No Cable?

We have been without cable (Basic or otherwise) for almost two weeks now. Right now, as the sun is setting, dinner has been made and consumed and Charlie's rocking my little buddy outside on the porch, I have to say I don't miss it.
I'll tell you when I do miss it though. At eight in the morning when Charlie leaves for work and I would have clicked on the TODAY show, eaten some toast, drunk my two cups of coffee and fed Penny. It's funny, I've rarely ever even paid attention to what's being said on that show, but for a few hours every day, I've felt like I had friends chattering in the background of my life.
For two hours in the morning, when Penny takes her morning nap, I've had to come to terms with silence. Me and my thoughts.....alone.....uncensored, without distraction and without Hoda Kopb and Kathy Lee Gifford ogling men and drinking (A little too early in the day-I might add.)
Sometimes I can't stand it. I stare a million times at the clock waiting until enough time has gone by to pack up Penny and take her into town under the guise of delivering coffee to my husband. Sometimes I eat everything in the fridge, starting with the good stuff and working my way back to the more questionable items, last week's chicken, a jar of fudge from a year ago...rice that makes crunching noises when I chew it. I want that crunching sound to drown out the sound of my own loneliness. I want the chewing to sound like my friends at the TODAY show, but it doesn't. I turn on the radio, but I only get static. I turn on the fans but I cringe to think of what the electric bill could turn into. I even do aerobics. Gasp. I ponder waking Penny up, but she can only crank out a couple of syllables at a time, not particular stimulating conversation.
I guess when it all boils down, I have let TV replace the need I had for people in my life. The sweet questioning voice of Matt Lauer has replaced my need for adult conversation. Its very sad really.
Well now here I am. I suppose I should be thankful for the experience, my eyes have been opened and I have seen the light. Anne Curry will no longer make me feel like it's okay to shut out the world for her friendship.