I've started to wonder, I mean seriously wonder, recently just how much crap I could accomplish in a day if I didn't watch tv.  Allow me to explain...
We had our awards ceremony recently at school.  This one kid cleaned up.  Seriously, mopped it, waxed it and buffed it afterwards.  So much so that I told him that he'd better keep his head together because with his mind he could easily turn into the anti-christ or something and take over the world.  You know, as I'm writing this I'm thinking that it probably wasn't the most eloquent or straightforward way I could have chosen to congratulate a 15 year old kid... I'll fix that in September.
Anyway, I did get talking to him about his life at home because I figure that there might be something that I could learn for my own Kid #1 and #2 so that they could also become the anti-christ and the 3 of them could like co-rule or something.  So, one thing that really stuck out in my conversation with him was the fact that his family has no tv.   They've never had a tv.  No cable.  No PS3.  No Wii.  No PSP.  They do have a computer.
Did it mess you up?  I ask.
He says: At first, when I was a little kid, I felt like the poor kid (they're so not) because it was like a status symbol - to have a tv.  Then I got into High School and kinda stopped caring.  Now I'm glad.  I feel like I'm better because of it.  (I'm paraphrasing)
Whoa... hold up.  What?!  The conversation kinda stopped there (probably because that's when I blurted out the whole anti-christ thing so that's as far as I got with it).  So I've spent that last few days wondering just what the hell I could accomplish without tv.
Let me be honest with you and tell you that I'm not an addict.  I watch between 4 and 5 hours a week (sometimes less).  Still, generally it's crap.  And... it's 4 or 5 hours right.  My roomie in university didn't have a tv.  So, when I lived with her 'we' didn't have a tv.  I stopped caring after a while too.
So, what would I do with that 4 - 5 extra hours?  Here are some thoughts:
Read 1 1/2 hrs
Talk 1 hr (but not on the phone - dang), maybe to myself definitely to my family and even to friends
Clean 1/2 hr
Write 1 hr (or cook and write - whatever)
and any additional time... lie on the couch and listen to trippy music like a hippie.
I know that world domination isn't on the list but I still think that I should try it.  It could be kinda like my summer experiment.  Since nothing is on tv in the summer anyway it's like I've lost nothing.
So, I'm not saying that you should do this too.  I'm not even trying to suggest that it's a good thing.  I don't know yet.  I'm saying that I'm fascinated by the idea and I think I might be willing to give it a whirl... do Blue ray movies or Netflix count???????


Potato, Yam and Pea Curry
serves 4 - 6

3 1/2 cups Potato in large chunks
1 1/2 cups Yam in large chunks
2 medium carrots in large chunks
2 ribs of celery diced
1 smallish onion diced
2 cups peas
3 cloves garlic crushed or 1/2 cup garlic scapes, diced
3 tbsp curry powder (I used West Indian)
1 tsp salt
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar

parboil the potato, yam and carrot for about 3 minutes.
Add in the shelled peas (omit this step if the peas are frozen and just throw the peas in later)
and parboil for another 3 - 4 minutes.
Drain the potato stuff and set aside.
Heat a large (I used caste iron) skillet over medium heat.
Add in some oil (use your discretion) and throw in the onion, celery and garlic.  Swish that stuff around for about 5 minutes, letting get limp and transparent (the onion that is).


Add in the parboiled veggies.  Continue cooking over medium heat.  Stirring every few minutes so that the bottoms don't burn (it's nice when they do just a little though) and keeping them coated with oil.
Combine the curry powder, salt and sugar together in a bowl.
Once the veggies have started to brown up a bit (after about 7 -8 minutes) sprinkle on half of the curry powder mixture.  Stir it in.
Check the tastes and sprinkle more curry powder until you like what you taste.
Serve.