Not Dead 2

Just damn busy. Work’s been a bit nuts, and working out 5 days a week is just about killing me.

On the upside, I did get a free ticket to the Dave Matthews Band concert on Tuesday at the Hollywood Bowl through work. The show was awesome (guest apperances by some spectacular banjo player whose name I never caught, John Mayer playing way better than I’d previously given him credit for, and Ziggy and Steven Marley) and as we have a connection to Dave, the seats were great.

A couple other bits of miscellany I’ve been meaning to post but haven’t got around to it:

– My gym recently rearranged their equipment, and now all the recumbent bikes (the ones where you sit down and your feet are out in front of you rather than below you like a regular bike), which are the ones I use because they’re easier on Mister Cranky Ankle, are out in front of the room where the spin class takes place.

There’s one bike nobody ever rides unless every other bike is full, because it’s the one directly outside the spin class, so you spend your entire ride having to listen to the really obnoxious instructor try to motivate people by being so annoying that they’re imagining each pedal push to be a stomp on her face.

I got stuck on that bike TWICE this week. I am literally going to stuff a sock in her mouth if I get stuck on it again.

– I don’t think I’ve ever gotten as strong reactions to wearing my Cubs hat as I did at Oktoberfest down in Torrance last weekend. Apparently a lot of heavy beer-drinkers are Brewers fans! Who’d have thought?

– Another reason posting has been lacking is that I’ve only managed to delete one season pass so far of the stuff that’s premiered. There’s a remarkable number of decent shows (Chuck being the primary standout) and only one real stinker (Big Shots).

There’s a few more shows I’ll probably shitcan after the second or third episode if they don’t improve, including a few that I’ve watched for several seasons but that have recently taken some unbelievably dumb plot twists.

– So the writers are going to authorize a strike and their contract expires at the end of the month. The working theory is that this is just saber-rattling, and that they won’t walk until the actors’ and directors’ contracts are up in May, since working together they can shut down the whole industry.

The problem is, by authorizing a strike right now, they basically leave the threat of a walkout, which would shut down production shortly thereafter, hanging over Hollywood for seven months. Guys, I’m begging you. Please wait until May. My strike fund is not ready yet.