World Wide Web = Time Waster

I love efficiency. If there is a process or a system or a checklist involved in something that I do, I'm a happy girl. And if I can figure out a way to improve that process, I'm an even happier girl. Completely geeky, but happy. But what can you expect from someone with a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in her closet? Ok, you don't really get belts when you reach a new certification level, but it would be so cool if you did. However there is something that deters me every day in my quest for a more efficient work environment: The World Wide Web. Thanks Al Gore. Thanks a lot. Sure a little self-control would cure this problem, but hello...the information super highway is at my fingertips. There are people to Google and Mapquests to go on! Confession: I Mapquest a new place each day. It's a thousand wonders I do not don a pocket protector and calculator watch each morning before leaving home. Anyhoodle, I have been sucked into the vortex that is the blogosphere as of late, and I allow it to consume copious amounts of my time. I don't just look at my friends' blogs; I read the blogs that they have linked to their page...And then the blogs that are linked to those pages. Seriously...could I be any nosier?!? But it's just absolutely intriguing. Well, for the most part. I think that I've been blogging consistently enough now to become a bit of a blog snob. If the writers don't make me laugh or do not produce anything clever or thought-provoking or post no fun pictures to look at, then I have no time for them in the time that I am so good at wasting. At first I thought to myself "um...is it weird that I read these blogs and do not know these people from Adam and Eve?" But then on second thought that's kind of a purpose of blogs isn't it? Well, for some people it is I suppose. There are those who have no qualms about sharing all of their dirt. I'm not so interested in those blogs. Nor am I interested in the ones who just are in a continual rant about something or constantly throwing themselves pity parties. Get a dog. Or a therapist. Or both. I do take great comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one who does this. "This" being wasting time reading the blogs of complete strangers. Yesterday I stumbled across this blog: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and now all I want to do is read about this woman's life. Well, actually now all I want to do is find a cowboy and begin my life as the queen of a working cattle ranch. I knew there was a reason I held onto to all of those Wrangler jeans and my ropers and lacers from my high school days. Yes, I wore Wranglers and boots in high school. I also wore jeans from the GAP and American Eagle shirts with my Timberlands. No one is immune from the standard high school identity crisis. It's just that mine did not involve an all black wardrobe or trenchcoats. I digress. So all this to say, sometimes we all need a break from the everyday-ness of our lives. An escape of sorts. Of course in reading blogs, we are just escaping our lives to read about the everyday-ness of the lives of others, but what I like about it is that when I come back to the reality of my world, I realize that it's a pretty good place to be. I like it here. I'm glad it's mine. I wouldn't trade it for all the cattle on a cowboy's ranch. Well... Kidding. Sort of. And just when you think your life couldn't get anymore routine and dull, there is someone out there saying "man, look at how great they have it." Oh yeah, in order to contribute to the cause of wasting time, over the next few days I will be posting a new section on the left side of my blog of links to blogs that I love to peek at every now and again. Stay tuned.