The problem with being a “daddy” is that there just isn’t a lot of time to dedicate to the Nerd Arts like I used too, but this was a pretty decent Nerd Week for me. 

Let’s dig right in!

Comics – I’ve been catching up on my reading of late (my books come shipped bi-weekly, so I have a pretty decent stack to get through when they arrive).  It seems most of the titles I read are all involved in some much bigger storyline.  The Avenger books are revolving around “Dark Reign”, Batman has ”Battle for the Cowl”,  Superman is “New Krypton” and Green Lantern is setting up “Blackest Night”.  All four of these storylines have been pretty intriguing but I have to say I am enjoying the Green Lantern books the most.  Opening up the color / emotional spectrum and creating a “Corp” for each has been really cool!!  Geoff Johns has been masterful in constructing this story since coming on board with the “Rebirth” storyline and month after month I just can’t wait to see what comes next!  No surprise that he is also responsible for the Superman “New Krypton” arc.  Whatever he seems to touch, I just fall over for…

I also decided this week that I am going to cut my orders in half, from $100 / mo. to $50 / mo.  That’s a lot of books on the chopping block but it is probably time! 

I recently purchased “Comic Book Collector” software and have been building a database for my collection.  I’m almost at 3,000 issues and only half way through my comic boxes…I had NO idea I had so many books!!

Movies – I FINALLY SAW “WATCHMEN”!!  Better Half and I got a sitter and went to the Saturday matinee.  I got to tell you, I really liked the movie.  It didn’t feel as long as it’s run time to me, it was shot beautifully, colors popped from the screen and I thought the story and how they told it held up.  It has been years since I read the graphic novel, so I wasn’t beholden to the book when viewing and I think that helped.  Better Half had never read the story and as an impartial, she enjoyed it.  However, she did give me a raised eyebrow when I said I’d buy the director’s cut.  What I didn’t like was the sex scene, it was just a little too much and felt very gratuitous. The movie sort of halted right there…weird.  Maybe I am just getting too old.  Anyhoo – I’d give it 4 out of 5.

Games – I have become addicted to a Facebook app.  It’s called “Mafia” and I can’t stop playing it.  It is a simple “level-up” type of game, but has completely got it’s hooks into me.  Ugh, I am such a sucker for this type of thing!!

I’m also playing this little game from Big Fish Games called “Farm Frenzy“.  It’s a time management game where you have to complete the level under a certain time.  I get ultra competitive and have to beat every level within the GOLD time standard.  This typically involves playing some levels up to 15 straight times…I just get so worked up and into it.  I’m about 40% through all the puzzles and only one level has me stumped as to how to get gold.  I will break you “Farm Frenzy“!!

TV – Better Half switched our Comcast to AT&T’s U-verse service and boy has it taken some getting used to.  I have been a Comcast subscriber for 15 years.  I was one of the first to get my hands on digital cable.   I knew that remote and the channel listing like the back of my hand.  Now my world has been turned upside down.  One nice thing that I have noticed…it automatically extends your DVR recording at least three minutes after the show is supposed to end, so no more stuff getting cut off.  I can also now record up to four different shows at the same time, opposed to the two on Comcast.  The thing that sucks out of the gate is there is no “swap” feature.  So I can’t pause live TV on the one channel, hit swap to watch something else then swap back, unpause, and resume that other show.  Believe it or not, I used this type of functionality a ton.

Misc. – I can’t stop Sudoku-ing!!  Although now that the “Detroit Free Press“is not delivering the paper to my home every morning, maybe I’ll slow down.  I’ve got about a 75% completion percentage in beating the daily puzzle in the Freep and it really had become a nice little ritual…sitting down with the puzzle page, grabbing my purple pen and kicking it’s butt!!  Yahoo has a good daily puzzle, but it is just not the same on-line.

That’s all for last week.  I don’t know how nerdy things will be over the next two weeks…it’s a BIG sports time in the “D” with the Final Four and the Tiger’s Opening Day.  That also means a lot of drinkin’.  So if I stay sober enough, and if Lil’ Baird let’s me, maybe I find time for nerd pursuits…

Weekly Deals for Detroit Area Stores  - 3/30/09:

Adding a new store this week – Plum Market

Kroger - Oscar Mayer Bacon, Select Varieties (including ready-to-serve), 16 oz. ($2.99 w/ card)

Meijer - Plumrose, 16 oz. ($2.19)

Hiller’s - Hormel Black Label Bacon, Regular or Lower Sodium, 16 oz. (2 for $6)

Busch’s – Spartan Bacon, Regular, Thick Cut or Low Sodium, 16 oz. (2 for $5)

Holiday Market – Nothing listed this week.

Westborn Market – Nothing listed this week.

Plum – Deals announced on Tuesdays

Go Get Some!!

Need to see another store on the list…let me know!