If her television was in a convenient place, Sarah Engebretson knows she'd be tempted to turn it on and zone out.
She doesn't much care for what's on TV, and she doesn't like the passive nature of watching it. So, for the past two or three years, the 41-year-old Duluthian has kept her television set in her basement, where she doesn't like to spend time. It's there if she needs to check on something like a storm warning, but she has found she rarely needs it.
Engebretson occasionally feels out of the loop when people talk about a commercial or show they saw on TV, but it doesn't bother her. To keep current on the news, she turns to the Internet.
One of the benefits of turning off the TV is that she doesn't have as much neck and back pain as she used to. She thinks that's because she's not lying on her side watching TV.
But the biggest benefit is what she now has time to do. She spends time with friends, cooks, takes her dog for walks, writes music and plays the guitar.
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"I like to be active," she said.
