Life Imitates Art Far More Than Art Imitates Life

Recently, I've been using Netflix to catch up on The Office (we backwards mountain folk don't much keep up with the latest pop culture). I wasn't too impressed with the first season, but the show has gotten much better in the following seasons.

It reminds a lot of Arrested Development. Smart, quick, and hilarious. And yet at times it's also sad and poignant.

(Bear with me, I'm about to geek out here: I really wish that Jim and Pam weren't sleeping together. Now it has never been explicitly stated, but there is plenty circumstantial evidence to support. I suppose it'd be too much to ask that a network sitcom portray a couple in a chaste relationship. To me it just doesn't seem to fit the dynamic of their relationship, or even Jim's earnest pursuit of Pam. They need to hurry up and get married, and I would be much happier. And now that you have that thought in your head, we'll move on.)

I've also come to realize that the Estes Park Center/YMCA of the Rockies Housekeeping office is eerily similar to the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company's Scranton branch.

For instance, the second-season episode "Performance Review" features manager Michael playing for coworkers a voice mail from a love interest. Something akin to this happens far too often in my own office. Tina insists that I listen to voice mails (or read text messages) sent to her by her ex, Bob.

Rather than "That's what she said," I like to use the phrase "I don't want to hear about your sick fantasies." In fact, I've already gotten to use it twice today. First was when Tina didn't want to encroach on Dennis's responsibilities by "stepping on his toes;" I said that if she did, he'd probably be crippled for life, to which she responded, "How about I sit on your face and break your glasses?" The other time came after she suggested that I look like the GEICO caveman and that "if you took off all your clothes, I bet you'd be just as hairy as him."

Tina doesn't quite have as much energy as Michael Scott, unless we get into one of our ridiculous arguments. Then she draws from some hidden source of strength. Thursday we got into an fight about whether or not a stop sign is needed at a spot on the main road that has been reworked. Things got so heated that we left the office, got in her truck, and drove to the spot to solve the issue.

Also, like Andy, I sing all the time. And I'm in the process of orchestrating a prank on Mary Hughes, our Guest Services Director. She's sort of our Jan Levinson, but less crazy.

So essentially, I'm saying that we're highly efficient here in the Housekeeping office.

God or the Girl

Anybody seen A&E's five-part documentary God or the Girl? It follows four young men in their discernment of a call to the Catholic priesthood. It's surprisingly reverent and even-handed in its presentation of these men and the Faith.

Wanted to get the word out about this program since it's not often that the Church and the priesthood is portrayed in a fair or even positive light.

Check out the show's website for more information and air times.

Got up at 8:30 this morning for the first time in God knows when. Had to go into work to start cleaning up the construction mess to open the theaters this weekend, though I will be in RO to celebrate Sister's graduation. Same thing tomorrow.

Went to Scott and Lindsey's wedding on Saturday. It was a nice interfaith ceremony and afterward they left on a tandem bike (Lindsey had to hike up her dress). Good times, good times. They are a cute couple; very faith-filled. The reception had keg 1919 Root Beer, which made me happy. Also, there might be video of me dancing, a rarety akin to footage of Bigfoot and as equally disturbing.

I happened to hang out with one of Katie's current roommates, Liz, at the reception. She's a good kid. But Corey, Nick, and I have decided that she and the other girls need to get the hell out of our house so we can move in. Nick did some yard work there yesterday, mowing the backyard so we can use it for Sunday Dinner.

We've yet to meet Betsy, though Nick and I have already decided that we don't care for her name and will be rechristening her with something less old womany. Also, we're not sure whether the sixth roommate "Mary" is even alive. No one has heard from her. But that's fine with me because we can convert the sixth bedroom into the TV room, which was the focus of the Heated Roommate Discussion Number One between Nick, Katie, and myself last night. Corey, who joined us for dinner, did the wise thing and steered clear of argument.

I declare Nick and myself the winners.

The masses have been clamoring for a new entry. Here you go; it's a bit of a rant.

I've decided that I spend far too much time watching TV. The interesting thing is that I don't really watch that much. But what I do watch--aside from the occasions I tune into EWTN--is a bunch of crap. Simpsons reruns, Queer Eye, American Idol, home improvement shows, and a few others.

What I'm really doing when I watch turn on the TV is procrastination. I'm avoiding the school work I need to do; I'm neglecting the leisure books I want to read or time I could be spending in prayer. It's also interesting that for a classy gent such as myself who hates "reality shows" for their mindless, voyeristic quality sure watches a lot of said programs. Thank God I broke myself of that dirty Real World habit.

I often wonder why it was so easy to go three months without television while at the Y last summer. I suppose living in the glory of the Rockies was the biggest factor; I could walk out the door and climb a mountain at whim. And it's amazing the amount of other truly fulfilling things I was able to do: I attended daily Mass on my days off; I read plenty of books; I went into Estes and sat on the Riverwalk or went to an outdoor concert with friends; I swung down to Boulder and wandered Pearl Street.

When I think about the amount of time I had last summer and everything I accomplished within that time coupled with the fact that I have easy access to a TV, I tend to agree with my future roommate, Nick, who is adamant in insisting that next year our house not have a television in the shared living space. It sucks the life out of me. You want the modern opiate of the people? Forget religion, it's television.

I'll be abstaining from TV for the next several days in order to celebrate the Easter Triduum more fully. Maybe it's something you could try, too.