One thing I can't stand, though, is a television just being on "in the background." Super annoying to me.

In general, I agree. But it's actually helpful to me when I wrap all the Christmas presents in one go (which takes over an hour) -- I can put in a DVD of something that I don't need to pay close attention to because I've seen it before, but it keeps me from becoming totally bored with wrapping.

ne thing I can't stand, though, is a television just being on "in the background." Super annoying to me.

Yes. There are certain times when I don't mind (similar to Teppy and the wrapping, or if there's a football or baseball game on and we are mostly ignoring it) but my BIL used to leave random Price is Right and soap operas on all day while he did stuff and I found it annoying and distracting!

There are certain times when I don't mind (similar to Teppy and the wrapping, or if there's a football or baseball game on and we are mostly ignoring it) but my BIL used to leave random Price is Right and soap operas on all day while he did stuff and I found it annoying and distracting!

Yes, this exactly! I can have a show I like on and do other things at the same time (like catch up on the board!) but it's the random leaving the tv on and NOT MUTING/FFing through commercials that drives me crazy. I love my in-laws but they do this. Maddening.

For the past few years we've had our favorite Christmas movie, In Bruges, on while unwrapping xmas ornaments and decorating. PERFECT!

Screw the constitution. Can't we figure out a way to make Justin Trudeau be our president too?

we could have a merger...

For the past few years we've had our favorite Christmas movie, In Bruges, on while unwrapping xmas ornaments and decorating. PERFECT!

On the Roku there's a channel that's the equivalent of a sound machine that plays ocean waves, babbling brook, rainfall, etc. -- but with appropriate visuals. It ALSO has a loop of a crackling fire. So when we decorated for Xmas last year, we had the TV yule log on in the background: [link]

Admittedly I'm a special case, but I've needed something with voices going on in the background for the past couple of years. It makes the house feel less empty.

If I'm doing things like sewing (or lately, sorting and pricing for the yard sale), I like having a favorite movie on in the background.

Hell, that's real life. I just collected two more black cats who now live on my patio.

Do they bring you fish and mementos?

It occurred to me while I was driving the evening (and listening to a podcast I had listened to already) that my ability to have music on in the background has really decreased. It's too emotionally involving.

Sometimes I really like the silence, though. Or, whatever ambient birds, cars, crickets, etc. are doing their thing in my vicinity, to be more accurate.

I am sometimes tempted to we are noise-cancelling headphones that aren't necessarily playing anything at work, but that's a whole other thing.

Oh, I got my yard waste bin back! That is to say, there was a forlorn and empty yard waste bin sitting in the street when I got home, and I am interpreting that as the guys working next door discovered they had two and put one out, so I took it. It's not the one I used to have unless someone ran over the lid in the meantime (which certainly could have happened) but I don't see how that could matter to anyone.

Anyway, I can continue to battle the blackberries, is my point.