So... we're going on 2 months now with no cable. I was expecting this to be a bit more dramatic, but what I found is I just don't really care. There isn't the time to watch much TV anyway. Sure there are times that I really do miss the other channels. Times when I am stuck nursing.. or playing in the living room with the baby (which usually means sitting with him to make sure he doesn't do any damage to himself or the house). Maybe when he's a bit older we can actually spend that time in a more productive way.. or play in a more of an interactive way by playing games or reading books. Right now, you pretty much sit and watch him roll around and then hand him things that are out of his reach. It would be nice to have something playing that wasn't an infomercial or This old house reruns .. but it's not that big of a deal. I don't feel like I am missing much. Our Winter, weekend routines have gotten to be pretty funny. Saturday night Dance party with a little of the old L Welk show mixed in there. How long that will last, I'm not sure.. but it will make for some pretty funny memories later on.
Do I feel all different and productive with the new free time? No. The baby is eating up all our time anyway so really it all just comes down to this...
Saving $50 a month =$600 a year on TV we aren't watching anyway.
perhaps we are even turning the tv off more.. saving a bit of change in the electricity bill..
In the big picture, that isn't a ton of money, it's not going to buy us a new house. If down the road we feel we want the cable back I'm not totally against it. We don't spend a lot of money on entertainment, so it's not about the money. I was hoping to feel a bit more freedom with the cable gone but that just hasn't happened, yet. Perhaps when the weather gets nicer.. and Emmett gets a bit older, we'll start to get a bit more adventurous with our time. Right now, it's still the weeknight routines of dinners, baths and bedtimes with little time after to do much of anything.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
My Rebuttal- OK, I kinda miss HGTV too
Yes, there are things I miss about cable. HGTV is one of them. But overall, I've been pretty happy with out it, and still convinced we could go all the way to an antenna, with maybe Hulu or Amazon on Demand to fill in the gaps. It's been nice to turn on just background stuff like Laurence Welk (hahah, don't you DARE judge us!) and turn our attention to entertaining Emmett.
However, I don't disagree with The Lady that the househunting bug has bit us. Recently a coworker (albeit one with a super lucky rich Google lawyer partner) purchased an AMAZING house with 3 acres in the Santa Cruz hills. It looks like a freakin Spanish manor.. with a guest house bigger than our house! Of course we can't afford that, but it sparked off another round of wishful thinking and looking at listings. I just want a bit more space for Emmett to roam and feel bad that his play area is a 5 foot square in the corner of the living room. Sigh, someday. For now, we can ask our friends what House Hunters has been up to.
However, I don't disagree with The Lady that the househunting bug has bit us. Recently a coworker (albeit one with a super lucky rich Google lawyer partner) purchased an AMAZING house with 3 acres in the Santa Cruz hills. It looks like a freakin Spanish manor.. with a guest house bigger than our house! Of course we can't afford that, but it sparked off another round of wishful thinking and looking at listings. I just want a bit more space for Emmett to roam and feel bad that his play area is a 5 foot square in the corner of the living room. Sigh, someday. For now, we can ask our friends what House Hunters has been up to.
The 4-5 week itch
It started.
Last night I had my first attack of missing HGTV. I blame Brian. He sent a house listing that had my imagination running. I started dreaming about kitchen renovations, family/movie rooms, landscaping and gardening, fruit trees (and what I would do with all that fruit), hot tubs, cozy patios, plus a guest cottage! My mind starts racing over all the things I would do to make that house ours. Not having the money to do any of this (let's not even think about the time) I started to think about HGTV as a way to see, not my own, but someone's projects completed. I love before and afters, I love to think about what I liked and what I might do differently.
People give HGTV a bad rap for convincing people that they have to be always remodeling, keeping things from being outdated... making them think that in order to buy a house.. or sell a house it has to have granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances! Let's all run out to Lowes because ... OMG, our bathroom has 1950's pink tile! Sure, some of that is true. But for me, there is something satisfying in seeing these project completed, to see inside of people's homes, to see how they live. Maybe imagine what our lives would look like .. there, in that house, in that town, in that country.
I'm still thinking about the latest house Brain sent.. and all the previous houses that have gotten my imagination going. I feel like I have all these ideas with no place to put them. HGTV was a way to temporarily scratch that itch.
Last night I had my first attack of missing HGTV. I blame Brian. He sent a house listing that had my imagination running. I started dreaming about kitchen renovations, family/movie rooms, landscaping and gardening, fruit trees (and what I would do with all that fruit), hot tubs, cozy patios, plus a guest cottage! My mind starts racing over all the things I would do to make that house ours. Not having the money to do any of this (let's not even think about the time) I started to think about HGTV as a way to see, not my own, but someone's projects completed. I love before and afters, I love to think about what I liked and what I might do differently.
People give HGTV a bad rap for convincing people that they have to be always remodeling, keeping things from being outdated... making them think that in order to buy a house.. or sell a house it has to have granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances! Let's all run out to Lowes because ... OMG, our bathroom has 1950's pink tile! Sure, some of that is true. But for me, there is something satisfying in seeing these project completed, to see inside of people's homes, to see how they live. Maybe imagine what our lives would look like .. there, in that house, in that town, in that country.
