The other evening, Chris and I were watching one of the few television shows that we both really enjoy. Chris got up during a commercial break and left the room, and just as he got up, the TV screen turned black.
No sound, no picture, nothing. The television was on, but the cable wasn’t.
I pulled the remote out of the couch cushion where Chris had been sitting, and mess with it for a while trying to get the TV to work. No luck.
“Chris,” I say mournfully when he returns, “the cable’s not working.”
He checks to make sure the cables are all hooked up properly in the back of the TV, he makes sure the box is on, and finally we decide it’s time to call the cable company.
Cable Guy: Hello, and thank you for calling Dish Network. How can I provide you with excellent service today?
Chris: Yes, our TV just suddenly lost reception.
Guy: Can you describe what you see on the screen sir?
Chris: It’s just black.
Guy: It’s just a black screen?
Chris: Yep.
Guy: Is the TV on Channel 4?
Chris: It should be.
Guy: Can you check for me, sir?
Turns out, the TV was not on Channel 4.
Chris: Now it is. Chris starts laughing. I start making indignant noises. Even the cable guy is having a good time. (The channels must have switched when Chris got up out of the chair. It’s not my fault his butt changed the channel!)
Chris explains to the guy: I left the room and I come back and my wife is sitting there, with the remote, and she says, “I don’t know what happened, the screen just went blank.”
Chris: That’s probably the easiest call you had all night, huh?
Guy: You just made my night, sir.
