Sunday is a weird day. It’s still weekend, but there’s also that sense of dread – Monday’s really nearly here. I always feel in a kind of limbo on Sunday. At home it used to be reserved for lazing, eating roast dinner with the family and going to visit my nana. Or spending it hidden under my bedcovers cursing the night before.
But now I’m in the US my patterns have changed. Firstly this whole tailgating business means that I’m so tired from being in the sun all day I’m home and in bed by 10 most Saturdays. There’s no such thing as Sunday dinner here. It may seem like I’m digressing but there is a point hidden in here somewhere… I have a routine for weekdays – whether it’s my media consumption or studying etc. Sunday. Not so much.
Got up this morning and my roommate was waiting for me in the living room wearing her gym gear. A sure fire sign it was gym time. Spent almost an hour on the treadmill watching the TV. Could not tell you what I watched. I think VH1 had their Top 20 Countdown (terrible presenter if you ask me), Made was on MTV and Law and Order was on TNT. I don’t care what I’m watching in the gym so much as I want something to distract me.
Came home and checked my Irish cell phone. That’s how I keep in contact with my family and friends back home. Did some facebook stalking. Checked my emails and sighed at the number of spam that is sent to my UF email because I use it to sign up to Walmart photo center, get a GEICO insurance quote and other useless stuff.
My favorite favorite thing on my computer. Skype. Spent almost 3 hours on Skype today catching up with friends back home (my only Sunday habit so far). Spoke to my Mom and Dad for almost an hour. My dad has this terrible tendency of walking around with the laptop and giving me virtual vertigo. That lasted about 5 minutes.
Spent the rest of the day on my laptop – working on assignments and writing my blog for this class.
I’m just about to go out the door and watch PS I Love you at my friend’s apartment. I hope she realizes I am going to berate any bad Irish accents I come across. And it’s inevitable there will be bad Irish accents. (Go to 3.15 of this video for Gerard Butler’s apology for aforementioned terrible accent!).
I will undoubtedly check facebook when I get home. With the time difference nothing will have changed because my Irish friends are all in bed right now (they’re 5 hours ahead). But God forbid I miss any updates!
Paula Cunniffe 
If you forward your UF e-mail to Gmail, it will filter out that spam for you!
I used to think that students used Facebook sort of idly, to pass time. After reading these Media Diaries, I can see that it really is more like an addiction or a compulsion — you don’t want to miss anything. But really, what would you miss? (Not meant as criticism, just a thought.)
By: Mindy McAdams on 09/27/2010
at 11:41 pm
I agree. Checking facebook has become such a habit that it’s my first go-to when I go online. The only defence I have for it is that it’s constantly changing – unlike my email. If I check my email and I have no new ones that’s pretty much all I can look at there. With facebook it’s changing all the time.
Plus my friends at home don’t email me. They contact me on facebook so it’s nice to be keep that link with home.
By: paulacunniffe on 09/28/2010
at 12:11 pm