Chorizo

We bought some uncooked Chorizo at the store. The first two ingredients on the list:

• pork lymph nodes
• pork salivary glands

We threw it away before we had a chance to take a picture of the label.

I've taken a few days off from work (upon penalty of... something. Let's just say that Jeanette wasn't very happy with me working through weekends and holidays, and neither was I.) So I won't go back to work until January 2nd.

I already feel a little queasy about it. I feel the need to check my work email, and I'm trying hard not to answer any. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to be able to disconnect from the work-world for a time?

In other news, I got Christmas gifts!

• the truly amazing Nikkor AF 85mm/1.8D lens -- maybe I could be coerced to post some pictures I took with it (portraits of Jeanette, the cats, and various things around the house that could benefit from a soft background... Christmas decorations, etc)
• four Nintendo DS games
• a bunch of books, CDs, and DVDs
  
• miscellaneous but yummy food items
• and, from the "random-but-possibly-useful" department, a laser measurer

Overall, I think that having an Amazon.com wish list was a good idea, and I'll try it again next year :)

Jeanette said, a few weeks back: "so I take it that your blogging experiment has failed?"

I hope not. As long as I still post. right? right??

Catalin

Catalin joined the ranks of the bloggers! Now if only I could get myself to write more.

The Comcast woes are over (for now)

So the Comcast tech who was supposed to install the second CableCard no later than 10:15 finally showed up at noon, after I made 5 calls to his supervisor and to Comcast HQ. The CableCard worked on the first try, and so my TiVo S3 is now fully operational, dual tuners and all. Yay.

Amazon.com gift certificate

I have a $200 gift certificate in my Amazon.com account. What should I spend it on?

The Comcast woes continue

Not today. Tomorrow morning, "10:15 at the latest".

I got a call from the Comcast tech's supervisor. He didn't know that the TiVo Series 3 came out! "I don't know why my CableCard orders jumped from 2 a day to 17, and all 17 needed 2 cards"

50% success rate

One CableCard works, one doesn't. Comcast will send someone else "before 8pm". OK...

The TiVo S3 is here

Ahoy, mateys!

I'm now waiting for the Comcast installer to bring the CableCards.

new toy

I ordered a TiVo series 3. It should arrive here on Monday 9/18, and the Comcast folks should install the two required CableCards on Tuesday morning. (Why does Comcast need to send someone to stick the card in a slot and then call their office for activation? DirecTV has been doing self-install for years.)

It was $807.56 ($799 - 10% Circuit City coupon + tax + next-day shipping). No more horrible Motorola 3412 (with iGuide software). And I'll stick a 750GB disk in it as soon as the upgrade details are figured out (looks promising). Whether all of this is worth $800... well, remains to be seen.

Tahiti!

Jeanette and I came back from Tahiti. 8 days of doing mostly nothing - it took some adjusting, but after the first 2 days, I found out I could easily adapt to a life of leisure... I mean, there's something to be said for sitting on your patio and seeing this.

Anyway, pictures:
Tahiti: hotel - sunrise - island tour - Papeete
Bora Bora: sunset - underwater - Vaitape - various