Rambles

Lost Season 5 - Recap

2009-05-15T11:15:00.010-04:00

In short, I loved this season!! It was great. There were a lot of answers, a lot more questions, some mythology was flushed out, and it had tons of action.

My thoughts on the finale are: WHAT!?!? I have no idea what's going on any more - which is exactly when I love this show the most. It really makes you think...

Here a dozen things I'm thinking about going into the final season...

Locke isn't dead? I was blindsided by that one. It seems someone or something had taken the form of his body. Is it the same thing that appeared in the form of Christian, Eko's brother, and possibly Claire (which I previously thought to be the smoke monster)? Right now, it doesn't look like the cabin was Jacob's after all - is "fake Locke" really the dude who want's to kill Jacob and who was actually living in the cabin all this time? And who kicked the ash to set whatever was in the cabin free?
Is this the same cabin Rose and Bernard are living in? Nice to see them again. I was hoping they didn't get hit with the flamming arrows. Was there any significance to Bernard asking Juliet if she wanted tea? That seemed a little weird. And didn't she hint a little at being pregnant by touching her stomach afterwards?
A big shout out to Miles for finally asking the question, "don't you think that by acting we may be cause the exact events we are trying to prevent?". This seemed obvious for some time - from when Sayid shot young Ben to when Eloise shot Daniel (who I'll miss). I mean if Dan just stays away, he never gets shot and Jack would have a near zero chance of getting her to lead him to the bomb, right? And how does Dan have such good notes about things that haven't happened yet?
What is the smoke monster - really?
I'll be kind of angry if the bomb does place the survivors back on the plane with no recolection of any of these events and the plane doesn't crash. That would be obvious and lame.
Is Juliet dead? There was reference a while back to her looking just like someone Ben knew so maybe she'll be back. Or maybe she just looks like a picture of Ben's Mom.
What's Jacob's discussion with that other dude all about at the start of the show? Are they some mystic beings who experiment with humans in an attempt to find the good in man? And didn't Jacob die a little too easily. Was that really kind of a sacrifice (like Ben Kenobi or Jesus) - time will tell.
Are the other people on the plane who keep asking about the shadow of the statue timeless as well - like Jacob and Alpert.
When will we finally find out what the Others wanted with the kids? What are Walt's special abilities and does he have a role in the show's final chapter?
Who's coming? (in reference to Jacob's last words).
Will we find out why Radzinky is destined to work in the hatch pressing the button and what leads to his suicide?
Where's Desmond and what role does he have yet to play?

Finally, it was cool to finally find out how Chang/Crandle lost his hand.

I have no idea how they'll answer all of these "big" questions in the one final season, but I'm already looking forward to it.

Fanny's (Amherst, NY) - Review

2009-05-04T11:37:00.002-04:00

I dined at Fanny's on May 2nd 2009. It was not at all what I expect from a fine dining restaurant. For the price you're going to pay here, you want a great atmosphere and the food to be exquisite. I experienced none of this.

My wife and I had a special occasion and made reservations for a booth (which we had on a previous visit and was quite nice). The maître d' said he would do the best he could to accommodate our request. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we saw that main dining room with the booths was completely filled for a private party. We were relegated to the "auxillary" dining room. This thing was hideous - there was a bad mural on one wall, faceted mirrors on the other, the lighting was beyond bad (way too bright), and the chairs were horribly uncomfortable. The atmosphere was a complete bust! Strike one.

Since we made reservations that same night, we know the maître d' had to be fully aware of the party and of the zero chance for us getting a booth - but he lied to us to get us in the door and that was upsetting. Strike two.

Finally, the food was just so-so. The calamari was uninspired and had ranch dipping sauce. I expect a restaurant of this caliber to be more creative than serving anything with ranch dip. Our Caesar side salads with dinner were $8, which were grossly overpriced. Finally, I had trout which had *way* too much lemon sauce and overpowered the dish. So-so fare is a definite strike 3 - especially at this price point.

In addition we had to ask for the bread that was supposed to be served with our dinner and our waiter reaked of cigarette smoke.

The lying about the availability of the booth was the absolute worst part and I'll never go here again.

Best TV Line Ever

2009-02-06T10:46:00.005-05:00

From this past Sunday's Office (after the Superbowl).

Michael Scott:

Meredith, you've slept with so many guys you're starting to look like one. Boom roasted.

I've been laughing about this all week.

Classic!

Lost Season 5 Premiere

2009-01-22T08:55:00.003-05:00

WOW!! That was awesome!

Here's some of the things I think I learned and am now thinking...

Sun
Sun wants Kate to pay for leaving Jin behind on the freighter - and pay big time! I guess I noticed in the finale how Kate said she was going to get Jin, then didn't. But I didn't think much of it at the time - things were chaotic and Jin wasn't on board. They had to move fast and there was no time to really search the ship for Jin.

Obviously Sun sees it differently and has been holding this grudge against Kate for 3 years.

What I'm not sure about is how teaming with Widmore is going to help her get revenge on Kate?

The Kids
Whoa! They all turned into fire-arrow shooting vigilantes and went all Lord of the Flies (without the aid of strip malls and skateboards)? How could this happen? I'm sure we'll soon find out.

