Anyone who knows me knows I adore the “I’m a Mac. I’m a PC” Apple ads. I love them so much that I can’t help be giggle and find joy in each and ever new one. (No, that’s really not as pathetic as it sounds I’m a geek, and they are delightful. End of story.) I’m pretty sure some of my friends watch them with me not because they get them or even find them overly funny, but because they are so amused at my reactions. So you can imagine my excitement when one of my friends, a fellow geek, told me that there were British versions of the Mac/PC commercials. Many of these commercials are the same as the American versions just with a British accent. However, there are a few that have a few tweaks and twists, and even a few new ones. The actors are from the British sitcom Peep Show, and to be honest, I might actually prefer them to the US actors. British PC is WAY over the top in a Dwight Schrute kinda way. So here are some of my new favorites from across the Atlantic. It’s ok if you giggle… I won’t tell.

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Trust
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Naughty Step
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Sore Throat………. check.

Coughing…………. check.

Sneezing………….. check.

Swollen glands…… check.

Fever……………….. check.

Yeah, I might be getting sick. Oh, joy.

A friend and I were recently in Denny’s late one night.  As we sat and chatted near the entrance, I couldn’t help but observe those around us and wonder what stories they would tell.  There was a couple behind us who were obviously traveling and just eating at the only place open after 10pm in Flagstaff.  There was a single guy at the counter chatting up one of the waitresses that he must have known.  There was an older waitress who you could tell had been waitress longer than most of us had been alive; a waiter who was nearing the end of his shift and was relaxing by singing along to all of the classic 80′s songs on the radio.  But the one person who truly caught my attention was an older man sitting 4 or 5 booths behind us.  I have no idea why I was intrigued by this man.   There was nothing about him physically out of the norm.  He was quiet and unassuming.  Didn’t make a scene.  Maybe he caught my eye because it was late, and he was there alone.  Maybe because there was something almost heartbreaking about him eating by himself.  Sitting there staring out the window into the night sky almost as if he was longing for something or someone.  Part of me wanted to just go and sit with him.  Talk to him.  Offer the comfort of another person.  But, then again, maybe he wanted to be alone.  Maybe he was just traveling or a truck driver.  Maybe Denny’s was his place of escape.  Maybe he really didn’t want company.  I guess I’ll never know.  I’m sure he didn’t even notice us.  Was completely unaware of my unspoken questions. As we paid for our dinner, we discreetly paid for his, too, and left.  Left him to his hamburger and empty booth.  Left him unaware that something as simple as his presence has impacted our lives.

Ryan Adams is coming to Arizona… finally. No, not Bryan Adams. Not the has-been who sang “Summer of 69″ or the theme from Robin Hood, “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”. Ryan Adams of Whiskeytown. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. Ryan Adams who has produced albums for the likes of Willie Nelson. Ryan Adams who was paired with Elton John on CMT’s Crossroads. Ryan Adams who in 2005 created three of the most critically acclaimed albums in one year… 29, Cold Roses, and my personal favorite, Jacksonville City Nights. I could seriously go on and on about Mr. Adams. About how every album is a complete thought or moment, yet, each new album is truly set apart from all his past work. About how one of the most intriguing aspects of Adams as an artist is he refuses to fit into any singular genre. Like I said I could go on and on. But instead in celebration of the fact that on January 18th in Tucson, Az we will be seeing Adams for the first time, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite songs and performances of his.
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Ryan Adams – Come Pick Me Up
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Ryan Adams – Miss Sunflower

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Ryan Adams – The Hardest Part

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Ryan Adams – Wonderwall (Oasis cover)

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John Mayer – Say
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	Murphy and Beau wrestling.
	Cocoa, the quiet one.
	The new kitten, Janice Taylor, is always being mothered by one of the four older cats. This time it’s Sequel. (Zac named Janice… shocker.)

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	Baskets and a rocking chair.
	My mom’s favorite pitcher.
	There are animals everywhere.
	Above the doorway.

