Too Much Technology

I'm looking at my desk, and I have:

- a digital camera to download photos from yesterday's meeting
- my flash drive
- my new cell phone with text messages popping up from time to time
- a digital recorder my boss lent to me
- the work laptop so I can download some notes from yesterday's meeting that i forgot to save with my flash drive
- my ipod


I have a facebook page, a personal flickr page, a work flickr page, a geni family tree page, a good reads page, a work email address, a hotmail address, a gmail address, unlimited text messaging, an RSS feed, a personal blog, two work blogs, an instant messenger account, a meebo account, a youTube account, an imeem account, a sketchcast account, an iTunes account, I belong to two wiki pages, manage 1 wiki page, I started paying my credit card online, I check bank statements online, I send e-cards online, I read the newspaper online, I book airline flights online, I register for conferences online, I'm dating online and I'd probably eat and go to the bathroom online if I could!
(Now wouldn't that be something! You type in a login and password and out comes a cheeseburger and fries from your cd drive!)

Logins, passwords, check boxes, agreements, uploads, downloads, verifications, memberships, password questions, mother's maiden name, grandfather's name, his grandfather's name, popups, notifications.

And I wonder why my head is constantly spinning??!?!
Enough already. This is getting out of control!

I'm communicating more and more through keys and buttons. I love technology, and I love what it does for us. I love that it makes life easier and more convenient. I love that everything is so readily available. I understand this is the way of the world and it's required. It's required for me and for the work I do.

But it's becoming too much.

I don't want text or instant messaging as the best means to reach me. I don't want to be one of those people who can't go on vacation without checking email. I don't want "my whole life" to be in my cell phone. I found it pathetic that the other day someone asked me for a friend's number, and I had no clue what it was. Of course, I had forgotten my cell at home that day.

"Um...# 4 on speed dial?"
"I can say 'call Tom's cell' and then the number pops up?

Super. I was a big help.

I also don't want to turn into one of those people who forgets what it's like to actually talk to people. I need interaction. I need face time. I think we all do to some extent.

I need a break, and it's up to me to back off, at least a little. I just need to find a happy medium. Whether it's no text messaging on Sundays or no emails on Saturdays, or cutting back on the sites I sign up for....it just has to be done.

I tH!nK s0.
:>)

The (Dumb) Things We Do For Love

I happened to catch a snippet of "Judge Judy" the other day, and she made a comment to one of the female defendants.
"I don't know why you did that, but women do dumb things when they are in love."

Blunt, but true. We do dumb things. I'm sure men do dumb things, too.
So it got me thinking of the dumb things I have done for love. Or was it lust? Or was it a crush? Or was it merely action? It hardly matters at this point. I can laugh about them now. Some things occurred years ago, and others more recently.

- joined a bowling league (I suck at bowling) and often wore a skirt to the games. Oh yeah, that looked stellar with my bowling shoes
- planned a bday party around someone else's work schedule (he never showed)
- bought a fishing license which I used a whopping two times, and never caught a fish
- went to church on a weekly basis to check out the alter man
- stayed out till 2 am after playing vball, on a weeknight
- hung out at Mad Dog's, the meat market in Madison, in the hopes of finding a former flame
- went to Michigan Tech for winter carnival, once again, in the hopes of finding a former flame
- went to some "after bar" while vacationing in Phoenix
- went to "Eric's cabin" on a cruise ship
- let "Eric" visit my cabin after hours, against the ship rules
- drove with Tara to Kansas City so I could meet Tara's cousin who, at the time, had a psycho girlfriend
- alternated my walk home from college classes so I could pass my lustman on the foot bridge

I'm sure there are many more. Ahhh...the (dumb) things we do for love.

Haiku for Brett

Awesome memories.
You made the right decision.
But we'll still miss you.

What a Difference a Year Makes

When I think back to a year ago, I can't believe how different I was.
I hated my house, I worried all the time, I obsessed about little things and I cared way too much about what other people thought. I was very unhappy.

Well, now I like my house, and I worry, but not as much. I still obsess, but not to the point where it consumes my life. And I still care what people think, but hardly as much as I used to. I'm much happier.

Why the change? I got the help I needed. I talked about it. I dated a guy, who didn't turn out to be a great fit, but it was good for me in the time it lasted. I got a dog. I started doing the things I wanted to do. I stopped caring about others' opinions.
These were all good things that happened, and they were necessary. And I learned a lot from them.

I'm grateful I am still not that person, because I'm much, much happier now.

Lots 'o Stuff

- Feeling VERY under the weather. Last night I fell asleep right after Idol was done. I am getting a good 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and I still wake up groggy. Tired all the time. Maybe it's the weather?

- Am now teaching a resistance band class on Tuesdays. It's a nice change from kickboxing (still doing that on Thursdays), and I my muscles could use some toning. Marcia and I have our review next week. I can't believe I have been teaching for a year - time flies!

- Kelly had her annual check up last week, and it was all good. She cried a little when they had to take blood from her paw, and they made me leave the room, but she was a trooper!! I don't ever regret taking her.

- My dad turns....gosh...68 tomorrow? Yes, 68. He was born in 1940. He is a Leap Year baby, but we still celebrate his bday every year. He could pass for 50 easily. He still gets up at 3:30 am everyday to milk the cows. We all want him to retire, but he won't. Just too stubborn, and probably still enjoys it enough. He has been farming for 51 years, since age 17. I really hope if I make it to age 68 that I am not working.

- My brother Jeff's wrestling team at Kaukauna is competing in team state in Madison tomorrow. They actually have a great chance at being state champs, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for him!! He has done remarkable things with that program in the 16 years he has been head coach. I'm very proud of my big brother!

- My nieces and nephews will be presenting a check at the CP Telethon at Sunday, from "Carnival on the Farm." They are usually on around 12 pm, and they do this every year. They all wear their red shirts, and it's really cute. Afterwards we are heading to John and Amy's house for the twins b-day party. They turn "2" on March 10, but they are having the party early. We WERE going to have a b-day party for dad tomorrow, but now that Jeff's team is at state, Dad will probably go to that. So we'll probably celebrate his bday on Sunday, too.

-Can't BELIEVE I leave for China in three weeks! Haven't even had the time to think or prepare yet because of everything else going on. It will be here and gone before I know it!

32 Days...

Until I leave for Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. And I have the vaccinations to prove it!

Is It Possible???

I've always claimed that single men do not go to church, especially to Catholic church.
Well, I know that they do and they are out there, but they are typically the types who still live with their mothers and wear bow ties.

However, today I struck gold. I struck something at least, and at the 8 am mass nonetheless!

I saw a man at church. Good looking. Not just good looking, but something definitely date-able and kiss-able. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring, and he wasn't sitting in a pew with a wife and 2.5 kids, as most men are his age in church. He was dressed nicely, and more than likely looked as though he didn't just roll out of bed and throw on some clothes like I did. Now that's impressive. Any guy who puts some effort into looking decent for church at that hour deserves a medal.
He did the prayer at the end of the mass, and kept his book open during the recessional so he could sing along. Not that I was checking him out or anything...

And it just so happened that when I was leaving the lot, he was driving in front of me, in a black Honda Accord. He's likes a quality vehicle. Nice.

I know he could've left the wife and kids at home, as well as his wedding ring, but I'm guessing not. Maybe I finally proved myself wrong.

Single, (good-looking) men do go to Catholic church.