live without a television for a year

Oh man. This is so unexpected.

I’m actually doing this.

I went pretty much all of December without turning the TV on. The two times I did were when Rod Blagojevich was arrested and the Chicago Tribune hadn’t yet reported on it, and when my boyfriend insisted on watching Dick Clark on New Year’s Eve. It helps to keep it unplugged and on the floor where it’s not particularly comfortable to watch it.

So far so good. But Lost starts in two weeks…uh-oh…

Step One: cancel the cable.
Finally did it. I need to go return the cable box sometime this week, but this is so much better already. Plus, my antenna gets absolutely awful reception. It’s instantly discouraging me from watching TV.

As of now, I plan on keeping the TV itself just for use in video cassette playing, assuming I get a new VCR or my old one fixed.

Well…I still have a tv. Not the one I had last year, but the one I’ve had for 10 years. It’s smaller, the sound is bad, the picture’s getting fuzzy. So it discourages me to watch it. I still want to do this, but I’m living by myself right now and sometimes it’s nice just to have some noise.

I got an e-mail yesterday responding to my Craig’s List post about the TV. Hopefully, she’s coming to pick it up today! On top of that, I could really use the money.

Right now the only show I watch regularly is Pirate Master, primarily because my dad and I watch one reality show every summer that is either totally awesome (last summer’s Treasure Hunters) or so horrifically bad it’s awesome (Pirate Master). So I’m thinking that if I start in September, it’ll work out great.

It’s posted on Craig’s List! (I’d put up a link, but nobody here should be looking to buy a TV.) Hopefully someone will buy it, if not…well, I guess I’m going to have to try and fit it in the car when I move. I don’t know if there’s the space for it. I could really use the money, and it’d be nice to have it gone.

I’m going to do it! On June 1st, my TV set is going on Craig’s List. (If anybody in Chicago is interested any earlier, feel free to contact me. It’s a nice 20” set, bought in September, great price.)

I am really excited for this. I’d sell it sooner but I have to share it with my roommates, one of whom is pretty much addicted to television. I don’t want to deal with her being any crankier than she already is, so I’ll just let it go for the rest of the month.

The thing that makes this really hard to do is Lost. Three more seasons, and then I can go without. I could get rid of the TV and watch it online, but I feel like that would be cheating.