Get Ready!

Tonight will be the beginning of the end for the GREATEST show on television - LOST! It is a bittersweet feeling to know that we will finally get closure and answers to this amazing story. At the same time I really don't want it to end. If you don't watch it then I highly recommend renting or even buying season 1, carving out about 6 hours on a Friday night, and by Sunday you'll be ready for season 2 and beyond. It's that good!

It Never Hurts to Ask

Recently Direct TV stopped airing the Versus channel because the two companies could not reach an agreement to renew their contract. This made me furious because Versus airs 75% of the IndyCar races for the season. With two races left I was faced with a decision - do I cancel Direct TV and go with Cox or Dish Network in order to see the remaining two races? Or do I keep what I have and avoid the hassle of cancelation fees and switching services?

What I decided to do is give Direct TV a call and see if they had any "ideas" for me. I explained to the customer service representative that I didn't want to miss the races, but I didn't want to leave Direct TV either. She immediately apologized, blamed the situation on Comcast (company that owns Versus), and offered me a $120 credit on my bill. That definitely perked my interest, but was it enough to entice me to miss the last two races of the season? No... Ok, well yes, but I thought I could squeeze more out of the deal.

I told her that is was tempting and reassured her that I did not want to change my service, but she was going to have to do a little better than that. So I asked, "Is there anything else you can do for me?" Silence....

"I can comp your DVR service for 6 months," she said. Do this would be a $6 per month savings on my bill - a total of $36. That's not a whole lot but it's a nice addition to the $120. Then she added that she could throw in some movie channels and extra sports channels as well. Overall, not a bad deal. I was glad I asked further to get that nice little bonus.

Through this whole experience I was really impressed with the representative from Direct TV. She was helpful, positive and willing to work with me through my situation. Even though I am bummed that there is no more Versus, I am glad to know that Direct TV wants to keep their customers happy.

WIPEOUT

I so wish I could be on the show WIPEOUT! It looks fun and I think I could win. You have to be a resident of California though...bummer! :-(

Race Day

Today is the opening day for the 2009 IndyCar series and I'm excited! Today's race is in St. Petersburg, FL at 11am on VERSUS. This will be the official debut of Dan Wheldon with Panther Racing in his new #4 DELPHI NATIONAL GUARD car. Go #4!!!


There is another race today that just so happens to be immediately following the Indy race on the same exact channel - VERSUS [DIRECTV=CH603,COX=CH69]. This is a cycling race - TOUR DE FLANDERS. I have really grown to appreciate this sport because of my triathlon training. Thus, I am excited to watch my very first pro cycling race on TV.

Putting Right, What Once Went Wrong

For my birthday, I received the first season of Quantum Leap from a friend. As a kid I always loved watching Quantum Leap because you would never know whose body Sam Beckett would leap into next. Sam is a scientist who, through a botched experiment, leaps into the the bodies of different people all throughout history. His purpose in every leap is to find out what has gone wrong and set it right. He believes that God is in control of his leaps, sending him to different times and places to fix bad situations. Each shows starts off with Sam explaining how it all began:

"It all started when a time travel experiment I was conducting went... "a little caca". In the blink of a cosmic clock, I went from quantum physicist to Air force test-pilot. Which could have been fun... if I knew how to fly. Fortunately, I had help - an observer from the project named Al. Unfortunately Al's a hologram, so all he can lend is moral support. Anyway, here I am, bouncing around in time, putting things right that once went wrong, a sort of time traveling Lone Ranger, with Al as my Tonto. And I don't even need a mask..."

I like the show because Sam travels in throughout history, having to creatively solve problems so he can leap. Sam is not alone though. He does have a little help from Al, his holographic friend.

Sam leaps as a pilot, a college professor, a doctor, a hitman, a 15 year old high schooler, and even a woman :-). But Sam's real hope is that his next leap will be the leap back home.