Having grown up in a TV-loving family, it’s hard for me to work in total silence when I’m at home. Even while Husband and I were on vacation recently I usually had the television on in the background while I was reading or on the computer in our hotel room. During this vacation it was invariably The Weather Channel, something I’ve never even watched before, but because we were in the southwest while our house was being assaulted by Tropical Storm Irene back east, I needed to obsessively monitor the atmospheric conditions from a distance. Husband would walk into the room and moan, “The Weather Channel again? Why can’t you give it a rest? It’s eighty-five degrees and sunny here. Turn off the TV and look out the window already.” He was absolutely right, of course, but it was like my spirit was possessed by Al Roker. I couldn’t help myself. When we left Arizona and checked into our hotel in New Mexico, the first thing I did was grab the TV remote to see if they got The Weather Channel. Husband just shook his head and threw up his hands. In my defense, I did do my best to be fun in other ways and you can go ahead and use your imagination about that.
One nice thing about The Weather Channel is that there are limited commercial interruptions. It’s like they know to cut to the chase, no pun intended here for the storm chasers, those testosterone-addled lunatics too crazy for any wind to blow away. I have to say I didn’t miss the never-ending parade of insipid televised ads for things like Christian Singles dating. All the we’ll-find-you-your-soulmate-online commercials are much more annoying than actually being on the sites, which, if I recall, can be quite entertaining unless you believe every guy who tells you he’s been mistaken for George Clooney. Uh-huh. Maybe Marvin Clooney, the parolee cousin the family won’t talk about. He’s on EVERY dating site.
The difference between the Christian Singles commercials and the others, like JDate, Match dot com, and e-Harmony, is that the TV ads for Christian Singles act like they were written by someone very close to God who’s been appointed spokesperson for The Almighty. Like dating is this religious experience instead of the horror show it is. The TV spots urge single Christian viewers not to wait for God to lead them to their special someone. The voice-over reassures with calm authority that sometimes God is telling you it’s time to do it yourself. And what, I wonder, does this heavenly sign look like? Your last blind date showing up in socks and sandals? The tattooed remnants of an ex-lover’s name? Across the neck? Is all this saying you could do no worse online? Can I hear an amen?
I know many couples who have met on dating websites, and a few even got married. It’s interesting that people are still skittish about saying that’s how they met, as if it makes any difference what road leads you to happiness. I guess if you’re really concerned that others might judge you for meeting your soulmate online you can always say something more traditional, like you met in a karaoke bar and you got so hammered you puked on his shoes and he had to put you in a cab head first. I’m sure Mom would much rather hear that.
Today’s Fotos are from our Southwest Vacation where the weather was great, or so I’m told
eager dance
Gallup war memorial
hot pursuit
donkey lost
take it easy