Pages

Sunday, June 13, 2010

But At Least Now I Know Who Peter Orlovsky Is...


Oh my god.  I said Sunday, didn't I?

I swear, I should just put duct tape over my mouth and cut off my fingers because I never do anything I say I'm going to - especially if it involves the computer.

Is there a better word for addiction? Or weakness?  Lack of conviction?

Let us recap, shall we?

About a week ago I said I was going to try to stay off the internet, particularly the social networking media, for thirty days.  Knowing that thirty consecutive days was setting an unattainable goal, I settled for six days in a row giving myself Sundays off or on, in this case.  And, of course, I didn't manage it.  I even tried to write out my goals each day in my moleskin, referring to it on more than one occasion to remind myself of what I was attempting to do.

By Wednesday, I'd stopped writing out my goals and my moleskin hid itself out of shame.  It hates being the written record of my failures and self-deceit.  I'm sorry, moleskin.  Come back!


In the win column, I can say with no hesitation that I decreased significantly my online time.  Especially that non-productive time.  I can also report that I finished reading Skin Deep by E.M. Crane and Say When by Elizabeth Berg.  Both of them delightful.  See reviews here.  I have a crush on Elizabeth Berg's writing at the moment.  I also managed to work out several times and wrote several thousand words as part of the manuscript.  And - the big thing because I'm a little slow on the pick up sometimes, I mapped out how the rest of the book goes so I finally have a framework.  The writing's been much easier since then.

Being offline did give me the gift of time.  I baked a cake, went to the library a crazy number of times, and even spent an afternoon poking around shops, but not buying anything with the girls.

I also wrote a short story that you can find here.   Thanks to those who've left comments and offered critique.  I appreciate it very much.

There is a bit of news.  I'm going to be blogging at a new place.  Be sure to bookmark it.  I don't know why these folks were crazy enough to invite me, but it looks like DCup may be resurrected.

So if I were to grade myself for the week, I'd say I earned a C.  A good solid C.

Around here, there's been the usual chaos.  I watched the Americans play the English in the World Cup yesterday.  It took me about five minutes to tune out those horns.  Even then I had to watch with the sound way down low.  Jesus Christ.  I would last thirty seconds in that stadium with that racket.  I would have enjoyed the game much more if the plate of french fries and beer and I kept wishing for out loud had materialized, but a friend told me that I have to plan ahead and stop with the magical thinking.  Oh.

My parenting skills and patience were sorely tested all day Saturday.  Seems someone had to learn by doing that mixing your hard liquors, rum in Daiquiris followed by vodka shots, leads to misery the next day.  All I can say is if I had phoned up the Big R and asked her to come retrieve me at my friend's house because I was too sick to drive, she would have responded differently than I did.  I mean, that was the woman who marched into my bedroom and turned on the New Years Day Parade full blast on January 1, 1981.  That was the morning after I learned that Jim Beam and Jack Daniels were dangerous friends for a 15 year old who weighed all of 85 pounds.  But then, when I was this child's age, I was living on my own in an apartment with my boyfriend because the thought of leaving him behind and spending the summer with my parents was enough to make me too sick to drive, too.

So armed with a bucket, a can of warm Sprite, and a straw, I was dropped off at the friend's house so I could drive somebody home in her car.  I noticed that the townhouse next door was for rent.  Maybe we should just move there so that when Drinky McDrinkerstein decides to learn another hard (liquor) lesson, she can just slither home.  Or better yet, I could simply mince next store and enjoy the party, too.  That way, I could either (a) tell her when she's had enough or (b) be too damn happy to care (and be so sick myself that I'll be of absolutely no help to her either way.)

And thus ends Sally's sanctimony.  I don't think she'll be giving me the stinkeye anymore when I drink.

And then there are the other two who presented different kinds of challenges in their own right.  Let's just say at one point last night, I put down my second glass of red wine, looked MathMan straight in the eyes and asked "Why did all of our children pick today to go out of control?"  He wouldn't even stop gambling online long enough to attempt to answer me.


