Death to all the flies

I am on the most wanted list, that is if Flies have a most wanted list. I literally just killed over 20 flies in my house. I feel like that one fly that I let get away went back to wherever the flies gather and had to tell the other flies that … well Steve, Brandon, Stephanie, Jack and all the others didn’t make it back. Then like one angry fly dad hollered at the Lord of the Flies …. Insert your laugh here … What did we gain by sending them in there like that … what were you thinking? Then the fly that got away, whom I’ve decided is named Jeffery, not Jeff but Jeffery, pulled out his cell phone (flies have cell phones) and said I got the giants picture and shows it to the crowd. I look a lot scarier when seen by 55 eyes (I imagine there’s a group of at least 11 that can clearly see Jeffery’s cell phone) all of whom are starring at the phone in horror, I mean Jeffery didn't even get my good side, assuming I have one. I will never get the sound of all the moving and buzzing as the flies died out of my head. It was like they were yelling or maybe yelling to one another to stay clear. I did at least give them a proper burial, I shoved them into a plastic cup and tossed them into the trash. I just know they are down there coming up with a revenge plan, as long as they don’t team up with the roaches I think I can take them, tho it may require a trip to the store for more bug spray.

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I’m off from work today, down here in the south our young and young at heart gather on Fat Tuesday to celebrate Mardi Gras. It's supposed to be a day of excessiveness. Hence the name. Maybe my excessiveness centered on Flies ... who knows. The aforementioned excessiveness includes food, drink, revelry, and I'm sure good things too like laughter, hugs, family time etc., My boss, who is from New Orleans, has been celebrating Mardi Gras since last Friday when he left the office, granted he’s been going “home” every weekend all month but it got in full swing last week, both here and there and we won't get into the argument who started Mardi Gras cause honestly I don't care.  I have several friends in Mardi Gras organizations that are celebrating the day. While I like to look at all the pretty floats, I myself am using it to chill.

I slept until 8 (instead of my alarm getting me up at 5:30), had breakfast, played on my computer a bit, and well of course murdered a bunch of flies, now I’m killing some time in front of my computer screen again. I know that technically my self-imposed Social Media ban doesn’t start until tomorrow but I kind of started on Sunday for me. When I killed off all my notifications my phone stopped vibrating nearly immediately. It was not uncommon for my phone to go off several times throughout the day as a tweet would come in or a FB message would hit me. Not getting the notifications has made me not want to check my different feeds.  It’s also surprised me what I’ve done instead. I have played games on my phone (nothing new really because I play a lot of games on my phone) but I’ve also READ more news articles than I have in the recent past. Most of the time I skim an article hit share and move on to the next article. I find myself reading more of the article and paying more attention to what I’m reading. There are several things that I have thought this is interesting I should share it then realized I couldn’t. However, I’ve also realized I’m not the only person to read that article and I’m not responsible for making sure the rest of the world reads it. That was kind of freeing. I realized that if I was interested in it, likely my friends were too and the odds are we all found the article … I think this break might cut down on my “shares” or RTs which I’m sure my followers for lack of a better word will enjoy.

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That’s not to say this self-imposed Social Media ban hasn’t been tough. There were several times I wanted to reach for my phone and send out a tweet or post of Facebook but then didn’t. Yesterday I tried to go to lunch, I say try because I went to 4 different fast food places none of which were very fast and none of which seemed to care if Marcy ate lunch. These were named restaurants who all had about 5 or 6 cars in line that were not moving. Normally I’d send a tweet tagging said restaurants in them wondering what was going on. Then I finally ended up at a place got lunch and proceeded back to my desk in record time. Upon reflection, it hit me that I didn’t even think about sending a positive tweet about my lunch experience at the place where I walked in and out very quickly getting my lunch in record time but was nearly obsessive about sending the negative ones to the places that didn’t seem interested in my lunch needs at all, much less my timeline allotted for lunch dictated by my employer. That too has taught me about what I post and how I post. Most people like to be told they are doing a good job, most people would be infuriated to be blasted for something out of their control. Maybe these places were having problems inside the store, maybe the car in front of me rolled up with an order of like 35 burgers for an office. Maybe they were short staffed due to illness …. Whatever the reason they don’t need me and my negativity in their face by telling the home base what a screw up they are on this particular day.

So my point is that I’ve only been doing this since Sunday (today is Tuesday) and I’m already reducing the negative energy on the net, so this should be a good experiment for me, and it’s teaching me a little bit about what I post and how as I am thinking more about posting not just reacting.

Then again you will have to deal with ramble posts from me until April, so maybe it’s not a win for everyone.

Have a great Mardi Gras everyone … stay safe!

Laissez les bons temps rouler AKA --- Let the good times roll! :D

PS Prayers to the Gulf Shores High SchoolMarching Band who didn’t get to start or complete their parade today when a guy plowed through the band in his car. I pray for them and I pray for the man who did this and I really pray it was a horrific accident, nothing more. People are scary out there.

