Background
We don't remember the days; we remember the moments.
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Chapter 8
My husband, Brian and I got tired of our ridiculously high cable bill, well over 250 dollars monthly, when we rarely watch TV. I'm the only one who regularly watches TV and when I do watch, believe it or not, it's the Hallmark Channel. Hopeless romantic. We got rid of our cable and Brian put on the roof an old-fashioned antenna. We still receive thirty or forty channels. Brian only watches 'Grit' on rare occasions. He likes the old westerns.
We can't get the Hallmark Channel with the antenna, so I stream it in the bedroom on my laptop. I have a cable hooked up and watch in on my TV screen. It only cost about $50.00 a year, not a month. Not a bad price for my movies. A lot less than cable.
This story happened a few nights ago. On my remote control the 'off button' and the 'source button' are next to each other. I turned off the TV and accidentally hit the 'source button'. I knew it happened and turned off the TV anyway. Once the TV was off it would correct itself, right? NOPE!!
The following evening, I turned on my TV and got all sorts of scribbling lines. I clicked the 'source button' because that's what had caused the problem, right? Nothing happened. Darn!!
I called Steven on Facetime and explained my problem very eloquently and in great detail.
When I've frustrated him, I get 'Mother'.
"Mother, where do I live?"
"In Victoria, but..."
"Mother, where do you live?" interrupted Steven.
"In Copperas Cove, but..."
"Mother, how far apart are we?"
"Three hours, but you're closer than your brothers."
"Mother, I know where my brothers live. I can't do anything three hours away."
I turned the phone and showed him the TV screen and then held up the remote control. "You just need to tell me what button to push. I can push buttons."
"Just start pushing buttons until you hit the right one."
"But you guys have forbidden me from pushing buttons, because..."
"We know why, because you get yourself into situations like this," interrupted Steven. "Now you're going to have to do it because I'm in Victoria."
"I think before it said HDMI, but I tried it, and nothing happened."
"You don't know what you watch your movies on?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you set it up and I didn't pay any attention."
"Mother...."
"Yeah! I hit the right button. It's HDMI 2 in case you need it again."
"Mother?"
"Thank you for your help. I love you."
"Love you too. You're addicted to Hallmark. It's not healthy. You need to expand your movie watching. You can stream 'Netflix'."
"Love you, bye. I'm hanging up." I bet Charlotte and Eleanor don't have problems with remote controls.
*****
Another short Steven story. We visited with him over Labor Day. One thing Steven and I do together is go to HEB, a large Texas grocery chain.
I'm doing low carbohydrates, not Keto, but low carbs.
Steven needs to lose a few pounds. While grocery shopping, he said, "You'll be proud of me. Instead of Pop Tarts, I'm eating tortillas and peanut butter."
Happy to hear this, but not fully relating that message, I said, "You can get zero carb tortillas and zero added sugar peanut butter."
Steven stared at me. "Mother, do you need to sit in the car while I finish shopping?"
"I guess that's a no, right?"
******
Steven is our youngest and he and I have always been close. Banter is part of our relationship. I was almost forty when I had him. The oldest, Greg, enlisted in the Army when Steven was two. Jeff left when Steven was three, and Andrew left when Steven was eight. Brian, being active military, was never home. For years it was Steven and me.
Author Notes
The Hallmark Channel also has drama and murder mysteries. Of course, there's always a romance involved. LOL
Steven is 31 years old, and single. He teaches High School Math. His school district is almost 68% Hispanic. It's close to the Gulf of Mexico, and fairly close to the border. Steven is bilingual. He will be coming home for Thanksgiving.
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