The first day at work after being on vacation kind of feels like trying to find your way out of a maze blindfolded. Confusing, and you don’t really want to be there.
My perpetual state of disbelief at time massing seems to continue, as I just can’t comprehend that we are in the midst and in the middle of summer. We have yet to get the kayaks out, our lazy beach days are nearly over, and are thoughts and plans have already moved forward to the fall. I think I need to focus on the fact that August DOES exist, and in it are 3 weekends in which I DO NOT have class, two of which I will be on the Cape again and in Maine re-uniting with High School buddies. I think this year I’ll also think of September as summer, as my classes don’t start until the end of the month, and it’s always a beautiful month weather-wise.
I’m a big Ha*ry Po*ter fan, and am avoiding the media like the plague since my plan is to borrow my sister’s copy when I visit in August. It’s hard for me to wait that long to read the last book, but I know that if I had it in my hands right now I would get NO schoolwork done.
Broke down and bought a cable to plug into the TV this weekend (we have free cable through the college). As I was agonizing over the decision, E., in her usual, ahem, directness, says to me, “Just what are you trying to prove?” I would have gotten pissed at her if it had not been so right on the mark. Good question: what AM I trying to prove by not watching any TV? Has it become this shallow badge of honor, like “I only buy organic?” Perhaps it has - and perhaps I need to grow up a little and practice some self-control. It’s exactly what I want to teach my children, so I should be practicing what I preach. I’m also a strong believer in balance, and my instinct tells me that no TV at all would be a bad thing. I can see it now - little Moonbeam running to her friend’s house to watch hours and hours of TV on end. It’s like my friends growing up whose parents stocked NO junk food in the house - not even good crackers - and when they came over they acted like crazed wild dogs emerging from the wood, salivating as they pushed each other over the enormous Cheez-It box my mom kept in perpetual stock.
So - our shrouded TV has been in use the past couple days, and I remembered that there really are no good shows on. “Are you Smarter Than a 5th-Grader” did pique my interest a bit, but the interesting trivia (especially to a future teacher) was overshadowed by the MIND-NUMBINGLY ANNOYING way they HAVE to play every game now like “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” namely the focus is no longer the questions of the game, but HOW LONG the suspense can be drawn out by mindless chatter between the host and the contestant, and all the “Are you SURE that’s your answer….??” PLEASE. If I wanted mindless drama with cheezy suspense, I’d watch Bold and the Beautiful.
E is on point with the “proving” something. At least partially. We don’t (well, didn’t, anyway) do tv, except for dvd rentals. Until S finally got the “basic” package, which gives us all the local network stations. But thankfully, no cable. Otherwise, we’d become addicts.
i like having the option of t.v. we’ve always gone in phases- t.v. then no t.v. for long periods of time…and when we haven’t had it for a while i like to watch it, but i am sure i will get sick of it again. and i think it’s pretty cool that in the 6 years we’ve been together we’ve never PAID for t.v. - there was the antenna when we lived in maine - yielding three fuzzy channels, the “surpirse we have cable from our neighbors” in northampton, and now, the endless stream of utilities that work to make us horrible adults that won’t know what hit us when we move off this college campus - some day!
now if only you could watch just ONE show at a time, instead of flipping between commercial breaks!
We broke down and got the full regular cable package so that we could watch the Red Sox games. We really don’t watch anything else, so hopefully we’ll have the strength to cancel and go back to basic in October. We have to have at least basic because otherwise out here in the boonies we get absolutely NOTHING. And I love being able to watch the weather channel. Although, I usually check the weather online. So maybe we don’t need tv at all. Except for the Red Sox. Gotta have the Red Sox. (I’m a fan by marriage, but hey, I have enthusiasm. Kind of.)