Wow. Really? February?
Honestly, I had forgotten I had this blog. hahaha.
Life has been treating me well. I've still been living the "healthy lifestyle" and trying to gain more muscle and lose more fat. It has been a slow progression, but that's just how it is. I'm just happy to be down the weight.
Summer was awesome - when is it never awesome. Sadly, it is always never long enough, too.
Started back at work and I have to say this: I am so very blessed to still love my job after 12 years. Woot.
I suppose I shouldn't really spend a lot of time blogging here right now, seeing as I should really be going to sleep.
So, off I go. I just wanted to type SOMETHING so another year didn't pass before I posted an entry. HA!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
What a difference a few months can make!
Has it really been almost a year since I last blogged? I still find it amazing that I once invested the time into blogging. Don't get me wrong. I loved it at the time. I blogged almost daily - not on this site - and enjoyed the interactive commenting from readers.
...and then I stopped blogging altogether, but I have run into a few people who were surprised with where I have been - or what I have been doing - in the last year. So, I thought maybe a blog entry was due.
Last summer, sometime in July, I decided that I needed a lifestyle change. I just wasn't happy. Wait. I take that blanket statement back. I wasn't completely happy. Sure, I loved my work. Yes, I was blessed with a wonderful husband, two fabulous kids, supportive family and friends, and a little place I call home. What more could a girl ask for?
Honestly, there was one aspect in my life that had been bugging me for years - yes, years. I was fat. I'm not saying this to get compliments or to hear, "NO. You weren't fat." This is the truth: I was fat, medically fat. At my annual physical in 2007, my doctor told me that I should probably lose about 10 lbs. - eat healthy and exercise - in order to get my cholesterol under control, or plan to go on cholesterol meds in the near future.
Being the person that I am, I agreed with him, drove home, and proceeded to live in denial: I then gained 20 lbs.
What the...?
Yes, that's right. Over the course of the next few years, I proceeded to get more unhealthy, if that was even possible Truth be told, I had several health issues prior to gaining more weight: severe sleep apnea, fatigue, insomnia. It was bad. I was bad. And it went from bad to worse when I gained the additional 20 lbs.
However, barring one failed diet in high school I did with my mom (a 3-day diet where we ate particular foods in order to lose 5 lbs. based on some mumbo jumbo food chemistry), I had never been one to diet - and I still don't believe in diets as a whole. To me, the problem with a diet is that it is, in effect, temporary. People will say they need to go on a diet and then they either go off the diet or finish the diet when goal weight is achieved. Plus, the idea that people had to restrict themselves to a certain amount of food and only certain types seemed unrealistic to me. That was never going to fly with me.
So, I opted to overhaul my lifestyle. Last July, I decided enough was enough. I started by tracking my foods on a phone app called myfitnesspal. (It also is available online - synched and available for free.) That app helped me change my habits. I realized that I was eating way too much crap foods. Yea, yea. We all know that. And while I admit that I knew that, too, I didn't realize the extent of how horrible my eating habits were. Logging said food was eye-opening.
The first couple weeks were rough. After years of eating, by my guesstimation, 2000-3000 calories a day, dropping down to 1400-1700 calories a day seemed impossible. I learned quickly that if I worked out, I would be "granted" exercise calories. Meaning, I could then eat 2000 calories a day still, if I worked out.
I didn't want to work out at first - and I only did so because I wanted to eat more. The little, baby 15 minute workouts turned into 60-90 minute sessions on the elliptical trainer. Burning the calories allowed me to eat more.
This awareness made me a tad obsessed. I logged in my food daily. I never wanted to go over my calorie goal - because then it would be red, which meant failure to me. Couldn't have that now, could I? Also, I started researching more about healthy foods and exercises; I made better food choices and implemented a workout regimen. The elliptical trainer was easy. Shortly after I started working out 45-60 minutes on it, I added in a kettlebell workout routine - first with a measly 4 lb. weight, then a 7 lb. weight; My 10 lb. weight just arrived in the mail today.
