People are similarly surprised when I mention how much time I spend in front of the box as well, but often agree when I distinguish it from "watching TV." "Watching TV" apparently implies commercial television, reruns, and sitcoms. I watch PBS, Discovery, History sometimes (when they get away from their obsession with WWII), AMC, TCM, Jeopardy and West Wing. And video/DVDs.

But I can keep my nose in the air because not only have Bob and I decided not to get cable for this house (cable people act very strangely when you want to disconnect their service, as if not having cable were as uncivilized as not having hot water) (which, come to think of it, we've also done without, albeit involuntarily), we haven't even set up the TV yet. We will have to someday, when our friends get tired of taping West Wing for us.