Week 23: Binge Watch a Netflix Series and Bonus Goals

Binge watch a Netflix series? You may be thinking that's kind of lame goal. If that isn't the epitome of what it means to be a lazy 'couch potato,' what is? But Goal #41 from my 60 until 60 list is, indeed:

Binge watch a Netflix series with someone

Note the "with someone" requirement.  That's what takes this goal out of the "couch potato" category and instead becomes a "bonding experience."  I have happy memories of binge watching "Lost" with Scotty when he was in high school.  We had a long stint of "Breaking Bad," together, too (that is until he started watching it with his Dad..  Geez, Scotty, you couldn't wait the weekend out?)  

The point is, I really enjoy a good Netflix binge when done with a partner.  It's like reading a book you can't put down, but with someone else.  Maybe it was bad mothering on my part, but when we got on a binge, Scotty and I were up half the night, not being able to resist watching 'just one more' episode.

So while it's not a challenge at all to "binge watch a Netflix series," it's kind of a big challenge to do that "with someone" when you're single. In fact, I was almost thinking I was going to have to 'cheat' on this one and just binge watch the same Netflix series as someone else and talk about it afterwards. 

However, I got my chance to accomplish this goal with my long-time binge buddy (and youngest child), Scotty, when he came home for an unexpected visit last week. The series we found was perfect for binge watching: "Dead to Me"..  a dark comedy about a woman in search for the hit and run driver who killed her husband.

This series worked out great because it was only one season and ten 30-minute episodes, so watchable in 5 hours. We did start at about 8pm, though, so it did bring us to 1:30am giving me that late-night-we're-being-so-decadent-and-disobedient feeling. (Perhaps this is leftover from my own childhood, when it was a 'big deal' to stay up past 'bedtime.')  It also was a series that we both really liked and that's hard to find when were talking about a 24-year-old boy and his Mom.

But, for all of you goal critics out there that scoff at such a lazy challenge, I accomplished a couple of "bonus goals" last week that weren't even on my 60-until-60 list.

First of all, I went to Colorado Springs to see Scotty's promotion ceremony to First Lieutenant at Schriever Air Force Base.  I'm sure the training I gave him with all those late night binge watches helped prepare him for the challenges he faces daily as an officer in the Air Force.

Seriously, my biggest, most important life goal has been to raise my three kids and it's my greatest joy to see them happy and successful as young adults.

And that afternoon, I climbed the Manitou Springs Incline with Scotty! This is something he'd been encouraging me to do, but I knew it would be tough.  I mean, take a look at this sign:

OK, maybe hard to read it, but basically it says every year about 100 people have to be rescued so don't do this unless you're in shape!

Scotty said people in good shape could do it in about an hour, so my goal was 90 minutes. Both Scotty and I were happily surprised that I was able to do it in 55 minutes! In fact, Scotty said most of his Air Force buddies couldn't do it as fast as I did it, and he couldn't wait to tease them that his Mom was faster than they were.

Last week, I was disappointed that I hadn't been able to run the Bolder Boulder with Scotty, but doing the Incline with him with a decent time made up for it!

Things that worked well

• "Dead to Me" was the perfect series to binge-watch since we could do it in one night and we both liked it!
• Happy that I'm able to spend quality time with my kiddo, even though he's a grown-up and living on his own now.
• Love my two unplanned "bonus goals" - Scotty's promotion ceremony and doing the incline with him.
• So proud of Scotty for the man he's become and happy that he felt proud of me for doing the Incline!

What could have been better

Can't think of single thing!