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Monday, March 29, 2004 - 12:40 p.m.

On home improvement and DVDs

Looking at the prices for some things around Home Depot, I could see how people with time and drive � and a home to call their own � might get wrapped up in the Home Improvement thing. When you buy your own stuff to do your own work, it can be pretty cheap. I mean, an empty gallon-sized paint can, with lid, for 94 cents? Man! The things I could do with a bunch of shiny, empty paint cans.

Casey and I were there yesterday to pick up the paint thinner we needed to wash the brushes after we stained our IKEA Ivar bookcases (now that the end pieces in the size we need FINALLY came in), a project that we meant to tackle two months ago but couldn't because when we first bought the 29-inch high bookshelf ends, we bought the wrong size for the shelves we had. We also got the tiny can of butane that we needed to fill up the tiny kitchen torch that will enable us to make homemade creme brule � the tiny kitchen torch that Kerry gave us for Christmas. Before Thanksgiving.

Yes, we're the couple who says to one another, "We should get that!" Or, "Yeah, we need to remember next time we're near that store to pick some up." And then we go months without doing it. When we someday make the move into a house, it'll probably take us the life of the mortgage just to complete all the changes we'd like to make.

So yesterday, we finally laid the tarp out on the balcony and painted the IKEA bookshelf pieces a nice brown that matches most of our other cheap but useful and sturdy furniture. Then we got up early this morning to flip them over and paint the other sides, since we had to wait at least eight hours for the one side to dry, and we started painting at 3 p.m. Tonight and tomorrow morning, we'll apply the finish, and tomorrow night we should be all set to put them together and get some more organization to The DVD Collection That Ate Our Living Room. Seriously, with all these freebies � excuse me, "review copies" and "check discs" � I get at work, there's practically no need to buy new DVD releases. They're falling off the tall bookcase. And because between my co-worker and I, we get two copies (if not more) of everything, I don't feel as guilty about taking some of them home and depriving the lending library. And it's nice to get the review copies, because while I'd never buy them, I'm somewhat excited to check out The Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider, but I doubt I'd pay for them. I've seen Dukes since college, and it doesn't come across as entertaining and worthwhile as it did when I was 6. While I haven't seen Knight Rider since I don't know when, I fear the same thing.

But there is one I will still buy, because we don't always get stuff from Fox: The Simpsons.

Finally, my recent entry on Wonder Woman was just a little ahead of the news.

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