My Reality Addiction

OK, so Kayla's got her kitchen shows. Elaine loves the Amazing Race. Michelle loves her "redneck reality" NASCAR. I've managed to avoid them all for the longest time, but now I've succumbed as well.

I'm addicted to Fox/CNN/MSNBC hurricane coverage.

Maybe it's the impending drama, the whole buildup of watching a group of fluffy clouds formerly known as Tropical Depression 8b12Z take the name and destructive personality of one of my ex-girlfriends and destroy entire neighborhoods, towns, and geographic areas LIKE THAT BITCH RIPPED OUT MY HEART (ahem... calming down). Maybe it's the airheaded yet stunningly beautiful news/weather babes whose perfect hair and makeup bear a stark contrast to the destruction on the video screeens behind them (marry me, Juliet Huddy) Maybe it's the deeply moving stories of heroism and selflessness in a world generally dominated by hate, greed, and excess. Nah, it's definately the babes... Soledad O'Brien in a baseball cap with a ponytail out the back??? Mmmmm...... yum yum.

Or maybe it's a mix of all of the above, plus some other reasons and emotional reactions. Regardless, there I am, eyes and ears turned toward the TV every morning like the RCA dog hearing his masters' voice (only my master this weekend was Kieran Chetry... dee-lish!!). I've even started going home for lunch more just to feed my fix even more, as if an hour in the morning and four at night aren't enough.

So Katrina came and went. All of the sorrow, heartbreak, heroism, blunders, fingerpointing, etc etc is beginning to fade. Iraq has managed to scrape its way back for a few minutes every hour, and I even saw a new story on Amber Frye.

But now we have Rita, a mere annoyance to South Florida yesterday, but getting ready to rip Texas a new one this weekend. As the poor folks of Galveston and Corpus Christi are stockpiling water, ice, medicine, and preparing for the worst, I'm stockpiling popcorn and soda and preparing for yet another weekend and more glued to the TV.

Did anyone notice all the new shows on regular TV recently? Me neither. Blow Rita Blow!!!