Handy ma'am

Having an unusual upbringing has its highs & lows.

When people find out that I was raised without media influences they are very interested and have a ton of questions.  It's a great icebreaker and I'm happy to answer any and all inquiries.

I've been writing down and collecting the questions, many of which are hilarious, and I'm going to start posting them soon.  I'll be interested in your reaction.

The bad part of people knowing my background is they think I'm disabled in some way.

Last night at a gathering I was using a match to light a table candle and the burning match head stuck to the tip of my finger, right under the nail.  I yelped and shook my hand like crazy -- It hurt so bad I wanted to cry.  One of my classmates came over to attend to me and, after I told him what happened, he explained in great detail the proper way to strike a match.

I was very irritated by this, but I didn't let on -- after all, he was just trying to help.

I have a lot of practical knowledge... and I know how to use a match.  I'm very handy, probably more handy than most!

My laptop

I haven't been keeping up with my blog because my laptop went on the fritz.

I don't know much about computers and mine overheated because I was blocking the vents with a pillow I had placed on my lap.  Why do they call it a laptop if you can't put it comfortably on your lap top?

I took the Blue Line down to Best Buy and let their Geek Squad take look at it.

I asked one of their Geeks if it was true that computer technicians look at naughty pictures off of girl's computers.  After looking at me for a long time the guy said, "Yes."

He went on say that it has even happened at that very store.  And what's more one of their former technicians even installed a camera on a girl's computer that could look back at her.  I guess he was getting his jollies watching her without her knowing.

My laptop is fixed now, but I can't help but stare into the webcam and wonder if someone is looking back at me.

It's unsettling.

I've never once thought that someone was looking back at me from the pages of a book.

Hayride

As you can probably guess I don't have a lot of experience with men. Although I had a boyfriend back home before we both moved away to go to school.

We used to go on hayrides. Yes, America, country folk actually go on hayrides! When I tell people about that they think I'm using a euphemism, but I'm talking about actual hayrides.

I'm not exactly lonely but my mind keeps drifting off thinking about boys. It's got to be hormones because, from an intellectual point of view I know bringing someone into my life could cause a lot of problems, and is that really worth the risk?

From a purely statistical point of view, young men are the most dangerous animals on the planet.

Some of them sure look dreamy, though.

The cult of celebrity

When I tell people that I grew up on a farm without computers or the Internet or newspapers they immediately think I was in a cult.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, my parents raised their children outside of a cult - the cult of celebrity.

My parents, who are both wonderful people, decided to go off the grid and raise their children outside the influences of movies, TV and the Internet.  Their concern was that Western culture encourages the worship of false idols, i.e. celebrities. 

That's not to say that my parents were religious fanatics either - they're not.  They just wanted the right kind of influences for their kids.  This came in the form of book learning and practical experiences.

So when I see an actor I am not unconditionally impressed just because the media tells me I should be.  I am much more impressed with people with actual achievements; literates, scientists, teachers, etc.

I'm not dismissing actors out-of-hand, but worshiping someone who pretends to be someone else is just kind of silly, isn't it?

Stepping off the high dive

I read a lot of blogs, but the best by far is Talk to Strangers. The blogger, Fletcher, made a vow to overcome his inhibitions toward talking to strangers, and he writes about his experiences meeting new people. How great is that idea?

As he points out in his blog it's not just an idea, it's a lifestyle change.

I wrote in a comment on Fletcher's blog that I tried his experiment but chickened out. I noted that it felt like stepping off the high dive. It really did. I walked up to a stranger in Trader Joe's to ask if they knew what the letter classification on maple syrup meant and I just couldn't do it.

I ended up getting no maple syrup at all, which is pretty lame, I've got to admit.

My transition from the farm to the city has gone well so far, but it would be SO much better if I could just get over this social anxiety problem. Practically everyone in this city is a stranger to me and if can't bring myself to meet them I'm never going to "pop the bubble" and get the most out of life.

I've got a lot to learn from Fletcher, and you probably do too. Go read his blog.

And please keep reading mine.

Jack in the Box

I was just at a Jack in the Box restaurant in Granite City where I had a bacon-flavored milk shake.

It was good and surprisingly smoky.

Brrrr!

It's cold out today.

My hands itch when it gets cold so I wear gloves, sometime even when I'm inside.

People think that's weird, but otherwise my fingers feel like icicles!