A moment of silence, please

Today, dear friends, we mourn the loss of an important part of the Pancost family. After 13 years, our Mitsubishi tv has finally died.

We first met our dear Mitsu in Texas. Brian had talked me into shopping for a new tv. This shopping trip sequence would be an important lesson that has impacted our marriage together. First, I realized that we had very different ideas of the necessity of electronics in our lives together. Secondly, I learned some very important tips about shopping with Brian. (I'm not going to share these tips here, because I can't let him know what it is that I learned. The rules might change!) Let's just say this shopping trip was an extremely important step in the development of our relationship.

After many visits to the store, and Brian finally convincing me that yes, we really did need a 50 inch tv, our dear Mitsu was delivered to our house. I have to admit that after lots of protests in the store about how it was way too big, my first thought was "Wow, that's not nearly as large as I thought it was. How disappointing."

Since then, our Mitsu has travelled with us, from Houston, to Garfield Heights, to Amherst, and finally here to our permanent house. It has definitely been a commitment, as moving a 50 inch projection tv isn't exactly easy. We have also been judged by it, as at least one friend has visited us, looked at the tv, and stated "wow, that's big. I'm not really a tv person, myself."

So yes, our Mitsu has helped define us. We ARE tv people. We are movie people. We have spent many hours as a couple, and a family, cuddled in front of the tv. Kuky, our first pug, learned early on that if she needed to go outside, she should park herself directly in front of the tv so that we would see her. Judge us if you must, but tv is a part of our lives. It has taught us compromise, as we do have different tastes in entertainment. It has also taught us to broaden our horizons, as I learned that maybe action movies aren't so bad, and Brian learned that sitcoms aren't too awful. Tanis also truly loved seeing a life sized Elmo on the screen while watching Sesame Street, and family time playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii is priceless.

We were told when we bought it that the Mitsu would last 7, maybe 8 years if we were careful. We were told that it didn't move well, and to make sure that we got it tuned up every year or two. It was also highly suggested, of course, that we buy an extended warranty. Of course, we promptly disregarded all of this advice, and managed to get 13 wonderful years out of her.

Alas, last Sunday, we noticed red squiggly lines across the top of the screen. Brian fiddled with the settings, but things only got worse. Today, the entire screen was essentially red squiggly lines, and anything on the screen also had a turquoise shadow. It was, admittedly, an interesting effect, but we had to face facts: our beloved Mitsu was dying. We discussed several options, including carving out the screen area and just putting in a new tv, but finally, the Mitsu was moved to the garage and a new, albeit smaller, one was put in its place.

So, our dear Mitsu, we thank you for so many years of your service. You will be missed.