Which is slightly frightening, since I don't have much of a life to begin with...
I love the instant streaming for two main reasons:
1. Um, it's instant. I don't have to wait for the disc to come in the mail. My queue is so large that not only have I reached the maximum amount allowed (several times, thank you), but buy the time I actually get to certain discs, I completely forgot what it was and why I was interested in it enough to want to watch it.
2. I am what you would classify as a lover of instant gratification. I hate waiting. When I want something, I want it now. This service satisfies a small part of my instant gratification-ness because I can watch an entire series from humble beginning to bitter end and not have to wait a week (or summer) for the next episode to broadcast. Whether it only lasted one season or seven, I can watch them all in succession and not have to wait. I love that.
I'm not a really big fan of situation comedies either. I mostly am drawn toward sci-fi, dramas or documentary series. If I do watch a sitcom, I would have heard great and wonderful things about it enough to peak my interest. It would have to be a smart comedy, too. I get enough silly, physical slapstick and bodily function humor in my daily life at home (Helllllloooooo, Little Lawyer!). I have no desire to sit through Dumb and Dumber in movie or television form...
I had continually heard great things about Arrested Development. It began in 2003 and ran for three seasons. There were huge cries of foul when the series was threatened to be canceled. I queued it up on good 'ol Netflix and gave it a try. I was not disappointed...
It's the story of the Bluth family, who are developers facing bankruptcy with the father in prison for fraud. The somewhat sane and levelheaded son, Michael (Jason Bateman), tries to hold the family together and do the right things along the way. The rest of the family are totally self-centered, and are in complete denial about being broke. It is a fast-paced, snarkily smart and witty comedy that I actually found myself laughing out loud at quite a few times. Ron Howard narrates the series and I think his deadpan narration is a large part of why I enjoyed it so much. Oh, and Portia DeRossi? Golden. Just golden! She needs to be in a LOT more stuff (and yes, I have seen Better Off Ted and she was the only reason I watched it).
It's a shame it only lasted three seasons (well, really season one was the only full 22 episode season. Season two was whittled down to 18 episodes, while the final season was hacked to a mere 13 episodes.) but there is talk of a movie to wrap it all up. I would definitely watch it, even though most wrap-up movies for series are usually substandard and end up making you wonder why exactly you liked the series in the first place...
Give it a watch if you have the time - you won't be disappointed! Then tell me what you think...
And you can make this delicious pavlova to eat while watching....ha!
Light, crispy meringue, freshly whipped cream and juicy berries and fruit make this dessert one of my favorites. Patience is key here, but you will be rewarded...
Pavlova
You'll need:
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
6 egg whites (at room temp)
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups whipped cream
2 cups fresh fruit/berries
1/4 c granulated sugar
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet (be sure the paper doesn't hang over the edges of the pan - trim with scissors if necessary).
Measure the vinegar and vanilla into a small bowl and set aside. Pour 1 ¼ cups of sugar into a different bowl, add the cornstarch and mix with a fork to blend and set aside. In a large, clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites. I kid not when I say room temperature is important here.
Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer starting on the lowest speed, gradually adding in the salt.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the egg whites until gentle peaks begin to form.
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