Confessions of an Addict

It started simply enough - some friends at work years ago talked about this great show: Gilmore Girls. HA I thought, who puts that much energy into watching TV? OK so we do set aside "family time" to watch American Idol (that's another blog for another day) but I really don't have time for TV, and neither do the kids. They watch movies in the truck on long rides to the Lake or to Family, but generally we do not watch a lot of tv.

OK so fast forward a few years - my family is looking for gifts for the kids for Christmas. I innocently mention that perhaps SH would enjoy a season of the Gilmore Girls. She ends up with seasons 1-2-3. Cool, she's happy, we're doing a lot of truck miles, so she has something to watch. It gives her something to barter with when her brother wants to watch his new James Bond DVDs. And they're on christmas break, so when they're not studying for exams, she watches GG.

Fast forward a few weeks - after slaving like crazy for a month, I find myself with a few blissful days of normalcy - no all nighters, no traveling, no briefs due. Sh & A, having completed exams, have 5 whole days of NOTHING to do, no homework, no studying, no sports. Blissful nothingness. Sh says, "Hey mom, want to watch GG with me?" So I grab a bowl of ice cream and prepare to be bored. NOT. I'm totally sucked in with 1 episode. We watch another. And another, Wait, it's now 11pm, and I have to go to work early. I hear myself saying, "just one more episode."

I am running home the next night so that I don't miss anything. I tell her she can't watch without me (she says she'll gladly watch them again with me). I am a freak. She goes out overnight to a friend's, tells me I can "catch up" while she's gone. but I have no idea where we left off, nor how to work the DVD player, so I get down to some long-put-off chores of boxing up old clothes etc. Besides, I already know how things end up, so why would I want to watch old episodes? The minute she's home, we're back at the TV.

Next day I actually get mad at her b/c while I'm doing chores, she sits down to watch an episode without me. I get her back by not sharing my ice cream with her. She gets me back by pausing and making me wait while she gets her own ice cream (Remember: I couldn't work the home theater if my life depended on it). Oh yes, we can be very mature around here. Anyway, last night we watch umpteen episodes (I think we're still in 2nd season and I'm pretty sure I missed most of first season). I am so totally hooked.

Alas, tomorrow it is back to work, back to craziness. I am likely traveling this week and next. I can only hope that the teachers swamp her with homework so that she has no time to watch and has to wait for me - hmmm maybe I'll email them and suggest extra assignments?!! Oh I really am addicted....