Apologies for such a late post this Monday. 

Since last Wednesday evening, I have been battling The Cold from Hell. Over the weekend, I haven’t had the ability do much of anything, not even sleep. (Hard to do that sufficiently when you can’t breathe.)

I certainly couldn’t enjoy being snowed in, either. Sure, I had plans to hunker down and do next-to-nothing because of this East Coast Snowblizzardzillagasmthing, but doing next-to-nothing because you’re crippled by illness isn’t quite as fun as indulging in voluntarily laziness.

The good news? Today is the best I’ve felt in days. I can sleep — and breathe — again, and do more than watch Netflix, pop cold meds, and burn through boxes of Kleenex…figuratively speaking, of course.

Ah, Netflix, my trusty companion during this lost weekend.

One of the best purchases I’ve made for myself in the last year is a Kindle Fire. I not only use it for reading, but also to watch shows and movies via the Netflix app. It’s convenient since my laptop can be rather bulky and problematic. Thanks to a new stand-case I just purchased for the tablet, I can prop the Kindle Fire up on my nightstand and watch Netflix to my heart’s content from the comfort of my own bed.

And that’s exactly what I’ve done for the last several days.

So here’s what I watched this weekend:

Bob’s Burgers: This is a binge I started last week. Now I’m sprinting to finish the handful of episodes I’ve yet to see. Bob’s Burgers is one of those shows I pick up on occasion, thoroughly enjoy, then put back down before I realize that I should start back up on it again. It’s clever, entertaining, and just plain good. It’s hard to believe that it’s already on its sixth season, but Bob’s Burgers doesn’t seem to have lost its mojo. For the record, Louise is my favorite character, but let’s be realistic, I’m probably most like Gayle.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: I’m about a year behind on this, but I finally decided to give this show a try. Did I like it? Sure, it kept me entertained — I easily watched all 13 half-hour episodes in under 24 hours. Was it problematic? Yeah, I found some of the scenarios, for lack of a better term, stupid. How does it rank among the other Netflix comedies I’ve watched? Somewhere in the middle — it’s not as excellent as BoJack Horseman, but nowhere near as poor as Arrested Development Season 4, which I sometimes forget exists. Still, I’ll give the upcoming second season of Kimmy a watch and see if it surprises me for the better.

The BoJack Horseman Christmas Special: I know Christmas is so last month, but I just felt like watching this. Plus, I miss BoJack. Come on, season three!

The Interview: I could only stand this movie for a half hour. I turned it off. I’m not even featuring its image here. It’s horrible.

Philomena: Talk about a 180, going from a movie I couldn’t give two shits about to a film that tugged at my heart until it near ripped it out of its chest. Philomena is based on a real-life story of an Irish woman who, along with British journalist Martin Sixsmith, seeks out her long-lost son, a child she had out of wedlock and who was subsequently given up for adoption against her will by the Catholic Church. It’s a long, emotional journey that starts — and ends — in a convent in Ireland. In between is a trip to America, where Philomena’s son would call home, and a series of revelations that test Philomena’s staunch faith in God. I don’t want to give too much away, as it’s an incredible film that I encourage everyone to see. You will experience a wide range of emotions throughout the movie, I guarantee you that.

Leap Year: This was my third time watching this movie. Why? It’s ridiculously silly and highly predictable. It’s incredibly stereotypical toward the Irish. Matthew Goode, I have to say, does not have a passable Irish accent, and this is coming from someone who has tried and failed miserably to replicate one herself. (Also, were there no willing Irish actors who wanted in on being Amy Adams’s co-star?) But dammit, sometimes I’m just a sucker for a sappy rom-com, especially one with such gorgeous scenery. Oh, and 2016 is a leap year. It’s appropriate to watch Leap Year in a leap year. Right?

Black Books: Okay, back to television comedies. Black Books has repeatedly popped up in my Netflix “recommended” list. It’s created by Dylan Moran — I’m familiar with his standup — and Graham Linehan, who is known for Father Ted and The IT Crowd, so it already has a lot going for it.  How is it? I like it. I wouldn’t rank it above Father Ted (maybe on par with The IT Crowd), but it’s given me some serious laughing fits at parts (followed by some severe coughing fits…that’s good?). The entire series is 18 episodes; I’ve only two more to watch. I know what my plans for the evening are.

---

The Monday Question

Isn’t Netflix great?  How do you prefer to pass the time when you’re stuck at home due to weather/illness/other? Share your tales in the comments. 

Til next Monday (and with an earlier post, I promise).