Family Update

So, I am addicted to Facebook, as are most of my kids. I update daily, sometimes more than that. I am thinking everyone is up to date on our lives, and then am reminded that there are those of you out there who do not use Facebook as religiously as I do, or at all (GASP). Thus, the blog update:

Jake and Megan are happily (or I'm happy so they should be) employed. Both are working at Einsteins Bagels, and Jake is also working at Big 5. He starts one class to finish his AA on Friday. Megan is taking 3 mindless classes, and aides another period at the high school, then heads off to her CNA class. It is run by the Community College here in town. She is hysterical about it. Loves to wear the scrubs.

Mike is a freshman and is busy with soccer and church. He will play club soccer through October, then (hopefully) high school soccer, then back to club. He loves his new team and can't wait for games to start. He's thinking they might win some, which is new for us as we didn't win much for the last two years in CA.

I had eye surgery the 18th on my left eye to remove a cataract. No, I'm not 75, that pesky RP sometimes makes them appear earlier than normal. I'm surrounded by grandmas! I had a corrective lens inserted in place of the regular replacement lens. After 1 week I am already seeing better than I did with glasses (out of that eye) and it should only get better. Surgery on right eye is scheduled for 9/22. In the meantime, I am either going without the glasses, or for computer and closer stuff using my old glasses with the left lens removed. I will need reading glasses when it is all finished. I'm not old enough for cataracts, but I am old enough to be presbiotic.

Ken is loving his job and from what I can tell, people here are loving him too. His schedule slowed down a little during the summer but is picking up again. He is headed to Detroit this week.

Next week Ken and I are headed north. It's nice that the kids are old enough I can leave them (with a debit card) and know they'll be fine. We are driving to Spokane to see my dad (and finally meet his new ... not sure what to call her ... friend). We are planning a "cousin karaoke" night which should be great fun. Then we head to Pendelton for the annual Bates family reunion. It should be a doozy this year with 95 confirmed, and this is just one side of my family. I went to the library today and got some books on tape to help pass the time on the drive. It's a long way, but Ken loves a good road trip, and air tickets to Spokane are expensive.

We are still in limbo with the house in CA. The offers have "gone to the investor". Not sure what that means, but am hoping it means we'll be done with this mess pretty soon.

That is our life in a nutshell. (A big nutshell now that I read back through, we'll call it a Brazil nutshell.)

OK, Let's talk about TV

TV is a much maligned form of entertainment. When you are sitting talking with people, you don't sit and admit to having to replace the bulb on your TV 2 years early because you have it on all of the time. I am sure there are those of you who remember when this particular form of entertainment was new and exciting. Everyone talked about what they watched. We used to have extended family come over every Sunday night to watch Lawrence Welk with us when I was little. (That little tidbit of info goes no farther than this blog, understand?) I remember coming home from school and running to the TV to watch reruns of The Big Valley (Heath was so cute!) There used to be the "water cooler" discussions about every one's favorite shows. So, when did TV become a taboo? When did it become so bad to satisfy your need to just sit and watch every now and again?

So, now, I am forced, well not so much forced, but inclined, to defend my favorite entertainment. Let's look at the sheer volume of what's available. If you can't find something to watch on 200 channels, you need to find something to care about. I think you must be pretty boring if you can't find something to entertain you for a 1/2 hour or so. Just take our family. Ken is all over the Discovery Channel and Fox News (don't judge him.) Jake likes the sports recap shows and Chuck. Megan likes the cooking channel. Michael still enjoys a cartoon or two (as do we all, don't we?) I'll watch just about anything, I'll admit it: Lifetime, VH1, Reality TV, the History Channel, Biography, the Game Show Network, regular networks, even a shopping channel now and again.

Don't get me wrong. I am of the opinion that we need to live our lives in balance. Don't over do anything. The Bible doesn't say "don't be angry", it says "in your anger do not sin." It doesn't say "don't drink wine", it says "don't be drunk with wine." (ok, I fudge on that one sometimes.) It doesn't say "don't watch TV"...well it doesn't really talk about TV, but if it did it would say, "everything in moderation."

My point. Admit it, you watch TV. You have some shows that you don't want to miss. You use the DVR or TiVo or whatever it is you use to record shows when you aren't around to watch.

Hi, I'm Jodi, and I LOVE TV. I watch reality TV, just to make me feel a little better about myself (I tell my kids don't compare yourselves to the least of these, but sometimes it does feel good.) I like the cooking challenges and Ace of Cakes. I like Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, The Family Guy, the Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, infomercials about kitchen gadgets (don't know why since I don't cook, but I do). I LOVE TV.