Still Not Tweeting? #youshouldbe

You know what I can’t stand?  Boring people. Those dull, lackluster, lovers of the status quo. The types you can talk to for 10 minutes and struggle to find some meaningful takeaway from the conversation. We can’t all be a walking, talking ball of charisma, but sometimes I meet people and wonder if the AA batteries in that panel on their back need changing. Whatever the reason, if you or someone you know would tie for 1st place with a roll of paper towels in a personality contest, hang on tight- because help might be found with just one word:



                                                               TWITTER


It’s time for me and my (sometimes) opinionated self to once again sing the praises of Twitter, my favorite addiction form of social media for well over a year. I've signed on in the earlier days of March 2009, and now you can't open a magazine, webpage, or see an ad without the recognizable 't' icon.


You can’t tell me in 5 minutes of tweet-scrolling you haven’t learned something new, disagreed passionately with another’s opinion, promised yourself to look further into a certain topic, or #hashtaggedaridiculousstatement punctuating your 140 character pearl of wisdom.
I’m right. You can admit it. I can honestly say I’ve done all of these things…and then some (Dozens of twitpics? Guilty. Tweeted from my Kindle, Pandora, and Droid? Guilty.)


There’s no exclusivity factor in Twitter; no wall to shamelessly tag 10,000 pictures of yourself (blurry, out of focus ones included), no pressure to sit there and dig deep in your reservoir of funny, insightful material hoping this time the thumbs up count from your loyal circle of friends hits the double digits! (How AWESOME would that be?!?!?)


Nope. No friends (or followers, as they say in twitspeak) required. The experience is much more enjoyable though when someone replies to your A+ gem of a tweet… and maybe even retweets it! (This is an honor held in extremely high regard in the Twitter world.) You pick and choose who you want to follow- be it your favorite athlete, politician (not gonna go there), radio DJ, that person hiding behind the quasi-famous escape artist snake (@BronxZoosCobra and yes, I’m a follower and a fan!), or a friend. Tweet whatever you're feeling or strikes you as humorous, or don't tweet at all. Silent twittering (following only) will still hit you with tons of info faster than anything other form of media. Really though... who can keep quiet when there's so much to say??


The possibilities are now endless with retailers, restaurants, and nonprofits also making up the mix of the thousands you can follow. Unlike Facebook, there’s no drama when you ‘unfollow’ someone, as the majority of those you follow don’t personally know you. Getting bombarded by Lady Gaga’s incessant tweeting about her new music? Easy. Unfollow her, and follow again after the album drops. The menu is easy to navigate, and there’s no labyrinth- like adventure to update simple settings like some applications (**cough** Facebook)


The key to all of this is the 140 character limit. It actually encourages people to get to the point. None of the babbling, never-ending status updates you find on Facebook, as people painfully describe the nightmarish Friday traffic on the way to the shore, or recap the cloudy weather the entire weekend (weatherman lied!). Twitter thrives on the ‘short but meaningful’ theory. It takes a little to get used to, but after a while it’s easy to share your thoughts in 140 characters or less. With a little practice, you’ll soon be speaking fluently in the language of @ and #. There’s also an obvious lack of generic contributions on Twitter, at least from those I follow. The waste of space I see on Facebook updates such as ‘at work’ or ‘going to bed’ are scarce in the world of tweets.


So back to my original point- next time you or someone you know is at a loss for small talk at the neighborhood picnic, grab the phone, discreetly scroll through the tweet log, and there you go- instant conversation starter!  In 10 minutes a day, broken down to five 2-min scroll sessions (my usage is slightly higher than this haha) you will be thoroughly updated on your favorite people and interests. If you follow the right mix of news/music/celebs/sports/business/friends, you'll be Twitter crazy no time.

#ithinkilltweetthisblogpost

Happy Summer- It's Wednesday Randoms

I missed last week's edition of Wednesday Randoms. Blame it on my other 'job' of pouring tequila and getting paid to love every second of it.

Random time!

