Miss Alli just said the words nobody wants to hear. But, the words we all (those of us keeping tabs on the WGA strike) kinda thought were coming. This strike? Looks like it’s going to be a long one:
Settle in, folks; I think it’s going to summer. Once positions begin to harden like this, even more than they already were, you’re not going in the direction you want to be going.
Man. This sucks. I’m hooked on new television and I’m not one of those people who just loves reality TV. I like some of it, but as a genre in general? Not so much. And especially considering the drivel created in a crunch is not going to be great. Bah. I want my TV.
So, we have a few options during the strike:
Watch DVDs
Are there old shows I haven’t been watching that I should be? Ones that have seasons on DVD already? I’m thinking I’ll start with Battlestar Gallactica and Dr. Who. Any other suggestions? I’ll give you a few: Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls.
Read
Okay, besides the Golden Compass books (what I’m reading now) do you have any other suggestions? I like popular fiction like James Patterson, Dean Koontz, and Patricia Cornwell. And then I like the Teen Fiction books because I’m still 12 at heart. Any suggestions?
Exercise
Whatever. That’s not happening.
Crafts
I did buy some Christmas Ornament kits! Can you believe it? I’m sure they’ll turn out crappy, but I’m going to try! Want to laugh at me while I do it?
Learn to cook, or learn to like cooking
Yeah. Right after I start exercising.
Garden
Obviously I can’t do that right now, being winter and all, but if the strike is still going late winter/early spring - I may attempt to plant something. I’ll come back later for advice if I do reach that point of desperation.
Damn it, this sucks. But thanks for the update.
(And with it getting SO dark so early in the day here in Seattle, there is NOTHING to do at night. NOTHING.)
TV on DVD… I can’t think of anything you don’t already watch… Did you watch Alias? Comedies like Scrubs or The Office are always fun, even if you’ve already seen them.
Books: Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. You’ll like them.
If you like teen fiction (I’ve got your back there, sister) you’ve got to read Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Alice books. They actually start when Alice is 11, and I the series is still going… I think the heroine is 16 now. They differ from normal series in that the author plotted out the whole general story before she started writing the books. (Hey, can we think of any other author who has done that? Awesome!) So unlike with many series, the plots don’t feel like the same thing re-worked. Naylor does a great job with making them down-to-earth and dealing with real issues girls face, while still keeping them fun.
Can you tell I love these books? I own all of them, even though the reading level is like, 6th grade or something.
You can’t go wrong with the first 2 seasons of HIMYM on DVD. Did you ever read the Time Travel series, by Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, A Swiftly Tilting Planet) when you were a kid? She’s my favorite author and I always love revisiting those.
1. Definitely try “Battlestar”. We love it. So say we all! (That will make a lot more sense once you see it.) Also, try “Smallville”, “Angel” or “Buffy”. We got seriously hooked on those. I am watching “Gilmore Girls” now and LOVE them.
2. Have you read the young adult vampire romance books by Stephanie Meyer? If you are a Dean Koontz fan, I think you would like them.
3. If you are not a subscriber to Netflix, think about it. Not only can you get great movies delivered to your mailbox (!), they also have tv series and instant download movies and tv shows. Hook your computer to your tv and you won’t even notice the time passing until summer! We are going to start “Quantum Leap” soon.
Ooo! I am watching “Chuck” right now. It’s awesome, but not for children, so I watch it at 2 am when I’m up.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0934814/
I don’t know what we’re gonna do, but if NBC airs the Jamaica episode of “The Office” one more time I’m gonna throw a steel drum into the tv!
I love Nora Roberts, but if you’re not into “suspense romance” you could try her futuristic cop series written as “JD Robb”. A friend of mine who can’t stand Nora’s normal works devours the JDRobb series. Plus, since there are like 15+ of them right now, you can just work your way through the series.
On the calmer side… there is a series of kids books that I’ve been addicted to since I was 9 years old. The Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. They are about a bunch of kids who go sailing and camping and have “wars” and such in 1930s England. Sound boring, but are SO well written and tons of fun.
Exercise?
I’m hoping that I’ll end up going with the “exercise” option. Usually when I skip running or using the elliptical, it’s because there was something AWESOME that COULDN’T WAIT on TV. So maybe this will be a good way for me to keep myself motivated to work out over the winter! I gotsta get in shape for swimsuit season!
My husband and I are slowly working out way through old seasons of current shows. We really liked Jericho, Lost (duh), and Friday Night Lights (sounds lame but the teenage drama keeps me on the edge of my seat). You should also rent the 1st 2 seasons of the Ghost Whisperer since you just started watching it.
When the strike first started, I set my DVR to tape all sorts of stuff. Older shows, TV movies, etc. I scroll through at night, to see what’s on the next day, and tape anything that looks remotely interesting.
