the state that i am in » Oh, How I Long for Coffee

10.21.09 Oh, How I Long for Coffee

My alarm goes off in the morning at 5:09 a.m. Why 5:09? That’s just a time I picked that allows me to snooze the exact right amount of time. When I’m being good, I try to get out of bed by 5:30, so I can get to work by 7:00. Lately, though, it’s been more like 6ish, with me getting to work later and later. Unfortunately, since I’m rocking the infertility roller coaster, I rarely get to enjoy the comforts of coffee in the morning. With these cold, dark morning we are currently having, I really do wish for some extra energy in the morning to get out of bed.

Of course, when I get to work, I have to work. Since I work in a school building, I can never do anything fun on my computer like catch up on blogs or twitter. Everything under the sun is blocked by our internet server, so I can’t even kill a few minutes of my morning by checking in with all you lovely internet-types! Sure, I have my iPhone, but it’s not the same. I wish I had real internet access at work like all the cool kids.

So, what is all this sleepy morning coffee and internet talk about? Well, it’s your lucky day, because I’m hosting an awesome giveaway! I’m joining with Starbucks and their Energy+Coffee campaign to bring you caffeine and the joys of not getting caught blogging at work! It’s a win-win situation.

The great news is that I have FIVE prize packages to give away! All the prize packages include:

Stealth Switch™– The StealthSwitch™ is “The World’s first desktop cloaking device.” StealthSwitch™ uses patent pending technology to instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just are not just minimized, they are made invisible.
$5 Starbucks^® Card
Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

Here’s how you can enter:

Leave a comment answering one of these questions: What do you do to stay awake at work? What is your internet usage like at work? Do you ever blog at work?
Post on twitter about this contest. Be sure to leave an additional comment with a link to your tweet. You can do this twice, but you need to leave separate comments for your entries to be counted!
Post about this contest on your own blog. Be sure to leave an additional comment with a link to your blog post.

Edited to Add: I previously stated that you could get additional entries by tweeting or posting about this contest. Unfortunately, that’s against the rules since this is also a contest for me. Oops. My bad! So, no additional entries for tweets or blog posts, but you will win my undying love and affection for doing those things!

The last day to enter is November 4th, so get those entries in! I will draw 5 winners from all the entries received by midnight on November 4th.

In the name of full disclosure, there is a prize at stake for me as well. The more comments I get, the more likely I am to win a prize. So, enter away, and we can all be winners!

Boring legal stuff:

^{This promotion is solely sponsored by stateiamin.com and has not been endorsed or approved by North American Coffee Partnership. By entering, you agree to look solely to stateiamin.com for any claims in}^connection^{therewith, and not the North American Coffee Partnership.}

^{NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.}^{Subject to Contest guidelines. Open to}^U.S.^{residents only.}^{Contest ends 11/04/09.}^{Void where prohibited.}

^{Starbucks Doubleshot}^{^®}^{Energy+Coffee sent me [Enter Info Here] and here’s what I think. All the opinions expressed here are mine.}

Hi there, I’ve been reading for a while through 20SB’s blog feed. Didn’t want you to think I appeared just for the contest I actually wasn’t even going to enter b/c it bugs me when people get a million comments on giveaway blogs just b/c people want free stuff. But then I looked up the Stealth Switch and thought “OMG I totally need one of those!” So here I am…a sellout…

Anyhoodles, in answer to your question: I listen to the Glee Youtube channel (there’s a playlist) and rock out to all the wondrous joy that is Glee in order to stay awake at my job
.-= Miriam´s last blog ..Hello frightening… =-.

When I have time to stop for coffee, I do – otherwise I drink coffee or tea when I get to work. I blog at work sometimes, but I’m supposed to since I write an entertainment blog for one of our websites.
.-= Doniree´s last blog ..Paying it Forward and Backwards =-.

tweeted!
.-= Doniree´s last blog ..Paying it Forward and Backwards =-.

