Pitching Tents with the Zooms

I've gone missing from checking in on my favorite blogs and playing with my own, lately. There are a few reasons for that.

One of which is that Mr. Zoom upgraded our home computers. Because both of our jobs are in post-holiday crazy mode, there's not a lot of energy for more computer wrangling by the time we get home.

Currently, one of the new ones is set up, and I think it's fully functional. But I'm still sortof afraid of it. It's got one of those new flat panel monitors, and it's HUGE. I glanced at it while it was on the other day, and now working on my teeny little monitor at the office feels like I'm working on my cell phone screen. If I get used to that thing (spoiled by), I'm going to be in a lot of trouble.

The best part about the new machine is the giant dork boner it gives Mr. Zoom. This new machine has a giga trila ziga flibbity flam - and plenty of other interesting features that I understand and can use, but do not know the proper names for. It's "that thingie there, with the flippity door - and the drives cd and dvd - and those other places for those thingies to go into." - with TONS of hand gestures when I'm trying to tell anyone what it is. Then I usually give up and just point to Mr. Zoom's stiffy.

Speaking of dork boners, there's a show on the Discovery channel that we stumbled upon and it captures our attention like no other. It's called "How It's Made" and I'm telling you, if ever there was a sign that Mr. Zoom and I were made for each other, this show is it.

It's a low tech, 30 minute show that actually reminds me quite a bit of those film strips they used to show us in Jr. High and maybe even High School. It's so low tech that when we dvr it - we often fast forward right over a segment because it looks just like the corney beginning of an infomercial.

There's no vapid host trying to be witty. There's no teasing the audience with the contents until you are screaming at the t.v. to give up the goods. They cover 3 items in the half hour, and each segment moves FAST. So far we've seen how the following things are made: Seadoo's, hockey skates (and roller blades), winter jackets, mushrooms, wine (red and white) - and something else I've already forgotten.

When Mr. Zoom and I first found this show, we sat silently on the couch and were absolutely transfixed. I said during a commercial break "I think I just drooled on myself". We both kept mumbling during the segment on jackets with the super cool electric scissors: ".....e....lectric.....scissors......mmmmm".

The even better thing about this show is that it airs the same night as "Lost". We love "Lost", but I'm beginning to feel like a guy with blue balls when I watch it.

"Lost" makes me talk loudly to the t.v. "You suck! You promised me some answers, and now I'm more confused than before! "When did I stop watching this show for fun and start over analyzing every single piece of minutiae AND WHY CAN'T I STOP?"

With "How It's Made", there's nothing but answers. ANSWERS you didn't even know you were looking for! It is the Anti-Lost.