Do you know what I’ve spent half my summer doing?
Flipping and scrolling.
I’ve been looking for something entertaining to watch on television.
I know. Not the best use of my time but when the temperatures rise, I like to isolate on my sofa with my air conditioning on Arctic blast and turn off the world for a while.
So, how can it be that with so many channel choices not to mention streaming services there is literally NOTHING to watch?
In the dark ages (the 60’s) we may have only had four networks to choose from but, at least, we were entertained from morning to night until it went off air.
Remember, they played the national anthem and then it went to snow on the screen until the next morning?
At least, back then I could tell you exactly what programs were on each night and what time and could recite the channel numbers.
As I was saying I have the choices but I don’t care for many of them.
I swear I have spent an hour some nights checking Netflix and Prime and Paramount and whatever else I signed up for and now cannot figure out how to cancel! (another problem for another day).
Up and down the menu I scroll and nothing interests me.
All the regular prime time shows are on summer break replaced by game shows or reality shows which are not my thing.
I know this will sound ridiculous but my new favourite channels are on YouTube. Everything you can imagine is there.
Everybody and their dog (literally) has their own channel.
Did you know you can watch people cleaning their houses? Who would have thought that’s a thing?
I found myself watching a lady from Tennessee cleaning her oven ... Trust me it's more entertaining than getting up and doing my own.
Do you know when I cleaned my oven? Never that I can recall.
So, I Googled how to use the self clean buttons and on the hottest day of the season I did the deed. It requires ventilating the house in case of weird fumes and then the oven does the work but the inside gets up to like 500 degrees.
It took all day and maybe was not the best timing on my part but when it was done I wiped it all down and it looked brand new. I felt so accomplished.
Next, she decluttered her kitchen cabinets.
Me too.
Then, on to some thrifting channels where you watch other people shop for bargains at charity shops or garage sales.
Its just like getting engrossed in sports yelling out:
“Tackle him!”
“Bad call, ref!”
I yell out “Grab that fancy mug, you idiot!”, “Don’t leave that antique on the shelf. It could be worth something!”
I kid you not, its quite relaxing and satisfying — and you really do pick up some good bargain hunting tips and ideas.
There’s not just a couple of these thrifting, decluttering and decorating channels — there are dozens, maybe even hundreds.
Sometimes, watching regular people do regular tasks can be calming and it definitely beats 24/7 news — even though I am an admitted news junkie, too.
For now, thank you to YouTube for the grand selection of weird things to watch while we await the fall season of TV shows. We can’t even depend on that anymore. New shows always started the second week of September. Now it could be anytime from fall to the new year.
By then, I should have worked by way through all the true crime documentaries and be ready for some Hallmark movies.
