Disconnected

Oh poor, neglected blog!  Why have I forsaken you?

Well, because I've been writing my ass off for work, and a girl has only so much write in her.

Work is good, very good, but insanely busy.  At home, I am reading a book right now called The Power of Less, and it's got some interesting observations about productivity.  The lesson I'm practicing this week is one of disconnection.  In other words, "How to Wean One's Self from the Internets."  It's been difficult.  I'm accustomed to working always logged into e-mail, with it always up on my screen.  A message pops in, I look at it, and 9 times out of 10, I answer it.

While this is incredibly helpful to my colleagues, it's been shit for my long-term projects.  I can't get anything big done if I'm constantly handling small stuff.  The big projects have been stacking up, looming, and are now threatening to surge through the office like a tsunami.  Something had to give.  And that something, my friends, was cyberspace.

For the last two days, I holed up in my office and (gasp!) minimized my e-mail.  I couldn't quite bring myself to log out completely - what if there's an e-emergency?! and my superhero mad e-mail skilz are required to save the day?! - but I minimized it.  Which is a huge step for me.  Then I had to keep myself from checking it every 20 seconds.  Also a huge step.

I'm pleased to report, though, that I was able to do it, and it worked.  I have made such good headway on my large projects!  I have been a writin' fool, and have accomplished way more in two days than I have the last two weeks.  And I learned that it doesn't kill me to be "off-line" for awhile.  I checked my e-mail about five times each day over the past two, and while it was a little intimidating to see unread e-mails stacked up in there, I learned that most of them didn't require immediate attention, and in fact, a few of them presented issues that resolved themselves by the time I read them.

I've fallen off the wagon a bit today, due to one's need to have some socialization during the day, and meetings that interrupted my work flow.  But I'm determined to get back on, and commit to this new way of life.  I have to, or I'll never get anything done.

Things I'm thinking about this week:

1. Why on earth is Roger Ebert being blasted by suddenly-sensitive insensitive jackasses for speaking the truth?  A celebrity was a jackass, and he made very good money for being a jackass, and he drank and he drove and he killed himself and another person.  Thank God he didn't kill more people.  I refuse (REFUSE) to lionize stupid people. Yes, people can grieve.  But do NOT bemoan a perfectly preventable tragedy as something unfair or unjust.  And don't blame film critics for calling it what it is.  What the hell is wrong with our society?
2. I have learned that having a child of my own does not make me more tolerant of other peoples' little assholes.  Turns out I'm just as intolerant as I've ever been.
3. How many stupid, stupid men are there in the world?  I'm really tired of hearing about "respected" men cheating on their wives. It seems like there are more today than when I was growing up.  It seems like news has devolved into a peep-show mentality, while real news is thrown out the window.  When are we going to learn that sensationalism should not dictate what information is disseminated? Are people jerks?  Yeah.  That's not news.  So stop reporting it.  Infidelity, while reprehensible and morally wrong, is a.) not a crime and b.) no one's business but those directly involved.
4. I wish there was less hatred in my country.  I am continually saddened by the outright hate (there's no other word for it...it's just plain old hate and despising) portrayed by members of our political parties. I have always been, and probably always will be, staunchly independent.  I've voted Republican, I've voted Democrat.  But I really, really don't want to participate in anything that involves personal attacks and outright lies.  For decades, the two major parties in the US haven't gotten along.  That's to be expected.  And healthy debate is good.  But when reasoned, intelligent debate and common courtesy dissolves and all that's left are extreme demands and the mass distribution of untruths...that's just scary.
5. M's travel budget at work has been eliminated.  Well, everyone he works with is currently grounded, but I'm really only concerned with him.  While I know this is not his preference, and that he's pretty well going stir-crazy from being chained to his desk, secretly I am enjoying every single minute of him being home.  Okay, maybe not so secretly.  We have been such a normal little family lately.  Swim lessons, what to have for dinner, don't forget the sunscreen, are the damn cicadas gone yet...it's nice to have some routine and minor issues.  Yesterday morning he left before us.  As I was getting ready I heard the thunder, then the rain.  Shit.  I dread running through the rain with Zoe in tow, trying to get us in the car and on the way to school without being soaked.  When we went to leave, my keys weren't in the key box.  I couldn't believe we had left them in the car overnight (but then again, we left the car door open on a stormy night last week so it's not really out of the realm of possibility).  We opened the garage door to go out and lo!  He had seen the clouds rolling in, pulled his car out, and then took time to pull my car in so we wouldn't get wet.  Yeah.  I am loving having him home.