The Day Before The End

Tuesday night.  I've never much liked Tuesdays - I find they're pretty blah days.  As a kid, I liked the idea of 'Ruby Tuesdays' - because I loved chicken fingers (covered in honey mustard) and spicy fries (the bloomin' onion was mighty tasty too) - but it never impacted my love of the actual day.  The only consolation I've ever had for Tuesdays has been, "Well, it's almost Wednesday".  That's it.  This particular Wednesday, the 30th, was a good winter (ish) day - I could tell in the way the sun set (and the Maxfield Parrish-esque color in the clouds). I would have liked something colder - something more like winter but, as it is with all things, we take what we can get (and then get neurotic or complain to others about it).

Thanks much to all for their little notes and well wishes.  I was grateful to see comments from good friends here. Nary a "post again tomorrow" bit of sass - so here I am with another excerpt from the days (day) of our lives (life).  Folks who ran to the blog after I posted yesterday probably didn't catch the updates and changes I made yesterday. I *finally* figured out how to update the links in my sidebar (re-figured out, really), and decided I'd open up Photoshop and get down and dirty to the point of creating a new header.  I quite love this image - it was one I took within the first hour or two of being in Italy, as we whisked away from Malpensa to our mountain escape in Lugano.  It was raining that day and as the tour guide talked and talked (we all practiced our "Buongiorno" and our "Prego"), I snapped a few quick pics of the mountain towns - this one included.  I love the view of this one and popped it in above (after a few versions - I know more about Photoshop than I think I do, but not nearly enough to be smart and good).  A new web-button to come (or not --- I kind of think buttons are a thing of the past).

On the tagline, "Always Check Your Gauge", I nearly removed it entirely.  Dan and I came up with the blog name and title together - and though I loved the gauge / gay-ge thing, I confess I don't think I'm gay enough to really put that meaning on it (as in, by reading this blog, you'd be getting the gauge on the real young gay male and all that comes with it).  BUT, as I went back and forth, I realized that a lot of my public writing here *is* about checking my own gauge - that is to say that what gets posted has nothing to do with who reads it or what they think, but rather what I do and I think. You're all quiet witnesses in my mental forum - you're behind the clear plexi-glass - as I check my own gauge and so on. Really, I should consider taking the "Tricot" part of my name off - when was the last time I talked about knitting? There has been some - I just completed two sweaters (Meg Swansen pieces, which I'll post when I can find a proper photographer).

So, after the post yesterday, though I imagined I'd be busy and get a lot done by the end of the day, I actually did not much (though I can't actually recall what that was or how it suddenly became 8pm).  I do remember 2 things - which I'll talk about here because they're important - but beyond those, it's just a lot of static (not even "Poltergeist" static - more like, "I've already seen this episode of 'Charmed' 30 times, I'll watch it again" static).

First, I remember it being around 730pm.  I had just finished watching an episode of "The Simpsons".  I'm convinced I've seen almost every episode of "The Simpsons".  I confess that last night I started watching the episode and thought maybe I hadn't seen it (it was the episode where Homer figures out that the rapture is on its way), though I had indeed seen it (twice). 730 rolls around and I realize I can't possibly watch anymore TV.  See, my cable provider (who shall remain nameless) recently forced me to upgrade to digital cable (I understand there's some big hub-bub coming in February where old TV antenae will no longer function and we'll all be screwed, so it's not like they singled me out.  Though, if you didn't know any better and I felt better about lying, I might tell you otherwise). Where it used to be easy to find everything, it's now incredibly difficult. What's worse, I technically get something like 600 channels - BUT, I don't actually get them. Really, it's more like this: Bravo, TNT, blank channel, blank channel, TBS, blank channel, Sci Fi, blank channel, blank channel, blank channel, blank channel, blank channel, Animal Planet, and on. Now, if you're in my same predicament, you know that those blank channels are really good channels that you have to pay for with Supreme digital cable, which I refuse to do.  Not only am I really pissed at the company formerly known as Starpower (there I said it) for doing this, I think it's ridiculous - it's a ploy to get me to give more of my hard-earned money, which I have little of, just so that I don't have to look at the blank channels.  It appeals to my neurotic OCD side (which they must know I have - a little anyway) and it also makes me infuriated.  BUT, this is all a side to where I find myself (and maybe you do too).

I originally got cable in 2004, when I realized "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" was on Cartoon Network (as was "Juniper Lee" - both have now either disappeared or gotten bad).  Now, I find myself really hard pressed to spend more than an hour or so of watching TV.  Occasionally, I'll find something I really want to watch - like "Top Chef" or what have you, but mostly, I watch something, and become soooo bored, that I find myself turning the TV off to do something else.  Now, this seems good and healthy, right? But, really, if you're of my generation, you're just as freaked out as I am. 

We late-70s babies did nothing but watch TV as kids.  They say that 2 hours of TV a day is healthy, but for us, 2-hours is pretty low.  Two episodes of 'Charmed' is 2 hours - and that's just before 6pm! So, after an hour of watching and being bored, I feel like my whole world is thrown into craziness. 

In this economy, and in thinking about big life changes that I feel are on the horizon (no one can tell me I'm just imagining something), I'm seriously considering cancelling my cable entirely.  I'm envigorated by this - and freaked out.  I believe tomorrow will be the day when I cut RCN back from $162 bucks a month (for cable, internet, and phone) to just $50 or so.  Looking at the bill, I can't believe I'm paying some 60 or 70 bucks for this crappy cable that I can't watch, and at least 20 bucks a month for phone that I barely touch (except to let the pizza man in). I'm gonna do it - don't tempt me, so help me, I'm going to cancel it.

