The Challenge Concludes

Whew.

Wow.

What a relief.

Thanks goodness.

Yes.

Back to reality....as I know it.



These are just a few of the feelings I have as my 20 day challenge against using my DVR is now...complete.

It's been a great ride: full of highs and lows, ups and downs, and lots and lots of live TV.

I definitely learned that it's difficult to give up something you are so used to (like DVR), and how much it affects your life when you do so (like rearranging your TV watching habits).

I mentioned the amount of programs I have to watch in the coming days (weeks) to play "catch up." The mindless act of fast-forwarding through advertisements will be a welcomed treat for me. My intent is to be caught up on everything within a week, and thus, back as a member of the social circle amongst my friends.

So I want to thank you are for joining me on my journey. Hopefully you found my recaps enlightening, or at the very least, humorous.

Some quick recaps to bid you farewell:

• Rams won today and are now 4-4 at the midway point. They might actually win the NFC West. Talk about a crazy NFL season.
• Lakers clobber the Warriors.
  
• Giants win Game 4 of the World Series to take a 3-1 lead. They can wrap up the title tomorrow night for their first championship since moving to the Bay Area. It would also erase the heartache of 2002 and be the first MLB title I can enjoy.
  
• Managed to watch this week's episode of Boardwalk Empire. It keeps getting better and better. Loved the one-eyed sniper, and the fact that Nucky decided to burn down his father's old house, after he got it all fixed up nice and fancy for that family. Sure, a few thousand outta cover those losses. Great stuff.

Thanks for the comments and the dedication to my insanity. I completed the challenge and am looking forward to my next one.

Whenever that arises.

DAY 19 Wrap

Today was definitely sports-filled (not that that theme is different than any other day for me).


Arizona vs. UCLA at the Rose Bowl

Took my friend, "Dana," to her first every live college football game. It was quite exciting for her. She didn't ask too many questions, but appeared to be a deer in headlights viewing all of the action.

First Quarter Highlights

Met up with an old high school buddy of mine and enjoyed a little college tailgating. Shotgunned a couple of beers, ate some meat with my bare hands, and watched Arizona take an early lead, only to lose it to a late UCLA score. (Arizona 7, UCLA 7)

Second Quarter Highlights

Made our way into the Rose Bowl to locate our seats (and the nearest bathroom). On the way, found some delicious Cookies & Cream Dippin' Dots and a hot pretzel (Yum!!). After settling in, Arizona's offense came alive and outscored the Bruins in the quarter to take a halftime lead (Arizona 19, UCLA 7)

Third Quarter Highlights

The sun was intense in our seats. There was a crazy UCLA fan shouting monotone throughout the game and becoming quite annoying. Luckily, there were plenty of garlic fries, water, and Arizona fans sitting next to us. Arizona and UCLA exchanged touchdowns in the quarter (Arizona 26, UCLA 14)

Fourth Quarter Highlights

With the Bruins crowd getting into the game late (thanks to an annoying yellow and blue-clad cheerleader on the field), UCLA made it interesting with a touchdown to pull close. But, in the end, an Arizona field goal and some key defensive plays sealed the deal for the Cats (Arizona 29, UCLA 21)



We won't talk about World Series Game 3. With the Giants losing, 4-2, it's now a series again. Will it be a trick or a treat for the Giants on Halloween?

Stay tuned for the "spooky" conclusion to the DVR Challenge.

DAY 18 Wrap

It's Friday, and that would mean no DVR.

But plenty of sausage!

http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

Great evening of drinks, sausage, and an overwhelming amount of musicals. Visited Wurstkuche with "Mary" and "Dana" and enjoyed a fun atmosphere. I highly recommend the Alligator sausage....hickory smoked and yummy.

Then I enjoyed the Lakers beat-down on Phoenix to improve to 2-0.

Home stretch!

DAY 17 Wrap

"Walker: Texas Rangers."

Some good programming on tonight, but never better than the Rangers' pitching meltdown in the bottom of the seventh inning to allow the Giants to take a 2-0 World Series lead heading to Arlington.

Game 3 is Saturday afternoon.

Lots of Halloween-themed programs on tonight. And in the spirit of the black and orange I give you tonight's review treats on a scale of 1 (rotten) to 4 (ripe) pumpkins....



"Community"
3.5 Pumpkins

Wow. Only “Community” could come up with, let alone execute, a zombie apocalypse set to ABBA songs with narration from George Takei, and nail it – perfectly.

The costumes were great. From Jeff as David Beckham to Britta’s dragon-turtle, they were great.

The story was insane (hazardous material as taco meat causes the zombie outbreak), but hey, its Halloween…have some fun.

