Addiction

As I stated in my first blog, I recently got over my blogging aversion and started, well, this blog. Now I'm addicted. I go through possible posts in my head as I get ready for the day, I mention my blog to everyone I know (and some I don't know), and I notice little things during the day that I could maybe write about (most of which I forget by the time I get home). Definitely addicted.

I know Christina, you told me so.

In thinking about this recent addiction, I started to consider other addictions I've dealt with in my life. No, I'm not addicted to alcohol or drugs or cigarettes. But I do tend to get addicted to things. Blogging, scrapbooking, certain books and movies, computer games.

I was analyzing my behavior as I dried my hair this morning. I have often avoided getting involved in certain things for the ostensible reason that I don't like to do what the crowd is doing. The first time I heard about Harry Potter, I didn't want to read it because everyone was reading it. I tell people that it's because I like to be different, I don't like getting caught up in the craze. But in my self-analysis this morning, I admitted to myself that the real reason is because I know instinctively that I'm going to get addicted. I didn't avoid Harry Potter because I didn't want to be a follower. I avoided it because I knew I would become a crazy fan.

I first heard about Harry Potter when the fourth book came out (I'd been out of the country when it had started to become popular). There was a story on the news about people who stood in line for hours, waiting for midnight to strike so that they could buy the book. I thought it was pretty cool, considering that's something that people do for a movie, not for a book. But I also thought 'I'm not going to read those until they all come out and the craze is over.'

Turns out this was a self-preservation instinct. When I ignored the instinct and gave in, I actually took the book to work and read it under my desk because I had to find out what happened. I agonized over the amount of time left before the next one would be published, and I saw the first movie the day it came out. I read them several times, and I was one of those waiting for midnight when the fifth, sixth and seventh books came out. I got into arguments about what was going to happen and I discussed Harry Potter every chance I got. I was addicted.

The pattern repeated itself recently with the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I distinctly remember finishing Eclipse and immediately starting the whole series over again. I was up until midnight yet again when Breaking Dawn came out (well, later than that, cause then I was reading it), and I'm not going to admit how many times I've seen the movie. Again - addicted.

Of course, I'm doing better now. I no longer dream either about vampires or about Voldemort. I can go weeks at a time without arguing whether Bella should have ended up with Jacob or with Edward (as if there's any contest...Jacob drives me crazy). I don't discuss apparent discrepancies in Harry Potter with anyone who would listen. I haven't actually read a Harry Potter book for several months, and it's been a while since I've read any of the Twilight books. These things usually fade with time.

So I guess I can't really call it an addiction. Apparently, despite all my attempts to the contrary, I'm obsessed.

Technology

This blog isn't about the weather (I know, surprising!), but I couldn't pass up posting this picture from the University of Utah webcam. This is mostly to make those who are freezing in Wisconsin (and elsewhere) be grateful that at least they're breathing clean air. Usually, you would be able to see the Oquirrh mountains and maybe even a shimmering line of the Great Salt Lake from this view. Those little lines you see through the yellow is the Salt Lake City skyline, which is about two miles away. Yuck!

Anyway, I promised this wouldn't be about the weather, so onto better things.

I've been thinking lately about technology. This is probably because of the fact that I've had a technology explosion in my life lately. In November, I got a laptop to replace my desktop at work. For Christmas, I got an IPod. This month, I finally gave up on my desktop at home and bought a laptop, with a wireless router. My sister got an IPhone for her birthday and gave me her "old" cellphone (one with a keyboard), and today I got rid of my pager at work and got...wait for it...a cellphone

Right now, I'm sitting on the couch, writing this on my new laptop, listening to my new Ipod, and I have both my personal and my work cellphones on the table next to me...just in case.

Makes me wonder if I've gone a little too far....

...Nah.

A couple of people were surprised that I got a laptop when I'd just gotten one from work. After all, why would I need two?

Before I bought my personal laptop, I would do my personal stuff on my personal desktop. The desktop I bought when I graduated from college. Eight years ago. Eight computer years. That's what, three hundred in human years?

In general, I just dealt with the quirks of my ancient computer. I mean, a new computer isn't something that you just go out and buy on a whim. Well, it isn't for me, anyway.

But it was to the point that I would never shut down the poor thing, because when I'd turn it back on, it took about six months to boot up. If I got on the internet, I had to be sure that I didn't close any of the windows I was working in, or it would shut down everything.

And then I got an IPod.

When I discovered that I couldn't download I-Tunes on my aged companion, I decided I needed to put my poor old friend down. It was just inhumane...or intechnane...to continue to make it work.

I reworked my budget and bought a laptop two weeks later. Goodbye, old friend.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 24th at 10:00am.

Breathing

Whoever said that breathing is highly overrated is strongly mistaken. Wait...has anyone ever said that?

So, I've recovered from my bronchitis, just in time to get another cold. I've been sick going on two months now. Some of my friends think maybe I should talk to a doctor. HA! I say. Doctor, schmoctor! I say. Who needs a doctor?!

Okay, apparently I do.

But it's not as if I haven't talked to anyone about it. I went to a doctor about my bronchitis. He gave me cough medicine and said it would take 3 weeks to get over it and charged me $100 for the visit.

Now I have a cold again. I think. Maybe it's just the end of bronchitis, mixed with the fact that you can practically chew the air, it's so thick with pollution. Maybe it's allergies. I'm allergic to winter.

