We’ve Been Down This Road Before
What could have been a lovely quiet evening with possibly a little “somethin’ somethin’” turned into a disaster last night. Capitol D on that one.
I’m not sure if I should attribute my husband’s mood to the fact he quit smoking cold-turkey a few weeks ago (thank GOD!) or the fact our large flat screen T.V. has been in the repair shop for several days and we’re forced to watch my Grandma’s old Orion 19 inch.
This is evening #2 of watching previously recorded sci-fi crap. Typically, I retreat to the bedroom (another 19 inch TV) and pull out my magnifying glasses to watch my shows. But tonight after his second unrealistic magic-potion-saves-the-world show I had the audacity to ask him if we could watch something that we both like.
I’m sorry did the world just come to an end? The response I received was something similar to our son throwing a hissy fit over being asked to clean up his toys or eat all his peas.
His reply was something about me being on the computer and not even watching it. To which I stated that I wouldn’t be on if there was something more interesting to watch.
Next he proceeds to place the remote on an ottoman in between us. Silence follows. I tell him to go ahead and watch whatever he wants. I might have used the word ‘jack***’ in there.
After some more grumbling (from him), he sets it up to play a show we both like and leaves the room. I yell at him asking if he’s going to watch this or not. He said he’s letting me watch what I want and he’ll be in the bedroom.
I turn off the T.V. altogether and tell him when he’s done pouting the remote is on the couch.
Now, we’ve been down this road before…I’m not really sure why he thinks he owns or controls our T.V. He usually gets his way in what we watch. Rarely would he sit in here while I watch something I’ve taped that he doesn’t like. So why am I expected to sit through his shows night after night?
So he pouted in the bedroom wanting to go to bed. Funny thing is that he couldn’t, because the sheets were downstairs in the dryer and he doesn’t seem to know where the laundry is located in our house (even after 7 years).
My name is Emily. I’m 30 years old. I have often been told that I ask a lot of questions, but I think I have more to say than ask.
I hate when the laundry room is so elusive.
OMG. I’m really not the only one dealing with this childish behaviour when it comes to the TV!? Hallelujah! (Sorry, but I mean it!)
Sometimes I feel like punching a damn hole through the screen me makes me so made. Even if I am watching something before him, he comments and pouts until it’s changed to something “we both like” meaning something that HE likes and I am puttin gup with just so he shuts his damn trap!
Oh this is very funny. Sad, but you told it in a funny way! Maybe he could watch a show that demonstrated how to find the laundry room and put clean sheets on the bed! Of course, you might have to slip in the word “jackass” a few more times as he complains about how hard that is to do. LOL
{putting on flame-retardant outfit, suitable for verbal onslaught}
I’m curious: if he didn’t pout and stomp away, but rather said something like, “I’d rather go upstairs than watch [the show you both liked]” and left, would that have made you angry? I ask because other than the immature behaviour, I see little wrong with what he did.
When his stuff is on, you’re in the room, but not really “there” because you’re online. If his stuff isn’t on, why should he remain in the room, literally or figuratively?
In our house, the basic concept is this: if we both want to watch something different, one of us heads to the bedroom. Admittedly, usually it’s my wife (she goes upstairs and reads, does other stuff; when I watch tv, I watch tv). If someone is watching and the other wants “the good tv” we try to compromise, like waiting until a commercial, or taping something.
(This is related to your old post, but I figured I’d mention it here): I don’t know if your cable/satellite has it, but up here we have something called time-shifting. Basically, you get feeds from 4 time zones for the main networks. So, any broadcast stuff is on at least 2 or three times in the same night. (Also, we have Canadian and American feeds, which means we get even more options for scheduling, so maybe that makes life a little easier in the north.)
None of this is meant to be critical, so please don’t take it that way. I’m just tossing in $0.02.
SciFi Dad you can take the suit off
No verbal bashing here for your comment. I get what you are saying. No, I would not have been angry if he had used his “words” instead of his noises, grunts & stomps and stated something like: “Here. It’s your turn to watch what you want. I’m going in the bedroom.”
Seems reasonable? At least I think. I understand that he usually feels like I’m not engaged in what’s on TV (instead I’m on the computer). I get that. But when I ask if we can watch something we both like….especially after several of his shows….I think it’s a fair request.
We don’t have that fancy broadcast stuff you do. (Very Jealous!) We use our DVR and record a lot of stuff. And we have shows he watches, shows I watch & shows we both watch.
For the record….I’m usually the one who retreats to the bedroom and the small TV. So sacrficing an hour for me to watch a show a couple times a week on the big TV is a SMALL thing.
I know you aren’t being critical! I appreciate the male point-of-view
{And I think you’re siding with him because he likes the “sci-fi” shows & given your name….}
*snort*
Oh for the love…
This happens all the time over here. And he loooooves to throw the computer thing at me, also. Um, a-hole, at least the bloggerville friends feign interest in what I’m talking about! So there, I think! But don’t say, because — you know — ignoring them drives them crazy.
Next time just change the channel and then lick the remote as if you were marking your territory then send him off to do his undies by hand in the kitchen sink.
What IS it with men and the remote control? If i want my husband to stay awake, I basically have to let him pick the show. Not that I always do…heh
Yeah. K wants me to watch The Unit. WTF? No.
Most of the time the hubby and I like watching the same thing and have no issues on what to watch. Our issue is that he spends a lot of time out in the garage tinkering. If I voice the opinion that he’s always out there, then he’ll fire back with the you’re always on the computer thing. I can’t seem to get it through his head that if he was inside I’d be down there watching TV with him. But if he’s going to be outside then I come up to my computer where I have a 20″ color TV with cable and watch what I feel like watching while surfing the net, etc. When he comes in, I normally come down and watch tv with him, unless he is watching something I don’t like.
There was a time when I spent just about every evening up on the computer and he was left to his own devices. That caused some real issues in our marriage. I do my best not to get caught up in keeping tabs on cyberspace when he is home.
But yeah…you and your hubby seem to have tv issues and it does seem like you always give in. Hopefully you can reach a compromise.
Congrats to him on the smoking thing. I quit in January of 2006…hallelujah! It’s rough…but so worth it.
young love in the laundry room. or not in the laundry room.
it’s the nicotine withdrawl. must be. good for him.
I hide stuff that I don’t want my husband to find in our laundry room.
He has NEVER been in there.