Samsung and Ira Glass

Busy day. Dear friend Bruce, my travel companion in India, Spain, France and earlier this year, Italy, is here for his nephew Christopher's wedding tomorrow - Christopher who has lived for a year in my basement apartment but is moving out on Friday, after his wedding. Tomorrow, Bruce's other nephew Angus, who lived in my attic for two years while attending U of T music school, is arriving with his new wife Dani for the wedding; they will stay in his old room on the top floor. Many many Kelletts are in town.

So because Bruce is a tech genius who has helped me with innumerable technical purchases, I decided that today I would buy something I need - particularly as dear Auntie Do sent me a nice cheque for my birthday, which is Friday. I need a new TV. Did some research on the amazingly informative website cnet.com. Learned a great deal, and set out on my bike for the nice local electronics store on Yonge Street where I bought my last little TV years ago. "It went bankrupt six months ago," said the guy in the store next door. Too bad - so it had to be one of the big boxes, Future Shop or Best Buy. So I checked them out, rode home, went back to cnet.com.

I learned that I wanted a plasma TV not an LED, that I wanted to buy the biggest I could afford because I would not regret it, that I did not want a Smart TV or 3D or bells and whistles, that I did not want LG but Samsung would be good. So Bruce and I set out, and at Future Shop I found a Samsung plasma TV on sale at a very good price. It is 50 inches. 50 inches. I repeat - it is 50 inches. It is a big television. When "Downton Abbey" comes back in January, the whole neighbourhood will be invited to watch.

The irony is that mostly I watch only Jon Stewart, an occasional documentary and PBS. That's about it. But when I do watch something, it'll be BIG. And I won't have to buy another television for many years. What excitement. Thank you, auntie Do. It will be delivered tomorrow, and the plan is that my brilliant Brucie will set it up. Let us hope that transpires. Because otherwise it'll sit in the box till kingdom come.

Tonight, a great treat - Bruce is at a pub with his family, and I spent the evening with another of my absolutely favourite men - Ira Glass of National Public Radio. I bought a ticket online to a recent show "This American Life" produced in a theatre. That is, a radio show in a theatre. Wonderful. Storytelling at its best, with music and Ira Glass.

I just tried to upload it for you, but that would not be right. It's "This American Life at BAM." Not expensive and great fun. Would be more fun on a 50 inch TV.