard Lauren, the other finalist sing. They are both talented. I think it doesn't really matter who wins. They both will go someplace in the entertainment biz.

They'll never be as famous as Oprah, though!

I know today was her last episode of her talk show. My work schedule has not allowed me to watch her much at all in the past 10 years or so. But I catch highlights once in awhile and know she's still trying to do some good and change lives. My only regret is not finishing my book in time to make it on her "Oprah's Book Club" list!

Meh. Who needs her?

Modern Family

Hubby and I don't watch a ton of TV together, but when it comes to sitcoms, there's a few we both find laugh-out-loud funny. Big Bang Theory is one and new this season -- Modern Family. It is a hoot and half!

Since the family is "modern," it reflects every possible familial situation from parenting to adoption and inter-cultural marriage to domestic partnership. Pretty much any role you have in your family is portrayed in the show.

Tonight, one of the female characters was getting a chair massage at the mall and was very vocal in her appreciation of it! Hubby looks at me and I am immediately on the defensive. "What? That is not why I get a chair massage every week!"

Well partially it is. I want them to work out the knots so good that it hurts and feels good at the same time. Since I am getting this done at work, though, I try to keep my moans of pleasure (or pain) to a minimum.

Chair massages work wonders, by the way. Now when my month is up and it's time to see the chiropractor again, it doesn't feel like I have to see him or I'll die. The massages really have helped get my back in order (as good as a person can anyway).

It's also a good time to either clear my mind or do creative thinking. Today, naturally, I had scrapbook layouts on my mind. I sense I will be dreaming about them for the next 5 nights at least. But I'm not complaining!

I did not get a chance to do any packing tonight. Had to chauffeur Carter into town for confirmation, run several errands and then shuttle him over to basketball practice.

We got home with 2 minutes to spare before Modern Family started at 8. Then Jim and I had our 31 minutes of quality time. It was nice.

Now if only I could get him to watch Glee with me! OK, we may be a modern family here, but not THAT modern!

Counter-Productive

Is it Murphy's Law or Bizarro World where everything you say turns out the opposite? Perhaps it's just MY world some days.

I had figured with Carter at confirmation then basketball practice, that this would be one of those "free nights" to get a lot accomplished. Or at least something. So I put my A.D.D. skills to the test and multi-tasked the heck out of the night!

I'm still working on downloading/uploading photos from my digital camera so I can have them made into prints before scrap camp. While the images were "in progress" I would catch snippets of American Idol, since I haven't really got to watch any of the auditions. During commercials, I'd alternate between running down to the laundry room to check on clothes and going into the computer to check on photos.

At the end of the night, I accomplished 2 loads of laundry, burned 2 more CDs of pictures so all of 2010 are off the camera, and managed to see some good auditions for Idol (including tear-jerker stories), was able to watch my new favorite comedy Modern Family and got a little work done.

I guess when you add it up, it seems way more productive than I thought. However, now it's bedtime and I still did not get to a project for work that I literally have carried home each night this week... and carried back to work each morning. It just stays in my work bag waiting to get done. I guess I'll have to set aside my 25th hour of the day on Thursday to get it done.

Though I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. Now my Bizarro Murphy's Counter-Productive Law will kick in! Sigh...