Breaking up is hard to do

Break-ups are tough in any form. Recently, a few of my friends at school have broken up with longterm (I'm talking 3-4+ years) boyfriends. Sucky. But what about all the other break ups we go through? I'm talking about the coffee shop with your favorite barista who knows your order closes, the sandwich place where the sandwich is made for you before you even get to the register but the guy who knows your order gets switched to a different location, your dry-cleaner because it's no longer convenient on your commute, but most salient to me is the breakup between you and a tv show you once knew and loved.

I began thinking about this because it has come to my attention that I watch too many TV shows. Part of this is that 2 shows I record are daily so I spend most weekend catching up on DVR, but recently someone suggested that I begin watching Community. Based on the cast and limited previews I've seen I'd love to give it a shot, but frankly, I just don't have time. It got me thinking about the shows I watch and the fact that I really feel guilty if I don't or if I miss a week and I began recounting times when I had actually broken up with a show. Examples.

Gilmore Girls: I loved this show. I wanted to live this show. My father and I watched it weekly, before tivo was in every home. My friend Erica and I would call each other during the commercial breaks. But at a certain point...my dad and I just stopped. I think it was when she went to college, because we could no longer relate to the struggles of a daughter and her mom when the daughter goes to college (even though it was my dad...). Plus, the characters in Stars Hollow are impossible to supplement in a college environment.

The OC: I cannot stress to you how much I loved this show. I mean, I am FROM Southern California, I GOT all the jokes and psh, I PLAYED water polo ok, so back off Seth. Also, I am Jewish. I happen to look nothing like Rachel Bilson or Mischa Barton, I don't drive a Range Rover, my clothing was not from Barneys, but a girl can dream. I basically ignored one of my freshman hallmates as she was leaving for summer because the finale was on and Marissa was being attacked on a beach (bc in the oc, thats where things go down) by Ryan's brother Trey (SCANADAL!). But. They killed off Marisa. I wasn't particularly attached to her, my heart lay with Seth (the whole reason I started watching the show in the first place), but the shows dynamic just wasn't the same and I gradually lost interest.

Lost: Ok. I started this show a season late so I was Netflix-ing season 1 while watching season 2 which is a mind fuck in and of itself. All I REALLY wanted to know was why that freaking plane crashed so I kept watching to find out. All the conspiracy theories and whatnot drove me a little nuts and the fact that people disappear, reapear, die and betray each other all on random whims got a little frustrating. Finally, when they got OFF the island but the show wasn't over, I was like dude...this is just excessive. I know why the plane crashed. I know why the island doesn't always exist on maps. I know that Sawyer and Dr. Shepard should never wear clothes and I know that Ben is out of his freaking mind. Case closed. No more weekly hour of complete stupification--I have classes for that.

I watched the series finale of the OC but I don't know how Gilmore Girls ended. I will definitely watch the series finale of Lost to FINALLY get a bottom line out those crazy people which they probably won't give me because they don't work that way. All in all, I just hope that shows go off TV on their own so I don't have to ditch them because, as we all know, breaking up is hard to do. Even if it is with a fictional cast of people.

Couch Potato Musings

I haven't moved from a couch in the past 72 hours except to go to sleep or the bathroom and I have come to a few realizations. Now, keep in mind that these 72 hours involved advil, vicodin, cottage cheese and ice cream to get me through what I would imagine being punched in the jaw by Mike Tyson might feel like (also known as getting your wisdom teeth out). I have watched movies, VH1 countdowns and reality shows ad naseum and have come to a few conclusions.

First: The 90s were the best. All the top hits of the 90s, the hottest hotties of the 90s, movies that recount the heydey of the 90s...why engage in actual society when you can relive it's highlights from your couch?

Second: Eating a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (and starbucks mocha ice cream) while watching "More to Love" at first seems like a good idea until you realize how mean/sad/demeaning the show is and in turn the sad turn your life will soon take if you continue on this path.

Third: I never want to get old because existing on a diet of only soft foods is miserable. All I want to do is bite in to a huge hamburger but I a) cannot open my jaw that far b) am not allowed to eat solid food yet and c) refuse to move from this couch to get it.

Unfortunately, I return to the real world of work tomorrow and will no longer be able to memorize the HBO, Starz and VH1 line ups. For now, Runaway Bride is on which has a cameo from the dad in 10 things i hate about you, music from the dixie chicks before they pissed off the world, and a cameo by Stabler from SVU. If that isn't a recipe for perfection I don't know where else to search for meaning in my life.