Phone Habits

Emily Fisher

Instagram. Snapchat. Facebook. Gmail. LinkedIn when I’m incredibly bored.

I’m guilty of over-checking all of my social media accounts – especially when I’m bored or am waiting around (like at a red light or in grocery store line). It makes time move faster, but it also takes my attention off the real world. Instead of checking my phone, I could pick up a news magazine and read what’s going on in the world. Or, even better, I could be social and actually acknowledge the people around me.

Nowadays it seems like everyone is more interested in getting the perfect photo or snapchat that they don’t even live in the moment. They just live through looking at their phone screens.

One of my friends sends so many snapchats that it’s like he sends them nonstop when he’s out. I like watching them, but I’m also thinking: “Why do you have to be on your phone all the time? Why can’t you just enjoy the moment without documenting every second?”

I’ve gotten a lot better at putting my phone down. I don’t even bring it to the gym because I know I’d be tempted to look at my Facebook between sets. I realized yesterday that I don’t even miss having my phone there as a crutch to pass time. I instead look around or just bask in the quietness. I don’t even worry if someone is trying to call or text – I’ll get back to them when I get home.

I’m trying to break the “I need my phone” habit. Do I really care what so-and-so updated on their Facebook? Probably not. So why am I spending tons of my free time looking at my newsfeed?

I’m getting tired of Instagram and am thinking about unfollowing people because I always see the same pictures: some blogger doing the whole blogger thing with the white background and the coffee mug and glitter somewhere. You know what I’m talking about. It’s not boring to look at. They’re really great photos! But, they’re pretty much all.the.same. And it’s boring me.

I’ve realized I’m a bad blogger because I don’t care about getting the perfect photo. I don’t care about editing my photos until they’re perfect. I don’t care about twitter or having a facebook page for my blog.

/end rant

… Now stay tuned. Let’s see how many photos I take this weekend in Dallas :)

Dallas Bucket List

Via

We are heading to Dallas on Saturday, and I cannot be more excited to go to the State Fair for the first time! Even though I read that this weekend is one of the few weekends to “avoid like the plague” because it’s the UT vs OU game, I have high hopes that everything will work out and we won’t be stuck in traffic for ten hours. *keep your fingers crossed*

Instead of eating lunch at the fair, we’re going to stop by a local restaurant called Angry Dog for a quick bite to eat. I love going to local places when traveling. I don’t understand people who go to a different city and then decide to eat at Chili’s or Burger King. Why not eat somewhere that you can’t go to back home?

After lunch, we’re dropping our stuff off at our AirBnB house and then taking a cab or bus to the fairgrounds, where the real exploring begins. I’m not big on fair rides, but I’ll probably ride the Ferris Wheel (and freak out the entire time).

The State Fair is known to have fried everything. Besides having maybe a funnel cake and corn dog, I’m going to hunt down the fried s’more. I’m hoping that it’ll be as good as I’m imagining. And I’m hoping it doesn’t cost $15 because then I’ll probably change my mind.

After the fair, Kevin wants to check out at least one Dallas brewery. I’ve heard great things about Deep Ellum, so we’re going to their brewery for a drink or two before picking a dinner spot. Any dinner recommendations in Dallas?

On Sunday I hope to go to White Rock Lake park before brunch and our trip back home. 

I’m already counting down the hours to that fried s’more!

Get the Hint?

How many times do you text, snapchat, instagram, email, or call someone who rarely responds to you? How many unanswered texts do you send to that person? When do you get the hint?

It brings me back to the good old days of dating when guys would “ghost” (disappear without explanation). I’d text or call them to see if they’d want to hang out, and instead of telling me no, they’d just ignore my text or call. It was really irritating because I never knew if they just 1) did not receive my text or 2) received my text, read it, but then forgot to respond or 3) received my text but didn’t care enough to text back.  I never worried if I texted too much. I usually texted or called maybe once or twice again before I got the hint and didn’t reach out to them again.

When it comes to losing friends, though, it has always been more complicated. When I left my first job and all the friends I had at that company, we promised to stay in touch. Well, I’d text/call some of them to see if they wanted to hang out. No response. Weeks later, I’d text again to invite them to a festival or something. No response. Surely my “friends” couldn’t be ignoring me because they don’t want to talk me anymore, right? Surely they just weren’t responding because they were really busy.

I learned quickly that I shouldn’t waste my time on people who do not want me in their lives. If people really wanted to be your friend, they’d respond to you – even if it’s a day or week late. If people really wanted you to be around, they’d reach out to you every once and a while.

