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I thought I was going skiing today. I drove up with Scott and Courtney last night and we lodged at Crystal Mountain. However, the combination of Scott forgetting to pack my ski boots and really terrible, heavy snow led to my staying in the lodge for the morning and catching up on some work while watching "Sahara" and "Finding Nemo."

Nevertheless, the day was eventful because I practiced bow hunting! Superkillersweet!

Now I've had some bow hunting experience before, having played "Cabela's Dangerous Hunts" on Xbox and killing polar bears with a bow, and occasionally just a knife. However, shooting a bow in real life is way different, and quite difficult.

Scott bought the hunting bow a few weeks back and has gone to a bow firing range (Yes, this actually exists) to practice. To his new wife's horror, he also bought a target for the backyard, and we set it up today. He showed me the ropes for handling the bow, and I took a few shots. The adrenaline rush is addictive! Next Thanksgiving, I'm bow hunting for my turkey and after that I'm going after polar bears!

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Courtney called me today to let me know "She found the perfect girl for me." She went on and on about how amazing this person is and yada yada yada.

Let me break down the specs:

  • Flight attendant
  • College grad
  • 5' 7"
  • Athletic
  • NOT high maintenance
  • Curly, brown hair
  • World traveler

OK. That works for me, I say.

Courtney's got my best intentions in mind... and her best intentions in mind. She's probably sick of hanging out with Scott already and wants to double-date with a friend and slow my progression toward turning into a Dupree, despite my decorating my room at her and Scott's house this weekend.

I replied with the following email:

Dear Courtney,

Thanks for joining the long line of people trying to hook me up, better known as the Mission Impossible Club.

A little bit about the MI Club: Formed in 1996, the Mission Impossible Club was instituted when Shelby Savini attempted to hook me up with Jill Morton (now married) in the 7th grade. Since then, the club has grown at an exponential rate, spanning more than a dozen states and several countries in three continents.

Do note that the club can be challenging to participate in at times. Hooking a friend up is not as easy as it looks. Despite likely failures in your pursuits, your perseverance can bear fruitful rewards, particularly for me, so I encourage you to keep your eyes out and scout potential dates.

Thanks so much for your participation, Courtney. You should begin to receive MI Club newsletters beginning next month. Annual membership dues of $10 are due each June. Your membership will be prorated for February. Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or potential girls lined up.

Best,

Paolo

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How to Work From Home: 101

Whenever you find yourself needing to work from home, like I did today (due to a power outage at my office), there are a half dozen questions to ask yourself to make sure you can optimize productivity. Use the following list for reference.

1. Do you have a computer (or two)?
2. Do you have a phone handy?3. Are you wearing pajama pants and slippers?4. Do you have your trusty focuspoint tshirt?5. Did you put on your glasses?6. Do you have your beer ready?Now sit back, relax and DO WORK.

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My friends, I'm sorry to say that Katrine is... HD blind. That is, she can't see the difference between regular TV and HD. How sad.

Katrine was in the same room as the rest of us on Superbowl Sunday, watching the sparkling 42" LCD Vizio, but she couldn't see the same game. While we all freaked out during the big fourth quarter, Katrine sat idle. No one said anything, but we could all tell Katrine was... different.

I first realized Katrine was HD blind when I bought the HDTV a few months back. I suppose it hit me the same way a parent would realize his child is colorblind, but instead of, "Susan, what do you mean grass is purple?" I said, "Katrine, why are you watching the Sonics game with the black bars on the side of the screen?" I was mortified when I changed the game to HD and Katrine said she couldn't see the difference. Panicked, I tested her on different channels and different shows -- concerts, dramas, comedies. No dice. Katrine couldn't see the clear picture of HD.

I don't have the heart to try and show Katrine how cool Xbox 360 looks in HD.

Of course, I suffered from HD shock when we first got the HDTV. According to Urban Dictionary, HD shock is "The shock is caused due to the fact you now realize how crappy the same shows look without HD and you almost wish you bought the HDTV earlier." Imagine my shock when I realized that Katrine couldn't share my joy.

I still have hope. I often come home from work and walk in to Katrine watching a prime time network show in 480p. I smile. Perhaps ignorance is bliss. I walk over to the remote, change the resolution to HD, and turn to Katrine. Her expression remains the same. I hope, one day, that will change, and she'll be able to see TV like the rest of us, in HD.