Random Status Updates That Never Happened

I took a planned 6 week hiatus from Facebook in February and March. It also appears I have taken an unplanned hiatus from making excuses. No worries, though, there were plenty of excuses especially in regards to writing. Top of the list, my beloved computer was on the fritz and, call me old fashioned, I couldn't bring myself to compose a blog on a tablet even though there is an app for that.

Now that my computer is up and running, a blog on my Facebook fast seems a little less than timely but you get what you get...

I was off Facebook for over a month! There were meals eaten, crafts done, outings taken, games played, pictures snapped -- all of which fell into that black hole of pre-facebook existence. If you've done something and did not post it to Facebook, did it really happen?

What about you? What about all the stuff I missed from my friends? If I fail to read a newsfeed item, is it still news?

Some of you had birthdays I most likely would have missed anyway, but Happy Belated Birthday! Some of you birthed babies, congrats! Some of you moved, sorry I didn't volunteer to help. Some of you or your families underwent medical procedures, and I missed praying for you (although some of you were already in my prayers). Some of you ranted about things that either would have randomly garnished a like or an immediate “unfollow friend,” depending on my mood. There were lots of articles posted, most of which I would have only read the headline ignorant to the fact the article was bogus. Some I would have shared anyway. Many of you posted the best pictures of your family whether they reflected reality or not, I would have done the same. Many of you posted pictures of the elaborate Easter gifts you gave to your children, to which I would have groaned “when did Easter turn into Christmas?” as I stuffed my own children’s baskets with toys. Some things happened in the world that I missed because I didn't have my Facebook newsfeed to tell me. Some people were forgotten because I missed their posts about what they had for dinner. I, myself, ate numerous delicious healthy meals that I was unable to tell my Facebook friends about.

Here are some random status updates I might have posted had I been on Facebook:

• This stuff is great. Like should be illegal great… #nutritionalcleansing
• Hiking in North Carolina sans kids:

• No Parking In The Comfort Zone:
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2015/03/no-parking-in-comfort-zone.html
• I never thought I’d say this: I am loving the two day fasting cleanse!
  http://www.isagenixhealth.net/cleanse-your-way-to-flat-abs-firm-thighs-and-a-fit-body/
• Anybody want to go to Book Con with me this year?
  http://www.thebookcon.com/guests/?qu=Mindy-Kaling&campaignid=61860550&iusercampaignid=85409451
• ISO: Excitement
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2015/03/iso-excitement.html
• I heart e-shots!
• Who wants to do Crossfit with me?
  https://www.groupon.com/deals/crossfit-skylands?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=deal_ita
• Date night on the slopes:

• Day 30: 9 lbs and 19+ inches gone!
• Loving #30daysofyoga with Adriene!
• Hitting the slopes on April 1st. No joke!

• This Walking Dead show is kinda good. Who knew?
• Do you people know there is this thing called Netflix in which you can watch entire seasons of one show in a single night? #walkingdead Feeling tired.

Also, It snowed a few times this spring, pictures could have been posted with witty captions. My heater was finally fixed. We had some leaks because of ice damming. I baked some stuff, cooked some meals, did some crafts, played some games and took pictures which I could have posted as evidence of my parenting prowess (or something to that effect).

I am back in full swing Facebook time suck mode, so news will not go unshared! And, hopefully, I will get back to writing and this blog with the same vigor. Until then...

If you like this random list, here are some other blogs you might enjoy:

• It’s How I Was Raised
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2013/03/its-how-i-was-raised.html
• It’s In My Purse
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2013/06/its-in-my-purse.html
• Distracted By Facebook Again, Why oh Why
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2014/05/distracted-by-facebook-again-why-oh-why.html
• Did I Really Just Say That? #thingsmomssay
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2015/01/did-i-really-just-say-that-thingsmomssay.html
• 36 (or so) Reasons Why I Will Never Be A Professional Writer
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2015/01/36-or-so-reasons-why-i-will-never-be.html
• 36 (or so) Reasons Why I Will Need To Be A Professional Writer
  http://www.365excusesbyjulie.com/2015/02/38-or-so-reasons-why-i-need-to-be.html

I Am (clearly) No Jesus Christ

Today marks the start of Lent and for many Christians it means giving up some vice or making some sort of sacrifice in honor of Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert. I have to admit that even as a Catholic Elementary student, I don't think I ever made it the full 40 days of giving up anything.

If I were out fasting in the desert and the devil himself appeared before me and offered me food -- I think I would last about one second before I said, "Hell, yes, I'll take that rock-turned-bread!"

I am (clearly) no Jesus Christ!

