Thanks to my ingenius geeky brother, we have an astounding wireless computer network set up in our house. Just like any wireless network, I can turn on my laptop, connect in an instant anywhere in the house, and browse the web like I am right now from the comfort of the guest room bed (more on why I’m in the guest room later). But it does more than that, oh yes it does. You see, we have six computers operating throughout the house – one in my room, one in my brother’s room, one in my Mother’s office, my laptop here in bed, and then two computers that are hooked up to the televisions downstairs. The one attached to the big screen television in the basement is quite pretty, with its custom designed case. But it does so much more than just sit there looking cute; that little baby will play digital video files on the big screen. That’s quite handy since my brother and I collect various defunct TV shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000, Freakazoid, Daria, and so on. As impressive as that is, that’s not the most incredible part of our computer collection, nor is it why our wireless network is so impressive.

    Tucked away in our family room, next to a humble little television, is another cute custom-built computer. It’s a GBPVR. Don’t ask me what that stands for, but basically, it’s a TiVo that my brother built. It records things right off the TV and turns them into digital files that can be played on any computer. But the most exciting thing is, thanks to our wireless network, I can tell that computer to record something downstairs, and then I can watch it upstairs on my laptop while laying in bed. Isn’t the spectacular? I simply go to this little website my brother set up where it shows me everything that’s playing for the upcoming week, I select what I want to record, and then it saves it for me on one mammoth hard drive. It’s like TiVo, but better, because now I’m not restricted to a television anymore. I can watch TV without leaving my computer; I can watch Gilmore Girls while chatting on AIM, I can watch Lost while designing a website, or I can watch Skating With Celebrities will pulling my hair out due to sheer boredom and stupidity. 🙂

    The best part about this system, though, is that it has provided me with countless entertainment while stuck here in bed waiting for surgery. When, like tonight for instance, I’m woken up at 2am from the pain, I can watch a stupid old movie I recorded off TCM right here on my laptop without moving out of bed. So even though I may want to scream cause the percocet won’t kick in, at least I can giggle at Veronica Lake and be amazed at how far we’ve come. To think, when these old movies were being made, they thought they’d run at the theaters once and never be seen again. All that work, and so many people thought it would be forgotten. And now here I am, less than a century later, watching those movies in a little window on a computer the size of a small notebook. Not only that, but while watching that movie, I’m talking to people hundreds of miles away, I’m creating graphics that normally only a professional could do by hand, and I have an entire world of information only a click away. All on the same machine. First Betamax, then VHS, then DVD. And now I can record these movies for myself and save them on massive hard-drives, all so they can be enjoyed at 4:30 in the morning when I’m sick, depressed, and can’t sleep.

    I love the inspiration that comes from watching old movies over my wireless network on my beautiful laptop. It’s such a testament to innovation and human creativity.

    But enough of that inspirational stuff, and on to some random trivia, because I feel smart! And of course, when I feel smart, I have to share it with the world, because hey, what else is this blog for anyway? Every year, Turner Classic Movies does this thing in February called 31 Days of Oscar, where they celebrate movies past who have won Oscars for everything from Best Picture to Best Sound Direction and everything in between. Apparently for the past few years they’ve been using the same music as their little commercial jingle. I thought it sounded familiar, but couldn’t quite place it. I knew it was by a certain band, but couldnt’ remember the song. Naturally, thanks to the leaps made in technology, I googled it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a thing. However, apart from movies, I also store thousands of songs on my massive hard-drives, so I pulled up every album that this band has ever made and started going through it. And I figured it out! The jingle for TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar is ‘Curse of Ka’zar’ by Lemon Jelly! I rock! Or I have far too much time on my hands. Or my pain killers still haven’t kicked in and I’m getting reallllllllly peeved and had to distract myself with something tedious. You pick, any one of those is accurate enough.

    Oh yeah, I was going to tell you why I’m in the guest room, as opposed to my own lovely room with its big lovely bed and all my lovely things. Like usual, I was up real late, but things were going alright. My friend Blair encouraged me to draw another LoveBug, so I did. Not as cheery as usual, but who cares. Then, in the midst of drawing, I got a bit warm, so I turned on my window air conditioner. Then I got a bit hungry, so I went downstairs to get a snack. When I got back to my lovely room, it smelled as if a family of skunks had moved in. I didn’t think my new LoveBug was fantastic, but I didn’t think it stunk that bad either. (Bad joke, ten points for me.) Apparently when I went downstairs, I must have scared a family of skunks who were camping out on the back deck (which is conveniently right beneath my window). Naturally, as skunks do, they did whatever they did that makes skunks smell so bad. That natural odor wafted right up to my window air conditioner, which caused that wonderful bouquet to be circulated throughout my room. No amount of perfume could cover up that hideous smell, so I quickly grabbed my pillow and blanket and vacated. Now I’m in the guest room, which thankfully had its window tightly closed, saving it from those stupid skunks. Oh how I hate them! I miss my bed. *sigh* I officially hate skunks now.

    Anyway, it’s now 6:30AM. I really need to either feel better so I can get out of bed and pack, or fall asleep so that I can wake up in a few hours and pack. I’m leaving for Pittsburgh tomorrow for surgery and I’m not packed yet. Surgery’s not until Thursday, but I really didn’t want to spend my birthday all mis erable in the car. So we’re driving up to Pittsburgh a day early, so I’ll at least be able to play a little bit on my actual birthday. I probably won’t feel up to much, so at the moment I’m thinking the festivities will be maybe a lunch out, a quick trip to Ikea to get some ice cream, then back to the hotel to watch Isaac again and again. Wahoo. It’s a far cry from my original plans of hanging out at the 18th Street Lounge, but let’s not get into that, or it’ll be a long, far cry tonight. And I’m done with that for right now. I think.

    And now I’m babbling. Hoorah. So this blog hasn’t been very effective or purposeful, has it? Just babbling about a wireless network, old movies, Lemon Jelly, skunks, a road trip to Pittsburgh, surgery, and hooray I’m smart. Yup, brilliant writing, this. Better to end it now, I suppose. Hope you all had a better night’s sleep than I did, cause this is just pathetic. Being sick *sucks*. Royally.