That’s how relationships work. They’re a two way street.

The minute you find yourself on a one-sided relationship where you are doing all the work, leave. Surround yourself with people who appreciate your company.

I used to get upset that my “friends” didn’t respond or ask me to do things anymore (I’d see pictures of them on Facebook having a great time and wonder, “Thanks for the invite. I guess no one thought about me.”). But then I realized that these people, as sad as it was to realize this, were no longer my friends. & I had to move on because I deserve better than to waste my time thinking about people who no longer thought about me.

Money, Money, Money… Mon-ayy

Kevin & I just became even more serious about our finances. As of October 1, we decided to no longer go out to eat/drink.

The rule: we get 1 free pass per month (it can be one dinner, lunch, breakfast, donuts, a night at a bar, a brewery trip, whatever).  Basically, we can spend money out once a month (excluding the grocery store, gas stations, etc.).

We’re allowing ourselves to go to friends’ houses and have get togethers at our houses. Purchasing alcohol at the grocery store is OK. Purchasing snacks/desserts/alcohol to bring to a friends’ house is OK.

Going out to eat and going to a bar and then going to 10 breweries a month = not OK.

This month is special, though, because we are going on a roadtrip to Dallas for the State Fair. Obviously, our 1 free pass is going to expand for that entire weekend, but we are going to avoid spending too much money by being smart about what we purchase.

We’re trying to save as much money as possible because we’re applying for a house loan in January. We really, really want a house with a yard for the dogs. 

A Little Bit About Love

Caleb Ralston

About a month ago my Great Uncle Jerry passed away from Kidney Failure. He was surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife – they were actually holding hands when he passed.

My Great Aunt, Martha, has been sick for quite a while. She basically lost her personality. When Jerry died, my cousin said that was the first time she saw her mom show any emotion in over 15 years. She understood that she lost her husband that day.

Jerry & Martha’s love story begins quickly. On their second date, Jerry asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes, and they’ve been unstoppable ever since.

Martha passed away last weekend (about a month after Jerry).

I don’t know what comes after life, but whatever it is, I hope they are filled with more love than they felt while they were alive. 

I'm Getting Old

I used to be “cool.”

I was around when LOL was first popular. I know what ROTFL stands for. And who wouldn’t know what WTF? stands for?

I can tell you who: Grandparents or anyone else who didn’t grow up when instant messaging and texting became overly popular. They may know what these terms mean now, but they didn’t know when I was growing up (when most of the people on social media and instant messenger were in their teens -- & grandparents/parents were thinking how lame it all is).

When older people would ask me what LOL stands for, I would roll my eyes and think ‘how could they not know what that means?!’

Via

The other day I was browsing Facebook and ran across a Buzzfeed article about parents saying “Netflix and chill.”

I didn’t understand why these kids were grossed out about it. Who cares if your dad tells you that him & your mom are going to Netflix and chill after work?

I didn’t get why it was so gross.

So I had to do what I assume many older people did when they were trying to figure out what WTF? means: I had to google it.

And then I realized that I’m not longer “cool.” I no longer am on top of the new slang terms that come out. I’m no longer a teen.

I’m getting old.

But, in regards to that Buzzfeed article, I’m sure those parents weren’t aware what Netflix & chill really means either. 

October

October is my favorite month of the year. And no, it’s not because pumpkin spiced everything fills every shelf in the grocery store. October has always been a month for new things.

October 12, 2005 – I started dating Josh (who I continued to date for three years in high school).

October 10, 2008 – I started dating Dylan (who I continued to date for three years in college).

October 10, 2013 – The day I met Kevin (who then asked me to be his girlfriend on November 2, 2013).

Guess what Kevin & I are doing October 10, 2015? Going to the Texas State Fair! I am beyond thrilled to finally go see what this huge fair is all about. People keep telling me to try every fried food I can, but I don’t want to walk out $1,000 in debt and feeling sick from eating fried butter all day. I think I’m going to pick two fried things to order. Any suggestions?

I don’t know whether to be scared or excited – but I found out that the weekend I chose is also the TX vs. OU game. The stadium is right in the middle of the fair grounds and about 100,000 people come out to watch it. Talk about a packed park!

I’m not really concerned about how crowded the fair is… but I really don’t want to sit in hours & hours worth of traffic on Saturday to get there and on Sunday to get home.  I guess I’m being a party pooper, huh?

What are some new things you’re doing in October?