Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts

Sunday, January 28, 2024

We Made Our First Trip to the Kansas City RV Show on Saturday to Look Around... Thinking About Future and Camping

Explore 2024 NB20.3
Explore 2024 NB20.3
Carrie and I have been tent camping for a few years now. We really enjoy the experience of tent camping although having a travel trailer would help us to be able to camp earlier and later in the season. We do have long-term plans to get a travel trailer, so this weekend we made a trip to the Kansas City RV Show to look around. 

We had a fun time walking around looking at the different options from small dome options to full motorhomes. It is truly amazing how much can be fit into the various options. Still, we are pulled to the direction of a travel trailer because we can hitch it to our Pilot, get to most any location, and leave the trailer while we site see or go to hiking locations.

Explore 2024 NB20.3 Floorplan
Explore 2024 NB20.3 Floorplan
The travel trailer that we reviewing is the Explore 2024 NB20.3. We are a few years out from doing anything about this new adventure, but it is fun to review and look at options. Some things we need to figure out include towing capacity of our Honda Pilot. I see it has a 5,000 lbs towing capacity, but the NB20.3 lists figures over the 5,000 lbs. Futher research is needed to understand if our Honda Pilot could haul this device not to mention also need to get a hitch for our Pilot.

It is exciting to review and think about getting a travel trailer. We are still a few years out before we do get one though. So, who knows, maybe at a future future Kansas City RV Show we will get a trailer once we have figured out hitch, storage, and exactly what we are wanting to buy.

As we look to camping for the spring, summer, and fall, we already have one spot reserved and talking about getting other dates selected for other camping adventures throughout the summer. We only went twice last year, so hoping to double, or triple, the amount of camping adventures this year. One day, we will have a travel trailer and be able to camp earlier and later into the season which will be a lot of fun.

Have a great week and if you are using a travel trailer, I would love to connect and discuss what you selected and why.


Sunday, February 06, 2022

Watched “The Day After” from 1983 and No Wonder Warnings for Children Not to Watch When I was Little

I was reminded recently of a made for TV movie The Day After. You can watch the full movie via YouTube. Carrie and I watched the movie as I was not sure I had ever seen it. When it came out back in 1983, I remember I was in grade school and my parents would not let me watch the made for television movie. I believe it re-aired a few times in past years, but either forgot about it or did not know it was being aired. A friend at work reminded me that the grocery store in the first half of the movie was the IGA store at 9th and Iowa (now the The Merc), so I had to find the film so I could finally watch it and see the IGA store. 

I worked at the IGA store at 9th and Iowa for a few years. Different store than what it was back in 1983, but still an IGA store. When I worked at the store, it was in the 1990’s and it was called Alvin’s IGA. I loved working in the grocery store. I loved the constant change being part of the grocery business. I worked in various positions at the store starting as a stocker and working my way up through the years. I think I worked for Alvin’s IGA for about four years and when I finally left the store, I was managing frozen food and dairy as well as manager at night. I had so much fun and great memories working at Alvin’s IGA. I wish I was able to keep in touch with many of my co-workers from the store, but we have since lost touch and do not connect with them via social media either. Working in the grocery store was so great that I could see myself when I retire that I go back to work in a grocery store. 

Anyway, my friend, Erik, at work told me that the IGA store at the time in 1984 was in the The Day After movie. So, Carrie and I watched the movie. It started off with nice stories of a girl getting married, a scientist at KU, and a few other stories. Then the bombs hit Kansas City and all hell broke out. Sure enough, in the first hour I saw the IGA store where I would eventually work. The store was being ransacked as people were in panic mode with the bombs. I did not take notes, so I am thinking now it was people were in crisis mode as they knew the bombs were on their way to Kansas City as the United States had launched our bombs and thirty minutes later the bombs would strike, so people were emptying shelves and in full panic mode. Still, it was cool to see the front of the IGA store at 9th and Iowa where I used to work.

Carrie reminded me that back in 1983 when the movie was going to be released that schools sent home notices parents warning not to let children watch the film. So, I missed out on watching it back in 1983 and then I had not watched the whole film until 2022. I can see why there was a warning not to let children watch the movie. It was scary to watch the bombs hitting Kansas City and the effects of those bombs. In the ending of the movie, it warned that the effects of a nuclear strike would be much worse, but the movie got the point across and it was frightening to watch.

I remember my parents talking about the fear of nuclear attack from the 1960s and how frightening it was to think that it could happen at any time. School children practicing taking cover by putting their heads under books or their desks. The fear that the strike could happen at anytime and that there was not really any way to avoid the threat. No, hiding under desks or putting books over your head is not going to save you from a nuclear attack, so the thought of the threat happening at any time was a fear. I can also understand why the local school districts back in 1983 sent home warnings to parents about not watching the movie. After all, the parents of many of the children from 1983 would have gone through the fear of the 1960s prior to their children being born and could relate to the fears of the time. Again, good reason not to allow children at the time to watch the movie. It was frightening to watch and think about what we would do in that situation.

The Day After is one of those movies that when talk to friends and people claim they were in the movie. The movie was made in Lawrence, KS and the Kansas City area, so I remember casting calls in and around Lawrence, KS. I recall one girl from my school (Sunset Hill Elementary) was in the movie. Sure enough, when watching the film I recognized Joleen from the movie. The actress being Ellen Anthony from Lawrence, KS. Ellen was a grade ahead of me I believe, but I remember her from school. 

I have friends who said they were in the movie, but there were so many scenes of devastation where people were in Allen Field House, the banks of the Kansas River, or other areas of the state in despair following the attach that many people can claim they were in the movie. While it was frightening to see the movie and effects it had on the community from the movie, it was fun to see downtown Lawrence, Allen Field House, and many other recognizable places in Lawrence, KS.

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Rumor of Apple Possibly Streaming MLB Games for 2022… Yes Please and no Blackouts!

Recent rumors about Apple being involved in MLB streaming (see NY Post) has a lot of buzz happening the past few weeks. Apparently following ESPN losing the contract for weeknight games, Apple might take over the chance to get into the sports world and stream games. I am interested to see what happens with this news. I was happy that YouTube TV added MLB TV to their line up as an add-on option, but with blackouts it really did not do a whole lot for me this past season. I had to watch all of the games this past season through my Mom’s account in Lawrence through her streaming service. It worked, but it would be nice to have a streaming service where I could watch the game with my own account.

With ESPN losing regular Monday and Wednesday games, it does open up a potential for another streaming service to take those spots. As rumored through news releases of Bally Sports with their possibly released streaming service, I like the Apple angle much more. Bally Sports has been rumored to be trying to spin off their own streaming service with a subscription fee separate from providing their feed to services. If they go this direction, I do not plan to by a subscription to Bally Sports. In the same manner, I do not intend to renew my MLB TV subscription through YouTube TV as I could not watch the games live. Yes, I did enjoy watching other games and catching up on games or following out-of-market teams, but I am not sure that is enough for me to spend $100+ this next season.

The price point Apple decides to do for the games if they get the contract will be interesting. I would hope it would be $4.99 or less if only looking at Monday/Wednesday games.

I hold out a hope that MLB will return to YouTube TV, but I know that is far fetched unless Bally Sports changes their model or works with companies such as YouTube TVSling, or Dish for a contract that those companies can accept and not impact heavily their customers.