It seems that ending scene must be like 5 or 10 years in the future.

The Island
I love the "time skipping" aspect of the story. We're gong to get to learn a lot about the Dharma Initiative, the history of the Island, the future of the Island and everything in between - all very quickly.

I still don't get how the Hatch and the "donkey wheel thing" that Ben turned are linked. It seems that both might somehow be related (because of the white sky thing), but what real purpose of the hatch is remains kind of a mystery to me because nothing really happened after it blew up.

Was the Hatch just a "cloaking device" station to protect people from finding the Island and the "donkey wheel time machine thing"?

At least we now seem to get why Alpert showed Ben the compass and the other objects when he was a boy.

Desmond
Desmond is going to be huge this season - he's seemingly a "walkie-talkie" for communication between the different time periods.

Oceanic 6
Again - I love the shell game being played with the survivors! This was great in the finale, I can't wait to see how they all come back together to finally return to the Island.

Lost Finale - Season 4

2009-01-15T09:54:00.004-05:00

Last night, ABC replayed last season's finale - all 3 hours. I was happy to see Lost back on TV again. This was a really good episode (3 hours), but definitely not my favorite finale.

Here are some of the parts that stood out to me...

The funniest (or at least the most light hearted) moment was when Locke and Ben were descending into the Orchid station. First, Ben teases Locke about not finding the right kind of flower in the greenhouse (Locke shrugs and says, "I don't know what it looks like"). Then Ben sits Locke down to watch a video while Ben does "big boy stuff". Finally Locke watches in disbelief as Ben loads the chamber with metal even though the video specifically prohibits it.

Of course it all turns horribly dark when Ben kills Keamy, only after learning that doing so will in turn blow up everyone on the freighter.

The whole sequence, although pretty funny, was a reminder just how ruthless Ben will be to "Protect the Island", and just how pathetic Locke really is. Locke really is like a kid - or a puppy dog - constantly looking for approval and not really able to do much of anything on his own.

Part of what I'm looking forward to in the upcoming season is to find out, just how Locke manages to bungle everything up and if Jack can in fact, fix things.

I also liked the "Survivor Shell Game". We knew through the flash forwards who the 6 survivors would be. The problem was, all 6 were never together to be rescued until the very end.

It started with Jack, Kate, and Sun together, Sayid in the freighter, Hurley on the other side of the Island, and Aaron somewhere in between. Jack and Kate leave and find Aaron. Then Aaron and Kate leave. Aaron is passed to Sun. Sayid leaves the freighter. Sun and Aaron leave for the freighter. Kate and Sayid go back into the jungle... and on, and on it goes for 3 hours. Well played!

I also forgot how sad I was when Jin died - or more so - Sun's reaction when she (and the chopper) were forced to leave the freighter with Jin only steps away from joining them. Powerful stuff.

I'm hoping that Jin is not really gone. You never really know with this show...

Christmas Grill!

2008-12-30T13:28:00.003-05:00

I woke up Christmas morning to find a new grill under the tree! This one's a beautiful charcoal water smoker. It has a great charcoal basket, two doors to access the meat or add fuel, and three vents (two on the bottom and one on the top). One of the nicest features of this grill is that you can remove the two upper sections and use it for direct grilling. This should be the perfect form factor to take camping. I can't wait to get it fired up!

The rest of my grill family looks like this:

Big Boys Christmas

2008-12-29T14:20:00.004-05:00

Last year I started a tradition of getting my brothers a toy for Christmas. Something cool and frivolous. Something with a remote control...

We don't have a lot of time to spend together on Christmas anymore, so it had to be something relatively easy to use and something we could get instant gratification from. Just 10 minutes of pure fun was my goal.

Last year I bought remote control helicopters. They were a huge hit! It took us a while to figure out how to fly them, but once we did it wasn't long before we were making kamikaze runs at each other.

This year I got these cool Air Hogs Zero Gravity cars. They drive vertically on walls and upside down. They are way cool and totally fun. After dinner, we raced above our family on the living room ceiling.

I started this gift tradition because I wanted something fun we could do together on Christmas Day. Something that brought back the excitement of Christmas past. Gift cards or new Christmas sweaters don't pack the same punch.

If the "big boys" in your family are anything like me and my brothers, give this gift approach a try. Remember, you're not looking for something they'll necessarily use all year long, just 10 minutes on Christmas Day.

Disney Christmas Wish

2008-12-23T09:57:00.011-05:00

If I had a Christmas Wish to bring back one extinct Disney attraction what would it be? Easy. I'd want the Journey Into Imagination With Figment to be restored to it's original glory.

This ride was great! In it, Dreamfinder and the product of his imagination, Figment, takes us on a tour through the process of creativity and ingenuity. "One Little Spark" may be my favorite all time ride anthem and the characters and ride scenes were vivid and alive.

As good as the attraction was itself, the ride exited into ImageWorks, an awesome interactive "playground" where you could continue your exploration into music, art, and color. It was a lot of fun! This area encouraged you to really explore the limitless potential that exists in each of us and playfully create something. Did I mention it was a lot of fun!

