Monk News

Monk returns with Season Three on Friday, June 18 on USA Network. 🙂

Monk Season One on DVD available Tuesday, June 15.

Totally Fixed!

So I tuned in to Iron Chef America: Battle Of The Masters, solely because Alton was the commentator. Now first off, let’s start off with the title. Battle Of The Masters? And it features Bobby Flay (who I think sucks supremes), and Wolfgang Puck ( who just annoys me). Where are these alleged masters? I think that Food Network has a Bobby obsession, because he won over Iron Chef Sakai. As if! I mean I was pretty peeved when they deemed him winner of Morimoto (my favorite Iron Chef) last year. That’s just crap. There is no way he is better than them. Then I tuned in to Mario Batali (whom I like) battle Iron Chef Morimoto. And frankly, as much as I like Mario, his dishes were not as diverse as Morimoto’s. Guess who won? Mario! I’m convinced this is a fixed event, where they feel bad for the poor American chef”s. I think it’s unfair to the “real” Iron Chefs (they’ve given the title Iron Chef to the American chefs as well, which makes no sense, especially since they only battled twice (Flay), or never before) to have the judges be American. Why is it unfair? Because most of them have never experienced the kind of cuisine the “real” Iron Chefs prepare, and so they vote for the Yanks. There should be at least one Japanese judge. If I could find someone at Food Tv to forward my complaint to, I would do so. And I would urge you to do so as well.

Poor Alton. He’s stuck with a reporter on the floor who is suppose to be Alton’s eyes & mouth on the floor, and he can hardly tell a vegetable from a hole in the ground. Half of the dialogue is Alton correcting him on what he’s seeing. He was useless. No offense to the guy, but how the heck did he get that gig?

I went to the bank today, and I find it humorous that my banking guy recognizes me now. Brenton is the only guy there who knows how to deposit Canadian cheques, so I can only go when he’s there. And now he recognizes me. It’s almost like I have roots in Denver.

So I emailed Meg to tell her about Scotland. Her first words? You suck! 🙂 Even Diane is green with envy. Hey, it’s about time I get to go somewhere. Besides which they both went to Japan. Now if we could only first class, I’d be happier. As it is, I’m sure the plane will be plenty big and roomy. I’d imagine anyways.

I’m gonna close with a quote from The Matrix.

Oracle: I’d ask you to sit down, but, you’re not going to anyway. And don’t worry about the vase.

Neo: What vase?

[Neo turns to look for a vase, and as he does, he knocks over a vase of flowers, which shatters on the floor]

Oracle: That vase.

Neo: I’m sorry…

Oracle: I said don’t worry about it. I’ll get one of my kids to fix it.

Neo: How did you know?

Oracle: Ohh, what’s really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn’t said anything?

The Old Sod



We’re going to Scotland!!!!

Geoff and I are headed across the pond in July. There are hardly words to describe how excited I am. It’s unbelievable. We’re hoping to stay in a B&B or maybe more than one. We’ll be in Glasgow and time & money will dictate how much we see & do. I never thought I’d get to take a trip like this.

Okay, onto to other stuff, though I feel like I could talk about all I want to do in Scotland forever.

Bill O’Reilly. You know I dig the guy, but I wasn’t sure about what was said on yesterday’s show. He talked about Canada’s stance on the war, and he had a columnist from the Globe & Mail on (whom I thought came across in a less than flattering light). Anyways he said Canada was walking a path that would lead them into the same league as France. And you know how well France is liked here. So I had to email him about my logistics of Boycotting Canada. I don’t think I could. But I’m disappointed that my home country isn’t being supportive of the States. And I’m frightened by the “news” that Canada is fed. I better try to explain this better.

