The Chronic Consumer

Jerry is a big fan of Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath, so I thought it would be fun to buy him a McGrath mouse pad for his desktop computer. The mouse pad is offered by Smooth Industries, the undisputed leaders in producing motocross-branded accessories like kids pajamas, pencils, camp chairs, sleeping bags, and more.

Anyway, the mouse pad has a great picture of MC laying the bike flat on a nice whip. The image is clear, and you can see a lot of details in it. The mouse pad also has McGrath’s sponsors listed along the bottom, and the Smooth Industries logo in the upper right corner.

The only problem with the mouse pad is that it’s a lot thinner and flimsier than I expected it to be. Don’t get me wrong, it works just fine once it’s sitting on the desk. But when you hold it in your hands and look at it, it feels like a cheap piece of crap!

Overall, I would still recommend this product because it’s not all that expensive and it’s something that a SX/MX fan will likely appreciate. Too bad the padding is not a quarter of an inch thicker to give the product some substance!

Lots of sports teams get new stadiums at some point or other, but few generate the stir that came along with the Bronx Bombers tearing down the House that Jack Built. Yep, better get in line for 2009 New York Yankees tickets, as I’m sure lots of people will go see the team just to check out the state-of-the-art ball field.

Two years in the making, the new Yankee Stadium can seat 52,325 spectators — which is actually some 4,500 less than the old stadium! But the new place has nearly three times the number of luxury suites, and boasts more leg room, restrooms, elevators, souvenir stores, and a huge video scoreboard.

I wish I could have taken in a ball game at the old digs, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the Yanks in action at the new field. The first game will be an exhibition against the Cubs (another reason to go) on April 3, and the first regular-season game will be on April 16 against the Indians.

How much do you want to bet that they both sell out?

I’ve been looking for a diet supplement for quite some time now, but there are so many products on the market that it’s hard to sift through all the ingredients lists, side effects, and manufacturer claims to settle on a single pill.

So instead of trying to do everything myself, I’m just going to read independent reviews of fat burners at sites that specialize in this sort of thing. It’s important to me that the reviewer has actually used the pill in question and has firsthand experience with the results (or lack thereof) because this will ensure that I’m getting good information.

Anyway, I need to get moving on this soon. I’ve been flip-flopping for too long now. I think a diet supplement will really help me reach my weight loss goals, so it’s time to make a purchase!

Jerry is a huge racing fan, and recently saw something on the NASCAR site that he really wants to get. He’s not much of a collector, but he simply can’t pass up the chance to own this 1:24 scale Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Diecast Car.

It’s a replica of Carmichael’s #4 Monte Carlo that he’s using in one of the minor NASCAR circuits, and looks pretty cool. Here’s an excerpt from the product description:

It’s designed with a working front and rear suspension, external hood and trunk hinges, a detailed engine with additional wires and hoses, and a working hood, trunk and roof. Complete body decals and tampo-printed graphics reflect the driver and team logos raced on the track.

The only drawback is that this diecast Monster Energy car costs a whopping $69.99! That’s a huge amount for something that’s just going to sit on a shelf and gather dust. Oh, well… maybe for Jerry’s next birthday.

We have a partially-finished basement (it has flooring and drywall, but no ceiling–just exposed beams) that we’re in the process of fixing up as a family room. Our plan is to move our television and other entertainment items down there and have that become our main hangout, allowing us to leave our living room as a place to receive guests.

The first item on the agenda is to get the basement furnished. We’re not going to be picky in this regard, and will just hit some discount furniture shops for a cheap couch, some comfy chairs, and a couple of coffee tables. We don’t want to have to worry about food spills and stains, so we’re definitely not going to get anything fancy.

Once we get the furniture in place, we have to call an electrician to do a bit of rewiring for our electronics. We don’t have a cable jack down there, which means we won’t be able to watch TV unless we get one put in, and we don’t have nearly enough electrical outlets either. Hopefully one guy can do all the rewiring that we need.

After that, we’ll be able to move our television, DVD player, video games, and everything else down there and start using the area as more than just a storage room. I can’t wait!

I’m currently getting things ready for our annual spring garage sale. I know it’s a bit early, but the weather’s been so bad that I don’t have anything else to do right now, so what the heck.

I’ve already set aside five boxes of clothes, toys, books, video games, and DVDs that we would like to get rid of. I haven’t thought of prices yet, but from past experience, I think we can net several hundred dollars for this stuff. Not bad, especially when you consider the fact that we’ve gotten plenty of use out of these products over the past couple of years!

Anyway, I love reducing clutter, and once I get on a roll, it’s hard to stop me. I’m sure I’ll end up with several more boxes for the sale before all is said and done!

Jumping rope is one of the best cardio exercises around, but as a 35-year-old adult, I would feel a bit silly going out in my driveway to perform this routine in front of all my neighbors. So when I heard about a “ropeless jump rope” device called JumpSnap, I thought it was a brilliant idea.

JumpSnap consists of two plastic handles that allow users to simulate the action of jumping rope. When you twirl the handles, a little noisemaker (which can be turned on or off) makes the clacking sound that you would expect from a real jump rope, and the LCD display keeps track of jumps, calories, burned, and the amount of time you’ve been working out.

JumpSnap comes in a complete package that contains DVDs to help lead you through workouts, small weights that can be put into the handles to increase the intensity of the exercise, and a travel bag for the handles.

I would love to buy this product so I can begin jumping rope in the privacy or my own home, or in a hotel room when I’m vacationing, etc. I can’t believe no one thought of this idea before!

My husband is in the market for a new scooter. We bought a used one about a year ago to help reduce fuel consumption and costs back when gas prices were skyrocketing. But it was only a 50cc model that was good for short trips to the store and what not. Now Jerry wants a bigger scooter, one that’s practically a motorcycle and can carry two people, reach higher speeds, etc.

As we were looking around at the different products, we came across this picture of Brad Pitt riding a Yamaha scooter with Angelina Jolie in tow. With all the kids they have, you’d think they’d take safety a bit more seriously and put a helmet on. Or maybe they’ve already got the best motorcycle accident lawyers Los Angeles has to offer on retainer so they don’t have to worry about things like that. Still, it’s not a very good example to set for others!

Anyway, Jerry is leaning towards a Suzuki at this point. I’m not sure what model name is, but it looks similar to the Yamaha that Brad’s riding. Personally, I don’t think it matters much which one we buy. I mean, how different can one scooter be from another?