I’m on the internet quite a bit at work. Since I’m sitting here at my desk all day, I can kind of multi-task and check some of my favorite sites a few times. Occasionally the stuff gets blocked, but in cases like Facebook, they opened it back up, and for Twitter I found a workaround. Oddly enough, it often blocks work-related stuff, sometimes making it easier to goof off than find what I need to do my job.

I *really* try to avoid blogging at work. I’m in the bottom ranks of IT, so I know what kind of tracking we are capable of doing, but I’m not high enough up in the chain to know what’s actually being done. So, I try to err on the side of caution and hope that no one finds me
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Would you want to know? =-.

To stay awake at work? I drink tons of really cold water (we don’t have great coffee at my office), talk at least two mini walks around the office per day and stretch a lot at my desk.

Blog at work? Yes, I’ve been known to do it from time to time (or a lot of times) but I’m trying to keep it to a minimum these days.
.-= nora´s last blog ..Confetti =-.

Consider it tweeted!
http://twitter.com/Nora_L/status/5044578915
.-= nora´s last blog ..Confetti =-.

Aw, love these that are popping up, but I can’t enter. But this looks fun! =)

Hmmm…work is at a restaurant so I have no temptations to blog there! So far, I’ve managed to not blog during class or read blogs during class either. Geesh, apparently I’m sort of a good student.

At the old job? I blogged/read blogs OFTEN.

5:09AM!? I feel better now that I wake up at 6:30AM but still I have no energy in the mornings. I love sleeping!

Too bad I don’t like coffee or else I would enter to win! Good luck though.
.-= steph anne´s last blog ..Random Obsessions About Me =-.

Oh jeez… anything before 7 a.m. and I’m a MESS! Today I had an assignment at 7:45 a.m. and I’m struggling to stay awake at work as we speak.

So what do I do to stay awake? Drink water. I know that sounds bizarre, but I’m attempting to cut calories here, ha. But for some reason, drinking anything – including water – gives me a good half hour of alertness at a time (so I pee a lot, haha).
.-= MinD´s last blog ..Feeling a bit poetic. =-.

I am not a morning person and my bosses pretty much leave me alone first thing in the morning… haha I stay awake at work by trying to get up away from my desk and walking around the office – I usually have to do this anyway to go find packages I am waiting for or to get my mail… And drink lots of Diet Coke…

My internet usage….. is not as bad as it used to be because I have been insanely swamped lately… I have been known to blog at work – usually when I am helping out by covering the switchboard… I am at work now… I love that they haven’t blocked Facebook or Blogger… we have lost some of our funny sites that made us all laugh, but we still have these!
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Irritation… =-.

What do you do to stay awake at work?

drink coffee, texting my friends, and definitely play with the internet. Read blogs, read twitter updates and play games
.-= andhari´s last blog ..Douche Of The Year =-.

I get to work and get myself a nice large coffee. My office has these huge Starbucks machines; they’re awesome.

As for my interest usage at work.. umm I’m at work now.. what does that say about me? lol! Though if I’m busy I’m usually not on very much
.-= Steph´s last blog ..A Simple Keyword Search =-.

This summer at my internship, my computer was in the middle of the office so people could see my screen. I blogged by opening up an e-mail in my Outlook and typing it. Then I sent it to Peter and he posted it onto my blog!
.-= Jenn´s last blog ..the condom debate. =-.

At work I drink Diet Dr. Pepper. I rarely blog at work, although I will occasionally post on our classroom blog. We don’t have much blocked at work, although the stealth switch would still come in handy… Cool giveaway!
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Very funny! =-.

I have no access to computers while at work, except my iphone, since I work at a Starbucks. So I can check email, but it’s too time consuming to spend my breaks trying to blog from my phone. ;o)

Coffee’s free at the workplace, but I’m off the caffeine (mostly). Eat apples and take vitamin b12 supplements. B supplements help you metabolize things more efficiently, and apples are full of good for you sugars, and vitamins to keep you alert!
.-= Stela´s last blog .. =-.

