25 March 2008

What's more American than a big TV?

I've held out from buying a TV for a long time now, and yet I have only experienced a single period in my life without one, and even that lasted only about 3 weeks (one of the college roomies finally buckled and rented one for the semester... I know, who rents a TV, right?). For years my Dad has been begging to buy me a television just because he loves buying televisions and his home has maxed out at 3--including one so big they had to take the doors off the beautiful entertainment center it was intended for just so it would fit. I have firmly resisted his offers in the hopes that one magical day I would live in a TVfree home filled with productivity and reasonable bed times.

About two years ago I thought that Great Age of Recreational Reading was upon me when Outgoing Roommate packed up her TV before leaving to get married and Incoming Roommate had none coming with her. Hopes were dashed, dear reader, when I came home to find Outgoing Roommate had replaced her own TV with another one that seemed to have appeared out of thin air--we kept expecting her to come pick it up, but she never did. Was it meant as a gift? Outgoing Roommate--you never knew me at all.

Since then Alisa and I have lived on a strict diet of ultra-basic cable and netflix on this ten-inch screen, and we've done quite nicely, thank you very much, despite the inevitable "Hey, that's a big TV you've got there, yuk yuk," we get from 9 out of 10 male visitors to the apartment. Apparently one of our neighbors has shared their sentiment and taken pity on us...when I came home last night from a 10 minute burrito run, this is what I found:

Surely he must have seen us huddling our friends around the tiny screen on the right and found his conscience wouldn't allow it to happen again on his watch, by golly, so now that he's moving out he offered us this giant black box that, as you can see, hardly fits our rolling TV stand. Surely he meant it as a kindness, but I tell you no lie when I say I'm going to miss rolling the stand closer to the couch when I need to see the subtitles. Strangely, I think I'll also miss hauling Cameron's equally giant TV up and down his steps every year when he insists we borrow it for our Oscar party.

But now I'm wondering...what other things can I repeatedly refuse to buy that will eventually end up falling into my lap? Let it be known, dear reader: I refuse to buy this cool rolling planter. And an iPhone. And I especially, above all things, refuse to buy this spectacular jetpack:

10 comments:

Ryan said...

That post was so awesome for so many reasons and you know how to finish with a bang. Jetpacks. Wow.

Congrats on the big TV. Hubs is a fan of small TV's and has one the same size as your small one. I'm always proud of him for that. We were given a TV out of pity a few months ago by Cheyns parents.

sarah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sarah said...

from experience, kids seem to fall into your lap. although, i never really considered buying one in the first place...

also, christmas tree stands from friends who convert from fresh trees to plastic. we have inherited 3, don't ask me why we kept saying yes.

that jetpak was spectacular, but i gotta admit i was more excited about that rolling plant stand. oh my. oh my. that's all i got. i'm speechless in its greatness.

alisa said...

i'm sure if courtney had been home she would have been able to politely refuse the giant tv...but i was sick and doped up on nyquil and hadn't showered in a day and was wearing the previous day's shirt...i was a mess and in no shape to politely decline the nice man offering a tv. i'm not going to lie, i liked the tiny tv.

Renee said...

Incredible use of links, cobb. Well done!

courtney said...

crusty, i'm so glad you did the links! i worked hard, hoping they'd tell a story all their own. thanks for the encouragement.

rachelsaysso said...

That jet pack was the single greatest moment in Rose Parade history and marked the onset of my quest to own one. If I find the source, I'll pick up one for you.

Anonymous said...

Your dad will be so proud...a big tv and not a cent spent! Now I'm sure he'll want you to have an expanded cable/satellite service! I loved the links...very sophisticated and hgighly entertaining. I hope you will be adding more to your blog as I appear to be in for a liitle more free time and I would like to fill it with the finest amusement...and that would be more of your blog. I love you! Mom

KathE said...

The jet pack video TOTALLY reminded me of this t-shirt:

http://threadless.com/product/63/Damn_Scientists

PS - This is Kathy, your Visiting teachee.

Emily said...

Did that remind anyone of the Arrested Development episode where George Michael gets a jet pack by mistake?