The X Files
Sunday, October 12, 2008

For my birthday Erika got me the X-Files DVD box set which contains all 9 seasons as well as the 1st movie and additional footage. I started collecting the episodes back on VHS but gave up and decided to wait for the dvds. The box set is amazing and well worth it. Along with the box set Erika also got me the Lone Gunmen series which was a spin off from the show. If you don't remember it was the 3 guys who would help Moulder out and near the end got their own show. It was very good but didn't last too long. I am excited to watch those again and will probably dip into that one first.

Since everyone are doing complete box sets I have decided I will not collect anymore shows until they are off the air and all are combined into one set. It just makes more sense and plus it takes up less space on your shelf.

Posted by mardenhill 10/12/2008 08:27:00 PM 3 comments    

Labels: Misc

4 Years
Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Wow, I can't believe that it has been four years now since I started this blog. 1679 posts later and I am still amazed I have things to write about. I don't plan on giving up anytime soon and maybe one day I will print my postings via Lala.com for all to enjoy. My goal is to reach 2000 postings and hopefully I will be there within the next year. Anyways I am off to bed but wanted to commemorate this milestone on "What's Going On In The Head Of Randy".

Posted by mardenhill 9/09/2008 11:10:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Mountain Hardwear - Monkey Man
Saturday, August 30, 2008

I have been talking about this jacket for about a year and decided that I needed to get one this fall. This afternoon we stopped into Moosejaw to see when they would be getting them in and to my surprise they were already hanging on the racks. After trying it on and walking around the store for way too long I got my jacket and I am ready for fall. If you have never tried on one of these coats you are missing out. It is the softest fleece on the planet and is wind and water resistent. Even though its over 80 degrees out I am counting down the days til I can wear this around town. You can find the coat at REI as well but as usual its never on sale..

Posted by mardenhill 8/30/2008 11:37:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

New Refrigerator
Friday, July 25, 2008

We bought a new fridge last weekend and today they are delivering it. We decided on a Maytag Stainless Steel French Doors/Freezer on the bottom model. There is filtered water but it is on the inside vs on the front of the door. That way we don't lose space and we also conserve more energy. I checked multiple fridges and the ones with the mount on the front used up more energy even if it was rated energy star.

Anyways, delivery should be interesting. Right now the main street 11 mile which is a block south of us is under construction and all torn up. There are trucks parked on the side of our house and just yesterday the city came back to tear up the section of new road between my neighbors house and mine that was just laid 2 years ago. The losers who did it were in a hurry since it was a Friday afternoon and it looked like rain. The road was wavy and since then water would pool after each rain and freeze in the winter. We complained for 2 years and finally after my neighbor sending an Anniversary card with a screw in it to the city, they decided to do something about it. So now I have half the street torn up in front of my house, construction a block south of me blocking that road and trucks on the side. I just hope the delivery truck doesn't turn around and head back home.

Update: I forgot to say we bought it from ABC Warehouse my favorite store for buying things since I get to haggle on price. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of room to move around on fridges but I was still able to counter and get him to lower his price. The key is to shop everywhere else and go into ABC last since you may need to be prepared to buy the item that day.

Posted by mardenhill 7/25/2008 08:29:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Marmot Gear
Friday, June 13, 2008

A few weeks ago I picked up a new raincoat at REI during their Memorial Day sale. The jacket was the Marmot PreCip, a lightweight and waterproof jacket perfect for Summer. It compresses nicely has has underarm zippers that you can open. The jacket breathes which is great but can be a little too thin in early spring/late fall. Even so, just add an extra layer underneath and you will be all set. The jacket comes in a wide range of colors and the one I have is the Bonfire/Lava. Another great feature is the hood, it covers your head and has a duck bill in front to help keep water off your face. It can also be tightened up if the wind is too strong. I tend to alternate between North Face and Mountain Hardware for my jackets but this year I couldn't find a good raincoat in either brand that wasn't too expensive. This jacket offers everything you need at a great price.

http://marmot.com/spring_2008/mens/outerwear/shells/precip_jacket/enlarge

Posted by mardenhill 6/13/2008 02:29:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Misc

St Stans Festival
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Yesterday we headed down to Wyandotte for the annual St Stans Polish Festival for some cheap beer and perogies. All summer long there are Polish Church festivals full of food, polka music, games and gambling scattered through downriver (area south of Detroit). Usually we will pick up a bag of frozen perogies to take back with us but this year the perogies were off a bit. They were not as good as previous years and I am not sure if it was just the batch we had ours from or if all were suffering the same fate.

