Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I HAVE BEEN IN DENIAL ABOUT MY ADDICTION!

I am back from "Swap Land".

It has been fun, but oh how I have missed you.

So much so that I think my worries have been confirmed.

Houston...we have a problem!

Hi! My name is Wendi and I am a blog addict.

You see, I was reading this post the other day.

Jen wrote a guide that helped to ascertain where you are as a blogger.

She broke it down into four categories.

Use. Misuse. Abuse. Addiction.

Before reading her oh-so-fabulous post I was sure I was in control.

I was sure that I was a casual "use at my leisure" blogger.

After reading her oh-so-fabulous post I was sure that I was in denial.

I thought I would share with you ten reasons I am suspicious.

You may play my therapist and tell me what you think.

Be honest.

But please be gentle.

1. My reader has now reached 204 posts and growing. I have been working day and night on this swap and have not had time to check up on my friends in Blogville. I know there is a "mark all read button". It is just a click away. I can not click it. I am afraid. I don't want to miss out on Beans first step. I know her 100th post is coming up. I always leave with a warm, fuzzy feeling when I read her blog...I can't possibly skip a post. I haven't done any ab workouts this week and I am sure she will make me laugh. Same thing right? (ab workouts = laughter) I don't want to miss a single post. Must. read. them. all. And comment.

2. I used the word Blogville in a sentence. And I truly believe it is my next vacation destination.

3. I have my Gmail page left up on my computer all day. I just happen to walk by the computer one hundred a few times a day to see if anyone left a comment.

4. Comments are my heroine. I need them all the time. When I get one, I am ready for my next fix one.

5. I check my sitemeter and google analytics 1000times twice a day.

6. I was supposed to be balancing the checkbook the other night. I was. Sort of. I was on the banking site and it reminded me of a blog I needed to check so I minimized the bank site and started blogging. When my husband came in to see how it was going, I quickly maximized the banking website only to discover a screen that in very large print said:
SESSION TERMINATED DUE TO INACTIVITY!!! Can you say busted?

7. Chase asked me to help him with his homework and I asked him to try to figure it out on his own first. The real reason was I was chatting on Gmail with a fellow blogger and I was really into my chat. Don't call DSS yet.

8. Claire got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. She walked by my room and was like , "Mom is that you? Are you still on the computer?" Yup, caught. At 1am.

9. If it is late at night and I know some of my west coast friends might be on Gmail, I change my status to invisible so they will not think I have issues never sleep.

10. I have to be in the carpool line early when I pick up Chase on Wednesdays. One of the other moms told me she sometimes takes her laptop to check her email while she waits. When I heard I could pick up the wireless feed from the school I was doing the happy dance! I pick up carpool this afternoon. Would you think less of me if I told you that I have a fully charged battery, my laptop, and my blog notebook already in the front seat? What about if I told you that I plan to be at school an hour early to get in some blog time be first in line?

Okay, it is your turn.

What do you think?

Is intervention really necessary?

I am going to be okay....right?

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

The first step toward any recovery is admitting you have a problem. You've done that! In a very hilarious way I might add!! Ok, so I can totally relate to so much of this post (no surprise there). My laptop actually died a few days ago and I have been forced to take a bit of a bloggy break (since I hate working on this ancient beast that I'm typing on now). It has felt good not to be on the computer as much, but I'll tell you what. As soon as I get that laptop back I'm going to be checking to see if I can pick up signal in the carpool line. Oh yes I will. Great post! Thanks for making me feel less alone with my addiction!

amanda said...

oh friend. i didn't think it possible to love you anymore. and now i do :)

you do have a problem. but we all have a problem. so not sure if we can help with the intervention.

i just say embrace the addiction!!

and don't worry i won't let you miss beans first step - promise :)

Unknown said...

Wendi, you ALWAYS make me smile. Always!

I think I, too, share your problem. Er, love for blogville :)

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

I heart you Wendi! You are honest.

I can't even make a list...I scare myself. And, I'm sure there will become a point where I do a "mark as read" especially in October. So, I will just request that nothing exciting happens during that time.

Susan said...

Please tell me that Chad didn't threaten to hold your laptop hostage while you get your addiction under control after that bust the other night.
Maybe we can meet in Virginia for "therapy" since the addiction is alive and well over here at my house too.
And my hundredth was yesterday...you didn't miss it...yea!

pb&j in a bowl said...

If you need an intervention, I'm afraid I might need one, too.

Amy said...

Too funny...I do the same thing with the computer screen..it's always good to keep something else up in case you need to maximize it...love it..

Carol said...

Too funny!

Embrace your addiction. I know I have!

Marla said...

i can't figure out if i'm a full on addict... but this one rang true

You no longer just experience life as a normal human being, because you are constantly trying to determine whether or not the things that happen to you daily are bloggable.

and my friends and family are kind of making fun of me :)

thanks for the laugh... and the second look at myself... most importantly... welcome back...

what is a blognotebook???

Beachy Mimi said...

