Five things that happened when I put down my smartphone

I jumped off the superhighway this weekend to nurse a debilitating data gorge and hangout old school with my family and friends.

With no WiFi at our cabin, I had to put down my smart phone, and give the real world a good look-see. Here’s what happened:

  1. I reacquainted myself with Monopoly during a rousing campfire game. Eventually, dew soaked the board, while my robber baron sister in-law ran it. I would have been miffed at the ridiculous amount of time I spent in jail, but one little nephew kept placating me with his special chocolate roasted marshmallows, and the other little nephew kept cutting me deals. An eight-year old that will play a board game for three straight hours? Sweet.
  2. I shared a large flat raft with my son’s lovely girlfriend and tried to pretend my side hadn’t sunk lower in the river. “We’re taking on water!” I said. “It’s coming in on both sides,” she kindly fibbed.
  3. I played inner tube water charades, a game my nephew and I invented, and it went swimmingly.
  4. I bonded with a sandhill crane who, lured, I imagine, by our freshly buttered sweet corn, strolled right up to our cabin during a meal.
  5. I said good morning (and please be safe) to a regal eight-point buck.

I’m back in the civilized world of WiFi now, which is a relief. It’s so much easier to feign vast general knowledge when you can tag along with your best friend Google. But, I’m better, frecklier and perhaps even a little wiser for my weekend break from my smartphone.

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My nephew Ben invented water charades, which we played as we floated down the river.
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My other nephew Sam invented a new way to roast marshmallows. You put the chocolate inside the marshmallow and roast them all together. Genius.
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The sweet treats kept me chipper while I made repeated trips to the pokey during our marathon campfire Monopoly game. My sister-in-law Melissa is laughing heartily as she takes this picture. She beat us all.
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I looked up from the dinner table and caught this little fellow peeking in the window..
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So I went out to introduce myself. We bonded a bit over our similar coiffs
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As I headed home this morning (and prepared to merge happily back onto the Information Highway) I saw this regal gentleman noshing in a field. We stared at each other for a while as I telepathically encouraged him to take his family on vacation to Florida from Nov. 19 – 27 this year.

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