...black...









...black...









...still black...










...Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...













me and mrs. couldn't help ourselves this wiikend. despite several flats of ps3's laying around, i couldn't part with 750 (for now) for a system where i didn't actually want a game. so for half the cost (with a 12% off coupon), we came home with an extra controller, the new zelda and a 2 yr warranty. shweeet.

i know the tv, dvd player and dvr are all black, but the white wii doesn't really stand out very much because the super small footprint. so far the motion sensing ability has worked really well and i find that most of the motions are fluid and natural - although the precision could use a little work. as soon as i get more controllers and decent party game, we'll through some kind of wii-party going.

on another note(addiction) , we're 2/3rds done with 24 season 2. good god there is still so much to go...

bear down...

i was fortunate enough to score tickets to last sunday's bears game against the seahawks. there was a great energy flowing throughout the game and everybody seemed to be having fun. let me recap the game... CHICAGO BEARS: 2006 North Division Champions!

Here's a view inside of the soldiers field spaceship...















Here's a view from where we were sitting - not too shabby.
















The crowd rushing the field after Robbie Gould's 49yd. winning field goal in OT.















My cousin richard (20 days older than me and a super sports fan) and i - well frozen by this time, but happy that the bears were still in it.















Good luck to the Bears against the Saints this weekend!

phrase/insult of the day...

Ass-Hat

...heh, gets me every time...

hello and goodbye

this weekend sarah and i hit up the nearby bestbuy to look at dvds...yes, more dvds.

unexpectedly, as we were perusing the aisles, we came across a stack of boxes neatly arranged in some cross-hatch pattern. it was like jenga for giants. only the pieces were made of 60GB PS3s. and throughout the store there were more - probably 25-30 scattered about willy-nilly. the main stack was closely guarded by several 20 something year old males, hovering and staring and circling with furrowed brows. i think i may have heard one whisper "my precious" as he made another pass. some even dared to pick up a box like it would actually tell them something they didn't already know and hadn't researched daily for the past few months. but most of them put it back down quickly, disgusted at the $600 price tag. $600 for what? It didn't include a second controller, a game, a blu ray DVD or even tax. everyone knew you wouldn't walk out with one dropping at least $750.

still, mezmerized i joined the zombie like stares and found myself more suprised than anything. how could there be so many sitting idly in such a small area? people are still willing to drop-kick their dogs for a wii. i guess in retrospect i shouldn't have. it was january 7th, well after the christmas rush and people simply didn't have the dough. I didn't have the dough. besides, rewind 3 months to when we got Sammy, our 1080p LCD. i made a deal with our budget that if I got the tv, i'd wait till we had a house to get the ps3.

...fuckin' short-sighted impatient and impulsive bill...

that probably should have been the end of that dance but sarah decided to throw a wildcard into the equation. she said we could get one but we'd basically have to eat dirt for the next few months. mmm...dirt. i gave it another moment of consideration, bid the stack adieu and walked away calmly. everybody who knows me knows i'm a loyal playstation consumer so don't think i've walked away for good. i'll get one when the time is right and my wallet is fatter.

i resolve...nothing...

it's january 5th and i'm pretty tired of hearing people talk about new years resolutions. i'm not one to make any. in fact, i don't like the new years holiday very much in general. i never have. it's a lame excuse for partying (if there is such a thing). turn of the calendar year? so arbitrary. and that's why most resolutions fail. seriously, how long can you exercise with the motivation "it's a new year?!" do something for a genuine reason, don't hide behind the new year. and what's the deal with the new year that makes people forget who they are? if you're going to make a resolution, make it a reasonable one. i know Bill(2006 model)=Bill(2007 model). i know myself and a resolution to not play any more video games won't fly. dane cook would call me a silly bitch for even thinking about it. in fact, i think i'm going to search out a wii this weekend.

move along...

i've never been one for travelling. call me a boring, but i like the familiar. i like my bed and i like my own stuff. after all, i wouldn't have bought them if i didn't. and it's not so much that i'm drawn towards what's comfortable than i've been pushed away by the hoards of ugly travellers (both figuratively and literally).

but it's 2007 now and something's changed recently. i may have caught a travelling bug. for christmas, sarah got me 1,000 places to see before you die. nice book. well written, well organized, but f#$%ing humbling. after perusing several sections and reminscing about my frugal childhood that lacked any real vacations, i realize that i've got a lot to see. so much that i've had to say screw the masses, we gotta go.

after doing the arizona thing last summer for scott's wedding and sint maartens over christmas, sarah and i are already shoring up our situation to determine what other places we can fit into budget and schedule. speaking of sint maartens, check out sarah's blog for some pics.

Next up on our list:

1. Going across the pond. Mediterranean cruise hitting spain, france and italy. Confirmed for June!

the rest are in no particular order.
- Gotta see the big apple. Scotty and one of Sarah's cousins live there.

- and if possible, it would make the most sense to make a longer trip on the east coast to see faisal in boston and the uchicago crew around D.C.

- phoenix again, to see sarah's mom. probably no grand canyon this time, but sedona is a possibility.

- it's almost time for another vegas binge. this time sarah would come so we could finally catch alana playing a jig or two at the nine fine irishmen.

- and when it's warm again, i need to visit the PK up in minnesota.

i'm not planning on hitting all of these places in '07, but i'll get to em eventually! anybody visiting chi-town in the near future?