When I lived in Edmonton, I had a perception of what I thought the U.S. was like. I mocked Americans, and delighted in their misfortune. Then I moved to the U.S. and it wasn’t quite like I thought it would be. It’s different, and there are some arrogant stupid Americans, but that is also true of Canadians. Here they think Canadians are all sweet and friendly. And frankly, we’re not all like that. But where did I form these opinions of a country I’d never seen? Am I making sense? I just don’t think you can trust all media to be honest.

I think Bill’s going to talk about it again today, so I’ll have to tune in.

On a lighter note, I watched the movie Go yesterday. It was alright. Some of the movie I liked more than other parts, but I thought the casting was pretty good. I hope to watch the commentary on Goonies tomorrow, and make it to Peet’s (which I didn’t do on Tuesday).

We’ve started to set plans in motion for the Irvine trip. I have to email some friends who wanted to set up a get together. It’s nice if you can get in a visit with several friends at once, so it doesn’t take up all your nights. Like it does in Edmonton. 🙂

I couldn’t stop myself, and I found out how Angel was going to end. Here’s the thing, it’s so very Joss to kill off characters. No one is safe from him. And the WB has agreed to put out some Angel movies on tv. But if you kill off the characters I love, where is the reward in tuning in? Granted, he often brings the dead back (Darla and Lilah to name two). But still…

It’s only fitting to end with the lyrics to The Old Sod.

From the old sod to the new land we came over by the score

We cut the ties and said goodbye and closed the old world door

We settled on the prairies in your cities, and your towns

There’s another oatmeal savage every time you turn around

And there’s none more Scots than the Scots abroad

There’s a place in our hearts for the old sod

Ah there’s none more Scots than the Scots abroad

There’s a place in our hearts for the old sod

Rotten Apples

Chris, I am sorry if I offended you. It’s true of any group of people, that a few rotten apples can spoil the bunch. I know some very nice Liberals, and some very evil ones.

I stunned everybody at work yesterday by my declaration that I am a Republican. I don’t know why they were surprised, but they were taken aback. Funnier still was the comment “but you can’t vote”. Amazingly enough I didn’t get razzed that much. I get it much worse when the topic of creation comes up.

We watched A Mighty Wind last night. It was pretty good. It was fun to point out the actors who were also in Best In Show. It may be time to try to watch Waiting For Guffman. I’ll check to see if the library has it.

I’ll close with a quote from Beetlejuice.

Adam: What are your qualifications?

Betelgeuse: Ah. Well… I attended Juilliard… I’m a graduate of the Harvard business school. I travel quite extensively. I lived through the Black Plague and had a pretty good time during that. I’ve seen the EXORCIST ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT… NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU’RE TALKING TO A DEAD GUY… NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK? You think I’m qualified?

Intolerable Cruelty

No, I’m not talking about having to spend time with Kerry-loving librocrits, but the movie. 🙂

We rented Intolerable Cruelty, and we were not disappointed. It was a little different than what I expected from the Coen Brothers, but it was good. I find Catherine Zeta-Jones’ choice of movie roles interesting. I kinda think in real life she’s a combination of Charlie Nicholson and Gwen Harrison. I could be wrong. She may a very nice person, but in Hollywood, how can you tell?

Dylan is going to start Kindergarten this fall. He’ll be going to the school Colin & I went to, Julia Kiniski. How weird is that? I loved that school, I had a great teacher, Mr. Teitzen. I hope Dylan likes it there. 3 of my cousins also went there, so they are familiar with the Torrance name.

I checked at work about the Paleontology classes running this summer, and they don’t start until August. Which is great, as I’ve got travel plans. But hopefully I’ll earn some money to pay for a class. I also hope to earn some money for a visit to Edmonton. We’ll have to see what the summer holds. Geoff and I still think going to Edmonton in March for the Brier would be awesome. It’ll depend on how anxious I get.

It’s a gorgeous sunny day here, with rain in the forecast for later this week. I have to got to the post office & library, so I may take an extended walk. I hope to walk to Peet’s tomorrow and have some tea and read.

