Reception

Speaking of television, there are a few things you should know about where we live.

(1) Welcome to our town! Your cell phone isn't broken. It doesn't work because there aren't any towers. If you're really lucky, you might get a signal for a few seconds if you stand out on the back steps.

(2) We can't get any stations on our regular TV. But about six months ago, the s.o. acquired a little portable black-and-white truck driver's television with a giant antenna on it, and it picks up Georgia Public Television and Fox. On a good night, it gets NBC too, but it's usually too staticky to watch.

(3) Because the truck driver's TV is portable and the reception is a lot better outdoors, we sit out on the screen porch to watch it on pleasant evenings. We usually eat out there, too. We keep the Christmas lights on for ambience. It's really nice--so much so that lately I feel a little claustrophobic if I watch TV indoors.

(4) We could get cable or satellite, but we keep talking ourselves out of it because it's so expensive. We're probably the only people in town who haven't anted up.

(5) Our internet connection connects at a screaming 26.6 baud. Stop laughing!