Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Starting my day online

I've always been an early riser, but the older I get, the earlier I seem to rise.  I set my alarm for 4 AM on work days, but that's a joke; I'm always awake by 3.  So, what do I do so early in the morning?  I get online, of course.

My online life has evolved over the years.  I started out just surfing.  Then I got hooked into the whole chat room thing for a couple of years or more.  Once that scene turned ugly, I found other things to do.  I still join friends in a chat sometimes, but I can take it or leave it.  When it starts getting nasty, I leave.

My computer's in the kitchen, which is handy.  Cliff and I will be sitting at the table eating and he'll say, "I wonder what year they started making Farmall Cub tractors," or some such rhetorical question, and I'll jump up, run to the computer, and google the answer.  He's learning not to ask rhetorical questions.  But he does come in from the shop regularly and ask me to hunt up something for him.  Having the computer in the kitchen, I must add, makes for a messy keyboard and a weight problem, if you're not careful.  It's awfully easy to grab a snack and eat while you're surfing.

The first thing I do in the morning, on the way through to the bathroom, is turn on the Dell.  There are about three message boards I read, and of course I check email, both on and off AOL; but these days, the first thing I do once I'm online is check my journal alerts.

People interest me.  I like to try and figure out what makes them tick.  I've always enjoyed reading biographies (if they don't get too deep into politics or some such loblolly that turns them into a history book).  These day-to-day journals are a real-life peek into folks' lives, and I'm hooked.

I read some blogs that tell about folks' ordinary lives at home or work; I get a feel for their personalities and they begin to seem like neighbors.  I choose some for their humor (Mrs. Linklater should be making money as a stand-up comic, I swear!).  Some journals make me think, or cause me to be aware of things going on in the world around me.  I've deliberately chosen a couple because the writer is completely opposite me in beliefs and ideals, and it's interesting to see opposing views without feeling the need to argue about them (after all, it's their journal).

Cliff reads all my entries, and often, the comments.  Now our daughter has started a journal, so he has to read hers too, of course.  He's rather proud of her sense of humor.  Yesterday he said, "So, show me some other journals."  I think he's hooked!  I sent him to Patrick's Place, and he spent probably a half-hour there.  He's visited some of the other journals in my alerts, ones I comment in regularly.   

I'm not concerned about his taking over the computer though:  he can't sit in a chair at a computer for over an hour without getting a stiff neck and backache.  But if worse comes to worse, we do have two computers.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL....I keep teling my husband we needs a few more computers in the house!  It's awful having to share my 'baby' with everybody else!  <g>  (BTW, I'm addicted to journals, too!)
~Amy

Anonymous said...

Careful just feed it to him in very small doses!

Anonymous said...

My husband doesn't know a thing about computers and has no intention of learning. He lets me look up everything. *Barb*

Anonymous said...

YEP, You have just described me too, Mo! I can live with it! HOWEVER, I can't sleep and don't get to bed until the wee hours. Now my husband is like you and gets up very early. Anne

Anonymous said...

I spend a lot of my time at the computer, early and late.  I find, too that older doesn't necessarily sleep better.  Fortunately, Rob doesn't complain.  I think he thinks I am the data processing department of our house!  Blessings, Penny

Anonymous said...

I remember when we were on the road, G called the laptop my "box" and although he knew of e-mail, etc... They weren't easily accessable, and he showed little interest (other than to ask me to get directions to EVERYTHING <LOL>). I had given him an AOL screenname, but I was the one who checked it for mail and sent out resume's for him from it. Then, when we came off the road he showed an interest in being able to e-mail family. Then (since we now have cable access) he discovered the internet...Before long I had to set up a network and set up my old laptop for his use just so I could get online <bg>... Then I introduced him to Pogo... <sigh> He spends as much time online as I do now!! So far though he hasn't shown any interest in my Journal, even though I've had him proof a couple of entries. Slowly, he is finding that "the box" has uses!
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind

Anonymous said...

I don't know why I find journals and message boards and blogs so interesting, but I imagine it's my nosey nature.  Seriously, I sometimes HAVE to know what's going on in so-and-so's life before I can move on with my night. Even more of a reason is my voyeuristic tendencies...much the same reason I like "reality tv".  I like to sit in my bubble (which I'll explain tonight in my OWN journal) and see the problems that others face.  Odd species, man.

Anonymous said...

My huband reads all my entries too (and comments). He's also gotten hooked on a couple of the journals I regularly read. But I don't see him really getting into it as much as I am. He has too many other hobbies. :-)

Anonymous said...

You think having a computer in the kitchen is bad for the "bottom line"? -- I bought a mini-fridge to put in my little home office here.  It's got beer, salsa, onion dip and half of case of Diet Coke in it all times.   The chips stay in the kitchen though -- I could easily inhale a whole bag of Lay's while surfing the net.  I sound pretty gross right now, don't I?  I do.   Goodnight.

Anonymous said...

Before starting my journal I spent very little time "online." I used it for email, and research for school. I never got hooked by the chat bug. Once in a while I would post to something on Yahoo's message boards where they discussed a particular news item but I am not one who enjoys arguing so I didn't get too involved in that. I enjoyed playing spades on Yahoo though. I haven't done that in ages though. Journaling consumes too much of my time and I've turned into a regular computer geek as a result. Messing with digital photography is my thrill now. But lately my back has been bothering me so I've been limiting my time online. I have a laptop so I sit in bed which isn't the greatest posture for long bouts online.
:-) ---Robbie