On my way home from work, I stopped by Harris Teeter to pick up some milk. One thing I noticed right away is that the single quart containers, which are always in a carton, have a later expiration date than the half-gallon to gallon plastic jugs. By over an entire month, no less! And this is for the regular store-brand milk (HT or Hunter Farms), not the fancy premium brands or the organic stuff.
This observation made me wonder if purchasing the bigger container was better. It occurred to me that, in order to finish up the milk in the plastic jugs, I’d have to drink at least one or two glasses a day, every day, in order to keep it from producing a foul stench past the due date. At least with the quart, I can just take my time to drink my moo juice when needed and not worry about it. I’d even get done long before the date imprinted on the carton itself!
So, what does all this mean? Well, as buying milk in mass quantities makes good economical sense, it’s never a good idea to do so if you’re single or live alone (or both). Unless you can’t seem to get enough of that good stuff. Hopefully my decision to stick with the carton will keep me from either being more adventurous when the day comes or chucking half a jug down the drain.
Either way, that stuff still can make a body good.
One of the hardest things in life is putting up with things that are distracting or annoying. I’ll admit that there are moments when I get irritated over the small, insignificant things in life. I try my best not to let those things get the best of me. But it does cause a great deal of distress that I really don’t need. Thankfully, I’m not alone in my constant need for serenity.
I did check out two site on the web that deal with the subject. The first one is an article by Craig Wilson of USA Today. His “Final Word” column of the week brings up a childhood memory while plugging a book about annoyances.
And if you want an example of both, there’s always a classic sketch from Saturday Night Live with the late Chris Farley as Weekend Update commentator Bennett Brauer.
Now if I can just find a new computer that could be annoyance-free, then I’d be set for life! Or not …
Just this past week, the Carolina Hurricanes’ run for Lord Stanley’s Cup came to a halting end as they were swept 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Finals. Granted, the way this season panned out (in unusual fashion, I might add), I figured the Canes were lucky just to get in this year after being out the previous two.
We started the season okay, then struggled mightily in the middle, which resulted in a coaching change where the new coach was a former coach (even though it sounds like a classic song by The Who). Towards the end of the season, the Canes really gained momentum and just shot themselves into the playoffs. But what was most impressive was how competitive they were in their series with the Devils and Bruins. It was the Penguins, however, who were the better team and showed it in their domineering style of play. Sure, the Canes managed to carry themselves through on emotion and sheer determination, but sadly another trip to the Finals was not meant to be. Instead, we have a repeat of last year.
Still, I can’t say that I’m terribly disappointed. While I may not be a hardcore hockey fanatic like some of my buddies who attend the games at the RBC with regularity, at least I was able to get into this year now that I had a team to follow. Normally, I’d lose interest in this sort of thing the moment I hear the Canes are eliminated. But since we managed to get this far out, at least it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see how the Finals turn out for once.
And besides, I’d like to see the Pens get some retribution for what happened last year. Or they can just get on their knees and pray that … well, you know.
Normally I don’t wax poetic over one of my favorite television shows. However, the rumor of its potential demise is enough to state my case for it to continue forward.
I am talking about “Chuck”, a rather witty “actedy” (or an action/comedy hybrid, hence the name) that airs Monday nights on NBC. The premise of the show centers around a rather nerdy twenty-something single guy with a hot girlfriend who works in an electronics store by day and helps the government infiltrate the bad guys at night. Okay, so the whole thing might seem rather implausible to anyone who’s never tuned in to this gem of a show and would rather settle for something less esoteric like “Dancing With The Stars” or “How I Met Your Mother”. Then again, “House” does air in that same time slot. But at least Dr. House is not as quirky as Charles Carmichael.
Anyway, here is my attempt to offer a brief synopsis of the show. In the first episode of Season One, Chuck Bartowski receives an e-mail attachment from his former college roommate Bryce Larkin, which turns out to be The Intersect. Chuck ends up with a load of government data lodged well into the gray matter that is his brain, which attracts the attention of two government agents, Agents Sarah Walker (the smokin’ hot chick) and John Casey (the gung-ho dude with serious personal issues) who attempt to retrieve the data. However, when it’s discovered Chuck has intermittent “flashes” that cause him to recall pertinent information (i.e. when he encounters the bad guys or spots anything unusual), both Walker and Casey decide to put their “asset” (as is he referred to from time to time) to good use. Of course, this unique arrangement poses problems with Chuck as he has to lead a double life, all the while letting his employer Buy More (which is a knock-off of Best Buy if there were one), his family (namely his sister Ellie and live-in boyfriend turned future-stepbrother “Captain Awesome”) and his friends (including best buddy/co-worker Morgan Grimes) to be none the wiser. To make things even more complicated, Agents Walker and Casey have to take covers working nearby, both at the Buy More and the Weinerlicious/Orange Orange. And get this, Agent Walker gets to be Chuck’s girlfriend as a means of keeping up appearances.
Okay, I’ve pretty much said a mouthful so far. However, the events tend to get even more interesting as they progress. During the first season, the government attempts to rebuild a new Intersect so that Chuck’s capabilities would be rendered useless. Along the way, we find out why Chuck was expelled from Stanford with a semester left to go and why Bryce has a tendency to pop up when least expected. That season was cut off unexpectedly due to the Writer’s Strike, so the supposed completion of the new Intersect wouldn’t take place until the beginning of Season 2. As Agent Casey was about to do away with Chuck one and for all, a computer virus ends up destroying the new Intersect. A rival agency named Fulcrum was responsible for the incident, and ends up going after the original which they believe belonged to Bryce. When a criminal crashes into the Buy More on Christmas Eve and takes everyone hostage, Chuck has an encounter with a Fulcrum agent named Mauser, who posed as a police negotiator that discovers his secret and attempts to exploit him to further the agency’s evil dilemma before Sarah shoots him dead. Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, which was getting quite personal up to this point, end up being strained for a period of time. However, both would end up being paired together for a mission where they would be a “married couple”. The subdivision they move into to turns out to be a front for a Fulcrum operation which they use to test their version of the Intersect on unsuspecting neighbors before loading it into Chuck’s brain.
So now Chuck Bartowski has more info in this crainium that would make the average guy’s head explode. Meanwhile, a mysterious character named Orion, who designed the original Intersect, makes contact with Chuck, giving our hero hope that he might get all that juicy material out of his brain. Sarah ends up getting called out by her superior over her “personal” relationship with Chuck, who also assists him in locating his long-lost father that the two end up meeting and discover that he was indeed the mysterious Orion.
And that’s where the series is as of now. As you could imagine, it’s one of those stories that just gets better as it goes along. Season 1 was more of a general setup of the entire premise, while Season 2 really began to delve into the heart of the matter. To end it abruptly would be disheartening since the likelihood of having all the loose ends put together by season’s end is remote at best. And besides, the antics that take place within the Buy More (mainly the relationship between Big Mike and his subordinates) really do create a suspension of disbelief. It serves as a reminder that our lives need not be as humdrum as they appear. Even if you do work a rather dull, meaningless job at the lower rung of the corporate ladder with no hope of getting anywhere, it doesn’t hurt to daydream just a little. Okay, so it doesn’t have to be a James Bond or Walter Mitty kind of experience, but hopefully you get the idea.
In the meantime, you might want to check out ChuckTV.net to find lots of stuff about the show, including potential spoilers, episode photos, and info on how you can keep “Chuck” alive for Season 3. Oh, and don’t forget to visit hulu.com to view any episodes you haven’t seen yet. Trust me, this is a great show that’s worth checking out that deserves to continue. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have much else to watch that night. Unless, of course pro wrestling counts …
Interesting article I found in the Greensboro News & Record regarding the supposed mispronunciation of Tyler Hansborough’s last name.
Now, as a die-hard true blue Duke fan, I have to admit this revelation was quite amuzing. You’d be amazed to find out how easily names of cities and towns (even people) here in North Carolina can easily get mangled up in translation. For the first few years he was coaching the Blue Devils, I had trouble attempting to spell and pronounce the name Krzyzewski.
Then again, I would never knowingly head down to HILLS-bro or BU-fort. You’d imagine the crazy stares you’d get if you come down here and call it that way. Hopefully if the Heels win it all, those sports broadcasters can finally put the whole “Hans-bor-ough” mess to rest. Or not.
We’ve now reached the Sweet 16 round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. For the two remaining ACC teams in action, you wouldn’t want to be much of a morning person. That’s because tonight’s Duke-Villanova game in the East Regional and tomorrow night’s UNC-Gonzaga game in the South Regional both begin around 10. And that’s PM, not AM.
You can blame the folks at CBS on this one, given the need to chase down those precious ratings points the network so desires. And yes, both games are expected to be covered by roughly 2/3 of the nation. But having to start a game this late east of the Mississippi just makes no sense. I can understand if one of my favorite pro sports teams on the East Coast can’t begin a game until 10:30 local time because they’re over in Californ-i-ay.
Problem is, most of us have to go to work early the next day, meaning we end up losing some precious Z’s just so we can follow our favorite team. This can explain why I’ve often felt groggy or cranky the morning after a big game. Extra caffeine might help pick me up, but the side effects just make me feel worse.
All I can say is, if you’re one of many who have to follow your team and still get up at the buttcrack of dawn, you might want to take a nap first. Otherwise, you;ll end up looking like one of the extras from Dawn of the Dead. And that’s even uglier than watching your team lose.
This is going to be a stretch for me to admit, but I’m glad it snowed today.
Reason being is that, here in central North Carolina, snowstorms tend to come with some level of irregularity. Some years we get lucky and never see any of the white stuff, while other years we end up getting it at the worst possible time. Yet, once in a blue moon we get the kind of storm that literally shuts everything down. Which is why whenever the forecast calls for snow, we make a even bigger deal of the whole thing than we should. The sudden absence of milk and bread at any local supermarket is proof we tend to err on the side of caution during the chilly months.
Needless to say, the nature of these events are two-sided. If you’re a kid (or literally young at heart), it becomes a fun day free from responsibility and worry. It’s a moment to enjoy carefree moments such as sledding down the hill, making snow creatures of every size imaginable, and sitting in front of a glowing fire sipping hot chocolate once we come in from the cold. For those of us who have to brave the elements to get to work (especially if your job carries a certain degree of importance), having to traverse roads filled with ice and snow can be quite brutal. Even so, the spectre of responsibility and worry envelops those who have a difficult time viewing snow as an enjoyable respite our Creator imbues upon the landscape.
As for today, I was glad to partake in this amazement of wonder and delight. We all need moments in our lives to cast our worries and sorrows aside, event if it’s only for a day, to truly see the splendor and glory that lie ahead. Only when we we choose to take a “time out” from the rat race and take in all the sights and sounds can we get a better perspective of what God’s trying to tell us.
Having spent so much time worrying about trying to get things done, it’s often too easy for me to lose focus on what’s really important. And besides, without this much needed pause, I wouldn’t have given too much thought into the significance of this day for our country and our world.
Which is good enough for me, especially since I now have to travel those ice-slicked roads in the morning. Too bad my tendency to either “get things done now” or procrastinate freely are always in conflict.
Okay, it has been quite a while since I posted anything of substance on this blog. At least my penchant for being quite observative hasn’t dulled the thought process too much.
I did spend part of my Saturday afternoon watching the Duke-Georgetown game on TV, but not in a way you might expect. The game was being carried on CBS. However our local affiliate (WRAL-TV) was airing the NCSU-Georgia Tech game that went into overtime instead. No doubt my brother Alex was pleased.
As a result, I ended up watching the first half on one of WRAL’s digital subchannels (in standard definition no doubt). When I found out during halftime that the State game had ended, I changed the channel and saw the second half on “The Big 5″ in all its stunning HD-glory.
Normally, I wouldn’t mind putting up with a small inconvenience just to watch my Blue Devils play. However, a reporter from the News & Observer had to write a little gripe piece about the incident in general. Of course he forgot to mention during the NCAA Tournament one year that the Wolfpack and Blue Devils both had Sweet 16 games on the same night AND the same time. WRAL ended up carrying the NCSU game while shunting Duke down to its sister station FOX 50. Hey, at least they managed to make good of an unprecedented situation.
Then again, I wouldn’t have noticed either way if I somehow managed to get a ticket to see the same in person.
A couple of thoughts come to mind on this particular Lord’s Day:
I got stuck in a traffic jam on 15-501 on my way to church early today as a result of a slow-moving house. Yes, you read that right, a house! Turns out this particular dwelling was being relocated from Durham to Chapel Hill and had to traverse a few overhead traffic lights along the way. Since the house-moving happened to take place in the same spot on the road I was headed for at the time (just off I-40 where Durham and Chapel Hill meet), it took me over five minutes to cover a distance of less than 1/2 mile. That’s even slower than it took me to drive through a snowstorm at one time. Which is saying something, indeed.
Also worth noting, I stopped by the Food Lion over at Rams Plaza and noticed that they still had 12-packs of Diet Pepsi NFL Kickoff available. They were on sale for $1.99 each, a real steal considering just about everything else has gotten more expensive lately. I’m surprised that it was still in stock, considering the NFL season is about halfway over. But hey, at least I’m still in time for Sierra Mist’s special holiday drink. Better get both before they’re gone!