During this time, I’m really hoping to transfer some home movies from the old VHS tapes to DVD’s. I have the setup to do so, but just no time. Guess if I get really tired of TV shows, I’ll watch our home movies instead. Though I know it will make me cry, watching my daughter growing up.
Anyway, no exercise here either. Just don’t see it happening, no matter how bored I am.
One word… NetFlix!!
I have been into Fern Michaels lately.. they are easy reading books, with empowering women in charge stuff…
NOT ROMANCE NOVELS,
try The Marriage Game or the Sisterhood Series…
If you like teen fiction my son is really into the Pendragon books. It is about a time/world traveling kid named Bobby Pendragon. My son is obsessed with this series right now (there are 8 books).
Good luck ( I feel your pain!)
kali
We joined Netflix and are catching up with past season of The Office, Heroes, and Entourage.
Someone already beat me to the Stephanie Meyer suggestion, and that’s my new obsession. I haven’t actually picked one up yet, but SOON. Also, I’ve been entrenched with Augusten Burroughs, and I will preach his genius from the highest mountaintops.
OH OH if you can get into British comedy, put Extras on your netflix cue. I laughed my ASS off. It is all about this guy whose profession is being an Extra in movies. You get to know him, his best friend (she is also an extra) his agent…the guest stars are GREAT! Daniel Radcliffe, Patrick Stewart, Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom, Ben Stiller. They all play themselves, well parodies of themselves and I loved it!
I have also gotten into Big Love and Weeds all thanks to netflix
We don’t have cable, so we’re always watching three-years-ago TV, mostly HBO. Big Love is awesome, as is Weeds.
Not only is this making television suck, for those of us in SoCal who make their living from the industry (like my Hubby), it’s really hurting us financially at a very bad time of the year. If it continues to summer - it’s pretty likely we’ll be living at a campground (ok, slight exaggeration) but we’ll most likely lose our home.
If I recall correctly, the striking writers don’t want us buying DVDs (since fair compensation for those is part of their beef) or streaming video from the network sites. But I’m not giving up my Netflix.
I have a month off from school coming up, and I guess I’ll have to fill it with books and exercise instead of catching up on TV. I’m trying to remind myself that’s a good thing.
Two of my favorites on DVD are The Office and Entourage. Also good is Weeds (but I’ve only seen the first season so far).
I am so disappointed to hear that this strike is going to last so long. I am totally getting into the new shows and it’s going to be so sad with no Chuck on Monday nights!
We only watch shows on DVD. Some we’ve recently enjoyed:
Buffy
Smallville
Dead Like Me
Wonderfalls
Battlestar Galactica (I know you mentioned it- just throwing in my HELL YEAH on that one!)
Monk (though it gets kind of old kind of fast)
The Wire (if you can stand violent stuff)
Angel (even though I HATE the lead, it’s still funny)
I’m sure there are more…
Have you read any of Kathy Reichs’ books? The series Bones is loosely based on them. I started reading them before Bones came out and I love them. Just don’t expect them to be just like the TV series.
What about Buffy the Vampire Slayer? I’m trying to remember if I’ve heard you mention that show before.
The Homicide series was also fan-freaking-tastic.
Freaks and Geeks? You would so love that I believe.
You could always blog more.
Wait. That’s probably not possible.
I second the ‘Freaks and Geeks’, and add ‘Undeclared’… as for books, I HIGHLY recommend the teen-genre ‘Twilight’ series by Stephanie Meyer. They are FABULOUS books. They filled my Harry Potter void after I finished ‘Deathly Hallows’ this summer. Sigh.
Thanks for the update, even if it is a sucky one.
If you haven’t watched HBO’s Rome, I would highly recommend it. It’s amazing.
How are you liking the Golden Compass books? I’ve been thinking about picking them up next time I need something to read.
I’m on the third book of the Sophie Katz series by Kyra Davis - they’re fun. They look chick-lit-y, but they’re really just contemporary mystery novels with a female protagonist.
As a dedicated Bookcrosser, I’ll be happy to pack up the whole set and send them to you after I’m finished. Just e-mail me with your address and they’re yours.
Dude. This is SO sad. I have tried so hard not to get wrapped up in any current tv show because when I do I let it dictate how I live my life because I’m poor and don’t have Tivo. And now I went and fell in love with The Office and now this.
SUCH heartache.
After a year of not using my Netflix account to its full potential, I have become addicted to watching all of the series that I either missed, want to re-watch, or couldn’t get the first time around (like Weeds). I just finished “my So-Called Life” (which I missed the first time around - it was AWESOME), and I just started Big Love (on HBO, which I don’t get).
Excellent book - The Time Traveller’s Wife - a fantastic love story (NOT a romance, and NOT sci-fi-ish at all).
