I just switched from VERY SLOW dial-up to high-speed Internet connection four days ago and have discovered a hazard I didn't know I'd be encountering.

I CAN'T GET ANY HOUSEWORK DONE! My connection used to be so slow that while I was waiting for webpages to unfold on my screen, I could get up and move the clothes from the washer to the dryer, or fold underwear, even iron a few tea-towels (hubby's quirk, not mine). Somedays, when it was really slow, I even had time to go upstairs and make myself a cup of tea.

No more. I'm having a hard time adjusting. I've been here most of the day and have managed to get a few Christmas gifts wrapped, and microwaved something obscure for my lunch, but that's it. Now I'm glued to my screen, no more waiting, no more motivation to go and get a wee bit of work done while waiting.

This will take some getting used to. I'm just going to have to learn how to willingly put down the mouse and leave the keyboard.

I've never been addicted to anything in my entire life. I don't mind this one, though. So what if the tea-towels don't get ironed today!

[ November 15, 2005, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

Eagle, welcome to the dark side!!

Ha ha ha ha ha . Ahhhh ha ha ha ha ha ....
Oh my...
Been there...still there...er here.

Glued...like that guy to the toilet seat!

chick

when I got my own computer last summer with DSL, it was like stepping out from under a rock and seeing sunlight. Before, I shared a slooooooow-moving computer on dial-up with my husband. I brought my junk mail, crossword puzzles, and sometimes even bead projects to the computer and attended to them while waiting for the gears to turn.

When I got my own new computer & dsl, I couldn't surf or research enough because it was SO QUICK!! And there was SO MUCH information out there, available in seconds!!

It took me several months to unglue.

Now I have to limit my time online so I can get some work done.

Don't you feel like SuperWoman? Able to leap tall buildings...

I know what you mean about the addiction. LOL. I could never go back to dial-up. I do have dial-up at my weekend home and it is so paiiiinnnful! The area we are in does not have broadband or even DSL and I am sure that neither will be available in my lifetime.

When we switched, we took what the cable company called the "Bundle"...Internet, TV and phone all in one package. So over the past few days I've been tweaking everything, running into annoying problems with the VCR (I can no longer get it to record one program while watching another...and I have blisters on my thumbs from switching the cables around in every possible configuration!). And I have to change my website URL, and it's annoying too because I can't find a way to "alias" it to match the old URL...GRRR.

So it's been very frustrating, annoying, painful (hard to type with blisters on your thumbs). But when I momentarily considered switching back to our old ISP this morning, right away I knew I could never willingly go back to slow dial-up. I've seen the light. I've leapt tall buildings. I uploaded updates to my website in mere seconds, rather than the hour it used to take.

So I'll forego taping Martha Stewart while watching Lost. And I'll lose a lot of traffic because of the URL change. But no way am I giving up high speed now that I've had a taste of it.

[ November 16, 2005, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

I just love newfangled stuff. I wish it/they came with instant easy to read instructions. Better yet, plug it in and a voice tells you what to do next. I bet I have a dozen things that I don't know about on both my TV and Computer. For instance, I went under View...text size and clicked large/largest and now I don't need my reading glasses. Geesh, so much to learn...so little time.
chick

[ November 16, 2005, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

Not only do I have my own computer and high-speed access, but now I have a wireless LAPTOP. I've been putting off getting one for years. I finally decided it was time back in August. My rationale was the long trip to Vermont and after all, my 12 yo would be so much happier watching DVDs on a laptop on that 23 hour drive!

Now I don't even get out of bed to check my email. This is bad. I'm upset some mornings because I have to get up and go all the way downstairs to the kitchen to make my cup of tea. The bed gets cold while I'm gone! sheesh. I'm thinking of bringing the electric teakettle into the room, but then I'd still have to get up to get water. I guess I could fill it up before I go to bed at night.

I LOVE my laptop. I take it with me when I travel. It gives me a reason to go to Panera and eat good food (free wi-fi). It's petite, and not gray. It has white accents. It's fast. It keeps me warm in the wintertime and sits on the patio with me in the summertime. It makes my kitchen more enjoyable. The cats don't think they can fit on the keyboard, so they don't try anymore. It doesn't block my view of the television from the recliner when I'm watching The Apprentice and The West Wing.

I just love my laptop! I highly recommend it.

NMY

But the sink will hold only so many unwashed dishes (I guess I could resort to paper plates - but then I'd have to take out more garbage.) And my overflowing laundry basket isn't smelling so pretty lately...and I can't afford disposable clothes. And these errands I have to do this morning that aren't getting done...

I'd love a wireless laptop, but I don't think I could handle the mile-high dust bunnies that hubby would have to come home to. I'm finding it hard enough to pull myself away from this place.

Still, everyone's bugging me to put something "good" on my Christmas list this year...hmmmm, and the winters ARE long and cold here. And dust bunnies are kind of cute, especially if you throw some sparkle glue on them.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

You are so precious Eagle...you always bring a smile to my face.

Bless you!

Thank you Brenda. As you can see, I never made it out of here to do those errands. It's snowing and cold...so I snuggled back into my cozy fleece I-don't-know-what-you-call-this-outfit-but-it's-warm and came back "home". Besides, I called the store and they don't have what I was going out to get anyway. Maybe tomorrow.

