We are NOT Ready. And Furthermore, We Don't Care

Just about all Ive heard at work this week concerns the imminent conversion from analog to digital television. All the talk is about conversion boxes, last weekend's test of digital broadcasting by our local TV stations, and the new wonderful, glorious life that will be ours.

We don't have a digital conversion box.

I don't know if our televisions have built-in digital receivers.

We still have one of those TV antennas on the roof of the house. (Let the record show I HATE spelling the word antenna. Never have spelled it right the first time.)

And I'm not bothered in the least.

We just don't watch TV when TV wants us to watch it. There are a few shows we watch on a semi-regular basis, but given that they're streamed over the Internet these days, we get what we want with our high-speed Internet. We don't even have cable or satellite TV at the house. And we don't miss it. We don't have time for television.

Oh, we watch lots of movies. But to say we have time to idly flip through the channels, no.

Besides, there's not much to watch. On the occasions we visit Michelle's parents, I'll flip through their cable offerings. Typically I can find something to watch. But to say I have to watch is a lie. Last time we were there we watched something called "Speeders," in which a camera crew follows cops catching scofflaws. Mildly entertaining. But I don't need a daily, weekly, or even monthly "Speeders" fix.

So I don't think we'll miss much when on Feb. 17 the conversion is made. I do get to take the antenna down, which is good news. I didn't want to put it back up after I shingled the roof a few years ago, but I was convinced it had to be there, even though the wires from it to the TV were snipped, stored in the shed and eventually thrown away. The antenna now serves as a magnet for TV providers, who knock on the door and say, "Noticed you have an antenna up there. Want Dish Network?" I look forward to taking the thing down so the door-knockers will stop. Perhaps with our mini dish up there for the wi-fi, we won't get as many solicitors.