Saturday, July 26, 2008

Okay, this is it...

Okay, ladies...how'd you do?  Today was the last day of the Time Challenge.  How'd this week go for you?  Was it terribly challenging to keep up with yourself?  Was the week enlightening for you?  Please, share with us your thoughts.

As you know, this week, I have been in the middle of a move.  Through a turn of events, we are no longer moving, so instead of packing, I will be unpacking.  (But before I do that, I will go through and decide if I need everything I have.  I suspect I don't since I've done without it for over two weeks).  Because of the whole packing/moving thing, my week wasn't at all like the rest of my summer has been.  But I can tell that you most of my time is spent in front of this computer.  But I wonder if I'd spend so much time in front of it if there wasn't so much I could do on it?  I check email and blogs. I also check a select message boards.  Then, I spend some time researching what I'm thinking about at the time.

To give you an idea of how this works, I'll give you a rough outline of how I started reading a blog and ended up on YouTube.  Call it the Seven Degrees of Internet Sidetracking, if you will.

I started reading Tracie's Blog.  She's doing a really neat challenge, but I figured since I had already challenged you to keep track of your time as well as be nice to your enemies, I would skip this one.  But I still check in and read on the bloggers who are participating.  Today, Tracie was discussing being proud of your faith and standing up for it, even in the midst of political incorrectness.  A perfect example of this kind of commitment to Christ is Cassie RenĂ© Bernall, one of the victims of the Columbine shooting.

I couldn't remember exact details of Cassie's death, so I went on a search.  I found a page that gave Cassie's stats - her favorite animal, her favorite Scripture verse...I went back to the search page and noticed that Jars of Clay gave a dedication to her when they had won a Grammy.

I read further down the page and noticed some movies that JOC's music had been in and noticed Jack Frost (the PG movie, not the horror movie, of course).  I really enjoyed that movie, but couldn't remember which song they had played for the movie, which led me to YouTube.

From there, I watched the trailer for Jack Frost, listened to a few new Jars of Clay songs that I hadn't heard and even listened to some Bob Carlisle (whose music is also in Jack Frost).

So, as you can see...Iva on the computer starts out innocently enough - email, reading a few friends' blogs.  And then before I know it, I'm over in YouTube land searching for videos pertaining to a movie I saw a million years ago.  This is how the time on my computer goes.  And it can happen at any time.  I might be researching a recipe and come across a technique in which I'm unfamiliar, which of course, leads me around the 'net until I find the answer.  And then...well, one thing leads to another, leads to another.

So, they say the first step is admitting you have a problem.  Well, I say, you can't say there's a problem unless you resolve to find a solution.  My solution is simple - don't spend so much time on the computer.

Duh.


Do you have a problem?  What's your solution?  I'd love to hear it.

2 comments:

  1. Well, let's just say my week wasn't a normal week. I have been packing and then with other stuff happening I haven't been able to keep normal track. But, I have kept track here and there and for the most part remember what I had been doing most of the day. It was hard. I don't want to admit that I have a computer problem but, I do. The first thing I do is get on this thing. I try to tell myself that it is to write a blog but, half the time I don't. This morning I had a really good reason. I had to say Happy Birthday to Jenna. I wouldn't miss that one for the world.

    But, most normal mornings I am on here plugging away just looking at stuff. Mostly blogs. I am a blogaholic. Which they lead me on a bunny trail just like you. I read something someone comments on something gotta look it up or they comment on a blog I haven't read before, gotta read it and then I spend about an hour if it is interesting, reading past entries.

    So, yeah, I guess the solution would be stay off of it duh! lol

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  2. LOL, it'll be okay.

    I really think that my computer habits are going to SERIOUSLY change once school starts again. I won't have time to spend just hopping around to what interests me. When I get on (which that's a no brainer, I will) it will be for a very specific person. I totally plan on keeping this blog up and considering the nature of my job, I might keep "Life According to Iva" up to record my days with the kids.

    When Elizabeth (Lizz1176) is really busy with work, school, and her boy, she's never online. I suppose that's how I'll be, too. My days will start around 5:30 or 6 and I won't get home until probably 4:30. By then, it's homework, housework, and dinner and then I might spend an hour online after the kiddos are in bed. But that'll be it.

    But I'm okay with that. The summer time is usually a pretty lax time for us anyway. It'll be good to get back into the swing of things.

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