... and Then I Got Sucked Into Downton Abbey ...

... I couldn't HELP it.

Here's what happened: I had plans that had to be cancelled due to a combination of not-so-good weather and my (generally acknowledged as poor) driving skills. As a result? I was bored and cranky, because I'd been looking forward to the event that I was now going to miss.

I watched the snow fall outside my window and the part of my brain that loves Robert Frost was pleased at the beauty. The part of my brain that wanted to go out and play with my friends was pouting. And yet another part of my brain suddenly mentioned that this situation required mulled wine, and would I please move all parts of my brain (and, you know, the rest of my person) into the kitchen and make some?

The other two parts of my brain perked up at the idea of warm, winey goodness and stopped rhapsodizing and pouting long enough to be all "oooooh, wine!" So off to the kitchen I went to mull away.

(As an aside, if you've got a pot filled with red wine and other things? Try not to drop a half of an orange into it. Turns out that will make a HUGE mess that you will have to clean up before you can enjoy any of your winey genius. Also, red wine? That'll stain. I mean, not that I DID that. TWICE.)

After successfully making what might be my new favourite beverage ever, I went into the living room and discovered that a) I no longer have HBO (which is weird, because I didn't CANCEL it and I don't know where it went) and b) there was nothing on tv. NOTHING. 100 plus channels and nothing to watch.

The pouty, "But I wanted to GOOOOO" part of my brain started whining again. I drank some wine. It briefly shut up.

And then I thought: hey, didn't I get Season One of Downton Abbey a while ago? I should watch that.

Now, you may be wondering how it came to be that I had purchased Downton Abbey and not actually watched it. The truth is that I don't watch very much television. I just don't. I don't like to sit that long (unless it's with a book, in which case my entire house could burn down around me and I might not notice because I'M BUSY). As a result, I caved and bought season one of Downton because people kept telling me I would love it, it was awesome, I needed it in my life, and then put it in the DVD shelf and promptly forgot about it. (This is not the same as Season One of The Walking Dead, which I purchased for the same reason but was too scared to make it through the first episode. Oh, and does anyone want Season One of The Walking Dead? Because, really.)

This would be a good time to watch, like, the first episode, I thought. Nothing else is happening right now.

Six hours later, I was STILL WATCHING. I'd forgotten about my wine. I'd forgotten it was snowing. I'd forgotten to eat dinner. I'd managed to forget that I'd had to clean my entire kitchen twice. I DID, however, manage to start sending my poor friend Shilo texts that said things like "OMG THE CLOTHES!" (She actually started watching this show when it was new-ish. Whatever, I'm only three years late to the party.)

I finally went to bed. In the morning, I made a cup of coffee and watched the last installment of the first season. It ended. I sat on the couch, staring at the credits.

"But there's MORE," the credits seemed to slyly whisper. "There are two more seasons. YOU NEED THEM!"

I looked out the window. It was clearly icy outside.

I looked at the tv. It looked back at me.

"AMAZON.COM,"I said out loud.

So, yeah. If you need me this week? I'll be in Downton Abbey. Catching up with Mr Bates and Anna and Lady Mary and the Dowager Countess. (And, probably, drinking mulled wine. Tis the season.)