I believe it was the Beatles who sang to the world, "All you need is love." This message is also a main theme in the movie "Love Actually," which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest films of all time. Yet, this weekend I decided both the Beatles and, yes, even Hugh Grant, are wrong, because I have concluded that all one really needs to attain true happiness is digital cable and Chipotle burritos.
I have been without television since the middle of the summer -- unless you count an eerie Scottish version of the "Price is Right" I watched at a hostel in Edinburgh. Yet I feel like the television and I have had a rather distant relationship, ever since I was little.
I was the kid who wasn't allowed to watch MTV or any of the shows the "cool kids" talked about. And even when I was deemed old enough to start watching TGIF, we've always had one TV in the house that resulted in much conflict between my brother and me, whether it be over "Power Rangers" and "Boy Meets World" or, more recently, ESPN and "Laguna Beach." My parents forfeited the news channels and the Food Network. I had cable my first and second years of college, but this year my roommates, being frugal and more practical than I, decided it would be silly to pay so much for cable a month when we wouldn't be around that much to watch it. So I suffered silently (actually I whined a lot) and mooched off other friends' cable for "Grey's Anatomy" every Thursday. In related news, McDreamy and Meredith are finally back together. Order has been restored to the universe.
And so it is only fitting that the kind, merciful television gods intervened on my behalf and sent me a sign: a letter from our local cable company offering a promotion to receive cheap digital cable for 12 months. When I read it, I wept openly. Well, not really. I actually jumped up and down and clapped. When the cable man answered the door I did this, too. After he hooked up the cable I thanked him over and over and his response was, "Don't cry on me, now!" But, my friends, it was hard not to.
Of course, getting this special gift from the powers above doesn't come without a price. I had to spend an hour on the phone with the cable company before the woman I was talking to understood that I was requesting television service and not Internet, which we already have. But the agonizing conversation was so worth it even if I was tempted for a second to throw both my cell phone and my television out the window. Luckily, I kept my cool.
We have over 300 channels. There is a channel JUST for watching tennis! I love tennis! There are crazy channels that just play music -- great for spontaneous dance parties! And don't get me started on the movie channels. I watched four movies today, and though I'd seen three of them before, think of the time I could have wasted reading a Faulkner novel! Now you may scoff at my enthusiasm as one of my friends did, boasting he must be spoiled because he's always had digital cable and it's really not a big deal. But when you've been renting seasons of shows from Clemons for the past couple months, you come to appreciate even the smallest conveniences.
Another craving was indulged this weekend when my friend and I went to the newly opened Chipotle at Barracks Road for dinner on Sunday night. Coming from Northern Virginia (real Northern Virginians don't call it NOVA), I've appreciated the glorious concept of the Chipotle burrito for some time now.
Now I know what some of you unenlightened burrito-enthusiasts may be thinking -- how is it different from Qdoba, which is located so conveniently on the Corner and serves similarly constructed burritos? Both are equally large enough so you can save half for later, or eat the whole thing in one sitting because it's so delicious. And Qdoba does have quesadillas, which Chipotle does not.
But, I'd bet you a steak burrito with extra guacamole that Chipotle burritos are more flavorful, and plus, they have witty sayings on their cups and napkins. Maybe it's just a Northern Virginia thing, but I know I wasn't alone in counting down the days until the restaurant opened. Now if they would only deliver, we could all enjoy cable and burritos together -- a perfect harmony of taste and entertainment. Forget about love, what else would we need?
Mary's column runs bi-weekly on Wednesdays. She can be reached at mbaroch@cavalierdaily.com.
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