Commercials

One thing I never took much notice to until we gave up television is commercials.  I never really noticed them too much, but now that I have avoided television on the rare occasion that we watch TV I notice them a lot more.  I guess it's like anything you don't notice the details until your attention is drawn to them.  When I bought my Subaru, I suddenly noticed Subarus everywhere I went.  Prior to that purchase, I never noticed them at all.  They were still there on the roadways, I just didnt notice them until I had one myself.  I guess it is the same with commercials for many people.  As long as you are watching a lot of them, they just blurr together and no one really notices them too much.  Kind of makes me wonder why companies spend so much on television advertising, but that is a different topic for a different day.

Anyhow, there are a lot of commercials.  Way too many.  And most of them are about nonsense stuff too.  In the half hour of Frosty we watched last Friday, I bet there were at least 10 minutes of commercials. Ridiculous isn't it?  We dont have DVR either so we can not just fast forward them. At our house you are stuck with commercials. 

Back in our TV watching prime, I would generally use commercials to get chores done.  It is a very practical approach to commercials.  A whole lot of laundry and dishes have been done at our place during commercials so I guess they do serve that purpose.  Regardless of this purpose, while we watched Frosty and then last night as Jeff watched Sunday Night Football, I made an effort to take notice of commercials.  Here's what I found: 

A majority of commercials are about pharmaceuticals and most of the commercial time for pharmaceuticals is spent telling the consumer about the possible side effects of the drug.  Once I watch one of these commercials, I usually find myself swearing I will never try the drug because the side effects sound much worse than the condition being treated.  I also find myself wondering why drugs list both diahrrea and constipation as possible side effects for the same drug.  Seems odd, but I have to let some things go I suppose.  A few of the Christmas commercials are kind of cute, but I could live without them too.

The other commercials that are very popular especially during sporting events are beer commercials and I can admit that some of these are clever, but still shouldn't athletes frown upon beer consumption? Especially professionals.  I suppose commecials are not necessarily supported by the athletes.  I just wish that there were cool commercials about running gear or sports equipment.  That would be cool.  The Labatt ones where the people magically enter a tropical paradise immediatly upon opening the bottle are pretty cool.  Some days I wish I could simply open a beer bottle and find myself on a tropical beach without a worry in the world, but that is not reality.  And I will always be a fan of the Budweiser commercials that focus on the Clydesdales, but that is because I like the horses not the product itself.  Anyhow, after watching these two programs this weekend, I am committed to continuing living as we are TV free so it may end up being a lifestyle change instead of a year long experiment.  I find I am happier without television, much happier.


Vern Out

Frosty the Snowman!

Last night we watched Frosty the Snowman as a family.  One half hour of television and the kids were so excited, you would have thought Santa already visited our home.  Maybe we should return all of the gifts. We all snuggled under blankets and watched the show, even our dog, Stan.  No one was running around or making messes because everyone was mesmerized by the holiday classic.

Anyhow, the kids were really well behaved all day yesterday so as a reward they earned the right to see it.  Call me a cheater if you must, but I think it was a good deal since I dragged them to the bank, grocery store, Grandma's office, post office, the aquatic center and to Pizza Hut for lunch yesterday and all three of the kids were really good the entire time.  You can't put a price on that, but if you must the cost to me is one half hour with the telly.

Now we are heading for some much needed quiet and relaxation time.

Cheating

The strippers and lingerie were not nearly as effective as the table dancing bit.  I should have known the second time would not be as successful.  People were already on to me.  Anyhow, I am back at the library and Hazel is once again playing with toys and books not tables and electical outlets! We just built a seriously impressive roadway around the tables and now we are driving cars on them.  It is just about as good as the autobahn.

So I was talking to Miranda this morning making summer plans with her and she rather casually mentioned that they were watching Clifford on PBS and I made a comment about her cheating.  She swiftly corrected me and said, "I am not cheating because we quit NOTV".  Super bummed me out.  I guess I was delusional to think anyone else was still trying to live within the confines of NOTV2011 other than us because of my insistance. 

Anyhow, we are the last ones standing and we are still not watching any television.  We may make an exception (or cheat depending on how strict you are) tonight if there are any good Children's Christmas programs on tonight we may allow the kids to indulge in one as a reward if they are good today. 

Tomorrow we are visiting Santa at Crockery Township pancake breakfast and I of course am trying to figure out a way to run there so I can keep my string of running days in tack.   I am up to 6 consecutive days with a run of at least 2 mile.  Kara and Jeff are also going to the Wizard of Oz for some live entertainment afterwards.  Sunday brings photos with Santa at the mall and we are attending the Evergreen Ministries Christmas Music Celebration at night!  The holidays are gearing up!

The new house is still moving along slowly but surely.  All painting is finished now we just need carpeting, toilets, running water and some light fixtures and we will be good to go! Maybe in time for Christmas.