Part of the reason I want this attraction back so badly is that its replacement is so bad. I enjoyed other now-gone Epcot attractions like Horizions and the World of Motion, but I also enjoy their replacements (Mission: SPACE and Test Track). I cannot say the same for the newest "Imagination" version. I'm not even sure why they still call it "Imagination" as the ride now deals more with the five senses - meaning things you experience through sight, sound, or smell. Contrast this with the original version which encouraged you to follow the conviction of your own ideas - things you must "believe in" to create and share with others.

Associated with the new current attraction is ImageWorks: The What-If Labs. It is similarly uninspired when compared with the original.

WDW Radio explored the history of this attraction in great detail (start listening at the 39 minute mark).

I get a little sad when I take my daughter into this attraction and realize all that she's missing. I also feel this way in the new Tiki Bird attraction which is equally bad when compared to the original.

If only...

Disney Tip Idea #2 - Share Stuff

2008-12-19T11:06:00.008-05:00

I've heard the idea to share fast passes a number of times and I had the opportunity to try it on our last trip.

We had gotten 3 fast passes to Peter Pan earlier in the day, but as the time for SpectroMagic and the fireworks approached, we realized we wouldn't make it back to Fantasyland in time to use them. We found another family of 3 and asked if they wanted them. They couldn't be happier! It was fun to see their excitement as they raced off toward the ride.

*****

Another time, as we sat waiting for SpectoMagic a family sat next to us and offered my daughter an extra sucker they had just purchased at the candy store. It was a sweet gesture (pun intended) and we had a nice conversation while waiting for the parade to start. What a simple way to to make fast friends!

*****

On the first day of our last trip, we bought my daughter a Mickey balloon - one of the large double balloons where a Mickey balloon floats inside of a large, clear, outer balloon. Anyway, this thing lasted the entire week! We knew we probably wouldn't be able to take it on the plane home, so we told my daughter to find another little kid who looked like they could use a balloon and pass it on. She found a little boy and he was really happy to get it. His parents were touched by my daughter's gesture and it was a good lesson in sharing.

For some reason, this type of sharing and openness comes more naturally for people in Disney World. I can't believe all the nice people we met while waiting in line or on the buses traveling to the parks. It gave us a good feeling to make these new friends. We've been trying to follow some of these simple sharing techniques now that we're back home.

Stealin'

2008-12-17T14:29:00.003-05:00

My car was broken into on Sunday. Nothing important was taken - just some CDs, the car's owners manual, and a few Tim Horton bucks.

Apparently the thieves didn't think most of the stuff was worth stealing either - they ditched the CDs and owners manual in the front lawn.

I don't know what to feel worse about - that my car was broken into or that my stuff wasn't even worth stealing!

Re: 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World - Cast Members

2008-12-16T11:52:00.006-05:00

In the last installment of his 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World series, Lou Mongello and the guests on his show discussed the Cast Members as the key component which make Walt Disney World a truly special place to visit. It's the way we're treated - the little personal touches, the courtesy and respect, the passion all the cast members have - which allow these "strangers" to become such an integral and important part of our family vacations. For frequent visitors who see some of the same cast members on each trip, these people become an extended family. This story is one of many I've seen firsthand which demonstrate this unique bond.

On our first trip to Walt Disney World, we took our daughter to see Beauty and the Beast, Live on Stage. We got to the stadium early and had some decent seats. We watched some "stagehands" bring out some mics for the show, do a sound check, and then - completely to our surprise - burst into song! We were completely duped by these guys! It was so cool! We loved the "main" show itself - it was a highlight of our vacation - but it was the surprise of the preshow that really stuck with me.

My parents joined us on our next trip and I knew they'd enjoy this "surprise" too. I also learned that this was going to be one of the last performances for this group (Four for a Dollar) as their contracts were ending. Apparently a lot of other guests also heard the news - the stadium was loaded! My poor parents were a little confused when the guy who brought out the first mic for the show received a standing ovation. The ovations and frequent calls to the guys lasted more or less the entire show. This extended ovation was a testament to all the great memories these guys provided to families through the years. That so many people would turn out to personally thank these guys and let them know they would be sorely missed was an obvious sign that this group became a big part of many vacations - which possibly started the first time these guests were also "duped" like I was. It was a "meeting" guests looked forward to every time they visited Walt Disney World - like seeing an old friend. They will certainly be missed on my next trip.

Other places can try and duplicate the attractions or the theming, but it's the Cast of People working at Walt Disney World which truly sets it apart from other destinations.

Christmas BBQ

2008-12-15T09:20:00.005-05:00

Maybe it's a little irreverent, but I thought up this song on my way home last night with some BBQ takeout (sing to "Christmas Shoes")

Sir, I'd like some barbecue
For my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and she really wants some ribs
Could you hurry, sir,
Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been hungry for quite a while
And I know these ribs would make her smile
And I want her to be really full
So can Mama eat barbecue tonight?

The BBQ was good by the way.

Disney Tip Idea #1 - Pack swim suits for kiddos in the parks

2008-12-12T14:54:00.003-05:00

I've read a lot of Disney travel tips (and will repeat my experiences following some of those), but one we've stumbled into on our own is pack swim suits for your kids in the parks.

