a new year a new leaf

So I came on here to write about how the irony of rocking out to Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic (wow that was a crazy video I missed with no MTV as a kid) down the highway in my mini van full of children made me grin like an idiot. To show our pictures of the kids seeing snow for the first time, actually taken with the real camera! To just generally gush the gratitude I feel at the amazing gift of a virtually free vacation in a time when it would not have happened otherwise.

Then I opened chrome and WordPress was not one of the 6 most recently viewed webpages….again. When I was doing my yearly goals this January (December is too crazy, I give myself all of January) I put the blog on there, again. Cause really if I’m going to do something, I want to actually do it, not just feel guilty about not doing it. However, I know from experience that something vague like “the blog” is never going to inspire anything more than guilt over inaction, I need something specific and measurable.

HELP ME PLEASE! Those of you that read this or any blog, how often do you like them to update? Is once a week often enough? Everyday good or too much? Anything in particular you are looking for? More writing? Less writing, more photos? Recipes? Acrobatics? Magical robots that cook and clean and do laundry? OK I already know the answer to the last one is YES! I feel like I’ve been out of this writing world for so long I don’t know what’s what anymore. So help me set my 2015 blog goal, it’s only mid February and hey there’s always time for a fresh start right? 🙂

But I’ll still leave you with some photos so I can procrastinate on our adoption photo book just a little longer! Why of why do I do these things to myself, le sigh.

He’d actually seen snow before, his one up on the big kids. But this is the first he’ll remember 🙂

You can barely even see the snow in this pic, but trust me, she could

He was so pumped

Also my 6 year did this. She wasn’t even big enough to go up on her own, but she owned it. I was shocked (shouldn’t have really, this is so her) and asked the guy if this was normal, he said he’d never seen a kid her size run them all so easily. I ❤ her.

and the rain came down part 2

So I put off taking the phone out of the bag for just shy of 40 hours. I would have left it longer, the longer it’s in there, the longer I can hold onto the inane hope that it will start again. But Neil ripped the band aid this morning, and it’s gone. Surprise.

I’d already decided it will not be replaced with another smart phone, dumb phone, maybe, smart phone, no. I probably should have made this decision a few fixes ago, hindsight is 20/20. Neil is getting the latest iPhone when it comes out, in less than two months, at which point I can have his current one. I’m tempted to do without a phone till then. We’ll call it a modern day social experiment! We have an old, old, old iPhone, I would still have that for 911. I have facetime on the iPad. I mean when I was making a list (yes I actually made a list) of things I’d need to do without my phone, making calls didn’t even occur to me till #15

1. tell time outside – watch (would need to replace batteries or buy a working one)
2. period tracker (sorry guys, but this is essential!) – regular old X on the calendar (to later be confused with our X on the calendar for school days!)
3. couponing apps – Neil’s phone or iPad (thankfully I’d just submitted all my current stuff this weekend)
4. runs – le sigh, old school here will be hard, map miles before, add to website, music (I don’t know if I want to walk on the dark side here, can I run without music?!!?)
5. publix ad – iPad again, been making this switch anyway
6. Bible – it’s been a lot of years, but I could go paper again
7. ereader – this one will be hard, but I can steal the iPad from the children (Jena, reading over my shoulder as I write, gave audible protest to this one)
8. weather – it’s summer, the weather will be the same for another two months, my addiction won’t return till fall
9. music – computer for home, and I guess we’ll be all Story of the World audio for the car, 19 hours of fun!
10. facebook – computer
11. camera – been wanting to use the real one more anyway
12. gps – yeah i’m pretty much screwed here, no new places without Neil!?
13. banking – computer
14. texting – iPad when home, when out, screwed again
15. phone – family and friends can skype or facetime with the iPad, thank God the mortgage is done

So there’s my list, with comments, of course (who would I be without comments!). Am I forgetting something vital? I feel like I hit most of the things I use daily on my phone. Since I mostly work at home, this seems like it will be mostly a non-issue. However, when I leave the house, things start to get problematic. Granted I’ve gone months without leaving before, you can reference here and here to see why I was stuck in the house for almost 5 months. I’m not certain this situation calls for another house arrest. Perhaps a new places house arrest? Am I taking the social experiment too far? Perhaps, but the thought of making this some sort of experiment is actually somewhat exciting, I mean, I am nerdy like that. I need something to make me excited about this people. It sounds kinda freeing, to not have a phone for a while. I’ll have to relearn a whole different way of doing things. I’ll be a pioneer! (kidding, kidding, I know not having a smart phone is not the same as being a pioneer….) However, I am sure there are less extreme versions of the social experiment that would be acceptable as well.

