What is it with men and their sound systems anyway? Is it some sort of primal urge to have more shrieks and more reverberations than the next caveman? And if they can send a man to the moon, why haven't they sent mine yet? Can anyone show me a woman who would go through all this to listen to music, watch a film or just a TV program?
It has been a week since I 'suggested' that perhaps Dave could condense the wires and make the living room TV set up neater.
I don't see that much has changed. Ok, well, the dust has been redistributed and replaced with sawdust, bits of cable ties, electrical tape and styrofoam bits.
In the process of fixing all this it was decided that our current stereo receiver was on its last legs and had only two volumes, tolerable and rock concert. A few speakers (we have 8 just downstairs...more upstairs, all connected by cables and speaker wire) would cut out at times and this was the fault of the receiver, so I suggested he replace it. ( Was I wrong?)
Off he went to Chattanooga to Best Buy, after having scoped out the reviews on available units. He came home with a deal (a necessary attribute) and for two days set about hooking up all the stuff; TV, DVD, Cable box, internet router and the myriad speakers. This required drilling more holes in the back of the TV stand. Two more trips to town for more speaker wire and then the new receiver began blowing electrical circuits.
After this he still couldn't hear the TV through the receiver and decided it was all no good. Back to Chattanooga to return and replace. Meanwhile the pets and I walked through a mess of drills, tools, plastic debris and wires everywhere. Chum eats everything, so there was that too.
He came home with a new receiver and hooked it up in only a few hours, while I kept a good distance away, stifling my inner clutter-organizer. I would love to tell you that there is a happy ending to all this and we have found a miracle solution.
No. At least not yet. In the meantime, with the newer receiver hooked up (still no TV sound) he decided that the weight of the TV was too much for the stand and we really should replace it with something more sturdy. I had to agree, as the little stand from IKEA was never meant to hold a huge 42" flat screen like this. We perused the IKEA catalog but the thought of going there, three hours there and three more back, with impending snow storms forecasted, just didn't cut it. Imagining getting there and finding our faved choice was not in stock...fatal.
So then we looked online at Target and then of all places Wal-mart which had the same stuff as Target. Interesting. The thing about Walmart is that it is close, and one can return things in minutes if they don't work, don't fit or just are icky. So in a flurry of let's get this thing ordered, we picked this TV stand.
We went for a 60" wide base which will hide two wall outlets and as many cables as he can connect. I love how it says it has a cable management system in the back panel for easy connectionss and proper ventilation. What that means is that it has a big honkin' hole for each shelf. And there are more slots on the bottom for MORE cables and ventilation. The designer of this thing must know my husband.
One of the reviewers wrote that it was no-tool easily assembled (pray God) and that the tinted glass hid the components so well that they were invisible unless they were on and lighted.
Now we wait. Estimated delivery is 5-10 working days, when we will pick it up at our local Wal-mart.
This looks to be the month of walking through wires.
One of the reviewers wrote that it was no-tool easily assembled (pray God) and that the tinted glass hid the components so well that they were invisible unless they were on and lighted.
Now we wait. Estimated delivery is 5-10 working days, when we will pick it up at our local Wal-mart.
This looks to be the month of walking through wires.
Oh, yea. Been there and still doing that. TV in the basement, one in the living room, a small one in my sewing room, and one in the bedroom. I take care ofthe one in my sewing room, so it's stayed small and uncomplicated. One in the bedroom, has the first nintendo system still on it. It's the other two that keep growing. My hubby is MAKING the entertainment center for the upstairs living room.... and it is taking time to construct. The basement will get a bigger tv soon and then that tv will take over the bedroom.... worse than musical chairs. But it keeps him out of my sewing room.... later this year he wants to remodel the bathrooms. Ugh. I'll take wiring anyday.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I see wrong with this is it says it can hold a 65" TV.... hope you won't need to upsize your 42" TV to justify the new TV stand. (Can you tell I live with men too? LOL)
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at the "man to the moon" comment. I'm sure sosarahsew is correct....a much bigger TV is in your future!
