My "No Technology Day."

One of the longest days in October 2011

8:30 AM I make breakfast.

10:45 AM

Gone to the gym. I don’t charge my cell phone so that I won’t be tempted. I leave it at home.

Noon

Back home. Shower, do hair and makeup.

12:30 PM

I take two of the (Shtzus) dogs to the Vet for “anal expression” YUCK. Since Jazz is the “biter” they take him first. He’s wagging his tail, nice and happy acting. They ask if I want to go in and hold him--while they clean out his butt? I politely decline. I sit with Smokey and try and read Van Der Heide’s, article. Smokey is acting up and won’t sit still. He pees by the counter. I tell the girl behind the desk, she comes around and wipes it up. We move to a smaller room to wait, so he won’t get the other dog waiting all riled up (and hopefully won’t pee). Now Smokey’s barking because we’re in a room and he wants to leave like Jazz did—or so he thinks. 

1:05 PM

Jazz is back. The assistant doesn’t look happy. She says that Jazz tried to bite her, well I told her he’s a nipper. It’s also in his chart. Whatever…She takes Smokey. Good now maybe I can read. Nope, Jazz keeps wagging his tail at the new people coming in. Now they want to pet him, so I keep telling them he bites. I pick him up and hold him. This one old guy won’t listen, now Jazz is in my lap growling and showing his teeth. I give up trying to read. I have to keep Jazz from stressing, so I’m petting him. Sort of like Kobe Bryant’s wife rubbing his arm at that conference when he admitted to being a lying cheater but not a rapist. I wish that I had my phone, I could at least surf FB.

1:15

Smokey’s back. The assistant complains that he wiggled a lot. Well gee isn’t that better than trying to bite? I look at my invoice and the details for the dogs are the same except the charges are different. I ask why, I’m told that they charged extra for Smokey’s wiggling. Whatever! I look down and Smokey raises his leg and pees again. This time I don’ t tell them. I figure we’re even. I take the dogs and leave. I open the back door and clip both little dogs to their car harnesses that are attached to the back headrests. I get in the front seat and turn the key and my car won’t start. WTH! The battery is dead. I feel really annoyed now. I have to un-strap the dogs and take them back inside the vet. It’s super hot outside and I’m feeling vexed. I go back in and ask to use the phone. The girl behind the desk gives me a dirty look but hands me the phone. She’s the same one that over-charged me.

I call my husband and tell him what happened. I figure he’s faster than the tow service and my not having a cell phone limits my communicative abilities.

I attach Smokey’s leash to the hook under the counter and put Jazz in my lap. I’m back to petting him like crazy because more people and pets keep coming in. I see Smokey’s earlier pee puddle has dried by the counter. He’s jumping up and down happily greeting everyone that comes in. 

2:40

My husband finally arrives. I thank the Witches of Eastwick behind the counter and leave. Of course when my husband turns the key, it starts. My ears are red with warmth now. I vow to never bring both dogs together again. I also tell him about the “wiggle fee.” We both ponder a new vet and drive off separately.

Not having my cell phone did cause a bit of a problem but it’s not like I couldn’t use  a phone.  I didn't like being at the mercy of someone else.  I would have still had to go inside to wait because of the heat, but I wouldn’t have had to ask Pet Nurse Ratchet to use the phone.

3:45 PM

I take my daughter to the mall and we window shop and get a coffee and smoothie. You don’t need a cell phone to walk around. Not having one doesn’t impede this situation and I don’ t always talk on the phone when we’re spending one-on-one time together.

5:30

We go home and wrestle my son into going somewhere with us.The whole family goes to Tempe. Then we drive over to Kona Grill in Gilbert to eat, then walk around..

8:30

We go home. My husband is glued to his Android. I don’t care if I don’t have mine. It’s not that big of a deal. No one is talking about anything earth shattering that I can’t hear about tomorrow.

9:20 PM

We hang out in the backyard for a while. My husband is laughing about whatever he’s reading. Now he's playing his music on his phone's MP3 player,  like a kid. SMH people from the 80s.

10:00 PM

I keep hearing my son’s phone ask” Is anyone there?” In that creepy voice he has downloaded as the alert for his text messages. They seem to come about every five minutes. He finally goes out for the night, good.  Well I hope he safe but I'm tired of hearing the creepy voice.

11:00 PM

My husband and I watch a movie.

Overall besides the weird car trouble, I don’t find not having technology for a day that bad. I do social media for a living so taking a break isn’t the end of the world. If I were that addicted, I could just send posts via Hootsuite if I needed to make an impression on my social media pages. I will say that when I read my text messages the next day one did pertain to something important but it was dealt with in a timely fashion.  So now I've proved that I'm not addicted!