toddcarruth.com

So Friday is going to be the day where I post my random thoughts for the week. I can tell you’re excited.

• Triple digits is too hot. There really is no need for it to be 100 degrees. But I will still take a 100 over 20s and 30s any day…
• On that same note, the only good 32 is if it’s snowing.
• I was crazy about the X-Files when it was on TV the first 4 or 5 years. But I’m not that jazzed about the new movie. Ehhh.
• The Dark Knight is over-rated.  I liked the movie. Really liked Heath Ledger but I don’t want to pay 9 bucks to see it again.
• The Movie Tavern in Bedford HAD a fantastic deal on Tuesdays. $5 for any movie all day. I said HAD because they stopped doing it last week. Bad idea. I was spending at least $20 total because I was buying extra food during the movie. 
• I like playing Halo on X-Box 360 with my sons.  In fact,  I wish I had the summer off so I had more time to pwn some newbs.
• In that same vein, my son rented Soul Caliber, a fighting game where you can choose your character including Yoda from Star Wars. He had been playing all day and even beat the game using Yoda.  I came home from work and, having never played before, beat him the first time while also using Yoda as my character. It was like good Yoda versus Bad Yoda. Impressed by my fighting skills, he was.
• Tried to go to an audition for a print commercial at lunchtime today but the line was so long just to get my picture taken, I had to get back to my real job before they could call me name. Dang!
• Tried those new steam bags where you add your own fresh veggies. Not bad but I need to work on the seasoning aspect.
• My boys start high school this month.  I can’t even begin to tell you how proud and excited I am for both of them.
• Might have some interesting news in 2 weeks. Stay tuned, as they say.
• This week’s random website is Cute Overload.com It’s especially good if you need to clear out your brain of any disgusting images you might have stumbled across on teh Interwebs. 

Rock on!

So I posted a couple of weeks ago that I was trying to sell the PS2 game, Rock Band on Ebay. I bought for me my kids and we played all the songs on it and had a great time for about a month and then…just… quit playing it.  I mean it’s really cool with the drums and microphone and guitar but you can’t add any songs with the PS2 version and the drums are really hard to learn and I could never get comfortable. I did score an almost perfect score while singing “Don’t Fear the Reaper!” ( I need more cowbell!)

Anyway, the plan was to sell RockBand on ebay and take the money and buy Mario Cart for the Wii.  I’ve sold stuff before so it was no big deal to get it all up and running in about 10 minutes. The item went up and after 6 days, presto, we have a winner.  Some person in Massachusetts was the winning bidder at $73 bucks plus a flat rate of $25 for shipping and handling. ( We have the original box and everything has been packed together nice and neat.)  I send off an invoice and a nice congrats email and wait for 98 bucks to show up in my Paypal account.  And I wait.   And wait.  Hello?  Nothing.  I send another nice email saying hey, you won, please pay. Pretty please.  Don’t make me get the ebay police on your ass bottom.

Nothing. So wait one more week and then have ebay send an official notice thru their Dispute Console. Isn’t that cute! They have a dispute console. I could use that in my car. Hey that guy just ran a stop sign. Activate the dispute console!

As of today, still nothing.   You know, I understand if something happened where you just realized that gas costs $4 bucks a gallon and you really can’t afford to buy a video game right now,  and you probably shouldn’t have been bidding on a 100 hundred dollar item. Just tell me. I’m not a bad guy. I have 100 percent positive feedback.  I am a very positive guy.  There were 3 other bids and the sooner you tell me that you aren’t going to pay, the sooner I can relist.  It’s all good.  Just keep me in the know. That’s all I ask.

You doody-head.

Okay, I have been a bad blogger. Sorry about that. I am going to try and maintain a bit more self discipline in several areas of my life (including toddcarruth.com) And it’s going to start with Wednesday Picture Day. Come hell or high water, I will put up a new pic from my expanding flickr pool starting with this one:

I call it, See I Can Fly Too!

That would be me decked out in the fancy green shirt and tie with the smoldering eyes and the lovely Ebony Thomas as we played musical chairs when Chip was out on vacation back on December 28, 2006.  (I know the date because I checked the stats on the digital image.)  By the way, this shot is courtesy of camera guy extraordinaire Todd Eastman (the other Todd) at Fox 4. On the day that I left, Todd gave me a cd that was full of photos featuring Fox 4 folks and I will happily share those with you on the occasional Wednesday Picture Day.

Side note: I quit flying for Chip after the chopper went down and got totaled. He switched to a smaller bird called a Robinson and the controls for the camera and microwave antennae and GPS and lights and headphone are all different.  And I didn’t have time to train.  Plus I liked staying on the ground. In the studio eating bagels and flirting with Dallas Mav Dancers.

Can you blame me?

Like a few other million people, I saw Batman (The Dark Knight) last week and I have to say that this spoof video is pretty good.

Just a quick day trip to San Antonio (todd, why are you telling everyone that you’ll be gone for the day? Don’t you know that any unscrupulous people reading your blog/website will obviously try to rob your McMansion in Tarrant County and make off with millions of dollars worth of uncut diamonds that you keep hidden in the basement?

