Being booed, electronics, chores

I got booed yesterday. Our office staff is constantly coming up with creative ways to celebrate the seasons. Since it is Fall – and Halloween – they instituted a gift passing they call being booed. It involves a bag stuffed with small gifts, candy and other goodies, placed on someone’s desk. The trick is that you have to recreate the gift and pass your gift to someone who has not been booed yet without being discovered. You can only be booed once. That is a challenge for many in the office since the majority of the staff come in at the same time. As dedicated as most the employees are to this employer, very few come in even a couple minutes early. I am an anomaly. I get to the office fifteen minutes early or earlier. Since I got booed yesterday, I booed someone this morning. Mama and Victoria got more fun out of the gift giving than I did. Finding a nice, unused mug, a small Fall-ish gift, a snack and a sweet. The bag was pretty full. I put it on the desk of a coworker as I arrived at the office this morning – well before anyone would know. I may never know the outcome, but I hope the person I gave the gift to is actually in the office today. That is sometimes a challenge. They have two days to boo someone else.

I am a little surprised by how much I like wearing the Fitbit Victoria passed along to me when she got her Apple Watch. Recently I have been paying particular attention to the health app on the iPhone I carry. Ensuring that I get enough steps in to offset the tension I carry with me. Getting over 5k steps actually helps me sleep more soundly at night. The Fitbit and the phone stay pretty close on total steps with the Fitbit counting slightly higher than the phone because it is always on my wrist. I do not always ensure the phone is with me; often taking it out of the belt clip and setting in on my desk at work. I am still of the opinion that constant contact with electronics will eventually manifest in some type of physical harm. The constant sending and receiving of signal while attached to our bodies cannot be good long term.  

Which leads me back to my original statement. The fact that I like the electronic companionship of the Fitbit. I have even worn it to bed to track my sleep patterns – which are better than I had expected. As I was waking this morning, trying to decide if I should roll over for the last fifteen minutes allowed before the alarm sounded. I turned off the alarm and laid back down. Then the Fitbit started flashing some message I could not read without my glasses. Mama, who I discovered was awake, saw the illuminated watch face and remarked at how bright it was. I pulled the sleeve of my long-sleeved t-shirt over the watch and moved over to snuggle with her for the last few minutes of my bed time. A pleasant bonus given by the Fitbit.

Although Victoria did not have the function working for her when she wore the Fitbit, it will alert me to a phone call or text before the phone registers the incoming contact. Because of that, I am not missing phone calls or texts as often as I used to. That is a double-edged sword, but where Mama is concerned, it makes me more accessible. Perhaps no more responsive than normal, but certainly more accessible. I also like tracking my heartrate. I do not know if I would like such constant monitoring of my blood pressure – out of sight out of mind – but with the newer electronic watches that is also possible. I have had no interest in the past to wearing such expensive technology, but I find myself drifting that direction.

Mama and I have some chicken chores tonight and tomorrow night. We are going to put bands on the feet of all our newer chickens so we can track the group in the future. Mama has a fair idea of how old her mature chickens are, but she is not completely sure. Some are two years old. Some are three years old. Some even older. That presents an issue when we cull the flock to remove the oldest, non-productive hens. Banding this year’s new hens will help us know next year who is who. Also, I may start processing the Cornish hens tonight. We have talked about keeping them through the end of the month, but Mama is anxious to see how well they dress out; and to limit the number she has to contend with each morning as she puts feeders back in the Banty House. They are quite aggressive. Obsessively hungry. They would eat 24/7 if allowed but we have been advised to give them at least ten hours without food to help them avoid heart problems caused by being over full. I do not know if they are really fully grown yet, but a few minutes of research will either confirm or set to rest my concerns. Either way, the constant flow of chores keeps me going.

And, for better or for worse, the electronics help me monitor that constant going.