My TiVo is dead.

This last Tuursday I came home, did a few thing on the computer. I sat down and turned on the tv, it had a black screen. I tried the TiVo remote, nothing happened. So I reset the unit (I unpluged it). It came back with "Welcome. Powering up...".

I gave it some time it did not change. I reset it again and went to bed. I got up and went to work. I checked on it again when I got home. The same screen. It was dead. There was no warning sign for this problem. With what I had save on the TiVo unit were only a few odds and end I was saving for later, which I will try to catch up on later.
Any fix would cost money. So I check up on some info on the Comcast web site on their DVRs. It was not much more than the cost of the TiVo monthly cost and there is no cost for the equipment. It also saved some space, down from 2 unit to 1 combo unit. One thing I will miss is the TiVo remote. It had a great layout.

The name of your boat?

On the way to lunch with the parents this last Sunday I saw a boat being towed on the freeway. The name caught my eye more than any thing else. The was in a nice large font. The name was "Bite Me".
I can hear the conversation. "So you got a new boat. Did you get a chance to name it yet? You did. Whats the name. What? So don't tell me then."

Two dungeon games.

While going thru my copy of Newtype USA, I came across 2 games.
Etrian Odyssey and Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground.

Etrian Odyssey (DS) - "Etrian Odyssey is a turn-based role-playing game like any other, but it sports one heck of a mean streak to elevate it above the crowd." With this game you are respondible for the map of the dungeons with the DS touch screen.

Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground (PSP) - "Design a dungeon so that creatures will inhabit it and you can kill them and steal their treasure. "

Hawaiian Potluck

The first day of Summer and we had a Hawaiian style potluck.
That alot of food. Thats was some good eats.

The Two-Hour Star Wars Holiday Special in only Five Minutes!

The Link: The Two-Hour Star Wars Holiday Special in only Five Minutes!

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up durring on HERO RPG game on 6/15/07:

1. HERO Dice
2. Disney owed properties.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. After the credits ran there was a scene that said "10 Years Later" with a last clip.
4. Dragonflight 2007

Size

The Ghost Rider move came out today on DVD and as a promo Best Buy is give away with the DVD the full mini version of the Ghost Rider Visual Guide from DK. I purchased the full size a while back and is pictured for the size. The promo is the full book in a 6 in by 7.5 in size (just about the size of a DVD) with only a few small changes I can see. The promo has no slip cover, the "Ghost Rider" name is not in gold and Best Buy put their logo in the bottom right corner.

The Classic Cash Register

This was in the back of my mom's business, but due some clean up and some rearranging. I was told to take possession of this item. I got help and loaded it into my car and took it back to my apartment.

From what I have been told, the cash register was used by by great grandparents in the store they had. From the label on it, it is from the National Cash Register Co. It is electric and stills runs and with a few buttons pushed and the crank twisted the cash drawer will open.

It is a side project to clean this up, to look a little better. Some of the paint is a little flaky.

(note: there are some marble pieces that set in place right over the cash drawer that I have, but not pictured).

Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities

My brother sent me a link about the Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities.

"Do you think Seattle is the rainiest city in the United States? Well, think again."

Living in the Seattle I had to read on.

"Mobile, Alabama, actually topped a new list of soggiest cities, with more than 5 feet of rainfall annually, according to a study conducted by San Francisco-based WeatherBill, Inc."

Check out the full text of the article with the following link:

Study Reveals Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities

Stonehenge: An Anthology Board Game™

I ran across this game via a podcast from Pulp Gamer (Inside Track 018: Joshua Frost of Paizo Publishing). The game is called Stonehenge.

This info is from the Pulp Gamer site:

Stonehenge is in one box with one set of pieces but with five unique set of rules designed by five game designers. These include an Arthurian showdown by Richard Borg, a monumental fire sale by James Ernest, a druidic election by Bruno Faidutti, a magical convocation by Richard Garfield, and an alien chariot race by Mike Selinker.

Here is the web site of the game with additional info.

One game board and five ways to play, with expansions on the way and all for $50.00.

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up during on HERO RPG game on 5/18/07:

1. Hot Wing and Pizza at Jet City Pizza
2. Justice League Unlimited (Season Two: "Destroyer")
3. Austin Powers quote (from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery)

Dr. Evil: You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my cycloptic colleague informs me that that cannot be done. Ah, would you remind me what I pay you people for, honestly? Throw me a bone here! What do we have?
Number Two: Sea Bass.
Dr. Evil: [pause] Right.
Number Two: They're mutated sea bass.
Dr. Evil: Are they ill tempered?
Number Two: Absolutely.
Dr. Evil: Oh well, that's a start.