I mean, I set a goal and about 10 seconds later I am making an excuse why I couldn't possibly get it done. Jesus let himself get hung on a cross! I think I'd be like: "Ummm, Father, I know I said I'd do this but I don't think this is even going to work. These people don't care if I die and come back again. Heck, half the time they don't even understand what I mean when I say I'm coming back...How about I cure another leper or something... They like when I do that..."

I am an excuse maven!

I put off laundry until the drawers are empty.
I need to have a guest en route before I clean my house thoroughly.
I have to have every surface area covered before I organize my papers.
The bathrooms need to look like rest stop restrooms before I clean them.
The stomach bug must be in full force before I disinfect anything.
The buttons on my pants must burst before I cut calories.
Spring must be around the corner before I'll hit the gym.
I can work on a short story for two solid weeks but when it's time to submit it, I fall asleep.
I write an entire novel, then decide I hate the story because it's too cliche.

And so on.

This year, I decided to give the whole giving something up for Lent thing a try. My biggest vice, of course, is the mindless time I spend on Facebook. So, it's only logical I give up Facebook. Since I know I have the willpower of an ant (assuming an ant has very little willpower), I am deactivating my account for the rest of Lent.

Gasp. But how will I get my news? I am keeping my Twitter account (I am no Jesus after all).

Double gasp. But how will you follow my blog? Follow me on Twitter: @excusesbyjulie 
Be sure to like my author page: www.facebook.com/JAChamberlain 
You can also follow by adding my blog (www.365excusesbyJulie.com) to your Blogger reading list.

I'll see you on Facebook after Easter! In the meantime, I'll be busy revising/rewriting my novel (I said I was going to do that, didn't I?) and jumping on the "nutritional cleanse" bandwagon (spring is right around the corner, isn't it?). I'm sure I will be finding excuses to post here in between.

Until then, my mantra:

Distracted By Facebook Again. Why? Oh why Facebook?

I sat down to write last night. Yay me. Yay to my husband who offered to get the kids ready for bed. But, as often happens when I sit down to write and fail to turn the Internet off – I found myself getting distracted. I just had to google this or that important bit of information and before I knew it I was typing that little F word into the address line.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s likely what brought you here today. Facebook. Ahh, Facebook. That time suck we love to hate. Some days I am ready to give it up. But then who would read my blogs? How would I know when people had babies, went to Disney, got married, got divorced?? How would I know what celebrity died? Or had a baby, went to Disney, got married or got a divorce? So, instead of quitting Facebook, I’ll just post this “Facebook rant blog.”

I just don’t understand what we are doing on Facebook! Why we are spending so much of our precious time here? Why? Why Facebook users? Why?

Why do you feel the need to post every single article in existence on one subject? (And why do I click like even if I haven’t read the article!?)
We get it: You don’t vaccinate your children; you hate common core; Kraft foods is the new Phillip Morris; you love Jesus; guns are bad; you want to save all animals, plastic causes cancer.

Why do you share the same picture of a woman in old fashioned clothing slumped over her sofa with a different witty saying? (And why do I like it every time!?)
We get it: You hate doing laundry; you wish you had wine; your children don’t listen to you; your husband is an idiot; you love coffee.

Why do I need to see a picture of you with a plunging neckline hanging over someone different every time you have a “Girls Night Out”?
We get it: You look hot when you’re not wearing mom jeans; you are cool; you know how to have a good time; you have lots of friends.

Why do I need to see a picture of every purchase you make? Your house? Your vacation home? Your car? Your kid's 10th American Girl doll?
We get it: You have a job, you have money, you like to buy nice things.

Why is it you ONLY post on Facebook when you go on exotic vacations?
We get it: You are better than the rest of us daily Facebook hacks but we should still be jealous of your family vacation to Hawaii, or the Greek Islands, or Disney for the umpteenth time this year.

Why do I need to know every single time-suck you partake in?
We get it: You play Candy Crush, Words with Friends, and Farmville: you have the personality similar to Princess Ariel, a farmer, a person from the 1960s and an Irish sailor; you write a witty blog; you really want to win organic food for a year, a Disney cruise, or a trip to Legoland.

Why do I need to hear how much you love your bestie, your boyfriend, your husband, or your kids?
We get it: You know how to appreciate the people you love. But seriously, you are going to be hating on them tomorrow so why waste my time today?

And, finally, why do you need to post things just to make other people feel bad?
We get it: You are organized, you are crafty, you bake pretty cupcakes, you never yell at your kids while the rest of us saps suck at all those things.

And I suck because I do some or all of the above things too. I get it. But really I’m just trying to make you laugh while venting ;) Have a fabulous Facebook day!

Oh, and here is my "we get it: you are a great mom, you do stuff with your kids" selfie: