You want to do WHAT? (By Sir Lance)

To be honest it started out as a joke. I'm not even entirely sure what brought the idea on. I work alone an awful lot, and as I work I think and hold conversations with myself. I imagine that through one of my thinking sessions, the thought took root.

Earlier in the morning Brittney sent me a text message while I was at work. She was mentioning some things that we should do later in the evening (go to the gym, read our Sunday school lesson, etc) I also mentioned that I needed to begin my online classes. her response said this: "We've got a fun filled Monday night :) no need for tv shows to entertain us tonight." Since we became married I have realized one of mine an Brittney's many talents; we can finish an entire season of any tv show regardless of length, in a week flat with no trouble at all. I suppose this is what got my mind stirring. I thought to myself, "how many things could we do each night and weekend, if we didn't fill hours of time watching tv and movies?" I'm sure my mind wasn't on the thought for long as my day is filled with lots of things to think about.

Brittney got home before I did (which doesn't normally happen) and as I walked in the door and saw her the thought popped back into my head and the conversation went something like this:

Me: So I was thinking about all the things we need to do tonight and the fact that we can't do them and watch tv too.

Brittney: Oh ya?

Me: Ya, I decided we aren't going to watch tv for the rest of the summer.

Brittney: (In shock)

Me: (Thinking this is very funny)

Brittney: What would we do at night?

Me: You could actually read that book you borrowed from Megan

Brittney: (chuckles) Oh ya!

I continued throwing out ideas as we walked to the gym,--we can talk to each other during dinner, we can take walks together, I can teach you to crochet . . . -- I kept thinking about it while I was there and began to see more and more sense in the idea. I've already learned, from my last several semesters of school, that tv will always get in the way of my studies. Since I work full time with full credits, I don't really have time to watch tv unless I'm neglecting homework or loosing sleep. I am also taking summer classes and know that it will be hard to stay motivated with the great weather outside and the homework that needs to be done. I need to have time in my evenings for the things I'd like to do, and the things I NEED to do.

Although I thought about this during our time at the gym, I don't think anything was on Brittney's mind except for how good my bod looks while I'm running. I brought the idea up again when we got home and received a similar expression from Brittney. It didn't help that I threw in " and you won't be able to watch any of your shows while you do your hair and get ready" There was less chuckling from her after that statement and much less enthusiasm. You see, Brittney has a few shows that she likes to watch early in the AM while she gets ready for work, all of those shows are nearing the end of their seasons (about 1-2 episodes left in each one) and the suspense of needing to know what happens next is almost too much to bare. But as the evening grew on I thought of more and more validating reasons to go through with this spontaneous idea. I was telling Brittney yesterday that this past week (my week in between semesters) could likely be the last week "alone" together we might have going into summer (if she were to become pregnant). In the same sense this summer may be the last summer we have to spend with just the two of us. it would be such a shame if that time was spent almost every night in front of the tv soaking in it's rays. It also made a nice guilt trip.

So cutting through the rest of the nitty gritty here is the plan we came up with. We will start this very endeavor now, today!  It would be unrealistic to say that we won't see any tv at all, all summer long. (Brittney's work has a tv in the office that is always on, and others will have tv's in their homes and we can't force them not to watch just because we aren't). So in OUR home there will be no tv. And to get back at me for making her miss the end of her shows, I agreed in addition, not to watch youtube. (And if any of you have ever watched any of the "fail" videos on youtube you will understand that this is a HUGE HUGE sacrifice for me). However, as a reward if we are successful we can, as a date night, watch a movie every other week if we choose too. We can watch tv when visiting friends or family (if that's what the group is doing) and we may use our free movie passes to go see a movie. All in all it almost seems as if we have been too lenient on ourselves. To add some strength to the goal we are also committing part of the time we would have watched tv blowing the dust off our scriptures and reading them everyday.

The point behind all of this is two fold. The first is making sure that I will have the time necessary to take care of my classes at night, and the second and more important part, is to improve the quality of the time we have in the evenings together. I love my wife very much and sincerely feel like this will create an even stronger love and relationship between us as we create new ways to spend our time together.

I walked through the house and took pictures of things we have either neglected or talked about doing, that we will now have time to do with tv cut out of our lives.

Brittney can read this book that has sat in the same spot since bringing it home

This is a small table I am in the process of re-finishing

A chair I decided to try and re-upohlster 

A pile of things that I have been meaning to post to craig's list for months!

A shelf the Granatas gave us when they moved that I will re-finish

This picture has a double objetive, Brittney would like to paint it another color,
and there are many books on the shelf I will now have time to open.

A gym pass I actually intend to use

This is a table that according to my dad has something to do with
my grandma, or someone's grandma, or something like that. Regardless
I'd also like to refinish this table. (and maybe find some chairs to put around it)

I can now repair this tire, and then ride the bike. Also I can sweep up
the tiny bug in the background that has been there curled up and dead
for at least three months.

There are many many more pictures we could add to the list, and since we won't have anything else to do, we will update the blog as we go along. So for now dear friend (referring to tv) enjoy this rest as a token of our appreciation for the hours of clear picture you have so selflessly provided.

Notice the angelic halo above the shrine.