Friday, June 19, 2009

Life without TV

We recently (and very reluctantly) disconnected our digital cable box/DVR and returned it to Comcast. It was just taking too much from our budget to continue to pay for it. We miss it very much - especially the DVR. I got so used to programming the DVR to record every episode of Reading Rainbow, Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, How it's Made, America's Test Kitchen, and a whole host of others. It was nice to have a wide selection to choose from, depending on your mood. There was a lot of good stuff out there, after you sorted through the riff-raff on network TV.

Now we are stuck with network TV and PBS. I am thankful for PBS because Rylan can still watch her favorite show: Super Why - as long as she is up at 7:30, which has been hit or miss in the last week or so. Reading Rainbow comes on at the ultra popular time of 2:30 am, so we never get to see it anymore. I wonder what programming genious thought that one up. Because you see, Dragontails is just so superior.... (I hate that show, I hate that show...)

We are of course getting a lot more done around here, just as I thought we would. I didn't have TV either, before I met Dean. I had cut the cord with cable company in the months before, and 'enjoyed' getting a lot of stuff accomplished. Like grading papers and making lesson plans. Ya' know, fun stuff like that... We listen to NPR all evening. Rylan and Owen like the music on the World Music Cafe. I am glad that I get to listen to that again - I've missed it.

Jordan will be in for a little shock to the system when he gets home in a month's time. We had turned in the DVR before he left, but they hadn't sent a guy out to turn off the cable yet. Right now he is in TV heaven, because that is about all he does while he is there. Sad. But that will help in the transition back because we can immerse ourselves in all that we do every day anyway. There won't be time for TV!

Whatever...

Last night, as soon as her daddy came home from work, Rylan wanted to go outside and throw a small red disc. We both told her she couldn't because some dark clouds were rolling in and it was beginning to thunder. She insisted that it wasn't, and I opened the front door to prove it to her. She turned away, said a few sentences under her breath, and then tossed over her shoulder this little gem:

"Whatever..."