Would I trade my husband and children for it? Maybe not...

I love television--I really do. More than a normal person should love television. In fact, for the last few years, I have lived for television. I believe that TiVo...DVR...whatever is/was the most important invention of this century. I swear--I really do. At least for my family it is. Well, maybe not even my entire family (so relax Mr. McJudgerson--my children aren't TV-heads...but they definitely could be)--we try not to teach our children our horrible habits, but eventually...there will be five of us!

This obsession with television began in the late nineties, early (thousands?!)--right after I met my husband. As a side note, most  of my bad habits came to me after meeting my husband. Coincidental? I think not. Of course, I (basically) stopped being a booze-hound (kind of) and I stopped bringing strange men home (for the most part), but I also stopped moving (unless it was in the direction of the refrigerator) and spent most of my free time watching shows and eating popcorn. THAT is what we do. It started in 1999 and I can honestly say that doing that is the one thing that has remained consistent in our lives. We used to have movie marathon weekends where we would get a barrel of popcorn (you know it's true--that thing is bigger than Rhode Island) from the movie theater (with layered butter and salt...I just threw up in my mouth a little bit, sorry...) and would rearrange our furniture so that we were DIRECTLY in front of the television and would stay there all weekend. Of course, we would leave for a few hours to sleep, but for the most part we were held hostage by our television and we loved it. In between all of our movies, we would watch our taped shows (THANK YOU inventor of DVR type things!) to clear up more space for new ones.

One show we tried not to ever miss was Alias. That. Show. Is (high-pitched squeal here) AWESOME. Sydney Bristow was my hero--and not just  because she could rock a purple wig (though she really could!). About a year or two ago (maybe even three now...it all gets lost once it hits my brain...) a fb friend posted something about the show Alias. It was when I was just getting the hang of facebook (as if I ever did get the hang of it!) and the whole posting on walls thing was foreign to me. I thought I was posting on his wall when I commented something like, "L-O-V-E Sydney Bristow--she is (high-pitched squeal here) AWESOME and my hero!" Not so embarrassing on his wall since he was actually discussing her. Unfortunately, I posted it as my status. So people who didn't know me or worse, did would read: "Nika Corwin: L-O-V-E Sydney Bristow--she is (high-pitched squeal here) AWESOME and my hero!" Kind of a freak, right?!  At least now you know that I am serious about Alias (if not certifiable)-- if you didn't watch it, I am certain you can get in on Netflix. DO IT. You won't be sorry. Unless you are and in that case please don't tell me!

Another show that was on around that time was called, Eyes. We loved that show. It had the guy from Wings (yes, I mentioned Wings because who DIDN'T love THAT show?!)--the serious brother-guy who is now on Private Practice (ask me how many grams are in a kilometer and I'll tell you, "Orange," but this I know) was in this show and he was (insert high pitched squeal here...all together now...) AWESOME! (well done!) The problem? Eyes  was taken off the air after too few episodes. I don't really want to remember exactly what was happening and what went unresolved in the show or it will upset me again, just know that we were (are) so annoyed that we didn't get the time we wanted needed deserved with Eyes. My husband still mentions it like an old friend who doesn't keep in touch and refuses to get on facebook. So sad. Moment of silence please.


Thank you.

Another show that tore our hearts out (I seriously need professional help. The first step is admitting there is a problem and I l-oooo-v-e hanging out on the first step!) was Studio...54? 64? 60?--the one with Chandler from Friends, not the one with naked people in it. It was about the making of an SNL type of show and it was (I think you know where I am going here...high pitched squeal) AWESOME!  We were so sad to see it go and tried to seek counseling over it. Instead, we found more shows to watch and tried not to get too attached--just in case they left us, too.

Some of our favorites through the years (and by "favorites," I mean those that encompassed our lives in such a way that we actually felt like they were family were, Friends (duh), 24 (Seriously...Jack Bower and Sydney Bristow need to team up...) which I deemed to be the best show of all time that first season. And the next. And most of the rest...it ALWAYS had me quite literally (and not in the way that it does not actually mean literally) on the edge of my seat clenching anything that could remotely...clench in my body until that last second ticked away and I had to wait for scenes from the next week's episode.  The same proved true for Lost, though we lost (punny!)some of our recordings when we moved (I'm still not over it--), so I need to rent the final season.

We watch all of the CSIs--most of the time to make fun of the placement of sunglasses on the nose before a corny pun is uttered over a bloody body. Criminal Minds is a good one--though too many episodes have taken place in places where I've lived.  C-R-E-E-P-Y. There are so many more...it really is disturbing how many shows we do and have watched, but it's what we like.

When I was teaching I would often times refer to my shows (House for example...so sad it's gone!) to help validate  whatever we were discussing that day. I had students tell me that English teachers aren't supposed to like television. They claimed that they never had a teacher who promoted television before they met me. I need to clarify...I'm not against reading--in fact, I love to read. I have stayed up way too many nights because I couldn't put a book down until it was finished, but while teaching I didn't have that luxury. I needed to go to bed at a reasonable time and I needed someone to do the thinking for me at the end of the day. Sometimes you just want to be entertained and you don't want to do anything for it.  That's why I love television.

Because of this love (and because of the fact that I lost my funny ), I am going to [try to] devote one day a week to television. I may talk about shows that made me laugh out loud ('cause that is really a thing) (Friends shouldn't even have to be mentioned...it should be understood.) like New Adventures of Old Christine or Everybody Loves Raymond, or those that make me laugh now, like The Middle or Modern Family. I may write about shows that everyone should watch, regardless of sex (no--not whether you are having it...) like Bunheads or Ally McBeal (THAT was a blast from the past, right?!) or shows that very few people discovered like...well, I guess that could be Bunheads again, though there are way too many shows for me to be listing doubles.

I know what you are thinking--this will be the only time I "discuss" television because history states that I do not EVER stick with a plan on here. Well, you got me. That is why I didn't pick a day. Perhaps if I give myself an entire week to make it happen it will...actually happen.

Until then, I have some research to do. I'll start by watching Friends...and maybe grabbing some popcorn...