Me and My TV

Which is not so much a TV as a monitor for the DVD player (actually, that's ALL it is since the antenna feed quit working). But what I watch on my DVD is mostly old TV shows, so it all turns into an exercise in time travel. Here's what's been sucking up my evenings lately:

Carnivale. Done. Over. There will be no more. *sob* We'll never know who wins the epic battle between Good and Evil. Two seasons, then cut off in its prime. Best. TV. Show. Ever.

The Wire, Season 1. (kindly lent by laurel) . It took me a while to warm up to this one - I just about gave up after the violent, depressing, profanity-laced pilot episode. But after watching David Simon's commentary I decided to give it another chance. I'm a sucker for shows that are essentially One Man's Vision, and it's rare to see one of these visions carried through with such integrity (and not cancelled after two seasons. See Carnivale, above). I think the moment I was finally hooked was when the guy who'd been sitting in the corner of the office making tiny furniture for the first 3 episodes suddenly stood up and started to talk. Whoa! Anyway, now I can't stop watching these things. I just wish they didn't give me nightmares.

West Wing, Season 4. No show has EVER done a better job with that little bit that happens before the credits (what is that called?). I get so caught up in the story that it always takes me by surprise when the little mini-movie comes to a cliff-hanger moment, pauses for just a second with a closeup on somebody's face, and then that magnificent theme music comes sweeeeeeping in from the side. Wow. The moment of truth that starts the 4th season is Josh's horrified realization that he has been left behind by the campaign motorcade in the middle of Indiana. Fantastic episode. It seemed kinda long, though, and not because I wasn't enjoying it. Could it have been a double-length episode?

Arrested Development. Finished Season 2. I think I'm almost to the point where this show gets cancelled mid-season, but that's okay. It's really funny, but kind of a one-joke show and it seems to be about out of fresh ideas. It's rare that I like TV comedies, but I've enjoyed this one. I think the last comedy I actually liked before this one was Malcolm in the Middle, and the last one before that was News Radio. Before that, you might have to go back to The Simpsons, and then to Soap. Which Arrested Development reminds me of a lot.

Battlestar Galactica, Season 1. Both Richard and I watch this one and we like it a lot, but somehow we don't seem to be making a lot of headway. We've made it through two discs (three, counting the pilot), and there's one more sitting in the attic waiting for attention. At the rate they're losing people it's hard to see how that plucky little population of surviving humans is going to last to the end of the first season. I hope they catch a break sometime soon.

Ice Report - Harriet and Calhoun

It's going fast. On both lakes the ice sheet is coming loose from the shoreline along most of the lakeshore, although not floating completely free. Harriet is further along than Calhoun, especially along the north side, with long channels rotted through the ice to the water below, and a few larger areas of open water. A few optimistic ducks were paddling around in a small melted area right by the south shoreline.

I predict that the ice will go out completely on Harriet next Saturday, and the following day on Calhoun.

I biked 9 miles today, around both lakes. It seemed easy enough until I got to the far side of Lake Calhoun and really started to feel it. Now I'm completely exhausted. But I'm glad I didn't stop with the easy ride. My goal is to get to the point where I can ride to work and back by the end of April. It took me until July last year.