I've eased up a little in the last few weeks. If I go over my calorie goal for the day, it's not a disaster. I don't hop on the elliptical late at night to burn off the overage. And I don't work out 7 days a week like I did for months. I'm trying to be a little less obsessed and wean myself off the insane workout schedule I had followed, but I still do work out 4-5 days a week: elliptical trainer mixed with kettlebells are the norm; taekwondo classes, occasional fitness DVDs, and fitness classes at the gym can substitute the elliptical trainer sessions in order to change it up!
It has been over 6 months since I started this healthy lifestyle - and I haven't felt this great since college. I feel better and I have more energy. Overall, I'm less tired (unless I idiotically pull an all-nighter) and I feel happier. I guess that's what losing 30+ lbs. does to a person.
That's right - 33 freakin' lbs. to be exact. If I can lose 5 more, awesome. If I can't, I'm okay with that, too.
So, doc...I'm ready for my check-up. I'm down to the weight he had suggested about 5 years ago. How ya like them apples?
Just to show you I'm not making this up, here's a photo from October 2010 and then from last November 2011 (after losing 20 or so lbs.) I've lost 10 lbs. since the last photo, but you get the idea.)
...and then I stopped blogging altogether, but I have run into a few people who were surprised with where I have been - or what I have been doing - in the last year. So, I thought maybe a blog entry was due.
Last summer, sometime in July, I decided that I needed a lifestyle change. I just wasn't happy. Wait. I take that blanket statement back. I wasn't completely happy. Sure, I loved my work. Yes, I was blessed with a wonderful husband, two fabulous kids, supportive family and friends, and a little place I call home. What more could a girl ask for?
Honestly, there was one aspect in my life that had been bugging me for years - yes, years. I was fat. I'm not saying this to get compliments or to hear, "NO. You weren't fat." This is the truth: I was fat, medically fat. At my annual physical in 2007, my doctor told me that I should probably lose about 10 lbs. - eat healthy and exercise - in order to get my cholesterol under control, or plan to go on cholesterol meds in the near future.
Being the person that I am, I agreed with him, drove home, and proceeded to live in denial: I then gained 20 lbs.
What the...?
Yes, that's right. Over the course of the next few years, I proceeded to get more unhealthy, if that was even possible Truth be told, I had several health issues prior to gaining more weight: severe sleep apnea, fatigue, insomnia. It was bad. I was bad. And it went from bad to worse when I gained the additional 20 lbs.
However, barring one failed diet in high school I did with my mom (a 3-day diet where we ate particular foods in order to lose 5 lbs. based on some mumbo jumbo food chemistry), I had never been one to diet - and I still don't believe in diets as a whole. To me, the problem with a diet is that it is, in effect, temporary. People will say they need to go on a diet and then they either go off the diet or finish the diet when goal weight is achieved. Plus, the idea that people had to restrict themselves to a certain amount of food and only certain types seemed unrealistic to me. That was never going to fly with me.
So, I opted to overhaul my lifestyle. Last July, I decided enough was enough. I started by tracking my foods on a phone app called myfitnesspal. (It also is available online - synched and available for free.) That app helped me change my habits. I realized that I was eating way too much crap foods. Yea, yea. We all know that. And while I admit that I knew that, too, I didn't realize the extent of how horrible my eating habits were. Logging said food was eye-opening.
The first couple weeks were rough. After years of eating, by my guesstimation, 2000-3000 calories a day, dropping down to 1400-1700 calories a day seemed impossible. I learned quickly that if I worked out, I would be "granted" exercise calories. Meaning, I could then eat 2000 calories a day still, if I worked out.
I didn't want to work out at first - and I only did so because I wanted to eat more. The little, baby 15 minute workouts turned into 60-90 minute sessions on the elliptical trainer. Burning the calories allowed me to eat more.
This awareness made me a tad obsessed. I logged in my food daily. I never wanted to go over my calorie goal - because then it would be red, which meant failure to me. Couldn't have that now, could I? Also, I started researching more about healthy foods and exercises; I made better food choices and implemented a workout regimen. The elliptical trainer was easy. Shortly after I started working out 45-60 minutes on it, I added in a kettlebell workout routine - first with a measly 4 lb. weight, then a 7 lb. weight; My 10 lb. weight just arrived in the mail today.
