The Origin of NoTV2010

So, yes, going without tv for a year was indeed my idea, as was the blog, which Shawn hijacked, but I’m okay with that as long as I get to put my two-cents in every once in a while. So while he’s away for the weekend, I guess here's my opportunity to tell you all where this crazy old idea came from and how I feel it has gone so far.

The idea began on a Friday night, late, very late for a couple with 4 kids, one of which wakes up at 6 am every morning, demanding oatmeal from her throne of a high chair like the Queen of Hearts, threatening to wake up the other 3 if the bowl isn’t cool and on her tray, like, yesterday. But I digress. Anyway, it was late and I had spent the past 3 or so hours watching random shows on one of those health channels in the 40’s about a hodgepodge of medical anomalies, for instance: a man entering the ER with an ax sticking out of his skull, a woman with a 130lb. tumor (give or take a few pounds, it was late remember), and another woman who had plastic surgery done on over 75% of her body. Don’t get me wrong, this was intriguing stuff, but as I stumbled into bed, mourning the less than 5 hours of sleep I would get before the Queen awoke, I wondered, “What on God’s green earth am I doing?”

Now, I defy any of you to tell me that you don’t have a similar story to share. You’ve been there. It’s the same feeling I get after eating a pint of Ben&Jerry’s at 9pm after all the kids are in bed and it’s just me and the ice cream and it tastes so good at the moment, but afterwards, oh, afterwards- not so good. So there and then the idea popped into my head as I was drifting off to sleep, “What if I just didn’t do it, didn’t watch tv for a whole year…”

The next morning the idea was still there, but I wondered if maybe it was one of those crackpot ideas that seems divine-inspired at 1 in the morning but just plain idiotic by sunrise when your brain isn’t coated in fatigue. So I decided Shawn would be the true test. I mean, for me to give up tv, well, it would be a sacrifice, but a small one, like giving up my pinkie finger (apologies Uncle Dale) or something, because I’m not a devoted follower of very many shows, I’m just one of those “random show watchers to pass the hours from kids’ bedtime to adults’ bedtime” people, but for Shawn, he’d be losing a large appendage in this sacrifice: first and foremost, the NFL and everything that goes with it- the Steelers, SNF, MNF, his new announcer love affair with Jon Gruden, the Playoffs, the Superbowl, the Draft, ESPN highlights, Tony Kornheiser’s comb-over… I could go on, but I'll spare you. Trust me, this would be big for him. So as he and I were in the living room lamenting our lack of sleep the night before and vowing to do better, I dangled the idea out there, “So I’m thinking of giving up tv for the new year.” He stopped and looked at me. The idea hung there, dangling, awaiting it’s fate and… he bit. “That’s a great idea, hon. I think we should do it.” That was it. There was no wavering in his voice, no "great idea but...", just "let's do it". So that confirmed for me that this late-night revelation was legit.

So how do I feel about the decision now, a couple of weeks into it? I'll save that for tomorrow. But what I would love to hear is the response you would give if your significant other dangled this idea in front of you. I'm flying solo for the weekend with 4 kids, folks; I need a good laugh.