Monthly Archives: December 2008

A New Way to Watch TV

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As part of our Less is More effort to spend less, give more, and save more, we recently made the difficult decision to cancel our cable TV. We enjoyed having cable, especially after not having it for so many years in the apartment and house, but decided it was a luxury we should give up to achieve our financial goals for next year.

However, all is not lost in TV Land. Our uber-techie friend Joel told us about a site called Hulu.com that lets you watch a huge variety of TV shows through the internet for free. I tried it tonight and watched part of this week’s Simpsons episode. It’s like watching Tivo only better in a way – I don’t have to remember to set up the recording ahead of time. I assume they pay for the service through the commercials that run during the shows, just like watching live TV. If I can figure out how to do it, I might be able to watch shows on the “real” TV through Hulu.

Random Facts for December 2008

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Here is the December edition of Random Facts About Me:

  1. At an Italian restaurant, I order lasagna. At a Mexican restaurant, I order enchiladas. That’s just the way it is.
  2. In elementary school I ate cold grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Don’t ask.
  3. I still wear a pair of brown Doc Martens boots that I got as a freshman or sophomore in high school. I hate spending money on clothes, especially when the ones I have still work. By work I generally mean cover some part of my body without looking terrible. Jenny says I have to get new boots because the right one has a hole in the toe.
  4. I get emotionally attached to my cars. Possibly because I name them. When one leaves the family, it makes me sad, even though I know that’s silly.
  5. Although I can do it, public speaking stresses me out. I hate being the center of attention.
  6. Except for chipping off a tiny piece of my left big toe, I have never broken a bone.
  7. The older I get, the worse my memory gets. I now blame it on Brenden since he can’t defend himself. Ditto for my time management skills. I used to pride myself on always showing up on time to things. Now I’m doing well just to remember to show up.
  8. When I’m mad at someone, I practice yelling at them in my head, or even out loud if I’m alone. Rarely do I get the chance to actually say all the things I’ve practiced. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes not.
  9. I would probably get Lasik on my right eye if someone else picked up the tab. (I take PayPal if you’re interested!)
  10. When I get to heaven, I want to ask God for the details on how he created the universe. Are the 6 days in Genesis literal days or figurative periods of time? Is the earth thousands or billions of years old? Did the different plants and animals appear instantly at his word or evolve gradually over time?

Thoughts?

35 Years

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Today is my parents’ 35th wedding anniversary. Sadly, these days many marriages never last that long, but theirs has. Congratulations! Lisa, Phillip, and Jenny cooked them a fabulous meal at Lisa’s house Sunday night to celebrate. I should have asked them how closely their lives today match what they had expected back when they got married. 35 years sounds like such a long time until I realize it’s only about 5 years longer than I’ve been alive. =) Jenny and I are both blessed to have parents who are still together, which is probably a bit rare these days, and we’re very thankful for that.

Jenny and I are set to reach 6 years in January. It’s hard to imagine what our lives will be like in 29 years when we’ll be approaching the 35 year mark (Lord willing). Brenden could be through with school, married, maybe even with a child by then. So could his brother/sister, assuming he gets one someday. I’ll be 59. Jenny will be 61. It boggles the mind.

Watch the Groom

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Jenny and I went to her friend’s wedding Saturday night in Dallas. I didn’t know the couple, but many of Jenny’s friends and family were there. At someone else’s suggestion, I’ve started a tradition when I attend a wedding. When everyone rises to watch the bride enter, I watch the groom instead to see his reaction when she appears.

I was a groom myself nearly 6 years ago. My heart was racing with anticipation by the time both our sisters had walked down the aisle and taken their places at the altar. I knew that when those doors at the back opened, I would finally see the woman I was about to marry, and my world was about to change forever in ways I could only begin to understand. Normally I’m not a big cryer, but I teared up before she even opened the door. Happiness, gratitude, relief, pride, excitement, fear, and many other emotions swirled together in a fluttery mess in my chest. Then I saw her. I couldn’t help but smile. My vision blurred a bit as the tears rose in my eyes. The wait was over. We would leave the room as husband and wife. My wife-to-be-in-20-minutes was walking toward me, her eyes never looking away, to promise her life to me. The weight of how crazy and perfect and wonderful that truth was convinced me that I was exactly where I needed to be, and I didn’t care if I looked like a blubbering idiot penguin up there.

Watching Mike, a guy I’d never even met, wait for his bride and finally see her enter…it got to me. It takes me back every time. Next time you’re at a wedding, and the mother of the bride stands up, forget the bride for a second. You’ll be staring at her back for the next half-hour. Watch the groom melt instead.

Car Repairs

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This week we are attempting to fix minor problems with both of our cars. My car has a mysterious water leak. When left out or driven in rain for long periods, water often collects under the driver’s side floormat. After putting up with it for some time, I finally decided to take it to the dealer before the warranty expired. After keeping it for two days, they figured out that water is collecting inside the door and spilling over the speaker into the floor. Unfortunately, the technician at John Eagle and the Honda corporate tech support people are baffled. I finally got my car back last night with the water drained out but no solution yet.

I hope we’ll have better luck with Jenny’s car. Some time ago her windshield took a nasty hit from a rock, leaving a pretty big star crack. A windshield company is coming out Friday afternoon to replace it.