I've eased up a little in the last few weeks. If I go over my calorie goal for the day, it's not a disaster. I don't hop on the elliptical late at night to burn off the overage. And I don't work out 7 days a week like I did for months. I'm trying to be a little less obsessed and wean myself off the insane workout schedule I had followed, but I still do work out 4-5 days a week: elliptical trainer mixed with kettlebells are the norm; taekwondo classes, occasional fitness DVDs, and fitness classes at the gym can substitute the elliptical trainer sessions in order to change it up!
It has been over 6 months since I started this healthy lifestyle - and I haven't felt this great since college. I feel better and I have more energy. Overall, I'm less tired (unless I idiotically pull an all-nighter) and I feel happier. I guess that's what losing 30+ lbs. does to a person.
That's right - 33 freakin' lbs. to be exact. If I can lose 5 more, awesome. If I can't, I'm okay with that, too.
So, doc...I'm ready for my check-up. I'm down to the weight he had suggested about 5 years ago. How ya like them apples?
Just to show you I'm not making this up, here's a photo from October 2010 and then from last November 2011 (after losing 20 or so lbs.) I've lost 10 lbs. since the last photo, but you get the idea.)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My Lent Update...or revelation, so to speak
Sitting here, almost at the end of Lent and realizing that my choice of "giving up facebook" was an epic fail, I remember the words of wisdom our pastor spoke at a sermon years ago. Father Jim gave a sermon about Lent, talking about how so many people take this time to "give up" a bad habit, like smoking or drinking alcohol. He argued that we shouldn't use this time to just give up something we shouldn't be doing anyhow. He also asked what was the point of giving up, let's say, smoking for 40 days, if you planned to just go back to it. If we really are going to give up a bad habit, we should just do it - don't wait for Lent. Father Jim continued by saying we should use the time to "do more good" and think about how to make the world a better place - rather than taking something away, give something back; rather than depriving ourselves of something, we should add something positive to our lives and/or the lives of others.
One of his suggestions was to give thanks to someone each day - be it the grocery store clerk or a former teacher. That year, I did a Google search and wrote letters to two of my former high school teachers, thanking them for their support and inspiration during my nightmarish high school years. I heard back from one of them - and what a wonderful letter that was! :) Another year, I made sure to volunteer at least once a week - be it at my children's schools or passing out lunches to the homeless. Anyone who has spent time volunteering knows the joy it can bring.
Those are more meaningful than the old standbys of "give up (fill in the blank)" for Lent. Or at least, I believe so. And I thank Father Jim for those experiences. I understood what he meant. The idea was to focus more on, as Ken Collins' wrote on his website, "soul-searching and repentance...a season for reflection and taking stock...when the faithful rededicate themselves." Yes, it can be done by taking something away - fasting, so to speak - but it can also be done by doing something positive.
So, the year I volunteered to "give back," I also gave up Diet Coke. My idea was to do something hand-in-hand: trade something negative for something positive. And in doing both of those things, I was hopefully setting up a habit. I'm proud to say that I hardly ever drink Diet Coke now - maybe just when we go out to eat; I don't purchase it by the case any longer. I also regularly volunteer at different agencies.
Sadly, I forgot about that lesson this year and simply said, "Give up Facebook." I focused on the negative, rather than the positive this year. And it was an epic fail. I focused on trying NOT to log onto facebook. I was never focusing on something positive at the same time.
So, even though we are at the end of Lent, I decided to make a mid-game change: I should do some sort of cardio exercise every single day - even if just for 10-15 minutes. And while I may not have given up facebook 100%, I did successfully give up Farmtown 100%. I plan to not return to my "Stupid-town" - no matter what new items they try to tempt me with, no matter how much FarmCash I may actually have. And hopefully, this cardio thing will also become a new habit.
There may just be two weeks left, but I hope to keep it going for longer. Either way, I'm glad I remembered it is not always all about NOT doing something; it should also be about DOING SOMETHING.
