2/2/06--Jeff & Kim go shopping for a new television

So this past Monday evening was a REALLY, REALLY good day for our family.
Besides finding out that our refund would be our best ever, Kim also found out that she would unexpectedly be getting a performance bonus for the last 3 months.
Of course, you know that no one gets a windfall without something bad happening, which would explain why the day before we noticed our television beginning its slow fade into obvilion.  Or maybe you could just say that we began to notice the whole picture beginning to disappear thing. 
Anyway, we decided Tuesday night to make a "Best Buy run" (one of my favorites things) to look into a new television.  I'm a guy, so naturally I was thinking BIG when it comes to televisions of any sort or model--while Kim was there (supposedly) to be the voice of reason.  HA!  So we're looking around and I start the proceedings off:
"Okay, give me an idea here.  What are my guidelines size & price wise?"
"Well....I'd really like a television that's the same size as we have now.  That way we won't have to change our entertainment center."
"Okay...that gives me something to go on."

So after a few minutes looking around, I find a nice HDTV 31" Samsung with a flatscreen.  I call Kim over to give it a look.

"Well, whatta ya think?"
"Well...maybe its a girl thing, ya know?"
"What's a girl thing?"
"Well I don't like that it has a space between the screen and the shelf.  Its going to make so you can see the wires and stuff behind it."
"Alrighty.  I'll keep looking."

So a few minutes go by, and Kim comes up and tells me she's found one.  We walk over and Kim points out the 46" Toshiba.  Man do I love this woman.

"Well honey, that's fine except....its not going to fit on our entertainment center."
"Ah," she scoffs, "we'll just go across the street to Rooms to Go and get another one."

I wanted to kiss her....with an open mouth, and passionately....right there in the store.

So then we venture over to Rooms to Go, which is a fine store--except for it seems like I can't go in there without buying a new couch.  I immediately told her not to even think about looking for any furniture.  Only entertainment centers.

So eventually we find one we like and we begin to negotiate on the whole delivery before the Super Bowl thing...and we're not looking good in that area.  I point out to the wife that getting the television BEFORE the entertainment center would not be good.
We want the E.C. to get to our house FIRST---then the television.  Our salesman is pondering how to make that happen when he asks his manager a question.  I ask the manager if she knows the husband of a friend of mine who, ya know....used to be a store manager at Rooms to Go.  Why yes, she says....she knows him.
We're booked in for the day before the big game.  Kim shakes her head, amazed.

Back over at Best Buy, we start dealing with the salesman.  We narrow our search down to two sets, the 46" Toshiba and a 42" Samsung.  The salesman recommends the Samsung (they were both about the same cost) which was good, because that's what Greg the Cable Guy had recommended also.  And then......

And then the collateral damage began.  Oh yeah....old Greg (and I mean that literally---cough, cough) didn't mention that when you upgrade to the HDTV, you have to also upgrade your cables that go from your television to the VCR, the DVD and the home theatre system.  And that you need to upgrade your Directv to HDTV.   Oh yeah, and your probably need to get some sort of warranty, and oh yeah.....
Collateral Damage.  Yikes.

So the bottom line is that by gametime on Sunday, I should have a new television, the afore-mentioned 42" Samsung HDTV sitting on my new entertainment center--the one that holds up to a 58" television (hey, maybe down the road--ya know?).  Its all planned.  Supposedly.  We'll wait and see.

Later,
Jeff