Some great moments that stood out include:

• Zombie Pierce eating Star Burns
• “Thanks, Chiquita, MD.”
• “My, Annie, what a big fist you have – in your face!”
• “Be the first black man to make it to the end.”

Overall, “Community” paid a nice homage to zombie films, and did it with a lot of humor and even some interesting plot developments with Chang and Shirley.

"The Office"
2.5 Pumpkins

This was a pretty standard episode of “The Office” for me. Aside from a few great costumes, there wasn’t anything too funny that stood out for me.

I love how Andy had to explain his outfit to everyone (“Soooookie!”) and of course, Angela’s naughty nurse outfit that she donned in order to ramp it up to win a prize worth $40? Or is it $15,000? No…it’s a $2 coupon book.

The story itself was rather mediocre. The drama centering around one of Darryl’s ideas getting picked up by corporate no thanks to Michael. Michael, or should I say, MacGruber, goes from angry to mocking to apologetic in front of the entire staff, including Lady Gaga Gabe. However, I thought it was kinda of weak.

There was also some tension between Jim, Pam and Danny (Timothy Olyphant), which added a little dorky spice to the mix. I am not sure how the writers will wrap up Danny's character though.

"The Office" was good, but not as good as “Community.”

Best line of the night:

• "Best Edward James Olmos costume ever."
  

DAY 16 Wrap

The countdowns are officially on...


Days Left in Challenge: 4

It's the final push towards the finish line. With only 4 days left (two of which are on a sports-filled weekend), the stage is set for me to be re-released back into the wild. My shackles are loosening, and I can taste the recorded freedom in the air.

In all honesty, I'm getting excited for this challenge to be over. Not that I couldn't continue to trek on, but simply, because I actually love the convenience of being to watch shows on your schedule - not on the network's.

There are lots of shows stored safely on my DVR that I will be (fully) enjoying once the clock strikes Midnight on Sunday night.

Some "highlights" include:

• Two, and soon to be three, episodes of "The Big Bang Theory."
• Two, and soon to be three, episodes of "South Park."
• Three episodes of "The Biggest Loser"
• All the MTV reality junk
• The entire fourth season of "Mad Men."*
  

* Note: I have been playing catch-up on Mad Men and am just about the wrap up Season 2 this week. Awesome show. And with Season 3 arriving soon from Netflix, I'll be treating myself to commercial free airings to ring in the new year (and get caught up in all the office conversations).



Wins Remaining for a World Series Title: 3

Giants 11, Rangers 7 (Game 1 FINAL)

So much for the pitching duel between Lee and Lincecum.

In a night filled with sloppy play, bad pitching, and Tony Bennett, the San Francisco Giants opened up the World Series by bitch-slapping the Rangers in Game 1.

The G-Men smacked around Lee and took the opener, setting up a crucial Game 2 in San Francisco on Thursday night.

The Giants wasted no time, and did not let the Rangers hang around long. Probably because they knew I had some "Modern Family" to watch.

A win, is a win, is a win - and the Giants struck first. I like the Giants to win Game 2 and send the series back to Texas for a Saturday evening showdown.



Big Games I'll Be Watching This Weekend: 2

Arizona vs. UCLA @ The Rose Bowl (Saturday 12:30PM)

Rain or shine, nothing says October football like a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Arizona rolls in at 6-1 and needs a win against a banged up UCLA squad that is hungry for an upset. The Wildcats need to win to keep pace with Oregon and Stanford, as well as to maintain their Rose Bowl hopes.


World Series Game 3: Giants @ Rangers (Saturday 3:57PM)

Pending the outcome of tomorrow's Game 2, my attitude will be affected one way or the other about this game. So, to maintain sanity, I won't be jinxing myself talking about it.

The only thing you can bet on is that I will be hustling out of Pasadena to the nearest wing+beer establishment to enjoy the sporty goodness.



Number of Chances: 1

Biggie gimmie one more chance.






And now, onto the one show I did watch live this evening (after baseball of course).


"Modern Family"

I thought the Halloween episode was great. Definitely had a lot of good moments and some hilarious one-liners. From "Spiderman" Mitchell to Gloria's butchered English, the story was all in all, funny.

Some key quotes I liked:

• "Yesterday's lazy cures today's crazy."

Have to love how Cam said the real Spiderman could help when Mitchell's suit is "all toilety." Cam immediately looks at himself (donning a squeaky, skin tight Spiderman suit) in the mirror and says, "He's here" before shimming down a drainpipe.

• "Don't push me away, I'm not Judy."

Poor Phil. First, he slams he neighbor, then gets repeatedly scared by a motion-activated mummy.

• "I'm a monogomous social drinker and Claie only sleep hits me."

Rad.

• "I'm Mother Teresa back when she was hot."
  

So wrong, yet so funny.

• "Baby Cheez-Its."
• "The whole thing, is a colossal fog cue."

