The two weeks I didn’t have THIS felt like an eternity

I guess it kind of felt the same as when we don’t have our phones for a few hours. Nervousness. Anxiety. I had to turn in my computer for some parts to be replaced. They said it would be just a few days but it felt like I was on a tight rope with no net. No INTERnet that is!

Corny jokes aside, this was the second time since I’ve owned it that my laptop wouldn’t recognize anything plugged into the ports. That’s kind of a big deal because that’s where the charger connects. So it slowly went all the way down to 4% and I was pretty much in full panic mode for one main reason: I had a project for a client and he had JUST emailed with a few changes that would wrap up the project. But like I said, my computer had 4% of its battery left.

Yikes.

I brought it in to a certified tech and hoped for the best. With it being December 21st and so close to Christmas, I had no idea what to expect for turnaround.

So needless to say, I had to get comfortable without my computer. Not only did I use it for professional work, but also writing for Out of the Wilderness, and editing photos to post on FineArtAmerica.

I’ve never been handcuffed by the police, or wrapped in a straight jacket, or asked to build a pyramid with no tools, but the feeling of constraint was a real thing. These things I enjoyed doing, get paid to do, were on the other side of a deep chasm with no bridge for me to get there.

The holidays came and went and I grew comfortable with the idea I wouldn’t have my computer for awhile. I was also about to leave town so I had to come to the realization I wouldn’t have my computer for the length of that trip.

But then!

The day before I left town, I got a call that my computer was ready. What!!! That was the best news of the day. I quickly made plans to go pick it up and I’m happy to say the next two things:

  1. This blog post was written on the fixed computer.
  2. With my computer, the picture on the screen below was uploaded, edited, and is available for purchase in all kinds of formats here on FineArtAmerica.com.

The two weeks I went without my computer were tough. It took creativity, prayer, and patience to get through it all but I was able to finish the project for the client and still managed to not turn into a Grinch over the Christmas holiday.

All in all, I’d call it a Christmas miracle and I’d also give a lot of credit to the technicians who worked hard to get my computer back to me before my trip.

Have you had an experience that hindered your level of comfort? Did it also limit the amount of work you could do? How do you feel when you don’t have your computer (or phone) for a few hours or days? Comment below, I look forward to reading about it!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

NordicTrack “Go Somewhere” – What’s That Song in the Commercial?

Fitness brand NordicTrack is all over the map with their new ad featuring music from a legend in country music. Except, it’s a legend with a twist. Take a look!

Country fans might recognize the lyrics of this song… it’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash. Although there were versions and covers in the decades before, Johnny’s is probably the most recognizable, released in 1996.

As you probably noticed, the version in the commercial is clearly not Johnny Cash, though. It’s Jade Bird. Check out her full version below from 2017.

Jade was around 20 years old when she covered the song (born in 1997). Check her out on Spotify here and Twitter here.

Here she is in 2019 for your listening pleasure, a live performance of the song.

And for the fun of it, here’s an early version of the song as performed by Hank Snow.

I really like the ad and the use of the song complimenting the idea that you can choose different courses and videos from all over the world for each of your NordicTrack workouts.

Do you like it? Chime in below.

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Two hounds from Tennessee

My two dogs were born and raised in Tennessee. And since I sold my house in Nashville, their birthplace is just about the only thing they have tying them to volunteer state. So much has changed for them, including a new home, new beds, a new car to ride around in, new yards, new places to walk, and new things to sniff.

I’m so proud of them for their flexibility! They’re 12 and 10 years old but have rolled with these changes and that makes me happy. We have adventures planned for 2022 and they have no idea how fun it will be. Tons of new scents, new birds and squirrels and rabbits and moles to chase or dig up.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re still just as stubborn as they were in Tennessee. I guess it’s endearing most of the time, but if Piper would stop eating her own poop, I think that would be some good character development.

But I love them, my two hounds from Tennessee!

Thanks for dropping in…

Out of the Wilderness

Foggy Florida Photos

It got all New Englandy on the gulf coast of north Florida recently. It was absolutely beautiful. I was really pumped to get my camera out before the sun burned off the fog. Here are a few photos from that day.

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

And the theme for 2022 is…..

Welcome to Out of the Wilderness! If this is your first time stopping by, check out a few of the pages to see what my writing is all about. And of course, thank you for reading along. In 2020, I posted a blog every single day and I continued that through 2021, also.

The trend’s going to continue this year, too, so you’ve actually read all my blogs for 2022 already. But there are 364 to come, so stay tuned. When I was thinking about what I should write about this year — more of the same, find a specific subject to focus on, include more photos, etc — I was also thinking what I want 2022 to look like for me in general. It’s also because the new year basically lines up with me turning a year older (birthday is December 26th) so it’s easy to have thoughts about life at the same time as what we call “new year’s resolutions.”

To set up what my theme will be for 2022 (age 43), I will confess one of my biggest fears as an adult is unrealized potential. Wouldn’t it really stink to reach the end of our lives and think there was more we could’ve done? So instead of assuming that’s what will happen, this year is about: taking chances, making hard choices if they come up, rolling with the changes, pursuing good things (and by “good” I mean healthy, positive, divine), stretching myself in the areas I enjoy most to see what my limits are. To sum all of that up, the theme for 2022 is…

FULL POTENTIAL.

I hope you accomplish things you want to this year, realizing your potential is even more than you think, more than what anyone tells you, and you can be part of significant things. That’s what I will be reminding myself of, too, and it will be fun 12 months from now to look back and see all what’s been done.

Gosh, I didn’t mean to get so heavy on the first day of the year, but then again…why not? Hope your new year starts off well.

Chat soon…

-Out of the Wilderness