Facing My Demons

Having gone without a tv, dvd player, stereo, or even sound on my computer for over a week, I finally broke down and started getting all of the audio components hooked up again.

Although it's been nice and peaceful around here, I couldn't even pop a cd into my computer if I wanted some music. Previously, I was running the sound from my computer through an old bookshelf stereo system, and the speakers were pretty shiatty. And it took up a lot of space--I needed a separate table next to my computer desk for the receiver, and the speakers were about the size of shoeboxes. Overall, it was pretty ghettofabulous.

So a couple weeks ago, on one of my numerous trips out to Fry's Electronics, I picked up a set of surround sound speakers with a subwoofer for the computer. They've been sitting in the box unopened since I brought them home. And since I'm the king of procrastination, it's taken me this long to get them hooked up.

But, man, what a difference! The powered subwoofer makes a nice rumble, and the sound that comes from the little bookshelf speakers just blows me away. It's only 45 watts, but it's enough to get the dog barking and make windows rattle when I turn it up. As much as I bag on this obsolete computer, at least it has a decent sound card. I suppose that in the interest of it's own self-preservation, it's delaying it's inevitable replacement and destruction.

In addition to getting music and sound on my computer, yesterday I finally got down on the floor and set about re-wiring the surround sound system for the tv, cable, and dvd system. It's not that it's hard--it's just damn tedious, and of course there is a lot of trial and error before everything works the way it should. The biggest pain in the ass has got to be all of the speakers. On Derek's recommendation several years ago, I got the largest-gauge speaker wire possible. Running all six of them into the back of the receiver, with no male/female connecting ends is especially frustrating. It's cut, strip, twist, figure out which side is positive (no small feat without a flashlight and a third hand) and then force the whole thing into holes designed for wire half as thick. Repeat eleven more times.

And now that I'm in a bigger room, the tv is a few feet further from the end of my bed, which has got me thinking about 'needing' a new flat-screen HD model. My current television, although perfectly fine, is a standard 27-inch Sanyo model that I bought one day after making about $500 on a successful index option day trade back in 1999. But it *really* seems a little small now that I've got a bigger space.

I think seeing Ed's 60-inch widescreen monster last week may have spoiled me. Of course 60 inches of electronic happiness wouldn't even fit through the door in my bedroom, but 36 or even 42 might. But not anytime soon, although a flat- and widescreen system is definitely now on the shopping list.

But I'm just happy to be connected to the outside world again. As soon as I got everything working, I pulled up last week's episode of Entourage from HBO On-Demand, bringing me up to speed, and I also recorded last night's episode, watching it as soon as I got home this morning. Now I'm all caught up! And I also heard that Jeremy Piven got an Emmy last night for his role as Ari Gold, which he deserved, because he absolutely makes that show.

Now that I'm all hooked up, rewired, and networked again, it'll be nice to rejoin the ranks of the couch potatoes.

I've got some movies to watch.

Mikey

The bane of my existence