a short explanation as to why I will be on line much less for a while

Bus stops.
That's it.
That's the explanation.
Because I treasure each and every one of my internet friendships, I shall elaborate.

I spend an inordinate amount of time at bus stops now.
Getting to work takes two buses, both of which I have to wait for, because they don't pull up automatically at the snap of my fingers.
Getting home again takes two buses, both of which....well, read the above sentence.
And with winter, the bus schedules frequently run late with more people using the bus and rain slowing down traffic etc.

It's quite tiring, so by the time I get home, (after hours of scanning, lifting and bagging giant economy sized everything), I crash on the couch and wake up at dinner time some nights.

Another reason is the iffy connections I have now.
There are two time windows during which connecting to the internet is reasonably quick and trouble free.
Evenings between 7pm and 10pm, which doesn't work so well as I have to be in bed by 10pm when working the next day.
Mornings from 2am, (when I'm asleep) to 7am when I'm following my morning get to work routine.

To get around this I've been getting up much earlier than I need to, just to get a post done and published, and a couple of other blogs read and commented on.
(If I lose track of time, I really have to rush to get my bus, which throws off my whole day).
Other times I'll stay up later than I should, reading and answering emails and catching up on blogs, sometimes preparing a post for publishing the next morning. Which means I'm tired in the morning....

For a while I was preparing a week of posts or at least a couple of days and scheduling them to post on days and dates at times chosen by me.
This no longer works.
I don't know what's going on with Blogger, but scheduled posts do not appear on the day or at the time I've chosen, so I've given up on doing it. For now.
(Let's not mention the new (improved??) dashboard page which is much, much, slower to operate especially if I'm loading photographs.)

With these two time consuming reasons, plus time actually working, I find myself with little time to do other things properly. Housework for me is just maintaining the standard, so that's pretty much under control, except I haven't washed my floors in months.....
I have books I want to read, movies I want to see, on my Fridays off I have appointments that need to be kept, which again involves waiting around at bus stops!
Cooking and shopping also need to be done, and then there's the blogs I haven't managed to catch up on during the week..........there's sleep too, I find myself nodding off over the keyboard, on the bus, after reading less than a chapter of a real book.

All of this when I am increasingly more tired and in more pain, ( the later shift I now do is much harder work than the early mornings I used to do), and all I want to do is stay in bed and sleep.
And sleep and sleep....

I need to continue working, so something has to change.
Mondays to Thursdays I go to work, Fridays I often have appointments, mostly dental, sometimes medical, and if the weather is fine, I'll do the washing so that things have 3 days to dry.

Saturdays after the shopping is done, has been and will continue to be my main internet time.
This is when I used to prepare posts, load photos and schedule everything.
(I'll log on during the week, if I'm not too tired, but mostly it will be to read blogs and leave comments).

There'll be no more "click on a page, rush and wash some dishes, read the page, rush and dry those dishes" and so on. I'm stretching myself too thin that way.
I'm going back to "pick a job, get it done, log on if there's time".

I've realised the internet has taken over and I need my time back.

Ha Ha, the "short explanation" has become an essay!

Comments

  1. I get you River. The problem is when you commit to reading someone's blog, you feel very obliged. Do you use a reader for blogs rather than check them individually? That saves a lot of time. Harshly culling people from your blog reading list helps too.

    Like you, I don't use a computer at work and I can't imagine what it is like to use one all day, and then come home and use one at night for recreation.

    It seems to matter little how much time you spend in front of a computer. You never quite catch up, or if you do, it quickly builds up again. Less time might be good.

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  2. What? You mean you'd rather sleep than read my blog??!!

    Don't worry, I'm joking. I agree with Andrew that you can never catch up - especially if, like me, you are actually trying to have the experiences to write about!!

    And it's a little known fact of blogging that you don't have to post every day ...

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  3. Without giving an explaination like you I have slowed down on blogging a TON over the past six months. I used to post every day but then I was staying up way to late and sitting in front of a computer way more than I wanted to.

    I still love blogging but I have made "real life" more of a priority.

    We will read your posts when they come up no matter if it's every day or every four days.

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  4. Life just gets busy and we get tired. Yup...I'm with you. Not to worry. We will be here when you have time for us. Take care.

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  5. I hope you can catch up on reading or something like that on the bus at least. It sounds like a tremendous waste of time to wait for the bus but cars are very expensive.

