Ellen Degeneres, Why Do You Have To Be So Funny?

When I initially thought about the amount of television I watch on Fridays I thought I'd be alright today. But then I woke up. I realized Friday mornings I like to watch The Ellen Degeneres Show (on in the a.m. here in Austin) and The View (not my favorite show, but the sheer fact that Whoopi Goldberg is on it makes me laugh) while I'm eating breakfast, cleaning the house, doing laundry and getting ready for the day.

Normally I don't even think through the decision to turn on the television - it's just a given. Today, though, I thought, "Hmmm... I could use a good dose of The Ellen Degeneres Show." I think I even made a few steps toward the living room where the TV is. Then I realized, "Nope. Can't do it." I was a little sad, but got over it quickly as I turned the radio on.

Speaking of radio. Thank God I didn't give up music for 40 days! I don't think I would survive without it. In the mornings I listen to "The Bobby Bones Show" on 96.7 KISS FM. I usually can't take more than an hour of it though since they are always bickering and complaining and whining. Still, it's mildly entertaining. Plus, I won Sarah McLachlan concert tickets from them years ago when they were brand new on the radio, so I might find another contest I want to try to win.

My dad always gets a kick out of this story: The contest was between me and Lunchbox (one of the d.j.s on the show). He's a total guy's guy and wildly chauvinistic (not the same thing in my mind, mind you!). I sometimes throw-up a little in my mouth whenever I hear him speak. Anyway, the contest was: the person who answered the most questions won. They were random questions like "How many ounces in a cup?" or "Do desciduous trees have leaves?" The game hinged on the last question: "Toronto has a professional sports team called the Blue Jays. What sport do they play?" The moment I heard the word Blue I buzzed in (by yelling my name, remember I'm on my phone being broadcast on the radio) and yelled, "BASEBALL!" Lunchbox was stunned. Bobby Bones was stunned too. Finally he said, "Lunchbox! I can't believe you lost.... to a girl.... on a baseball question!" Hooray for me! Plus the concert was A-W-E-some!

Friday evenings are also a big TV watching time for me. When "Friday Night Lights" is on I like to watch it (Cody, I saw you last week on the show in the party scene! Hooray!). When "Lipstick Jungle" and "Las Vegas" were on I liked those too. Lately I've been watching "The O.C." (moment of silence please.... ) on NetFlix back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Keep in mind for the last month or so I've been a Master Pancake widow (Jodi, Kristin, and Joann, you know what I'm taking about). This means that Ben has been performing with Master Pancake Friday nights (and Saturdays too!) so I don't have my built-in playmate to skip around town with doing fun things (sniff, sniff...). I don't mind it thought once in a while. Plus they're mocking "The Matrix" and it is HI-larry-ous! You get to see Ben on stage in his "tighty whities" although they aren't white, they are an array of fruit flavors courtesy of American Apparel.

But do not fear... tonight I have plans. I will be going to Shannon McCormick's "LOLA" show at 8pm at Salvage Vangard Theater and staying for Shana Merlin's "Austin's Next Top Improvisor" show at 10pm. Shannon and Shana are my improv instructors (you did know I was taking improv classes, right?!) and they are *super* HI-Larry-ous! Come out and join me if you want! The more the merrier...

DETOX: Day 2

Yikes! I'm starting to itch... Shaking... Sweating... Definitely ITCHING!

Thursday night is a toughie! I got home from yoga class around 7:15pm, sat down (at the table!) and had a bite to eat with Ben, and then... Um... Hmmm... What to do... What to do...

Normally I'd settle in for a night of mindless television. I like to catch Ugly Betty but I don't watch it religiously. The Office is one of my very favorites but I usually watch them all back-to-back in the summertime when the whole season gets released on dvd. 30 Rock is entertaining but it's not a show I can't miss. So I guess I'm not really missing much... Just a time-filler.

And so I write. I write to keep my mind off of television. And to fill some time.

I had an interesting thought today, a little twisted and warped in some ways but I thought I'd share. If you've read the previous entries you are familiar with my current obsession with the television show "The O.C." Which brings me to my "interesting" thought (I can't believe I'm about the type this...): "Huh... I wonder what they're up to?!" And this thought wasn't in the "I wonder where the stars are now" sort-of way. No. It was in the, "I wonder what Ryan and Marissa are up to since I haven't had contact with them in a few days" kind-of way.
Oh..... My..... God....! Am I delusional? Maybe. Probably. Oh well, at least I'm sane enough to recognize it, right?

Obviously television serves some sort of social purpose for me (or lack thereof). I can observe them interact and feel a part of the action but I don't actually have to assert any energy myself. This makes sense since I haven't had a lot of energy lately and "winter" (if you can actually call it that here in Austin where it was near 90 degrees today) puts me into hibernation mode (as it naturally should!). Maybe these 40 days come at just the right time - to break me of my hibernation and get me back into the "real world" and socializing with "real people" in time for spring. Who knows!? I'm just trying to kill time...

TV Detox Begins!

BEFORE

AFTER

Today is the day that I will stop watching television for 40 days. I have to say I'm actually quite excited about it. I thought I'd have the shakes and not know what to do with myself, but I'm doing alright (so far). I've got a busy couple of days so that's good.

