Cell phone follow up

I've fallen behind in my writings. My goal is to write something once a week. Why? There are all of 3 people that read this but that's not the point. I write because it feels good. Plain and simple.

In the past 2 months i've not been in a position to have my phone off anymore. My current job requires me to have my phone on 24/7 because of my on-call status. Irritating. I sampled what it felt like to have my phone off the other weekend while camping in Georgia. Phone died and i didn't charge it right away since i was with my friend/coworker. For the bulk of the day, i actually didn't have that weight in my left pocket like usual. It rarely rings. I rarely get txts/pages. Yet i'm constantly aware that it's there.

I used to believe that i could get by without my cell phone if need be. I've spent some idle time lately wondering if that's still true. If not for work, could i handle just walking away from my cell phone completely? Can i handle losing that level of attachment?

After much reflection i believe that i can still handle life without a cell (if not for that pesky job thingy). Those brief couple hours where my phone was dead while camping were nice. When my phone was in my tent, i never really felt awkward or even acknowledged that anything was different. It's not so much that i felt like i felt that my pocket felt "light" without it or even that i felt the absence of it. It's more that i just didn't even notice it either way.

I've since realized i tend to gravitate towards phones with a specific feel to them. They tend to be slightly heavier (not lead bricks but still). I like heavier phones because when they're in my pocket, i always know they're there. Perhaps i subconsciously want that style so that i'm always aware of my "tether" to society. I'm comfortable with them doing more and more but i'm hesitant to embrace anything especially light or small.

Perhaps i'm delusional but i'd like to think i'm still capable of "unplugging" at any given time. My biggest regret is that i can no longer go biking during the summer without it. It's always going to be there in my backpack while i'm trying to be carefree for a couple hours. My ears are always going to filter out background noise for my ringer...

...but nobody ever said i had to answer it when it rings though. :)

Camping

November 13-16, I got to go camping in Georgia at http://www.gastateparks.org/info/georgels/ for work. The owner of the client company footed the bill for us to fly there and go camping. Needless to say, this was an opportunity that i couldn't pass up.

Thurs night (fri morning technically) we arrived at 230am at the camp grounds. Lucky for us, it had rained that day and the tent leaked. That meant we had to set up our sleeping bags after drying off the floor of the tent. Fri all day it rained off and on. Sat the sun poked through and then the temp dropped that night to 38. Sun morning i couldn't wait to get home and shower and warm up.

Overall it was a very cool time despite the weather. Beautiful park and i'd love to go back there again. Food was amazing (low country boil, fried dough, and meals that made me fat).

Highlights:
-A sign in a parking lot that was yellow with black text, appx 3'x8' and read GUNS
-Sign that read "cold beer needs a good home"
-One owner calling the co-owner's girlfriends cat-dog "gator bait" when he saw it
-More signs for Evangelical and Baptist establishments than pawn shops (there were 4 pawn shops within 3 blocks)
-Camping for the first time (sleeping bag, tent, no air mattress)
-Canoing for the first time

Isn't crazy how you can need a vacation after having a vacation?

Coming soon...

The weather is getting cold so now it's time to start writing!

-Research project I'm trying to volunteer to help with
-Cell phone follow up
-Adopted cultural identity
-Cooking!!!