4. Movies (Next, The Invisible, Shrek the Third)
5. Veronica Mars
6. Some of our work stores.

I got the car back from my parents, no ride to the game needed.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mother (pictured above) at Mother's Day lunch.

What is in that?

While getting some groceries, I noticed two girls around 11 or 12 years old commenting what the ingredients were in a Pop Tart and not in a good way.

The couch and the car.

Dad delivered a leather couch that matches my favorite lounge chair that someone did not want. We did some switching around of the current couch and transferred it back to my parents place for their use. It does not recline like the prev one, but I like it a lot better.
In the truck transferring my old couch, dad stated there was a problem with my Volvo (they are still borrowing my car waiting for a part for their car in the shop). Last weekend I drove my car while my parents came over the bridge to have lunch and a move, I noticed that the pick up when I accelerated was a little off. Tuesday the car loss acceleration, luckily it was near their house and a repair station. Also luckily the cost was not too much, from what dad said, I did offer to pay for it. But declined, saying it was borrowing my car was less that getting a rental car.

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up durring on HERO RPG game on 5/04/07:

1. D.E.B.S. movie and Cleopatra 2525 TV Show
2. Monty Python's Spamalot
3. Dungeons & Dragons cartoon

Dad still had the car due to car in the shop waiting for a part. I got a ride from Norm to our game and a ride home from Bob.

At the ComicCon . . .

Fron this line here, I found out the 'Heroes' Season 1 will be released August 28th.

Also found out:

And for those of you going to Comic Con in July, we've heard there will be some great Heroes things going on.

Something else to add to my to do list at the San Diego ComicCon.

Some work notes.

The other day I had someone call in and say they wanted to check on a payment that was made for $160.00. Ok I say. What is the cell number? I don't know it. Ok, what is the account number? I don't know it. i think the girl said she was from accounting, but she does not have any numbers and wanted to find a needle in hay stack filled with needles. The next question I asked, was 'Do you know the tax id of the company?'. She says, 'I have the last four digits of it'. After talking to her supervisor I was able to pull the needed info from her and after a little more time, find the need account and number.

Today i had this training for 3 hours starting at 9am, yea. I got in at 8:15 and got on the phones at 8:30. My morning break was 15 min later at 8:45. The time come around and right before I walk away, I get a email and they cancel the training due to service level. Taken my morning break already, I do not get another one till my lunch at noon. That bad planning. (Venting ending . . . .)

Our HERO game tangents.

Here are some of the off topics that came up durring on HERO RPG game on 4/27/07:

1. Name changes with cell companies.
2. Buffy and Angel series.

Dad still had the car due to car in the shop. I got a ride from Norm and a ride back from Bob.

At the ComicCon . . .

I found a press release for the direct to DVD movie of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.

Marketing Support
Babylon 5: The Lost Tales will be supported by extensive national media campaign including TV and Online advertising. Marketing support will also include significant presence at the San Diego ComicCon. Online podcasts and a completely new redesigned website will also deliver significant awareness.

I read the part in red and say to myself, 'I am going the be there. I can check this out.' So, that is my plan. When I am there I will see if I can track them down. Get the DVD and maybe a autograph.

The water flows.

Last night it started with a ring around the sink. I think the sink has a clog. I find the drano and follow the directions. About a hour later I hear running water, like the tub was left running and over flowed. But it was not the tub, but the sink. Water was flowing up the drain, over flowed the sink and getting the floor soaked. First, glab my extra towels and apply then to the floor. Next, grab a large jar and start bailing the water from the sink to the tub. After a little time, it stoped and the clean up started. The pipe from the sink was removed and clean. I am not really sure where the water came from, the water was flowing from the drain. I had run a load of close in the washer. Could the be it? Is the washer drain connected to the sink? I will be keeping a eye out on the that sink from now on.

Update (5/1/07): After one more overflow today, the problem was fixed while I was at work by Roto Rooter. There was a clog somewhere in the line that directed some/most/all of the water from my new up stares neighbors. When I got home there was just a little clean up to do and some wet towels to deposit in the washer.