One of the pleasures of my job (I work at a B&B.) is meeting new and interesting people.  Today a nice-looking man was brewing hot tea in our lobby when I was walking through.  Our eyes met and I commented on drinking hot tea when it was in the 80's outside.  (It was NOT a wisecrack; it was a friendly observation.)  This led to a long discussion where I learned so many fascinating things about him:

•  He grew up in Viet Nam in Saigon.  It was tradition to keep a hot pot of tea going all day.  All guests were always offered a cup of tea.  They also believed that drinking hot beverages helped them to feel cool in the tropical heat of (South) Viet Nam.  
• His grandfather was a physician who was well-known in Saigon and who believed in treating the whole person and had a lot of ideas about eating and taking care of yourself that are becoming more popular today.  Joey (he introduced himself as Joey and I'm not sure if this is the correct spelling or not - he's very Americanized so it may be...) didn't speak until he was 5 and his family believed he might be "stupid" (his word), so no one paid much attention to what they said around him.  He spent all his time with his grandfather at his practice and said he knew all about menopause, having babies, and many other things by the time he was 5!  
• His grandfather came to America with the rest of the family, and died at the age of 88 when he was hit by a car.  This happened in Pensacola, FL.  An autopsy was performed because the Highway Patrol wanted to blame the accident on an "old drunk or drugged man" (meaning a foreigner) and the autopsy showed him to be not only alcohol and drug-fee, but he had the body of a 68-yr old.  This happened back in 1987.  The driver was never charged.  
• Joey is in the Air National Guard.  He is 50 yrs old and looks 40.  (And I only guessed 40 because he has some gray hair.)  He says at his physical training for the Guard he outruns much-younger men all the time and loves it!

What a delight he is - and what stories he must have!  I wish I could have spent much more time with him, but I WAS working.  I filled my coffee thermos with hot green tea and drank that this afternoon.  It was weird and I didn't feel cooler, but I'm going to keep at it.  He also drinks room temperature water as needed.

I'm glad to be back on my blog.  I deviated from my "no tv for one year" project by getting into hulu too much.  And while my family was visiting for spring break they hooked the TV back up and I've had several wasted evenings back in my old habits.  I heard on the radio today that hulu will start charging for their service in May or June so that will put an end to that.  Bummer.  It's kind of cool to pick and choose what to watch and when.  For free.  I'm not PAYING for it.  So I'm baaaccckkk.  I've got some stories - after all, I spent 4 days/3 nights in VEGAS BABY recently, and the wildlife is stirring here in NE Florida. 

PS Harley is alive and well.  He hacked up a 4" hairball yesterday. 

NO TV FOR 2 MONTHS - SO WHAT?

I disconnected my cable from my TV 2 months ago.  Have I learned anything from this experience?

• I've learned that I really don't miss the TV shows themselves.  I had a pang when I realized I wouldn't get to watch "Amazing Race", but I don't sit on my couch on Sunday nights weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth because I'm missing the show.  I used to watch "Judge Judy" twice a day almost every day, yet I don't wonder about who didn't get paid for a cell phone account that they bought for a girlfriend/boyfriend, or who got stuck with a lease on an apartment when their friend/boyfriend/girlfriend moved out early, or who is suing whom for beating someone up during a bar fight.  I don't miss the news, the entertainment gossip, the weather reports, the sitcoms, the reality shows, and I especially don't miss all the commercials.  My God,  I used to spend entire evenings salivating over pizza delivery ads and fast food ads and those ads for quick-fix brownies.  (It only takes minutes in your microwave to enjoy warm gooey fudge brownies!)  I don't miss the endless channel surfing on weekends, watching bits and pieces and even chunks of movies (most of which I'd already seen!), and feeling guilty for wasting yet another beautiful weekend inside watching TV.  I don't even miss "Sunday Morning" as much as I thought; I have my Sunday morning coffee with NPR radio or a book.
• I've learned watching TV did not cause me to gain weight, lose weight or maintain weight.  DAMN.  DAMN.  DOUBLE-DAMN.
  
• I've learned that I can read a tremendous amount of books when I'm not spending any time watching TV.
• I've learned Netflix is really cool and I love finding that red envelope in my mailbox.
  
• I've learned that the weather can sneak up on me because I don't watch 45 weather reports at night; however, sometimes the weather used to sneak up on me even when I did watch 45 weather reports because I wasn't really paying attention to them!  I'm not worried about any tropical storms or hurricanes sneaking up on me because,

1. hurricane season is over, and,
2. I'll notice all the bread and milk gone at the local Publix.

• I've learned that I can isolate myself as much as I did when I was a TV-holic.
• I've learned that spending Sundays with my girlfriends is fun and refreshes my soul.
  
