We Have TV!!!

You know that saying about how necessity is the mother of all invention, or something like that? We saw (once again) the truth of this concept on Monday. When we moved in here almost a year ago, we had taken to heart the recommendations of several couples who had suggested drastically reducing TV consumption during the first year of marriage. I know of some couples who didn't even own TVs for their first years of married life (until the need to play unceasing Baby Einstein and that show about the Blue Dog became necessary). So we pledged not to get cable TV. Plus, finances were tight and my brother and sister-and-law gave us a year's subscription to Netflix that we figured would keep us busy. We thought we'd just survive with network TV. Besides, there were at least 2 coaxial cable ends lying around in each room of our home. Surely at least one of them would give us rudimentary reception. We picked our corner for the TV and had a choice of 2 different cables to hook up. We picked the closer one. It was rather disappointing. We only got reception on 3 channels - 9, 11, and 13. And they were very snowy. But, no matter, this was our first year of marriage and we didn't need TV. So for the past 11 months, we've watched a total of maybe 20 hours of TV at home. Funny thing is, that total has probably been exceeded by the number of TV hours consumed at my parents' place - they have digital cable and something like a gazillion channels to browse. Last weekend I started thinking about the fact that I will soon be home for 3 months, with nothing but an infant for entertainment during the day. And the Olympics are starting soon. And our first year of marriage is coming to an end. I started thinking about this cable that leaves the roof of our duplex, where a large antenna protrudes, and enters a hole in the wall that roughly approximates the point in our living room where the cable that we didn't pick a year ago sits idly. So I asked Ian to see what would happen if we replaced the cable now hooked to our TV with that one (um...not because I couldn't do it myself, technically, but because my large belly prevents me from climbing behind the television). Well, he plugged it in and...voila...we have TV! You won't believe how giddy we were about being able to watch...um...what do people watch on TV these days? Is Friends still on? At least we'll be able to watch the episodes of E-Ring written by that guy who plays James Clown and Officer Bukatowski of Bad Guys of the Bible.

Clarice