The Box

Once upon a time in 1970 (or earlier) people had rabbit ears on their television sets. Periodically you would have to move the ears to get reception, some people even had little foil extenders to help the channels come in. I remember ears on our TV sets, but no foil was necessary. We had an absolutely HUGE antennae on the roof. That thing could have picked up messages from outer space if need be. Now I'm wondering if it is still on said house. My brother Jerry still lives there, I'll have to ask him. I don't notice that kind of thing. (I asked and apparently Dad took it down while I was still living there.....see, I'm oblivious.)

So anyway, here I am in 2011 and because I choose not to have dish or cable I have to have a converter box and antennae. Now a few years back I did just fine with the regular old rabbit ears on the TV. I found reception right out of the gate and never looked back, until the box came along. Ahhh the converter box. I hate the converter box.

It was confusing enough to set up, let alone having to deal with a dvd player in the mix, but I prevailed. So I have TV, most of the time. I also have phantom channels that I have to scroll through to get to the real ones. I've tried multiple times to remove them, but no dice. So I just scroll, scroll, scroll, my remote, gently down the stream.... sorry, I'm tired.

The best part of the converter box (sarcasm) is the nonsense I've been dealing with this week, and deal with every time the shows are new. This did not happen during the holidays one time. NOT ONCE! The minute prime time hit on Sunday night the TV started going in and out and I got the no signal message. Every night this week it's the same thing. There is no inclement weather, only new TV programming. Shows like Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol always have break up, no matter how many times I move the antennae.

Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck??? Do "they" think I'm not onto "them"? I honestly think it's a conspiracy to get everyone to buy television. Now, I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but I can prove this! Come on over to watch the television when American Idol starts. You'll miss half of it, but hey, the Goovers gave me a great big popcorn popper for Christmas!

To whom it may concern. I am NOT buying television. Not now, not ev.... well, not in the near future anyway. While I enjoy the Discovery Channel, Hallmark, and catching All My Children at night, it just isn't worth the money for the amount of TV I would actually watch. So go ahead and keep messing with the signal during prime time. I have a whole pile of books sitting right over there (looks to the left) just waiting to be read. :)

P.S. While writing this the news has come on. It has been 15 minutes, and not one lost signal. Not one.