Why do I still have cable TV?

Grrr, I hate my cable box.  I was watching some Winter Olympics coverage this evening - well I say watching, it was more like having it on in the background (naturally, no coverage here off any of the sports where GB actually won some medals).  When all of a sudden the sound cut out and the screen went black.  I rebooted the box, and was greeted by a Select Your Language screen as if this was the first time I had ever used this box.  What?!  And my remote didn't work, so I couldn't even select a language.  Went on the app to try to get some assistance, and the AI help was absolutely useless.  After rebooting several times with no change, checking all my cables were tight again, and generally despairing, I resorted to the internet.  Thank god I hadn't lost my internet connection.  And one of the things I discovered was how to pair the remote with the TV box.  Even though the remote was previously paired and working fine.  So I paired the remote again, and mercifully it seemed to work now.  So was able to select English as my language and go through all the introductory steps you normally would as if this was a new box and you were setting it up for the first time.  And ta-da I'm able to watch TV again.  Indeed, all my previous settings (such as favorite channels, etc) were there.  So I have absolutely no idea what happened.  And how worried should I be that it happens again.  Incredibly frustrating.  If this isn't yet another sign that I need to cut the cord, then I don't know what is.  

Valentine's Day

What was already one of my least favo(u)rite days of the year today was made worse by (a) not bidding on an eBay item that I really wanted.  I was outside cleaning my car upholstery, had totally forgotten about this item, and left my phone inside so didn't hear the phone alarm I had set up for the end of the auction.  (b) whilst doing some washing-up, noticed an ant walking across my kitchen surface.  No idea how it got there, it appeared to be by itself but now I'm paranoid that my kitchen is going to be invaded by a load of ants any time soon.  And (c), for no discernible reason I experienced a power cut early this morning.  The weather was absolutely fine, so I have no idea what caused it, how widespread it was, and no explanation was provided by the utility company.  I hate Valentine's Day.

Bass Line

I can't decide if this 80's hit is a catchy but cheesy tune, or a bona fide classic:

What I do know is that I can't stop listening to it, and that the bass line is insane and superb.  Especially when the funky bass line comes in on the sax solo - that is a genuine chef's kiss moment.  I'm definitely a sucker for a good bass.

Snow Drought

We are on track for a winter with no measurable snow in Seattle.  Rare, but it has happened before - but only once in the time that I've been in Seattle (twice if you count under 1 inch).  I'm not a skier, but apparently this has been one of the worst ski seasons in Seattle history - a combination of warm and dry weather, plus what precipitation there has been falling mostly as rain rather than snow (and in December, flooding damaged the roads leading to the ski areas).  Perhaps we should get used to warmer winters.  I think the more likely outlook is more extreme weather - we might get no snow this winter, but then we might get record amounts of snow next winter.  Naturally, the local headlines are fears about wildfires and water shortages this summer.  Yikes.  And shocking when you think about the record rainfall we had back in December.

An Unexpected Find

I went to Costco the other day (yes, I renewed my membership) and was shocked to discover the following:

Of course I was going to buy this.  "British recipe" baked beans made in England - what an unexpected surprise and pleasure.  And yes, there is a vast difference between British and American baked beans.  American baked beans tend to be a lot sweeter - surprise surprise, the baked bean sauce is full of sugar. 

Sofa

I've made a decision.  I need to get a new sofa.  I can't keep on going with my current busted sofa.  Some cable has snapped so that one of the handles you pull to recline doesn't work.  So my main TV viewing seat is permanently reclined.  It's been like that for a while and I've simply got used to it.  But it's not practical.  And, rather alarmingly, it has started creaking a little bit when I sit in it.  That's not a good sign.  So this summer, I will get a new sofa.  I'm waiting until summer because that is when I can open up my doors onto the patio and yard which is so much easier for removing my old sofa and moving the new one in.  I say sofa, but strictly speaking it's my "loveseat" - consisting of 2 seats, with a little console in between.  I've also got a sofa in the living room.  And indeed a reclining chair.  But that doesn't face the TV, so doesn't get much use.  If I replace just the loveseat, then that will mean 3 different brands of furniture in the living room.  It's a good job I care a lot more about practicality than I do about aesthetics.         

World Cup update

I got an e-mail yesterday that officially confirmed I wasn't successful in getting any World Cup tickets in the most recent draw.  This didn't come as a surprise when there were, apparently, about 500 million requests for tickets.  I've kind of accepted I'm not going to watch any World Cup games in person.  And I'm fine with that.  I hate FIFA, and I've got a feeling that this World Cup is going to suck.  And the way that tickets are being sold is an absolute disgrace - I suspect most of those 500 million ticket requests are not by true "soccer" fans but by scalpers.   The ticket prices are outrageous, and it's not just FIFA hoping to fleece money out of true fans of the game.