Ramblings

Bloviating: to you, from me. Chide me if you will. algot@runeman.org

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Sun, 26 Apr 2009

NFL Draft

It is my first NFL draft. I haven't watched before. The temperature was over 85 yesterday and is 89 this afternoon (on our garage-side thermometer). We did go to a couple of yard sales yesterday, and Happy bought me a toolchest as a birthday present. I spent the afternoon cleaning it up...in the heat...got a bit of sun on my arms...wanted a rest later.

The chest is a professional mechanic's model from Snap-on Tools about six feet tall, and it doesn't yet have a place of honor. It is behind the lawnmower and in front of the snowblower. Did I mention temps in the mid to upper 80s? I suspect it originally cost over $2000, and it cost us only $100. And, no, it doesn't have tools in it...I don't own enough tools to come close to filling it. Maybe I need to tour the yard sales some more this summer...

Oh, yeah, the draft.

We are Comcast customers and the NFL channel is only available as a part of a sports package with nothing I think I want to watch enough to pay extra for the package. Verizon FiOS keeps sending us marketing brochures. One of these days, I'll probably make the switch. FiOS carries the NFL channel in the basic lineup.

When I went out to the garage to get a photo of the toolchest, I also got a shot of the tulips. I planted them for the first time last fall. They have come up great.

Vinca by the front porch continues to spread. I think I'll transplant some into the "grass" under the maple tree. Maybe Janie won't trample them too much, and they might overcome the lack of sun that the grass cannot do without.

I like the crocus which, around here, herald the beginning of spring, and forcythia is now in full bloom all over the place, but there is no doubt, for me, that it is the dandelion that means spring has arrived.

THE DRAFT...right, sorry. I got distracted.

So Happy watched the Food Channel while I attempted to use the NFL site to keep track of things. The draft tracker page worked just fine, and I am flipping back to that occasionaly as I type. But there is a live feed available of what is being broadcast on TV. I tried watching that several times yesterday. The stream kept freezing...funny, I thought in these temps, a freeing stream! I couldn't get more than about 10 minutes between freezes.

On my last time restarting Firefox (in case it was my setup here on Kubuntu 8.04) I got a black rectangle on the stream feed with the indication that the stream was too popular and I was going to have to wait for my turn to come up. Of course, outside, around the rectangle, the video was streaming away just fine with the audio working like gangbusters. I don't get it. What's the joke?

The Patriots traded away their first round pick, and I went to bed before the second round started. Too much for me.

Today, we walked the dogs in the morning, and after lunch, I tried again. The black box is there again. The stream froze after about ten minutes, and I am writing this post. Maybe the NFL draft isn't for me. I am looking forward to August when the Patriots ramp up for the season, though. I'll get to know more about the draft picks then, for sure.