HD stands for what again?

What I'm Listening To: Skanky Panky by Kid Koala

We watch A LOT of television at Casa Reagan, because just admit it, there's really nothing better to do after work. (oh, besides go to the gym, which we absolutely luuuuuuurve. Kidding!) I almost feel a sensual connection to that box that connects us with the doings of the outside world. The Reagan apres-work ritual includes walking in the door, changing out of our work clothes, debating whether we're gonna go work out or not (usually we go, sigh!) and then coming home and eating dinner in front of the TV, scanning through the programs we've DVR'd from previous days. Jealous yet?

Yeah, it's the life, alright. Sometimes, though, I get the feeling that we're the only ones supporting the Nielsens television rating statistics -- no one else seems to watch TV any more. When we go out with other couples, I'm all like, "Wow, did you see what Nico and Wendy did last night on Lipstick Jungle?" or "God, Chuck Bass is so evil. Tying up Dan Humphreys at Yale was totally TM! What did you think?" and they just give me these pitying looks like I'm some kind of nutbag that lives in a refrigerator box over by the railroad tracks. "Television?" they sigh. "Who has time for television? And when we do have the time to watch, we only watch educational shows. You know, for our children's sake." Yeah, that's when I start frantically signalling the server for a double vodka tonic and maybe some earplugs so I don't have to listen to their sanctimonious birdseed.

That's fine. Don't watch TV. See if we have anything to talk about then! Now there's more Chuck Bass and his sexy whisper for me! Yay.

Anywhoo, with this devotion to TV in mind, Jim and I decided that since the economy sucks ass we might as well do our part and spend some cash on a LARGE APPLIANCE, because, hey, that's what a new TV really is, people. So after 5 years with a plain 27" screen television that was the size of Kentucky and heavier than a wet elephant, we decided to upgrade to a 46" flat-panel HD -- insert bunch of technical gobbledygook here that only Jim really understands-type -- television. I let Jim do all the shopping and reviewing and comparing and etc etc because let's be honest here, I know he likes that techie stuff more than lil ol' me, the girl that was in the bathroom when God was handing out patience.

First we picked up the new television at Best Buy over by Southridge on Wednesday, right before Thanksgiving. Yeah, we timed it so when Jim's brother and his family came to town for the holiday they could drool... oh, right, and enjoy the loveliness of a large-screen television with us for the first time. Whatevs.

Then on Saturday the Directv installation guy showed up, and in three measly hours we had HD TV, with a DVR and a new remote! Whoohooo. Unfortunately, the installation guy couldn't put the new HD satellite dish on our rug porch where the original dish had been, so he had to install a pole in the backyard to stick the new dish in a location where it could find the signals. Who cares? Just one more place that Jim had to trim the grass by hand...he'll manage!

So as of Saturday at 6 PM we have had HD TV. And can I just tell you, it is AMAZING! I have been blind but now I can see! Okay, I can see now almost too well. (You didn't think we were going to get through this blog posting without a complaint, did you? Come on, now!)

I dug up an old recording of Chuckie babe, just to see if the hotness translated okay to HDTV. Uh, it did. You know when you're watching soap operas and the way the filming is lit seems a little different than most other television shows, like a little TOO real? With HD, the details are so crisp, and the lighting is so perfect, it's like Chuck is in the room with me.

This level of television detail, okay, I'll admit it, kinda FREAKS ME OUT. I mean, before, when the television didn't have that much detail to purvey, these television actors were just actors, people in another time and place, people who I didn't really believe existed, people in another dimension, almost. You know what I mean, fantasy! NOW, with HD, it's like these people are REAL. They look REAL. It's freaky, for sure. I feel like I could almost touch them, and frankly, I don't want to. Okay, I'll stop now, but I just wanna say, crazy stuff here. Next thing you know, we'll have hologram TV's that get projected from some chip behind our eyeballs, and that concept just makes me shudder. By the time they roll that out, I'm kinda hoping I will be made into soylent green or something.

You out there in TV Land with HD -- what do you think? Is it live, or is it hi-def? Or hey, should I just turn the damn thing off already and read a book?