All the parks have water areas where kids can cool off when it's hot out. Usually, these "fun fountains" squirt water randomly up from the ground over a rubberized surface. Our daughter loves to play in these and gets totally soaked.

We've started to pack her swim suit and bring it to the park each day. We're usually the envy of other parents in the area - especially those who must tell their kids that they can't get their clothes wet because they are close to a dining reservation.

So even though you don't plan on being near a pool, don't forget pack your kids swim suit everyday! Your kids will thank you!

Lost Season 5

2008-12-11T10:20:00.002-05:00

I've started to see promos for the next season of Lost on TV (1/21). To be honest, I almost lost interest. I still love the story, but last season was fragmented with the writer's strike and now there's this horribly long (8 month) layoff between seasons. The producers of Lost attempted another Alternate Reality Game during this down time, but I never got into it much and it ultimately failed.

Then I found http://www.sl-lost.com containing...

Great stuff!

It's got me thinking again...

Why is Locke now known as Jeremy Bentham and why do they need to take his dead carcass in order to return to the island?
Can Ben go back to the Island? It didn't seem like it when he left.
Where is the island?
What about dead Michael and dead Jin - do they need to return to the island? What about Desmond and Frank?

All this and the usual smoke monster, where are the kids, what is DHARMA questions....

Old Enough for Disney?

2008-12-10T11:24:00.016-05:00

When discussing the right time to take kids to Disney World for the first time, I often hear "I want them to be old enough to remember it". I don't prescribe to that line of thinking. This summer I entered a contest and tried to describe why I think taking little ones to Disney is a great idea. Here's that entry...

Last spring I planned a trip for my wife and 2-year-old daughter to Walt Disney World. I got plenty of "advice" leading up to the trip on how my daughter was too young and wouldn't remember anything. While that may be true, nothing could ever compare to the memories I'll carry with me - experiencing The Magic through her young eyes.

Cinderella was my daughter's favorite movie then, and I could almost feel her eye's bulge out of her head as she spied The Castle for the first time. While we explored the mosaics under The Castle and rode the carousel, nothing prepared me for what happened when we dined with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare that first night. It was a while before Cinderella made our way to us, and we watched with eager anticipation as she visited with other diners and posed for pictures. It was truly hard to eat our meal. When our turn came to meet Cinderella, it wasn't my daughter's silence that surprised me the most - it was my wife's! My wife was wide-eyed with her jaw hanging open (I so wished that Mary Poppins was there to say "Close you're mouth Miss, we are not a cod fish"). Anyway, to try and help break the awe of silence - I attempted to make smalltalk with Cinderella and asked if she was wearing the glass slippers? Even though I had seen the movie about 100 times, she proceeded to patiently explain how one slipper had broken and she could no longer wear them anymore. Oh the horror! Now I was red faced and wanted to crawl under the table. A quick picture and autograph, then Cinderella was on her way. We looked at each other and giggled at how we had acted.

Over the course of the week, we experienced (and fell in love with) all the parks. We especially enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast Show at Hollywood Studios, playing in the jumping fountains outside the Imagination pavilion in Epcot, and experiencing the Animal Kingdom's Festival of the Lion King. In addition, we probably rode (and re-ride and re-ride) both Dumbo and It's a Small World about a dozen times each.

My favorite memories though, are of our last day. We knew we had just spent a most wonderful week together - one that would be difficult to ever duplicate. It was a very tender morning in the Magic Kingdom. We started with a final spin on our Fantasyland favorites (which was just about everything). On our way toward the front of the park, my daughter spotted Winnie the Pooh (who we had not seen yet that week). She looked up at me and said "Daddy, I'd really like to meet him" - so of course we got in line. She had the patience of an angel - pen and autograph book in hand - never lifting her gaze from Pooh for the 10 minutes we waited. She approached him gingerly, without my hand, and gave him a big hug. I have a hard time expressing the emotions I felt as I watched my little girl grow up - just a little - in that very moment. Our final moments in The Kingdom were spent at the foot of Main Street sharing some popcorn and ice cream as we watched other families excitedly begin their vacations.

After eighteen months, my daughter still talks about how she met Pooh, and we laugh about our starstruck experience with Cinderella. Recently as we've been talking about and planning our next visit, I'll catch my daughter humming the Small World theme. When I ask her what she's doing, she replies, "Just thinking about Disney World, Dad". I cannot thank Disney enough for giving me these wonderful memories of love, tenderness, and fun with those closest to me - even if my daughter doesn't remember any of it.

Millennium Trenching (West Seneca, NY) - Review

2008-12-09T15:28:00.005-05:00

I recently hired Millennium Trenching owned by Larry Boll to install some drain tile and gutters. I've never had a worse experience hiring someone to do work at my home.

Larry gave me an estimate to install 390 feet of drain tile. The contract called for the drainage system to tie in the 7 downspots from my house and connect to the culvert at the road. The estimate also included a price to install gutters on a portion of my house.

First of all, Larry shorted me on the amount of drain tile installed - installing only 350 of the 390 feet of drainage specified by the contract. He neglected to tie in one of the 7 downspouts on my home and did not tie the system into my sump pump line. All of these items were specifically called out in the contract.

