so the day i hit 32 weeks of pregnancy (12 days ago now) also marked the beginning of our fourth week of 7 fasts. this time, it was a fast from "media". while i was tempted to hedge and include certain things as "allowable" during this week, i ultimately decided to go all out (and so thankful my husband is wonderful and joins me in these fasts...) no one else in my book group fasted from Facebook (!!!) so i got my important updates from them ;) my fast was from the internet completely, as well as all phone apps that use the internet (except i could check my e-mail once a day, since i have things for sale online, and need to ship quickly when purchased). also, no music. this was the one that surprised me as being the hardest! i always thought music wasn't a huge deal for me. i'm almost NEVER the one to turn it on in my house, and usually don't even think of turning it on in the car, unless i'm driving more than an hour or so... but i missed it! like when joey was at papi & nona's house for a couple days, and i had some time to be alone and/or with jason, working on things around the house... it was TORTURE to clean and organize silently! who knew?
some amusing results of not being able to use apps or the internet...
*we had to use actual maps! like unfold a map of Los Angeles county in the car on our way to try to find an estate sale on a street we were unfamiliar with - it was hilarious watching us try to decipher it - "where is S-11?? oh there! but i canNOT find gretna anywhere!" looking up from map: "Oh - there's gretna in real life - turn here!! ...wrong way..." jason pulls over so he can look at it himself, and we eventually find the intersection of Clive & Gretna! amazing! and makes you realize JUST how convenient Google Maps on your phone really is ;)
*couldn't check traffic and change my route as i drove into LA for work - and without music, it felt like it took 3 hours (it was actually only 1 1/2 hours... to go 25 miles ;)
*jason wanted to go hiking and couldn't look up where "the bridge to nowhere" was located (he made his friend he was going with do it ;)
*couldn't look up all my ADD questions i have throughout the day: does sugar worsen reflux? can i eat medium-rare steak from chipotle right now since i'm pregnant? what does insouciance mean?? when are the olympic opening ceremonies? WHAT shooting in colorado?!!
*my addiction to weather.com was unearthed (people, i live in southern california - how much is is gonna change in the middle of summer? kinda hot, hot, or hotter?? but i ALWAYS look at it before i get dressed for the day!)
and some good things, too:
*i finished a book i started reading over 2 years ago (Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel) and made it halfway through The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning - yep, that's what happens when i don't have 500 blog posts backed up in my google reader, and all the ensuing pinning and clicking around... also skimmed through a book about composting in preparation for the next fast: waste. now for the other 6-8 books i'm currently in the middle of...
*discovered how different the rhythms of my day can feel without constantly checking for updates on facebook and instagram, playing draw something (i actually completely forgot game apps existed this week - didn't even think about catching up with them till a couple days after the fast was ended)... instead of looking at my phone constantly whenever there was a "down" moment, such as waiting for someone, or if joey was otherwise entertained for once... i watched joey play, or prayed in those waiting moments, or even read something if it was naptime or something! i just felt so present to my actual life (as opposed to caught up in a virtual internet world).
funny, though, that since the fast ended, i have gone back to my exact same ways. compulsively checking Facebook being the main offender. i said when i was finishing that i planned to only check it once or twice a day, and only when i wasn't with somebody else (e.g. during joey's nap or in the evening if i'm alone). but i didn't "commit" to it, and it so hasn't happened.
i'm in process on this...
but i am so happy to be able to get back on here to blog! i missed it while i was gone...!
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