Blown away vs. blows.

Last night I saw a play.  It was pretty good, you know, entertaining.  But it didn’t blow me away.  It got me thinking…over the past half decade, what has blown me away?  I can think of just 3 things.

1. The fig appetizer at Vivo.  For added bonus, the place no longer smells like cat wiz!
2. Barry getting the nod for prez.  My eyes well up every time I think about it.  For the first time since elementary school, I’m proud to be an American.
3. My garage door opener.  A few months back, Shut-in and I installed one on my garage.  It changed my life.  Let me explain.  I’ve never been able to justify living in the North.  Sadism perhaps?  Winter blows!  But now…if I want to go somewhere, I go downstairs, get in my warm car, press a button, and drive merrily on my way.  Beat that!  Being cold is now optional!  If I feel like getting cold, I take old mutt for a walk.  Or I take the kids sledding.  Cold is no longer forced on me.  Did you know that snow is actually pretty?  Snow even makes our hideous “burning bush” look sexy.

I just figured out why we buy a new hose every year.

So…what was worst thing to happen over the past 5 years?  Easy.  The writer’s strike of 2007.  That fool strike (re)unleashed a scourge on American society known as reality TV.  Caught in its horrific grip are my wife and daughter.  The worst of the bunch is America’s Next Top Model.  Witness the pain and devastation it has caused:

What happened to the girl I used to know?