Like I said, really really funny stuff.





And that's a wrap on Wednesday's DVR Challenge recap. It's all downhill from here.

DAY 15 Wrap

The Los Angeles Lakers opened up defense of their two-time championship with a thrilling 112-110 victory over the Houston Rockets tonight.

Key reserves, Shannon Brown and newcomer Steve Blake, made huge shots and defensive stops down the stretch to prevent any thought of an upset victory on "ring ceremony" night.

Kobe and Paul combined for 56 points, which was just enough to hold off the young starting back court of the Rockets, Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin, who teamed up for 50.

It was a nice start to the season, and should be an exciting time for Lakers basketball.

Oh...almost forgot what this whole post was about...DVR.

No recorded shows tonight, thanks primarily to basketball.

More tomorrow with Game 1 of the World Series.

Mahalo.

DAY 14 Wrap

Wow. Two weeks.

I have been writing (and you have been reading) this for two whole weeks. I can't believe I have made it this far without watching DVR.

I think the keys to my success (thus far) can really be summed up with one statement:

Lots and lots and lots of great live sports. I believe that I made a good choice on my timing for this great DVR Challenge. College and pro football, baseball playoffs, the start of the NBA...these have all had some type of influence on the way I have conducted myself during this challenge. The main reason being is that some of my normally-watched shows (see: "Hell's Kitchen") have been put on temporary hiatus while Fox broadcasts the MLB playoffs and World Series.

So....that being said, whenever there is a game on Tuesday night or Wednesday night, they won't run any new programming. Bonus! I don't miss much.

But, let's not get carried away...I still have a ton of shows I need to catch up beginning November 1st. But until then, let's wrap up this final Monday of October and my DVR Challenge.


"How I Met Your Mother"

I loved this episode. With all the Barney Baby Talk and the interaction between Marshall and Lilly, this was another solid episode in the season.

I think Marshall touched on every man's fear - raising a daughter that becomes a ho.

Great scene with Marshall's father providing the Ericsson "secrets' to having a healthy, 12-pound baby boy (I cringed when he dipped his sack into the bowl of ice).

Also, Lilly had a very funny line to debunk Marshall's attempt to conceive a baby boy by saying, "Dude, you are writing checks my vagina can't cash."

I was really annoyed by the whole Becky thing...however, that Esther...she made up for in in bunches, especially with her card "trick."

Get it? Trick?

Okay...I'm done now.

Challenge accepted.

DAY 13 Wrap

So, apparently one of my followers (critics) thought that I should write more about my feelings tied to the shows I watch, rather than recaps themselves.

Fair enough.

I mean, most of the people that are following me (2), watch the shows I watch, so I figured, what the heck?

Especially on a Sunday when the DVR Challenge is at it's most difficult.

Here we go:


"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO East)
I think this episode can be summed up with one word: "Lysol."

The ultimate in product placement, Mrs. Schroeder decides to not become Mrs. Thompson, and instead refers to the product placement of a harsh chemical as a solution to birth control.

Bravo, advertisers for sticking this in. So to speak.

Other highlight of mine was the crazy Chicago gunfire scene. Nothing says hot action i the Windy City like some whores with hidden guns showing up to help Jimmy and Al Capone pull off a thrilling (and totally gruesome) execution.

The creepster moment of the episode was the final scene in which Van Alden choose a belt over Kleenex tissues (would have been another excellent product placement position) and proceeds to flog himself like a maniac. Sure, he has feelings for Margaret, but that's no reason to go postal on yourself. This creepy scene only heightens his persona.


"Bored To Death" (HBO East)

Any show that has Kevin Bacon playing Kevin Bacon is a WIN (at least for me).

What a hilariously funny episode. Lots of laughs and the lines by Mr. Bacon were great.
Such wonderful chemistry between Kevin and Zach Galifianakis discussing the role of "Super Ray" and how important it was that Bacon fully encapsulate the character by moving in, wearing Zach's clothes, etc.

"Eastbound and Down" (HBO East)

You have to love the fact that Kenny's father is Don Johnson. Not only has the post-Miami Vice life treated Don so (un)friendly, but it's just hysterical to see him down in Mexico, living it up as a deadbeat liar....oh wait, that's right...Kenny's living it up in that fashion as well.

Well then, like father, like son.

I have to tell you, Danny McBride is a strong actor. Kenny Powers is a difficult role to play, mostly because you have to make a complete jerk watchable and likable.

I thought the episode was solid, although, I am not sure how the story with Kenny's father will be played out...however, there was some foreshadowing with April, "the love of his life," when Stevie revealed to Kenny that she never got married. Kenny's look of disbelief makes the episode's final scene a forgone conclusion — he leaves April a simply stated voicemail from a payphone: "I'm coming for you." I doubt I was alone when I thought, "Finally!"