I've never seen a more amateurish gutter installation. The downspouts were "attached" with a 3 inch gap from the siding. There was none of the strapping that usually reinforces the downspouts to the house. The contract also called for Larry to install a "leaf guard" system on the gutters, which he did not do.

Adding insult to injury, Larry's workers cut into and removed a portion of my very expensive, previously installed LeafGuard gutters. There was no need to do this. The guys simply did not follow instructions, causing unrepairable damage to these gutters (and voiding the LeafGuard warranty).

I was ultimately forced to take Larry to court to gain settlement for the uncompleted work as well as the damage to my home.

DO NOT HIRE LARRY BOLL OR MILLENNIUM TRENCHING!!!

The Look

2008-12-09T10:41:00.009-05:00

I've become a big fan of all things Disney. A BIG fan. Almost an addict.

It all started when I planned our first trip to Disney World a few years ago. I was looking for planning tips in order to make best use of our vacation time and I discovered an enormous community of fan sites and podcasts devoted to nothing more than helping people like me have better vacations. It was unbelievable! At that time I didn't quite understand why people would donate so much time and energy to talk about a theme park. It didn't take long to figure out that Disney World is much more than a theme park

At the same time, I was introducing my daughter to all the classic Disney movies and characters... Cinderella, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Mickey and the gang. I hadn't watched these movies since I was a kid myself, and had forgotten all but the broadest storylines. When Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Nemo were released, I was in high school or college and didn't pay much attention. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed these movies when I finally made time to watch them with my daughter.

My love for Disney was firmly cemented when we finally visited the parks. The stories are so complete and alive there. Every little detail is attended to. Sure there are attractions based on the movies, but there are also stories built around the non-movie attractions. I experienced a mixture of excitement and embarrassment last week when I realized I knew the name of the mythical town where the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is - Tumbleweed. I knew that. Yep, I got it bad...

What could possibly possess me to remember that little fact? In part it's all of the things above, but more so it's the look on my daughter's face (and sometimes my wife's and I'm sure mine) when a character in a parade waves directly to you (or blows you a kiss). You. Like you're the only one there.

There are hundreds of places in the parks which can produce this look.... when you turn on Main St and see The Castle, when you take off on Soarin', or when you play Toy Story Mania. All elicit that look. Every time.

I even saw the look on my parents faces when they joined us for a trip this fall. And they're old. They've seen it all a hundred times. I know, because they told me all about it when I was growing up. They had the look too!

That look - a mixture of awe, wonder, excitement, and pure joy. Everyone gets it at Disney. And it's the feeling I get when I see that look that's got me hooked.

Superior Remodeling (West Seneca, NY) - Review

2008-10-16T13:45:00.022-04:00

For the most part I feel John Ianello and Superior Remodeling did a good job on our addition, but the stress involved in working with John (if your a hands on type of person) is not worth it. There are some things in the way John conducts his business that really shook my confidence in him (and therefore his work).

If he doesn't want to answer a question, he won't. He'll double talk you, tell you that you have nothing to worry about, ignore your request, or tell you that this is not the right time to think about it. The thing is, it's never the right time for John. He'll dictate to you what is done and when.

Before we signed a contract, I wanted to hear his approach for how he'll tie the new gutters into the existing ones. Granted, it was a relatively small detail, but I wanted to work though it. John brushed me off. This should've been a red flag that I'll have a hard time talking to him to get details on information he's not ready (or unwilling) to give... which turned out to be true.

John showed up at our house to start work a month before his anticipated start date. We didn't have our financing in place yet and asked him to delay starting. He didn't, and we scrambled to get something in place to pay for the rest of the job. We settled for a higher interest loan to fund things until we could put better financing in place. This added a lot of stress to what should've been an exciting time at the beginning of the project.

After they started digging the foundation, they ran into a septic pipe that ran next to the planned foundation. They hand dug around the pipe, but the next day I came home to find the entire hole filled with cement. My concern was that they encased the pipe in the cement. When I called John and asked him how they dealt with the pipe, again I got the runaround and he didn't answer my questions directly. He did call back later and explained in detail what they did, but I always felt uncomfortable that he needed to call me back before giving me the full story - like he needed to concoct something. I still don't know for sure what happened.

I would've liked him to call my wife or I outside before filling the trench to say "Look, this is how we're going to deal with this situation". And then either explain "this is a good idea because x, y, z" or ask "what do you think".

Yet more stress at the beginning of the project.

We had a vacation planned and made John aware of the dates well before he started. We made it clear that we didn't want any work being done while we were gone. Of course he starts 2 weeks before we are to leave - again dictating that either the house will be open and exposed to the weather while we're gone or he's going to continue work.

The day before we leave, there are big questions with the electrical plans. The electric planner who came out said that some limbs need to be removed to make way for the new service run. John also told us that we need to upgrade to 200 amp service (which turned out not to be true). He said that "he knows a guy" to do the tree and the electric work and gives us some ballpark estimates... and then asks us what to do? We tell him that we need actual estimates and we spend the day before our vacation scrambling to line up people to come out and price the work. It turns out John's "ballpark numbers" were off by 50% in both instances. Of course, John got his way (again) and continues work while we're gone.

This is a stressful way to start and spend a vacation.

