(click the picture above for
the high definition
video - but also click
YouTube
for me!)
8:23 PM, Tuesday,
July 15th, 2008:
"I
fucking hate you"
"You're
a prick"
"FUCKING AWESOME"
"Oh my
good goddamn"
I swear to you
all, this was because Donna wanted more room. For the
love of this entire site, and the unabashed honesty
I've lumped into this decade-long project, I am
telling the truth when I say that this all
started with Donna wanting more room. A regular
flat-screen wouldn't do it because the components
would still be there, but with a projector we could
put the components on the wall behind us and open up
the entire room. That was the only reason this
whole house remodeling shit started - I was perfectly
happy with my old set-up. I didn't mind the carpets,
the popcorn ceiling or the entertainment set-up.
Now I say
this because besides the first reactions (as you've
seen above) the second line is always: "So this
is what you do when you get a divorce". LOL. Granted,
once she was gone I went into overdrive to
finish the immense project Donna started last
fall - but it was simply because I couldn't stand to
live in the chaos anymore. Out of that has come a
lovely site for any man alive:
This is
actually 3 times larger than shown here - please click
on me...
The nice thing is
that when you draw the curtains close, and bring two
chairs in front of it - the room is actually centered
around the coffee table. It's quite... well "adult" in
that sense as every place I've ever had has been
TV centered - and if you ever want to sit and
talk, it's a bit awkward. No longer. And of course -
when you want to watch something, voila - the freaking
heavens open up and you get to lose your mind. And
gaming? Do I even need to say it?
What mighty big
arms you have Marshall...
Simply
put, it's better than any arcade I've ever
been to. The technology has advanced so
far, in even the past 2 years, that this
relatively cheap projector (my last TV
actually cost more) looks better than my
computer monitors...at 10 feet. Yes,
that's a 120" diaganal screen and it s as
clear as any image I've ever seen. The
blacks (usually the achilles heel for
projectors) are so spot-on, that although
I originally painted my white cloth screen
grey, I went back to white because it
didn't need any help. It simply has to be
seen to be believed. And as you can see,
"the boys" have been over consistently the
past few weeks helping me "try it out".
Planet Earth in high definition will make
you cry.
Now I sang
the praises of the Canon HV20 last year, and
this year I give all props to Epson's 1080 UB
(Ultra Black). If you have the space
(incredibly you only need 10-11 feet throw
distance for a screen this size) don't even
bother with an LCD or rear projection TV.
This will make your jaw drop. Daytime viewing
is surprisingly good, however it's so
unbelieveable at night - I just watch my
old TV for day-to-day stuff so I'm always
"wowed" when I fire it up.
So do the
"I am Happy" entries make any more sense?
Believe me, my initial instinct was of course to not
spend the money. It seemed irresponsible considering
my current situation - but a funny thing happened when
I started throwing myself into my remodeling project:
I finally felt like I was doing something for me. I
labored over the hardwood and all the baseboard...and
it looked good. It made me feel good. And truth be
told, I saved tens of thousands on it. Before
I started even Remo told me: "I wouldn't even
attempt that shit by myself" and I googled a
bit and the result is astounding:
It's so
nice I'm selling the carpet as I don't want
to cover the hardwood. Incredible considering
the condition it was in. I saved a ton on the
work since I did it myself and clearly added
to the value of the home... but even after
all of that it was still kind of difficult to
buy a big ticket item with the economy the
way it is and the way my jobs always come and
go... but I took a good look at my
situation. I've wanted, and tried for years,
to have a family. I don't have one. I won't
have one for a long time. And with that being
said - the only positive to that is you can
take bigger risks. And that was it. If I
couldn't have what I really wanted - the
least I could do was enjoy the freedoms that
allows...
...and his is
where Andrew comes in. A guy I know only from the
internet...but have known for 8 years. Anyone else
have these relationships? Like, I consider him a good
friend. If we were in the same city we'd hang out - I
trust him... all that. But have never met him. It's
all tone gathered from words on a computer screen...
for EIGHT YEARS. Crazy. Anyway absolutely none of this
would've been possible without him. He's a techno-geek
as well (he told me about the incredible HV20 high-def
cam which was used during the Egos shoots). And
through his his help (and his almost devilish delight
in spending someone else's money) he helped me get the
best deals available and finish off the room. All with
no tax and no shipping. How wonderful is the internet?
LOL.
Let me also thank
Donna who not only was the catalyst for all of this (I
swear, I swear, I swear) but who actually came back on
her free time recently and helped sew the curtains and
window treatments as we bought all that stuff last
year and she had never gotten to it. She didn't have
to do that, and it was a very nice gesture. She also
helped me put the physical screen on the wall (wooden
frame with taught blackout cloth stapled to the back,
screwed into the wall) which was one of the more
stressful things I've ever done. But it's up, it's
perfect and one of these days I just might sit through
a movie. LMAO.
Yes, the past few
weeks have been filled with dumbfounded boys gaping at
the screen going: "I just, I can't believe... how
could look this clear, I mean I had no idea, it's
just... dude - put in _____, I have to see what that
looks like" - for HOURS. The picture of Paddy at the
top was from the first night simply projected against
my wall and we were so enamored we took pictures of
ourselves in front of it. It's been a wonderful time
man.
And my old
setup? It somehow fit in my 2nd bedroom
closet!?!!? Like, perfectly? As if it were
meant to be there? So I just took off the
doors and voila - it's now my office and
there's plenty of space...
...for everything
that was in my living room AND my den... all in a
space that's easly 1/10th the size. Heh - how pimp is
that desk. I need some extenders for the wires,
but the fact that it's that close to the wall - and
completely functional is just awesome. And I know at
first glance that looks uncomfortable as hell but
I swear to you I lean back in the chair and have
plenty of room for my legs. You gotta love flatscreens
man.
Anyway - this will
all be leading to a renter in the guesthouse next
month. Still have two weeks more shit to do before
then...
...if only I
didn't have this new toy to play with.
