Cableless and Kinda Computerless
Well, this blog has been languishing since our big move. What can I say, moving is tough. We are now mostly unpacked--except for a lot of boxes of books--and this week we actually stocked the kitchen with groceries and started cooking dinners instead of just eating out or ordering in almost every night.

I haven't played any online poker since the move. Doh! A big reason for this is our computer situation. In Providence we had an unusually large apartment, and Mrs. Cheap Thrills and I basically each had our own office and our own computer. It was no problemo for us both play poker all night. But here in Minneapolis we're both working in real offices instead of home offices, so in the move we ditched the old computer. Now when one of us is playing poker, the other isn't. I realize in retrospect that we wouldn't have gotten as into online poker as we are if we hadn't had two computers for the past couple years.

So I am not *really* computerless, but I don't have the access I used to: There's the time that B is using the computer, and then there is the guilt of using the computer while B is twiddling her thumbs with nothing to do.

Speaking of twiddling thumbs, I also have come to appreciate how much the computer has come to replace the TV as the primary source of prime-time entertainment in the Cheap Thrills household. Between blogs, online poker, and general Internet surfing, B and I spend much more time at the computer than in front of the TV. Many's the time in Providence that we discussed getting rid of cable TV, but we never did.

Now we're in MInneapolis, and we haven't ordered cable yet. I'm pretty happy with the situation--we're saving about $40 a month, and our apartment has a decent antenna set up so we're still getting the four major networks and a couple other channels.

But then this week I realized that ESPN's coverage of the WSOP has started, and I am missing it. Doh! Doh! Doh! What to do? Are the WSOP and the WPT worth the almost $500 a year that cable costs? As much as it pains me, I have to answer no.

I am going to really, really miss poker on TV. Back when I started this little blog, the WPT was one of my favorite post topics. It's not like I've ever posted serious strategy dicussions here--my focus has always been on the lighter aspects of the game, including poker in pop culture. Not having cable is gonna really, really hurt that.

We may eventually get cable (or set up a dish). Not having ESPN is gonna hurt come football season, etc. But for now I think it would be better to try life without cable, then set it upf if we want--cause the last 2 years in Providence proved that if we have cable set up, we won't get rid of it even if most nights we'd rather play online poker than watch TV.

But of course, with our current situation, we can't both play poker.

Time to remedy that. We may not have cable, but dammit we're gonna have wireless Internet and a laptop! I plan to put in an order for a Dell this weekend. Poker on the couch, baby!
posted by James at 8:32 PM