Wars of Attrition

Curtis and I rarely fight over the remote. One thing that solves this common road to marital discord is 2 tvs--when he wants to watch a documentary on quasars and I want to watch Teen Mom, we can take to separate rooms. The other is that we mostly agree on shows, and we've even managed to turn one another on to favorites. I didn't really care about House until we moved in together; he now likes Law & Order.


The only source of discontent comes from two sources:

1) The fact that I get stuck on what Tracy called "the Purple Channel." I'll look at the guide, then choose something. Then I'll keep looking at the guide. And then I don't take it down. And so there's the show in a tiny square in the upper right corner, and 3/4 of the screen is taken up by the guide. Hence: "Oh, good, we're watching the Purple Channel again."

2) The inability to choose something. When we're feeling brain-dead (like right now, when we're both quite ill, and we can't go anywhere, and we're too tired and uncomfortable even to play a game, and reading gives me a headache), TV is easy. But that's a velvet trap, because we become incapable of making a decision. We surf through the Purple Channel for a while, and then I put the remote down next to Curtis and tell him to pick something. He does the same. This goes back and forth until he wins the battle through sheer irritation. He picks something I hate, then I'm forced to make a decision.

For example, tonight:

Sally is playing on the Internet while Curtis flips through channels.

WHITE NOISE

Bill O'Reilly: BLAH BLAH BLAH I AM INSANE BLAH BLAH BLAH

Sally: (head snaps up) What is this?

Curtis: You wouldn't pick anything. I was forced into a corner.

Sally: Not in my house. Here. Deadly Women.


See next blog!