I Missed It and Didn't Even Realize It. I have had a "No television" viewing pledge since I have arrived here way back on February 1, 2005.

The only time I have watched the television has been during the weekend movies that the prison shows. I have skipped quite a few of the movies and walked out after the first hour on others. We are not allowed to leave the television room except on the hour.

Saturday's movie was Alexander. It finally started sometime around 12:15 PM. By 1:00 PM I had enough and walked out. I do not enjoy watching the massive epic type movies on the 21" screen. It is nothing but a mass of bodies and fighting and you cannot really see what is happening. Give me the good old big screen for those movies.

For the last four or five weeks I have been watching the FX original series, "Rescue Me." It is based on the workings of a New York City Firehouse in a post 9/11 city. It is an interesting and fast moving show.

Well about two weeks ago I reminded myself that I was not going to watch any television and was getting fed up with sitting through the five minute commercial blocks. But I still plopped myself down in front of the show last week.

Today, as I was taking my shower and thinking about what I was going to do today, I was thinking I would go ahead and watch the show tonight. Then I am thinking that I walked two hours today and that only happens on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Rescue Me is on Tuesday. That would mean I walked two hours two day in a row. That would be so cool.

Upon further reflection I realized that I had only walked one hour yesterday, and that it was Tuesday (yesterday). I was so busy reading through my New York Times that I did not even notice that last night was my one hour of television for the week.

The world did not end, I am still alive today, and truth be told I did not even miss the show until I was taking my shower after my two hours of walking today. Bottom Line: I am back on the wagon. No commercial television.

While we do have one premium commercial channel, HBO, and if there was a movie on there that I liked I would watch it, but for some reason, that occasion has not yet arisen in the six months I have been here.  ¶ 8:45 AM