I have become an expert in killing time online.
Sure, I say I’m sitting here, working. Much of the time, I am actually working on various writing projects. Unfortunately, my new freelancing gig requires a lot of research. And when researching online, it’s so easy to hop down totally unrelated rabbit trails.
I just did that, as a matter of fact. A search about the history of Chinese lanterns landed me at a San Francisco travel site. Which led me to check the SF weather, so I can drool over their coolness as I’m sweltering here in the south. The weather check led to a story about the first hurricane of the season, and that directed me to the latest on the BP oil gusher, which reminded me of friends near Pensacola and led me back to Facebook to check up on them.
What was I looking for? Oh, that’s right—the history of Chinese lanterns.
This week’s Top Ten list: my favorite ways to procrastinate online!
1. Facebook.
2. Reading the forums at the Well-Trained Mind website.
3. Email, at least half of it notifications that something new has been posted on Facebook.
4. Checking out friends’ blogs.
5. Checking the headlines on our local online newspapers and Fox News. (Yes, I love Fox News. So sue me.)
6. Listening to music on Playlist.com.
7. Checking Craigslist for writing gigs, household items, and baby and kid stuff.
8. Checking my watched items on eBay to see if there are any good deals.
9. Popping in to visit my longtime friends on a private board for moms with children born in January 1998.
10. Editing pictures on Picnik.com—and uploading them to Facebook!
I look at it this way: writing is hard work. These little mini-breaks keep me sane as I plug along at my craft.
It just isn’t fair, though, that every stinkin’ time my husband walks by (Hi, Honey! <waving>), he sees me on Facebook instead of working!
For more Top Ten Tuesday posts, visit Amanda!
Ain't that the truth–mine is twitter, tho. How does he walk by RIGHT when I click on tweetdeck?! *sigh*