One of his suggestions was to give thanks to someone each day - be it the grocery store clerk or a former teacher. That year, I did a Google search and wrote letters to two of my former high school teachers, thanking them for their support and inspiration during my nightmarish high school years. I heard back from one of them - and what a wonderful letter that was! :) Another year, I made sure to volunteer at least once a week - be it at my children's schools or passing out lunches to the homeless. Anyone who has spent time volunteering knows the joy it can bring.
Those are more meaningful than the old standbys of "give up (fill in the blank)" for Lent. Or at least, I believe so. And I thank Father Jim for those experiences. I understood what he meant. The idea was to focus more on, as Ken Collins' wrote on his website, "soul-searching and repentance...a season for reflection and taking stock...when the faithful rededicate themselves." Yes, it can be done by taking something away - fasting, so to speak - but it can also be done by doing something positive.
So, the year I volunteered to "give back," I also gave up Diet Coke. My idea was to do something hand-in-hand: trade something negative for something positive. And in doing both of those things, I was hopefully setting up a habit. I'm proud to say that I hardly ever drink Diet Coke now - maybe just when we go out to eat; I don't purchase it by the case any longer. I also regularly volunteer at different agencies.
Sadly, I forgot about that lesson this year and simply said, "Give up Facebook." I focused on the negative, rather than the positive this year. And it was an epic fail. I focused on trying NOT to log onto facebook. I was never focusing on something positive at the same time.
So, even though we are at the end of Lent, I decided to make a mid-game change: I should do some sort of cardio exercise every single day - even if just for 10-15 minutes. And while I may not have given up facebook 100%, I did successfully give up Farmtown 100%. I plan to not return to my "Stupid-town" - no matter what new items they try to tempt me with, no matter how much FarmCash I may actually have. And hopefully, this cardio thing will also become a new habit.
There may just be two weeks left, but I hope to keep it going for longer. Either way, I'm glad I remembered it is not always all about NOT doing something; it should also be about DOING SOMETHING.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Whoops
For those of you who have known me a long time, you know that I once swore like a sailor. About the time my daughter was a toddler, I decided to stop. Why? I can remember the specific moment I knew I had to get my swearing under control: it was the moment my daughter dropped a sticker on the ground and said, "sh**" very innocently. You see, she didn't think there was anything wrong with saying it - probably because I used the word so liberally. And she used it in the correct way. Oy!
Hence, I learned to swear not in my child's presence.
I still do a pretty good job not swearing in front of the kids, or at least I thought I did. The other day I learned that I needed to clean it up even more.
While waiting in the car, at the student pickup line, at my daughter's school (which can appear to many like a traffic jam), my son said in an impatient voice, "AH! C'MON! GO, YOU IDIOT!"
Holy #(%*#$%#.
Whoops.
Hence, I learned to swear not in my child's presence.
I still do a pretty good job not swearing in front of the kids, or at least I thought I did. The other day I learned that I needed to clean it up even more.
While waiting in the car, at the student pickup line, at my daughter's school (which can appear to many like a traffic jam), my son said in an impatient voice, "AH! C'MON! GO, YOU IDIOT!"
Holy #(%*#$%#.
Whoops.
Monday, November 1, 2010
the things we do for our kids!
My husband was a vampire this Halloween. That was a pretty big deal in our house!!!
Let me explain that he has almost never dressed up for Halloween. Last year, for the first time I have known him, he agreed to wear a referee shirt with black jeans, but that was as close to a costume as I had ever seen him get...in the 15+ years we have been together....unless you include the time he wore a tuxedo for our wedding. ha!
This year, my husband and I were not planning to dress up, but I think my son was about to break down into tears if we didn't. His favorite holiday seems to be Halloween, you see. He loves to dress up. In fact, he dresses up on a regular basis. He has a Batman costume, a Superman costume, a Spiderman costume, a pirate costume, and an Ironman costume. He wears them semi-regularly and was ecstatic that he was able to wear them outside three days in a row (for a parade at school, a Halloween party, and then Halloween trick-or-treating). So, I busted out my costume from last year - a generic cheerleading outfit - and wore that to the Halloween party I attended with my son. Sadly, I just didn't get something else together in time. And yesterday, my husband bought these weird contacts and fangs for Halloween night.
