September 25, 2009

What am I missing?

I look at the length of this list and I feel like it's gotten out of control, I've turned into such a loser. Yet at the same time I can't help but feel like we are missing something. So with the Fall T.V. season kicking off I have to ask, what are we missing?

The Emmetts DVR series record list:

The Office
Monk
Chuck
Kath & Kim
30 Rock
The Simpsons
Burn Notice
24
Lost
Scrubs
Cycling
Better Off Ted
Desperate Housewives
Parks and Recreation
Southland
Psych
Phineas and Ferb
Royal Pains
The Mentalist
Glee
How I Met Your Mother

As far as I know these are all coming back at some point this year*. There's really only 5 shows that I would really care if they didn't (Lost, The Office, 24, 30 Rock, Psych). The bottom 4 shows are the newest additions based on buzz and recommendations. Each one shows promise, although I thought Glee was way overrated. Any other new shows worth a try? Community, The forgotten, etc? Any old shows that we missed the boat? We haven't ever really given House or Bones or The Amazing Race or the CSIs, etc. a chance. Let us know, we Emmetts take our T.V. very serious.

One show I will probably be adding shortly to the list is Curb Your Enthusiasm. I broke down last week and paid for premium cable just so I could see the season premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I kept reading about the Seinfeld sort-of 'reunion' on Curb this season. Well the season premiere had nothing to do with Seinfeld and I generally had no idea what was going on but I literally have not laughed that hard since Arrested Development went off the air and before that it was Seinfeld. Larry David is just as bad an actor as Jerry Seinfeld and the humor is right up my alley. There is some Adult Language and hopefully it doesn't turn any worse but I am really optimistic about it.

*R.I.P. Life. I found out this week Life would not be coming back (thanks NBC) and when I told Beth she was plunged into a deep depression. It's really too bad, he was one of the most likable characters on television.

September 18, 2009

Why not? trip to California

I just had to get this photo up. Look at that beautiful little girl.
Not sure what makes her look smaller, Uncle Morgan or the Pacific.
Possibly the three worst sand castle builder helpers ever. They got the sand castle destroyer role down.
Everyday and sometimes multiple times in a day swimming in the back yard while simultaneously enjoying a Beverly Hills apple from the tree.
They can't read yet.
A trip home wouldn't be complete without a flashback to the '70s visiting Grandpa McEuen in Oxnard.

Beth, Marci, Ann and the kids spent a week in and a half enjoying themselves in Palos Verdes. It's too bad things get in the way preventing me from being there the whole time, forcing me to fly in and out for part. I would really like to be there in the car with them for what they turn into a 14 hour day.

September 10, 2009

Weekend of Me

Some time within the last four weeks I had one of those weekends where it was all about me. And it wasn't even my birthday. It started Friday night with MBA graduation. Those that really cared about me chose to attend. Thanks everyone. Actually I wasn't all that excited about the pomp and circumstance myself, mostly excited to see the other guys from the program again. Classes had ended July 1. (For those muttering "what the heck?" I spent the past two years in the Executive MBA program at BYU. Classes were every Tuesday and Thursday night.)

The ceremony itself was spectacular and I can't even remember what was said. I spent the whole time thinking "This is awesome! We are absolutely cruising, this could take under an hour!" Not quite but we sure came close at one hour four minutes. Best graduation proceedings I've ever been to. My sister did a better job documenting the event and post more photos here.

Here I am holding the little lady at the pre ceremony party. It got wild with lemonade and vegetables with dip. We were careful not to get anything on the suit I got myself for graduation while we were in Bangkok.

Here's the family in the new edition to the Tanner Building (Marriott School of Management) after I finally figured out how to put on the bat cape, but was still working on the scarf thingy. Is it old school to be one of the two not looking at the camera when there's a two and one year old? Behind us is a plaque with the donors including all the Marriotts and if you look over my left shoulder a couple ending in "ARET MILLER". I wonder if they know Beth's grandparents Marvin and Margaret.
The buddy hugging me after it was over. Notice the tassel is still on the right, I guessed wrong before the diplomas. Speaking of diplomas I got an email this week saying mine was in the mail. I guess they forgave the unpaid parking ticket that kept me from ever getting my bachelor's diploma. Good for them!

That night those that could make it joined us at Gloria's Little Italy for the requisite carbo loading before the Utah Half Tri. Coincidentally I got to use the other part of the my graduation scores, the new to me Specialized road bike from my dad. The last time I got a new bike and a new suit was 2003, the last time I graduated. I don't know what I'm going to do in a few years when I need another suit and another bike.

Weekend of Me (cont.)

The race was a half-iron man distance. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13 mile run. Due to crazy weather the event organizers ended up cutting the swim in half, which was annoying but better than canceling it all together. I finished in 5 hours flat, just one minute off the podium and a chance to stand next to my buddy Casey who got first. I still owe him a Slurpee for a stupid bet I made. We finished the bike portion of the race at the same time and I said if he beat me 20 minutes I'd buy him a Slurpee. He went on to run the half marathon more than 30 minutes faster. Don't know what I was thinking.

Upon reflection I wondered where I could have made up the minute I needed to get on the podium. There's the fact that I'm fat and out of shape but that's a given. If I got a Tri or Time Trial specific bike that would more than make it up. Even if I added aero bars to my bike it would have gotten me out of the 30 mph head and cross winds we had before the storm hit. Maybe if I hadn't gone off course (with lots of others) and added an extra mile on the bike I could have made up the minute I needed. There's also all the walking I did after mile 8, that certainly didn't help. Finally I figured out where I wasted a minute and turns out it was on the swim. But not really the swim as there was no stroking going on. It was spent trying to get out of the water on the moss covered boat ramp. It was impossible!

You'll have to take my word for it but that is me and my right arm behind the guy in front. I'm in 2 inches of water and still on my hands and knees trying unsuccessfully to make progress. Eventually one the of the volunteers took pity and offered me their hand while they anchored themselves on dry land. Just like a quicksand rescue.
Giving it my all and hitting 12 mph. Stupid summer storms.
At the start of the run when I could still run.