in defense of netflix.

dear netflix,

you and i have been together for a long time. since november 2004 actually. that’s longer than any relationship i’ve ever been in. and so far, you’ve never really let me down. sure, occasionally i’ve gotten a scratched disc, but you always dispatch a replacement within 24 hours. and yeah, sometimes you take an extra day or two to get my movies to me… but that could just as easily be the fault of the postal system. what i’m saying is that overall, it’s been good. really really good.

and then last year, we decided to take it to the next level. i purchased a roku, so that i could take advantage of your unlimited streaming. and i STREAMED. i streamed so hard. remember that time we watched all 7 seasons of buffy in a row? you’ve always known what i like.

2 dvds and unlimited streaming, all for a mere $15.74 a month. life was good.

but then, last month you announced that things were going to change. and at first, i felt hurt, betrayed… how could you do this to me after all of our good times together? 7 years of history, and you’re jacking up your rates?! $19.98 for my current plan to continue?

for a while, i stamped around like a spoiled brat.

but then, i realized something: netflix, you’ve been very good to me all these years. we’ve had 7 glorious years together, where i’ve taken all that you’ve had to give. and you only increased your prices once.

the reality is that our relationship has changed over the years. it takes me longer and longer to return my dvds (i’m pretty sure i had “logan’s run” for like 6 months), while i bask in your streamy goodness, every single day. maybe, it’s just time that we reconfigure the way that we do business.

so, i’ll make a deal with you. come september, i’m going to downgrade to streaming only. $7.99 for all the movies & crap tv that i can digest is a really really good deal. a great deal. a deal with a future. as for new releases and other various holes in your streaming library… (it’s hard for me to say this), i’m going back to videoport. it’s close to my house, and i’ve been feeling really guilty about not showing them more love over the last few years.

but i just wanted you to know how much i value our time together, and hope that we can continue seeing each other on these new terms for many years to come. i’ve paid a lot more for a lot less from other services, and it’s time i started giving you the credit and respect that you deserve. i took you for granted, and i will never let that happen again.

i love you netflix. i love you forever.

xo.

-a.

i try it- vegetable growing bonanza!

i’m not exactly the earth mother.  i like plastic, and pop culture, and mini skirts. i watch A LOT of tv. it’s not that i hate the outdoors, or that i shun the environment… hey, i have reusable bags somewhere in my apartment. but you’re probably not going to catch me dabbing patchouli all over my braless ass while i listen to jam bands. you’re certainly not going to hear me talk about feeling “close to the earth”.

again, it’s not that i’m anti gardening… it’s just that i’ve killed a good 80% of the plants i’ve ever owned (let’s face it, i’m on my 3rd set of ikea cactuses).  but for some reason (with full knowledge of my spotty history with plants), when the deadbeat dude who is in foreclosure in my condo association abandoned his raised bed in the backyard… I WAS ALL OVER IT. at least that’s what i told the condo association president.

while i was waiting for planting season, i had lengthy and involved fantasies about what gardening would be like. i started asking agriculturally inclined friends for tips about what to do.

“you’re gonna need some compost. like a lot of compost.”

“you should hit the deering oaks farmer’s market for seedlings.”

“don’t bother with carrots, they never work out.”

“10-10-10!”

i took all of this sage knowledge into my brain, and waited for it to germinate.

nothing.

may arrived, and it was time to weed the box (which hadn’t been touched in 2 years)! except that if you remember may at all, it RAINED CONSTANTLY… the seeds of gardening excitement that i had planted in my brain were slowly being drowned by inopportune weather and the slow creep of laziness and apathy.

come the end of june, i still hadn’t done jack, and the excitement i once felt for the project had dissipated considerably. and by considerably, i mean entirely. it seemed too late. maybe i would do it next year… sorry condo association president.

i’m channel 6 famous!

i hate watching myself on film. i hate my voice. i make funny squinty faces and wave my hands around too much… it makes me cringe. but every now and again, a girl has to get on camera for the greater good. (and no, girls gone wild does not count as the greater good).

well, i’ve been posting on the wcsh6 around town blog for a while, and a couple of weeks ago their fabulous community web producer asked me if i would be in a promo spot for the website.

scary, right? but who am i to turn down free publicity, and the opportunity to help out someone who helped me out.

the process was actually really fun and totally not traumatizing. the producer and camera man came over to my house, microphoned me up, and asked me a bunch of questions. i tried not to look like a fidgety spaz. the best part was when we were done filming and we all hung out and talked about nerd stuff. i also love that in the final cut, my apartment is heavily featured.

well, as if recording my very first (and likely last) commercial wasn’t enough…

suze says.

i love suze. she makes me feel terrible about myself- but that’s only because she’s telling the truth. when i need to remotivate myself to save or stop spending like crazy, i watch suze’s show and try imagine that she’s yelling at me. and the bitch is brassy as hell, so she’ll be yelling for sure at some poor jackass who wants to buy an olympic size swimming pool on $6.25/hour.

anyway, i ran into this article tonight on cnn.com. it’s pretty straight-up. admittedly, she always talks like everyone has a company that will match their 401k contributions (or that offers one at all)… or money to invest in stocks…. but still, she speaks the truth. and maybe if i can get past the first couple of steps and get out of debt, i will have money to invest in that IRA someday.  at least if i pay attention to suze, if i ever do have any money- i’ll know what to do with it.