16 November 2009 - It's been five months, but I'm motivated to post not because it's been so long, but because yesterday was kinda crazy.
We haven't had cable for over 2 years. We have three TVs, but none are digital capable, so since the transition we couldn't even watch TV over-the-air. I'd been debating getting a new TV for some time... and the Patriots/Colts game seemed like a good reason to make it happen.
Picking out the right TV was easy. Samsung, LCD, LED backlight. 46" is big enough for my room. Don't want to spend a fortune, so pick a tier down from top end. UN46B8000. Checking prices, I see the local Best Buy has the same price as any place else. Off I go, only 1 hour before kick-off.
The local Best Buy is out of stock. I start to drive home, thinking it's just not meant to be. At the last second, I hop on highway 26 towards the next closest Best Buy. Bingo, they have it. I buy it and race home. The game's already 30 minutes in. Amy and I set it up as fast as we can. All is looking good... and then the remote control stops working. I got three clicks out of it, then it gave up the ghost. We tried everything we could, but we couldn't resuscitate the remote.
No big deal, right? Wrong. This TV has no buttons! I grab the remote and head back to the original Best Buy... to confirm that the remote really doesn't work... and to see if they can just swap it out for me. They can't swap it out, but they do confirm the remote is dead. And they offer up an additional tidbit... the TV *does* have buttons, they are just invisible.
Not wanting to risk it further, I call Amy to bring the kids down to Old Chicago. I caught her just as she was slicing into a tomato to make sandwiches. We ate a nice meal and watched most of what looked to be a great Patriots game. We finished up at the end of the 3rd quarter and raced home.
I found those hidden buttons. They are revealed only when bright light is shined upon them... and they are touch sensitive. I'm able to set up the TV and tune in NBC. It is gorgeous beyond words. Other than the remote, the purchase finally feels satisfying. I can get the remote swapped out by Samsung, for sure.
And then... they go on 4th & 2... elation turns to despair. In rich, bright color and impeccable resolution, I watch the Colts end the game, 35 to 34. My insides churned as I felt compelled to watch Manning's end game remarks, in all their high-def detail.
14 June 2009 - Here are the pictures from the July 2007 trip to Boston.
4 June 2009 - Catching up with some picture posting. I was going strong until I hit the 2007 Boston trip. 622 pictures in that bunch. Will take a while...
16 May 2009 - I just returned from another trip to our CCC conference, this time hosted by University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I can now add Michigan to my list of states visited! I also made an unplanned overnight stay in Salt Lake City, Utah, so I thought I could add that, but I found Utah was already colored in on my map. Turns out the drive from Boston to Portland brought me through there. I had forgotten.
Here is my updated map...