• Welcome humidity. Ugh. We really do get the most extremes of each season, don't we? My flowers outside are flourishing, so maybe I have the humidity to thank? Or maybe I should thank my green thumb and self control to not over-water like I have in the past?
• If you've never tried Mango Habanero salsa, you are missing one of life's greatest sweet/hot combos. It is AMAZING. Try Mrs. Renfro's for a taste your mouth will thank you for. It's that good.
• Had a near heart attack on Sunday. I wanted to let my birds play together and as I went to pick up Blueberry, she flew out of her cage! Their wings are not clipped, and I spent the next 3 minutes chasing her around the house like a mad woman. I'm not sure if she intentionally tried to make a break for it, or in her usual skittish demeanor she flew out the open cage door by mistake, but she didn't get far. And, as I always suspected, flew right towards the patio door and the mirrored wall. Luckily, her flying is neither fast or strong, so she couldn't get up any speed to hurt herself, but she gave me a most stressful experience.
• California in 3 weeks! Lots to do before then. I like opening my suitcase on the floor a good 2 weeks before vacation, just so I know it's right around the corner. You'd think in doing this I'd be packed and ready to go a week before. Nope. Still jamming stuff in the bag 5 minutes before I run out the door.
• Rory McIlroy takes the US Open in record breaking fashion and Wimbledon starts this weekend! Yessss. Love my tennis and golf watching. Funny how my desire to play tennis never faded, but I just can't get into golf. Not fast paced enough for me to play. Love watching the pros, but 4 hours is too much of a time investment with not enough return. If I were schmoozing clients on the course and expensing it, maybe.... but unless I meet someone who can convince me to get into it, I'll enjoy it from the couch.
• Tragic story about Ryan Dunn. I was never a huge Jackass fan, but I watched enough to know the main players and cringe as they filmed themselves doing the most painfully insane pranks. They confirmed today he was legally drunk, and sadly, he and his friend paid the ultimate price. Thankfully they didn't hit anyone else, but how horrible that such a bad decision will leave 2 families and countless friends forever impacted by the loss. Bam is right- people like Roger Ebert need to STFU.
• And how many people do we now have running for POTUS in 2012? I've lost count. I'll tell you one thing- if Mitt Romney wins, we're going to have to employ an entire hair and makeup team. He's definitely looks on the high maintenance side. No way he jumps out of the shower and his hair looks like that. Mirrors too. Everywhere.
• Lots more to read on the Kindle. In the 6mos I've had my Kindle, I know I've read more books than I did in all of 2010. Oh Oprah, you were so right! I've got my eye on 'Hunger Games' next. Supposed to be in the 'young adult sci-fi' genre. It's been widely talked about, and even though I'm out of the young adult category (in age only, not spirit), I think I'll enjoy it. We all know my feelings about the Twilight series! (love it sosososo much)
• Think I'll skip the random picture for a while. I think it's skewing my off-the-charts hit count on the blog by people image searching and then ending up here. Someone was actually searching for a garden rake. I would have loved to see their expression when they clicked and saw a totally irrelevant blog post to accompany the pic. Ha!

Meeting the world- without moving an inch

I've dealt with a bit of blogger's block lately. I figured the whole 'practice makes perfect' thing would carry this blog straight into the stratosphere! Hmm...not quite. (On a positive note, the hit count has gone up) I never have a shortage of things to talk about, it's the whole writing thing that's a challenge!
So... a topic struck me on my (very cautiously, carefully driven) ride home. I meet some of the most interesting and unique people from all over the world at my job. In a way I'm the gatekeeper to the entire district- so anyone new has to meet me first, prove their eligibility, and submit the required documents. I then chat them up a little, explain some important materials and send them on their way, beaming with pleasure knowing their children are enrolled in one of the best school districts in Pennsylvania.

Being so highly sought after and close to a major metropolitan area brings people from all over the world. Literally. This afternoon was a parent from England, who has been living in Singapore the past 3 years while his 2 sons attend a British international school. A majority of the time it's a job dictating the next location for these highly mobile families. Some have moved as frequent as 7 times in 2 years! (That's one way to banish clutter from your life... and hello frequent flyer miles!) Other times the back story is unfortunate- most recently some families displaced as a result of the tsunami in Japan.

