How I Like to Waste Time

I can sum it all up in one word: Surfing.

OK, maybe that's not so clear. I mean, it's probably somewhat obvious that I'm not surfing on the ocean because I live in the mountains. So maybe my one word should have been Internet or Web. But I liked surfing.

I typically hit the hay at midnight. Ugh. I know. That's terrible. Sleep is so, so, so important to your health and I spend an inordinate amount of time throwing around health-related advice willy nilly. Apparently I seem unable to take my own advice and just go to bed.

What usually happens is that I get my work done, with some surfing in between documents, and I look at the clock. Like tonight. Hey, look at that! It's only 9:36 pm! Hallelujah! I'm going to get to bed at a decent time tonight! I'll just check a few blogs, CaringBridge pages, and research random Web sites before I hit the hay. And then, before I know it, it's 11:30pm and I'm wondering what the heck happened. The Internet is the black hole of my free time. And actually time that is technically not always free, as the boys will attest.

So I thought I'd take a look at what Web sites I'd been visiting recently just to see what's what. Maybe I can do some analysis and cut down my time wasting.

Hilarious. I can't even find the history button yet. Ever since I started using Vista, life is one big mystery. Still looking.

AHA! It's on a pull down menu accessed via a tiny arrow to the left of the address bar. I'm sure there's some sort of shortcut button I can add, but as this is the first time I've accessed the history since I got this computer in November, it seems like a waste of time. Until I try to find it in six months and can't again.

So, I'm only going to list what I did for fun, not for work, because that would bore you to tears, beyond how boring this lame post already is. Unless you have some sort of unnatural interest in FASB pronouncements and any other auditing stuff. If that's the case, e-mail me and we'll talk.

www.actionforhealthkids.org -- went here doing some research for our school district's healthy food committee. I was trying to sign up for their e-newsletter, but couldn't find the signup page. So annoying.

www.allnurses.com -- went here because I think I was trying to self-diagnose myself with colon cancer. I don't think I have it. Yet.

www.allrecipes.com -- trying to find good recipes for the five million pounds of green beans I have from a farm I bought fruits and veggies from in bulk and then sold to the good citizens of our town. I made a red potato, green bean salad that had a dressing of olive oil, spicy mustard, basil, red onion, garlic, Wort sauce, basil. It was a little spicy.

www.bobsredmill.com -- was researching gluten-free things. I'm experienting with going wheat and gluten free for awhile. Just because I like to do weird things like that.

www.beachbody.com -- have been participating in some weight loss forums through this company and so I go each day and log what I ate and commiserate with other fat-bottomed gals. It stinks when I have to go and write things like, "Today I ate enough cookie dough to make the Pillsbury Dough Boy blush, a jar of bleu cheese stuffed olives, and an entire box of macaroni and cheese." You'd think that would make me stop. You'd be wrong.

www.cookie-recipe-club.com -- I had no business going to this site given the above site.

www.dianagabaldon.com -- When is she going to release the 8th book, darn it? She doesn't even sound like she's hurrying to write it and it's ticking me off!

www.glutenfreegirl.com -- trying to learn more about being gluten free. Darn, it's hard! And that gluten free bread? Nasty!

www.landsend.com -- Any good overstocks this week?

www.pbs.org -- Please tell me I didn't miss an episode of Foyle's War!

www.people.com -- Who is doing what with whom is of key importance to me. Yes, I read this brain crack, as my brother in law likes to say.

www.pickyourown.org -- I haven't gone to double check, but I think they're talking about fruit, not your nose. I was looking for instructions on how to can things. Specifically, all of the fruit I hope to acquire soon.

www.ricksteves.com -- I was doing some research for my friend Marci's trip, because heaven knows, if I can't be researching my own trip somewhere, I will plan my friends' trips instead. So I got hooked on Rick's daughter's blog. She's in Europe by herself for her first time (actually she's traveling around with a friend) and I'm living vicariously through them. Ah, such memories. For some reason, Marci, the episode with the peach in your backpack is coming to mind. Where was that? Brussels? 15 years ago--15 years ago--ACK ACK ACK--we were there right now. Oh my word. I feel old.

www.turmeric-curcumin.com -- was reading about the incredible health benefits of turmeric. I need to revisit this page and see if one of the benefits is anti-aging.

www.bestbuy.com -- trying to figure out what the heck a Wii really is and if we should own one.

www.dickies.com -- Yikes! This one sounded scary I almost didn't look to see why in the world I had been on a site with this name. But I was looking for new fleece jackets for the boys and Dickies is a brand that came up in the search. Whew! The FBI will have nothing on me.

www.ebay.com -- Looking for something random, I'm sure.

www.fodors.com -- Planning a fictional trip.

www.kidstolondon.com -- More research for Marci.

www.rottentomatoes.com -- Trying to figure out if Journey to the Center of the Earth would be an appropriate movie for the boys to see.

And this is just a partial list and doesn't even include all of the blogs and CaringBridge pages I follow. No wonder I never get to bed.

Surfing is a full time job.

It's now 10:12 pm and I'm going through this post and finding all the typos. Still not going to bed.

10:16 pm. Dang, there were a lot of typos tonight. Still not sure if I got them all. Gives you a lot of confidence in me as an editor, doesn't. Sadly, I edit for clients.

10:17 pm. I am a MORON! There is a "history" button right over my list of favorites that I could have simply clicked on and saved myself five minutes. I could have been in bed five minutes ago!