A New Age For Coaxial

I insisted I would be the one to set up my parents' TV.  Dad is old and cranky and knows little about today's technology.  I knew he would have Mom running for the hills if I let him set up that thing.  Dad works nights, which is good because I was able to set it all up without him over my shoulder.  I told Mom if he were home while I did this, she would have to keep him away from me.  If he hovered, I would leave.

I love my dad, don't get me wrong, but he can really drive me nuts sometimes.

On his way to work, Dad picked up the TV from the store, and we shoved it into my Mazda 3 with the back seats laid down.  I made the thirty minuet drive to my parents' home sweating the whole way.  I was really scared stupid someone would wreck me while I carried my parents' new $800 television across the highway.

This TV really is a nightmare because it has only one coaxial connection.  I'll spare you the details but I had made two trips out there, one to a local TruValue store (that was unnessary, the clerk lied over the phone), back to my parents house....

It was a little miserable.  When the local channels went digital, Dad put the new antenna in the attic, EVEN THOUGH they have a thrity foot tall antenna pole in the back yard.  Because they could reach local channel Fox, he set up rabbit ears.  I had to hook up the satellite box, DVD player, VCR, outside antenna, rabit ears....all with only one coaxial connection to the back of the TV.

Don't ask me how I did it.  I got it on the second trip after I'd brought some things from home, from my stash of cables, cords, and whatnot.  I'll tell ya this much, I probably couldn't do it again.  But they get Fox and Dad can watch NASCAR so everyone's happy.

Mom.  My dear mother offeed to pay me for all of this.  "Don't be ridiculous!"  I laughed.  She just went on about how Dad would be cursing after spending hours on it and how she appreciated it.  "I'm doing what grown kids do for their parents!  You don't have to pay me!"  I never gave them grandchildren; it's the least I could do.

Dad didn't help though.  He had unconnected everything and really, to be fair, he was trying to help.  He labeled all the video cords and coaxial cables for where they coming from and where they were going.  One coaxial cable was labeled "AA" and I assumed this stood for Analog Antenna.  No.  No, no.  HA HA!  the piece of tape labeled AA was for the satelite dish!  Ah, that's my dad.  Of course, it's always been easier for me to strip everything and start from scratch.  Though it is helpful to know what the cables coming from the floor and the ceiling are atatched to.  AA.....HAR HAR!!!!!!

And some point, on my first visit, Mom is saying to me, "You don't have to do this, I am sure Dad can figure it out."
"No he can't," I said flatly.  "There's too many things to hook up, and not enough places to put them.  He'd be throwing a fit.  I don't mean to sound ugly, but I don't think Dad would get this."

What helps me is that I've done it about a hundred times between moves, moving furniture, and accepting secondhand furniture.  I've hooked up so many gadgets through a VCR, a member of the Geek Squad would be proud to see an original Nintendo, Xbox, cable TV, and Super Nintendo all going at once.  (you only need to change what is plugged into the strip, of course)

So far, the TVs have treated us well.  The only complaint I have is the lack of coaxial connections on the rear of the TV.  And the fact that I cannot record using that TV because there's no where to connect both the VCR (or even a DVD recorder) and satellite on the same line.  A DVR would work, but seriously, we need speakers first.


Gonna be a while on those speakers.  Shawn has decided to build a trike in the garage.  His welder went out today so he's off to the store to buy a new one.  He says he could probably sell this trike for around 3 grand or so once the NOS is connected.  Sigh.  Why do boys always have to make their motorcycles go the speed of light?  Excuse me.  It's a trike.  Not a bike.