What Going SCREEN-FREE Did For Me

First, I must apologize to all of you die-hard fans of my blog for not posting anything last week.



As a few of you know, I went SCREEN-FREE for 7 days (almost).
Why?
I don't know.

I thought it would be good for me.

And it was. It taught me one thing.



TV is over-rated.

 Let me clarify.

 TV is over-rated... by me!

I used to think TV was great. But after a week, doing without, I think my opinion has changed.



You see...while I was "doing without" TV (or Facebook) it didn't feel like I was lacking anything. Instead, my life felt fuller than ever. It was amazing how much I got done.

Or perhaps not so amazing when you calculate the time I ordinarily would have spent mindlessly glued to the set, but instead spent doing stuff...fun stuff, neat stuff, productive stuff, and even some stuff with the people in my life. Hello!
Is it too much to say going SCREEN-FREE set me FREE? I don't think so.

It wasn't easy though. (Because there's nothing easier to do than curl up in a Lazy-boy with a remote in your hand.) It took a little more discipline than I guess I have, because on Sunday night I decided to just say "good enough" and watch a few of my favorite shows. So I did. And it was sort of fun. The Amazing Race was pretty good, but the couple who we all knew would win, won. And Chopped All-Stars was pretty good too, but the guy I figured would win that one won that one too. Celebrity Apprentice was just okay. How many times can you listen to "celebrities" you've never heard of, say they're just "doing this for charity," and then swear and scream at one another? I turned that one off even before I saw who Trump fired this week. I decided I really didn't care. And so Sunday night I basically wasted 2 1/2 hours when I could have been doing fun, neat, productive stuff.

It's time to make a change.


Sorry TV & Facebook. You're okay, but I think we should spend a little more time apart.
 
I'm changing my status to screenfree & loving it!
 

My Must-See TV Favorites

The other day my brother Tim called and we got to talking about a bunch of stuff. At one point I asked him, “How much TV do you watch?” “A lot,” he admitted. “Me too,” I confessed.
It’s true. I love winding down at the end of the day by watching the ol’ boob tube. Here are a few of my must-see TV favorites.

Tuesday nights, The Food Chanel, Chopped

My mother-in-law, of all people, first told me about this show. I watched it once and now I'm hooked. It’s a cooking competition where contestants race the clock to make an appetizer (round 1), an entrée (round 2), and a dessert (round 3), incorporating the items they find in their baskets into their finished products for each round. I’m not even into cooking, but I love this show. Each contestant has their own personality, and their own cooking style, and most are extremely good at what they do. The crazy part is when they open their baskets and find things like fish heads, or goat brain, or frozen waffles. Usually there's at least one ingredient in there I never even knew existed! But 20 minutes later they've turned it into a restaurant quality dish. Amazing stuff.

Wednesday Nights, FOX, Buried Treasure

This relatively new show follows those twin heroes from Antiques Roadshow, Leigh and Leslie Keno, as they travel the US looking for treasure in regular people's homes. Each family has a different story to tell. Some need the money to "save the farm." Others just want the old stuff gone. Whatever the case, the show does a great job of keeping viewers, like me, on the edge of their seats to see if these "treasures" are worth hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, or if it’s just old junk.

Thursday Nights, PBS, Doc Martin

I can’t get enough of Doc Martin. This show is so fun, so quirky, so unpredictable, and yet at the same time oddly believable. The title character is a miserable, rude, unattractive and unfriendly man who makes you cringe with his blunt and inappropriate comments. Then why do I love him so? I do not know, but I do. Lots.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I have for you the very first episode of Doc Martin. But be warned. It's about 45 minutes long, and once you start watching, you're not going to want to stop. Enjoy!

Additional warning: This is a British comedy, so it will also be somewhat racy at times. Funny story…so I was visiting with Jeff’s 94-year-old Grandmother last Thursday and she asked if I watch much TV. Of course I said I do, and then I told her my favorite show was Doc Martin. I gave it a glowing recommendation and encouraged her to tune in. That night there was a scene in the second episode (they show 2 back to back) where the doc walks in on his Auntie Joan having sex on the kitchen table! What will Grandma think! I can only hope she wasn't watching...or that she dozed off by then. How embarrassing. Actually, this episode has a few embarrassing parts in it too. Please don't be offended. If you think you might be, don't watch it. Nah. You should watch it. Learn what Doc Martin can't and "go with the flow!"