Game ON!

I just got home from work. Not super busy but there are a lot of NFL games starting up so it was to be expected.

My younger son turned me on to  the Game of Thrones books a few months back and have been totally enthralled with them. People kept asking if I was watching the series but wanted to catch up with  the series before watching. We have basic cable but got a package deal because one of Tim's good friends worked for the cable provider we have. I think we're supposed to be his brother and sister in law or something but at least we got free HBO. All three of my kids and Tim have watched the series and loved it. Some of my FB friends offered to  loan me the first  two seasons on DVD and jumped at  the chance once I started reading book five.

Massey and I met them and brought the discs home only to discover we didn't have a blue ray player. All my TV's are at least ten years old with a big huge tube in the back but work just fine,  have served their purpose and although I would love to have a flat screen, that's so far down the list it's laughable.

My awesome friends bought me the first season in regular DVD format from Amazon and had it shipped to my house for my birthday! I was bowled over by  their kindness and generosity and simply giddy!

I watched the first episode on  the first disc and was hooked! I finished the first disc in one sitting. The next day I went into work at the restaurant and was talking with one of the cooks about how great the show was. The owner was standing there too and I told him he would LOVE the show. Len is a  big burly guy with  a mad Italian temper and could  BE one of those characters, lopping off heads and riding off to battle fearlessly.

His wife detests television  and doesn't  allow one in her house. She relented and let Len have one upstairs in the bonus room so he could watch his hockey games. The man works over ninety hours a week and has no life other than the restaurant. Barb doesn't even let him run the A/C up there but at least he has a place to unwind in the few hours he has to himself. He already works in a hundred degree plus kitchen seven days a week so I'm guessing an eighty five degree bonus room feels like paradise.

I told him I would bring him the first disc to see if he liked it. I took it in the next  day. I worked again the next  day and didn't want to seem all pushy and say right off the bat "Did you  watch it?" About an hour into  the shift he said "I brought your disc back, it's in the office." I asked him if he watched it and he said "Hell yeah!" I  took him the next disc next  time I worked and he promptly brought it back again  the next day.

Len doesn't have much  spare time or ever do anything for himself so I was glad he was enjoying the series.  I started  watching disc three and decided  to take him the rest of season one. He asked if I was through with it and I said no but was so  glad he was enjoying something, I thought I'd let him watch  first.  He asked why and I said "Well, it was a gift to me  and I'll own it forever. I'm just glad you  are enjoying them and don't worry, I'm still  reading the fifth book."

Two days later he brought the entire season one back. I told him I actually had season two also but it was on Blue Ray and asked if he had a Blue Ray player? He said "I think I do" to which  I said "No you don't, now you  sound like me. If you had Blue Ray  you'd know it."

Tonight I went into  work and took  season two (Blue Ray) with me. I asked Len's son who is the sous chef if he had a PS3 he could loan his Dad to watch the discs on and he said yes. Like I said , it was slow at  work and around six Len took a break. He'll usually go home for about one hour and then come back. I was in  the kitchen talking with  another cook who I  loaned my first disc to when Len brought it back (this guy is hooked now too) and said "I'll bet you five bucks Len is out buying a Blue Ray player."

Of course Barb was livid  when Len wasn't back in  one hour. Everything and anything Len does makes her furious. I call them Ralph and Alice Cramden. It was slow and I told her, "He'll be back soon."

Not  ten minutes later I walked into  the kitchen to drop off some dirty dishes and saw Len was back. He snapped me with  a rolled up dish towel as I walked by, looking all frisky.  I looked at  him and said "You  just went and bought a Blue Ray player didn't you?" He grinned and shook his head  yes. I went and told the  other cook he owed me five bucks.

Last night Barb was complaining at  work about Len watching the DVD's upstairs at  their house.  She said "All I hear is all  this bellowing , clanging of metal and horse hooves coming from upstairs." It was killing her...He was HAPPY!

Barb is  tough ole softie. She can be mean as crap but has a heart  of gold and will help  you out if you are a hard worker and  willing to help  yourself. She has bailed my family out time after time She isn't very techno savvy and we all laugh about the way she calls the  desk top in the office "the master." I've often thought about asking her "The master what?" but know that is how she differentiates between the desk top and the lap top. I asked her one day in the office to pull up Len's email so I  could do something for him about  a catering job. She was in  there twenty  minutes when I said "Do  you have it up yet?" to which she responded "I'm getting closer."

When I was checking out tonight fixing to leave for the night, Barb was mad at him about something else and walked into  the office where Len and I were discussing Game of Thrones. She said adamantly, "If I hear all  that pounding noise coming from upstairs again tonight I'm going into  the garage and cutting off the breaker switch  to the bonus room." Len and I both cracked up and she stomped off in a huff. I told him, "You know this is killing her don't you, you enjoying these discs so much?" I'll have to say it IS a loud storyline. It's hard to sword fight, ride horses hundreds of miles and fight dragons quietly.

He said "I'm like Cinderella, all I'm supposed to do is work.  I guess you  could call me CinderFella."

I went back out front to clock out and Barb caught up with me. She said "Do NOT bring him any more of those CD's." I said "Well Barb, number one  they are DVD's and number two I don't have any more."  She said "Well GOOD THEN!"

Here's the thing about Barb. I can almost guarantee you  she will buy him the season three DVD's for Christmas.

I told Len I didn't know which I was enjoying more,  watching the Game of Thrones or watching Barb being  mad at us for ENJOYING the Game of Thrones!

I've gotten three other people hooked on the series at  work.  I'll loan out a disc but won't loan another one out til you bring back the first one. Shout out to Shirley and Wick, who  gave me the first season for my birthday...I'm paying it forward!  Thanks  to  you,  four more people are loving this series!

Unloading the dishwasher, folding a load of clothes and calling it a night/early morning.

"Winter is Coming" (only "Throner's" will get that one)

Til next  time...COTTON