We have just replaced our old clunker of a TV set with a new one, one of those giant flat-screen things you see when you walk through the front door of any big box store. Our old one was the size and shape of a Volkswagen Beetle and probably used more energy. When it was on, it doubled as a space heater. The new one is laptop-thin, and takes up a fraction of the space, yet has a much bigger screen. It’s as if we’ve gained an extra room; we may have to buy a few over-stuffed chairs to fill up all the emptiness. Of course, we are the last people on our block to get a HDTV, maybe the last people in the country. The way I’m installing it, we will certainly be the last people in the country to see anything on it.

“Is that the HD blank screen we’re looking at or just a regular blank?” Sue asked about the bright blue, picture-free screen. “I can’t tell the difference,” she said as I fiddled with the connections, “It’s looks the same to me.” She’s such a big help, what would I do without her?