God DAMN it.

I stopped by Best Buy tonight to continue my ongoing research into rigging a GPS into my car by actually looking at one in person. I wasn’t planning on buying anything (for reasons I will elaborate on later in the post), but then I saw two things:

1. Martin Starr, who played Haverchuck on Freaks and Geeks, among many other hilarious roles

2. Holding a Wii.

I have wanted a Wii for several months now. I’d resolved to buy one at Best Buy, as I have about $100 worth of gift cards, bringing the price down to just under $200 (including tax and a second Wiimote). And really, what else does Best Buy sell that am I not going to find cheaper online?

Unfortunately, Best Buy is always sold out of Wiis when I go, and they generally sell out any shipment they get within a couple of hours. Seeing Starr holding a Wii was the first time I’d actually seen one in a customer’s hands. I had to know if there were more.

So dispensing with my “do not approach people whose work you enjoy” policy, I went up to him and said, “excuse me, where did you get that Wii?” And he pointed out the stack around the corner. I thanked him and fled.

Oh, that stack taunted me, I tell you. But alas, there were two problems with buying a Wii an hour ago, both of which Joel reminded me of when I called and begged him to talk some sense into me:

Problem the first: I just got stuck with a big old pile of medical bills for my foot surgery, plus my physical therapy bill is swiftly approaching $500, and it appears it will not stop there. $25 a visit adds up distressingly fast.

Problem the second: I am leaning towards moving downstairs over Labor Day Weekend, and I’m estimating the one-time expenses for that (cleaning fee, moving supplies, movers because everyone I know is out of town that weekend, etc.) at about $600.

So basically, I am broke as a joke, and even the modest sum a Wii commands with gift cards factored in is currently out of my reach. Still, I was damn tempted.

It took every ounce of restraint I have to walk away from that pile of Wiis. It is a decision I am sure I will regret in a couple months when my finances loosen up and I still can’t find a damn Wii in a Best Buy.

If someone would rather watch The Waterboy than the most recent episode of your show, even though she absolutely worshiped your last show, you have gone terribly wrong somewhere.

If someone who *almost* unironically loves the wholly ridiculous Jericho and still religiously watches ancient, creaky ER because she just can’t bring herself to stop finds your show has become so ridiculously implausible that she’s considering not watching anymore, you too, have made a huge mistake.

This is a summer of disappointment for the obsessive television fan. At least there was the really awesome episode of the Closer with a three-way brawl between a funeral, a murder investigation, and a wedding. The teaser and first act of that episode were absolutely inspired.

Usually it’s somewhat reassuring to see behaviors of yours replicated in various studies, so you know you’re not alone.

In this case, however, it’s a bit depressing.

…is trying to explain to my 70 year old father why this sign in Sun Valley cracks me up.