The original job was also supposed to include installing 4 vinyl replacement windows in the rest of the house. In the original estimate John insisted in keeping these out - estimating the addition only. He assured us that he would complete these as part of the overall work. My wife had the windows measured and priced by John's window distributor and had yet more "ballpark estimates" for installation from John. We thought everyone was on the same page, but when the addition windows were delivered there were no vinyl replacements. Once we realized this oversight, John told us the lead time to order the windows was an additional 2 weeks (well after they were to complete the original job). John also wanted to re-quote the price. It was little surprise that new estimates were close to $100 more per window than John's original "ballpark" price.

As the job came to a close, we asked that they not hang our new ceiling fans until we had a chance to paint the ceiling. As they would be working on a job we referred them to at our neighbors, they readily agreed.... until they realized this would push back their completion date a few days and they would need to wait for final payment.

There were 4 items that needed to be completed before they were done - install the fans, final electric inspection, the electric wires outside needed to be raised (tightened) back to their original level (John lowered them to move the service), and the dumpster for the job needed to be removed. John wanted us to make full final payment before any of these things were complete. When we refused to pay until all work was completed (we did offer to make a partial payment early), he insisted on installing the fans to get the electrical inspection done. He said that the dumpster would be removed Friday, but still insisted on payment Thursday.

He said that the electrical service was not his responsibility - the electric company was in charge of that sort of thing. My reasoning is that he lowered the wires on his own and that the job was not complete until all these services were back to where they're supposed to be. We disagree on this point.

Yet again, we should be excited to be in our new space but are frustrated by John's insistence on being paid before the job is complete. More stress.

Again, we're happy with the new space but I don't feel that the added stress that comes in dealing with John offsets the cost of dealing with a more professional contractor. It definitely wasn't as bad as some of the contractor horror stories you hear, but it wasn't a great experience either.

The other thing I fail to understand is why John was so insistent on being paid before the job was complete. He knows our future plans call for a complete kitchen remodel (and installing the above mentioned windows). My father also asked John to look at some work at his house. His stubbornness and ignorance cost him at least 2 future jobs. Why would he risk that by insisting to be paid a few days early for a job he hasn't completed yet?

Lost Returns!!! (finally)

2008-01-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited about the Lost premiere tonight. It's been a long time coming. I'm excited to learn the series of events that leads Jack to such despair and why he now desperately wants to get back to the island.

I'm a little bummed because ABC has been marketing it as a 2-hour event. Looking at the TV listings, it looks like a 'clip-show' followed by 1-hour of new content. I was greedily hoping for 2-hours of new content.

I watched ABCs rebroadcast of last season's finale. There was some text added to the bottom revealing some back story and easter eggs in the episode. I didn't care for it. Many times I was so drawn in my the story that I was ignoring the text and needed to "DVR back" to read the text. I didn't feel like it added that much... "Oxycodine is a powerful and addictive drug"?? Thanks. I sort of figured that out but why do I care?

One thing I had forgotten about in the finale was the reaction (or non-reaction) of the hospital staff when Jack told the new Chief Surgeon to go upstairs and see how drunk his father was. It seemed like everyone in the hallway dismissed that remark even though Christian Shepard had been dead for some time. I don't know, I guess I would've expected a different response. Why did Jack even say that anyway? It just seems weird.

I've also been following along in the new Lost alternate reality game, find815.com. It's no where near as engaging as the previous Lost ARG, but it's at least something. I'm wondering if the freighter where the game takes place will tie back to the freighter coming to rescue the survivors?

Smoked

2007-09-14T14:52:00.000-04:00

I hosted a BBQ for the family last week. I was inspired by all the BBQ University shows that aired on PBS and I overdid it (a little). Everything was amazing!

Here's the menu:

Maple Smoked Turkey Breast - juicy and delicious
Shrimp Boil - this was the family's favorite. I added smoked Brats to the party. It was amazing!
Smoked Top Round - I prepared this the same as before. It was still good.
BBQ Portobello mushrooms - I've made these a number of times and are always a big hit
Grilled Tuna Steaks - this was my personal favorite. I served these on tortillas. While the salsa in the recipe was good, I preferred a pineapple/jalapeno salsa as the topping.

The leftovers made a great lunch the next day.

I just got Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA book. I'm really enjoying learning the history of BBQ in America. I highly recommend this...

Lost Podcast - 8/2

2007-08-24T07:54:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I finally discovered the latest Lost podcast sitting in my iTunes folder. It must've been there for a few weeks. It was like finding $20 in my pocket!

I really enjoyed getting back into Lost and thinking about it again. There were some great questions and discussions. The big news was that Michael will be back, and Richard Alpert won't be (at least not full time).

At the end of the panel a new Dharma video was released. It started with Doctor Edgar Halowax (previously known as both Marvin Candle and Mark Wickmund) . In the video he introduces the Orchid station and a white rabbit painted 15. Without giving too much away, something goes horribly wrong. It was great!

****

I still believe in my Lost - Dark Tower connection. In short, it goes like this. In the Dark Tower, Roland and his mates live in a world with numerous doors (or hatches) to other worlds. Some of these worlds are very similar to ours and others are a lot different. The similar ones can be looked at as alternate realities.