As the end of Season 2 approaches, it's become obvious "Eastbound & Down" is a better show when Kenny mixes it up with April. She's naturally sweet, but capable of wicked one-liners and a sense of humor that matches brilliantly with Kenny's.

I hope they find a way to weave her into the final few episodes to set up next season.

"Dexter"

While I am not totally enamored of this Lumen plotline, I am only mildly intrigued. Lumen seems like more trouble than she is worth.

Between her insistence on getting revenge regardless of the consequences and Quinn’s growing suspicions, I can’t help wonder how Dexter will fare through all of this. Will one of these characters finally be the key to Dexter’s downfall or will his cleverness get him out of trouble again. Since the show is only gaining in popularity, I vote for the latter.

However, this season has been kind of a disappointment (for me) so far. I guess when you stack up the awesome writing and character acting of last season's Trinity Killer, it's hard to top.

I don't think this is the end for Dexter, especially with his son, Harrison "The Scratcher," in the picture. However, I think there definitely needs to be a major twist in the story to keep things interesting.

DAY 12 Wrap

The Giants Win The Pennant!
The Giants Win The Pennant!

What a great day. Not only did I get the opportunity to celebrate my mom' birthday, but my Wildcats won (to improve to 6-1) and the Giants are headed to the World Series.

Game 1 starts on Wednesday night. Thanks goodness Fox is televising all the games...they are not showing a lot of their programming because of it, so in essence, I'll have less to watch beginning Monday, November 1st.

I'll have to get into full "live TV" mode tomorrow with the big Sunday lineup, but until then...enjoy the champagne, boys.

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DAY 11 Wrap

It's Friday night. You shouldn't be watching DVR.

Or reading this post.

More to come this weekend.



Shoo.

DAY 10 Wrap

Before I jump into reviews of my programs, let it be known that I will not be discussing the Giants 4-2 loss in Game 5 of tonight's NLCS. It will only frustrate the crap out of me.

Not that they lost (which was painful enough) but that the 9th inning drifted (once again) into my TV lineup for the night.

Talk about wanting to pull my hair out - Back and forth between "Community" and watching the Giants strike out to end the game. Ugh. The series shifts back to Philly for Game 6 on Saturday afternoon.

Whew.

And with that, let's get to the comedy...



"Community"

Tonight's episode didn't have quite the same volume of laughs as last week's episode, but had two main plots that seemed to flow pretty well.

In the first story, Shirley asks Abed to help her make a movie about Jesus to attract more people to her church. In the secondary plot, Pierce joined up with a group of older students at Greendale. The other leads spend their time on the sidelines; Jeff snarked when appropriate, Britta acted judgmentally, Annie was shocked, and Troy was a rapping Jesus.

Shirley and Abed's story really didn't work for me. Abed's ridiculous proclamations as "Jesus" were amusing, as were the references to Jesus' actual life, and Shirley's presence kept things grounded. But Abed's persona was so vague (he looked more like David Copperfield than Jesus ) that the rest of the story didn't really work as tightly as the second plot.

Pierce's story was stronger, because it also served as a neat parody of story lines that were quite funny. Pierce hung out with the "hipsters" (so-called because they all have hip replacements), drinking booze and playing poker, until things got too heavy and he realized who his real friends were. Some good lines here, and the reference to Jeff and Britta as the group's "parents" is still weird enough to be funny.

Any episode with a rapping black Jesus definitely earns above-average marks in my book.

Couple of lines that I thought were funny:

• "I don't even believe in God. But I love me some Abed."
• "Did you just scripture me, Muslim?"
• "Dear God, my movie is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen in my entire life."
• "I've got a real 'Snakes on a Plane' brewing.''

Sigh - I wonder what "The Big Bang Theory" is up to these days...



"The Office"

The Office is at its best when it has one foot planted in reality and the other drifting off into absurd Michael Scott shenanigans.

Tonight's episode did a good job in reminding us why everyone’s favorite hapless regional manager is actually (sometimes) qualified to lead the branch by presenting painfully awkward scenes that the series does so well.

After losing a big client to sales guru Danny (Timothy Olyphant), Michael, Jim and Dwight set up a sting to discover their rival’s tricks. Things go hilariously haywire, however, when Meredith (posing as an executive named Mrs. Van Helsing) attempts to seduce Danny and the whole thing unravels. As Danny angrily storms out (at one point he gets so heated, he threatens to hit Michael), Michael convinces him to take a job as Dunder Mifflin’s new traveling salesman. It’s a nice little reminder that Mr. Scott actually does have some serious sales skills (not to mention a keen business mind), as he successfully sells his biggest competitor on the idea of joining forces.

Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, set up a sting, subject ’em to the sexual advances of your employees, and offer ’em a job!

The episode’s subplot revolved around Andy and Darryl’s burgeoning friendship. After learning that a college buddy of his has enjoyed some modest success in the music biz, a jealous Andy pays Darryl to start a band with him. After a few jam sessions, Darryl stops accepting payment, prompting Andy to ask incredulously, “So we’re just jamming as friends?” The heartfelt moment works well to balance the silliness of Michael’s sting operation, and it makes sense as a continuation of last week’s storyline, when Darryl comforted Andy after the latter’s embarrassing office sex-ed presentation.

Some additional thoughts:

• Nice to see the full cast being utilized again. Meredith, Stanley and Oscar all got some much-deserved cameos.
• Michael, on losing the sale to Danny: “It’s like if Michael Phelps came out of retirement, jumped in the pool, bellyflopped and drowned.
• The fact that Danny briefly dated Pam is a nice touch that could make for some interesting Jim/Pam tension this season.
• Andy, on his song: “I feel like I could see someone ice skating to it.”
• Dwight, on transportation: “A horse is a bike that pedals itself."
• Best line of the frog novelty song: “I find you absolutely Ribbiting!”

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"

Tonight's episode was a solid and extremely humorous storyline.

Each character's strange parental relationships are revealed front and center with Mac and Charlie sing an incredibly funny full-length version of "Thank You For Being A Friend," while trying to get their moms to live in harmony like "The Golden Girls."

Frank's subplot of "parenting" Dee (by poisoning her and tying her to the bed) was pretty good and the old, unkillable dog was fantastic.

The entire cast was used pretty well. Dennis, who being a sociopath has no interest in any family connections, was used well as a "fixer" for both plotlines, getting Mac and Charlie's moms together and encouraging Frank to be a more obviously nice dad to Dee by kidnapping and drugging her. Of course, all that mattered to Dennis was that he was getting both of these problems out of his hair.

Mac and Charlie's mom refuse to make eye contact at first but eventually they're getting along famously, with Mac's mom fixing the ceiling fan and Charlie's mom spewing about the Muslims. "I wish they'd all go back to the desert." Charlie notes: "It's not really a Golden Girls conversation, it's more of a racist conversation." Classic.

Poppins the dog was so sad and hopeless, but I enjoyed his resurrection and Mac's trick of popping his eye back in with a knuckle. I was glad he didn't meet his end after Frank and Dennis, probably the most heartless pair the show can concoct, buried him just by tossing him in the garbage. "What are you going to do, send him to the moon?" Poppins is indestructible.


Other great lines:

• Mac has peculiar ideas about taking his mom to a nursing home. "Why don't I just rape her myself!" He's turned Frank onto the stereotype too: "As soon as you drop your soap, they rape your butt!"
• "Mrs. Mac has a unique and earthy fragrance." "I smell like shit!"
• "Oh, so Charlie doesn't die."
  

Well, it's been a roller coaster week. Literally.

Time to relax without DVR for a while and enjoy the weekend.

DAY 9 Wrap

It doesn't get any better than this.

Fresh off a relaxing day at the Magic Kingdom, I am treated to a great baseball game and a highly entertaining episode of "Modern Family."

Without further ado, let's jump right in with both feet...



NLCS Game 4 - Giants 6, Phillies 5

All I can say is - wow! What a win.

In a game that lasted over 3 and 1/2 hours, my Giants outlasted the Phillies and moved within one more victory of the World Series.

I was sweating it out the whole time. Not that the Giants would or wouldn't win, but if the game would actually end before the 9PM PST of the start to "Modern Family."

It did....barely.

The Giants can wrap it all up tomorrow if they can get past Roy Halladay and the Phillies. It will be a true test, but I believe they can pull it out because the Giants just seem to have his number.

Wrapping up the division before the start of my Thursday programs, however, will be a far greater challenge.

But, let's not ponder on that quite yet, shall we?


"Modern Family"

I continually am just blown away by this show. Week after week, the writing, the stories, the characters - they all get better. And, just when I think it couldn't leapfrog its past hilarity, it does. This week, the show takes an even more personal touch by focusing on my life (at the moment).

Tonight's episode was all about getting off the technology grid....and killing dogs and rats...and getting a baby into a pre-school that costs more than my car.

The Dunphys really could have a show all on their own (insert money-making Summer 2015 spin-off pilot here).

The one-liners tonight were bountiful.

• Claire's "I have almost no faith in you" whisper to Phil after he promises Haley a car if she wins the unplugged challenge.
• After discovering Haley tricked him with the "Sharpie-d" soap cell phone, all Phil can say is, "Holy crap. We've been Shawshanked."
• Gloria as a parrot - "Jay," "Jaaay," Jaaaaaay."
• "Now the dog is happy, Manny can sleep, and we have peeekles."
• And of course, the “Disabled Asian Lesbians with an African kicker–didn`t see that one coming."