I'm still thinking about the latest house Brain sent.. and all the previous houses that have gotten my imagination going. I feel like I have all these ideas with no place to put them. HGTV was a way to temporarily scratch that itch.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I don't WANT to be the angry, crazy, pushy lady
Why does everyone want me to become a rude, angry person?
I am not a mean person. I usually trust people. I believe people when they are doing their job, that they will get the job done. I don't like confrontation. This attitude seems to bite me more and more these days. Doesn't it seem wrong that I have to beat myself up for being a nice, trusting person? Everything I have been taught, everything I believe and appreciate in other people.. it is used against me. Why does the world only seem to work for the people who make problems? Why do I (so often) regret being nice??
I understand that people forget, that people make mistakes, we're all human. But I swear people don't listen anymore and they don't seem to follow through with anything they say they will. Maybe they don't take their jobs seriously? I swear I take my job a lot more seriously than a lot of people I deal with these days.. and I make freakin' cartoons. CARTOONS! No one is going to lose their house or end up in the hospital if I don't get something done... yet I STILL make sure I follow through and get the things done that I am expected to do. ... and if for some reason I cannot? I let the people who are counting on me know!
I'm going to have to start using a notebook when I go to appointments or make phone calls. I need to ask a million questions and write everything down. If I have to rely on anyone to do anything I need to ask when to expect things to be done and who I should talk to if it is not done by that time. If (by phone) I am being passed to any other person.. expect that that person will have no clue as to why I am calling. Make sure I have all the information about what they expect this new person to help me with.. BEFORE they pass me off to the next person. Take everyone's names and how I can reach them before they pass me off.
I am also going to try to make it a point to really thank the people that do help.
I am not a mean person. I usually trust people. I believe people when they are doing their job, that they will get the job done. I don't like confrontation. This attitude seems to bite me more and more these days. Doesn't it seem wrong that I have to beat myself up for being a nice, trusting person? Everything I have been taught, everything I believe and appreciate in other people.. it is used against me. Why does the world only seem to work for the people who make problems? Why do I (so often) regret being nice??
I understand that people forget, that people make mistakes, we're all human. But I swear people don't listen anymore and they don't seem to follow through with anything they say they will. Maybe they don't take their jobs seriously? I swear I take my job a lot more seriously than a lot of people I deal with these days.. and I make freakin' cartoons. CARTOONS! No one is going to lose their house or end up in the hospital if I don't get something done... yet I STILL make sure I follow through and get the things done that I am expected to do. ... and if for some reason I cannot? I let the people who are counting on me know!
I'm going to have to start using a notebook when I go to appointments or make phone calls. I need to ask a million questions and write everything down. If I have to rely on anyone to do anything I need to ask when to expect things to be done and who I should talk to if it is not done by that time. If (by phone) I am being passed to any other person.. expect that that person will have no clue as to why I am calling. Make sure I have all the information about what they expect this new person to help me with.. BEFORE they pass me off to the next person. Take everyone's names and how I can reach them before they pass me off.
I am also going to try to make it a point to really thank the people that do help.
Monday, January 24, 2011
3 Weeks down - do I miss it?
The answer to the question is Yes.. and No.. I don't know. Sure I miss it but at the same time I don't. It's more of a "dang we don't have any channels" and "oh well".
So far, it hasn't changed life very much. We are still finding our ground in "life with baby" and I'm seeing that TV wasn't very easy to watch as it was. I do miss the Daily Show and Colbert. (tho it's been a little nice to remove myself from all the political craziness) It seems right now, we are just replacing the shows we used to watch, with different show. I expect that will last for a little while longer, until we get sick of those replacements. (or until the sun actually stays out later and we can enjoy some of the evening outside) Wouldn't it be nice to take an evening walk? Maybe Em's bedtime routine could involve a walk a couple nights a week. We'll see. Maybe we'll get that garage in order and start some projects. I'd also like to read some books this year.
One thing I want to be careful of .. it's so easy to add in all sorts of other viewing options. Hulu, amazon, netflix etc...etc... It all just starts to get messy. I don't want to just add a million options of more crap to watch. Especially if those extras have more charges or subscription fees. Sure it would be great to be able to watch Mad Men.. but we've waited to watch them on dvd before.. we could do it again if we have to. Right now, I want to simplify. I think in a year or two, some of those online/streaming things will settle down and we'll see who is still around and worth it.
Until then, we'll make due with Oprah, Martha, Dance Party and Lawrence Welk
Now.. do we make the leap to antenna? Do we stick with dish and their IFC, Syfy Bravo? I do really like the DVR option. I suppose we could dig out the ol' VCR. Why do you have to pay monthly for a DVR? Do they have DVR's you can pay for once and just hook up to an antenna?
