Unplug

It's nothing new to hear we live in a connected world.

Facebook, twitter, IMs, texts, phone calls, blogs, blackberrys, iphones and the 24-hour news cycle make it very easy to keep up with everything happening. Often times, too much of everything. One can barely make dinner plans on facebook or enter the beginning of a relationship without 500 people finding out. For some odd reason, we're all okay with that.

I recently spent a weekend in a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia, disconnected. I didn't plan on it. If you had asked me prior if I wanted to go without my precious updates and notifications I likely would have laughed and shuddered concurrently.

smartphones, my preference is an iphone, have become security blankets for grown ups. we never have to feel awkward or alone in a group of new people, because we have socialization at our fingertips.

I was with a group of people I didn't know, with the exception of a precious few, and my worst nightmare (aside from skiing off the side of the mountain) happened. The internet wouldn't load. my facebook because a swod. I felt jittery, nervous. A part of me was missing. How could I function not knowing what was going on in the rest of the world?

The feeling lasted for about a day. I was like a smoker trying to quit. The habit I was quitting was all I could think about and at times to urge was too strong to fight. After repeatedly trying to access my internet at various points at the resort, I finally just accepted the fact that I was going to have to socialize with people in the same room as me. So 2004.

That lasted for about 48 pretty wonderful hours and then we made the trek down the valley. Upon returning to work I found out that unfortunately drastic spring floods had hit the region, claiming two victims. sporting events had happened, some guy at some school up north hit a last-second shot, or two, and I had no idea.

I missed so much, I thought... for about a minute. Then I said, no, I didn't miss anything. In fact, ignorance truly is bliss. I spent time rolling around with my baby on the floor instead of scrolling through the lives of people I never see. I commented in a conversation instead of commenting on a wall. I unplugged, disconnected, shut down, and yet I opened up, released and kept living.

Spring is here, and with it the perfect time to try to unplug. Here are some ideas: Go for a walk at the park, perhaps fly a kite. Place a jar of topics at the dinner table and have a discussion. Do a puzzle. Get the mitt out and play a game of catch. Make cookies for a neighbor.

Disconnect, and get connected.

bailey briefs

As I sit here polishing off a lovely square (or two or three) of Ghiradelli chocolate squares, I wonder how I've missed out on the nirvana that is 60% cacao, or higher. Did I really go 25 years thinking Hershey's chocolate is the best out there? How mistaken I was...

I don't even like chocolate that much, but recently a bite or two of dark chocolate has made my palate sing. I discovered 14 days of Dark Chocolate at Starbucks and almost danced. Milk chocolate tastes like pure sugar now, I crave the bitterness of a dark chocolate bar. so good.

(**as a side note -- The dove peppermint bark over the holidays was bangin'. it should be for sale year round.)

My buddy Dave recently did a story about Huntington's own Chiammaya chocolates. Total Chocolate Indulgence has 71 percent cacao. That is next on my list.

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I took my poor sniffling, teething baby to get pictures taken today. He is 6 months old and I want 6 month pictures, not 7 month pictures! (yes, mother dearest...) We had an appointment last week and canceled because he was so sick he couldn't stay awake long enough. He didn't feel much better today but I risked it.

I'm glad Paul over at Boekell Photography is so patient, and glad Bodhi is so cute without even trying, or we'd be in trouble. He was not a happy camper. Even so, I am excited to see my photos, the studio is gorgeous. Bodhi might have some snot on his face, but that's ok. Most 6-month-old baby do.

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on the menu tonight: fried rice and possible installation of a new car seat. it's an exciting life.

Welcome!

I was never the kind of girl to keep a diary. I loved to buy them and look at the blank pages, imagining what they would be filled with in the future. Often the pages were never filled. Maybe an occasional doodle or entry, but I never felt the need to express my thoughts on paper.

Now that I have a long commute, I have a lot of time to think about things. Some serious, some funny, some bizarre and ridiculous. Lately I have felt the need to write them down, perhaps just to get them out of my head and clear out room for other trivial matters.

My life seems to be in quick transition at the moment, and this will help me remember some days, events, feelings that I might otherwise forget. Being a new momma, I'm sure a picture or two of the babe will pop up. You might see some sports posts, a music graf or two and a veritable pantheon of anything else.

My hope is that if you stumble upon this little spot you leave with something on which to ponder. Perhaps you'll be educated, maybe edified. entertained, even. Hopefully all of those things. If nothing else, this will give you a little insight into an oft-guarded soul. Feel free to ask questions, share thoughts, make suggestions and, most important of all, have fun!