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  6. Completely understood. One thing I'd recommend, on going from daily to a different posting schedule, is to still pick a regular schedule, so people low when to come and he k. And combine that with one of the free notify list functions that is out there. So when you post, a quick email with the link is sent out, and people come to read and comment and you still get to maintain your community without the every day interaction.

    8've been without a day job since November, part of my preparation for my move back to Oz. so my Internet time is much more fluid and flexible than I know it will Bence I get back to Oz and (hopefully) go to work every day.

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  7. I'd miss every bus if I had to keep your schedule! Do what you need to do; I won't be offended if you skip my blog as long as you'll let me keep reading yours when you post. Get some sleep now. Winter. Ugh.

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  8. Hi River,

    Awww

    Sometimes it can be difficult. My problem is working late, travelling and just being too shattered to sit in front of a computer to type a post or read a blog.

    I don't post anywhere near as much as I'd like to nor read other blogs either; its not because I don't want to do either - it's just time and tiredness.

    Basically I know exactly where you are coming from - and that's fine because I feel the same.

    :-)

    Cheers

    PM

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  9. I hear you, some of the reasons you mentioned are why i changed the way i blog a few months back so i could make time for other pursuits, domestic duties etc, etc... :-).

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  10. I totally get it.

    Hugs

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  11. Look after yourself. We will be here if you have time, but your first priority is you. I am so sorry to hear that your pain has increased. Sending so many good wishes your way.

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  12. When it stops being fun and an escape, stop.

    Take a step away my love, I shall miss you but understand completely.

    xx

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  13. Throw a mother and a nursing home into the mix and know why I've slowed down.
    Some of my science posts come down from 4 or 5 pages and I can't seem to have the time to think properly.

    Do you remember to press the schedule button before doing the day and time? Not that it matters, my scheduled posts always seem to stay at draft stage.

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  14. Andrew; I have a few blogs, about a dozen or so, that I'm committed to and I'll continue to keep up with those, and catch up with others if and when I can. It's the posting on my own blog which will lessen.

    Red Nomad; I'd rather sleep than do anything else right now. I'll catch up with you when I can. I think part of the problem here is that I don't have a regular shift now. My start and finish hours are different every single day.

    Jennifer Kay; "staying up way too late and sitting in front of a computer more than I wanted to". Yes, exactly. I need to cut back.

    Delores; I've always been busy, but never this tired. I'll still be around, just less.

    Happy Elf Mom; I do read on the bus, but sometimes now find myself nodding off. Not so bad when I'm on the way home, but disastrous if I'm on the way to work.

    Amanda; I have a regular Whimsical Wednesday and Sunday Selections which I'll keep up, other posts will be random until I work something out.

    Joanne; Bus schedules are a problem, also starting and finishing at different hours every day, so I can't get a regular routine. This is making sleeping difficult, as I'm constantly tired.

    Plasman; time and tiredness, that's it, caused by the things I mentioned.

    Windsmoke; yes, I'm changing things to make more time for "me".

    peskypixies; I knew you would. How are you?

    EC; the pain is a "pain in the ..." annoying and restrictive, although not so bad that I need to stay home in bed, thank goodness. But it is time to slow things down.

    Kelley; thank you for visiting, I'll still be here, just less often. Lately it has been a chore more than fun.

    JahTeh; I understood from the beginning why you slowed down, now it's my turn to slow things down. I know about the schedule button, and tried that, but like you, my scheduled posts remained listed as drafts. To this I say, "hey blogger! Pffftt!!"

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  15. What an act.

    Cut the cackle, if you weren't rushing at this you'd be rushing at something else.

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  16. River, I absolutely understand. My blog has been neglected lately and it's not just due to the flu and house visitors - I find that because I *am* on the computer all day for work, that reading up on my favourite blogs (like yours) and then trying to write something funny/creative/thought-provoking is getting harder and harder.

    As Andrew suggested though, try just checking your favourite blogs via a reader - I have a scroll through on the days that I fire up Blogger. Which, yes, I admit aren't as often as they used to be.....

    Ironic when I think that living in a new country would give me more to write about, but less energy and inclination to do so! :P

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  17. R.H. no act, I'm seriously tired here. The only rushing I do is at the checkout.

    Kath; I knew you'd get it. I'll try scrolling through the reader on Friday nights, when I'm winding down for the weekend.

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