When Davey and I were engaged, we made the socially offbeat decision to start our married life without cable. Someone recently said to me, “I have never heard of such a thing,” and I am guessing you may be thinking the same thing. Let me tell you about the advantages and disadvantages:

Disadvantage Scenario Number One: We arrive to work and our coworkers and clients ask us through yawns, “Wow, did you see the World Series game last night?” We refrain from saying the first thing that comes to mind which is, “Oh, was that last night?” and have to make something up like, “Yes, I couldn’t believe that one play.”

Disadvantage Scenario Number Two: We arrive to work to find out that tornadoes, hurricanes, and monsoons will all be sweeping through Indiana according to the show-stopping weather reports. Darn, we should have closed our windows at the apartment.

Disadvantage Scenario Number Three: It seemed as if this year, more than any other, 110% of people who went downtown for Halloween were dressed up like some television character. After asking 5 people, “What are you dressed up as?” I learned to say, “Love the costume! You look just like him!”

Advantage Number One: We have been reading. A LOT. We even got a library card. I had avoided the library ever since I was in elementary school. Unknowingly, my repressed memories of my elementary school librarian’s thick eyebrows, muted mustache (she’s a woman), and scratchy voice telling me, “Once again, Kaylee, you are late in returning your books. Are you a slow reader? We have a special class for you” was keeping me away. Now that I have faced my fears, I love the library.

Here is Davey studying away:

Advantage Number Two: We have invested our time in cooking and sharing meals together. Davey has made turkey chili, tortilla pizzas, and something called “Davey’s Special” (I still can’t figure out what that was). I have made chicken tetrazzini, butternut squash soup, and chicken cacciatore. We cherish our meal times together; it’s my favorite time of day.

Advantage Number Three: A number of times, we have simply sat on our couch with a cup of chai tea telling stories about our days and coming up with new adventures. I truly believe we would have lost these precious conversations in new episodes of the New Girl or that one play of the World Series.

I am so thankful for our decision to live unplugged as we start our life together.