Mmm, Starbucks!

Well, I blog at work as well as comment on blogs. I also watch TODAY show videos.
.-= Megan´s last blog ..Etsy Love =-.

I am lucky enough to have a Dad that brings me a coffee to work most mornings (he’s not my boss but rents office space in the building I work in). There’s not much else I do to stay awake, I try to get up and walk around every so often, since more often than not I am stuck at my desk. I’m not online as much as I used to b since I find myself mostly really busy at work! That desktop cloaking thing cracks me up!!!
.-= Alyssa´s last blog ..Status =-.

I drink coffee on my way to work sometimes, but rarely on the shift because Im afraid I’d end up spilling it on my motor-skills challenged client. (Although, some of my co-workers do drink coffee on a shift)

I definitely do not use internet at work.
.-= Ashley´s last blog ..WTH =-.

How do I stay awake at work? Ummm….get up and move around. Sometimes Circle Time is too tiring and so we sing a song.
Internet use at work?
I certainly do not accidentally bump my mouse when I walk near my computer to see if there are any new emails!
Do I blog at work?
Nope. Everything fun in life is blocked on our computers!
.-= Steph´s last blog ..Just a little too tan! =-.

I had to stop work due to a disability, but I can tell you that my boyfriend gets around the firewall at his work using Google Reader. All the blog posts he wants without getting blocked. I’ve yet to hear of any company that blocks Google.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Only you =-.

Oh man. On really tired days at work I end up doing stretches at my desk or walking around the building.
.-= Lollygagger´s last blog ..fear of men or myself. =-.

YAY! Starbucks!!!

My workplace blocks a lot of the fun sites like Facebook and Twitter as well, though for some reason it does not block blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress. So when I need a little jolt, I write on my own or check out what others have to say!
.-= Meg´s last blog ..Fight for Preemies =-.

I almost always have coffee in my hand on my way to work. I do not ge the pleasure of doing anything fun on the internet at work, because I work at the same place as you Erin!
.-= Kate´s last blog ..TV Shows =-.

I work a very flexible, part-time job for a teeny tiny branch of a publishing company – so tiny that my boss runs operations out of her home. Lucky for me, this means that I am free to do whatever I like on my work computer.

I’ve never blogged during work because I’m really not there long enough to want to blog, but I definitely open up my reader to glance at in between tasks.
.-= Cait´s last blog ..where i am. =-.

Mmm, coffee. When I was working, I tried not to blog unless it was for a client, which was kinda awesome, anyway.
.-= Holly´s last blog ..Community, Hanson and the Walk =-.

I am so with you, sistah. We had great access to email, blogs,etc…and then Mr. Porn Teacher had to fark it all up for us (no pun intended)by getting caught looking at porn sites at school (total gross, I know…he’s in prison now).
BUT- I bought a mini laptop in the summer so that when I went back to school I could spend my lunchhours checking out blogs and email while my fellow teachers ate in the grim, dungeon like, teachers lounge talking about their depressing non-blog lives…ick. Thanks for the chance to win!

In order to stay awake at work, I go for a walk around the building and then if that doesn’t work, I make a cup of green tea… lol
.-= Walking on Sunshine´s last blog ..I Always Choose the Bad Boy =-.

I blog from work probably more than I blog from home haha. Otherwise, when I’m not doing what I’m actually supposed to be doing, I’m reading blogs, checking Twitter and other websites, but unfortunately not Facebook since its blocked!! And its coffee every day for me! Otherwise, tea or diet coke to keep me up!
.-= Lacey Bean´s last blog ..5 months to go! =-.

I work from home since I do Freelance projects, so I always blog from work. I find it hard to stay focused at times because there are so damn many blogs for me to read and write…but I do my best

i walk to starbucks across the street and get a triple mocha. that’s what i do to stay awake, hah. or blare music in my ipod. from my ipod? within my ipod? what is the correct word choice for that!?

a few things are blocked at work…myspace, last.fm, youtube. i get most of what i want though. and yes i blog from work all the time. else i’d probably only blog on the weekends!

- lauren xoxo

laurennicolelove.blogspot.com

I am on the internet the entire time i’m at work! i always have google reader, and brizzly (because twitter is blocked) hanging out in the background of my desktop. that stealth switch could really come in handy when i hear footsteps, since my cube is in the worst place imaginable for people sneaking up behind me!
.-= Lindsey´s last blog ..5 times 2 equals 9? =-.

Diet Dr. Pepper. And Diet Dr. Pepper. And if I’m still slogging, another Diet Dr. Pepper.

While I would love to (because it’s usually when I get most inspired) I don’t get to blog at work. I’m not supposed to be perusing the internet unless it is work related, and my blog and job are definitely not intrinsicly related in the least bit!!

Nestle Milk Chocolate Hot Coccoa does the trick for me to stay awake
.-= Jennifer – Somewhere In Between´s last blog ..Currently Coveting {Necklace Edition} =-.

Hi,
I had to comment, I noticed that you aren’t drinking coffee because you were TTCing…. I know you must be on an emotional rollercoaster, I know I was when TTC my first daughter. I think I had made my husband insane, and I thought perhaps you might want to talk to someone who had been thru the long haul.

I had a group on Babycenter called HappilyTTC, I think all but 1 lady on there didn’t ever get the chance to get PG, but she suffers from morbid obesity and it restricts her to degrees I shouldn’t discuss. I have a vast dictionary of knowledge about how simple things like your thyroid can be playing with your cycle.

Please find me… I would love to be a help.
Angie

So to answer one of the questions, Yes, I do blog at work! Horrible, I know…but sometimes the only chance I get to blog is at work so I’ll take a quick 15 minute break and catch up with all my lovlies.

Hope I win so now I can blog and hide it!

I stay awake at work with 38 cent coffee (32 if I remember to bring my mug).

How fun! And reading about your morning routine makes me feel like I need to man up and stop complaining about my pup waking me up every morning at 6 to pee. Gosh. … The last time I woke up at 5:30 was for a triathlon I covered. And high school…
.-= E.P.´s last blog ..On wedding planning =-.

Though I love me some starbucks, I don’t think that extra cool sneaky switch will work for me since my company monitors internet usage pretty strictly. So this comment is 100% so you can get your own prize. Good luck!
.-= Audrey´s last blog ..Something Awesome’s Lurking in the Dark =-.

I’m a grad student. Of course I blog at “work”. But what keeps me awake? Hot chocolate. And daydreaming.
.-= LovelyAnomaly´s last blog ..upDATE =-.

My internet at work is pretty much blocked too so I have to find other things to do.
.-= bFlat´s last blog ..Latest Etsy Obsession: LBD Accessories =-.

Okay, you twisted my arm…I’m entering even though I’m off caffeine and I can’t really use the stealth switch thing at work. I could still use the $5 giftcard. I am the queen of knowing what to get that’s decaf at Starbucks!

I guess I get up and leave every half hour or so at work and that keeps me awake. It’s just the nature of my job. I do try and drink lots of water all day.

Internet is not so hot at work…I work with you so you know! I cannot blog from work…not even on my reading blog that I use with my students/families so that bums me out. I have tried to get my blog unblocked in the past and have been told that because the district can’t back up my blog or the comments then they can’t release it at the schools.
.-= Jen V.´s last blog ..More Gokey Goodness =-.

The coffee is what keeps me focused from falling asleep.

I alternate drinking coffee, tea & water to keep myself awake at work. Stretching in between seems to work too. As far as blogging at work – I occasionally catch up on blogs at work / type an entry in word and publish it once I’m at home.

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