TV or not TV

 

Maybe I told this story so excuse me if you've "seen" it before.

My TV died roughly a month ago (Get it? "Seen?"). I was in bed watching a documentary when I heard a pop and the TV went dark. In my subsequent research, it appeared to be something in the family of a fuse although I heard it might involve more than that.

As my friend Marc Ducret said, "If you're not comfortable with a soldering gun..."

Nope. I'm out. Plus it didn't seem economically feasible.

So, then, just go without one? I had one in the living room and I feel greedy even talking about this.

I was prepared to just do without but my niece Stephanie got me to at least think about it.

"I bet you can find something reasonable!" she said.

And so I began my obsessive research.

"Don't ignore Wal Mart," Stephanie said. "You might be surprised."

To that end, I found myself in a Target the weekend that Eric died to zone out for a few minutes. Then I hurried over to a nearby Best Buy. Just research. A break as I drove home. I was checked out.

The research intensified. What was I willing to pay? How big of a TV did I want? Could I move the living room set to my bedroom?

Again, I'll acknowledge that this is an embarrassing first-world problem, all things considered. It does, however, make for a decent blog post when it's after 10 p.m. on a Saturday night as I try to watch the Final Four.

The questions continued in my mind. What brand? Who did I trust?

I'd enjoy visits to Best Buy locations in Cortlandt and Danbury and Norwalk. I'll stroll the Targets of Bethel and Mount Kisco.

I shopped online at Costco and PC Richard and Amazon as well as the aforementioned Target, Best Buy, and Wal Mart.

I had some spare time yesterday. Still, nothing clicked. Best Buy had a Westinghouse at a reasonable price. Stephanie had been firm about what she believed I should look for (a Roku 4K smart TV being among the features). I didn't read great things about Westinghouse TVs and, really, when I think of that brand, I think of radio and KDKA and 1920.

I'm a geek.

Easter, of course, is this weekend. While Easter is not necessarily my bag usually, it wasn't really fun to realize that I'd be utterly and completely alone since Sean left Friday night. Of course, Rascal is here and he produces stimulating conversation.

Anyway, the point is if I was going to buy a TV, it would be nice to have it in time for tomorrow so that I could just chill out.

Beyond that, some stores (Target being one) are closed tomorrow. 

So, OK. I'll go to Wal Mart in Fishkill. That tends to be a good location.

I stood. I looked. I obsessed. Something wasn't right. I didn't like the prices. 

I looked on the Wal Mart app. They had a feature-rich TV at a good price in Newburgh.

I got back in the car and shot across the Hudson River, longingly glancing towards Dutchess Stadium as I drove by.

Otherwise, Newburgh was a failure. For the first time, a salesperson approached me, in Wal Mart.

"The app says you have three," I said.

"Yeah. I tend to get rid of them fast," he countered. "There might be more on the truck that might get put out tomorrow."

Here's where I'm completely to blame. Up to this point, I'd already driven unnecessary miles on a quest due to my own hangups. As we finished talking, the salesman mentioned a larger-sized TV. Stubbornly, I declined because it wasn't what I had set in my mind.

In truth, the TV he showed me was only a few dollars more and probably a better value. I beat myself up as I left.

Then I went to Target in Newburgh.

Then I went to BJ's in Newburgh. Their prices were worse than Wal Mart on similar TVs.

I should tell you that I went to the Fishkill Wal Mart for a variety of reasons, including how much I don't like the parking lot of the location nearest to me, in Cortlandt.

And yet, as I left Newburgh, I steered the car onto US 9W south. Next stop, Cortlandt, via the Bear Mountain Bridge.

I walked in. I went to electronics. I surveyed the situation. I'm not good at being spontaneous with these decisions. I argue with myself over money and guilt. There's nobody standing with me to tell me to stop being ridiculous.

At this point in the day, I was exhausted and hungry. I convinced myself it was only money and I could return it if it was bad.

And so, after all this silliness (again, my own fault) I bought the very TV that the salesperson in Newburgh recommended.

I hauled it out without a cart and stuffed it into my car.

It's a nice TCL Roku. The price, all things considered, was reasonable. It's working quite nicely. The picture is nice. The sound is nice. I'll work to make up for the purchase.

I picked up a unique youth baseball broadcast coming up in a few weeks. That will help.

I have to be good to myself once in a while.

Though, as I said, it does give me a story to tell you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to watch the end of the Gonzaga/UCLA game.

On my new TV.