Here's a little poem i wrote this morning...can anyone relate

Coming Unglued

I've spent the day and half the night sitting in this chair
Searching for a friend or two...there's always someone there
Maybe I'm just nosey but I don't think that's the case
It's just that I am lonely...and this is my safe place.

I check up on my neighbours who come from far and wide
to talk about all topics...we've smiled...we've laughed...we've cried
I grab myself a bite to eat and bring it to the screen
I swipe the crumbs up in my hand...to keep my space here clean.

What keeps me here...won't let me leave for even just an hour?
If I'm gone for twenty...it's when I'm in the shower!
What is it that I'm feeding on...a loss? A friend? A mood?
Am I going crazy? Without you would I brood?

My jammies and my coffee...Gee, who could ask for more?
But why am I afraid to step, beyond my own front door?
Because...I am addicted to a friend without a face?
Who likes me unconditionally, here in my own place

It's time I get a grip on life and do some other things
It's time I take the scissors and cut these apron strings
So if I'm on the missing list..I'm really not being rude
I'm trying to break this addictive chain...I'm trying to come unglued!

chick

[ November 17, 2005, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

ahhhh chick! What a great poem. It probably speaks for many of us here!

hugs
danita

Great poem Chick.

I finally did get outdoors, in the snow. The store called and said the item had just arrived. So I walked over, did my list of errands and walked back. It was good to get out, and good to get back here. I guess it's all about finding one's healthiest balance. For me at this stage of my progress, this place is one of the healthiest things I can do for myself. As long as I don't forget to eat and get outside once in awhile.

I have to do something besides stay in and sit on the computer too much, I think I will go for a walk tomorrow...and maybe do some errands too, Eagle. I think balance is what I am lacking. I need to just get up and go!
chick

Chick, I just love that poem!!! I think the reason we don't want to leave this place is because we think we'll miss something fun.

But isn't it so great to chat with friends w/o having to clean, cook, dress up and then clean afterwards?

Love the poem.... chick.

chick, great poem? Can I use it on the site?

How do you do that? Just sit down and right a poem so easily? It would take me months to do that! Loved it.

Eagle, how are you doing today? I am going out soon...I really do wish we lived close to each other.
Wow, thanks for all the comments on the poem. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Gee Dotsie, you are welcome to add it to the site. It might need a little editing because I just tapped it out, copied/pasted, didn't give it a second thought and posted.
chick

Thanks for your thoughts, Chick. I'm doing great today. It's a bright sunny day here, so I went out this morning to mail a letter. Came back, had lunch and was just sitting down at the computer when hubby arrived unexpectedly. He's been in northern Quebec for the past 9 days and was planning to come home tomorrow. But he decided to come a day early. I was so delighted to see him...and glad that I had cleaned up some of those dust bunnies this morning! (though dust bunnies don't bother him, only unironed tea towels - oops, I never iron them when he's away!)

LOL. So I'm a happy camper today. His daughter's coming for the weekend, so we'll get to play some cards and dominoes...then he's taking her, my brother and I all out for Dim Sum on Sunday. So it's been a good day.

But this means I won't be online as much now...I have to share the computer so he can play his civilization games. Oh well, time to tackle the dust elephants hiding under the beds before Christmas guests arrive!

Dust elephants!!!!
So thats what all those trunks are under my bed!!!

chick

OK..so what is Dim Sum ?

Dim Sum is like a Chinese buffet, only they bring the food to you on little trolleys and you pick and choose what you want off the carts. It's a never-ending parade of carts, each bearing tasty Chinese treats like shrimp dumplings, Hom Sui Gok (we just call them Chinese footballs), scallop dumplings, fried noodles, and all sorts of other little pork, chicken or shrimpie things called shumai's...don't know how to explain those, but they're delicious. And then there's always the chicken feet...we've only had those once just to say we did, but too boney!

We have two Chinese relatives in the family...step-son's wife (and our granddaughter is learning Chinese language and customs) and our grandson's mother as well as step-daughter's male friend. So we've been learning a lot about Chinese culture, food and customs over the years. We love real Chinese cooking. Dim Sum is fairly close to authentic Chinese cooking.

Eagle I thought you might like to know (maybe you already do) that "Dim-Sum" literally translated means "from the heart". Isn't that neat!
chick

Chick, In all our years of "doing Dim Sum", I never heard that. It IS neat to know.

I'm reading along thinking oh my...that sounds good. Mouth is watering off...then we hit chicken feet. Don't think I would have those more than once either.

What in the world can there be to eat on a chicken foot? Peel back the skin and there's bone? Am I missing something in between?

I love trying exotic/unusual foods and love them all...I may have to check this out. Are they baked...broiled...recipes anyone?

chick

Hubby's nephew and his wife (their son is our adopted grandfather because he didn't have one) introduced us to Dim Sum years ago. That was our first and last experience with chicken's feet. I guess it's the sauce that makes it the popular item that it is...there was definitely no meat on ours, but everyone just sucks on them like lollipops.

Dim Sum is generally considered to be very healthy; most of the items are steamed in bamboo baskets. The sticky rice is steamed inside of bamboo leaves. Some of the dumplings are lightly fried, but not at all greasy, at least at any Dim Sum restaurants we've gone to.

It's a scary adventure the first time around, but if you're willing to try new foods, it can turn out to be a fun and pleasant culinary experience. It's also a social event...in the Chinese culture, it can take hours to get through Dim Sum (which is why it is almost always only served at lunchtime between 11 and 3) because the main focus of the meal is the conversation, not the food.