Tracie's World

So I come home last night, turn on the TV, and there's a big message on the blank screen about how this channel will be available shortly.  Then I check my phone, and see a message about there being no line.  Oy.  So I call a certain cable company which I'll call Castcom to see what's going on.  By the time I finally make it through the IVR and talk to an actual person, I was feeling highly frustrated.  Come to find out, I've been disconnected.  WHAT???  I'm not moving for 4 more days!!  How did this happen?  And how did a request to transfer service to a new address change into a DISCONNECT?  Let's just say that I was now highly hysterical and angry.  Said cable company representative proceeds to talk down to me, put me on hold two or three different times for several minutes at a time, all while telling me there's nothing that can be done for the entire four days.  YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!  He offers me a $50 credit, at which point I tell him this

Well, it's been quite a week.  Much has happened and big changes are in store for me.  In a nutshell, I have found a new apartment and will be moving in two weeks.  Hallelujah!  Those of you who are fans of "House Hunters" or "For Rent"on HGTV, know that it makes the process look so easy.  You're given a few properties to choose from, you make your selection, and you're done.  Well, let me tell you it is not nearly that simple.  For me, it took several months of effort to find it.   I started the process probably back in the summer, but didn't get after it full force until September or so.  And boy, was it a lot of work.  I scanned the ksl and craigslist websites practically every day, even joined a rental finding agency (what a waste of $65), and tried to get the word out amongst all my friends and associates.  Anything that looked promising I would drive by and check out.   I figured that while I was looking, I would get a start on packing.  So I

Spent last evening with friends and the Utah Symphony.  I have to say, no disrespect to the MoTab, that the symphony really is a Utah cultural treasure. I've been fortunate to attend many times over the years.  Abravanel Hall is always fabulous (especially with the Chihuly sculpture in the lobby), and the orchestra is always in fine form.  I've seen them with guest performers like Rosemary Clooney (R.I.P.), The King's Singers, and Bravo Broadway.  I've heard them perform Mozart, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff.  I've attended the OC. Tanner Gift of Music concerts that they do in conjunction with the MoTab.  They really are incredible, and great ambassadors for Utah. Last evening was a tribute to dance and big band music.  The special guests were Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  And I just have to say, "WOW"!  Man, it was a terrific show.  The band is really incredible with their horn section, string bass, drums, guitarist, etc.  And the symphony was right in there with

If you believe the news these days, then I guess you could say I'm entering into my (gasp!) "more mature" years.  It seems that long-form blogs are apparently not as exciting as they used to be.  According to an article by the Associated Pres that appeared in today's Salt Lake Tribune, the age demographic of those who blog and those who don't is definitely skewing older.  The research says that teenagers and young adults just don't find blogging that exciting anymore, and they prefer quicker and briefer forms of communication.   Quoting from the article: "Tech experts say it doesn't mean blogging is going away. Rather, it's gone the way of the telephone and e-mail -- still useful, just not sexy...  Pew estimates that roughly one in 10 online adults maintain a blog -- a number that has remained consistent since 2005, when blogs became a more mainstream activity. In the U.S., that would mean there are more than 30 million adults who blog...  But ac

Speaking of new cable, on of the funnest aspects of it has been that I now have TCM.  Those who know me know how much I love classic movies and movie history, and let's just say that my TV is pretty much permanently set to TCM now.   Well, last night, one of my all-time favorites was on, called "The Best Years of Our Lives".  I first saw this movie at a classic film night years ago at BYU, and I've seen it many times since.  I just adore it and I never get tired of watching it (I even own a VHS copy of it).  It's the story of three servicemen returning from overseas after World Ward II, and about how they adjust to being home.  It has so many great things to say about relationships, about war and peace, and the choices and sacrifices we all make as we go through life (Really, you could set the movie in 2010 and the same issues would still apply).  It won multiple Oscars, and it's one of the few times I can think of in movie history where the best movie with