So that’s where you all come in, help! Suggestions? Am I completely overlooking something major in my post phone traumatic state here? (not to be confused with real traumatic stress, you know, that actually matters) What do I have for options? Do you want to see the social experiment? Do you want to give me a phone? (kidding, kidding, maybe) Do you want to give me encouragement? (yes I know you do, so please do so, out loud, that’s why I love you people) So do what you all are so good at, help me please!

#sexyback11

I have been meaning to post for weeks about my plans to start exercising again, you know the plans that I have totally not done anything about because they have only been in my head. We went away for our anniversary (a bit late, but I take what I can get!) in April and as usual with these things I came back with a few extra LBs, if you know what I mean. A few *cough* hundred peanut m and m’s later and that few has turned into eight extra LBs. I know what you’re thinking, it’s just eight pounds, what’s the big deal? The big deal is those sneaky little buggers like to invite their friends and party and then they become squatters and do you know how hard it is to evict squatters? I ain’t going there.

Enter divine providence.

I follow Carlos Whittaker on twitter @loshwit, he’s an artist, pastor, thinker, experience architect, and Web 2.0 junkie who apparently half the people I follow, also follow…so I found out from the challenge I’m about to introduce you to. He decided to call a I’m bringing sexy back Its summer and I can take my shirt off in public challenge. And while I have no intensions of walking around topless in public, as much as certain members of this family may enjoy it (the nurslings! what were YOU thinking…), I believe I can participate in the spirit of this challenge.

So here’s the deal. It’s a 12 week challenge, ending on labor day. I have to post progress every Thursday for whatever it is I’m tracking. I’m tracking three things for this challenge.

weight loss

regular exercise

eating dinner at home

First goal is easy, just want to get the eight pounds back off, I’ll post how much I lost each Thursday. However, you will just have to take my word for it, I am NOT posting a picture of the scale, like some people…

Second goal is exercising three times a week. Since Florida didn’t get the memo about it still being spring, I’m going to use my x-box kinect trainer for this challenge, in the A/C. It has a life time calorie burn tracker, I am only at like 200, yeah sad, I know. So I’ll post a screen shot of my current calorie burning progress to prove I’ve been doing something.

Third goal is honestly going to be the hardest for me, but it must be done. I am committing to eating out or bringing in food for family meals no more than 3 times a month (does not include dates). Man that hurts just writing it. For health, allergies, and budget (which is soon to be reduced), I have to make this work. I have no idea how I’m going to prove this one…ideas?

Now here’s where you come in! I need a reasonable calorie goal for a week. I want to prove I’m doing something, but let’s not get crazy here. So please post in the comments what you think is a good goal. I’m also open to ideas to prove the eating out goal, you all are creative, get on it.

So there you have it. I’ve said it out loud (even though it was really only in my head, love that). Hold me accountable you people. It is time to shine! errr…burn! errr…Sprocket!

new record

I’ve reached a new all time low on posting. I just thought that was worth documenting.

to all the haters

Dear Haters:

I know you’re out there, all you social media haters. I hear you in the halls, I hear you at family gatherings, I hear you in my dreams. “Social Media isn’t real relationships” you say, “It’s just a bunch of surface friendships, nobody really cares on there.”

Now I understand the irony of this letter and it’s intended audience. For you, the social media hater, will more than likely never see this letter. I will publicize this post on Facebook and Twitter, besides it being on a public blog on the Internet. But alas, those are not places you frequent.

So I must ask, how does one communiate with you? Should I spend the next weeks of my life looking up home phone numbers, since you certaintly still have one of those, and placing cold calls to answering machines to bring you my message? Perhaps I should print it and distribute door to door like the Jehovah’s Witness we all love so much. That should only take a few months of my life.

Sadly neither of those are feasible options in my life currently. So I am forced to used the most effective means of communication, even though it is one that you choose not to participate in. It is sad really, but I do hope someday you will be able to read the following, though I imagine by the time you do, it will no longer pertain to you.

Sunday night I posted the following status on my Facebook page

“wanting a good book, and not really feeling the ones I have available”

Now mind you, I posted this to my following of surface friends who really care nothing about me and view me only as a number.

Yesterday morning I come to my desk and the little red bubble tells me that someone has commented on my status. It’s my blogger buddy agreatweirdness, she writes:

“There are three books at Tim’s desk for you – it’s that Voice of the Lion series I told you about. =)”

Last night I sat happily reading a great new book thanks to my surface friend who doesn’t care about me. Being unloved and disconnected from real people never felt so good.

Sincerely,

Joy