I’m not sure it’s called a picture tube anymore but whatever that apparatus is on our television that produces the video it just up and died a couple weeks ago.  There was no warning. No smoke arose from the back of the T.V. nor was there a smell of melting plastic. The picture just disappeared and we were left with a huge black screen.

It turned into a giant radio as the sound was functioning perfectly. But that became really frustrating when the sounds emitted by the giant radio indicated there was some exciting action going on and we were forced to use our imagination to interpret what that action consisted of.

One doesn’t realize how much one depends on a functioning television until the video is absent. What to do? What to do? I thought about watching a VHS tape or a DVD but then reminded myself that would require using the T.V. that had just suffered a major video breakdown. D-u-u-u-h! 🙁

For the immediate future Kathie and I resorted to an old fashioned hobby. We each began reading our library books.

Now it had been at least ten years since we had received our newly deceased television. It had been a Christmas gift from our children and it was a real beauty with a 50″ screen for our viewing pleasure. Luckily our children took on the responsibility of hooking up all the mystery cables that plug into the back of the T.V. You see that required not only a cable from the Dish receiver mounted on the outside of our house but also cables for a VHS tape recorder and a DVD recorder.

Those were all details that were well above my pay scale.

You see in the old days when the T.V. blew a tube you jumped in the car and headed to a T.V. appliance store, checked out all of the various models of televisions and picked one. A brief argument may have taken place between parents and offspring as to which model was the perfect one. But since Dad was paying for it you can imagine who won that argument. 🙂

The T.V. was loaded into the car and the family sped home. Dad proceeded to hook it up to an antenna which simply required attaching two copper wires protruding from the ends of the antennae cable. Each copper wire was wrapped around a screw which was tightened with a screwdriver.

The T.V. was then plugged into an electrical outlet and “walla” the family was back to enjoying the innocent sitcoms that pervaded the televisions of that era.

Now I knew I was in trouble. There would be no more simple installations of a television at our house. This was a crisis! Our grown children and grandchildren lived miles away and it would not be convenient for them to travel to our house to install the equipment required to prepare a modern, “smart” T.V. to entertain us.

I want my T. V. back! 🙁 I believe I was beginning to suffer withdrawals. My left eye began twitching and my hands became sweaty.

There was only one thing to do. Suck it up and jump in the car and head to the nearest store selling televisions. So off we went in search of the televisions that are now referred to as “smart’ T.V.’s. Just that name alone makes me nervous! 🙁

We will cross that bridge of setting the T.V. up and getting it functioning when and if that becomes a reality.  The question I worried about was would a feeble minded technology person (that would be me) be up to that challenge?

When we arrived at the appliance store the manager immediately put us at ease with his friendly demeanor.

He explained the smaller T.V.’s had been sold or spoken for. But he did have a 65″ flat screened, smart T.V. still in the box.

That was a huge T.V.! How would I get it home and then get a T.V. smarter then myself adorned with the correct cables plugged into the correct little holes in the back of that 65” monster?

And then it was like a miracle when the store manager seemed to be able to read my mind when he said, “Of course we can deliver the television to your home and get it set up for you also.”

That would mean mounting that 65″ flat screen on our living room wall, attaching VHS and DVD cables to the right little openings and getting our Netflix functioning!

Had it not been for the virus I would have given that store manager the biggest hug but I was able to refrain myself.

Several days later the big 65″ T.V. made its entry into our house and it is now displayed on our living room wall and functioning as well as any smart T.V. can. We love it! 🙂

It’s huge screen has given me a brilliant idea.

How many of you readers have attended a drive in theater? If you have never experienced that ask an old person to tell you about it. That would be an excellent blog topic for another time.

We have large windows in the front of our house that face into our living room. I think what I may do is put a drive in theater metal post on the lawn in front of the large windows and attach speakers. Then I will advertise that movie goers can call me up and request a specific Netflix film.

$5 bucks a carload!

They can drive out to our house, pull up on our lawn next to the speaker and place the speaker on the partially opened driver’s side window.

Popcorn and restrooms will be available in our house if I can convince Kathie of this potential business venture.

If I can pull this idea off that television appliance guy will get a free life time pass. 🙂

I’m getting excited!

Until next time.