MLB

Almost three years ago, we gave up cable and our land line.  Partly to help our budget, partly because we weren't impressed with the shows available for our ever more observant children.

We got Netflix for a Christmas present, we bought Hulu, and Brian had subscribed to Amazon Prime for the free shipping.  (If anyone can tell me which two would be your preference, I'd be obliged.  I feel like there's a lot of repetition between them.)  I figured out how to watch some of my shows on the channel's websites, and we were set.

Except for sports.

My husband is not sports-oriented.  In my youth, however, I spent weekends snoozing in a beanbag with my dad while watching various sports on TV.  It is a cherished memory.  (I now can not watch a ball game, televised or live, without getting drowsy.  Unfortunate side effect, I know.)

I am a firm believer in the benefits of organized sports.  And that's a whole other post.  But watching or playing, I'm in.

So during the last few years I have sacrificed.

Really.

I have paced at home during the Superbowl.

I have sat down during a waitressing job to watch the Olympics.

I have monkeyed with my phone when I realized it had NFL Live on it.  And beat my head on my desk when I couldn't figure it out in time.

I have wondered, out loud, to my husband, if there was something he could do about it.

So eventually, he bought an antennae.  It didn't work.  And then we kind of forgot about it.

And then he splurged and bought a digital antennae.  And it did work.  And then we kind of forgot about it.

Until today.

Today, amazingly, I had nowhere to be, all my chores were done, and I was bored.   And then  I remembered we had 4ish local channels.  And I excitedly asked whether there was a ball game on.
And he said,

"Let's go see."

We found Little League, golf, a western, and on the last channel, a baseball game.  An honest-to-goodness, live baseball game.  It was Boston vs. New York.  Not teams I follow.  But I settled down on the couch for the duration.  And in a few minutes, Brian came in and sat down beside me.  And I was content.

A few minutes after that, my girls stumbled in from the 90 degree heat and sat down.

And my memories had come full circle.  The weekends with a game on TV.  My sister and I half watching while we played.  Or dozed.  A time to quietly bond while learning about the intricacies of opposing teams, game rules, statistics and ethics.

And then I was more than content.  I was overjoyed. And satisfied.  That we could continue a tradition.  Continue to come together and learn.  Learn about sportsmanship and excellence.  To watch TV without sex or violence.  And watch a show that didn't have singing unicorns or pink mermaids in it.

And to think.

Football is just around the corner.