Sometimes you just need to escape… without leaving the house. Enter the DVR (how did we live without it?!). Here is a taste of what the Sheality girls are escaping to these days.
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Since revealing my dirty little secret, I’ve actually cut down on the amount of TV that I watch… just not on the amount of TV that I record. That continues to grow. These days, in addition to The Bachelor and other nonsense that I watch, I’ve been overly into anything Alaska… meaning I search by keyword on my DVR, and record almost everything that shows life in Alaska.
Full. Blown. Obsession. A few of my favorites include:
Not only do I love the landscape and wildlife shots that they show in these shows, the lifestyle in the remote towns and villages of Alaska is so far from what I’ve ever seen, it’s fascinating to me.
And, because I have a serious travel addiction (update: my passport arrived home safe and sound with 24 new pages!), I’m obviously planning a trip. If you’ve been there, suggestions are appreciated 🙂
– Erin
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When I examined my DVR for something surprising, I thought, there is nothing surprising there, I DVR the same thing as everyone else – The Daily Show, Happy Endings, Californication, etc. Then I scrolled down past the Children’s Hospital episodes that I will never watch and two Woody Allen movies and there it was – 31 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – my DVR security blanket.
I actually own all seven seasons on DVD but I like knowing in an emergency (I’m not sure what a television emergency would be?) that I can watch a Buffy episode on a dime. To try to explain Buffy to those who don’t know it is difficult.
Television has never been the same for me since it went off the air. Long before Edward and Bill Compton there was Angel and Spike. Before all the anti-heroes that are everywhere now on television (House, Jack Bauer, Nurse Jackie) there was Buffy. Most people dismissed Buffy simply because of the name of the show. But it was meant to be ironic, because under the flaky name lies unexpected substance.
A consistently well told allegory whose science fiction world makes for so many more narrative possibilities than your average teen TV show. Everything was examined through the Buffyverse – fate, destiny, free will, love, good vs. evil – all the great literary themes. There have been countless academic studies on the show. And it was hilarious. They had me at the very first episode when Buffy explains to a vampire that his outfit made him look like DeBarge.
So while I may never actually watch an episode, as they take up valuable space on my DVR, I rest easy, knowing that there will always be something amazing to watch on TV.
– Jen
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I saw Nora Ephron on a talk show recently. One thing she said stuck with me because it is so true: As soon as you get a DVR, you will never again be totally caught up because you will always have recorded shows that need to be watched.
What’s on my DVR? Everything I may possibly want to watch. Why? Because I refuse to watch commercials. The only recent exception is the Super Bowl and those commercials bored me silly this year.
It’s much more telling to explain what’s NOT on my DVR. Real Housewives of Anywhere, The Bachelor, The Voice and Selling New York. The reason these shows are not on my DVR is because they rarely, if ever, finish recording before I start watching them.
When I’m traveling for work, reality shows on my DVR is my reward when I come home. If my flight arrives in STL at midnight and I get home at 1 am, I still watch the Housewives before I can sleep. And BTW, it totally pisses me off that the Bravo channel is not carried by the cable companies who provide service to any of the major hotel chains. Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton — why do you do this to me?
– Susan
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Lately, I’m not motivated to leave the house for exercise. That means my DVR is currently overflowing with either exercise shows or things to distract me enough that I’m willing to use my treadmill.
My biggest diversion for the treadmill is Dr. Oz. The man is amazing with having a show, a family, and an actual surgical practice. I could definitely learn some time management from him.
His shows are so interesting to me. Just last week he gave a shopping list for 99 things to buy at the grocery store so you have quick, healthy, tasty alternatives ready to go. And a lot of the items on his list were regulars on my shopping list, so I’m looking forward to trying the rest. And he told foods to eat to reduce your risk for certain cancers at bay (apricots, limes, lima beans) and to keep your brain sharp (avocados, cashews, beets). He even had a session on the newly approved non-invasive body sculpting Liposonix.
You just gotta love Dr. Oz!!
– Lori
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SHEality 