In a few minutes I will be heading outside to start the roto-tilling and planting of the garden and annual flowerbeds. I will post some photos once we are done.

Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2008 09:51:00 AM 2 comments    

Labels: Misc

Busy Week II
Friday, May 23, 2008

OK, I lied the other day when I said I would do better with posting and then went 5 days without anything. To my defense I was very sick 3 of them and the last thing on my mind was posting anything to the blog. I have a few things that I will write about this weekend to make up for it and will try to be much better next week.

Posted by mardenhill 5/23/2008 06:18:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Update: Busy Week
Sunday, May 18, 2008

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I spent 3 4hr nites at school and went out of town for the weekend. I decided to switch my College Algebra class from the accelerated 7 week class 2x a week to the 15 week 1x a week due to the overwhelming brain explosion I was on track for. I have been out of school for 12 years and it has almost 15 years since my last math class, jumping right in probably wasn't the best idea. This puts off the MBA for a semester but at least I will be able to get thru the pre reqs and Calc in one piece. This weekend we went to an Amish quilt auction and flea market, I will post a photo and a bit more later tonight. Its off to Costco and a BBQ now.

Update: Well here is a photo of the Amish quilt auction up in Claire, MI. Besides the auction there was a flea market full of dollar store merchandise and other misc junk. Erika and her mom spent most of the day bidding on quilts and I witnessed about an hour and a half of it. At the end, I was finally able to understand the auctioneer and how the bidding worked. I do feel sorry for the ladies that made the quilts since the price of them were very low this year. In previous years they would go for $300 to $1500 and this year you could pick one up for about $100. I saw a few Amish men walking around with cell phones and eating hot dogs, not what I was expecting to see at all.

Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2008 01:25:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Grad School, Misc

I Want To Believe
Thursday, May 08, 2008

The title is a familiar phrase for fans of the series that starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents chasing after aliens and supernatural happenings. "I Want to Believe" was the slogan on a poster Duchovny's UFO-obsessed agent Fox Mulder had hanging in the cluttered basement office where he and Anderson's Dana Scully worked.

"It's a natural title," Carter said Tuesday during a break from editing the film. "It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."

"I Want to Believe" comes 10 years after the first film and six years after the finale of the series, whose opening credits for much of its nine-year run featured the catch-phrase "the truth is out there."

Due in theaters July 25, the movie will not deal with aliens or the intricate mythology about interaction between humans and extraterrestrials that the show built up over the years, Carter said.

Instead, it casts Mulder and Scully into a standalone, earthbound story aimed at serious "X-Files" fans as well as newcomers, he said.

"It has struck me over the last several years talking to college-age kids that a lot of them really don't know the show or haven't seen it," Carter said. "If you're 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you, or your parents wouldn't let you watch it. So there's a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone."

Hardcore fans need not worry that the movie will be going back to square one, though, Carter said. The movie will be true to the spirit of the show and everything Mulder and Scully went through, he said.

"The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," Carter said.

.............................................

Now I have to give my friend Rick credit for this, he emailed me today to let me know the movie was out this summer and I had no idea it was anywhere close to being done. I remember reading about a 2nd movie a while ago but nothing ever came from it so I just accepted the fact that there would be no more Moulder & Scully. After a few minutes of searching I came across the treasure trove of info above regarding the movie. We have a wedding the nite the movie comes out but that's ok I can wait til Saturday and I really don't care for packed theatres.

For those of you who may not know, I am a huge X-Files fan and throughout college we couldn't head out to the bars until after the show was over even though I was taping it. And yes, for years I had the "I Want To Believe" poster hanging up in my room. Its somewhere in the basement and I should try to find a space for it once again.

I have yet to find a show written as well as the X-Files and I doubt I ever will. Criminal Minds is up there but they don't really tell a story that is built upon throughout the season. Bones tries to but the whole secret society of cannibals does not compete with aliens among us plotting to take over the world with an underground resistance made up of a 2nd race of aliens and a shadow govt.

Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2008 07:06:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

The Power Of Craigslist
Sunday, April 27, 2008

Last year we had a new stamped concrete patio added to our backyard and in the process pulled up a bunch of generic paver stones that were at least 15 years old. They have been stacked in the back of the yard since last summer and I don't have a truck to dispose of them. I decided to try Craigslist and see if I could give them away for free. Within 10 minutes of posting I received my first email and in 2 hours I had 35 people requesting them. I made the mistake of heading out right after I posted them so it took a while before I could pull it back down. I thought I might get someone interested but was blown away at how fast they went. I really wish I had thought of this last year.

Moral of the story, use the Free section of Craigslist if you have anything you need to get rid of that may be of some value and make sure you are close to a computer to kill the ad once there are takers.

Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2008 08:17:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

ProxyVote Time
Sunday, March 30, 2008

Posted by mardenhill 3/30/2008 11:46:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Cruiser Bike
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I am closer to a decision on a new bike this spring, its either between the Trek Calypso or Drift. Both are new bikes, affordable and well made.

Calypso: retro design with modern look, 7 speed, hand breaks and white walls.

Drift: more retro, the details are made to look worn and cooler frame. 3 speed with pedal brakes and cork hand grips.

I have to decide what I like better for brakes, pedals or hands. The design of the Drift is very cool and although there are no whitewalls, I could go for this one. Once the weather warms up, I will head to the local bike store to test both models and make my decision. The Calypso is $80 cheaper which is a factor but the big one will be the whole braking situation.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/bike_path/cruiser/drift3/

Posted by mardenhill 3/12/2008 10:19:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Misc

Paczki Time
Tuesday, February 05, 2008

This year Paczki day came up quick and caught everyone off guard. For those of you not familiar with the deliciousness of this pastry, its full of butter, sugar, eggs and lots of calories. I'm neither Polish nor Catholic but I grew up in Wyandotte which is both so I am an honorary member. I stopped at Holiday Market in Royal Oak since I never tracked down a bakery to place an order. Here at the office we have Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Bavarian Creme and Apple to choose from. I apologize for the diehards but no Prune flavored this year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paczki

Posted by mardenhill 2/05/2008 08:59:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Electra Cruisers
Monday, January 07, 2008

I am in the market for a new bike and discovered the Electra brand a couple weeks ago. Though on the pricy side Electra's bikes are amazing. They capture the classic design while using excellent parts in construction. I am still on the fence I will look at what Trek has to offer as well. The neighborhoods where we live are all flat so a 3 speed with fatty tires is perfect. As for design, there are many to choose from and I still don't know exactly what I want. I still have plenty of time to decide, I figure I will make a decision by May but its fun to start looking now and give myself something to talk about for the next few months.

Check out the selection at the link below.

http://www.electrabike.com/cruiser/

Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 12:36:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Merry Christmas
Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas everyone, hope you had a great day spending time with your friends and family. Erika bought me a couple sweaters, a Sigg coffee mug and a year subscription to the Citizen Bean coffee company. They are very cool, they send you a pound of coffee each month from independent roasters throughout the country. They specifically select roasters who abide by sustainable practices including organic, fair trade and shade grown coffee. Besides being eco and socially conscious, Citizen Bean provide their customers with choices that are not found on local supermarket shelves. Since I tend to buy my wine from smaller and independent vineyards I might as well do the same with my coffee. Whenever I travel I will always find a local roaster and bring beans home, now I can sit back and let them deliver it to me. I will be providing reviews on the beans and should get my first selection within the next couple weeks.

I also got some great live DVDs, Son Volt, Echo & The Bunnymen, REM and Depeche Mode which I can't wait to watch.

Check out Citizen Bean below.

http://citizenbean.com/

Posted by mardenhill 12/25/2007 06:28:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Circuit City Are A Bunch Of Assholes
Friday, November 16, 2007

I don't do much shopping at Circuit City and after my experience today I will do much less, basically none. I had today off and decided to do some research on TVs for our upcoming purchase. I did my research online beforehand, I had my specs down, I want 42 inch, 1080P, LCD, multiple HDMI ports and a price around $1200 if possible. I saw a few TVs that interested me on Circuit City's website with one being a Phillips for $1499. It features the Ambilight technology and I wanted to find out if this was something that would work if you didn't have the TV mounted to the wall. The website states not available for store pickup which is fine since I wasn't 100% on this TV anyways.

