About 18 months ago I turned my cable off. Not because I needed to save money, although it was a nice benefit but because the last time I watched TV was 6 weeks prior. I was spending money on cable with no intent to watch. So I turned it off. And I didn't miss it. I actually took pride in the fact that I had never seen some of the shows that people talked about. I kind of rubbed it in, in fact, that I didn't have cable. But I actually got more crap from others that I was trying to be high and mighty. And I probably was...but it doesn't matter, I still was better than them.
On a side note, I had absolutely ABSOLUTELY no idea of what was going on in the world. I didn't know the weather. The tornado in St Joseph, Missouri? I had no idea what happened until a day or two afterwards, I heard someone talk about it and I realized that I was doing a huge disservice to myself. But I didn't really want to get cable still. I guess I just wanted to not give in to any of the trappings of cable.
Now? I have had cable for a month and I'm hooked. I still refuse to watch most reality shows. I have no desire to follow the Kardashians or those idiots on Jersey Shore. The Housewives of wherever are not something I am even remotely interested in. I did watch about 15 minutes of the Housewives of the Mob and OMFG...what an utter and complete waste of my time.
I have found a few shows that I am starting to follow. I don't DVR them because I forget we have DVR. I've watched a few Movies On Demand but am less inclined because it's $5 a movie. But what it really boils down to is that I just can't find anything to watch. I get bored pretty easily lately and sitting down for more than 30 minutes is kind of hard. Obviously having a DVR means I can watch when I want to and I've started thinking about making the effort to watch new stuff and using the DVR but I just have yet to pull the trigger but that also requires me to remember to check the DVR. This whole thing is incredibly exhausting.
One thing that I have been watching is QVC. God knows why I found this channel. God knows why I love to watch all the stuff that you can buy at any time, day or night. I love to watch the models and for the “personality” to use as many adjectives in 15 minutes for the one piece of merchandise. I really love to hear the phone calls (the “testimonies”) and every single one I have heard is an old woman buying it at 1:30 in the morning because her cat’s sick. I totally made that up but you get the gist of it.
Now, here comes confession….I have bought things on QVC and more so on their website. I have returned one but have kept the others. I have a wish list on-line that I would like to buy all of them. Most of the pricing is quite reasonable and the quality is fair to good. I like the “4 easy payments of $14.89” option. But really I just love the ability to look at a huge array of stuff and think of how it would look good on me or in my hands. I have to be careful, because I can justify anything. I have been very good about this though. I know my money limits and I know what I can and cannot do.
I am practicing restraint and only sticking to QVC. HSN and others are just one channel away on cable and one click away on the Internet but I can’t start watching them all the time. I would truly because a TV addict and wouldn’t leave the house. Maybe I would feel better about getting my money’s worth from cable.
So, I’m slowly getting myself back out in the information highway. I’ve started listening to talk radio. I don’t understand where the anger is coming from with some of these radio programs but it is showing me that I need to stay informed and so I am starting to read the newspaper on-line. Listening to talk radio and watching some of the news channels on TV. I really like John Stewart and Steven Colbert. I laugh WHILE learning…genius.
I registered to vote last week, first time since Clinton. I haven’t stayed informed so I had no right to vote and then no right to complain. That’s a horrible attitude and I hope to fix that.
So…cable is going to rot my brain eventually. But I tell you what; I don’t think QVC is going to disappointment and I'll have fabulous things to wear and use while in front of the TV, watching riveting video's like this. Educational....
