The Eternal Optimist

Another roundup

March 15th, 2010 | by | uncategorized

Mar
15

I didn’t have a big, eventful weekend. But I do have a few items I’ll share.

Oh, Blago
I watched “Celebrity Apprentice” tonight. While I liked the original “Apprentice” show when it first aired (with real people who were competing for real jobs), I’ve gotten over the celebrity version. However, it’s always good for some entertainment, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to see Illinois’ former governor, Rod Blagojevich, in a reality show. He didn’t disappoint. As he was taking orders at his team’s burger joint, he stopped to tell people he didn’t do anything wrong.

New clothes
I went to a clothing exchange party Saturday. It was perfectly timed because I found out about it last weekend, right after I lugged a bag of clothes to my car trunk for Goodwill (but before I dropped them off anywhere). I tried to limit how much I brought home from the swap, though I did find some items that were just what I had been wanting to purchase anyway. A friend often hosted these in St. Louis, so I was happy to be invited to one in my new ‘hood.

St. Patrick’s Day dinner (early)
I cooked corned beef for my (almost annual) St. Patrick’s Day dinner tonight. I skipped the cabbage this year because I learned from last year (when I ended up with containers of leftover cabbage that I couldn’t eat and eventually trashed. … Heads of cabbage aren’t available in one-person sizes). I think I’m going to freeze about half the corned beef; I ended up with more than I planned.

Where did the weekend go?
I had a lengthy, but doable (I thought), list for this weekend. I didn’t have much planned, so I figured I’d have plenty of time to check off everything. I even rented and watched “Inglourious Basterds” last night. And yet, it’s past midnight, and I’m about 4 hours away from finishing my list. (The rest will get pushed to tomorrow … Luckily, most items aren’t pressing enough to keep me up all night.) After another marathon tax session, though, I’m happy to say the amended returns have been filed and I will be richer (literally … and more tax-savvy) for the experience.

And on top of that, I have to take some time to fill out NCAA tournament brackets in the next couple days. Much to do!

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For those who need a little Gilmore

November 17th, 2009 | by | uncategorized

Nov
17

“Gilmore Girls” fans, check out this piece in which an Entertainment Weekly reporter tries to fish some original plans out of creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. She won’t reveal the final four words she had planned to end the show with, but she does say she had a different path planned for Rory.

(For those who have missed out on the marvelous “Gilmore Girls,” the creator and writer left before the last season. Previously, she had said she knew what words she would use at the end of the final episode.)

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Late is better than never

November 1st, 2009 | by | uncategorized

Nov
01

I left St. Louis for D.C. on March 13. A couple days before that I ended my AT&T; U-verse service and shipped the DVR back to them.

Last week, I received my $43 refund for the rest of my March service. Yes, that would be seven months later. (Note: I loved U-verse. If it were available in D.C. — and if I were going to pay for cable service here — I would happily have kept U-verse.)

In April, I had received a “bill” from AT&T; indicating I would be getting this refund. I moved the e-mail into a folder and didn’t worry much about it. I knew AT&T; had my new address, so I figured the check would get to me.

Early last week, I received another “bill” from AT&T; indicating I had a $0 balance now. I had not heard from them in the last six months, so I thought this was odd. It also reminded me that I couldn’t recall ever getting that $43 refund. A day or two later, I found the refund check in my mailbox, dated Oct. 24. (And, no, I never contacted AT&T; during this time.)

I don’t understand why they waited seven months, but I can’t complain. I got a surprise $40, which I can put toward my Minnesota trip or Thanksgiving food purchases.

Speaking of no cable
In my seven months of life without cable, I have watched the first six seasons of Gilmore Girls DVDs in their entirety. I began Season 7 today and have already made a sizable dent in it. (Yes, for those who are G.G. fans, Season 7 isn’t very good. But after watching the first six seasons in a row, I feel wrong to not finish out the show with Season 7, even if it is so far just depressing and disappointing — as it was the first time around.)

Once I finish Gilmore Girls, I’ll have to look for a new show to occupy my free time in the next six months. I’m thinking West Wing is going to win out since I’ve never watched it — and now that I’m living in D.C. it is required viewing.

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Fans of The Office, don’t miss out!

September 18th, 2007 | by | uncategorized

Sep
18

Target has items with “The Office” characters and quotes on them in its $1 area. Yes, they’re cheap, but they’re great reminders of the show, including notepads, pens, pencils and magnets. I got some pens with Dwight quotes on them, as well as some magnets with Jim and the other characters. Well worth $1.

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