Flatscreen Frenzy

About 2 years ago, when we bought our house, Dan came home with a little flat screen tv for the bedroom. His idea of little was different than mine, and I made him take it back and return it for a smaller size that seemed appropriate for a bedroom. I thought maybe that would appease his need for a flatscreen tv, and it did, except that he complained he couldn't see it.

So, a year or so goes by, and he starts up his conversation again about wanting a big flatscreen for the family room. I struck a deal with him, give up soda - namely Mtn. Dew - and you can get one. So, he ventured on kicking his habit, and made it for 2 months, before it started to creep back into his life. He suffered miserably from headaches from the caffeine withdrawal. I felt bad for him, becuase we are not coffee drinkers either, so I realized soda was his only form of caffeine. I won't mention that I do not use ANY caffeine in my system, but that's another story. So, the deal was off because he went back on the sauce.

Then we moved again, and the discussion was revived. I thwarted him again by convincing him to buy a little under the cabinet tv for the kitchen so I can watch the news while getting dinner. I love it. It's so little and cute, and tucks away when I don't need it. However, the need for a large one in the family room again ensued. Again, quit the soda, and we'll talk.

Well, he has SIGNIFICANTLY decreased his amount of the inside killing beverage, and so I had to buckle. Not to mention he works HARD for his money, so I better treat him right. He began doing research, talking to people, deciding on a size, etc. Then it hit. Costco was have an amazing deal on the one he liked. Since it was such an amazing deal, they couldn't keep them on the shelves. So, we ventured into the store and got a raincheck. He called daily to see if they had any in. They went out as soon as they came in.

Until last night. Dan calls me at 5:30pm to say there were 7 in the store, and I was to drop what I was doing and go get one (Dan was working and cannot leave work, plus I'm the one with the membership so only I can go). Now, mind you, Costco is about 35 minutes from our house, I had worked all day that day, was in the middle of dinner, and was already in my cozy fleecy jammies (yes I know, 5:30 in jammies - whatever). So, when Dan's mom came home, I changed my clothes, set out the kids jammies, cleaned up a bit, and headed out in the bitter cold to get this beloved tv.

I arrived and flashed my membership card. I proceeded to the aisle and discovered there was only one left. Now, being 5+ months pregnant, there is no way I can get this thing off the shelf and brought up to the register. So I go back to the guy standing at the door and told him my situation. He said, "sure, let me get someone over to help you." Expecting a large burly man to come over, I was instead surprised to see a small Asian woman heading my way. She asked if I needed help, and I again told her I needed to get this tv. At this point, there are people starting to swarm around the last standing best deal ever tv. I suddenly became competitive, began to perspire slightly, and wanted to make everyone aware that this tv that I didn't even want was MINE. The little Asian lady instructed me to go get a flatbed cart. I raced back out into the cold with my mind racing that when I returned back someone else would have claimed it. I came back in with the frigid cart and parked it right up by the tv. I waited a moment more, and a nice young man came and loaded it onto my cart.

I then paraded around the aisles with my prized possession for all to see that I got the LAST one of the night. Everyone looked at me like I was driving a brand new Beamer and I proceeded to the checkout line. After paying for this monsterous beast, I asked for help loading it into my car. I pulled around and was greeted by two 20 year olds who reeked of cigarette smoke and heavy cologne. I had already taken one of the carseats out thinking I could simply fold the seat down and slide the tv in through the back. Well...that didn't work. The box was about 4 inches too big to fit in the back of the car, and there was no way I could get the other car seat out, because it is latched into the car and impossible to undo. It is now about 15 degrees and I am standing there with the tv box on the ground and 2 guys trying to figure this out. About 20 minutes later, the tv was out of the box, slid in between the front and back seats, and the box was broken down and folded into the back.

I now hated the tv again. What a pain that was. I am now shivering, can't feel my hands, and have the smell of cheap cologne stuck in my nostrils. Nevertheless, I carefully pull out of the parking lot and head home, with absolutely NO visibility out the back of the car. So, it's a done deal. We officially own a giant, ugly, flatscreen tv.

Now, we live in an older colonial home, so it's not like all you new homes out there where you can easily and neatly mount the tv over your cute little gas burning fireplace, out of the way and easy to see. Our home is really not conducive to the progression of technology, so we have to place it - for now- on the now disassembled tv stand that once housed my cute little decorations on top all nice and tidy. I don't like it. It is too big, too ugly, and jumps out at you when you walk into the room. But it's a sacrifice I will make for my hard working husband. He is overjoyed. The kids screamed with glee when they came down in the morning to see it. I'm now researching some sort of stand or cabinet to hide it in.