Unplugging My Family: Our 30-day-commitment without tv or internet – Day 1

This will be the first post about my 30-day personal challenge to go without television or internet from home and help out my fellow New Jerseyan’s who suffered devastating losses from Hurricane Sandy.  My wife is on board with me.  I ask that you spread the word about this as I will be raising money for those in need and also developing a stronger bond with my family.

I lucked out.  The hurricane just left me without power for 10 days and 14 days later I still don’t have internet or television access.  Once my service is restored I’m going to call my carrier and cancel my subscription for 30 days.  The money I would have spend (about $130) will go to The Red Cross.  These first 14 days will not count towards my 30-day commitment to Unplug my family.  That challenge begins now but before I post about DAY ONE, which was yesterday, I’d like to explain why I’m doing this.

Most folks I know complained about how horrible it was living without power  for several or more days.  Call me crazy but I found it to be one of the greatest weeks of my life.  My family and I became closer, I felt completely cleansed and de-stressed from not being able to check emails and stuff, and I got more sleep than I’ve ever gotten.  My hope is that I can inspire other families to “Unplug” for 30 days and discover the most important thing in the world—each other.   I ask that you too take my 30-day challenge.  If you decide to do it, feel free to reply to my daily posts and write about your own experiences.   And as I mentioned, I’m going to donate the monthly cost of my television and internet subscription to the Red Cross to help families who suffered tragic losses from the hurricane.  Feel free to do the same should you commit to my challenge.

Unplugging My Family – DAY ONE:              Sunday, 11/11/12

Because I was in bed at 9:00 last night (that’s what happens when there’s no tv or internet) I woke-up at 6:20 A.M. before my wife and kids.  I brewed a delicious pot of coffee, opened up the blinds in my family room and settled myself down with a good book.  Occasionally I looked out the window and took-in the beauty of autumn.  By 7:15 the rest of the gang was up and we spent some time just hanging out.  No Sponge Bob, no Sportscenter, just us.  At 8:30 I brought my son to a local baseball field and we practiced for about an hour and a half to get him ready for travel tryouts next week.  At 11:30 and it was time for me to do the leaves, which took forever.  I really hate doing the leaves by the way.

It was a beautiful day for November (65  degrees) and my son and daughter were outside playing with some other kids in the neighborhood the entire time I was doing the leaves.  It was great!!  Later it was off to basketball for my son and then off to dinner at Blue Moon Mexican Restaurant.  We came home, did some reading and the kids were in bed by 8:30.  I fell asleep tucking-in my daughter.

All in all, it was a great day.  I missed all of the football games on Sunday, which sort of stinks……….. or maybe it doesn’t.   But, I got a lot of things done around the house, spent tons of time with my wife and kids and, my kids played outside—not inside—for hours.  Day 1 was a big success for the Kersting’s.