We converted

Please, before you get the idea that we had some radical religious experience, and before you settle in to read some drama about how we are going to be ostracized by our families, read on. I'm not talking about spiritual conversion; I'm talking digital conversion.

Everyone knows that I'm married to the cheapest man alive (he calls himself that!), so having gone our whole married life without cable TV or satellite isn't a big deal to me. We've managed pretty well with our rabbit ears and it has probably even helped us keep our TV viewing time to a relative minimum. You would think that our favorite shows that we watch on NBC and FOX are our choices, but it's really because those are the only two networks that come in with any semblance of clarity. ABC and CBS take some serious rabbit ear manipulation, and PBS is pretty much always a mess -- always fuzzy, and many times without color -- or the most annoying flashing-back-and-forth-between-snowy-color-and-snowy-black-and-white.

But last night we got our government coupon in the mail for one of those new fancy-schmancy digital TV tuner converter boxes. He went out right away, got one, and installed it as soon as the kids were in bed.

I was told that the picture would improve, but honestly I had no idea. I was amazed.

And our dear sweet Lucy, who gets to watch only those horribly fuzzy PBS programs, said to John when he turned it on this morning for her to see: "Daddy, I can see ALL the colors!"

His reply: "Yes, honey, your Daddy is so cheap. Welcome to color TV 48 years after everyone else."