Excellent YA Book (also considered an adult title) - Acceptance by Susan Coll
Good YA/Suspense series - The Mediator series by Meg Cabot
Wonderful adult books by a YA author - Smart Women and Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
I recommend Dennis Lehane. (I read him before he was cool!) He’s wry, sarcastic, witty — excellent. I was actually pretty unhappy with Mystic River, which I thought was a great book, because they (the mysterious, elusive They) changed the movie in ucky ways. Ucky, I say! Anyhoo, Lehane is pretty awesome. I’ve not read his newer stuff, so I’m hereby only recommending his older work, e.g., Darkness, Take My Hand; Gone, Baby, Gone; and Sacred.
Or we could exercise and cook together. Rah!
Zoot! Check out my book blog! I’ve been consuming children’s and young adult novels at a high rate of speed! You might find some good suggestions there! http://librariansreading list.blogspot.com! Exclamation points!
I have some book series recommendations.
J.D. Robb’s In Death series.
Elaine Viets’s Mystery Shopper series and Dead End Job series
Lee Harris’s Christine Bennet series and Manhattan series
All the books by Mary Kay Andrews. Southern fiction that will make you pee your pants.
Disappointing, but I respect the writers for sticking to their guns.
TV on DVD - The Wire (not nearly as violent as say The Sopranos). The Wire is easily one of the best written dramas on TV ever. Everything means something - the writers really know what they are doing and no dialogue is wasted. This is best viewed on DVD anyway because everything is connected.
Books - If you like mystery/light fare, I highly recommend Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series beginning with A is for Alibi. Easy reads that are fun without totally being mind numbing.
SLEEP.
There is some great TV on DVD like Vicar of Dibley (Hilarious), Extras, Dead Like Me, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Planet Earth, etc.
As for books, I highly recommend the Bubbles series by Sarah Strohmeyer
Kathy Reichs, someone already mentioned, as well as Grafton’s alphabet series. I also like Evanovich’s “by the numbers” mystery/comedy sort of things - the first one is “One for the Money.”
They can be so tremendously helpful in finding stuff to read! (oddly enough.)
Meg Cabot is great for the YA sort of stuff, too. Go to the library, and talk to your “Reader’s Advisor.” I adore my RA
I alsorecommend Kathy Reichs.The books are the basis of Bones but the charachters ARE different so be prepared for that. Another great author is Linda Fairstein. I also love Michael Connolly (Harry Bosch is the best detective ever!)
I second Heather’s Janet Evanovich nod…the Stephanie Plum (numbered) books…I just finished 12 and oh my do they have me laughing out loud. They are great!
I think you might like Jodi Picoult, although everything she has written makes me cry! My favorite YA author right now is Sarah Dessen.
We seem to have similar tastes in books (i nearly typed boobs…just so you know)…so if this writers strike does last (Oh please just give the people what they want I am already going insane) you might want to try these authors:
Kay Hooper (I love her FEAR books especially…and the Shadows Trilogy). These are grownup books…
I too love me a good teen read…and highly suggest Gingerbread, Shrimp and Cupcake all by Rachel Cohn. I also read Nick and Norah’s Infinite playlist but didn’t like it as much as the otherones…
Sigh…
I’m going to scrapbook (my child is turning 3 this weekend and I haven’t finished one single scrapbook - I suck); catch up on movies on DVD (this would happen after I cancelled my Netflix subscription so I could get a second dvr); read more books; and sew!
But I will still miss my tv.
Freaks and Geeks…the number one best cancelled television show EVER. Marshall from How I Met Your Mother is on it. I highly recommend it.
I am going to buy some Arrested Development. I have a small crush on Jason Bateman.
This strike is seriously bumming me out. I want to go picket with the writers and give them all a hug. They make me happy with the shows they write. Except for the Grey’s writers, I may kick them, since that show is craptacular.
Another Youth Fiction book you might like is called Blackbringer by Laini Taylor. It’s the first book in her new Faeries of Dreamdark series. It’s a fantasy for youngish readers but it’s definitely not typical fluffy fare, and has gotten a LOT of good reviews from adults. I loved it! Another good book that I am reading for the third time is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
As far as the whole teen fiction 12 at heart thing goes The clique books are the most awesome things ever so yah. And amazing spectacular super fantastical choice on Gilmore Girls!!:):)!!
I HIGHLY recommend Buffy, Wonderfalls, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica.
West Wing on DVD. I never paid attention to it when it was first airing, but then Bravo started West Wing Marathon Mondays a few years back, and I got dragged into watching it with the boyfriend. And I loved it! I went and rented all of the initial seasons and caught up just in time for the series finale. Quick wit, fully fleshed-out characters, and beautiful acting. LOVE!