ReplyDelete...and in case you haven't seen it, your quilt is the first shown on the slideshow on Del's blog!!
ReplyDeleteI remained unconvinced on a daily basis that these creatures we refer to as 'men' are actually in our same species.
ReplyDeleteI hate all the wires that we have today. My husband is in the midst of cleaning up my computer station so there aren't so many. I just bought a printer that is wireless which helped. The next thing he's going to do is move the modem out of my room. Our living room TV is a 27 inch flat screen that is hidden in an old cabinet but the rec room one still has a wire coming down from the ceiling and also lots of tangles(dust collectors) on the floor which also drives me nuts. And my husband is an electrician! all that mess just doesn't bother them.
ReplyDeleteOMG
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. There is always some excuse to replace or improve something and there are more wires, always more wires.
ReplyDeleteOur place looked like that and I asked and asked my husband to do something - maybe not hide the wires but make them tidy and out of the way. Waiting, waiting, no patience left and this wife grabbed a handful and gave a good yank.
There was much yelling and gnashing of teeth but they are now bundled nicely and run along the baseboard. Oh, and every time he gets a TV it's about four inches bigger than the last one. We have 150 channels and nothing to watch.
Every time I go in there and see that big honkin' TV and all those freakin' wires I understand why Elvis shot his TV.
Well, aat least your husband can fix and do things! Mine is totally inept and if he tries to fix or repair something I have to grit my teeth and leave the room. The way he handles tools is very scary and the bull in the china shop syndrome takes over. So I wait until the damage is done, and call the repair man or fix it myself when he is not looking.
ReplyDeleteI keep telling him, honey, its no reflection on your manhood if your wife has the "tool" gene.
Melody, I burst out laughing with the moon comment. Crazy isn't it?
ReplyDeleteRhonda M.
We don't have a television ... problem solved! AND I too have a husband who is useless with wires/repairs/technology generally unless it's something to do with a tractor!
ReplyDeleteCorinne
Melody, I was looking at The Selvage Blog today too and funny thing is that she had a photo of a guy who made a felt cover to "hide" the TV. It only hides the screen though and not all that wire mess. But check it out: http://selvageblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/hiding-tv-in-plain-sight.html Maybe you can make one of your gorgeous quilts and make it into a cover to hide your TV screen too? As for those awful cords, you could take strips of your leftovers fabrics and wrap them around those ugly cords? Could end up looking like a modern sculpture? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteMelody, while trying to repair a broken shelf in our frig....my dear husband superglued the freezer door shut. Just one of his "fixit guy" exploits!
ReplyDeleteOh lord, the sound system thing. It must be connected to the Y chromosome. I feel your pain. Perhaps earplugs would be a useful accessory?
ReplyDeleteYesss! That looks just like our "entertainment" center. I can't stand it, and my blood pressure goes up every time I look at it. I'm so glad I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteSurely you'll need some new artwork above your TV. I had a similar issue in 2009: http://www.adventurequilter.com/Newsletter/2009_6.html (later reworked to: http://www.adventurequilter.com/Quilt_Pages/Pictorial/Horizon_Line.html
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. Have you seen the commercial about 2 guys watching a football game during a storm, when all of a sudden a tree crashes into the living room through the double glass door behind them, then the one guy decides he needs more beer, and turns to go get it, stepping over the tree, not even recognizing that a huge tree just crashed through his living room???
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention all the mutiplying REMOTES. Doesn't happen with my DH, but my SIL has so many remotes in the family room, that when visiting I have to ask the grandchildren to change the channel for me.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! It's very funny! I can't help but wonder if we're married to the same man though?! Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteOh, bless you.
ReplyDeleteI suggest cutting through quite a few wires with the bluntest scissors you can find.
Hide the scissors.
Say NOTHING.
Wait.
When the hysteria starts say "Chumley - how COULD you??? - Dave, don't you think it's time we hid the cables sweetie??"
