…that’s a Beatles lyric. I grew up on that music and still love it. After all, I am Michelle my belle!
Anyway, I bid farewell to some technology today– my TV and combination DVD player/VCR. I dropped my decades-old big ol’ box TV and its remote off at a Salvation Army because Goodwill apparently doesn’t take TVs! Who knew? I left the DVD player at my parents’ as I’m sure someone there will use it. Additionally, I gave my sister K my TV stand, a wooden piece of furniture from Target. I finally saw her apartment; she’s been living a few towns over for like three months now. It’s so nice! She and her roommate just need to do something with it. They are both amazingly busy and are both hardly ever home to concentrate on its decoration. My lovely sister drove me around for all this donation as I am without a vehicle this (Sunday-Monday) weekend and when I mentioned I needed a new phone, she pushed me towards AT&T. So, I ended up saying “hello” to technology today as well: my first touch-screen smartphone, a HTC first, the same one as K’s and the cheapest deal in the store. It does so much more than my BlackBerry did. It is truly amazing. With this, I can see why people are addicted to their phones! I’m still figuring it out, but I am a quick learner. I am also setting it up. The really nice and helpful S at AT&T couldn’t even transfer my contacts since my old phone kept dying!
I’ve been contemplating giving up my only TV for awhile now. My friends and family found my thoughts shocking. In fact, I grew up with the TV always on. I just feel there’s so much more to life than mindlessly watching TV as a habit. I simply do not care to waste my time any longer, don’t care about catching up with, you know, Sister Wives. I will no longer procrastinate on chores or whatever waiting until the episode has ended, a particular story is reported, or the beginning of the next commercial break.
I do enjoy some TV shows, however, and plan to replace the TV with another form of technology: a Kindle Fire HD, either the 7 inch or 8.9.
It’ll be fantastic for travel too! I just have to save up for it! Now that I am without a TV, it will only give me more motivation to finance its replacement. Two of my three favorite shows are in or soon to be in their exciting last season: What Not To Wear and How I Met Your Mother. (HIMYM premieres Monday, September 23rd at 8!) My third is House Hunters International, which will hopefully last! I am also able to view TV shows on my computer, typically the next calendar day after the latest episode initially airs. Maybe I’ll investigate an external disc drive for my Dell Mini as well because I have a small box of DVDs that I do not want to donate just yet. I will probably regret my decision a bit, just hopefully not a lot! It will be an adjustment. It will also be odd having lunch without the TV on in front of me. I will actually get to savor my meal! More time to blog! When I move to a city, I will experience it.
All of these replacements are much smaller than a TV and two-drawer TV stand. I prefer to own just what I love. Less is more. I may consider a stand for my Kindle that I can prop up on my coffee table when I use it as a TV show or movie player. That way, I can still lay on my side on my sofa and enjoy. I now have a blank wall in my apartment! Ideally, I would love to fill it with a patterned accent chair and a carved wooden screen. See, I have given this some thought! …but I do plan to move to Philadelphia, so maybe I should let it go and have less to move later. I love the idea of more comfortable seating when I entertain, making the space more suitable for parties, not superbowl parties I suppose. But the screen size was small and I just wouldn’t attract a big crowd with it (anymore as my roommate and I hosted Superbowl Sunday in college and we watched the game on this TV). And I have always wanted a carved wooden screen. This one is my latest favorite…
