I realize I have not taken the time to relieve my stress through writing in several months. That is a shame. One thing I was thinking about just now as I work really hard to avoid the important tasks of completing my dissertation is what I have misssed (other than my kids) since moving out of the US. I miss my televison watching habit. TV watching was something that Todd and I could do together that did not require one of us to out work or out think, or out do the other in order to be together. We do think competively sometimes and that is not always a good thing. But TV watching in the US was different for us. There were series and shows that we enjoyed together and I miss that. I have not watched these shows in more than two and a half years. I had not missed that until today. It is likely the death of Bob Saget that made me realize all of this, but none the less I realized it and now I need to work through the struggle this recognitions brings.

The TV watching we do now is not like it was in the US. We intentionally watch things the other would not want to watch at times. I find myself watching stuff I neither understand nor want to understand just to sit with Todd. I find myself wanting to watch stuff on my iPad in my office with the door locked. I think that is odd. I know that not everyone likes to admit that TV watching is their chosen method of relaxation, but I am not ashamed of it. I appreciate different characters, different stories, and different cinematography. It is art to me. I like to read, sit alone and do nothing, and talk to others as well as watch TV, but today is different for me. I actually miss the shows and the characters that actually taught me lessons that I did not learn from other sources.