Our kids were thrilled. Our daughter kept talking about it over and over. You see, she is a tween and has only seen her father get dressed up last year and this one. HAHA. Now our son, on the other hand, will expect him to dress up for years to come. haha. :)
The things we do for our kids!
Let me explain that he has almost never dressed up for Halloween. Last year, for the first time I have known him, he agreed to wear a referee shirt with black jeans, but that was as close to a costume as I had ever seen him get...in the 15+ years we have been together....unless you include the time he wore a tuxedo for our wedding. ha!
This year, my husband and I were not planning to dress up, but I think my son was about to break down into tears if we didn't. His favorite holiday seems to be Halloween, you see. He loves to dress up. In fact, he dresses up on a regular basis. He has a Batman costume, a Superman costume, a Spiderman costume, a pirate costume, and an Ironman costume. He wears them semi-regularly and was ecstatic that he was able to wear them outside three days in a row (for a parade at school, a Halloween party, and then Halloween trick-or-treating). So, I busted out my costume from last year - a generic cheerleading outfit - and wore that to the Halloween party I attended with my son. Sadly, I just didn't get something else together in time. And yesterday, my husband bought these weird contacts and fangs for Halloween night.
Our kids were thrilled. Our daughter kept talking about it over and over. You see, she is a tween and has only seen her father get dressed up last year and this one. HAHA. Now our son, on the other hand, will expect him to dress up for years to come. haha. :)
The things we do for our kids!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Family Vacations
For my recent birthday, my generous mother and stepfather gave me a trip for four to the "Happiest Place On Earth," so the husband and I put our kids in the car and drove to Disneyland for our 5 days, 4 nights vacation. We were excited - okay, maybe not so much the husband, but the rest of us were! We hadn't been there in years: it was our son's first visit to Mickey's place and our daughter's third though she hadn't been there in about 5 years. I was looking forward to a nice, quiet vacation - a time to check out the Halloween decor and see the park during a non-busy month.
Why the heck did I think that?
Apparently, Halloweentime is a pretty big deal at Disneyland. Waits for Peter Pan's flight averaged 40 minutes, so we passed on that; Space Mountain's wait was a mighty 55 minutes, so we opted to get a fastpass, thereby cutting our wait to 10-15 minutes; and shows were packed. I was shocked. Where did all these people come from? I guess the holiday season mixed with California's furlough days/weeks made the park hoppin' and a hoppin' it was. Wow. A lot of people sure go to this park. I didn't expect the crowd at all. People kept saying it wasn't that bad, but I surely didn't expect them all to be there!
I suppose this has a lot to do with the fact that I do recall going once during a non-peak time - many years ago - and it was empty. I kid you not: empty. My friend and I basically had free reign of the park. We walked on all the rides with no wait. We took photos with characters, simply because they were just walking around and no one was with them.
I mean, look at this photo with Goofy. Do you see anyone in the background? Nope? Yea, me neither. That's because there were hardly any people there.
I had sadly thought that this would be the case this visit.
And instead, moms were pushing their strollers; children were crying; people were pushing; and lines were long. I also met a couple families with traumatized preschoolers; their parents encouraged their frightened children to ride Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy. One father was going to force his preschooler to get onto the Tower of Terror, but the Disneyland employee refused to force the child to get on the ride if she didn't want to. One mom forced her toddler to go in the Haunted Mansion, even though he kept saying, "NO NO. I don't want to go in there." She looked annoyed at her child and walked away, leaving him with another family member. He proceeded to be freaked out in the rooms. Clearly, to this kid, Disneyland was not the "Happiest Place" anymore! Sometimes, parents are insane.
While I definitely think that Disneyland has its magic, I also think that sometimes we - as in parents - get so caught up in the "you should see this" and "you gotta see that!" frenzy, that sometimes we forget they are children and they can get overwhelmed and they also get TIRED. I had to remind myself of this a couple times. Actually, one of the days, my daughter and I got up early to do the whole morning madness thing at 7am and my son and husband didn't meet up with us until after 10am. Why? Well, my son didn't awake until 9:30am and then he wanted to eat cereal and watch some TV. Another day, my daughter wanted to leave the park to just go swim in the pool. They definitely needed a break from the masses.
