No, no, no… I’m not going to cross into any taboo territories here. It’s just that it’s too hot to be outside most of the day, and if your house is anything like mine (built without insulation and without sealed windows, that is) then it’s impossible to keep cool.
So when it’s too hot to be outside, and too hot to be inside, what’s a girl gonna do?
Well, I try to distract myself with cool, tasty nibbles and catch up (or as my husband calls it, binge) on new TV shows and old favorites thanks to a nifty feature of living in the future: Netflix.
But before I start to watch anything, I make certain to clear it with my hubby first. There are many shows that we both want to watch, and I would feel bad if I watched something on my own that he wanted to watch together, and vice versa – even though I’m often tempted, especially when he’s out of town.
If I did watch something on my own, then there would be the “hiding it” factor. I’m not a very good liar, and I know that I’d be found out because I’d blurt out a spoiler (Warning: "Orange Is the New Black" spoiler alert here!) like, “I know she seems menacing, but Crazy Eyes is so sweet!” and it would all be over.
Not only does this have its own term, “Netflix adultery,” but Netflix is actively studying this phenomenon. According to New York Magazine's The Cut, “In a study of 2,000 American adults, 12 percent confessed to watching ahead on TV shows they were supposed to save to watch with their partners. Ten percent admitted to being the victim of Netflix adultery …”
This study came up in a conversation with some friends this past weekend. A girlfriend of mine admitted to sneaking ahead episodes on her laptop while her husband was sleeping, and though he was a little upset, she didn’t really see an issue with it. My husband and I discussed this exchange after everyone went home. Well, the discussion pretty much went: “Did you cheat on our Netflix lineup?” “No! Did you?”
I know that this seems like the most vapid and ridiculous of themes for a blog, but when the heat index reaches about 105 and cucumbers dipped in hummus washed down by three martinis haven’t made life feel a little cooler, any conversation, even discussions on “Netflix adultery” seem like a good choice.
So here’s to keeping cool and keeping your cool – even if your loved one watches "Orange Is the New Black" without you. Right, honey?