Vern Out

Strippers and lingerie

The table dancing bait worked so well that this time I am trying strippers and my best Victoria's Secret!  I just checked our stats and 34 people have checked out the table dancing post from yesterday!  That is definitely a record.  Anyhow, I don't have any of the Thunder from Down Under guys lined up for tonight's festivities (much to Jeff's dismay), but I did read an hour of the BFG to Kara. Just Me and Kara reading together while snuggling on the couch; an experience made possible by Hazel and AJ's sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa. We also played some new games that the kids got for an early Christmas present from our dear friend, Tracy.  It was splendid having time together with just the two of us.  However, the Thunder Down Under is supposed to be pretty darn good too.

Well the television isn't on tonight and strippers have not descended upon our domicile.  I do have my best lingerie on (just kidding I am in yoga pants and a my marathon t-shirt) and a new mission in life (in addition to yelling less at the kids) I am going to run everyday that is left in 2011 which should mean that I get over 800 miles for the year!!!  Way Cooler than any television show!

Vern Out

Table dancing

No I don't have a new job table dancing (sorry to disappoint). I was just kidding to get people to check out this post.  I will do anything to improve our viewership; I know, it is scandalous.  Furthermore, it seems Hazel has really given up her table dancing gig at the library.  So our family is officially dancer free.  I know it is a sad day for all of us.  I am sure the library employees really miss it the most.  We have been here at least a half a dozen times without her climbing the tables and dancing victoriously at the top!  She has also lost her fascination with electrical outlets and no longer unplugs everything in this place.  Instead she is actually playing with blocks and other toys today. 

As annoying as all her old habits were, it saddens me a little because it means she is growing up and so fast at that.  Anyhow, we are back to our regular routine; workout, library, grandma's office, grocery store and home for a hot bath!  We are so over the TV; although the kids do ask for a movie the second we walk into either of the Grandma's houses so I guess the kids are not totally over it.  But at home we are at peace without our telly.  We finished reading Matilda and are now reading the BFG somehow I never read this one either so once again I am having a great time with it.

Vern Out

The Rose Bowl

I am bummed, pretty seriously bummed, about the Spartans.  I may end up in therapy over the whole ordeal. I just couldn't believe that they lost.  Honestly, I was in shock.  The fact that they lost in such an anti-climatic way at the end of such an exciting action-packed game was just hearbreaking, devastating really. 

Anyhow, in order to help me get over it I am sitting at the McDonald's playland watching the kids play with their cousins.  I am not sure if McDonald's is effective treatment for sports related depression, but we'll see. It sure beats watching television! The Daniels live about two hours away from us so when they decided to come to Fremont to meet our new neice, I decided to bring the kids so that all of the kids could burn off some energy in the playland while Miranda and Mark visit the baby.  They are having a ball and it does make me feel better to see them all so happy and having such a great time.  It is a little bit of a comfort, but I am still seriously sad about MSU. What is truly amazing is that I no longer consider the television in the list of options to make me feel better when I am having a rough time.  Now I turn to coffee, wine, books, my running shoes and play time with the kids to get me through when times are rough.  Not the television. 

I was really looking forward to breaking in the BAT (Big Ass Television) in case you didnt read my post last week watching the Spartans in the Rose Bowl, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.  Instead we will have to break it in watching the Super Bowl and I doubt the Lions will be representing the NFC.

Vern Out

The new babysitter

One of the things people probably don't think about too much when they decide to build a new house is a babysitter.  The amount of sheer time you will have to spend chatting with various workers, looking at different options and making decisions about silly stuff like light switch covers, door knobs, hinge color and ceiling textures is really astronomical and therefore a babysitter is necessary often. 

Another important thing for you to understand is that we don't really do babysitters, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.  If one of our many generous family members can not watch our children, then we simply don't go or do whatever was being considered at the time.  Other than my brother's wedding (when we paid someone to be inside the house watching our baby) and a Bocce Ball party a couple years ago (when we hired a sitter for an entire clan of family member's kids) we have never hired a sitter.

I mean I wasn't totally naive about the time that building a house would require.  I guess I knew some time would be needed, but at the end of the house building project I am spending an exurbanite amount of time doing such things and since my full-time job is caring for our kids, it is very challenging.  It has resulted in the kids spending an excessive amount of time with our new babysitter-Taylor Swift!  I know how lucky are we to have Taylor right in the comfort of our own home? Oh wait that is not the case... When I say she is our babysitter, what I really means is that my kids are spending a lot of time sitting in our van (while its turned off of course) jamming to Taylor Swift's latest hits.  I get a good thirty minutes out of this approach if I return to the van to put it back on number 3 or 6 every five to ten minutes.  Everyone knows that they are the best ones! 

Anyhow, this morning luckily Grandma and Grandpa are planning to have the kids so when I go for my daily chat with the house people the kids will be hanging with them!  Taylor gets a day off!  She must be exhausted after the week we have put in.  Hurray for Grandma Day!! 

Oh and Jeff's Christmas gift, the big ass television (aka The BAT), arrived yesterday and is safely wrapped up to be discovered on Christmas morning.  I will say this about the matter.  If the Spartans go the Rose Bowl (which I think they will), it will be WAY COOL to see them on the new larger than life, (okay maybe not but it is 42 inch) flat screen, machine!  GO GREEN!

Vern Out