I admit this wasn't necessarily a relaxing trip. We walked miles each day. We rushed from one place to another. But...it was still a great trip. We ate with characters three times, ate at restaurants we had never tried before (Ariel's Grotto, Blue Bayou, and Big Thunder Ranch BBQ), and rode on rides - old favorites like Small World and new rides (to us) like Astroblasters and Nemo. It was fun to see the kids enjoying their time there. It was fun getting the chance to actually ride my favorites (My daughter was too afraid to ride anything more than Small World last time.), like Pirates of the Carribean and the roller coasters.
It was a good trip with a lot of positives, but I think the best thing that came out of the trip was the fact that we got to spend time together as a family - a time without work or school interrupting us, a few days with just each other (not to mention thousands of strangers, I suppose. HAHA). Disneyland was great fun, but I think next vacation we'll be picking a place without so many people. Any suggestions?
Why the heck did I think that?
Apparently, Halloweentime is a pretty big deal at Disneyland. Waits for Peter Pan's flight averaged 40 minutes, so we passed on that; Space Mountain's wait was a mighty 55 minutes, so we opted to get a fastpass, thereby cutting our wait to 10-15 minutes; and shows were packed. I was shocked. Where did all these people come from? I guess the holiday season mixed with California's furlough days/weeks made the park hoppin' and a hoppin' it was. Wow. A lot of people sure go to this park. I didn't expect the crowd at all. People kept saying it wasn't that bad, but I surely didn't expect them all to be there!
I suppose this has a lot to do with the fact that I do recall going once during a non-peak time - many years ago - and it was empty. I kid you not: empty. My friend and I basically had free reign of the park. We walked on all the rides with no wait. We took photos with characters, simply because they were just walking around and no one was with them.
I mean, look at this photo with Goofy. Do you see anyone in the background? Nope? Yea, me neither. That's because there were hardly any people there.
I had sadly thought that this would be the case this visit.
And instead, moms were pushing their strollers; children were crying; people were pushing; and lines were long. I also met a couple families with traumatized preschoolers; their parents encouraged their frightened children to ride Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy. One father was going to force his preschooler to get onto the Tower of Terror, but the Disneyland employee refused to force the child to get on the ride if she didn't want to. One mom forced her toddler to go in the Haunted Mansion, even though he kept saying, "NO NO. I don't want to go in there." She looked annoyed at her child and walked away, leaving him with another family member. He proceeded to be freaked out in the rooms. Clearly, to this kid, Disneyland was not the "Happiest Place" anymore! Sometimes, parents are insane.
While I definitely think that Disneyland has its magic, I also think that sometimes we - as in parents - get so caught up in the "you should see this" and "you gotta see that!" frenzy, that sometimes we forget they are children and they can get overwhelmed and they also get TIRED. I had to remind myself of this a couple times. Actually, one of the days, my daughter and I got up early to do the whole morning madness thing at 7am and my son and husband didn't meet up with us until after 10am. Why? Well, my son didn't awake until 9:30am and then he wanted to eat cereal and watch some TV. Another day, my daughter wanted to leave the park to just go swim in the pool. They definitely needed a break from the masses.
I admit this wasn't necessarily a relaxing trip. We walked miles each day. We rushed from one place to another. But...it was still a great trip. We ate with characters three times, ate at restaurants we had never tried before (Ariel's Grotto, Blue Bayou, and Big Thunder Ranch BBQ), and rode on rides - old favorites like Small World and new rides (to us) like Astroblasters and Nemo. It was fun to see the kids enjoying their time there. It was fun getting the chance to actually ride my favorites (My daughter was too afraid to ride anything more than Small World last time.), like Pirates of the Carribean and the roller coasters.
