Netflix

The one thing I still can't get my head around as a parent is how on weekdays I have to shake my children out of bed, but on Saturday the one day we can sleep in - they wake at the crack of dawn.

The only consolation on this particular Saturday morning is that I had to get up at 5.30am to wake up number 2 boy who has a  football game and had to be at school at 6am! His game is a couple of hours away so I will be staying in Powell with the 3 youngest while he rides the school bus. Lyndi went last night with the big boy, 4 hours drive to a neighbouring town. (only in Wyoming is multiple hours still considered local). He is playing soccer.

Since I couldn't get back to sleep I endulged my latest (and I might add greatest) addiction. Netflix. I cant begin to tell you how wonderful on demand internet TV is. No ads, shared over multiple screens, saves my place, costs $7.99 a month. I am in heaven! I am currently almost 3 seasons through '30 Rock', Tina Fey is awesome! I had sworn off mainstream television, but without advertising and fear based news flashes, my faith in American entertainment has once more been restored! Sure it is still grossly unrealistic, ostentatious and often inappropriate but it grips me as much as the TV addiction of my youth. America invented small screen escapism, and it is still the panacea of the masses it once was.

What makes this all possible is internet access with no data caps.  The information super highway goes right past our door and everyone has their our own personal off ramp - you can download to your hearts content. No more yelling at the kids for a triple digit internet bill, $14.99 secures our peace. Funnily enough for our first couple weeks here we used the open wifi network of one our neighbours, I am not sure why everyone doesn't just do that.

But it is not all roses, for some reason the cellphone connections and plans are not so wonderful. Overpriced, inconvenient and confusing. How I long for the days of my 2degrees connection.

I guess you cant have it all - even in America.