It’s so nice to have Geoff home. We had a very relaxing weekend together. I’ll close with a quote from Intolerable Cruelty. (I found this very funny in the outtakes.)

Miles Massey: What are they, ladles?

Wrigley: Berry spoons.

Miles Massey: Spoons?

Wrigley: Berry spoons. Everybody has spoons.

Miles Massey: And nobody *needs* berry spoons.

Wrigley: Everybody eats berries.

Oh Joy!



Colin got a new job!

Two Lost Souls Swimming In A Fish Bowl

Ah, my fella is returning tonight. I have to try to not fit a week’s worth of conversations into one night. It was a pretty dull week, the highlight being any chance I got to chat with people (online or in person).

So I awoke this morning to at least 4″ of snow and it just kept falling. As I type, the snow has changed to rain, and there is heat coming off the ground. I borrowed the neighbor’s brush to get the snow off it. We had a nice one, but it got accidently left in Jason’s rental car. I tried to get one at Target, but they aren’t selling them, cause it’s Spring. 🙂 Hopefully this will be the last snow until Winter, and then we can worry about a new snow brush.

Thank you for all the sympathy emails about my “trip” to Kiowa. I’m fine. 🙂

I could not believe Scrubs ended like that last night! I also loved the Janitor’s comment “You’re not Ross & Rachel”. I’m telling you, Scrubs, Monk and This Just In are the funniest shows on tv. This Just In has aired it’s six episodes, and I’m hoping Spike will hold onto that show and ask for more episodes.

Kelly has written some great stuff on her blog this week, you should be reading it regularly. I love that she doesn’t hold back on how she feels about Tarantino.

I’m closing with a quote from The Cable Guy.

Steven: Can I get a knife or fork?

Wench: There were no utensils in medieval times, hence there are no utensils AT Medieval Times. Would you like a refill on that Pepsi?

Steven: There were no utensils but there was Pepsi?

Wench: Dude, I got a lot of tables.

Melissa’s Big Adventure

So Shannon gave me really good directions to get out to her place in Elizabeth, and we had a great visit. She made some yummy soup which was perfect for a cloudy day. Kaylynn had me cracking up, and I know she thought I was pretty funny too. She has some fun toys. I headed out between 2:30-3:00pm, armed with my directions. Now I should mention that I don’t read directions in reverse so well. I was driving, and looking for a second stop sign. I never saw one. I just kept driving, and once I reached a T intersection, I opted to turn right. Now I’m talking myself into stuff looking familiar, but nothing does. I finally see a sign that says Kiowa City Limits. I pull over and call Shannon. While the phone is ringing, my phone starts to beep to tell me I’m almost out of battery. Shannon encourages me to plug in the phone (which I can’t), and to seek out directions. I promise to call her once I get home. So I’m beside a gas station & a real estate office. I choose the real estate office. Not because I think they’ll know the area, but I figure they are probably more reliable than a gas station. First, I have to stop crying (don’t feel bad, I wasn’t crying so much, just a little). It has now started to rain pretty hard. I go in, and tell him I’m lost, help me find my way back to Denver. I need to find Parker Road. I tell him I was just in Elizabeth visiting a friend, but I’m totally lost. He starts to try to give me directions, then decides to draw me a map. When I tell him the route I took to get to Elizabeth he looks at me funny. He asks, where have you lived all your life? So I tell him Canada. Oh, he says, yeah, no roads needed there, you just have your snowmobiles. I nod sympathetically. 😉

So he draws the map and explains to me what the route will look like. Very simple directions. But I’m sure to ask him once I reach the road that will lead me home (Parker), I will be able to recognize it’s the right one. Yes, it’ll be the 3rd set of lights, and a major intersection. Map in hand, and a prayer, I’m off to head home. It’s pretty rural, and the rain is really coming down. I find my way home, and I pass 2 Chick-Fil-A’s and consider stopping to eat. But then I figure, I have food at home, plus Shannon will be waiting for my call. I walk in the door at 5pm, and call Shannon. She’s been praying every half hour for me to make it home safe. She feels bad, and I assure her, it was likely unavoidable. Besides, I’m home safe. Next time the drive will be better. It won’t deter me from seeing her & Kaylynn.

