Blue Sky Farm

My blogging posts and photos are part of me . I think of this as a scrapbook of my life. The names have not been changed.. they are real people who have crossed my path along my journey. Some I know intimately, my family and friends. If their names are mentioned it's a sure sign they are special to me and I love them dearly...come along see for yourself, perhaps you know some of them too..

February 26, 2009

Which button do I push?

Let me begin by making it perfectly clear...
I am an intelligent woman, and I do love my husband very much.
He really would do just about anything I ask of him without a lot of questions as to why...But I think I share the same complaint with other women...when it comes to the TV remote control or controller..
I know that there are separate remotes for TV, DVD players, and even Stereos. We have them, but supposedly all are connected with one controller at our house...How does that work?
I do not quite understand how the TV remote works, Something about binary codes, transmitters, receivers, It's all mumble jumble to me... I do know what it looks like and what it does. I am asked on rare occasions "where is the remote" by my husband. My quick sarcastic reply would be' into your hand" or "Honey, You told me not to touch it." That is truely a loving joke between my husband and I when I have again messed with the remote trying to do a more complicated task than changing the channel, or turning off the TV.
I do know how to use the remote feature to Mute the volume. I wish there was ONE simple remote that had big numbers to push (my eyesight is not 20/20) and I already have a problem sometimes remembering where I laid my readers... How can I remember all those instructions for how to operate the remote for changing channels, reverse, pause, resume..... it is just too frustrating for me...and easier for him to just do it..
I think its a Man Thing, that they can pick up any remote, slip in a couple batteries, program it and know immediately which channel is Sports, Documentaries, News & Action Drama. All I want is to know how to switch it to the programs I want to see.
Why not get another TV? you might be thinking.. that would solve the problem...but We have Two already and it has a separate remote, ( connected to the same receiver box I am told )with its own buttons. I am sorry, I just don't understand this technology...It is nothing like my computer- ized sewing machine I am sure of that, and I 'm quite sure he couldn't operate that... because there is no remote control...
These would be My rules for the remote control use:

1. Politeness "No Quick Changes". The remote-controller who speeds through a hundred channels without even one breathless pause in one minute has committed a partner social- crime, worthy of being remote-deprived for the rest of the evening.
I should be allowed to at least know what program is being rejected by the remote controller.

2. Do not hide the remote control when you are going to the bathroom or leave the room.... This overt power play is sure to offend any female companion.

3. Agree with each other and say "let's look through what's on" but, again the problem with that is he usually just goes ahead anyway and decides what we want to watch that we have not already seen..or he tosses the remote my way & says "there is nothing on" and silly me, foolishly thought we had over 150 channels receivable through three satellite dishes mounted on our roof....

4. A remote made for me...One button Off & On. and 2 buttons up & down to change channels. and 1 mute button.

We have settled for a simple arrangement. We will watch what We both wants in the evening and if there's something on I wants to see or he wants it's recorded so we can watch it later, or He will watch his program on the other TV, but he has to first explain again to me how to use the remote. The situation could be simplified even more if we didn't have a remote and had to go back to manually flip the off & on switch. Or better yet, We could just watch what I want....