But it's probably a cold. And everyone knows that there is nothing the doctor can do about a cold.

It's no big deal, really. Better than the bronchitis. Except that I can't breathe. Strangely enough, my body thinks that breathing is important. And since my body is somewhat important to, you know, continuing to live, I guess it's time to call the doctor.

Or maybe I'll just move to Hawaii.

TV

When I was growing up with my five siblings, we often gathered around the TV and shared in a show or a movie together. I remember several Sunday nights, gathering around for the Wonderful World of Disney. We had our regular shows - the Cosby Show, Knight Rider and MASH reruns, to name a few. Not to mention Saturday morning cartoons. Back when Saturday morning cartoons were cool. (You know, Muppet Babies, The Real Ghostbusters, GI Joe, etc.)

But most of the time, my mom would come in, turn off the TV, and tell us to go play outside. We would usually moan and groan, complaining that there was nothing to do outside, but we were obedient children (because we knew what would happen if we weren't obedient), and headed outside. Of course, we always ended up having fun, but the result was that we often didn't see some of the shows that everyone else was watching.

I remember one time I was on a school fieldtrip and everyone started singing the theme to The Brady Bunch. I had heard of the show and seen it a couple of times, but I couldn't have sung the song if they'd paid me (which of course they wouldn't have). I still couldn't sing the song.

Of course, if someone is willing to pay now, I'd be happy to learn it...

I was embarrassed on that bus ride so many years ago. (Not so much any more - now that I've actually seen the show, I'm actually quite grateful.)

But, as I said, we did have our regulars. To this day, the theme song to MASH makes me hungry - it was on every day at 5, when dinner was being made. My mom loved to watch TV, and she passed that love onto most of her children. Of course, nowadays it doesn't matter if we need to go outside and play (or, you know, go to work). We can just record our shows on a DVR. Or wait for a few months and buy the whole season on DVD. All the joy of watching our show, and no commercials.

Ah, the wonderful world of technology! Allowing us to keep up on the important things, like who got kicked off of Survivor or why Grisham left CSI. You know, the stuff that really matters.

Car

As I'm sure many of you did, I made a few resolutions this New Years. One of them was to go to the gym more. I made it there yesterday, and I was prepared to go today. N0 excuses.

But on my way out of the parking lot at work, I broke my car. What an excellent excuse.

The best part is how I broke it. I slid into a curb going maybe 5 miles per hour. Now, I may be way off the mark here, but I was thinking that with all the safety features they put in cars these days, they would have prepared for a 5-mile per hour impact on the tire. I mean really, didn't anyone think of that?

Maybe it's because I run into curbs all the time, and the car's just had it with me. As much as I like to brag about being a good driver, I do tend to cut corners a little too tightly. But I've never broken anything before. Except a few curbside paint jobs.

Admittedly, I don't know yet what's wrong with it. Except that I can no longer turn right. Hardly important, right? I'll just take lefts from now on. Not a big deal.

Except I'm pretty sure I can't get to the gym without a right turn.

Ah well...maybe next year...

Winter

Because I've been sick, I haven't been outside much in the last few days. When I went out today, I nearly froze to death. What's with the below freezing weather?! Let's bring back the blizzards. At least it's warmer when it's snowing.

I was thinking about winter this morning, and about the fact that, despite my hatred of the season, I still live in Utah. Why aren't I living in Arizona? I know some people couldn't take the heat in the summer, but I say, bring it on! (Of course, I've never lived there, so maybe I'd be singing another tune if I did...)

I came up with two reasons why I'm still here (besides the obvious, you know, my job's here, my family's here, blah, blah, blah), and those are:

First, the mountains. You just can't beat living ten minutes from a really good hike. Seriously, you can drive out of the city and be in wilderness within minutes. Nobody else around for miles. Love that.

The second one is that, as far as winters go, Utah really isn't too bad. I mean, yeah, we have the inversions (when the cold air gets trapped in the valley, along with the smog and pollution and gunk, and when I want to go jump off one of those mountains), but then there's always the February thaw, followed by another inversion and then the March thaw.

I spent a winter in Indiana, and it was cold. All the time. No change. Except when it got colder.

My favorite part about winter in Utah is how the thaws always seem to take native Utahns by surprise every year. It gets up to the 50s in February, and it's like the world is coming to an end. "Oh, it's global warming!" or "Man, can you believe this? Never seen anything like it!" Yeah, except for every February for the last 50 years!

Seriously, though, the old adage: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes" definitely holds in Utah.

Except during an inversion. I can't be sure, but it feels like they last at least 8 years (approximately).

A New Year

Okay, so it's 2009 now, and I figured it's probably time to get over my blogging aversion and join the 21st century. I know, I know, I'm gonna hear it from several of you, but I'm willing to take the jokes and jabs, cause I'm a big person...which, incidentally, is why one of my new years resolutions is to get back to the gym...

As many of you know, I'm working on finding an agent for my first novel, which is extremely exciting! I finished the novel early last year and began sending it to agents in August. Each time I get a rejection, I tweak my query and sometimes my manuscript, and send it off again. Can't wait for the notice that someone actually wants to read the whole thing!

I'm excited for 2009. I have a good feeling about this year. Despite the fact that I started it by getting bronchitis (just an excuse to sit on the couch all day and get a ton of writing done on my laptop), I think it'll be a fun year. Can't wait for the big family reunion coming up in August!