“Why does anyone have a web page? Too much time…not enough friends…justifying owning a computer.”

Noel Crane had it figured out long ago. (If you know who Noel Crane is without googling his name or looking further down the page, raise your hand. And then imagine that I’m high-fiving you. BAM.)

By the way, speaking of Noel Crane, we’re getting a new member of the family sometime this week:

My Pretty. I will write my masterpieces on you and you will be a part of something great–

Uh, sorry. Having a moment.

Back to the topic at hand. I’ve noticed something about my habits this time of year. Let me start by saying that for some reason autumn has always felt like the “re-start” of the year. I guess because everything starts to go dormant. It’s the time of year that I like to cozy everything up inside, get our rooms in order, and prepare for the holidays. There’s something very special about this season and I think October to December is my favorite time of the year.

So, go ahead and analyze this if you’re qualified (or if you’re an armchair psychologist like myself). Every year around this time, along with my candle lighting and decorating the front porch, I start watching certain TV shows all over again. I begin with Felicity, because something about it (no matter what season of the show or what part of the year they are in on the show) screams “fall” to me. Maybe it’s the sweaters. But October on into part of November is the part of the year when I watch Felicity. Rarely any other time do I do this. Much unlike sophomore year of college when watching Felicity and crying into my bathrobe was the order of the day. (If you still don’t get the Noel Crane reference you are free to google his name now )

From there I move on to Northern Exposure. This has got to be because all I hope for, from late November on into March, is snow. And a snow day. Because I work in a school and I KNOW we have to make them up later but I am such a kid about snow days. We didn’t have many when I was younger so having them now is a treat. Especially since my job follows that kind of calendar and I don’t have to fight my way through drifts to get to work (one year of working in the world that requires that kind of dedication was enough!). Northern Exposure is clever and quirky and provides affirmation that, yes, it would have been a great move to take on that whole “Alaska, Maine, or bust…” plan that I had toward the end of high school. (I was going to be a teacher and move to one of those states by myself. I’d already started looking at real estate. Eh…plans changed.) It also helps me with my Yiddish, which I try to work on when I can.

That show lasts me all the way through March because there are quite a few seasons. When spring break rolls around in the middle of March I am ready to catch up on Dexter. It really has nothing to do with the content of the show. I think it’s because the first time we watched the show was over spring break (2010) when we got so terribly ill and I was bound to my recliner for 5 days and the only two things I could taste were salt and orange juice (so potato chips and orange juice were all I consumed).

After I’ve caught up on Dexter I move onto BBC period dramas. Usually there are new ones sometime around then on PBS, and then I break into all my period DVDs. I have an assortment of Jane Austen with a few Brontës in the mix and Netflix has opened up an entirely new world for me in this arena.

For me, I think it’s all about memory and ushering in seasons. But it’s a bit odd nonetheless as in my family we don’t do ritual anything.

How about you? Any TV watching habits that you have that are tied to the seasons? Is there anything atypical you do when the seasons change?

Related posts:

1. I stopped watching.