It's my theory that the Lost Island is a similar place, where Dharma (and the Others) have learned to control this power and enter other realities at will. It's, for example, how Ben was able to give Juliet a glimpse of her sister and niece. The look "via satellite" was actually "via a portal". Maybe it couldn't last too long because a version of Juliet also exists in that world.

This theory is kind of out there, but it's the one I'm going with.

Of course it has some holes like...

Why did the Others take the Losties kids?? Couldn't they just use a portal and get kids that way? Why do they need the kids anyway?
What was the "real" purpose of the Swan (and the numbers)?

Like I said before the real fun of Lost is coming up with these crackpot theories and ideas - then being shown how foolish they are.

Campfire Lost Theories

2007-07-26T10:16:00.000-04:00

I was camping this weekend with some friends and we started discussing some Lost theories. I thought I'd post some of them...

My wife's cousin offered that the "smoke monster" was also the horse Kate saw, Jack's Dad, and possibly Hugo's imaginary friend Dave. After seeing the monster take the form of Eko's brother, this theory makes some sense. I hadn't thought of this before, and it blew my mind. It doesn't make any sense though that Locke's father was the smoke monster... so there's still some questions.
My buddy thinks that other Losties will be able to glimpse the future (like Desmond did) and decide to stay on the island after "seeing" what the future holds. Jack's flash forward was the first of these insights. I don't know about this... I still like my Lost -> Dark Tower theory more. BTW, what will Desmond "see" now that Charlie is gone?
There was a lot of talk about Jacob, Ben, and Locke. Could Ben ever hear Jacob? If not, how did he convince the Others he could? Can he still hear him? If not, what did he do to lose that ability? Did he hear what Jacob said to Locke? If not, why not? Crazy.
Was there an orientation video in either the station Locke blew up (Flame) or the underwater station (Looking Glass)? I'd like to see those.
At the end of the Season 2 finale we saw all the notebooks (presumably from the underground station) piled up. What was the purpose of that? Was it some sort of Dharma experiment on their own people.
How has Richard Alpert not aged, but Ben has? Is Richard a smoke monster, a clone, was he part of some anti aging experiment (not likely since he wasn't Dharma - or was he former Dharma), or granted a "wish" from Jacob?

Anyway, we all agree that it stinks there won't be any answers to these questions until February.

Smokin' Father's Day

2007-06-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed my Father's Day by smoking and grilling for the family. Here's how the day went:

8 AM - Woke up to my daughter singing "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and "Twinkle Twinkle". .. nice way to wake up.
8:30 AM - Ham and eggs expertly prepared by my wife and daughter. (No extra charge for the bits of shells that make their way in when a 2-year-old cracks eggs)
9:30 AM - Gifts.... new grilling tools and a coloring book.
9:33 AM - Coloring
11:30 AM - Start the smoker.
2 PM My parents come over. Here's how that went....

Mojitos

Grilled lobster tails served with pasta mixed with zucchini and carrots and a garlic butter sauce. Chardonnay.

Smoked Top Round with grilled veggies and chilled fruit. Zinfandel.

The roast I had had a thin layer of fat on one side. I cut slits in the roast and filled the slits with garlic as well as fresh rosemary and thyme. I seasoned the roast with some Montreal steak seasoning and let it marinate over night in some red wine (Zinfandel). I had the smoker at 250 and placed the roast on fat side up. I added some soaked cherry chunks every one in a while (about 45 minutes). It was done after about 3 hours. The roast was very tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I'm looking forward to doing this again. The wine was obviously a great match to drink with this.

4 PM - Catch some of the US Open
5:30 PM - Over to the in-laws:

More Mojitos

Grilled Mojito Chicken (from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse) cooked with apple wood

Apple Maple Pork Loin (also from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse). I modified the recipe a little and wrapped the loin in bacon. Also cooked with apple wood. The sauce that goes with this is awesome!

Beer

7 PM - Caught the end of the open. Went home and read some bedtime stories.

We had lots of laughs and all the food was incredible! The perfect day...

Lost Tower?

2007-05-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

The more I replay Jack's "flash forward" in my head, the more I think that some elements of this sequence are too similar to the plot of the The Dark Tower to be coincidence. There were a lot of clues dropped in the "flash" to make me believe that the premise behind the two stories is the same.

That's OK, because both stories are so entertaining and engrossing. But like I said yesterday, if the endings are similar there will probably be a lot of angry people.

You know what, I love talking and theorizing about this show but part of me always hopes that my theories are wrong (and so far I have not been disappointed). One of the things I like best about this show is that it keeps me guessing (and thinking). Not enough of what's on TV does that.

Lost Finale

2007-05-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

I really enjoyed the Lost finale last night. Looking back, seeing the preview for this episode did not give too much away. I really thought Ben would stop them from reaching the radio tower.

