To do lists

I'm a list maker.  I love to organize what I have to do and then cross it off when I've accomplished it.  I count myself among the group of people who add already completed projects to our lists just so we can cross them off as complete.  I find a considerable amount of joy in visually realizing that I have been productive.  As I prepped for the start of school my list was long so I wrote it on my white board.  It stayed up all week.  Ashley made the mistake of erasing "sunflower bulletin board" after she finished stapling the bright yellow sunflowers with green ribbon stems used to frame each child's face on the board.  I made her rewrite it and then draw a line through it.   Each night I would meticulously transfer the items I could do at home to a Post It.  When I finished the item at home I not only got to cross it off the Post It, I also got to come in the next morning and cross it off the board.  Lists are great because they give a sense of urgency to tasks.  I can prioritize what is important and I can stay on top of what I need to get done.

As I've prepped for the beginning of school one list has grown to an almost unbearable size.  It's looming over me screaming for attention -- unfortunately, I just don't have a lot of time right now.  This to do list grows daily and I haven't been able to remove a single thing.  Just when I think I'm going to get to it a senator/celebrity dies, a kidnap victim is found, or fires rage somewhere and my addiction to television news becomes the top priority.

Of all the lists I've ever compiled I find immense amounts of joy and satisfaction in working my way through my DVR list.  With the touch of a button I can see a list of all my favorite shows waiting to be viewed when it is convenient for me and without having to sit through commercials.  I figure for every hour long television program I save myself 15 minutes by viewing it on the DVR and if it's cable or a reality show I can sometimes save myself 30 minutes by fast forwarding through all the rehashing mini updates they show immediately upon return from the commercial break.  

Let me make this clear.  I LOVE the list feature on my DVR.  Yet, this list is growing out of control.  It's becoming a bit of a monster and I don't think it is healthy for me to be feeling pressure from my television.  At some point this summer I must have thought it would be a good idea to record a few programs to have on hand during the summer hiatus.  I like having something on in the background and while I will settle for an infomercial about the Magic Bullet I prefer to watch/listen to something I might enjoy.  So I set up my season pass to record shows like Cold Case, The Colony, Masterpiece Mystery, and I'm embarrassed to admit just about every Lifetime television movie ever made.  I recorded them just in case I might like them.  I can't think of a single Lifetime movie that I have fallen in love with but I continue to watch/record them over and over again.  I take it back -- I did really like the one called Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy, but I think it's because Sarah Chalke was in it and I love her, but generally these movies are low budget, made in Canada, not even remotely entertaining train wrecks so why do I continue to put them on my list?  I've got movies I've never even heard of and trust me if I didn't see it in the theater when it came out I really don't want to see it on television.  

I don't understand my reasoning here.  I don't really like any of these shows so why do I feel this pressure to watch them before I can delete them off my list?  Now shows that I do like are starting up again and I need to make room.  It would be tragic if I missed an episode of Top Chef Las Vegas or Project Runway because my machine wanted to record an episode of Kings. And don't even get me started on HGTV.  I had blocked this channel from my guide until I decided to put my house on the market earlier this summer and now I am addicted.  Canadians haven't mastered the art of the television movie but they sure have the market down on home improvement/repair.  They kick TLC's trash.  I am addicted to Design Star, which made me addicted to Divine Design, and if you know House Hunters then House Hunters International is only going to be like twelve times more amazing.  

So, I think I'm going to do it.  I'm going to delete my entire DVR list and start fresh.  I can't handle the pressure.  The hours and hours and hours it would take for me to watch all of these shows are hours that only existed that one semester when I was in college skipping physics, taking beginning guitar, and knitting.  As a productive member of society I am going to have to push that delete button because let's face it the new fall TV season is here.  

I'm going to delete everything, except for Masterpiece the complete Jane Austen because the BBC Collin Firth Pride and Prejudice is exquisite and you never now when you might want to watch Mansfield Park.