Balance

Lately, I have been watching a lot of TV. We don't have cable so we check out TV shows from the library. Usually we have a few shows lying around that we both like, things like Frasier, Cheers, Myth busters, and the Office, and some things I like that Mr. P won't watch. Mr. P works a lot of evenings and when he's working in the evening I usually curl up in bed (the only warm place in our house) and watch some TV. I mostly attribute this to how tired I am from work. My job is extremely stressful and it's both mentally and emotionally draining. By the time I finish working, get home, deal with home stuff (cooking, cleaning, laundry) I just don't have a lot of energy for much else and all I want to do is watch TV. I had been working my way through Gilmore Girls. Last night I watched the series finally and I mentioned I needed to select another show to watch when Mr. P said, "or maybe you could read a book, like you used to do." I have to say this comment really gave me pause. It wasn't mean or hurtful, in fact he was mostly joking, but it really made me think. Growing up we really didn't watch TV. I remember Full House and the Cosby show and TGIF and strategically going to friends houses on Tuesday/Wednesday nights to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's creek. In college I didn't have a TV at all. I went through 4 years of college with zero television. Then after college when Mr. P and I were engaged I had no TV.

In recent years though my TV habits have been growing. But my reading has continued, in 2009 despite having cable for most of the year I still read 25 books. So what happened now? I have finished a sum total of 3 book since I started my new job 10 weeks ago and all three have been chick lit. How do I find the right balance where I can still put so much energy into work but not turn into mush at home? I have to say that the more I think about this trend the more concerned I am. What happens when we want to have children? when we buy our own house and have to take care of it? I guess in the short term I need to make more of an effort to sit down and read a book.