Kiss kiss.
Hope you are a good fibber?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is really hysterical. We have a NEW TV on an OLD stand surrounded by 30-year old monster speakers (which occasionally short out). If you look behind the TV/DVD/CD/Receiver/Cassette player (yes)/VCR (really)/Old Turntable (not kidding, and it doesn't work) area, you will see a mass of wires so entangled that the place would burn down before we could get to the offending wire. It's amazing that we haven't shorted out the electrical system for the entire house. Good luck and thanks for the laughs! We're all in the same boat, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteSo, reading all the 22 comments I realize mine is alreafy redundant :-)) You wouldn't want to see a picture of his audition room ;-)) Note that we live in block of flats, in an apartment, large enough, but small for all the wires and wire-lesses anyways :-))
ReplyDeleteMy wife pointed me to this blog to prove some point or other and I can only say that your husband is absolutely 100% correct in everything with wires. And I am not the least bit biased.
ReplyDeleteBTW - Wait until you realize that none of your remotes can penetrate the class doors on the cabinets and so the doors must remain forever open. Just Say'n
Oh, ya...I understand your dilemma! My DH has been "hinting" for surround sound for his man cave downstairs, but I've been nixing the idea because, first of all...he's hard of hearing (do I need to say more???) and I don't want the house rockin' or the neighbors calling the police because he's disturbing the peace :)
ReplyDeleteI use to be a WalMart shopper like everyone else but I think that family is rich enough so I've been spending my money at other stores. Another thing I don't like about ordering anything from WalMart is they take such a LONG time for delivery. For example, my old TV that I watched upstairs was 8 years old and the picture was barely existent so I started shopping online for a new one. I knew what I wanted so it was a matter of finding that particular one at the price I was able to pay. I checked WalMart first because their TV's are cheaper than the store prices. Then I checked Amazon and their price for the exact same TV was $40 cheaper with no shipping and they had it at my door in 3 days!! I don't care for Target so I didn't even check there. I'm a happy camper that I didn't have to buy it at WalMart and I got it way sooner from Amazon.
OMG, I have a life time supply of the color coded velcro fasteners. They are perfect for wire control and I'm afraid they will be discontinued. Seems every time you find something that really works they discontinue it and replace it with something that doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteMelody, this post is a classic! We've all seen this designer set-up. My husband is no longer able to do the fixit projects, and we've sent all the power tools to our son. Meanwhile, he's death on tearing into any envelope, box, package, that he gets near. For example, we have a huge supply of Kleenex, paper towels, and toilet paper--all open. He frequently reorganizes the kitchen drawers, "so we can find things." I remind him that I KNEW where things were!
ReplyDeleteMelody....I feel your pain.....men are weird creatures and can't seem to hear anything unless the volume is on blast. Regrettably, we females will be deaf as well after enduring such close proximity to it all. I invested in headphones for myself.......ah...blessed silence.....LOL
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think you are very lucky that your man is tackling that unsightly wiring mess. On the few occasions that I have mentioned to my man that I hate the spaghetti wiring he has always replied that it is impossible to do anything to improve it. End of story! This is from the man who can mend, fix, organise and invent just about anything. So, I took him at his word. Hmmm... I now think he and I need to have words!
ReplyDeleteMy husband wouldn't give up having the "ultimate" sound system until well after he began wearing hearing aids. For the remote(s) problem, you need a Logitech Harmony master remote. They are pricey, but worth it. You really only need one remote. We have 3 of them so I didn't have to remember remote configurations for each of 3 tvs.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing good for our marriage was remote headphones for my husband. He can turn volume up as high as he wants and I can still read.
Oh that is so funny because we are now contemplating redoing the flooring in the living room (good bye icky carpet), and we will be rearranging furniture - with our big black room divider shelf becoming the new tv stand! (Good bye icky corner unit - oops that you so graciously gave us...) We will match! Even our red couches are the same!
ReplyDelete