Control of the Remote...

I learned something soon after my wife Holly and I moved in together. This was a very important lesson that I'd like to share with all you guys out there, married or not... It's about control of the remote. You see, there's an unwritten and unspoken vow you take when you get married. It's a clause that I have yet to see in writing, but am completely aware of, and the consequences that can incurr if not followed.

The ownership of the remote transfers to the wife immediately upon uttering those two little words 'I Do.' There's little to no negotiations about this and please don't try to gain the ownership back. Just step away from the remote and live with the fact that you will no longer have access to it when she walks into the room.

Luckily I can stomach pretty much all of the shows that Holly has on. I enjoy American Idol... There I admitted it... I'm not that crazy about the Apprentice anymore. The Donald's hair is just too annoying to me... America's Next to Model. As a guy, I shouldn't mind being subjected to these shows, but, I almost ashamed to say it, I'd rather see some good explosions and action sequences than pretty girls being catty with one another... So unfortunately the shows that I really like to watch are missed. However, once again my savior in this respect, the Internet comes to the rescue.

I don't have Tivo, and my VCR's leave quite a bit to be desired. So instead of being high tech and getting a Tivo that I have to pay a monthly subscription for, I download each episode of the shows that I really like to watch from the Internet and what them when I have time. I get them without commercials, and in High Definition quality.

Some of my favorites shows are CSI Miami, NCIS and 24. These are not on Holly's list of favorite shows. The best part about being able to download each episode is that I can watch several episodes back to back without missing anything. With 24 it's the best. I hate having a cliffhanger ending and waiting a week for the next installment. This may seem a little weird, but I've been waiting a couple months to start watching the episodes. I've download half of the season and start watching them a couple at a time. It works for me and I can watch them whenever I want. Well, almost...

These shows aren't suitable for children. So I have to wait until the kids are in bed. For the most part, it's best if I wait until Holly goes to bed as well. Since we both work, we don't get a whole lot of time to spend alone without kids fighting around us. So late-night-viewing is the best option. Well, I also watch them during my lunch at work. I bring my lunch in and each episode, sans commercials, lasts about 44 minutes.

We all make out concessions when we get married. I don't mind having to fit in my shows when I can. Thanks to the Internet, I don't have to miss my shows.

If your are curious about how I do it, Write in a comment to tell me you are interested and I'll post my favorite sites as well. To the best of my knowledge, downloading current television shows is NOT illegal. Older shows available on DVD are probably another story...