It’s been almost a month (I think) since we ditched the TV signal. The point of no return was last week, when we returned the receiver, remote and some doohickey on the satellite dish (which freaked me out since I had to climb onto our roof). So far so good – really good, I’d say. Since mindless TV watching is no longer an option, I tend to read or research stuff on the internet instead. Since I’m getting in the habit of reading, I find myself …

I loved The Swiss Family Robinson as a kid. It was one of my favorite stories, along with Robinson Crusoe and the Little House books. I remember going to Disney World long before I read the book and wondering what the treehouse was all about, but I understood once I was old enough for the book. After reading this abridged edition, I realize that the cornucopia of flora and fauna on the island is utterly outlandish, but as a kid it seemed perfectly normal for an exotic …

Early last week we got a subscription renewal request from National Geographic – except our subscription hadn’t even started yet. We knew they’re very thorough in their subscription renewal mailings, but this was a new level of efficiency.
OK – the title over-dramatizes our life without mindless tv watching, but it was coincidental that our current subscription started the day I cancelled the satellite tv. They seemed to have paused a bit after cashing our check (a sweet $10 subscription that came out of nowhere) and sent 3 at once. …

This year we told the folks that we weren’t going to be exchanging gifts, except for giving to the kids in the family. This was primarily due to budgetary reasons, but it’s been oddly freeing. The way it worked in our family was everyone exchanged lists, which family members consulted when buying. This resulted in no unwanted gifts. Upon further reflection, this method is a total sham since there wasn’t any thought involved in the giving. So it seems like we were just spending money …

I finally got the gumption to call and cancel our satellite tv subscription. We’ve been watching less and less (and tend to watch videos over programmed tv), so it felt like the time was right. It feels somewhat strange, having a sense of loss over something like tv. Yesterday I was thinking about how we went from being just liberal individuals 10 years ago to people who seem to be on the radical side of the tracks. Or maybe it’s not so radical, since the time …