train your dog. & your computer battery.

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." - Nelson Mandela

Hey, internet. It's been a while. Well, actually - it hasn't been that long since I last updated my Twitter (approx 1 minute), checked Facebook (approx 2 minutes), read & responded to a blog (last night probably around midnight), responded to a LinkedIn message (one day), etc etc. My obsession with social media aside, it has been a while since I have blogged beyond my daily microblogging on Twitter (40-45 tweets a day, apparently. whew!). To be honest, I'd given up all hope on my blog until a few days ago. Let's be honest - the only people reading it were...well... the only person reading it was my mom. And while I love my mom (see, mom, I didn't even ask for money after saying that), she can talk to me anytime she wants via cell phone or in person. I focused my attention on reading and responding to other's blogs - blogs about everything! Blogs and articles about cupcakes, yorkies, college basketball, Oprah using a port-a-potty (for real)... you name it, I read it and gave my own two cents. But then I realized despite the joy I was getting out of reading and interacting with others' blogs, something was missing. Day in and day out, I was reading books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, and I was soaking up information and engaging with people regarding what I'd learned - asking advice, debating issues, hearing opinions. And although doing all of these things is great, it suddenly occurred to me - in the middle of a job interview - that I could not remember the last time I wrote something longer than 140 characters that was purely ...me. For me. About me. I had gotten caught up in the rush of @ replies and RSS feeds that I forgot to take care of my own little corner of the internet that was mine; that I had created in the first place for the sole purpose of amusing myself & anyone else that happened to stumble across my little pieces of mind. So, I returned from the interview with a refreshed, renewed approach to my blog. Excited to go back and write the first post since August of last year, I made a cup of coffee, put on my snuggie, opened up my laptop to turn it on and... NOTHING. My 9 month old yorkie puppy Alexa (aka 'weapon of mass destruction') had chewed through my Macbook adapter power cord, and due to the battery not being "trained" (Applespeak for 'give us more of your life savings'), the computer would not turn on. But I never back down from a challenge. Because here I am, internet! With $80 less in my wallet, maybe, but no less originality, whimsicality, and perspicacity than before. And I promise, I won't leave you ever again. So, mom, go ahead and bookmark me in your newly downloaded Google Chrome browser, because I'm here to stay - whether anyone notices or not.