Now, I suppose most of you are gonna just laugh your lips off at this...but we be kinda backwoods critters here. We have NEVER, EVER had cable TV or satellite or whatever other media by which one receives "all those channels" out there. HBO, Showtime...those are the only ones I can think of, which ought to tell you just how "backwoods" we are, cuz there are about a gazillion channels and I have NO CLUE as to what they are! Our house is more than 500 feet off the road, which means we would have to pay $$$ to get cable. Yes, we could get satellite. Yes, we could get someother whatever they have these days (but I don't know what all that entails). But the fact is, no one CARES enough about all those channels to do anything about it! So we've limped along with ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, FOX, and one local channel. And when I say "limped" I really DO mean limped! CBS and the one local channel were always "iffy"....SNOW comes to mind...ABC wasn't too bad, but NBC would whig out about halfway through an episode of Law and Order SVU. PBS quit coming in altogether - just got a blue screen. FOX was fairly consistently clear but I was getting a bit tired of 2 1/2 Men, LOL!
ENTER: June 12, 2009 - when television stations nationwide are broadcasting exclusively in a digital format!
Along with not being on the grid for all those cable channels, we also had aging TVs, a roof antenna, and rabbit ears. We procrastinated. We practiced "denial." We thought it was never going to actually happen. We accepted that it would...but then went back to the "denial" stage. Finally, about 3 weeks before "the event" we bought two converter boxes.
Converter Boxes Day 1: we stare at them.
Converter Boxes Day 2: see Day 1
Converter Boxes Day 21: see Day 1
Converter Boxes Day 50: we opened the package. Note, this was WAY after June 12. Don't wanna rush into anything!
Converter Boxes Day 60: we look at the instructions.
Converter Boxes Day 70: we hook one up to the kitchen portable...not very successful
Converter Boxes Day 75: we buy a new set of rabbit ears for kitchen portable...we now get 2 hispanic channels (nothing wrong with that, but we don't speak Spanish!) and 1 children's religious channel....uh....'nuff said. Hubby actually watches children's religious channel for 2.2 minutes.
Eventually, it is September. I finally (I have a LOT of patience) say "Gee...I wish we had some TV!" Younger son hears and actually hooks living room TV up with the other converter box. Miraculously, we get FOX! Not ABC. Not NBC. Not CBS. Not PBS. Not local channel. But we DO have FOX! I am absolutely DELIRIOUS over 2 1/2 men! I would have been delirious over 1 1/2 men! Shoot, at this point, I'd take a HALF MAN!
Where have I gone wrong? My expectations are so low! I wish I could have found some pictures of the early TVs I've had...especially the ORANGE one I had in the early 70s...had to stomp on the floor to get it to quit rolling (do ANY of you know what I mean!?!). And there were NO REMOTES! You had to actually get up off your butts and WALK to the TV to change channels!
Oh my....son just came home (wanting dinner of course) and now I am hearing 2 1/2 Men on FOX! I'll have to get back to you later...I'm thirsting for some TV.....
3 comments:
well, I kinda don't know what to think or say. I could feel sorry for you and say this is the 21st century you know; I could keep my mouth shut and not say anything - to each his own; but I truly feel that I wish I were you at times! I'm not a big big tv watcher. And many days I don't even want the tv on. So to you I say -- what a great life (sometimes) with no tv.
I really enjoyed this post! Chuckled all the way through the read. :0)
Nadine.... i don't know what to say... you are hilarious.... but darn it, honey... how is it that you have a damned blackberry and no tv... well, hardly.. and i mean FOX?? Yeesh, i love two and half men, but girlfriend, you need OPTIONS!! kisses!
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