Here in Marco Island we have had a sad, old TV. Last year, we got a TiVo for it and then had to get an RF modulator because there weren’t inputs for such a modern device. But although the TiVo helped and we could enjoy the Australian Open without commercials and without having to get up at 3:30 AM, the picture quality was poor.
I guess we’ve been spoiled since we got our new plasma TV at home. The HD picture is so wonderful. This year I was authorized by my sister to get a new TV for the house. So we went up to Naples (shudder) and fought through all the other old people and got a LCD HD ready TV. The Comcast guy was scheduled for Tuesday and then we would have a great picture and recording capablity for the rest of the Open.
But things don’t always work out the way you hope. The guy showed but the DVR-HD box told us we were not authorized to record or to see many of the HD stations including ESPN2 which was broadcasting the Open. Oh no, here we had a shiny new set in the living room and we were once again huddled in the tiny room off the kitchen watching a one inch Roger Federer do his magic with a ball that you could hardly see.
We spent hours on the phone with Comcast. We got various responses from there’s nothing we can do, to your box is broken and we won’t have any for the next couple of weeks, to just unplug it and we’ll reboot and everything will be OK.  Except it wasn’t. Everyone tried to help, and everyone was polite but nothing happened.
Then, magically last night around midnight, the clock on the DVR box started to tell time. With hope in our hearts we turned on the TV, and, voila, it all worked. And there on the screen was a clear, sharp, bigger Roger Federer beating yet another opponent. And, what is it that he’s hitting? Yes, a ball! And we can see it! Hurrah!
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