Our television set has been a source of embarrassment for my poor husband. It’s a 23-inch Sony, a good set, but a bit on the smallish side.*
What is it with guys and their need for large television sets? Whenever we have people over he sheepishly waves at the TV and explains why it is so small. And every story begins with “… so we had this custom cabinet built” and ends with “…it was a VERY expensive TV at the time…”
Poor guy.
I like where our TV is now. It’s tucked away in a corner cabinet (yes, THAT corner cabinet), which is my preference because I don’t like having a TV as the focal point of a room. I do like being able to shut the doors on it and pretend that it’s not there.
Want to know something funny? When the girls were toddlers and they’d beg to watch TV I’d shut the cabinet and tape a sign on the front of it. It was a picture of a TV with a red X over top of it. The first time I tried this trick I made a declaration: “Whenever you see this sign it means it’s NO TV DAY.” And you know what? IT WORKED. They never bugged me when that sign was stuck on the cabinet.
I like watching TV. It’s not ENTIRELY a wasteland. Mark and I both watch the Office, Parks and Recreation, Community, House (which I am getting a little tired of), Castle, and Pan Am. Additionally, I like to watch Glee and Parenthood, and I hate to admit this, Desperate Housewives. Sometimes we’ll catch a movie, sometimes we’ll tune into the news, but that’s about it. We record all of our shows on the PVR and watch them when we have the time and the inclination.
As I look over my list I realize it seems like a lot. I shudder to imagine all the things I could get done in my life if I gave up on television.
The girls record their shows too. We watch Once Upon a Time together as a family, but otherwise they have a handful of shows they watch together. I’ve lost track of what they are, but overall, it’s not a lot. They don’t watch TV after school, and only occasionally on weekday evenings, in which case it’s usually a Nature of Things that Mark has recorded. For the kids, TV is pretty much reserved for Friday nights and weekends or when they’re sick at home.
Anyway, yes, Mark, who is a TELEVISION AFFICIONADO, has been coveting a new one for years. And when we started planning our reno he only wanted it to include one thing: a new TV. This is understandable, considering he makes his living in the world of television. Thankfully he acknowledged that our living room – both the current and to-be-renovated versions of it – would look ridiculous with a 60″ flat screen. And so he settled on a 46″, which he bought yesterday. *sigh* It still seems large to me. We’ll see, I guess. Now I’m on the lookout for a really cool stand or better yet, a cabinet** that will fit our needs today and after the reno is over. I have a feeling it’s going to be a challenge.
* I admit, I have been finding the 23″ set a little hard on my eyes too.
** Sadly, Mark has already forbidden me to enclose it in a piece of furniture. So I should really give up on the cabinet idea. :(
