The Search for Electronics and Bigger Messes

We've long talked about the glories of a flat screen television. When the discussions began we still lived in the apartment (Ray and I rented a condo for the first few years we were together, then moved to another city and got an apartment, then bought our house) and I told Ray is was ridiculous. They were 10 grand and up then, so it was ridiculous. And we had a fabulous new television back then. That was nigh to 10 years ago though.

Television prices dropped, our house became smaller with the pitter pat of little feet, and I crave more space. A television on a wall means no need for a huge entertainment unit (although I have seen that you can still get an old style media center that is scaled to a flat screen tv...and I have to say that I just do not get it, because I want to get rid of mine). But our television worked great and had great sound and beautiful picture.

Until it didn't.

Yesterday morning Xander got about 15 minutes of cartoons before the darn thing went blank and beeped at us. As though to taunt us with it's insolence. Hmmph. Well, TV shopping was not on the list for yesterday, but it became the entire list.

So we called our friend John and harassed him for information on televisions. Then we did online research and harassed him some more. Then naps and lunch and out to look at these televisions. We've looked and thought about it before, but not in earnest, since our mantra was "not until the television we have dies". It died, we looked and were serious. We called John and harassed him more. He was a good sport!

In the end, we decided on a 46" Sharp Aquos (I could have been talked into the 52" and Ray could have too, but neither of us were the ones to be convincing the others and it did seem a tad big) and a Sony Blue Ray player. Ironically, today is bulk garbage day, so the old television is already on the curb. Sometimes we move fast!

Now comes the big work. When we first moved in, we had our living room as a library and my office. It really was set up to be my room. And our basement family room had the living room stuff, including our television. Xander was just over 2 and he had a thing about "Mommy, come and see...." and also dragging bits of my computer (mainly the cordless mouse) all over the place. It drove me crazy, so we moved the couch and television upstairs. And the office stuff went downstairs. Our books stayed put. So right now we have a living room and library combo in the main floor room, and my office and a load of toys in the basement. We are all ready to switch it around. So there needs to be some work doing that.

But before you get out your dollie and moving clothes, we are also redoing our fireplace. It's almost done (I swear). Mostly it is down to painting. I think it is 2-3 evenings worth of work. But that should be done before the moving begins.

Poor Xander just wants to watch his new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles BR on the new television. I foresee a long, long week ahead of us.