This year, with my federal tax refund (since my state refund hasn’t come in because my governor is a tool and is holding onto everyone’s refund to fill a budget deficit, but that’s a rant for another day)…okay, let’s try this again.

This year, with my federal tax refund, I was very responsible and I paid off my credit cards entirely. I was mostly out of debt anyway because of the unexpected bonus of student loan deferments since I’m a part-time student now, but it felt excellent to get rid of that last bit. And then I thought “Hmm, I still have some cash left over. I want a new toy.” I hopped on CNet and looked at toys, because we all know Julie likes the tech, and that’s the best place to find out what tech is awesome. About this time, my TV set started getting lines across it when we turned it on, so part one was solved. I would get a new TV set. A new flat panel Hi-Def LCD TV, because they are the wave of the future (the part that I could afford with said refund, at least–no 3D TVs for us). And then, clicking around CNet, I started thinking “Well, my DVD player is from the dawn of time, perhaps I should upgrade that too.” And I decided to get a Blu-Ray player, because they too are the wave of the future.

Rick took me to Best Buy in Pittsfield one weekend, and then he left while I asked the people there five million questions. To be fair, he had not done the CNet research, and he thought it was going to be an in and out shopping trip. But goddammit, I was going to get the best TV and Blu-Ray I could afford. And I did, because at Best Buy, they are amazingly reasonable and sometimes cut you deals when they’ve just sold the last TV in the model you want and you tell them you have a price ceiling. This is a sucktastic picture of our new setup:

New toys

It was taken with my Droid on one of the awful rainy days last weekend when I was supposedly writing papers but was instead rejoicing in the new Hi-Def hookup DirecTV had just given me (which in itself is a story for another day). I had no idea that electronics could all plug into the internet these days. I purposely bought a Blu-Ray player that could do that because I wanted to be able to watch my Netflix instant queue on the TV, but did I know the DirecTV and even the TV would be internet-friendly as well? I did not. Color me happily surprised.

I could go into raptures over this TV since I’ve had some time to become acquainted with it. Channels that aren’t HD are a little annoying, but those that are? I felt like I was in the room with Ugly Betty last night, people. The picture is that good. Just for all that is holy don’t ever watch Kathy Lee Gifford or Trump’s hair in Hi-Def. There should be a warning included in the TV manuals about that. Kathy Lee was the first thing I saw in HD and I literally screamed “GAH!” (Pyotr, the DirecTV guy, thought this was very funny.)

The awesome thing about this is that I am using the opportunity to get rid of a bunch of small electronics. VCR, DVD player, component stereo set, all are getting donated to Goodwill as soon as I can get Rick to drive me over there. I haven’t used most of it in a while, so it was a good chance to declutter. New tech and housecleaning in one, totally win-win.

« »