Things have been pretty craptacular around here this week. I've been suffering from the stomach virus that will neither die nor kill me all week and I need to get Mimiclaus in to the doctor for a probably-nothing-but-I'm-still-going-to-freak-myself-out-about-it thing. In an effort to get to Monday, when doctors would be readily available for we two ladies who need medical attention, I have been watching a bit of G4.

I don't generally creep into the high number channels on our cable box because I'm old skool like that. Andres, however, loves Planet Green and G4. G4 is, for those of you who don't know, a channel for gamers. I think the G stands for gamer, but it sure as shit might as well stand for geek. It's got shows about video games and viral videos and, inexplicably, it shows Cheaters and Cops. I thought the channel had nothing for me. Until one day, I came into the living room while Andres was wielding the remote, and I had a complete paradigm shift.

Ninja Warrior (along with Unbeatable Banzuke, which is not really my favorite) is part of G4's "duty-free TV" programming, which is really just subtitled Japanese game shows, with a bit of American intro type stuff attached. Ninja Warrior is...I don't even know how to describe its magnificence. It's kind of like American Gladiators, but there are no gladiators. That's not a very good way to explain it. In any case, 100 people attempt to beat an obstacle course. Most of them don't. In fact, there've only been, like, three people EVER to complete the course. I wish there was a way to describe it that would convey it's awesomeness, but there isn't. To know ninja is to love ninja.

The first time I saw it, I thought it was stupid. Then I sat down and watched it for five hours straight. Now I know all the "Ninja Warrior All-Stars" by name and even know most of the frequent failures that come back year after year.

I suppose I should be embarrassed to admit this. I'm not, though. Mostly because Rebecca totally admitted to me that she and her husband watch it, too. She's actually the one who turned me on to using, "Ninja, please," which is perhaps the phrase in my life that most cracks me up these days. I think of Rebecca as almost too cool for me, so her love of Ninja Warrior has absolved me of all geek guilt.

I've spent my weekend watching Ninja Warrior and I believe I'll consider that the reason I survived it.