So far, it hasn't changed life very much. We are still finding our ground in "life with baby" and I'm seeing that TV wasn't very easy to watch as it was. I do miss the Daily Show and Colbert. (tho it's been a little nice to remove myself from all the political craziness) It seems right now, we are just replacing the shows we used to watch, with different show. I expect that will last for a little while longer, until we get sick of those replacements. (or until the sun actually stays out later and we can enjoy some of the evening outside) Wouldn't it be nice to take an evening walk? Maybe Em's bedtime routine could involve a walk a couple nights a week. We'll see. Maybe we'll get that garage in order and start some projects. I'd also like to read some books this year.
One thing I want to be careful of .. it's so easy to add in all sorts of other viewing options. Hulu, amazon, netflix etc...etc... It all just starts to get messy. I don't want to just add a million options of more crap to watch. Especially if those extras have more charges or subscription fees. Sure it would be great to be able to watch Mad Men.. but we've waited to watch them on dvd before.. we could do it again if we have to. Right now, I want to simplify. I think in a year or two, some of those online/streaming things will settle down and we'll see who is still around and worth it.
Until then, we'll make due with Oprah, Martha, Dance Party and Lawrence Welk
Now.. do we make the leap to antenna? Do we stick with dish and their IFC, Syfy Bravo? I do really like the DVR option. I suppose we could dig out the ol' VCR. Why do you have to pay monthly for a DVR? Do they have DVR's you can pay for once and just hook up to an antenna?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
2011 recipe #1
Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookies
This was an easy cookie recipe that sounded.. maybe slightly healthier than the usual, since they used whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Another strange and interesting part was it called for cheap salted butter. Said it was important to the texture or something. Perhaps the higher water content helps the whole wheat soften.. not sure.
I think they were good. I'd like to try them again. The maple took the place of the brown sugar and vanilla and added a nice slightly burnt sugar taste. They had a good crispiness that I like, but also stayed chewy. I did notice the whole wheat a couple times, nothing bad, but there was a little more of a grain to it that hung around in the mouth longer than usual cookies.. but with the crispiness I didn't mind.
Due to the stomach virus, we ended up giving most of them away.. so I think I'll have to make them again to form a better opinion. (I bet adding walnuts would be even healthier)
The verdict ... Make again! A nice way to experiment with different sugars and flours which may be a tiny tiny bit healthier... maybe.
This was an easy cookie recipe that sounded.. maybe slightly healthier than the usual, since they used whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Another strange and interesting part was it called for cheap salted butter. Said it was important to the texture or something. Perhaps the higher water content helps the whole wheat soften.. not sure.
I think they were good. I'd like to try them again. The maple took the place of the brown sugar and vanilla and added a nice slightly burnt sugar taste. They had a good crispiness that I like, but also stayed chewy. I did notice the whole wheat a couple times, nothing bad, but there was a little more of a grain to it that hung around in the mouth longer than usual cookies.. but with the crispiness I didn't mind.
Due to the stomach virus, we ended up giving most of them away.. so I think I'll have to make them again to form a better opinion. (I bet adding walnuts would be even healthier)
Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes: About 2 dozen
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) cheap salted butter *for some reason the "cheap" part was important.. I think it has a higher water content*
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup real maple syrup (I used B grade)
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats and set aside.
Whisk the flours and baking soda together in a small bowl, and set aside.
In the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well blended. Add the egg and maple syrup, and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips, and stir with on-off pulses just until the mixture comes together.
Arrange 1 1/2” balls of dough at even intervals on the baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, or until the cookies are light golden brown. Let cool on sheets for about 15 minutes, then serve warm.
The verdict ... Make again! A nice way to experiment with different sugars and flours which may be a tiny tiny bit healthier... maybe.
2 weeks - 2 bad
A time it would have been nice to have to have some tv viewing choices... when you have a horrible stomach virus and can't do anything but lay on the couch and you are looking for something .. anything to distract you from how horrible you feel.
I guess the one good thing was.. it just forced me to try to sleep. But, those wee hours, when I know I can't close my eyes because a sudden trip to the bathroom is just around the corner. A couple options that I can watch and fall asleep to would have been nice. Infomercials are not comforting or calming. Luckily I found a few hours of "I love lucy". Surprisingly we still have IFC, my usual late night go to (since they don't break up their movies with commercials.. I can usually casually watch and fall asleep) But this night was a kung-fu action movie that made my stomach churn with every quick cut and flash.
So "I love lucy" it was. I can't say I knew what was going on at all in the show. I had the sound turned down so low. I just kept praying the famous chocolate episode was not up next.
I guess the one good thing was.. it just forced me to try to sleep. But, those wee hours, when I know I can't close my eyes because a sudden trip to the bathroom is just around the corner. A couple options that I can watch and fall asleep to would have been nice. Infomercials are not comforting or calming. Luckily I found a few hours of "I love lucy". Surprisingly we still have IFC, my usual late night go to (since they don't break up their movies with commercials.. I can usually casually watch and fall asleep) But this night was a kung-fu action movie that made my stomach churn with every quick cut and flash.
So "I love lucy" it was. I can't say I knew what was going on at all in the show. I had the sound turned down so low. I just kept praying the famous chocolate episode was not up next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)