Oh television- how you shaped my world!

I admit it - I am a slave to the television. My parents tried to spare us. We were restricted to some cartoons on a Saturday morning and family-time episodes of Little House on the Prairie - occasionally we would throw in some Waltons and the Dukes of Hazard with some air popped popcorn. I read a million books and I think I was a pretty smart kid.

Then I got older - I was sick a lot and missed a large percentage of my grade school years where I discovered The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy (she's still my hero) and the Dick Van Dyke show. I was studious in high school, dedicated in college and then became a crazy working girl led by the thump thump of the nightlife. Perhaps that's when I began my steady slide into loss of brainpower?

I took on more and more and eventually lost my ability after a busy day pursuing a career to sitcom episode concentration ability. If it took more than a few thoughts and a focus of longer than an episode, I checked out. Before I knew it, I had a tv in every room. My housework is slowed between trips pausing over the couch to catch the fight on the Housewives of Atlanta (for the 2nd time) - I lost hours over Rock of Love (although it did convince me too-short of skirts are now entirely age inappropriate for me!). I don't think I realized that it had taken over my world. Until now. Even though I cancelled cable over 4 years ago because I could "no longer justify paying for my own retardation" - they just never turned it off. each time I had a tech out for a internet issue and would point out that I still had cable, it kept pouring into my television. One tech even told me it was "passive crime" and it wasn't on him - is it really a CRIME if I keep telling them I have it??

Recently I noticed that my cable bill was exceptionally high. When I looked into it, I discovered that the last tech actually placed an order on my behalf and started billing me for the cable!! Needless to say, I had a small fit and told them to pull it out. They did - and it's weird - all those box things in each room silent and grey. I didn't realize how much comfort that background noise gave me. How much I liked to lay on the couch after work to "unwind" (shut down). How coming home and starting work all over again in my office didn't feel like "working" if I had Two and a Half Men playing on the tv next to my desk.

I really, really miss it! BUT I've read more books this year that I have in years! I wonder if I'm actually going to feel my brain working again? I wonder if I'll be able to finish complete sentences soon without grasping for the word I need to express my thoughts?

Now I'm not "free/free" - I have figured out how to watch hulu.com episodes on my netbook while working on my laptop. I am re-discovering some old DVDs when I want to spend a little couch downtime (The Tick is seriously BRILLIANT how did I forget??)And if I want to take a class at the gym, I don't think "Oh hey, I'll miss The Biggest Loser tonight" (irony, eh?)

I've got a few more obstacles to overcome - for some reason my dogs find me sitting on the couch staring at the big box us spending time together, but me in a chair reading is ignoring them . . . and so we have lots of sighs and whimpers. They will adjust - heck they got an EXTRA walk in the park tonight! And I think I need to get more music making stuff in my house (maybe I use my savings and get XM radio in the house??) THAT might be it.

For now good night - and yes, that's the sound of my BRAIN working (mind the smoke).