I arrived at the store around 2pm with maybe 15 cars in the parking lot. I make my way to the TV section and the guy who pretty much ignored me when I came in finally came over to ask if I needed any help. I rattle off my specs and what would fit in this range and he showed me a JVC which was nice. I then asked about the Phillps and he said they didn't sell the TVs anymore hadn't in over 6 months. I then said I saw them online and he tried to fight with me that Circuit City doesn't sell them. What kind of moron doesn't know what is available on the website? If you work at a store you should be familiar with what is available online. Its not like they only sell one Phillips, they have 10 on their site. He gave me a non answer regarding the Ambilight so now I have to make a trip to Best Buy to see if they have one and have a person who can answer my questions. Its not like the store was packed, there were 2 people in the TV dept and there were 2 workers. So the guy was of little use, had a bad attitude and didn't even know what his company sells. I expect this from Best Buy and figured that Circuit City would have some knowledgeable folks in their TV dept. I guess I was wrong and will end up going to Costco for my purchase. At least I know I won't get any help and prefer that over some idiot kid who is clueless and needs a crash course in customer service.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Televisions/sem/rpsm/c/1/catOid/-12867/N/20012866+20012867+40000406/link/ref/rpem/ccd/categorylist.do

Posted by mardenhill 11/16/2007 04:49:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Lack Of Postings
Thursday, November 08, 2007

Sorry for the lack of postings over the last couple weeks but I have been slammed at work and havn't had much time to write anything witty.

A few things to tide you over could be:

I still love my new phone, the Motorola Q9H is amazing and I have found more and more things that it can do. My latest was to download the Resco Internet radio client where I can listen to Woxy or Woxy Vintage while on the go. I have created some new ringtones and setup a new wallpaper. I am still waiting on a memory card, I can't decide between a 2 or 4 gig.

Well enjoy this little nugget and I promise I will get back to my normal schedule of postings soon.

Posted by mardenhill 11/08/2007 08:06:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Misc

Ride & Drive
Friday, September 21, 2007

It was another Ride & Drive day at BBDO, for those of you scratching your heads its an opportunity for us to drive Chrysler cars. They bring in about 7 different models and you can take them for a test run. Today we had a number of Dodge vehicles and I was able to drive the Avenger and Nitro. Both cars were very cool and I would actually consider buying the Avenger. The model was a 4 cylinder which suprised me since I automatically assumed it was a 6. It had some get up and go, something that is lacking on my Focus. So yeah, anything that has a bit of power is an improvement over what I have. Unfortunately I would be looking at a lateral move when it comes to mileage so I won't be getting this vehicle. The Nitro is out of the question, its a nice ride but too big for me. I'm not a fan of SUVs and although its not a Suburban or Hummer I don't want a vehicle of this size.

Posted by mardenhill 9/21/2007 02:44:00 PM 2 comments    

Labels: Misc

Zingerman's Spring Fling Coffeecake
Thursday, September 06, 2007

I like to give my friend Kim shit for her role as a baker at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor but I do have to give the bakery a shout out for their Spring Fling Coffeecake. Kim brought one over before we left for our trip out west and we didn't have time to eat any (she had brought cinnamon rolls and brownies as well). This coffeecake is the best treat ever. It has both coconut and lime going on and is full of moisty goodness. I could eat this everyday and never grow tired of it. Hell, I am having some as I type this. Even though Zingerman's makes a bunch of hippy bread that sucks for French Toast, their pastry dept rocks the house. You can read about it at the site and take a moment to check out their other selections. They also have a mail order catalog for those of you out of town. Before I get some dirty Ann Arbor hippy posting hate comments, I am not bashing Zingerman's I love their products and eat their bread whenever I get a chance. This would just be a boring posting if I praised them and acted as if they were better than Whole Foods. Whoops did I just say that?

http://www.zingermansbakehouse.com/content/pages/products.php?category=coffeecakes

Posted by mardenhill 9/06/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

When 2 Crappy Restaurants Combine
Monday, July 16, 2007

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/BUSINESS07/70716009

So IHOP is buying Applebee's, great so now they can share recipes and combine their crappiness into one big pile of junk. I hate both places, never go unless I am trapped on some interstate in the middle of nowhere. I will admit I used to like IHOP back in the day but its been about 6 years since I have been there. Last time I went to Applebee's I ordered fish and chips and they served me Gorden's frozen fish sticks. I wrote a letter to the company and they sent me a $5 gift card which didn't even cover the price of the food.

Posted by mardenhill 7/16/2007 10:58:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc