Remote Love

We’ve never really fought over the remote. When we were younger, we had similar tastes in movies and television.
Besides, we were so busy building our lives; we rarely sat in front of the television anyway.
As we grew older though, our tastes did drift apart. Somewhere along the line, Dale developed a love for old Westerns and DIY shows where the hosts have to scream to get their point across. My love for true crime and documentary deepened and I always have to watch the news – both of which he hates.
When Dale was home, he usually retreated to the family room, which was a man cave in the basement. He watched whatever he liked and I either hibernated in my office, read in the living room, or watched one of the other four televisions in the rest of the house.
It was ok, it was just the way we lived our lives.
It’s not an option in the Little House. There’s only one television – there’s no room for more. Even if there was, the sound carries in such a way that we would be playing dueling sound control, even with the bedroom door closed.
Turns out, I kind of like spending time with my husband – and we’ve actually learned that two people can share the remote!
Oh, yes, there’s been those times when we’ve pointed the remote at each other and pretended to be in the movie “Click,” but largely we’ve learned how nice it is to be together physically, even if we’re not into what the other is doing mentally.
Sure, he can still out snore any of the dogs on my nights watching one of those true crime shows, and I have learned to read while there are guns shooting and pretend Native Americans whooping through his old Neanderthal Westerns.
It’s only TV – one of those little things in life that doesn’t really matter.
Besides, if I can’t tune it out, I also have my secret weapon: My iPod!

Today’s poll:

Is having the remote an issue in your house? When was the last time you took it/gave it up?

Post your answers in the comments section.

12 Responses

  1. Julie says:

    I can totally relate to the remote control issue; however, whenever my husband is home, it is just easier to let him have the ‘assumed’ control of what we watch. This being said, I do watch some shows that he does not prefer but he will hang out with me and like your husband, generally, mine falls a sleep. Regardless of what we watch, we enjoy the shared time together.

    • Kerri says:

      And it’s the time together that really counts!
      Thanks for stopping by, Julie. Hope to have you back!

  2. Kathy Winn says:

    I knew when I was dating that I could never be married to a sports nut, someone who would rather watch football on T.V. than take a walk or do something fun. I guess I eliminated a lot of remote issues during the dating process. Our only real areas of contention are David’s addiction to any show with spaceships, and my fondness for artsy/indy films. Fortunately, there are enough shows and movies that we both enjoy so we spend most of our T.V. viewing time together. (Unless another stupid re-run of Star Trek comes on!) Great blog Kerri!

    • Kerri says:

      I thank my lucky stars Dale hates sports as much as I do!

      • Barb Vatza says:

        Our problem is finding the remote.Ed watches football,I don’t,I follow baseball.When that’s done I am done with sports.Mike likes the Flyers hockey but he has a TV in his room.

        • kerri says:

          The good news in our house is that there’s only so many places the remote could be hiding. Yet, we’ve managed to lose it more than once! I think the remote must go to the same place socks hide!

  3. Bethany says:

    Nope, we don’t fight over the remote. If anything, we sometimes fight over who has to have it, both of us wanting to veg out together, but neither one wanting to choose among the ridiculous options that night. A with other commenters, it’s nice just to be together, falling asleep to the same thing:-)

    • Kerri says:

      Oh, yes, I can relate to that too, Bethany. We do say, “Here, I can’t find anything!” Ridiculous options is right!
      Thanks for visiting. Come back again.

  4. Denise says:

    Kerri,
    We live in an 1800-square-foot house, but we only have one TV, thus only one remote. We don’t fight over it. In the pre-dinner hour(s), the TV pretty much belongs to the kids. After they go to bed, we watch some TV together — and if he doesn’t like what I prefer to watch (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance), he reads or noodles on his laptop next to me on the couch. (Rarely, it works the other way — he has on some History Channel program about the Nazis while I veg with a magazine on the couch). Works, so far. Until the kids get older…

    • kerri says:

      When your kids get older, Denise, they’ll probably each want a TV in their own rooms! 🙂
      Thanks for coming by, hope to see you back again!

  5. Pam Spruk says:

    Kerri I totally understand what your saying. Having just moved to the mountains in VA. with my sweetie. I do however have the luxury of another TV but find myself watching the CSI and other crime shows with him. It’s kind of nice at the end of the day to just relax and spend time together. Guess maybe it could also be a part of growing up and enjoying middle age! But I’d like to think I finally found someone I just genuinely want to spend time with. Great articles keep them coming I’m really enjoying them!