Media exposure
23 April 2008I’ve written before about how Baby does not watch TV. Now it looks like I don’t, either. A series of frustrations with the cable company (i.e. squirrels kept eating the cable hook-up down the street; they are changing the package to make us pay more money) have convinced us to do away with cable altogether. Apparently, and this was news to me, that means we also won’t get local broadcast channels. But really I only tape (DVR) random movies and a couple of shows a week, all of which we can get online or rent or just give up on entirely, so I guess it’s not really a loss. Half the time lately our TV hasn’t been working, anyway, and it hasn’t bothered me.
This will mainly be a problem for my in-laws who, when they come from Sweden and stay with us for month-long trips, usually spend most of their time watching horrendous daytime-TV (that or going to every Target in the area buying flip flops and T-shirts by the dozens). Actually, their absolute favorite channels is that one that scrolls endlessly through the schedule for the day; they’ll watch that for hours.
You know what I will miss the most? The radio stations that came with our cable. Baby and I love listening to oldies while we sweep, or to the 80s when we dust, or to salsa and merengue when we mop (and sometimes we just dance around). I guess this means I’ll have to start listening to the hundreds of CDs that have lain dormant in cases on the shelf by my husband’s ratty undershirts up in the closet. Imagine that–enjoying the use of items I already own. And we’ve decided to resubscribe to some magazines, like The Economist, so that’ll be entertaining, too.
23 April 2008 at 11:32 am
I only watch one show during the week - How I Met Your Mother. John, on the other hand, watches countless shows and movies. Porgie also watches her fair share of Blue’s Clues. So, I don’t think our cable is going anywhere.
Why can’t you get the local stations? Don’t you just need some bunny ears?
23 April 2008 at 11:38 am
Husband said he tried that before and it didn’t seem to work in our location very well.
I’m sure there’s some way we could get some TV if we wanted to. If we really want it, in a few months we’ll figure something out. Right now we are going to see about going without. Husband’s really into the idea and I’m fine with it.
23 April 2008 at 1:12 pm
“decided to resubscribe to some magazines, like The Economist, so that’ll be entertaining, too.” = SNORT.
23 April 2008 at 1:14 pm
i barely watch it anymore either. most everything sucks. (guilty pleasures remain: House and Lost. Lots of eye candy for me on Lost.)
meanwhile, looking forward to a possible reprise of the “things i do wrong” post ;-) I still think about that one. I nearly blew milk through my nose i was laughing so hard.
23 April 2008 at 3:03 pm
we are getting rid of cable too - (not due to squirrels) but because we hardly watch tv anymore. not to mention anything we actually want to watch we can watch online.
thanks for stopping by my world :)
23 April 2008 at 8:59 pm
We only have the basic cable that they require for cable internet. I really don’t miss the extra channels. We usually end up only watching PBS shows in the morning. And I definitely take advantage of being able to keep up with other shows online after the kiddo goes to bed!
23 April 2008 at 10:11 pm
i live by my DVR.. I record the nightline news and some sitcom shows that I like…
luckily after we move cable and internet will be free for us :) (hubby job)
24 April 2008 at 2:45 am
I watched tv last night! Yay, me! (I find it kind of difficult to force myself — too many bad memories, so I’m always pleased when I manage to)
24 April 2008 at 9:34 am
It’s a great idea. It’s amazing how many things you can do other than watch TV. And you have that amazing yard, too, so I’m sure that will come in handy. R and I love Top Chef, plus we get cable free (the apt. complex has a bulk account), so ours is here to stay. But Little Bit’s bookshelf gets quite a lot of use, and I love me some National Geographic!
24 April 2008 at 5:08 pm
You gave me the giggles….thinking about your family from Sweden sitting in their flip flops watching “the guide.” Ha ha ha too funny.
I told myself many moons ago that when I had a child I would raise them in a house without a tv. This was before I met my husband and I didn’t own a tv at the time. Now we have the most ginormous tv and get about a bagillion channels. We watch entirely too much tv, not as much as some but more then we should you know? I like the idea of going tvless, my husband would probably freak.