Apparently, my wife has just discovered we don’t really enjoy watching the same things on TV.
That’s the only thing that explains why my wife has taken such an intense interest in where I watch TV in the evening.
Specifically, I watch TV upstairs in our office/guest room that isn’t really and never has been a guest room. And, to be even more specific, I guess I shouldn’t say I watch TV, instead, I should say I watch stuff on my computer. But saying I “watch TV” sounds way better than I “watch stuff on my computer”.
The reason I watch TV on my computer is because I have recently discovered streaming. For years, I heard people talk about streaming but I just assumed they were talking about trout fishing.
Now, I happen to like trout fishing. When I used to be more “outdoorsy” I would go on canoe trips on a stream chock full of trout. Here’s what I liked about trout fishing from a canoe.
You could do it while drinking beer. It wasn’t always easy. But you could do it.
Later, I discovered streaming actually was about watching stuff on streaming channels such as Netflix and Hulu. Our 22-year-old daughter Emma was the first person to encourage me to stream things. This is how Emma encouraged me to stream things.
“Dad, you should stream things,” she would say.
“Why?” I would say.
“Good point,” Emma would say.
The main reason I didn’t have any interest in streaming things is because I’m pretty much only interested in watching sports and I didn’t need a streaming channel to do that.
But now, of course, there isn’t much in the way of sports on TV, which is why I’m now streaming stuff. The problem is my wife and Emma like to stream things in our family room leaving me to stream things in our living room.
However, due to some quirk in our Wi-Fi system, the internet signal in our living room is too weak to stream things which didn’t used to be a problem when I was able to watch sports on TV which, as I think I mentioned already, I can no longer do.
Because I am nothing if not resourceful, I asked Emma if I could stream stuff on my computer. This is what Emma said.
“Duh.”
I took that as a “Yes”.
So, now, when I want to stream something, I take my computer upstairs to the office/guest room that really isn’t and never has been a guest room and I stream things.
My wife thinks it’s sad I stream things on my computer, upstairs, by myself.
“How is that sad?” I ask my wife.
“Because you’re by yourself,” my wife says.
“Again, how is that sad?” I ask my wife.
Emma doesn’t think it’s sad I stream things on my computer, upstairs, by myself. She thinks it’s stupid.
Emma says all I have to do is either get something called an “extender” to fix the Wi-Fi problem in our living room or have the Wi-Fi people come to our house and fix the problem.
Emma is probably right.
But I’m happy streaming things on my computer, upstairs, by myself.
The other night I was getting ready to stream the great hockey movie “Slapshot” starring Paul Newman when my wife asked if I would rather watch TV with her and Emma.
“What are you watching?” I asked my wife.
When my wife said she and Emma were watching one of those housewives shows I said I would rather watch stuff upstairs, on my computer.
“But that’s so sad. You’re by yourself,” my wife said.
“Do you want to watch ‘Slapshot’?” I asked.
“Good Lord no,” my wife said.
“There you go,” I said.
Besides, it’s not as if I’m completely alone when I stream things on my computer upstairs. I usually have a beer with me. Beers tend not try to talk to me when I’m streaming things on my computer.
I like that.
I should point out there is one thing my wife are watching together. It’s the second season of “After Life” created by and staring the great Rickey Gervais. If you haven’t watched “After Life” I highly recommend it. You can find it on Netflix. But, do yourself a favor, and watch the first season before you watch the second season.
It makes more sense that way.
Watch it with your spouse if you want. Or, if you would rather, watch it alone.
Upstairs, on your computer.