I'm back from the Thanksgiving break, which I didn't anticipate taking. For various reasons, I just didn't have the computer hooked up for about 5 days. The first day I was itchy, really missing it. The second day was a little easier. By the time we got it hooked back up again, I was almost sorry. It had been a nice break, not worrying about responding to emails and maintaining the blog. Geez, and I don't even work for a living right now. So my sympathies to all of you who do, and who can't escape your computers - Jane, I read about your two-day break and admire you for going that long when your computer was actually available.
What is it with the computer addiction? For me I know part of it is that the computer keeps me connected to parts of the world I wouldn't otherwise be able to access, being at home on disability with chronic migraines. I love the computer, even though too much time on it can sometimes give me a migraine. I love blogging, and figuring out more about how to manage this blog (although I am still a pathetic beginner). Email is like a drug to me. I could check it five times a day, and I have two email accounts - one for this blog and one I use for everything else. I love the way my laptop looks, the glowing neon-ish blue button that tells me it's on. When it goes to sleep, the button pulses a soft yellow at regular intervals. So soothing - "I'm here for you, whenever you need me - just push here!" I love my wireless mouse and keyboard.
Now, I am not a computer expert, like Jane. I don't write code, I don't analyze networks, I don't build computers. I just use them, and in a very limited way at that - email, word-processing, blogging, sometimes PowerPoint or Excel. I don't even manage my finances on my computer - except for doing my tax return, at which time I am most grateful for whoever wrote that TurboTax software.
I think what I love about my computer is the ease with which it lets me write. I can type reasonably well, so I can put things down almost as fast as I'm thinking them (sometimes good, sometimes not) and writing on a computer makes it so easier to move text around, change, edit. But I love this piece of technology that is so much a part of my life. My last computer was a tower with a humungous monitor that took up so much real estate on the desktop that you couldn't really do anything else there. I did not love that monitor. It was too bulky and intrusive. But this laptop, it's all friendly and sleek and at my service. With the wireless internet connection and the laptop, I can go pretty much anywhere in the house and play to my heart's content.
The computer-love can be a problem, though, when I just want to keep playing around and not do other things. This has really surprised me. When I was still working, I bemoaned how much time I spent at my computer, dealing with email and writing various things. In industry, I spent hours per day just sitting at my computer. I always thought that if I could get away from work I would do so many different things. But here I am, in front of my computer. Of course, part of that is not being completely well, and having some limitations on what I can do from that. Yet still - I so much enjoy the time I spend at the computer.
What about it? Do you love your computer? Tell me about it. Do you love its looks, do you love how it works, do you love what it does for you? We don't often talk about technological objects and love at the same time, but I think it's an interesting topic.
3:50:56 PM 
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