I usually have bad luck getting places when I am alone. Even when I’m not. There was the time I ended up in Santa Monica with Colin, Dawn & Dylan trying to find Hollywood. 🙂 That was the worst experience. I was so upset I got physically ill. Colin had to drive. And then there was the day we arrived in Denver and I got lost trying to find the place where we had to return to Budget truck. I was crying a lot that day. The thing with Denver is, you get like no notice when your lane is going to end. And they have huge sections where there are one way streets.

Alright, just wanted to blog that. Scrubs is on in a few. I’m closing with a quote from This Is Spinal Tap.

David St. Hubbins: I do not, for one, think that the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem *may* have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being *crushed* by a *dwarf*. Alright? That tended to understate the hugeness of the object.

Ian Faith: I really think you’re just making much too big a thing out of it.

Derek Smalls: Making a big thing out of it would have been a good idea.

Who’ll Stop The Rain

It’s all rainy here, which is good because they have drought issues. But I want nice weather for my drive to Elizabeth.

Jeff insisted I attended the volunteer luncheon today, so I went. They served Chicken Kiev, and a very yummy chocolate mousse cake for dessert. The speeches were kinda dull, but that it expected. I took the bus today, and was not prepared for the rain. I didn’t bring an umbrella, so it was a damp walk home from the bus stop. My iPod made it better though. I can crank it, and enjoy the feel of fat rain drops on my face.

Angel tonight was awesome! Finally a Connor episode worth watching. I never liked Connor as a character, but tonight he was great. The best part was a comment Spike made that made me laugh, and clap and think of Geoff. He said Wes reeked of 12 year Lagavulin, and how he approved of that. 🙂 Made me wish I had taped it so Geoff could have seen it. It was everything you want from an Angel episode. Makes me mad the WB is discarding the show. But what can you do? No other network will pick it up, claiming they don’t want to pick at other networks scraps. Sigh. There are talks that they may do a Buffy or Angel tv movie, but that would be years away.

Geoff is having a blast in Monterey, which is good. I’d hate if he wasn’t enjoying himself. But it will be nice to have him back Friday. Kitty is adjusting pretty well. I don’t know what she’ll do next month when we go to CA. I wish we could take her with us, but it’s not fun for her to be in her cage all of the drive. She’s happier if she gets to stick to her routine.

I know I usually close with a quote, but tonight, I’m opting for a comic strip.

Not So Lonely

I had dinner tonight with Fiona & Robin at the Squealing Pig, an Irish pub in Cherry Creek. It was pretty cool, the food was way yummy, and the server was very friendly. The prices were reasonable too.

I donated blood today. It’s been 5 years since my last donation, so I was a little nervous. I almost didn’t get to donate, as my blood pressure was low. It’s always low, but apparently they have to have a minimum. It was 80/64, and if you don’t get it high enough after 3 tries, you have to try again another day (obviously I got to stay). It went by pretty quickly, and the museum is planning to hold another drive in October around Halloween. The girl who organized it & I were talking while I was eating my cookies. She wants to get some vampire movies to watch during the October blood drive. So we shared what would make good vampire movies to show. I think after our discussion she was going to stop by Blockbuster tonight and rent Fright Night.

“Oh, you’re so COOL, Brewster!”

I made plans with Fiona & Robin to go to Coldstone Creamery on Thursday. Mmm Coldstone. I also found out there is indeed a cheap theater in Denver/Aurora. I may drag Geoff there this weekend, they have Mystic River playing there.

I’m going to close with a quote from Big Daddy (mine & Dylan’s favorite Adam Sandler movie)

Sonny: Having a kid is great… as long as his eyes are closed and he’s not moving or talking.