People who know me personally know that I hate my local cable company like dogs hate fleas, and for much the same reason. They extract more than I am willing to give, and are an at least intermittent irritant. So, when I moved into new non-mom-memory laden apartment, I was already primed for a storm of vitriol and the shame that follows because they treat me (and everyone else) really badly, and I let them get away with it. And the vitriol was compounded by the fact that we were recently snowed in for about six months in Northern Virginia. So, new apartment, plus boredom, plus no cable and intertubes. Rage.
Then the snow was finally cleared, and the cable company called to reschedule, and then kept me on hold for 30 minutes. Hate that. Then they skipped a few more appointments. Hate that more, because I was trapped in the apartment without actually being quite TRAPPED after just being freed, you know? And all for nothing. So, I called. And I said "I am extremely displeased with the service I am receiving from your company." and detailed the non-emergency related eff-ups of the past few weeks. And the dude on the other end of the phone said, "Well, ma'am, what are you going to do? Do you want to be without television?" And I thought that was a fair question. Cable Co has a monoploy in my area, and they suck.
So, I reflected. AND GUESS WHAT? My life has been quite a bit better without television. I mean, the back to back blizzards sucked, and being stuck waiting for cable dude that never showed was really annoying. But being without TV and intertubes has made me read a lot more, and work out a lot more, and go out to all the free museums around here a lot more. Despite being just moved in, my apartment is together and cute-ish. I went to see a production of Richard II. I had a dinner party at which I griped about Bushy and Green being 'dispatched' on Bolingbroke's orders with a pistol. In 1399. (I'll bet they were never expecting that.) And asked my friends what they thought of all the fiftyeleven minutes of backstory before Richard II started where I remember it starting. I am Niles Crane, apparently, because I still enjoyed myself while having some reservations about the production. But my therapist has declared me sane, anyway!
So I called cable back, and informed them that I've decided I really do want to be without TV. They were not expecting that.
Friends are mocking me for "Going Henry David" on them, but that's OK. I have a library card. I am writing from the library now. I am really enjoying my break from watching idiots try to outwit each other on islands and in apartments and at fat camp for prizes or jobs or the public shame that passes for fame now. So, while I have classes to teach and homework to grade and limited free time, I'm cable-monopoly free.