Check back tomorrow to see how I manage NLCS Game 5 with the laundry list of Thursday night shows.

DAY 8 - Disneyland Break

With any challenge, a warrior who has persevered through the battle trenches deserves a much-needed period of rest and rejuvenation.

In other words, I needed a friggin' break. So that's exactly what I decided to do.

Accompanied by "Mary" and "Dana," my faithful legion and I ascended upon the Land of Disney this afternoon to partake in the (mostly cold and rainy) excitement of the Magic Kingdom.

We understood the challenge: Ride everything in sight, while avoiding the rain, the strollers, and the Japanese tourists.

Armed with only our umbrellas and an appetite for sugary confections, we took on this new challenge and owned it.

Honestly, I love a good challenge. It fills me up with tons of energy and pushes me to the brink of my being both on a mental and physical level.

Even though I was fully engaged in completing the Magic Kingdom Challenge, I still couldn't shake how vexing my original DVR Challenge really was.

See for yourself.

At this point, I was on my way to owning the Magic Kingdom Challenge (MKC). Despite this, I am pondering what's on my DVR. What am I currently missing? How will I be able to catch up? How will I really find out how he met their mother?

"Mary" and "Dana," on the other hand, having already succumbed to the DVR Gods, are thoroughly enjoying Splash Mountain.

Clearly by the end of the day, I have made Space Mountain my bitch. I have destroyed the MKC and am already looking ahead to completing my DVR Quest on October 31st. I shall overcome and destroy this challengee.

"Mary" and "Dana" have conquered the MKC as well, and are already starting their next adventure: rising above sleep deprivation.

Farewell, my legion.


The Don't View Randy Challenge resumes tomorrow with my thoughts on "Modern Family."

DAY 7 Wrap

*slow clap*

I officially have to give it up to yours truly for making it through the first week of the DVR Challenge. It hasn't been easy, but I have survived.

Whenever I wanted to fast forward through commercials, I stopped.
Whenever I wanted to pause to take a bathroom break, I resisted.
Whenever I wanted to see that funny line again, I refused.

And here I am...waiting to friggin' scratch my brain out! Ugh...I'll admit it, this challenge has been torture. But, I am sticking to my guns and holding serve as we press on...leaving the DVR in the dust (until of course, I can watch all my programs again in rapid speed on November 1st).

Okay, let's get to it...

Today felt like fall. Cool, breezy, some sprinkles. Overall, perfect weather....for staying inside under a blanket and watching mass quantities of shows on your DVR!

But I digress...

"How I Met Your Mother" was pretty good tonight. Not as strong as some of the other episodes this season, but it didn't had moments. Here are some of my highlights:

• Oh, Max. Robins new flame...for now. Based on the minuscule locker room conversation, I don't anticipate this relationship lasting longer than a few cosmopolitans with the girls. I call "Mini Max," the Slump Buster.
• "New Is Always Better."
• Zoey is going to be around for a while, making Ted's life exciting - for better or for worse.
  
• Papa Needs Traction In Bed.
• Marshall's right: "Architect of Destruction" really is a pretty cool wrestler name.
• Seriously though, what in the hell does Robin do in bed that got Max, Barney and Ted all shaking their heads in the locker room. Inquiring minds need to know.
  

Sports side note: I am officially fed up with my fantasy team(s) performance this week.

You can all *meep* off.

See you on Taco Tuesday.

DAY 6 Wrap

Oh..My..Goodness...

Seriously, I didn't know it was possible for one person to watch as much television (live) that I consumed today.

Before I dive into a quick summation of my "boob tube" exploits, let me start off by saying why the DVR Challenge is so difficult. First of all, there are serious lack of bathroom breaks. In the case of tonight, with so many back-to-back-to-back programs on my agenda, I hardly have enough time to run to the bathroom and get back to the couch in time before one program ends and the other begins. In the glory days of having television as my bitch, I could pause, rewind, and play programming on my watch. Not anymore.

Secondly, unless you have some errands or hobbies lined up, you actually waste a lot more time around live shows than you would with DVR. Not just with the ability to fast-forward through commercials. But, the simple fact that you have to be in front of the TV at a certain time, for a certain duration each night. No more "DVR Nights" where you can belt out all your shows at once. No, you actually have to set slotted times each night to watch, which actually (for me) has made my life more hectic.

But, I digress. Let's get to a summary of what I did today with my new friend, "live TV."
(For the sake of this post, we'll refer to my new friend, live TV as "Beaker.")

