guilty pleasures

About a week ago my cat got suddenly sick and I totally turned into one of the people I poked a little fun at in this post. Fortunately, after a week in the hospital and more money spent that I can talk about without feeling incredible remorse and mild embarassment, my cat is home and on the mend. He will never be 100%, but he's feeling good and clearly happy to be home. I'm grateful I still have him, and I learned a little something about perspective in the process. Also, there's nothing easy or remotely pleasant about giving a cat two pills a day. Nothing.

Anyway, I've had to be at home a lot with him since he got out of the hospital. He has required a lot of intense hands-on care, and when I'm not at work, I've felt more than a little trapped in the ol' apartment. Fortunately, we'll be done with the heavy duty care next week. But during this time I've indulged in some guilty TV pleasures that I thought I'd share with you.

1. Are we all fully aware of the vast buffet of entertainment available these days on The Learning Channel? Maybe it's just me, but it's rare that I can't find something I like on TLC. At the top of the list - What Not to Wear. This show is television gold. Like a gift from above, there was a WNTW marathon this past weekend. I also find myself sucked in by Little People, Big World which documents the life of a family of dwarves. Go ahead, call me weird, but I can't get enough of a good documentary about the unusual - conjoined twins, the paranormal, etc. If you are like me - it's OK, no need to explain - just turn on TLC and you will be all set. (*also, as a personal disclaimer, it should be noted that the shows I just mentioned - about conjoined twins, etc. - are always presented in a very sensitive way. They're not as exploitive as they sound.)

2. The Agency. This is a reality show on VH1 that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the world of a New York modeling agency. The agents are crazy, and most (I said MOST, not all) of the models are either also crazy, or just kind of stupid. It's silly, high-stakes drama all the time - two thumbs up.

3. The Hills. You've surely heard of it. It's a pseudo reality show on MTV and it's even more mindless than its predecessor Laguna Beach. This show hypnotizes and soothes me like waves crashing softly on the shore. I suggest you check it out for yourself.

4. The Real Wives of Orange County. Again, a pseudo reality show, this time on Bravo. The characters are basically the 20 year-olds from The Hills when they're 35 to 40 years old. The stupid scenarios they find themselves in are pretty much exactly the same as when they were in their 20's, just with a few more wrinkles and a whole lot more bling.

And there you go - a short list of television guilty pleasures that have helped me get through some not-so-fun time at home. Enjoy!