Cleaning house

Since it was my birthday, I just dabbled here and there. I did manage to watch all four shows that aired at 10:00 pm, a feat that wasn't as difficult as I thought. Here's what happened:

"Hoarders" (A&E, 10:00): I usually try to be sensitive when it comes to the subject matter of this mental illness, but when it comes to hoarding, it's just something I can't fully wrap my mind around. So instead of feeling sympathy towards these people, my emotions run between disgust and dismay.

Judi, a 66-year-old from Maryland, moved into her home in November, 1990. Most of her stuff is still in boxes under mountains of garbage and plastic bottles. Judi's house hasn't had running water for 2 years so she uses adult diapers instead of a toilet. Her bathroom is piled high with 3,000 lbs. of soiled diapers and fecal matter. Now you know I have to Pause it: Where are the hazmat suits? The cleanup men were wearing nothing more than rubber gloves and masks. To clean up 3,000 lbs. of dirty diapers? You best believe I'm going to be swaddled in plastic with an oxygen tank. After collapsing, Judi became wedged between the door and a pile of garbage, causing her to be placed in an assisted living facility.

Over in Oklahoma, 58-year-old Gail was dealing with the death of her parents. Her hoarding stemmed from an emotional attachment to their belongings and a fear of throwing their stuff away. Gail also had lived without running water for 2 years, but her neighbors were nice enough to let her use their hose. Goats (yes, goats) had eaten through the siding on her house, leaving gaping holes in some of the rooms and Gail fearing that she won't survive the winter's freezing temperatures.

This was an interesting episode because once the cleaning started, neither Gail nor Judi exhibited any of the attachment issues that led to their hoarding. For the most part, they were eager to part with their stuff. Of course, there was the occasional freak out when they perceived some trash to be a treasure, why does it take a therapist and the threat of home condemnation to light a fire under these women? Judi was depending on the money from the sale of the house to support her assisted-care living, but once the home was deemed too nasty to live in someone paid only $5,000 for the property. That's $4,999 more than what it was worth. Gail did manage to get her house clean and repaired. There was a nice home hidden underneath that critter cave.

Some random thoughts: How is it that a person winds up with an old school bus in their front yard? Is there a place where they just give away old buses? Can you buy them on e-Bay? I'm told that the production company for this show is based here in Seattle. That's why in the episodes have been heavy on Washington state connections.

CHANNEL SURFING

• "Men of a Certain Age" (TNT, 10:00): I'll be sticking with this show. It's considered a dramedy, but the humor is subtle, not over the top like "Desperate Housewives". Ray Romano plays Joe, a man who once had dreams of being a professional golfer. Now he owns a party store and nurses a gambling problem that caused the breakdown of his marriage. His friends, Owen and Terry, are going through their own mid-life crises, both trying to pursue careers that have long eluded them. I'm not having a mid-life crisis, but I can relate to these guys. I have a 'bucket list' of things that I haven't accomplished yet, too. The one negative I have about this show: too much cussing. I know it airs at 10:00, but this is basic cable, not Showtime.
• "I Want to Work for Diddy" (VH1, 10:00): Mr. Combs sends the candidates on an honesty retreat then cans air-headed Jennifer for not being able to think on her feet. That broad was two doughnut shy of a dozen.
• "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9:00): Is Serena one of those girls who is destined to keep picking the guy who will leave her hanging in a time of need? Tripp seems really pervy. He's supposed to be in his 30s and he's falling for a 19-year-old. That like Jon Gosselin dating Miley Cyrus ... just wrong. Jenny has turned to gambling to finance her high school kingdom. I see rehab in her future.