Day 10 - The Awakening of My Netflix

I did just about nothing today.

I slept in, getting up around 10 am. After breakfast and checking email, I started a several hour long process of cleaning up the house in preparation for Gwen's arrival. I kept this weekend purposefully lightly scheduled on the off chance that she might get in earlier than planned. Unfortunately, though, she's still at the mercy of Army (Tm) and still stuck in TQ as I type.

After hours of straightening and organizing, a phone call with Gwen, some laundry and a couple of Madden games (I know - thrilling), I made some dinner. I made it out the house exactly once today - to throw out some garbage. It was cold as I recall....

After dinner, still in pajamas, I watched "The Last Picture Show", which is a Netflix rental that I brought to Iraq with me. You read that right. I got the movie here, back in early 2006. When I deployed, I brought it with me thinking I'd get around to it, but I didn't. When I came back, I brought it back. Tonight I finally watched it. The movie itself was solid if a little depressing.

But perhaps not as depressing as my Netflix account. Netflix, which is as most people know, is a cool rent-DVDs-by-internet service, charges you about 20 bucks a month to have 3 DVDs in your possession at a time. You watch one, mail it back, and another one comes. All the mailing is free. Its an awesome service, convenient and easy, and I absolutely love that its given home movie viewers a great alternative to the infernal Blockbuster. (May Blockbuster rot in hell.)

When I lived in Seattle, the turnaroud time for a Netflix DVD in the mail was about two or three days, which was great. Out here, its closer to about a week or more. In Iraq, the turnaround time is about two weeks. (Not that *I'd* know, of course. This is information that comes from Gwen, because she actually used her Netflix account down there. She even expanded it up to 8 DVDs, for more money naturally, because of that vast turnaround time.)

My Netflix account, however, has been dormant for ages. I've taken to calling it my Netflix donation, because that's exactly what its been. For exactly NO service, I've been paying netflix.com about 20 bucks a month for the past 12 months. The last time I sent a movie back or got one in the mail was probably early March of 2006, maybe even February (actually I just checked on the website - it was 2/27/06). Tonight, I watched my first Netflix movie since then. So one could argue that for the three DVDs I have now, and which have been in my possession since March 2006, I've paid about 240 bucks in rental fees. Strong work me.

I don't mind so much, though. Obviously this isn't an efficient use of money, but I've never been known for that anyway. Netflix is a good company, and I like to think of my 20 dollar monthly donation as a big middle finger to Blockbuster, which (as you might be able to tell), I hate. (Though I'm certainly not alone...)

Anyway, its good to have Netflix back in gear. And here's hoping that anyone reading this has a more exciting Saturday night.