Football 10AM-1PM
Rams vs. Chargers

I had to watch this one. I was curious about how the rookie, Sam Bradford, looked. And let me tell you, he was very impressive against the Chargers. Not only did the kid make some great passes, but the Rams actually won the game (and gained a point for me in fantasy football). They are now 3-3 on the young season, and near the top of the NFC West.

If you would have told me that the Rams would have a better record than the Cowboys, Vikings, 49ers, Chargers and Broncos a third of the way through the season, I would have snorted. But here we are with the Lambs...err Rams playing good ball.

I love Beaker.


Football 1PM-4PM
Vikings vs. Cowboys

Ahh, good ol' afternoon football. This is where my fantasy league comes to die.

I should have known that it was going to be a rough day when the Seahawks (yes, the same Seattle club that never, ever wins a ball game when they travel east) upset the Bears at home.

That truly set the pace for my afternoon flop. I should have known it was going to be bad when "Mary" started winning the office pool.

Cowboys shoot themselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers and lose to the average Minnesota squad. They return to Big D 1-4, and my fantasy football (and "real" sports fandom) day unravels.

Die Beaker. Kill.


Baseball 5PM-8PM
NLCS Game 2: Giants vs. Phillies

Roy Oswalt is amazing. The Phillies shows the Giants their "O Face" and evened the series heading back to the Bay. Jimmy Rollins' three-run double blew the game open and ended all hope of a comeback. However, the Giants stole one, so to head back to San Francisco tied, is great. Now we'll see what happens beginning Tuesday.


Beaker is no longer my friend. I want to *meep* the *meep* outta him.



So, after all the sports, this is where it got crazy...

Boardwalk Empire (HBO East) 6PM-7PM
Bored To Death (HBO East) 7PM-7:30PM
Eastbound & Down (HBO East) 7:30PM-8PM

I flipped back and forth between the end of the Giants game and the Colts / Redskins Sunday night football game from 8 until the "live" Dexter started at 9.

Whew.

It was quite a bit of television watching, and let me tell you, I'm spent. My eyes are drained at this point and I can barely keep them awake while writing this.

So, in the interest of time and my health (note to self: eating carrots is a great way to make your eye sight strong), I will leave you with these few points about tonight's programming. If you didn't see all the programs I saw, I highly recommend you exit now, for fear that I might spoil a thing or two...

• Boardwalk Empire was great. Finally we get some payoff on the relationship between Nucky Thompson and Margaret Schroeder. The attraction has been there from the start. You couldn't miss it in the very first episode. These two major characters finally recognized it in the fifth episode. Boy, did they recognize it.
• Bored to Death was not bad. Nothing really stood out for me in the episode. Except the elf ears on the super fan of Ray's "Super Ray" comic book. Who would have thought that his character drawings would lead to such a following? It even resulted in a barfly enjoying his beard because it was "so beardy."
  
• Eastbound & Down was fantastic. I really love the Stevie character. He is simply amazing and really taking over the show.
• Dexter had another solid showing. I am a little bit unsure about the captured girl who witnessed Dexter killing Boyd. I'm not sure how that whole thing will play out.
  

So there you have it.

Lots of Beaker watching and then a long post to sum it all up.

Thrilling eh?

And now it's time for bed. My eyes can't stay "meep" open any longer.

DAY 5 Wrap

GIANTS Win! GIANTS Win!

Okay, it was only Game 1, but a nice win nonetheless! The "Freak" beat The "Doc," and the Giants now are in the driver's seat..at least for now.

Don't count out the Phillies yet, though. They had the best record in baseball, and some solid aces yet to come.

And, not to be undersold, but my Arizona Wildcats beat Washington State, 24-7 to improve to 5-1. Not all is good news, though. Star QB Nick Foles injured his knee in the first half and will be out at least two weeks. The next two opponents? Home against Washington and at UCLA.

I think we could beat both, but again, the offense was not nearly as explosive with Foles.

Tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day. Instead of drooling over the keyboard, let's sum up with bullet points (for those of you that know me, I loooove bullet points)

• Football 10AM-1PM
• Football 1PM-4PM
• Baseball: Giants @ Phillies (Game 2) 5PM
• Football: Colts @ Redskins 5:20PM
  
• Boardwalk Empire (HBO East) 6-7PM
• Bored to Death (HBO East) 7-7:30PM
• Eastbound & Down (HBO East) 7:30-8PM
• The Amazing Race 8-9PM
• Dexter 9-10PM
  

Notice the overlap. Without the ability to use DVR, it is impossible to watch everything at once. How can I watch everything? Well, I can't.

My hope is to watch the east coast feeds of HBO programming around football and baseball and catch Dexter at it's normal time.

I think it will still be possible to watch the end of the Giants game before switching over to Amazing Race.

But, first things first. Giants are my focus, despite my love for Sunday night television.

