6/30/10

I would venture to guess that, among my social circle, I watch less television than anyone else.  I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with my father whenever I stop by to visit and I watch various sporting events whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Aside from these examples, I really can't think of anything that I make it a point to see.  It's not that I have a serious aversion to television or anything.  I'll download and watch episodes of this and that, in order to kill some time, whenever the mood strikes me.  I just don't get that much enjoyment out of the medium.

Given what I've said above, it should come as no surprise that I'm not all that enamored with the prospect of HDTV and 3D and all the rest.  My television is an old 27" model from Curtis Mathes.  I bought it with the last $150 that I had to my name, the day after my ex-wife finally moved out (and took all of my belongings with her).  That was over eight years ago.  And that old television is still kicking.  About the only use that it gets these days is from my buddy playing video games, but it works, by golly.  As long as the picture on the screen reflects whatever the broadcaster wants me to see, I can find no reason to buy something bigger and better.

So, this morning, I came to the realization that I was going to have to do some laundry.  My laundry bag with dirty work clothes was lying next to my hamper with its own share of dirty 'home' clothes.  Something had to give.  The washer and dryer in my apartment building each cost $1.25.  After digging around the couch cushions, I found that I had three quarters.  The usual routine would be to drive down the street, grab some cash from the ATM, buy a candy bar from the party store on the corner to break a twenty dollar bill, stop by the car wash next door and use the change machine, then wash my clothes.  The usual routine wasn't going to work today though.

When you have seventeen dollars (which is less than $20) in your checking account, the story necessarily changes. The ATM option wouldn't work, so what was left? Go to the bank and write myself a check for ten dollars? Transfer some money from savings to checking so I could use the ATM?  Yeah, sure, either of those choices would take care of the situation, but I went with a third option. 

My youngest brother was laid off from his construction job a few weeks ago.  He moved back in with my parents to save money.  Apparently the folks in Michigan didn't get the memo about Recovery Summer or something.  Anyhow, shortly after my little brother got his pink slip, my father stepped off a ladder at work and hurt his knee.  Since he is a cement finisher and thus works on his knees most of the time, Dad is now headed for a knee replacement and an early retirement.  So... the crew working at the local oil refinery had an opening to fill.  And so my brother got his job back.  Funny how life works out sometimes.

Since my brother is working now, he's out of the house during the day.  Since my father isn't working now and my mother is taking vacation time, they're at their place up north for the week.  Sounds to me like someone has a washer and dryer just sitting there, waiting to be used.  Beauty.

After tossing the first load of laundry into the washer, I fired up my brother's television to see what was on.  During most days on the road I listen to the CNBC broadcast on my XM Radio.  I'm a greedy capitalist pig by nature, so I like to stay informed about the financial world and such.  On the radio, I've always enjoyed listening to Mandy Drury.  She was filling in for Melissa Francis while Ms. Francis was on maternity leave.  A smartass attitude and an Australian accent are A-OK with me.  Until today though, I never knew what she looked like.  Ms. Drury anchored today's broadcast.  Yeah buddy.  (Honorable mention goes to Trish Regan on the same show.)

So then I had a little bit of reason to question my ambivalence toward HDTV.  That's just a financial network though.  I certainly wouldn't decide whether or not to watch (or listen) based on the dames.  After a couple of loads of laundry made their way through the washer and dryer, I pulled up the programming guide to see what was coming on next.  I do get a kick out of Erin Burnett and her quirky humor as well, but I thought that I had heard enough financial chit-chat for today.

Lo and behold, Los Tigres had an afternoon game in Minnesota.  At the start of the day, the Twinkies were only half a game in front of Detroit.  I still had several loads of laundry to do, so it was time to hit CVS for a six pack and then watch the ballgame.  Summary of the HDTV broadcast - I don't hate it.  Probably not gonna rush out to Best Buy any time soon, but I can see what people like about the technology.  After all, I'm better off not seeing shit like this, right?





After the laundry was all done, my brother came home from work and we had a chance to kibitz about the upcoming weekend's fireworks display. It looks like we'll be launching from my aunt's place along the edge of Lake Huron.  It also looks like we'll need to procure enough plywood to provide launching stations and perhaps enough wood to build catwalks along the lake bed.  The water level may or may not be high enough to cause access problems.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the Mythbusters are about to figure out the fastest way to cool a six-pack.  This is required viewing... you know... for people with cable.