A NEW TV

Hurry hurry! Rush, rush! Not that way. Put it over here. Turn is more to the right. Here let me do it. That’s not right. Here, I’ll show you.

It was just a typical day working with Maria on a project. Someone placed a free TV on the table by the mailboxes. It looks to be a 25” GE – almost a flat screen except the big old tube pushes out the back. I guess that’s not technically a flat screen except that the screen is flat. What do you call a flat screen TV with a tube?

Anyway, she recruited Gail to help her bring it up. She planned to carry it, but Gail suggested they use the cart. Good idea, but it seemed to delay progress. The old one was removed in the upstairs lounge to make way for the newer one. It was set on the previous TV stand and the directions began. Instead of doing it herself, she directed Gail to place it properly. Gail does not have the skills to set it just right, I guess. At least the directions kept coming. Others joined the action and some took over to receive more directions. It was finally placed to her satisfaction and then they needed to plug it in and attach the cable. To do that the TV had to be moved. Gail only mentioned that three times.

When replacements arrived, Gail backed out of the working circle. She was done. When everything was returned to the proper place, Dave turned it on and tried to set it up. The real problems began here. He was not able to get it receive channels. It would not leave the set up screens. If you think there were a lot of directions just to place the TV, you should have heard these directions. It was exhausting and annoying — to everyone but Maria. Several tried to get it set up with no success and no peace and quiet to think. Finally it was “Do it yourself.” I can’t believe it lasted as long as it did.

She tried and tried and tried refusing to give up — but she did. It failed, her helpers failed, she failed. Now what to do? I was getting my laundry going and staying completely out of the way. I mentioned to Gail I could look the info up on the net and maybe figure out how to fix it.

In the meantime back at the ranch, the one who gave up that TV because she got a newer one, came out of her cabin to see what was going on. The horrible, terrible, unsolvable situation was explained. The previous owner chuckled turned the TV on and with a few simple clicks had the TV up and running. Nice picture, easy channel change even with no the remote.

Maria called for a Super Bowl party now that we had a good TV upstairs, but no one came.