DAY 4 Wrap

No DVR recordings tonight (Yay!) so I could actually get a lot accomplished, right?

Welllll, not so much.

With no scheduled recordings until Sunday, I can catch up on all things sports. We have the Arizona / WSU college football game tomorrow, followed by Game 1 of the SF Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies.

But, up first...

I was shocked to see the NY Yankees come back from a 5-0 deficit in the 8th inning and stealing a 6-5 Game 1 win over the Texas Rangers in the ALCS. I hate the Yankees. They always somehow seem to irk me just a little more each year. But, I do give them credit for some timely hitting on top of some not-so-timing flopping by the Rangers' pitching staff.

Let's just hope the Giants can do the same to the Phillies' pen tomorrow.

GO GIANTS!

DAY 3 Wrap

Thursday + No DVR = :(

Yeah, Thursdays are rough without the ability to Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, or Make TV My Bitch.

Had to make some tough choices tonight that will shape how the rest of this challenge plays out, so let's get right to the reviews.

1. "Community" over "The Big Bang Theory"

Wow, what the hell is up with the ad wizards at KFC? Last week's "Running Wilde" had mass amounts of product placement and now, in this week's "Kentucky Fried Community," we have an extra-crispy space simulator that’s the main focus of the show. Seriously? Is this awkward product placement a legitimate ad strategy due to the whole fast-forward-through-expensive-commercial-time-thanks-to-DVR-technology? Regardless, it has myself (and others) talking, so obviously something is working. Am I going to buy some chicken because Senor Chang told me so? Absolutely.

This episode's plot definitely was not the crispiest chicken breast in the bucket. However, when "Community" does a parody, they go all out. Even though I thought it was incredibly lame how they got the gang into the space simulator, we all knew Annie’s not leaving Greendale, and this seemed a lot flimsier than the last time it was threatened in the season finale. However, I can’t stay mad, especially because the whole point was just to get us to another hilarious movie homage.

Some of the better moments were Abed taking control of the situation and setting up his own Apollo 13 Houston Command in the study room, and the Dean’s “those aren’t thumbs” map of local truck stops and rest areas.

Other memorable quotes:

• “Our school may be a toilet, but it’s our toilet and no one craps in it but us.”
• “We are forty light years outside the Buttermilk nebula, although it’s possible–yeah, it’s a sticker.”
• "E. Pluribus Anus."
  

Enough said.

2. "The Office"

We have all seen how "The Office" has rewritten the rules on social behavior with some cringe-worthy moments of "humor." In tonight's episode, Michael Scott contacts his ex-girlfriends, all of them, believing he has a sexually transmitted disease.

Look, we all know that Steve Carell will be leaving at the end of this season. And because of this, I felt the writers needed to find a way to sort through his infamous romantic history with his various "ladies." However, I think the way they unveiled this compelling, complicated, and humorous past relationship storyline was - lame.

It isn’t awkward or funny enough to have Michael have to go to Jan, Carol, Holly, Helene, and Donna and tell them that he has herpes: he has to go there to tell them that he has imaginary herpes diagnosed based on Meredith’s personal experience.

I thought the whole thing was too far-fetched. Even for "The Office."

The jokes were flat and I thought the main character audition of Andy heading up the Sex Ed in the conference room didn't work for me. Last week's episode with Andy as the focal point, however, definitely worked and was humorous.

With only a few episodes left with Michael, I am wondering how the characters are going to transform their roles once Michael quits / gets fired / runs away.

3. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

Damn I love this show. After playing "catch up" with previous seasons on Netflix over the course of two months, I am fully engaged and loving (most) every minute of this season so far.

I thought this episode was a very nice addition to this season, with a strong showing overall. I loved how the gang attempts to tackle class issues in the most inane way possible: through pools.

Dee and Dennis proved they didn't belong in the upper class, while Mac and Charlie proved just why they belong in the lower. Frank? Well, let's just say the "fringe" class won.

My favorite moments:

• Charlie's shorts. Inspired by Dennis, this free-balling jean shorts allow for optimum movement and are definitely, not white trash.
• The entire scene with Charlie and Mac trying to decide on what delivery food to order. Mac doesn't want to order Chinese food because he is afraid the delivery guy won't speak English and he will be too small to help them out of the pool. Instead, he orders pizza so that a big burly Italian guy can help lift them up to freedom. So, what happens? A Chinese pizza delivery guy shows up. Classic.
• Pretty much every scene at the public pool, but in particular, the "hot dog" guy.

So there you go, the first "Thursday Conflict." In order to keep myself, I figure I'll have to follow the same pattern next week...I don't want to kill myself going back and forth between shows that air in the same time slot.

Unless of course, I had a time traveling DeLorean powered by KFC.