A short rant, with no point, really.

I read a lot of knitting blogs. I don't knit as much as I used to (you try making charted lace socks on dpns while chasing a feisty two-year-old), but I do enjoy ogling the work of others. One of my regulars is Dr. Steph's . (that link isn't working. sorry.)She's interesting, and she doesn't write just about knitting. Recently, for instance, she wrote about television. This is something I've been thinking and talking about quite a bit lately.

For years, I refused to pay for television. I grew up in a house without cable. When I lived with an ex-boyfriend in Chicago we had cable, but I was working and going to school full time, so I didn't watch much then, also, he was a nazi with the remote so I never got to pick anyway.

When I moved back to St. Louis, I don't think I even had a t.v.

We watched a ton of videos at the Cleveland house, but television didn't factor into the equation. It was easier to get five or six people to agree on a movie than a show.

When Matt and I bought the Petting Zoo we were young and unmarried, child-free, had less debt, yadda yadda. Long story short, we got the digital hookup. I was IN LOVE with cable. It was one all night DeGrassi marathon after another. I was addicted to the DIY channel, the Home Improvement network, Adult Swim and the power hour (John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Monday thru Thursday, 10pm central.) I watched the Sopranos, Big Love, Entourage, and Flight of the Conchords. I saw every episode of BSG. I adored BBC America, SciFi, Nick at Night, Sundance, IFC, The N, and the stupid network whose name escapes me that played all the old Star Trek episodes in the afternoons. I watched miniseries, "made for Lifetime movies" and (cringe) VH1 exposes. Basically I wasted a TON of time.

Now, t.v. can be a good thing, educational and helpful and all, but I was having too much of a good thing. It did its job, got me through the first six months of nursing, since Josser would not let me read a book or knit while he was eating. But when we finally couldn't afford it anymore, I wasn't so sad to let the cable go. I figured if I really needed to watch television, we still had the networks, right?

Then came the announcement that all television was "going digital." Anyone hooked up to cable already was fine. The rest of us had two choices; get cable or buy a "box." Since our government knew that the American people might actually riot in the streets if their beloved teevee was taken away, we all have been issued "coupons" by the government to give those of us without cable a discount on a digital converter box.

I refuse to get cable, and I refuse to buy a digital converter box because I don't want to let television back into my life. Mattie and I decided to cancel the cable service to save money about nine months ago, and I will never go back. We can watch whatever we've "missed" on Hulu, making it more of active entertainment-seeking than passive. I know we watch less of it. Every show, cable or network, seems to be available on DVD immediately after the season ends, so Netflix and collector friends are providing us with hours of entertainment.

I really feel that television can become controlling. It is too easy to veg out in front of the idiot box when you have nine billion channels to choose from. Even if there's nothing on, there's still something on. So I'm sticking to my guns. No teevee.

I have made a few observations. People I don't really want to talk to, have nothing to talk to me about. Once we cover the weather, we have nothing more in common to discuss. It may sound evil, but I'm fine with this.

Since The Sprout doesn't watch teevee, he doesn't recognize all the "marketed at kids" crap that is out in the world. My son doesn't know Dora from Adam. He doesn't ask me for fruity-oaty-bars or super-sugar-puffs at the grocery store. He knows not the Disney.

I'm sleeping better. I don't stay up late watching movies, or reality shows or whatever.

I get a lot more done around the house. I don't put off doing something "until the commercial" or "after this is over."

So basically, I don't miss television. I feel better about myself for not buying into the government coupon opiate scam, and I think I'll go spend the forty bucks I would have wasted on the box on a Botanical Gardens membership. That's all now.

Rooster with Kate and Eldon

Hmmm. It seems smaller than I wanted it.

Thinking about it

I think I need to learn to spin. On a wheel. Not on a bike.
Any of you enablers ( I mean, nice local spinners) out there have any suggestions? Like class recommendations? Wanna let me try your wheel? Want to trade baked goods for spinning lessons?

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

If I win this I'm totally giving it to Sylvia for her birthday!

On turning two...

Tomorrow is Mr. Sprout's second birthday. Festivities are planned, nothing major, just family and a few close friends for food and drinks in the afternoon. 

While I'm getting ready for the party, I'm thinking about what I was doing two years ago today. I remember being very uncomfortable. I had been very uncomfortable for about two weeks. I remember telling Rosemary that I wasn't going to let this baby make me wait much longer. I remember Rosemary laughing at me. I was a little scared, very excited and anxious to meet our baby. I kinda thought we were getting a girl.
I remember checking into the hospital. I remember the snotty nurse I sent away, and the looks on Mom and Kate's faces when I did.
I also think I remember Matt eating dinner, like three times.
I wish I would have expressed more thanks to Jen, our labor and delivery nurse, who gave up baseball tickets that night, and settled for watching the game on television with us while I contracted. She was so sweet, and made it seem that she really didn't mind missing the game, like she wanted to spend what was supposed to be her night off with us. A true professional, she made me feel like one of the most important nights in my life was one of the most important ones in hers, too.
The pain of labor, the stress of birth, the excitement, the joy, the blah blah blah. I mostly remember Matt and Kate's eyes and mouths, round and getting rounder when I pushed the final time, and my son was here.
I remember my mother, with me through it all. She took his first pictures and didn't leave his side. I swear to you, he KNEW her from minute one.
I remember everyone who came to meet him in the hospital, and visited us at home, dealing with the jaundice and that stupid bilibed. I was so confused, because every fiber of my body was telling me to hold and nurse Sprout, but the doctor said he had to stay in that stupid contraption for 8 to 12 hours a day.  I ached to hold my son. I remember Shawna asking me why I was doubting myself. She looked me straight in the eye and told me to go with my instincts. Because of that I will always trust hers.
His first birthday was everything it was supposed to be. He got a bike. He ate cake naked. He fell asleep shortly afterward.
I hope he has fun tomorrow. I've had the most amazing two years of my life.
Now I gotta go finish cleaning the damn house.