The Box In The Room

Yesterday at around 5:30pm our front doorbell rang. As many of you know the ringing of our front doorbell sends cringes up our spines, especially if it happens after office hours end at 5pm. As is customary with an after 5pm front doorbell ring, Vicki and I ignored the request. After two patient doorbell ring attempts the visitor began the prevailing routine of emphasized knocking and more vigorous doorbell pushing. This resulted in the usual impetus on Vicki and my part when someone "doesn't get the hint," which is Vicki kept reading her text books while I kept surfing the web, only now it was with animosity and disdain that we didn't answer the door. Knocking and ringing continued for a few minutes. I was in the office/family room/study while Vicki was doing homework in the bedroom. The inquires at the door ceased for a few minutes until suddenly my social networking and email inbox cleaning was interrupted by knocking at both back doors.

Those whom we are actually willing to invite into our home after 5pm have been instructed to knock on the back door if they visit after 5pm unbeknownst to us. This knocking startled me, yet I was excited at the prospects of who it might be. It could be "the Babies"---our pseudonym for our adorable 2.5 year-old niece and 5 year-old nephew. It could be any other family member. As I arose contemplating the prospects of who it was I got a bit excited at the fact that it could be a resident of the apartments bold enough to risk their life by knocking on the back door, and I even smirked as I conjectured of how the conversation may go if that was the case. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and saw a man dawning the most recognized uniform in the world. His brown shorts and knee-high socks which are often stereotyped to spawn arousal and excitement in lonely housewives, seemed to have a similar affect on me because it didn't take me long to realize what this persistent UPS man had for us. In fact, I barely remember us saying any words as I giddily  followed him around the house to his trademark brown truck parked on the street.

It was only about eleven days earlier that one of my insomniactic (<---probably not a real word) episodes had found me browsing channels in the late hours of the evening of September 10th. I knew the sleep timer on the TV was on and set to turn off soon--it has always bothered me that my television can be programmed to sleep upon request, and a instant snooze button comes with alarm clocks, while my body ignores all such petitions. With the knowledge that i had little time left to enjoy the images on the screen I was flipping to find some kind of images or show to provide the blue glow to fall asleep to, and that is when I saw it. A 42-inch 1080p HD LED television the width of a dime on the Home Shopping Network for only $899.95. It was HSN's daily special for the day and they had a limited number of supplies, but right as I started to realize the opportunity that was in front of me, click. Darkness.

The television had once again beat me to dreamland. I sat there in the dark with Vicki asleep next to me staring at the ceiling. We had talked about buying a nice television, but had never really seriously looked. All of our friends were getting them. Football season had started only a day ago. Vicki and I love football, but we don't really watch a lot of TV. Though the season premiers of Glee, NCIS, Fringe, and Burn Notice were right around the corner, yet we aren't know for being big spenders. Vicki has suggested she would like a Wii, and my buddies all over the globe would love for me to invest in my own Playstation 3 rather than just watching them play. A nice new television was the first step. It only took a few moments, and I knew there was no way I was going to sleep now. Was the TV turning off a sign? Was someone trying to keep me from making such a rash impulsive decision?

I was already standing up now reaching for my wallet on the dresser next to the bed. Maybe I'll just go into the other room and see what the TV has to offer. I already had the TV in the other room turned on and had found HSN. No tax, no shipping charges. There has got to be some strings. Can we make the $899.95 up front payment? My laptop was already on and I was typing "HSN" into the search bar. they do offer a FlexPay plan, don't have to pay the whole thing up front. The cost probably goes up if you select different plans. I was by now researching what kind of TV's were best. What does 1080p mean anyway? What is the difference between Plasma and LED? Backlit better or edge? each question led me deeper.

At 12:01 am on Saturday September 11th I purchased this television (watch the video--that is what I saw that illustrious night), and on Wednesday September 22nd it arrived. It now sits in the room it was purchased from still in a cardboard box.

I originally planned on keeping it a secret and surprising Vicki by having my late night insomniac purchase sitting in the living room ready to watch the Miami Hurricanes play Pitt (football game tonight). They estimated the delivery date at September 21st when I ordered it. I couldn't keep it a secret for more than a day. She knew by dinner on 9/11 that I had bought it.

The quandary now is that I am less than three weeks away from taking the LSAT and despite 16 weeks of possible preparation have done the equivalent of maybe a 16 hours. Vicki is very busy with her last semester at Utah State University. Is now the best time for a distraction as awesome as this TV?!


We have talked about whether we should open it now or not. Should it be a reward for me practicing and taking the LSAT on the 9th of October? Should we make ourselves "earn" the TV by getting all the things we have lingering finished--Vicki's homework, my study and practicing for the LSAT, clean the house etc, change the oil in the car, etc, etc...?

What do you think? Weigh in on our poll.

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