Marcy

Giving up Social Media for Lent

 Lent (Latin: Quadragesima: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, doing penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement, and self-denial. In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penance. Many Christians also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves near to God

So for a while I’ve been pondering killing off all of my social media, from Twitter, to Facebook, to Instagram, all of it has become too damn much. I wake up in the mornings and check it, I scroll through my timeline before shutting everything off and going to bed and all it’s doing is stressing me out. So I’ve decided instead of going cold turkey and killing it off all together I’m going to take a break. I’ve decided that I’m giving up Social Media for Lent.

I’ve created this very social thing that has recently been used to tear things down, to bitch about things we can’t control, and to complain about it all. I recently went through my follow list on Twitter and killed off some of the negativity but it’s still very powerful and all in my face more than I’d like. Yes before you send me a thousand messages there is some positivity on the net right now, like the hospice worker who sings to his patient, free music, free food… and kids, kids are always adorable. However right now the negative aspects of Social media are out weighing the positive.

So I’m walking away. From March 1^st through April 15^th I’m done. I’m turning off all notifications, I’m deleting the aps from my phone and I will see you all on the other side. My life is not to the point where I can't not check my e-mail so if you need me and know that address …. Feel free to contact me.

This is truly a sacrifice because I mostly use Social Media to keep up with people, like Golden and my favorite musicians, sports figures and my family but I just …. Need a break from everything else. From the republican VS democrat BS … from the media vs the President BS....., from my cause is more important than your cause...... and of course the Presidential BS in general. I just need to walk away.

I’ve never really “given up” anything for Lent, so here’s hoping I can make this work. I hate it tho cause on March 10^th I’m going to Auburn for a Gymnastics meet with a friend of mine, my nephew will be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, and some things at my new Church that I hope to help out with like the annual Easter Egg hunt and Bible School for the little ones. These are all things that I would post about, but hopefully by doing this “break” I’ll be more present in these things and enjoy them more. I have recently been told that I often overlook how my actions affect the people around me, and part of that is that I’m more connected to the people who live on my social media feeds than the people who live in my everyday world. I’ve decided that focusing on my everyday world people more would make my everyday world better cause there’s not a lot about my social media world that I feel I can control anymore.

So I’ll see you guys on the other side, maybe I’ll put that social media energy into this blog, maybe I won’t… frankly I’m looking forward to unplugging and see what happens.

Have a great few weeks and take care of yourselves out there and if someone could … check in on @theonlygolden every once in a while for me!

Thanks

Marcy (@beaslma)

Adult Things Suck

"Adult Things Suck!" This was a text I sent to Golden after telling her about my stupid week, it was also in response to a panic attack I had thinking of all I have to do next week, and the week after that. The Adult Marcy wants to sit down with my work laptop and spend the weekend attempting to get ahead. The Kid Marcy wants to set Adult Marcy on fire, Curl up in a ball, and watch 1980 cartoons while sucking my thumb with one hand and twirling my hair with the other as someone brings me cheese balls from a blue planters can with the yellow lid. Yeah it's important that it be that specific. 

Don't tell me Utz has decent cheese balls cause I'd hate to call you an asshat to your face.

It's planters or nothing people!!!!

Adult Me has to deal with insane coworkers who often fail to make life any easier for me. Adult Me is suppose to watch what she eats, exercise, and be polite to people when I want to grab them by each ear and pull like I'm pulling a Christmas Cracker so I can finally get a new paper hat.

Totally pulling off the Cracker Paper hat my furry Friend!

Adult me has to deal with all the crazy of a full time job them come home and help two aging parents navigate the crazy that is life, including fixing dinner, doing treatments, and making sure they are taking their medicine, while often forgetting my own.

Adult me is crushing the rest of me. This stupid need to be productive, to do the right thing, to take on more than I can, to do it all is going to kill me one day. I'll either have a heart attack or I'll drive my car off a bridge either way I'm sure to get wet. You'd think down time would be my salvation but typically I'm so keyed up I never get to really enjoy it. I can't remember the last time I was truly 100% relaxed. That can't be good for you right ?!

Adult Me puts off doctor appointments as well as other things that would make my life better in the long run because there is no time or it can be taken care of later. Things that aren't necessary so I don’t deal with it. By necessary I mean I'm not bleeding, I don’t see exposed bone or will I immediately die from whatever problem I am having it is just annoying.

Then again there are things Adult Me can do that Kid me never thought of…. I bought the Trolls movie this week just because I could (tho I have yet to take the time to watch it – damn adult me!) ….. I have a cell phone that keeps me connected in times of crazy ….. I can buy all the chips I want, sure they aren't planter cheese balls in the canister – seriously Planters what’s that about -- but I can EAT THE WHOLE BAG …… I could order myself a pizza at 3 am and get any kind I want….. I can also send money to a friend having a tough time ….. I can drive a car, sure it is  only to work and home again but I'm not focusing on that right now…. Oh and I can buy me a blizzard any day of the week.

So yeah … being an adult is ok….. Sometimes, I guess, kinda.

Marcy