This is what I think I think:

I think that Naomi really is working for an organization hired by Penny Widmore... why else would she have a picture of Desmond? Is Naomi really dead? Interesting that Locke had no reservations killing her after he had such a hard time (not) killing his father - who he hated.
Jack is messed up. How he ever became the leader is beyond me. Ben made a good point when he asked Jack what he was so eager to get back to at home? If this (Jack's flash forward) is where the show will eventually end (and the rest of the series tells the story of getting to this point), it is pretty dark. Not at all the happy ending most shows strive for. I'm OK with that.
Way to go Hurley! When that van came through the Jungle - that was the highlight for me. Cool.
Sawyer is becoming dangerous. It was too easy for him to kill Tom... and he showed no remorse this time.
For a long time, I thought Rousseau was working with Ben and the Others. Part of me still feels that way. Didn't it seem a little too easy for her to first change the message, and then to simply shut it off?
I know the creators are Stephen King fans. I've read The Dark Tower series and while I enjoyed it for the most part, I felt the ending was a HUGE disappointment and a cop out. I hope that this series doesn't end the same way, with the same premise.

This is what I want to know:

Did Charlie really have to die? Couldn't he have swam through the porthole? What if he allowed the station to flood? Couldn't he and Desmond swim back through the moon pool opening? At least we're spared from future episodes where Desmond has to save Charlie's life.
More questions about the events surrounding Charlie's death:

Did Captain Eyepatch die when the grenade went off? I hope not. I want to see more about him - and what happened to his eye.
Charlie had a surprisingly good connection with Penny. Good thing she happened to be near her video phone and she knew how to call this underwater Dharma station.
How'd Charlie figure out which numbers would produce the right notes.

Who are the Others? What are they doing there? What was their purpose before Dharma? How'd the Others take over the rest of the Dharma stations? Also how'd they figure out which stations to take over? For instance, they apparently took over the Looking Glass and the Flame (the communication station Locke blew up), but didn't take over the Swan (where the numbers were entered) .
When did the Other's become such bad shots? Remember when they took the shot that clipped Sawyer's ear? Since then, they haven't shot anything.
If there were only 2 anomalies, how'd Penny Widmore track down the island so quickly? Is she affiliated with Dharma? Is that how she knew the frequency to reach the Looking glass?
How come the island didn't heal Boone?

I really what to learn more about Dharma and the rest of the Others back story. I want to see more about the connections (if there are any) between Sun's and Penny's familiy (I think this came out in the ARG last summer).

I also wish there was another ARG this summer. It stinks that we need to wait until February for some of these answers.

Lost Preview

2007-05-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

I'm a HUGE Lost fan but I usually try to avoid the previews about the next episode.

Last night however, I was still thinking about how the episode ended when the preview came on. I mean, based on how the show has gone, you can almost anticipate some of the stuff that will happen next, so the preview revelations were not a total shocker.
Sidebar: Ben cutting the Losties off on the way to the radio tower is what I'm talking about. This is so similar to what happened in the last 2 finales that it's almost silly. First finale, the Others attack the raft and kidnap Walt. Last year, Michael's group is captured on the way to what was supposed to be the OtherCamp.

Anyway, even though I can sort of guess what's going to happen, I don't really want to know. It's sort of like getting the best Birthday present and being totally surprised vs getting the same present but knowing that it's coming. You're just as happy with the gift, but there's a little extra "something" when you didn't know for sure. Do you know what I mean?

The producers and TV people do a great job keeping us guessing and I shouldn't second guess them. For instance, earlier this year the preview made Sun look like an "Other", she really isn't... that was cool. Even so, I'd rather go in fresh.

*****

The Sabres looked better yesterday. I'm not going to get me hopes up for the Cup until there's a Game 7 though. They've dug themselves a really big hole. Given that Game 7 will be on the same night as the Lost finale, I won't expect to move from the couch that night.

bye King of Queens

2007-05-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

For me, the final mini season of the "King of Queens" was a huge disappointment. It was not nearly as funny as previous episodes. Why do sitcoms feel they need a big send off to wrap up the story? Attempting to add drama to this series made these final episodes dark and sad. They left a sour taste in my mouth.

Note to sitcom writers: just let these shows end the way they came in... funny. There is no need for drama and a big wrap up. Keep it light.

I'll miss this show. Good thing it reruns a minimum of 3 times daily.

*****

Do the Sabres miss McKee, Dumont, and Greer in these playoffs or what? It's a very different playoffs without these key players from last year's team.

Random Thoughts from the Weekend

2007-05-14T09:55:00.003-04:00

It doesn't look like the Sabres want it as badly enough. Last year I remember the team blocking shots, big hits, and going all out every minute. I don't see the same determination in this year's team. They are not as willing to sell out. I really hope they turn it around, but I'm not holding my breath.

*****

Last night I found myself watching the finale of Survivor. I don't watch regularly, but I always seem to catch the last episode. I never ceases to amaze me how petty the jury members are. There are always a handful of jurors who aggressively ask "Why didn't you tell me you were voting me off? You stink! You lied to me!". Haven't they watched before? This happens every season and seems like a necessary step winners take to stay off the jury. Grow up, you got beat, deal with it!

*****

I felt horrible for Nick O'Hern on the 17th of the TPC. You couldn't win the tourney on this hole. It's one of the toughest in golf. Get par and hope for a miracle on 18 (Lefty did almost put it in the water). To quote Terrell Owens agent, "there are about 740,000 reasons not to shoot for the pin on 17."