It was a good trip with a lot of positives, but I think the best thing that came out of the trip was the fact that we got to spend time together as a family - a time without work or school interrupting us, a few days with just each other (not to mention thousands of strangers, I suppose. HAHA). Disneyland was great fun, but I think next vacation we'll be picking a place without so many people. Any suggestions?
with Baloo the Bear (Jungle Book) at Goofy's Kitchen
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Experimenting with Facebook...or lack thereof
I have been an active user of facebook for...years. I can't recall about when I started, but since that day, I have progressively spent more time on the website. A little sad, really. Let's be real. My office is a cluttered mess. I have a ton of papers to grade, essentially ANYTIME class is in session. I have two kids who would love more time with me - even just for playing an additional board game of Kids Charades (my preschooler) or watching another episode of Clean House (my tween).
It's not like I don't have more productive things I could be doing.
And yet...still I spent hours on facebook. Granted, I didn't ignore my children all the time, but I'm sure once in awhile I was guilty of checking my newsfeed instead of spending time with them. What parent engaged in a social networking site hasn't done that? And I can definitely tell you that my office has been a cluttered mess for quite some time.
But you know what?
I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be one of those people who opts to "relax" surfing the web while many things could be accomplished. If I need to relax, I'm pretty sure there are alternatives. The bottom line is that I don't want to be so addicted to something that I have to check it multiple times a day. And with my iPhone, that was all too common - checking on my phone everywhere, checking on my computer at work, checking at home. It was a little obsessive, really. Do I really need to know that a friend checked into a club downtown? Do I want to know that a "friend" got stuck in traffic? Do I care if someone sent a friend a flower, a cat, a smile, a kiss? Do I want to help someone mow their lawn?
The answers to those question are the same: NO!
So, I have decided to decrease my time on facebook. I'm not insane. I know I can't go "cold turkey" and never log on. I also know that it may not be permanent. But it's an effort...an experiment with not being "tied" to a social networking site. The majority of my time is spent reading walls and commenting on people's statuses. So, if I close my wall and limit my commenting, then I should be on less, right?
Yesterday I shut down the wall. I put up this image about being on a FB break. And you know what?
So far, I spent more time grading. That's a plus. I also slept more hours last night than the norm - a definite plus.
And guess what!! I didn't really miss it. Sure, I am still on it: I sent a few messages, wished a few people Happy Birthday, and updated my class page.
But endless hours on facebook? That didn't happen. And let us hope it doesn't happen...ever again.
Here's hoping my "experiement with facebook...or lack thereof" is a success.
It's not like I don't have more productive things I could be doing.
And yet...still I spent hours on facebook. Granted, I didn't ignore my children all the time, but I'm sure once in awhile I was guilty of checking my newsfeed instead of spending time with them. What parent engaged in a social networking site hasn't done that? And I can definitely tell you that my office has been a cluttered mess for quite some time.
But you know what?
I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be one of those people who opts to "relax" surfing the web while many things could be accomplished. If I need to relax, I'm pretty sure there are alternatives. The bottom line is that I don't want to be so addicted to something that I have to check it multiple times a day. And with my iPhone, that was all too common - checking on my phone everywhere, checking on my computer at work, checking at home. It was a little obsessive, really. Do I really need to know that a friend checked into a club downtown? Do I want to know that a "friend" got stuck in traffic? Do I care if someone sent a friend a flower, a cat, a smile, a kiss? Do I want to help someone mow their lawn?
The answers to those question are the same: NO!
So, I have decided to decrease my time on facebook. I'm not insane. I know I can't go "cold turkey" and never log on. I also know that it may not be permanent. But it's an effort...an experiment with not being "tied" to a social networking site. The majority of my time is spent reading walls and commenting on people's statuses. So, if I close my wall and limit my commenting, then I should be on less, right?
That's the plan.
Yesterday I shut down the wall. I put up this image about being on a FB break. And you know what?
So far, I spent more time grading. That's a plus. I also slept more hours last night than the norm - a definite plus.
And guess what!! I didn't really miss it. Sure, I am still on it: I sent a few messages, wished a few people Happy Birthday, and updated my class page.
But endless hours on facebook? That didn't happen. And let us hope it doesn't happen...ever again.
Here's hoping my "experiement with facebook...or lack thereof" is a success.
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