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I can’t sleep. I’m finally home from Willcox. I’m unpacked. I’m exhausted. I’m completely ready for bed, but I can’t sleep. I’m a worrier, and its been a troublesome week. Early last week they thought my grandfather might have had cancer but decided it wasn’t. Instead, we were told it wasn’t anything major. Nothing a simple round of antibiotics wouldn’t take care of. He’s 84 years old, and it scared me. He’s always been a picture of health, and it’s hard to consider that our loved ones might not always be around. Scared because my grandmother had a stroke after Christmas last year, and I can’t fathom what she’d do without him. So it’s a huge blessing and sigh of relief that it was just not a big deal. Then, tonight… another call. My mom’s brother has cancer. Prostate cancer. Treatable. High percentage of survival. Cancer. But, all I can think of was all those years ago at Thanksgiving when my other uncle called to say he had cancer. All I can remember is that struggle… of losing Kyle. Nothing is the same this time. It’s early. It’s fightable. It’s survivable. Still I can’t sleep. I can’t tell anyone because even in this moment I can’t bring myself to call and wake anyone up, and even if there was I’m not ready to say the words yet. Not ready to make it real. Tomorrow will be a new day. Tomorrow I’ll talk about it. Tomorrow I’ll have hope and find relief in the simple facts and survival numbers. But, tonight…. that’s a different story.

Well, I’m packed up and ready to leave Willcox. It’s been a great weekend and I’ll post pictures when I get home tonight. Now I have 350 miles to drive. Hopefully, traffic won’t be so bad, and it won’t be snowing. We’ll see…

While Thanksgiving has come and gone, I’d like to take a moment and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I headed home after work on Wednesday afternoon. I really don’t mind the five hour drive home, but hate when it stretches into a eight and a half hour journey. Finally at 11 pm, I pulled into my parent’s driveway and was home. So far it’s been a great trip. Thanksgiving day was filled with a Packers game and win (10-1!). If you get to the end of the post, there is a clip from the Packers game. A tribute to Brett Favre from other sporting legends. Jack Nicklaus, Lance Armstrong, and Larry Bird, just to name a few, remind us of why we all can’t help but cheer on one of the most humble athlete to ever captivate a nation with his small-town charm and boy-like enthusiasm. I don’t know about you, but I am definitely one of the Cheeseheads that hopes Huck Finn never grows up and retires.

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Brett Favre: Legends Tribute
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It isn’t very often that Flagstaff has a concert that I’m ‘pee-squirt’ excited about seeing. So when a co-worker mentioned that The Format was doing an all-acoustic show at Prochnow Auditorium I was giddy with glee. The glee didn’t last very long when I realized that the night of the show was the Saturday night before my big Thanksgiving dinner. Boo…big boo. After talking to Lauren, Zac and Jeff and seeing their excitement in seeing a Format show again, I knew I had to do whatever necessary to go. It took quite a bit of scheduling and engineering to have enough finished that I could leave the rest of the setup crew Saturday night and not feel guilty. (Of course, I was the spazz sitting in the 5th row of a concert before the show began trying to schedule the baking of twenty turkeys while most of the other females were squealing with excitement.) Source Victoria opened the evening and while I had never heard of them before, they weren’t too shabby. They kind of reminded me of Gomez. I’ll definitely be checking them out in the near future.

The opener, Source Victoria.

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Whew!! Thanksgiving is over, and more importantly, the Cares 2007 Thanksgiving Extravaganza has come to an end. As predicted, this year was a total blessing to all who were involved but more on that later. The beginning of food preparation started on Friday by baking 47 pies we had purchased the night before. By the time all of the pies were out of the eight ovens and cooling, it was time for all seven of us to head out on the shopping adventure of a lifetime. Our first stop was my secret crush, Sam’s Club. (Where else can you purchase green beans by the gallon and rolls of aluminum foil so large that it takes two of you to get it into the cart? Pure heaven, I tell ya!) After shopping, we all grabbed dinner at the Sam’s Club concession stand for less than $22. It wasn’t nutritionally beneficial, but it sure was AMAZING!

Shopping at Sam’s Club.

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Not that I have any experience playing or knowing anything of World of Warcraft… but these two new WOW commercials are amazing.

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WOW – William Shatner
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WOW – MrT
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So my Verizon contract is almost up, and I’m thinking this is the phone I’ll be purchasing, the LG Voyager, aka the Verizon iPhone. It comes with a touchscreen front, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2 megapixel camera, a full HTML browser, and so many other features. It’s the perfect geek phone without having to go with a massive Palm or SmartPhone. I wonder if it comes in pink…

In the midst of the Thanksgiving dinner chaos, the new John Mayer song was leaked on PerezHilton and then John’s blog. I’m sure that my love for JM might lead many to believe I’m biased when it comes to his music. But the critical acclaim and Grammy’s must mean something, right? This newest song was written for the movie The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson as two terminally ill cancer patients on a final roadtrip. Two of my favorite actors and a lil JM musical action means I’ll definitely be checking this movie out opening night. But until then, here’s Say. Hope you enjoy!

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