Eblo

Entertainment

So, I never post because I want every post to be a stand-alone journalistic masterpiece, but who the hell has time for that? But that's lame. Here's a post with minimal editing, just to get the stuff out of my head.

So, last night, I finally got around to stuffing all of the A/V gear, including the new MythTV box I never posted about, into the entertainment center I never planned on setting up in the living room. But since we haven't 'finished' the basement yet, and I was tired of having the PC on the floor behind the TV, I decided to just put it all together.

I had to coordinate the time of shutting down the machine (to reroute the power and other cables) since I didn't want to miss Scrubs. I also yanked out the faceless floppy drive and beige, malfunctioning CD drive. It then occured to me that I needed to haul the monitor and keyboard up from the basement just so I could tell the BIOS not to look for the floppy drive anymore. I think I missed the first few minutes of Scrubs. Oh well. I also had forgotten I didn't really need to haul the monitor, as I have a VGA-to-TV adaptor I used to use when the old Mythbox would go tits up. Ah well, I needed the exercise.

*Beware, tense change ahead*

So I get all of the cables routed, the machine up and running, and go to slide it back into its new cubby hole home, only to realize that I am a raging fucking idiot. In the past, when I measured everything up to make sure things would fit, I neglected a support board that ran across the back of the cubby holes. The front of the PC was sticking out about 4 inches. Damn it. I swore a bit, stopped for something to eat, and achieved clarity while scarfing tortellini. Looking at the back of the Ikea Bjoorluunde, or whatever the hell it's called, I grabbed the board, which apparently helped support some of the weight of the TV. I gave it a wiggle. It wiggled. Well how much supporting could it really be doing, being loose like that? A few pencil marks and a love-massage from a jigsaw later, blammo, perfect fit.

There were a few other technical stumbling points, which I will spare you, but eventually I got everything hooked up properly (something I actually enjoy noodling out) and tested it out with my newly aquired $5.75 copy of Quills. I finally got around to teaching the Hauppauge remote's commands to the receiver's learning remote, too. It's only taken, what, 13 months? So, MythTV, DVD, VHS, CD, and even cassette tapes and AM/FM all at the touch of a few buttons. Sweet. Now if only that receiver could handle a turntable. . . .

In other happy news I haven't posted about yet, it looks like my (our) new Canon Digital Rebel should be delivered unto me via UPS tomorrow. As of 8:13 A.M., it was happily trucking its way from Indianapolis to 'Chicago.' I doubt it'll get on a delivery truck today, but it sure looks like I'll have it in time for the Halloween party on Saturday. Not bad considering I ordered it from Amazon on Saturday, and on Monday, they were saying I wouldn't get it for a MONTH (due to an additional item I'd ordered being out of stock). I called Amazon (google for their 800 number, they like ot hide it on their website) and canceled the wayward item. After saying I was disappointed it would still take a week to get (due to the 'change order' delaying things), 'Holly' offered me a comp. shipping upgrade. That rocks. Holly rocks. Can't wait to snap away. I've only wanted a digital SLR, oh, since before tehy were invented.

Ok, I'd tell you about the REM concert on Monday, but I started a draft post of that. Maybe I'll get back to it one day.

Word. Thanks for stopping by.