I AM GOING OFFLINE TODAY FOR AN UNKNOWN LENGTH OF TIME.

Today is moving day. Last night I brought home the boxes and bubble wrap my co-workers graciously accumulated for me and stashed in the supply area.

As the sun rises this morning I have gone to the blogs I've found along the way, and left messages for my blogger friends; I've made final lists in my head of IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO RE: THE MOVE; I've tried with a small measure of success to convince myself that this move will not be a bad thing all around and that coyotes will not eat me and the dog as we explore the new environs...

July 2003-I see the Internet for the first time (VERY briefly) as a friend I am visiting checks her email. I find it interesting...

January 2004-My employer sends a stripped, semi-crashed computer running W95 to my office, and tells me I can have it as long as I use it to connect to the Internet during business hours and check the new company web page for messages. Naturally, I am expected to pay for the connection...Four days later I am starting my first online college course.

Hey, if I'm paying for the connection, I should get something out of it, right? And it was not at all long (within weeks, really) that I outgrew the old computer, and had gone into hock for brand new state of the art computer, promptly named Boris at the suggestion of a dear friend and WHO fan. (Oh, come on, surely you know "Boris The Spider." Can you think of a better name for a computer??)

I highly recommend going to college online, especially as a crash course in Internet, Outlook Express, message boarding, Microsoft Office Suite, and directed research.

Frankly, I also recommend AOL as the first place to start as a 'net neo. They kept me safe, and along the way taught me a lot about keeping myself and my computer safe.

Finally, I launched my little anachronistic self into cyberspace alone-just me, Boris, and IE.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

FF-Oct 2005-I BLOG THEREFORE I AM. After an rather unkind cut by a rather pompous little pinhead, I need to know I am.

At first, it was a self-affirmation, a vent.

It evolved.

Along the way I ventured to explore the Blogosphere, meeting some really great bloggers and making some surprisingly old fashioned connections through the venturing. I came to care deeply for them, their concerns, and their loved ones.

I've been blessed. I've been comforted; I've been encouraged (not always a good thing:); I've been instructed; strengthened, and granted the oportunity to share in the wisdom of ages.

And now I go offline for a bit; getting back to basics as I re-establish my independent living self. My routine will change, and I will have the chance to reflect on the things I have learned as I go about creating a new routine required by the art of living alone.

I need to do this, really, although I am a bit unhappy about being offline-I have Internet connections at work however I think it highly unethical to abuse the privilege.

I will miss the intoxicating wealth of knowledge and simultaneous lunacy abounding online.

I will miss being able to read Reuters and AP 'raw feeds' and I will miss reading behind the lines at CNN;

I will miss, though, most of all:

Curious Servant (Jobstale.blogspot.com)

Eric (acompletepiece.blogspot.com)

Ilan (little-israel.blogspot.com)

Spork (sporkinthedrawer.blogspot.com)

postsecret.blogspot.com

Barbaro and his fans (vet.upenn.edu.barbaro/messageboard)

The group candles (GRATEFULNESS.org) I often go here to light candles for us.

Everyone at A Dress A Day-I think it's a woman thing, guys-(dressaday.com)

The kids at myspace (MATT, PLEASE CALL HOME!! Chris has my new address and phone number)


And although this is going to sound silly, I am really going to miss seeing the shape of that biggest Little Rascal-Bart Simpson, as it/he appears on my Favorites navigation menu to the left of the main window.

No, really, the number and placement of keyed characters on each listing (I make files for each group of listings, for example "Sewing Online" and "Interesting People"; each file holds a trove of bookmarks.) creates the shape of Bart Simpson's profile.

Sigh...

"We'll meet again/don't know where, don't know when/but I know we'll meet again/one fine day."

Until then:

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU...