My in-laws, who hail from Korea, visited us during the holidays and continued to comment upon how reliant their children were upon the internet. My father-in-law noted that there was no need to call upon elders for advice, since all knowledge came from "the computer" these days. Despite their skepticism, my mother-in-law was made a believer in The Pioneer Woman Cooks, especially because her comprehension of writing in English is limited and this site has easy graphics to follow (limited reading of text necessary to follow the recipes).
Here are a few other ways that my holidays were helped by the internet.
Gift-buying - I relied on online shopping for many purchases (since at 9 months pregnant, my tolerance for shopping malls is at a premium :) and waited for those prized e-mails to circulate about Free Shipping and 25% off.
Entertainment - How else would I have known the times for the IMAX shows than if I had checked online. You don't expect me to (gasp!) call the theatre for showtimes, do you?
Dining - We chose a brunch that would please my veggie in-laws by checking Yelp.com. So many of our dining choices are made based on these reviews from unpaid volunteer reviewers. We also made our reservation through OpenTable.com and earned some points toward a gift certificate.
Transportation - We had to check the MBTA's website to see if trains were running on usual schedules during the holidays.
Health - when my brother-in-law's dog started acting strangely, we checked online to see if the pup's symptoms could be diagnosed from home. Here's an idea for those still looking to make their big bucks on the internet - there didn't appear to be a WebMD for pets that contained a central database of health info. Something to consider....
How many sites did you consult with respect to the holidays?
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Zero. I consulted zero sites over the holidays and it wasn't easy. My luddite alter ego takes the reins at home if only because I can't decide which is the lesser of two evils: Verizon or Comcast. And so I am internet free at home. Temporarily.
But the ways in which I yearned for the Web over the holidays?
1) I needed directions from home to NYC to visit my new niece. What a pain scrawling directions over the phone. Left on Scranton? Oh, right? Before or after the fire station?
2) Is that store open today? I dunno. Let's call. See the double whammy here? I'd typically go online for the store hours and phone number.
3)This actor is really good. What's his name again? Damn and what was that movie he was in? You know, the one where he fell in love with that man played by Daniel Day Lewis only to discover he was his long lost evil twin...
4) Directions again, this time to the elderly aunt who broke her leg and is in rehab down the Cape. Arg.
5) I used to know what persiflage means but can't remember now. Look it up in a dictionary? Great idea, if I could find my dictionary.
6) I watch a lot of my news on the Web. What's new?
All I have to say is, thank goodness for Amazon wish lists. My family would all be getting ties and mixed nuts from me if it wasn't for that blessed site.
Now, if only *I* had remembered to put up a wish list while I was at it, I might not have gotten all these ties... :(
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