Well, tonight we got a bit of an emotional teeter-totter, although the kids would probably try to claim roller-coaster status.
H picked up a copy of "Wii Sports", as our original copy bit the dust during the last move. (She also grabbed me a job application for GameStop, as they're hiring seasonal help, and I think that's about as long as I could take working a register...) So, she played a couple of sets of tennis, boy and dog cheering enthusiastically (and dog watching her controller hand, convinced she was actually about to throw a ball). Then on to golf - and on the third hole, a loud POP! came from the front of the TV, and the screen went black.
So okay, kids are crying now because no more video game, and we're sitting here thinking we're hosed. When we bought this rear-projection LCD TV used a couple years ago, the former owner told us he'd just had a new bulb installed for $400, and there's no way we've got four bills just lying around. Further, the manual (available online) told us how the lights should flash on the front to indicate a bad bulb, and we're not seeing that. After I found a reference on a discussion base, however, I realized we hadn't given it long enough, and finally got the error code indicating the projector bulb was indeed blown. Great, $400 for a new bulb, or even more for a new TV - we're screwed.
And then, looking further online, I found that either the price has dropped dramatically over the last couple of years, somebody saw that guy coming a mile off, or he was just plain lying - because it's available online for as little as $75, or locally for about $150, which we can just barely manage. So tomorrow we'll be buying the new bulb, which is a user-serviceable part. The fun bit will be telling J when he gets home, because right now he's on 24-hour CQ duty (which he also had Friday). He's going to be tired, and a little punchy, but I think he should be okay when I remind him that a) most of the games he plays are on his computer; b) his bedroom TV's just fine, if there's something on in the morning he just has to see; and c) if he really urgently wants to play a game, we can move one of the game systems in there for a little while, as long as he's not looking to play online...
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Sodium is a metal that reacts explosively when exposed to water. Chlorine is a gas that'll kill you dead in moments. Together they make my fries taste good.