Yes, it's here, my first new year's resolution. 'Cept, it's not like "I'll stop eating chocolate" (which I'd never do really) - you can't cancel your cable and then get it back again - I'm callin it quits, and it's all over.

The second thing I remember, and this *is* related, is downloading the 7 volumes of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' from Itunes (for $15).  They're read by Kenneth Branag (sp?) and others... I've likely never mentioned it, but I love these books.  I really don't care that they're inspired by the Bible and reflective of it (THOUGH, my spine did twitch a bit when I watched 'Prince Caspian' on my iPhone on my way back from CT on Saturday, and saw Aslan say something Jesus-y to Lucy for not coming to see him by herself - if you've read/watched, maybe you know and also twitched) - I read them when I was a teenager.  I know I read "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" - or at least saw the movie (does anyone else remember that crappy movie? It was like cut-outs that were *really poorly animated* - but the story is so good, it didn't really matter) - and think I read "Prince Caspian" (though also confess when I watched the movie this weekend, I didn't remember a lot of scenes); but really "got into it" (as the young'ins say) when I read "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" - which is my favorite and "The Magician's Nephew" - which is also a favorite (and luckily for me, now referred to as a L/W/W prequel and really the first book in the new line-up (even though it's really written sixth). I read all 7 (or really the 5) in one summer - which was a lot of reading for someone who was watching as much TV as they could...

So, at 730pm, when I could not take another re-run of 'Seinfeld', I played the first track of 'The Magician's Nephew' and was instantly hooked. I listened to the whole book last night - nearly 5 hours, while working on Meg Swansen's 'Russian Prime' and loved it.  I'm not a quick reader - in fact, when I read 'Life of Pi' (as everyone has), it took me like 2 weeks, which was the slowest I'd read a book (of all the others in my book club.  I excused myself from the book club when I heard that).  Really, it was a wonderful way to spend the evening - who doesn't like being read to?  Who doesn't like Kenneth Brannagh (sp?)? Who doesn't love Fair Isle at 5 and a half to the inch? I have found my response to no more cable - and it's in books.  I'm a librarian's dream, I'm every mother's constant wish: turning off the TV to read a book (or better yet, be read to).  I'm looking forward to listening to the next book (though I'm not sure it will be L/W/W - I really do know that story so well) - and I confess I very much want to download the Harry Potter books (which I've also read - though I love the idea that they're dramatized).  Perhaps 'Atlas Shrugged' and I will still meet one day.

More to come this week, I'm sure....

Comments

[Kim]

My great-aunt bought me the boxed Narnia set when I was about 8 years old; I absolutely loved it. I still have the set 35 years later, and it's starting to show its age. I just reread them about 5 years ago, and they're still wonderful.

Ayn Rand is one of my favorite authors - I think that Atlas Shrugged is her best book. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Brave move, cancelling cable. I don't think that I could do it.

[Dave]

I watch two hours of tv in an entire weekl - tops. One hour if Amazing Race is on hiatus.

You don't want to listen to Atlas Shrugged. Read it instead, and then you easily skip the 20 page speechifying that happens regularly.

[Jody]

OOO you definitely have to read Atlas Shrugged - so good. I agree with Dave above - read it in it's true form.

I also recently got the entire Chronicles of Narnia - from ebay - for $10! I was so excited. I think I'm the only person who didn't read these as a child. I am discovering them now and love them.

Congrats on giving up the TV! I don't see that happening in my house - hubby likes his Speed channel way too much! For me it's more "background" noise. I think listening to books on tape would be an awesome alternative!

[Debbie in Iowa]

Most definitely listen to the Harry Potter books -- Jim Dale, who performs them, does an amazing job. If you're lucky, like me, your library will have many books on disc (which you can download to an iPod/iPhone (shh, don't tell anyone, and be sure to delete them when you're done listening) or have books available for audio download.

[Johann Mitchell]

I haven't seen the movie "Prince Caspian." I was dissuaded by the people who had seen it on the "Spare Oom" forum on Ravelry.

They reported that there was a lot in the movie that never existed in the book, notably a whole battle, presumably so that there would be more action in the film.

And, of course, there was a lot that was in the book that was eliminated to make room for the new action scenes.

No wonder you didn't remember all of it.

[Karen Frisa]

Great move on getting rid of your cable! I've been considering the same thing. (BTW, digital cable isn't necessary because of the Feb thing; if you have any variety of cable, you're OK. It's just people receiving from an antenna that could have problems.)

I've been listening to Harry Potter on my drives to Massachusetts and loving Jim Dale's characterizations. Really wonderful. (But don't tell me how it ends!! I'm only through book 4!)

[Genia]

I absolutely agree with Debbie in Iowa about listening to the Harry Potter books. No one reads like Jim Dale!

I was gifted with Narnia on CD for Christmas and can't wait for classes to start so I can start listening to them. I use books on tape/CD for the commute to school. It's a good cleansing between work and class.

Happy New Year! And I hope you're planning on sending some work my way! I've got "idle fingers" and two tuitions to pay!

[TricotChico]

1) I never read "check your gauge" as anything more than a knitting reference
2) Congratulations on resolving to spend less on stuff that's not terribly useful to you. I need to do some of that, too.
3) I think I know the Aslan quote that you mention. I never read any Narnia as a child, but I watched Prince Caspian w/the Davitron once. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop making snarky comments about it--I think I called the little mouse guy "Pikachu". Davitron didn't appreciate this at all. At. All.
4) Kenneth Branagh! *swoon*