Death By Chicken

Michelle and I are part of a Friday night baby-sitting co-op. This means that every fifth Friday night we watch five kids at our house (including Jared). The rest of the Fridays one of the other couples babysits the kids for three hours

Given the time and opportunity, lots of people would probably want to go out to a nice dinner on a date. I, on the other hand, wanted to take the money we would've spent eating out and buy $25-30 worth of cookies. We'd then take them home and see how many we can eat by 9 p.m. I fought hard for that idea, but Michelle just wasn't quite prepared for it. One of these days I'm going to make it happen.

Instead, we traveled to the nether parts of Santa Ana to find some dirt cheap Mexican food and patronize a nearby Walmart. Little did we know we were traveling to the land of chicken lovers.

We got to the taqueria and were amazed. When you're eating dirt cheap Mexican, any dish entitled "Death by Chicken" has to inspire both shock and awe. You really can't be sure whether they're referring to salmonella poisoning or just a whole lotta chicken, but you realize you'll never forgive yourself if you don't give it a try.*

Afterward we want to Walmart and I prevailed in buying $4 worth of chocolate chip cookies--both the Chips Ahoy Chunky Chips and Keebler Rainbow (with the fake M&Ms). I was only going to buy one bag, but then I thought I'd think outside the box and buy two--even though I had no possible use for another bag. It's that kind of unpredictability that I think Michelle would probably say she loves most about me.

*There actually wasn't any dish called "Death By Chicken" but oh how I wish there was. I actually told Michelle this afternoon that this was the name of the signature dish at the place we were going to--which, despite the fact that we were only talking IM, had us both laughing hysterically. ( I just love the thought of some restaurant putting chicken on the same level as chocolate). I never quite made it clear to Michelle, though, that I'd made it up. That made for even more laughs this evening when she confessed she'd been looking for the dish on the menu but couldn't find it. And yes, she's going to kill me for sharing that.

Totally Ticked

I own a Totally Awesome Computer. That's the brand name, not a description of the computer.

I bought the computer three years ago from the UT company. At the time, I'd priced out some cheaper Dell models (much cheaper) but was persuaded to spend the extra money because Totally Awesome Computers promised a lifetime service warranty with their computers.

Last week, unbeknownst to me, Super Dell Schanze, whose persona in his ridiculous commercials apparently wasn't an act, decided to shut down his stores. Blaming the downfall of his company on the Utah media, he proceeded to call them all "Liars", "Murderers", and "Angels of Satan."

This would've been mildly interesting (in the morbid way train wrecks are interesting) were it not for my personal stake in the matter. With Totally Awesome Computers shutting down, my "Lifetime" service warranty is in jeopardy. For the moment PC Laptops has decided to honor the warranty, but this could change at any time.

So I ended up paying a premium three years ago for a computer from a company promising a Lifetime warranty that didn't even last as long as the warranty I would've had with a cheaper Dell computer.

I'm angry enough about it right now that I'm contemplating a lawsuit, likely a class action lawsuit on behalf of all TAC customers, the moment my warranty is not honored (and perhaps even sooner--since the peace of mind I purchased with that warranty has been upended by the threat of loosing that warranty at any time).

Obviously, the BIG question is--does the company folding terminate the contract and relieve it of its promise? or is TAC in breach? Is there even room for an argument?

If there is, Super Dell may have more to worry about than demonic journalists or Riverton road ragers (upon whom he allegedly brandished a concealed weapon).

Forbidden Donuts and March Madness

If you haven't already received an invite from me, let me extend an invitation to fill out a bracket for the Forbidden Donut group on ESPN.com's tournament challenge.

You'll be pitting yourself against some of the finest minds of this generation. Unfortunately, that never seems to help when it comes to picking winners.

Winner takes all!

Here's the link: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage
The password to the group "The Forbidden Donut" is byu1

You're Traveling Through Another Dimension

Michelle and I got to go out on a date last night. We decided to use our yearly Disney passes to visit California Adventure (Yes, I'm gloating just a little bit--both about our passes and the fine weather). One of the better known rides there is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Michelle let me go on it alone (I tried to sneak her in too but she couldn't get by the pregnancy detector).

As I went into the hotel room, the lights went dark and Rod Serling's voice came over the room. A television in the corner turned on. Everyone in the room (there were about 40 of us) got giddy.

Now you need to understand, I'm a dedicated fan of the old Twilight Zone TV Series--maybe even one of the most dedicated. I've spent most New Year's Eves and July 4th's since my teenage years watching the episodes during the Twilight Zone Marathon--first on WIBX in New York and then on the Sci-Fi Channel. I've long since come to know most of the episodes by heart, and I'd stay up late into the night and early morning (often with friends) watching and waiting for my favorites.* I'm not sure my parents ever fully understood or appreciated my affinity with it, nor did I entirely. It was a unique interest that I claimed as my own, and perhaps for that reason I clung to it.

That interest finally came full circle today as I purchased on Amazon a used copy of the entire Fifth Season of the Twilight Zone Definitive Edition (on DVD). I now own every single episode.

Perhaps you can understand, then, why I found it a bit ironic to be in that room with a bunch of mothers, kids, and crazy teenagers all chanting along to Serling's opening: "You're traveling through another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Next stop: The Twilight Zone."

Suddenly, the Twilight Zone had become cool. I wasn't prepared for that, and I certainly wasn't ready to share it. I think I was half expecting the attendants to give me a special seat, present me with an award, or ask me to make a brief speech. Since they allowed me none of those things I decided instead to spend my time feeling smugly superior to everyone else on the ride.

That seemed to be enough :)


*My top three episodes: 1. "A Simple Game of Pool"; 2. "The Howling Man"; and 3. "To Serve Man."

What Gets You Up In The Morning?

March has rolled in. My fantasy league baseball draft is just over a week away (as is March Madness).  I started dieting for the 4,933rd time on Monday, and for the first time in my life I’m spending the spring months working full time.  Life seems to be moving along at a nicely. I have no real complaints.

Still, my mornings lately have brought with them nagging questions: What compelling reason is there to get out of bed? What do I have to look forward to?

I’m afraid I haven’t had a good answer.

I recognize that I am blessed exceedingly.  I married to a good woman. We have a delightful son (and a daughter on the way).  I’m a well paid fledgling attorney at a firm that respects the work/life balance better than any I know.  I have an HDTV with DVR and a gas grill on my patio. By all accounts, I enjoy far more comforts than I deserve, and by all appearances I couldn’t want for anything more (except to lose those 20 extra pounds).

Yet none of this seems like it gives me reason to be anxious to get up in the morning or to be excited about the day ahead when I go to bed at night. I feel like I’m missing something (besides my Playstation 2—which I sold before Christmas).

My growing suspicion lately has been that the only real happiness and satisfaction in day to day life is to be found in becoming--and becoming more like God.  My suspicion is that to be God like, to possess His attributes, is to be happy.  Absent this, everything else is merely a diversion, a sometimes pleasant diversion perhaps, but still a diversion from what should be my primary objective.

But even this thought isn’t terribly comforting to me, nor does it entirely make sense.  It doesn’t explain for me why families and eternal relationships (why companionship in general) is essential.  It also still leaves me wanting for something more to get me to look forward to getting up in the morning, and in some respects even makes it harder.

So perhaps this post is really just a plea for help, hoping someone can point out to me what it is I’m missing.*


* Just for the record, most of my habits seem to be in order—save for my penchant for late night snacking and leaving Jared’s closet door unlocked.  This is not to say that the answer might not lie in improvement of some habits, but just to make the reader aware that I find myself in this dilemma even after making a reasonably diligent effort to keep to the right habits.