Yesterday when I was aimlessly wandering around Wal-Mart, I was looking at their home theater stuff to see if they had any decent home theater in a box (HTIB) systems that didn’t include a DVD player. I don’t need another DVD player, as, between my old computer and the HD DVD player (which, despite the death of the format, I don’t feel was a waste of money, as it’s still a very good upconverting DVD player) I already have two hooked up to the TV.
But I also didn’t want to purchase separate components, as that can get really pricey really fast.
They had one, but I didn’t buy it. However, when I got home I started thinking about the implications of having a receiver that has an HDMI pass-through, which is something I hadn’t really thought about before.
Having a receiver with HDMI pass-through would mean that I connect all of my HDMI devices (set-top box, HD DVD player, and Media Lounge) connected to the receiver and have only one HDMI cable running to the TV, instead of having each device connected directly to the TV.
Yes, I know, a-derr, but as I said, I hadn’t thought about it before.
Also, the new TV stand had this gaping hole in it that positively cried out to be filled by a receiver of some kind, and I’d gotten tired of relying on the TV’s paltry speakers for sound.
Scott was coming over in the afternoon for some TV and DVD watching, so when he arrived I proposed that we go home theater shopping and he was amenable.
We first went to Circuit City, where we found a nice 7.1 Onkyo system that was pretty reasonably priced.
Naturally they didn’t have any in stock.
Ultimately it was for the best, as it only had two HDMI inputs, which would mean having to buy an HDMI switcher, tacking another $100 onto the price.
Next we went to Best Buy, which was killing Scott, as, for a variety of reasons, he hates Best Buy with a fiery passion.
They didn’t have any HTIB systems that I liked, but I found a reasonably-priced 7.1 receiver from Sony that had the necessary three HDMI inputs.
We couldn’t find any 7.1 speaker packages, but I decided to opt for a 5.1 system from Yamaha (which I got a 10% discount on, as all they had was an open box set), figuring that I could always buy two additional speakers at a later date (or use two of the speakers from my old HTIB system). Next up was a short HDMI cable to connect the set-top box to the receiver, and some speaker stands, and, a fair amount of money later (Disposable income…you know I love it), we were on our way back to my house, where the most important part of the day was yet to come.
No, not setting up the home theater – thanks again to Scott for helping me with that – but something far more important: we made bacon wrapped Tater Tots to accompany the burgers we grilled.
Holy.
Freaking.
God.
Words cannot express how sinfully, decadently, heart-stoppingly good they are.
Then it was on to setting up the home theater, and then, finally, we were able to watch Friday night’s episode of Battlestar Galactica, which was sitting on my DVR, and then Battlestar Galactica Razor on DVD.
(We also managed to fish the sole-remaining HDMI connection to the TV through the wall, so no there are no obtrusive cables hanging from it.)
Even sans the two extra surround speakers – which I really don’t have any place to put anyway – the sound was really, really good. In particular there were a lot of really cool surround effects.
Today has been less eventful. I went to Target to pick up a few things that I’d forgotten yesterday, such as some Just For Men.
I remain on the fence about the whole hair coloring thing. On the one hand, I suppose it does look better than the gray. Kathleen says that she likes it, to which I usually respond that her liking it doesn’t really do me any good.
(As I said to her before this most recent round of hair-coloring, “It’s not my gray hair that keeps the women away; it’s my gray personality.”)
But on the other hand, it seems pretty pointless, and though the slogan on the Just For Men box is “Stay in the game,” the fact is that I’ve been out of “the game” for a very long time – and not because of my gray hair – and, in fact, am not entirely sure I was ever in it to begin with.
Beyond that, I just don’t really care either way. Gray or not, it’s all the same to me, and while the coloring process isn’t that a big deal and doesn’t take long, not coloring it involves no effort at all.
Still, I did it today, and I’ll probably do it again, but I doubt that it’ll ever be anything I have any particularly strong feelings about.
(Note: I was going to post pictures of the new set up, but Blogger is being retarded.)
3 comments:
What Jon failed to mention is how the very skin on my body burned with every second spent in Best Buy. That place is a demonic hell hole filled with the festering remains of sales associates vomited from the deepest abysmal bowels of the earth. Whooooo, justhappenedtobehelpful,courteous,andabletocheckJon'spurchaseoutathisstationsothatwasnice.
And yes, bacon-wrapped tots are just as phenomenal as Jon described them, perhaps more so. I find myself craving their delicious baconness even now. Bacon-wrapped tots, you will be the death of me.
But you at least got to see the biker chick in the hot boots for your troubles.
I think what's most interesting about the Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots is the way, like a serpent, the bacon constricted around the tots as it cooked, squeezing them into submission, in much the same way that it will coil around your heart and squeeze the life out of it.
Color your hair its fun. You can have Scott do pink next time.
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