Gmail won't work for me anymore and one of the cats now has a Facebook page. And I don't even know why I'm telling you that except maybe you want to friend her.  Fiona Golden.

So here we come up on another week.  I would love nothing better than one day when I don't crawl into bed thinking that I've failed again.  We'll see.  I'm so done making promises I can't keep.

And just now I spent twenty-seven minutes finding and saving FAIL pictures from the web because, well, I don't even know anymore.  When I finish writing this, I'm going to google 12-Step programs for internet addiction.

That moleskin is never coming back, is it?

So how are things in your little chaotic corner?  News? 

13 comments:

  1. Lisa, you did way better than a C! You got a lot of things done and did some networking with your writing and wrote some of your book and a short story! Get out of here - that's all great! How do I manage to go totally lame on my blog AND get nothing done anywhere else?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I thought your goal was a little too intense, and personally, I believe you won. It's hard in this modern word where everything is online and fast fast and you might miss it if you don't multitask in at least three screens on your computer...

    I'm always impressed with how much you get done, even when you think you don't.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Don't be too hard on yourself. You just have to keep at it. You did accomplish some things and your enjoyed being alive, I assume, so put those in the WIN column.

    After I catch up on a few of my old fave blogs (like yours), I'll be head deep into the work of writing one novel in progress and editing a completed one. Among other things.

    It takes discipline. And learning discipline takes time. At least 30-45 days I hear. I hope so, since I don't have much time to accomplish my own writing goals in my new space. My mantra: if at first you don't succeed, change things up a bit. So I suggest reassessing your plan against your goals and changing up your previous plan to better work for you this go-round. Be easy on yourself, reward yourself for good behavior, and persevere. In fact, be extraordinary. I know you can.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You make me laugh, lady!!!! :) If nothing else, what you consider to be your "fails" are immensely entertaining to the rest of us...so there ya' go. :) (No offense, of course--you're just a funny person.)

    And by the way, the pictures of "fails" on this blog posting cracked me up, too, big time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like you've been living in a veritable zoo. The facebook page for the cat is a bad idea. She may become so addicted that she will no longer have tome to bury... things.

    I stopped by your new blog and left a comment. I think I have the navigation figured out now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Last week, I took one week off from blogs. I didn't write any and I didn't read any.


    However, I did NOT stay offline completely because, I know there is NO possible way I could stay away from Facebook!

    Im glad you got so much accomplished! Good for you!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bravo! I agree with Linda, that you deserve better than a C. Maybe a B, if I were the teacher -- because if I were teacher, I'd play favorites. ;)

    I'm thrilled about the reappearance of DCup and her witty stylings. Bookmarked, for sure. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. sounds like life hitting full force--who wouldn't want to escape it online??

    that nearly naked dude (wtf is btween his legs--is that a weapon????) with the artillery--now that's EPIC!

    there's no way you're gonna win. teh interwebs is bigger n stronger. Just give in to it...

    and yes, kids annoying factor ramped up this weekend, kinda like those horns at the world cup....
    I was begging to be put out of my misery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I always say "A smile and a handshake is worth a thousand Tweets!" Great job - I need to get on the train and get my graphic novel illustrated. Thanks for reminding me to stop futzing around on the net!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Man, you got a lot more done than I did. But I was chained to my desk, answering too many e-mails and doing work and then the day ended. God, my life's pretty boring.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am reading a book a day about. That prof is gonna kill me I swear. This is way more than 9 hours per week of work for 3 credit hours. I LIKE reading but she is trying to kill that joy in me. I can't wait for this semester to be over even though that means it's the end of summer. :(

    Maybe I'll feel differently once it's over.

    And maybe someday you'll look back upon this time and think it was pretty good, who knows?

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's probably the NyQuil, but I can't stop looking at half naked ammo guy with the belts full of...stuff.

    Lord. I HOPE it's the NyQuil.

    ReplyDelete
  13. we invited you because we love you ;)

    and you're writing is the schiznit.

    ReplyDelete

And then you say....

(Comments submitted four or more days after a post is published won't appear immediately. They go into comment moderation to cut down on spam.)