You are not alone!!

duchess said...

Let's all plan an intervention & plan a trip to some exotic local with no internet connections and we can make ourselves feel better with lots of drinks and shopping.

Sounds like therapy to me (I'm already planning the post about our trip complete with lots of pictures when we return.....Uh oh,I'm hopeless.)

Laural Out Loud said...

I am slowly but surely working my way towards addiction. But I don't care! I want to blog!

So don't worry about a thing. If it was the olden days, you'd be spending just as much time crocheting.

OHmommy said...

You know. I think that every blogger goes through a big circle. We all go through smiliar issues. I blogged about my reader yesterday and last month about my comments and two months ago about my reader.

But. I have come a full circle now. I no longer check my site meter. Ever.

I do leave my gmail up all day.

I do not use my reader anymore. It is too stressful. I limit my time online responding to emails. I try and read all my top commenters twice a week or so and catch up.

I have gained 8 pounds in the last 8 months sitting in front of this computer. No more.

I need to step away. And find a good balance. Because I really really love blogging and my community and commenters mean a lot to me.

Emy5 said...

Wendi, don't stress. You have a great blog and you are passionate about blogging. It takes time to build all that you have done, and creativity too. You always give me an ab workout, so I think you are providing a service! Thanks!

Kristen said...

Oh Wendi, I don't even want to know what I am. Ugh! To scary to think about it!

But I am hoping that you are getting so excited to read my little comment! Glad I can bring a little joy!!

And can I tell you how much I puffy heart the fact that you have a blog note book. YOU my friend ARE THE BEST!!!

kelly said...

if you happen to stumble across a blogging anonymous type club, i might be interested. because i DEFINITELY have a problem. 240 posts in your reader? that's easy... i'm going on the thousands at this point. there just isn't enough time in the day!

Grammy Staffy said...

No intervention needed...just drop by my post and pick up some love.

Patrice said...

lol! If you need an intervention we all do. Well at least I definitely do! I have 250+ posts in google reader as well! I totally understand where you're coming from. I've been skipping lunch to try and catch up on my blogging! ha Even now as I type this comment I'm telling myself "I'm going to bed... as soon as I finish this." But I know I'll just get sucked back in! The blogosphere is so addictive!

Sue Wilkey said...

Because addicts like to enable other addicts; you really need to join Twitter. :)

Blessings From Above said...

I have been busted many times by my husband. You know, when I had something important to do for the office...but he walks in and I am reading blogs.

Like you my friend, I think I have an addiction!

McMommy said...

Wendiiiiiii.....it's me! Your computttterrrrrrrrrrrr.....Don't you love me, Wendiiiii? Why do you have to feed your kids dinner? All it does is take precious time away from me! Wendiiiiii....stay with me! Forget that husband! I'll keep you warm at night! :)

Melissa said...

well it is good that you can admit that you have a problem :)

hoLLy said...

you are hilarious!(in case you are wondering who the heck i am, i'm a friend of grammy staffys:) i can relate with all of those-totally! comments are like crack, i find myself staying up waaaay too late on the computer sometimes, i think your friend is a GENIUS PURE GENIUS for telling you to bring your laptop to carpool line(i am TOTALLY gonna do that now!) and i subscribe to way too many feeds on reader. its an addiction. it truly is. but hey, i make myself feel better by thinking, at least its not alcohol! :)

love your blog girl!

Unknown said...

Yeah, you've got issues but so do the rest of us so that makes it ok, right?

I was sitting here reading your list going "me too, me too, uh huh, yeah... me too..."

As Cape Cod Turns said...

Yes I have the same issues, but evidently you have it worse. I do not have a "blog notebook". I may now have to get one.....

Ashley said...

Nothing needs to be done...I look forward to reading your blog all the time...don't take that away from me!!~

Tiffany said...

You are so funny! I am actually, at this moment, typing this comment while I should be washing my kids in the bathtub... A little extra playtime doesn't hurt. Right?

I can totally relate!

Pam said...

Oh, I AM in trouble now aren't I? I not only read and loved your post, I started reading some other people's comments to you and got as far as Mamasphere's response and realized how totally sca-rewed I am! Not only do I blog and find myself just as addicted to you, BUT I ALSO CROCHET WHILE READING! AAACCK! Happy POW!

Tyne said...

I am with the duchess, can we plan an intervention vacation? I am with you...

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

Um, yeah, I think I'm going to have to join, "Hi my name is Carrie and I am addicted to blogging...."

just jamie said...

Hee hee. You need an iPhone. You can check ANYtime. I love mine.

And the trick about minimizing the banking screen. I so get busted with that too. "Oh, honey. Just give me a second. I need to o something for *school* on the computer. Uh-huh."

Wendi said...

You are so funny! I haven't had much time for blogging this week. I remember feeling addicted to blogging a year ago when I first started. I like it still, I just don't feel that obsessed. Maybe it will wear off??? If now that's okay. Everyone needs a hobby! ;)

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