The Opposite of a Deadlog

or "What I did on my Internet Sabbatical and other stories"

It began with Christmas... The snow was falling- whoops, wrong story. Hang on.

It really began with Dad calling me a hermit. Apparently I'd been locking myself in my room, and they hadn't seen me randomly outside of my room for roughly the last three months. It wasn't until Christmas that I booted myself out of my room- and I spent most of it IN my room while John tricked out my laptop. Afterwords was a game of cutthroat downstairs with a new stepcousin and step-uncle.

Sometime during that game, where I was getting walloped by a girl about seven years younger, it hit me- that I hadn't played pool for the sake of playing pool... in the basement... for ages. Granted, some of that was during football season- but football's only on the television constantly if one bothers to leave it on ESPN (1 & 2), which nobody at the house really does.

Time to put my angst into gut-wrenching, if annoyingly livejournalish, perspective. (Um, no offense, Renzo.)

You see, the only reason why I hadn't left my room is now sitting on my lap again.

On the bitterly cold monday after Christmas, I had Dad drop me off at campus to take care of some loans. Sverdrup was locked and dark, the TV's uninstalled from the walls and hidden. Too cold to chance Webster Hall being barred and locked, I scurried over to the cybercafe, swiped my card, and rushed into the warmth. Before I knew it, I was on the computers again. I called the campus operator, who reminded me that all the offices were closed due to winter break- and wouldn't open again until January 3rd.

Jess, luckily, was off and in the area. She picked me up, and we saw Phantom for the second time. I had my keyed door to the outside world on my lap when she called me back that evening. She suggested something that I hadn't done since well before I moved. I was offered couch and board in exchange for get-out-of-house time.

If I'd made my room my personal prison cell/haven, then the rest of the house was the prison yard. I glanced at my computer, signed out of SoulSeek, Yahoo, AIM, and shut it down. Kay dropped me off at Borders like a suitcase, where Jess met me about seven minutes later. (Don't worry- it was completely safe, and Jess' suggestion.)

Over the next six days- from the 27th through the New Year holiday, with the exception of one night over at Drac's, I stayed- sleeping on the futon, not opening Jess' computer. I thought about my friends that I've met online, Paul, Drea, Brian, Harley- as my week wandered on. But one thing's for sure... my life didn't end for me not being near my computer constantly.

I sang. I danced. I watched Phantom for the second time. I got Lar over to Jess' house with JR's permission. (And then later, when Jess was there, without even having to suggest it. Lar ended up having to ask him three times if it was okay, and he sort of waved her off.) I played Disney Scene It. I listened to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I rediscovered the movie Chocolat. I accidentally named Drac's brand new baby snake.

I now know what a memosa tastes like.

So I came back... not a changed woman... but more alive. And- to top it off- with ramen!

The following eight days were along the lines of me getting my life back in order. I had my vacation. Now it was time to take care of buisness. I have my grades- I'm not happy with them, but I have them. I have my loan application filled out- now all I have to do is bite my nails. I called the driving schools- and I know which one that we're going to go with.

And now that the whirlwind has calmed down, I'm playing Perfect Dark with Tarrith again, trying to make myself present once in a while outside of my room, and find out what the heck is out on Manchester. (The street is about five minutes from my house and I still don't know what's at about four-fifths of the stores there.) And when my loan pulls through... then I'll be signing up for classes.

Back to normalicy- without my door being locked.

Way to start a new year.