I Have Made A Decision

Why did I even create this space? I definitely had a lot of passion for it at one point. I think that passion was coupled with the fact that I was no longer blogging in a public library, wearing sweaty hiking pants that smelled like death. Tales From the Dairy Air was my back-to-real-life blog, in which I’d show off recipes (because I actually have a kitchen), and post pictures of my colorful painting projects (because my possessions are no longer reduced to what you can fit in a backpack). Even though I’m not looking over my shoulder to see how much time I have ‘til that diner down the street closes, leaving me cheeseburgerless and coffeeless, I still have trouble blogging regularly. The problem is our internet connection sucks. It just does. And beggars can’t be choosers, because we just mooch wireless off the bar downstairs. So I’ve gotten to a place where I barely even read my email any more. It’s so, so lame.

But the internet is just like soda. If you go cold turkey, you realize how much you don’t need it. Hey, you don’t even like it. Your relationship to the Internet is one more thing cluttering your life. It throws off your chi, it pulls you to a screen when you should be laughing and holding hands with real people and running through fields of wildflowers in Colorado. Until your bars pop back up, and there you are with a freshly launched browser, ready to take you anywhere you want to go. You can even find pictures of those wildflower fields! And now I’m flipping through the mental rolodex of Things I Meant to Google.

Home remedies for my dogs dry skin
Ray LaMontagne, images
Health food stores, Racine, WI
Recipes breakfast muffin bran
Where did the pilgrims first settle
Was 9/11 a conspiracy

And suddenly, what did I ever do without the internet? Not unlike that first fizzy Pepsi at the movie theatre with buttered popcorn. Unfortunately, I’ve only made it through half of my emails (and a whole wikipedia entry on Alicia Keys) until I realize that my connection just died again. And this ol’ blog takes the bottom rung.

But no more. I’m renewing my vows to this blog this day. Because I want to get more serious about the discipline of making some sort of creative deadline. The work situation I have right now allows me to be home a few days a week, and rather than drumming up another DIY project, I’m going to give some legitimate time towards the effort of making myself plug away at something creative - daily. In college I got so used to reading for a grade and writing for a grade that I’ve just about forgotten what it’s like to do it on your own initiative. (That’s my roundabout way of admitting that all I’ve done to stimulate my brain in the last 5 years is paint furniture and reread all my Nancy Drew hardbacks).

To kick off my rededication, I think I’m coming up with a plan. Yes, I’m going to come up with a plan. I’m going to attempt to make this blog a bit more regular, straight up predictable – maybe even boring. At this point, boring isn’t worse than coming here and finding the same post that was here nineteen days ago.

I’m not posting this here to make lofty promises to all nine of my readers. I’m really just telling myself, in front of all nine of you. My plan is to feature something every day of the week. It’s nothing ground-breaking for a blog or anything, but it will help keep me on some sort of track. And then I’ll be writing all the time. And then I’ll get nine million readers. And then an executive from Nabisco will find my blog and offer me money to eat Oreos all day long! It’s gonna be great. (See, here’s where I need the internet. Does Nabisco make Oreos? Or is it Keebler. Maybe Kraft? Doesn’t Kraft own Nabisco? But I’m not online, so who can ever know. And my question is – before the Internet, where did we find the answers to those kind of questions?). Anyway, there went that sponsorship. If you have any suggestions for features, I’d love to hear them. I'll keep what I have in mind up my sleeve, until I launch it. I'll start...this Monday.

*Rach - I had to delete this original post, reformat it and post again because I could not get the size of the font to obey me. Thanks for your initial comments though. You should write a cookbook.