It's Aboot Time

People imagine that housewives like myself kick back all day with Oprah, Dr Phil and a packet of Tim Tams.
I snatch the odd bit of Sex and the City on Foxtel during 15 minute breastfeeds - and that's about it. There's no time for TV when your baby only sleeps about 2-3 hours between 6.30am and 7pm.
In that 2-3 hour window I have to: Eat breakfast, have a shower, do the washing, do the dishes, eat lunch, do my writing/interviews, cook Ari's lunch and dinner and cook Rob's and my dinner.
Yes, I can do some of those things while Ari is awake, but they take three times as long and it's usually easier to save them for when he's asleep.
If after all that's done and my boy's asleep, I might dip into a DVD or some Foxtel for half an hour.
And lately that's meant reliving my youth. Let me explain.
I am a child of the 80s, which means several things:
1. I know every line of dialogue in U2's Rattle and Hum.
2. I own the Shakin '84 compilation album.
3. I stayed up late to watch The Big Gig.
4. I owned a Rubik's cube, a Cabbage Patch Kid and Donkey Kong Jr.
5. I can remember eating at Wendy's and Ollie's Trolley.
6. My family owned a Beta video recorder.
7. I saved up my pocket money for Esprit jumpers.
8. I can remember Bros, the Early Bird Show, Hey Hey It's Saturday (in all its forms), Shirl's Neighbourhood, The Comedy Company, MC Hammer and New Kids On The Block.
9. I used a "10 pen" at school.
10. Afternoons meant You Can't Do That On Television...and Degrassi.
So with the odd snatches of free time, I've been watching the entire series of Degrassi Junior High on DVD.
If you've never heard of Degrassi, you've missed a TV phenomenon. It's a Canadian series about high school kiddies and their problems - teen pregnancy, shoplifting, buying bras and other Big Issues.
That's gotta be sadder than watching Dr Phil or Judge Judy.