Battling Mr. Tivo

We have a Tivo in my house. Most of the time I love the Tivo..even if occasionally I get mixed up and tell Jupiter to put on her TIVO's, and check the TEVA for a new Charlie and Lola episode. It really is convenient, and I don't even remember the last time I taped something on the VCR. Jupiter is now quite profecient at making the show go backwards and forwards and pausing it, and watching it again, and saving it for later. Sometimes she tries to save shows at Mimi's house for later, which doesn't work.

But then come the days the TIVO makes me nuts. Like last Monday. I think it was Monday, might have been Tuesday. Anyway, at work I read my sister Haliene's blog and couldn't see the SNL skit with Hilary and Sarah Palin, but I knew it was on the TIVO. Or I hoped it still was. Sometimes the TIVO erases things it has already taped to tape things like the Weather Channel. I do like the Weather Channel, but I really wanted to see the SNL skit. So I roared down the turnpike at 2pm, dashed to the living room, and rescued the SNL recording from the "this show may be deleted at any moment" exclamation point so I could watch it later. Then I tried to save some other shows, but the TIVO was very protective of it's free space and kept telling me there wasn't enough room to keep a half hour show for two more days. I was forced to delete some Jane and the Dragons, Charlie and Lolas, and the Olympics closing ceremonies, before it would let me keep my other shows. It's very bossy.

At 6pm, I was putting Jupiter to bed, so I left the tv on channel six so after she went to sleep, I could watch the news and find out how cold it was going to be that night. When Jupiter finally went to sleep (she wanted me to lay down with her until she fell asleep, which is nice, even if sometimes I have to wake myself up to go to bed. Long gone are the days when I could lay awake for a half hour and ponder the meaning of life before I fell asleep.) I went back out to watch tv, but I could only rewind the live tv for a half hour, so I got to see the "after weather forecast commercial." So I put on the Weather channel, and went to the kitchen to wash dishes and make the next days lunch while I waited for the local forecast. When I was almost done with the dishes, I looked at the clock and realized it was after 7pm. Quick dash back to the living room. The TIVO has changed the channel to record 2 1/2 Men. Yet again, I have missed the weather. I cancel the recording of 2 1/2 Men, and put it back on the Weather Channel. Then I run around the house looking for the floor, putting away laundry, and finishing lunch. Back to the living room. Jeopardy. I admit defeat to the TIVO and watch Jeopardy to the end, then turn back to the Weather Channel, which I watch without leaving the room. TIVO wins.