Umm, anyway, gonna get a few shots of a convention going on that my company helped organize.  Speaking of my company, (the expo group) the twins each got a birthday card in the mail today, (their birthday is this week) from the president of the Expo group.  WIth a gift card to Barnes & Noble.  I don’t know about you but where I come from, that is somewhat awesome. And it’s not like there’s just 5 people working there. They have over 170…

Anyway, it should be a long and exhausting day but I like San Antonio and I plan to float down the riverwalk and drink a margarita at some point.  Maybe.

Oh and here is a random cool site I found today: http://www.instructables.com/

Hey, do you have a PS2? Would you like to buy the hottest video game for it?  Yeah, I’m talking about Rock Band, the interactive singing, drum-playing, guitar-strumming sensation that sweeping the nation!

All right, here is the story. I bought Rock Band for the boys (and me!) and we played the heck out of it for about a month.  But we just don’t have the time or inclination to keep it and so I have decided to “ebay it” and the auction ends tonight.

PS: If you live in DFW and buy it, I will personally deliver it to you. How about that?

Todd’s Rock Band On Ebay

Joss Whedon, the guy from Buffy and Firefly, had some time on his hands and put together a cheap yet cool little internet-only musical.  Check it out if you dare!

I don’t think of myself as the stereotypical male because I enjoy shopping (sometimes) and I enjoy cooking (when I have the time).  Um, I also like beer. And women.  But with a twist of lime. Oh, and the beer can have lime too.

Anyway, I came across this list of how to make the most of your grocery shopping adventure from the Consumerist who ganked it from the Guardian and I have added some personal notes to it.

1. Make A List! Shopping lists top every saving strategy we offer, and for good reason. Lists make for routine, disciplined shopping. -I make a list but then I still buy stuff that I forgot to put on the list.
2. Don’t Fear An Empty Fridge: Food grows mold, not interest. An empty fridge is a strong sign that your buying matches your consumption. - I actually tend to have a fairly empty fridge. Except for the leftover tuna that is now challenging the the chipotle hot sauce to a duel.
3. Approach Deals Skeptically: Just because an item screams “Two for One!” doesn’t mean that you need two. Make sure the item is something that you’ll use, and something that won’t expire quickly. - Great tip here. I’ve trained my self to look at the price per ounce before I buy a “deal.”
4. Avoid Supermarkets For Perishables: Buy your vegetables, meats, and fish at local establishments. You’ll spend less per visit, while honing your comparison shopping skills. In our neighborhood, the Korean vegetable stand is usually 30% cheaper than the supermarket around the corner. - Um, yeah. I think I’ll save my gas and just look for the freshest veggies I can find.
5. Buy Non-Perishables In Bulk: If you can store them, buy your pasta and rice in bulk. Just don’t try to buy more than one bag at a time. - I go to SAMS once a month and buy dog food, bacon, paper towels, toilet paper and contact solution.  Strangely enough, those are the same items that I plan on taking with me to a deserted island.
6. Buy Quality Products: Somewhat counterintuitive for those who focus exclusively on the bottom line, but if you pay more for a high-quality ingredient, you’re less likely to let it go to waste. - This can be tricky. Generic peanut butter is pretty much the same as Jif or Peter Pan but some products aren’t as good and you have to just learn from experience.
7. Grow Your Own Herbs And Salad: Herbs and salad expire quickly in the fridge. If you have the space, grow your own and save.- I tried growing some mint and cilantro earlier this summer. I got them confused and my burrito tasted like toothpaste.
8. Buy Whole Vegetables: Bagged lettuce? Washed carrots? Like any vegetable, they start to decompose as soon as they’re processed. - Another convenience versus practicality issue. Have you tried the bagged Salsa Salad mix?  It’s freakin awesome!
9. Be Storage Savvy: Keep your food fresh with proper storage. If you’re a fresh fruit lover, invest in an ethylene gas guardian to stave off spoilage. - A what? How about some generic Tupperware? I have some extra tops if anybody has any bowls.
10. Plan Your Meals: Planning is a key part of list building, and one of the best ways to prevent abandoned foodstuffs from clogging up your fridge. - I do try to think about what I am making for dinner this week.  Somehow frozen pizza always ends up on the list.
11. Cook! Don’t just follow recipes. Real cooks now how to whip that extra bit of coconut milk or leftover celery into a tasty meal. - What can I make from fuzzy 20 day filet mignon and black peaches? I know: Trash!
12. Cook In Bulk: Since you’re already at the stove, double the recipe and save the leftovers. - Actually, a pretty good idea. Whenever I grill I usually throw on an extra chicken.  And then slice it up for use in a salad.  I know, not that funny, but it’s the truth.

There are a few more items on the list but a lot of it is common sense, like taking your lunch to work instead of blowing $5 on a burger.

Or you can can do what I do and go out to eat with a collegue and pretend you forgot your wallet.

Well, here it is. A quick little video that I put together from the day that my family and I went snorkeling.  This is the first time that I really had a chance to use my new video camera and you can tell that I am still getting used to it. The music is from the Jaws soundtrack (appropriate, right?) by John Williams who was totally my hero growing up. I seriously thought I was going to be a movie composer back when I was taking piano lessons.  In fact, I still harbor the idea that someday I will write a score for a movie.  I better get to work on that.

Also, there is a new poll on the right side for you to peruse at your leisure.