Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Sober For A Month Now



My kids haven't watched a lick of TV in a month now.

For some time, I've been threatening to go TV-less in this household but finally just pulled it off. They didn't watch more than 2 hours per day, ever - unless someone was ill. Yet I knew it was still too much. I leaned on the TV for when my kids arose at 6am or I needed to steal an hour at my computer or make dinner. But now they are cut off and they don't even ask for it anymore. It's simply not an option.

As I've told y'all before, it makes me sick to my stomach to add up the hours of my precious life that I've wasted watching sports, Party of Five, Falcon Crest, etc. I'd be a royal jerk if I let kids anywhere near that path to a brain-dead nowhere. If I had just spent a fraction of that time on.....oh, never mind.

Now, as for my own idiot-box viewing....I only watch it late at night, in bed, when everyone else is sleeping. Slowly, I've been snorting less and less. But now (admittedly, since the Celtics are done) I am going to try to go cold turkey myself. Last night I read myself to sleep - and I hope to do that from now on, even if my wife has to suffer the light on.

This is what's so great about this blog. For some time now, I've been wanting to write this post - but, obviously, I couldn't. Writing my plans out, and not to mentioning *putting them on display*, really helps me exorcise the procrastination and bad habits that otherwise have been dominating the war of wills.

5 comments:

Taylor Conant said...

Good for you, been itching to do the same thing myself for awhile now.

You might try to rough me and say "Well what are you waiting for, do it!" but it's pointless because I actually DON'T watch TV as it is... only in a moment of sheer boredom/weakness every 5 or 6 weeks do I cave in. But I almost instantly get disgusted with the crap on TV (esp outside of primetime) and quickly bailski all over again.

Been reacquainting myself with books as well!

Maybe one day we'll train ourselves to consume sports LIVE and in person if we (you) need a fix. Though the only problem is that, short of a great seat, sports is actually better watched and enjoyed on TV because you don't have to pay the cost of admission or the exorbitant concession stand prices.

And if you get up to pee you don't have to worry about losing your seat!

CaptiousNut said...

As for *live spectating* sports, what about, if the game is a blowout, you can't FF to the end like you can with a DVR?

Sports should remain *participatory*, like they were in Sparta where everyone threw the javelin, everyone wrestled, etc.

(Though, not for nuthin', I ain't wrestling no Greek dudes!)

Plus, nowadays, wusses say, "let's go for a walk" or "let's take the stairs" and they fancy it exercise.

Funny Circus Bears said...

Agreed, and other Nancy boys golf and fancy it excercise. Shirt lifters!

Speaking of Spartan competitions - I'm all in favor of going old school and requiring the original sportwear, i.e., completely naked.

Women's sports purses rise inversly proportional to the amount of fabric they wear during competition.

Coach G said...

Get one of those little miners lights to put on your head. it looks dorky but wifey will fall asleep faster and she can't bitch,umm, talk in her sleep. and she might roll over and give you a present one day

CaptiousNut said...

I do need that.

She bought me a little reading lamp a while back. I guess I should dig it out.