I want my Food Network back, Cablevision! (oh, and HGTV,too.)

Since I got to the office this morning I’ve had the Food Network playing in the background, letting the likes of Giada de Laurentiis, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, parade across the screen. Yes, the frigid temps outside do have me craving comfort foods, but my sudden overwhelming desire for the network’s offerings is more a case of wanting what I can’t have. Fox and Time Warner Cable may have reached an agreement, but now there is a messy situation between Cablevision and Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (the owners of the Food Network and HGTV). That means I wasn’t able to watch Michelle Obama on Iron Chef America: Battle of the Super Chefs last night. And I’m not happy about it.

Today was day four of a cable lineup without Food Network and HGTV (see what the companies said today here). When I first caught wind of it, via the outraged Facebook status updates of friends, I thought I could probably just avoid those channels until this situation gets worked out. But lo and behold, I stopped twice on the channels (they’re even back to back!) and it took a second of listening to the Cablevision statement playing on a loop before I remembered they weren’t there.

It’s not even that I’m a big foodie or some home decorating maven, it’s just that both of these networks fill my aspirational-TV need. It’s comforting to watch the cooks in their big pretty kitchens, with their plentiful ingredients. Or to tune in to Divine Design to see the oh-so-engaging Candice Olson and crew make over someone’s space.

I get that there are lots of intricacies involved in these negotiations and that there’s plenty of fare on those nets that I’d be passing on (Sorry Worst Cooks in America) if I could see them, but I really don’t care. There’s a gaping hole where my space-out time would be and I need it fixed!

Anyone else going through withdrawal?