New Territory

It has finally happened. I was forced to move away from what I am comfortable with and try out a new technology. One of my 3 VCR's died over the summer and I knew I would have to get another one before the new fall season begins. I knew we wouldn't have to invest much money as VCR's are becoming a thing of the past, but my DH (Dear Husband) loves the new technology and has been keeping his eye on all the latest offerings. Well he managed to find a DVD recorder for a mere $80, a deal even I could not pass up. We picked up a package of DVD+RW's and I had my third recording apparatus that I would need once the TV season was in full swing.

Once we arrived home it was the usual scene whenever DH gets a new gadget to play with. He managed to connect the new DVD recorder to the current equipment in the living room, television, cable box, VCR and stereo receiver. When he tried to show me how it would work, not only was I beyond the time of day when I could take in new information, I was in the throes of PMS. I vaguely watched as he put the TV on the auxiliary channel and turned on the receiver with the surround sound. Then I spoke.

"I want it to work like my VCR's, I don't want to have to have the surround sound on just to watch television." Don't get me wrong, SS is a great thing to have while watching a movie, but I don't need all that just to watch television. The one thing I will never own is one of those huge, takes up a whole wall, televisions with surround sound. I can't handle the loud, thundering, house shaking noise while watching an episode of CSI or Men in Trees.

The following hours consisted of just what I expected. DH, while trying to please me, managed to squeeze himself behind the small space he had made behind the heavy entertainment center and began the many attempts at connecting and reconnecting wires to try and make the DVD recorder so that I could watch regular television through it without the surround sound. Nothing was working. There were expletives flying around the room as he went from the space behind the equipment to the couch deep in thought. I tried to tell him never mind and just do it the way he did at first, but he was lost in his zone that no one could penetrate. After a few hours of that he sat down on the couch and looked at me and said, 'it's set up the way I had it the first time'. I just smiled and said okay. I will have to learn to adjust. There will come a day when my VHS tapes will go the way of records and cassettes and I will have no choice but to conform to the new DVD's. At least I can learn slowly with the new DVD recorder, as I still have 2 VCR's.