TBT: Duck Road Memories

Here's a throw back Thursday pic all the way from 1987! We lived on Duck Road (that's seriously the name of the Road) in Hammond's Plains, Nova Scotia. My cat 'DewShine' (named after my Elf Quest character created with the assistance of my 'Elf Quest' crazed older sister) just had a litter of kittens and I was so happy playing with them all the time. I assure you I'm not strangling the cat... well, not too much anyway. Also, another interesting tidbit here, that's my skirt around my neck. So essentially I'm standing there 'sans-pants'... which may be why the cat looks so terrified.  I think as a family we were pretty on trend with house decor for the late eighties: Leather/plaid couch, Asian floral wall-mat, and faux-wood paneled walls.

One of my favorite memories from living here was the time my Step-Dad passed out drunk in the back seat of our car. It was mid morning, and all the car doors were open because I guess he threw up on the floor of the car and my mom had cleaned it up and left it open to 'air dry'. So he was just laying there passed out across the back seat and apparently I thought it would be a good idea to bring the neighborhood kids around to have a look at him. There wasn't much going on in those days, so this was pretty interesting stuff. I remember standing with a group of little kids outside the car staring at my passed out step dad and poking him from time to time. My mom eventually noticed what was going on and ran from the house yelling, "Stay away from the car!" Good times!

Cheers,
Bootsy

I Think I Was a Better Person Before The Internet

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think it's safe to say that I was a better person before the Internet came along. When I think back to my teenage years I am filled with a multitude of fond memories that are all lacking one big element... my laptop.

Sometimes while adrift on the endless waves of the world wide web, I think back to yesteryear and wonder to myself, "What the heck did I do for entertainment before the Internet??". Then I am reminded of lovely summer days in Petawawa, Ontario, going for long walks in the sunshine, swimming in the Ottawa River, working out at the gym, reading and hanging out with my friends. Then I think to myself, "Wait a minute! I used to play the guitar and write songs! What ever happened to that?"  Naturally I try to answer my own self imposed questions and say to myself, "Well... the Internet came along. And with it came super quick entertainment and maximum time suckage."

Upon realizing this I immediately feel saddened. 

When I was bored as a teenager I would typically get stricken with 'cabin fever'. I could only watch so much T.V. and read, then I'd want to get out of the house and DO something. I recall, out of  sheer boredom, going for 5-10 kilometer walks around town.  Sometimes, later that same day, I'd go to the gym in the evening to work out... just because I was bored! I even remember walking to the video store instead of driving just to kill the extra time.

These days when I'm bored I slump down on my couch, open my laptop and surf around on Facebook or Pinterest. It's awful. I think my '18 year old self' would be pretty embarrassed about the state of affairs to come in the future. 

Don't get me wrong. I think the Internet has definite perks and can be extremely useful and fun but, in a lot of ways I think it's gotten the better of me. I guess I'm writing this because I want to make a change. Given that I write blogs online I don't mean to "bite the hand that feeds me" (although I do like to think that writing has some intellectual merit) however, I would like to encourage myself to have more 'screen free time'.

Recently, in my spare time I've started limiting my Internet time by just briefly checking Facebook, Hotmail and Pinterest for updates and notifications, then I close my laptop. Usually my first response is feeling bored. I think to myself, "Great... What the hell am I supposed to do now?". Then, once again, I try to answer my own self-imposed questions and I say, "Well, get up off your butt and DO something!". 

As silly as it sounds, it's not easy for me. But I'm determined to make a concerted effort to achieve a more balanced, active lifestyle with less time spent on the Internet. Perhaps I'll end up doing some much needed housework... just for kicks!

Cheers,

Bootsy