Every time someone comes to see me, there's always a short conversation about where they're from, the differences between here and there, and some great anecdotal stories I've come to appreciate and look forward to with each new international registrant. I  don't ask any of these questions; it's none of my business. People just seem relaxed and eager to open up. Maybe they're making conversation, or just being polite. Maybe they know I have a real penchant for travel, accents, and different people and places so I can blog all about it later! (...maybe not) 
Most are people native to their homeland, coming to the United States for the first time. Japan, Korea, Australia, Belarus, Finland, Venezuela, France, UAE, Israel, Greece, and Egypt is a sampling of where these families have moved from. 

The language barrier can be difficult, and some of the intangibles for doing a job like mine is having the patience, understanding, and solid communication skills to explain the requirements to attend a public school system to someone who has just stepped off a plane 24hrs earlier, from a place worlds away from where they stand now. In my mind, the phrase 'good communication skills' has lost its meaning and importance, weaseling its way onto nearly every job description and resume on the internet.

What determines though how 'good' one's skills really are?
Emailing your boss when you're not able to meet a deadline?
Preparing a neatly bulleted meeting agenda?
Ehhh...not really.
Try explaining to someone (over the phone) who speaks 50 words or less of English the residency, registration, and medical record requirements needed to attend a public school. Thankfully we utilize a really fantastic interpretation service where a translator can be called in pretty much any language or dialect you can imagine (in just minutes!) I've been through the trenches of the retail food industry, and honing your customer service skills is one thing. You take for granted the person complaining and giving you a hard time understands everything, as do you with them. Dealing with someone who understands neither the language, geographical area, or culture is having to reevaluate the entire way you explain something in a limited span of time. 
I realize there are many jobs way more difficult than mine, and there's no horn tooting going on here, trust me. I've gone on a bit of a tangent, and as you can imagine, I don't collect too many cool stories from the people who don't speak English. My point is, that side of my job, while fairly infrequent, has immensely improved my ability to explain something as objectively, efficiently and thoroughly as possible. Every day is something new, and in a few more years I'll have more fun facts and stories about so many places I'll be forced to take a trip around the world so I can see all these things for myself! As for now... I'll live vicariously through my weekly visitors  : )

W.R. (Wednesday Randoms)

Hmm...There seems to be an awful lot of 'randoms' posts and a lot less of the thoughtful, detailed material which filled this blog 4 months ago. Maybe a shift in format to an all randoms blog??

We'll see.

Ready? Go

• Rep Weiner- you are a moron!
• Christina Aguilera- you have become the peroxide version of Snooki. Lose the weave, scrub off the 10lbs of makeup, and focus on what you do best- singing!
• The Bachelor? Garbage. The Bachelorette? Bigger garbage.
• I've looked at too many Groupon emails and Daily Deals and haven't hit the button on any yet. Some of these are too cool to pass up! I'll Groupon something by summer's end.
• Looking forward to my first flight since becoming a Kindle owner in December. Books, magazines, blogs... the normally never-ending west coast flight should be a breeze! I could've used one of those on the plane to Sydney...
• Sephora: I <3 you! In case you needed a reminder.
• Pleased at durability of my many appliances since I've moved here 7 years ago. Dirt Devil vac still going strong, dishwasher, and washer/dryer. Hopefully saying this won't cause everything to break next week!
• I've never liked myself on video, but I'm really curious to see how many hits my youtube video would get if I put in some effort on a highly searched topic. I'm thinking cooking or some type of hair/cosmetics thing. I'd have to keep it around 7min or so, but with the right keywords, maybe I'll have a big hit! Thinking of getting a flipcam for my trip to CA too... this could serve many purposes!
• Working a lot lately. I can't even get to the beach because of all the jobs I've (voluntarily) taken. Gotta make that money now- while it's right in front of me, easily within reach!! The surf and sand will always be there. But, as always, I have one eye on the present and another always looking towards the future. There are some awesome vacations in my future- can't wait!

There's something a little scary and...manufactured...about hybrid fruit. It's also pretty cool.

Oh, what a day

So my day began with a big SMACK.

That smack resulted in my bumper getting scratched, dented, pierced in spots, and looking downright bad. My beautiful black pearl clear coat. After wanting a black car for so long, and keeping it spotlessly clean as best I could, I almost died when I saw it.  It's not terrible, and most certainly fixable, but I've had it just over 6 months, and now this. (Sad, exaggerated exhale)

Without getting all play-by-play about it, today added another line on my "getting my car rear-ended" resume. In the past 5 years, all 3 of these incidents happened on the same road...the same road I happen to live on! It's a long stretch of road, with the first one happening 5yrs ago about 15mi up the road. The second and today, the third, happened within 50yds of each other at the same intersection. Coupled with my evil address, could this be a sign it's time to get outta here?

Me stopping short and tapping someone else (my bad) then caused the guy behind me to ram me like bumper cars. After 10 years of Jeep driving, I'm still amazed they are built to take such hits like a champ. His hood resembled a tent afterwards, and that image flashing in a split second in my rear view was equally as scary. He definitely got the worst of it, and because he was the caboose in this bumper car train, that's coming right out of his insurance, (annnnd he should be picking up the tab for me!)

So there's a reason for everything and a lesson to be learned, I believe. (You didn't think I watched 15yrs of Oprah with no takeaways, did you?). Guess I'll pay more attention, be thankful it wasn't something more serious, personally email Jeep and tell them how much I lovvve their cars, and realize mistakes happen and there are much bigger things than the quality of shine on my black paint. (I know all this, obviously, but maybe today was a wake up call). Noted.

Wednesday....wait for it.....you ready?.... Randoms!

• Month 4 on the blog. Go me. This isn't that hard. What's most difficult is the fact this is public and I still have to sorta watch what I say. So I don't feel like I'm being 100% truthful, but I wouldn't want to offend all my loyal followers in Germany and Singapore (still don't get it) and now South Africa (?? S.A.?? I'm dreaming of a safari, any good tips?)
• I said 10mi was enough, but now I'm tempted to do a half!! The Philly Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon is in September and not only are there bands playing at every mile, Bret Michaels is performing a post-race concert! I just fell off my chair from sheer excitement. A friend let me know the registration cost is $72 for today only, and they it goes back up to $85 or something... so I gotta decide by midnight. Or,  could wait until November and run the Philly Half. Not training during the hottest months of the year sounds like a plan to me.
• Some parent's cell phone went off today while he was in my office, and the ring tone was Journey "Faithfully". I never saw someone's hand move so fast to silence it. Hilarious!
• The guy at the bank drive thru window has a smirky air about him. So I put the capsule thing in the chute, turned up my radio and closed the window. Oops. I forgot to hit send. If his mug wasn't in the tv camera trying to get my attention, he might have had to come outside and get it. #potentialplanfornexttime
• The running around never stops. Work, gym, going out, laundry, cleaning, shopping, repeat over and over. I can juggle a lot, and I like to keep busy, sometimes just riding the line of everything going out of control... but that's when you know you're giving maximum effort. You can always push yourself a little more- this I've learned.
• Of course Verizon comes out with a brand spanking new Droid on the 4G. Less than 2months after I get my "new" phone on the 3G. Hmm!
• Cali plans coming together!! I better ready myself for 4 days of crazy fun. Can't wait to see my pals!
• I used to be all proper when doing this blog thing. Now I give a quick scan, spell-check, and post it up. This is the type of thing that gets more difficult the more you over think it.
• Ever talk to someone work-related on the phone, or have several emails going back and forth and when you finally meet them, they are nothing like what you envisioned? Happened to me about 3x this week, and it was really funny. But the kind of funny only I would appreciate. Which really makes no sense to add it to the blog. Whatevs.



After pics of random objects in the past, I figured I'd reallly change it up. Quadratic formula anyone?