Tuesday 5: Facebook Detox and Funny Shows

1. I’d wager to guess I’m friends with about 90% of you Fellow Adventurers on Facebook. That being the case, I’ll cut to the chase- my week long Facebook fast. I’m halfway through that week and I definitely have some take-aways. I decided to take a break from Facebook because I was so tired of negativity. I know it sounds trite and everyone says it all the time, but I really was getting bogged down in a sea of negative emotions. From political commentary to negative statements about the Pope to people just whining about things, I was starting to really take all those emotions in and take them on as well. I know I need to pare down my friends list, hide some people, unfriend others, and sort people so not everyone can see everything I post. I decided the best way to get perspective on how to do that was to detox for a week. The first day or two was hard. I realized I use Facebook as a time filler, and it’s become more of a time killer. I actually had to hide the app in a folder so I wouldn’t automatically click on it when I picked up my phone. It’s been four full days now, and I can say I don’t really miss Facebook all that much. I miss seeing some friends’ posts, but I’ve kept messenger and still had meaningful conversations this week with people I really care about. I did log on for a minute to wish The International Man of Intrigue a happy birthday, and I also logged in today just to install it on my new phone. I think I’ve had a proper detox already, but I’m committed to finishing the full seven days. I will log in this evening to post a link to this blog, however, but won’t read or check my notifications.

2. Speaking of the new phone I was installing things on, I was late to the all things iThing trend, but I love my iPhone. I do have a minor complaint, though. Could someone tell the ghost of Steve Jobs something for me? (The International Man of Intrigue is convinced Steve Jobs lives on as Siri, but that’s another topic.) The thing is this. In all of the approximately one billion times my iPhone and iPad have corrected me, I have never once, not one solitary time, meant “ducking.”

3. Some days around the Intrigue house are tough. They're especially tough when The International Man of Intrigue is traveling. Last week, there was a day that Laura Ingalls Wilder had no nap. The other Little Explorers were crazy, too. Arthur Dent woke up, and woke everyone in the house by five thirty in the morning. By afternoon, everyone was grouchy. Of course, Gertrude Bell decided she needed to ask questions about cleavage. Heaven help me. I managed to make it to bedtime, and I felt like I deserved a major award. When I get that award, I’ll make sure to thank the television and the invention of Netflix and on-demand childrens’ programming for supporting my win.

4. Speaking of television, why did no one tell me that The Mindy Project is ducking HILARIOUS?! ("Ducking?" Thanks, Steve Jobs.) I have only watched two episodes, but if laughing out loud while sitting alone in the living room and then worrying it was so loud it would wake the Little Explorers is any indication, I’d say it meets muster for my idea of funny.

5. Fluff question of the week: Are there any musical artists who you really enjoy but you just don’t care for the choices in the music they record? For me, two really stand out. The first is Carrie Underwood. I loved her music several years ago, but her last several albums have left me cold. I am equally cold when it comes to Keith Urban’s music, in large part. He has some songs I really like, some that have grown on me, but a lot of times his choices don’t work for me. which is unfortunate, because I really like his vocals and from what I know of him, I think he sounds like someone I’d love to have a cup of coffee with.