I've included pictures of my living/TV room as it typically looks when I veg-out and watch TV. My spot is on the couch. I like to lounge and cuddle up with a comforter. If you actually took a picture of me in the act of watching television there would also be some beverages (most likely non-alcoholic, water and tea are my favorites) and food on the ottoman. Ben's spot is in the rocking chair (yes, that overstuffed chair has rocker feet on it, it's awesome). That's his laptop. I usually can't watch TV and surf the web at the same time. I actually try to spend as little time as possible on my computer (who'da thought with all the blogs I'm attempting). The second picture is of the living/TV room straightened-up and the TV cabinet closed. At least I won't have to look at the television and listen to it call my name... Megan... Megan... you know you want to... just once... not one has to know... I won't tell anyone... you can trust me...

The "O.C" dvd update: I did receive the final dvd of the second season of The O.C. yesterday. I was so excited you would have thought I'd just won a weekend of massages and mud wraps at Lake Austin Spa Resort. I popped it in immediately and started humming along to the opening credits theme song: "Doooo do do do do, Doooo do do do do..... California here I come, California here I come...". And then I realized it was the bonus dvd! Man that sucked! I exhaled defeatedly and my body slumped over in grief. Attention Filmmakers/TV producers: Do not do this to your fans! They will be terribly disappointed! But I figured "What the heck... I might as well watch it anyway." So I pushed play and settled in on the couch. It wasn't too bad. I don't normally watch the bonus features on dvds (Ben's loves them and learns a lot about filmmaking this way). It was mainly blooper reals and the cast talking about the show. It was endearing. Once I was finished with the bonus dvd it dawned on me that this meant I had already finished the entire second season. This revelation brought me contentment knowing that when my 40 days are up I can start fresh with the third season. Phew! Crisis avoided.

Two More Days of Freedom

I am currently hooked on watching The O.C. We get the dvds through Netflix and I usually go through 8-12 episodes per week. Having Netflix has been an interesting phenomenon for me. There is a whole strategy behind planning your dvd watching around getting the dvd in the mail so you can get the next dvd in a timely fashion. For someone with a history of anxiety, this doesn't help!

After deciding to go 40 days without watching television I realized that I was only a few dvds short of finishing the entire second season of The O.C. Needless to say I've been furiously watching as many episodes as possible. However, there is one more dvd left in the second season that I haven't received yet. As I realized this yesterday I began to panic a little (deep breaths, deeeep breaths). Ben was furiously trying to figure out which post office we could return the dvd to so that he could get the next one by Tuesday. Yes, you heard me right. Ben is a huge enabler to my TV watching. Thanks Ben! Love you!

The most exciting part of this weekend is the fact that the Academy Awards are today - Sunday! Thank God they are this weekend and not next! For the last few years Ben and I have made a point to watch the Oscars. We imagine ourselves walking the red carpet, being interviewed and asked who we're wearing, and sitting in the audience waiting for Ben's name to be called. One day Ben, one day...

Go Slumdog!

Why am I doing this?

A few weeks ago Ben and were talking about Lent. Both of us grew up religious and celebrated Lent as children by giving something up - soda, chocolate, fish on Fridays (Ben) - and this got me thinking. Although I am currently not currently religious and attending a particular church, I do like the idea of challenging myself to go without something. I'd like to say I thought long and hard about what it is I'd be giving up, but really I just put it out of my mind for a few weeks and then all of a sudden *ding* the light bulb came on (that's what mine sounds like by the way). I will take a sabbath from watching television.

Now you have to understand something. I watch A LOT of television. I don't even want to begin to think about counting up the amount of hours I have watched in the last several years. While I have naturally begun to ween myself from watching network television over the last 6 months, I have increased the amount to televisions series I can get from Netflix. I will attempt to remember all the series I've either completed or am waiting for the most recent past season to be released:

• Arrested Development (Genius! Why did they stop?!)
  
• Nip/Tuck
  
• Weeds (Also genius! Keep it going!)
  
• The Office (This show kills me it's so funny!)
  

Series I am working on but have not completed:

• Sopranos (I can only take this one is small doses)
• O.C. (I'm currently on the second season and will have to halt the progression for this sabbath.)
• Project Runway (I'm obsessed with Heidi Klum. Did you know she has her own jewelry line? What can't that woman do?)
  

I know I'm forgetting some so Ben, please remind me...

Shows I currently watch/follow are:

• Ellen
• Oprah
• The View
  
• Gossip Girl (*love* it)
• 90210 (The new one. It's not as good but it's something to occupy my time.)
• Privileged
• Lost
• Ugly Betty
• Grey's Anatomy
• Friday Night Lights
• The Bachelor

This is not even taking into account the movies that we rent on Netflix and go to. We probably average 2+ movies per week. But movies are not banned for me, just TV. Thank God!

So beginning Ash Wednesday, February 25th, I will not watch television (network, Netflix, whatever...) until Easter Sunday, April 12. Instead I will do what I've been wanting to do for quite some time now but never seemed to have (or make) the time - WRITE! Hence, the blog. I am hoping I will have more accountability to writing if I know people might tune in to see what I'm learning about the process. Plus I'm hoping to also do fun stuff with all my new found free time like go to museums, listen to live music, hang out with friends, spend quality time with Ben, etc.

So if you're curious how this will go for me and what mystery I uncover I encourage you to become a "Follower" of this blog. You can sign up on the lefthand side of the page and you will get an email when I update the blog.

Thanks for reading!