• I've learned that TV did not prevent me from exercising.  CRAP!  (STUPID TV!)
  
• I've learned that blogging can be fun or it can be a pain in the butt.  Just like everything in life.
• I've learned that I don't need TV.
• I've learned that silence can be comfortable.
• I've learned that I can waste just as much time surfing the Internet as I used to waste channel surfing; however, I can't surf the net with just one finger pressing a button.  It takes just a little bit more effort than channel surfing.  Not enough to lose significant weight or get toned, but probably enough effort that I've never done it more than a couple hours.
• I've actually learned something that may be useful in other...behavior modifications I may want to undertake.  I've learned that if I make something I usually do difficult to do then I won't do it.  So, wouldn't the reverse be true?  If I make something I don't usually do easy to do I might do it.  Food for thought.

My niece Savannah who lives in Boise, Idaho has signed up to be my most recent follower.  I am honored.  Welcome, Savannah.  Skip over the damns and craps, would you,please? 

Time for an Accounting

I'm starting my 3rd week without TV.  So I thought it was time to look at...well...me...and what's around me and what, if anything, is different.

• I have not lost a pound. 
• I am not exercising any more or any less than I was before I quit TV.  
• My house is pretty much the same disaster it was 2 weeks ago.  (Only 2 weeks!)  Is that right?  Yes, I just found a small calendar on my desk and that is correct. 

So in 2 weeks what IS different?  

• I feel different.  Lighter - hey, no fat jokes out there!  I feel like a weight has been removed from my shoulders.  The burden of TV?  I just feel freer.
  
• I nap either the same amount or maybe more...not really surprised.  It's a good avoiding technique and often I am very tired.  (Probably from a crappy diet and lack of exercise.)  OK who said that?!
• I blog every day.  Publicly.  Scary.  Fun.
• I've  worked on my novel - and it had lain dormant for months.
• I've started a short story.
• I attended a book festival and met several people in my preferred field.  

What have I learned so far?  Well, I guess TV isn't the REAL reason I eat a poor diet and don't exercise and don't keep my house shipshape.  It certainly wasn't helping, but getting rid of it hasn't been a magic cure.  (Kind of like my ex-husband.) 

The mystery to me is why do I feel different?  Where did this lightness come from?  This feeling of being free?  Will it continue?

Day One - Not So Bad!

Last night I unplugged all the coax cables from my three TVs. Before that I watched my last TV show for a while: a rerun episode of The Closer. At least it was one of my favorite shows and not something lame like Intervention or Parking Wars (OMG those A&E shows are so weird).

One of my first thoughts this morning was "NO TV!" although I don't usually watch TV before I go to work. And I didn't think about it much during the day. I got a headache this afternoon while at work and looked forward to going home and closing my eyes. I plugged along until quitting time and then drove home wondering how I'd do without Judge Joe Brown, Judge Judy, Oprah, Ellen, and NCIS to keep me company. I curled up on the sofa and closed my eyes.

I heard the refrigerator running. Good grief. I've napped before and never noticed the refrigerator running. hmmmmmmmmmmm. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Usually before I take a nap I watch a little TV until I get sleepy. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I started thinking about how much a new refrigerator might cost, and how much more energy efficient a new, smaller refrigerator might be, and when was the last time I cleaned the refrigerator. hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Crap! My eyes popped open. I stretched and curled back up and closed my eyes. hhhhmmmmmm. smack. grindgrindgrind. smack. I had given my dog Harley a chewy snack bone (for his dental hygiene, don'tcha know) he was obviously enjoying it. I sighed and closed my eyes. slurp slurp slurp. Now Harley was topping off his snack with a drink from his water bowl. hhhhmmmmmm. burp. Harley's signature burp signified the end of his snack time. I put my hands over my ears to shut out the noise of my quiet home and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke up an hour later and my headache was gone. I warmed up some leftover pizza and took it over to my big comfy chair to enjoy it. My left hand reached for the remote automatically. I smiled at myself. I always watch TV when I eat. I got up and turned on the radio. I sat back down and had another bite of pizza. My left hand reached for the remote automatically. I decided to put the remote in its new home - a drawer in the entertainment center.

After my quick supper I sat at my laptop to catch up on my email, etc. Talked to a couple girlfriends on the phone. Folded a load of laundry.

It is so QUIET in here. Even with the radio on. The blank screen of the TV looks like a black hole. Another universe exists in there; one that I'm shutting out. Its gravitational pull isn't strong tonight. I don't even want to watch TV. I just don't like that big black screen staring at me. It's a bit creepy.

So day one of No TV is almost complete. And I survived. And actually did some laundry. I'll be in bed by 10:00 and see what tomorrow brings.