I'm Famous Now!

Earlier this week my boss asked me to copy three change orders for him. I gave the originals and the copies back to him. He calls me three minutes later...

"I think there was a mistake, I don't have a copy of all of these change orders"

"Do you have six pieces of paper?" I asked.

"Yes."

"..."

"Can you go look on the copy machine?"

"Sure..."

Later he comes back and tells me he was mistaken, he had them all. I refrain from making any comment.

That night I relay the story to my husband who says "Behind every good man is a woman rolling her eyes."

So I Tweeted it... LOL and so far that tweet has been mentioned in three blogs! How funny is that? Even funnier that they didn't even know where it originated from.

First there was @BuildingMoxie's Blog: Behind Every Great Man Stands a Woman Rolling Her Eyes . . . Yes, Thanks @MrsPickle_ for One Great Title

Then I finally made it onto @RubySpikes weekly Top 10 post (it took a little lobbying): This Week in Tweets: Three Times as Nice

And then today I stumble over @ExtremelyAvg's blog: Tweeting is Easy

I love Twitter :)

Twitter won't interfere with your work, and other lies

Once upon a time, not really all that long ago, personal computers were created. They were at once similar and vastly different than the computer - or perhaps mobile device - you're reading this on today. These were the dark days, before there was an Internet. Almost hard to believe, huh? Back then the closest thing there was to the Internet was something called a Bulletin Board System (BBS) which was run by a SYSOP (System Operator). Yes, they were dark days indeed.

Then came AOL. Chatrooms! We could converse with people from all over, it was incredible!

Fast forward to the dawn of Facebook. (Let's just skip over.. uh what was it? Oh, MySpace). Finally a way for lazy people to keep in touch with family and friends from all over. Not to mention build virtual farms and slay virtual thugs. And a place to share photos, or be tagged in photos, that you'd really rather your mom didn't see...

Holy cow, your mom is on Facebook! And.. shit.. so is your dad. 

Then businesses started to show up on Facebook. Who follows businesses on Facebook? Pfff.. wait... they offer cool stuff? OK, I'm in.

Why yes, I do want to be the Featured Oreo Fan of the week...

Best Buy? Let's bash on them publically! Oh hey, they actually repond. Wow.

Then came Twitter. What the heck is a Tweeter? Your mom isn't there. Neither is your dad. But @ShitMyDadSays is... and he was so popular he wrote a book.

I have a copy. So does your dad, who we all know rarely says anything worth publishing. Oh well.

Twitter. Mini-blogging. Who the heck wants that? How booooooring. Hey wait... there are some pretty cool people on there. Ok, I'll try it. Hey... this isn't so bad. I got tech support from my phone company - holy cow! Maybe there's something to this.

And so it begins. You've discovered Twitter and suddenly it's like you found the back door to a secret club full of really cool people. Even for a complete geek it can initially be intimidating, and then someone follows you. Eventually they retweet you. You're hooked. Got to get to 100 followers. Then 200. Then 500.

Your mom asks you about Twitter. You tell her there's a monthly fee. She's not interested. Yes!

Then you tell your boss that your company should totally be on Twitter. "What's a Twit?" he asks. You try to explain. You try again. You give up and ask him to trust you. He tells you to go ahead, but don't let it interfere with your other work. You assure him it won't. We all know that was a lie. That's ok, you're not alone.

Welcome to the Age of Twitter. If you're lucky, you'll meet some great folks who will support you, entertain you, help you, tutor you and ultimately make you wish that you all lived on the same block.

V is for Virtual

I have been a geek pretty much all of my life. I adopted the idea of an online culture long ago. First with Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) which are primitive in comparison to anything you might find on the internet today. Then on to AOL chat rooms, where I fell in with a creative group of role players and writers. Later on forum boards and gaming communities for games like Team Fortress Classic (TFC) and World of Warcraft (WOW). Today I'm growing more immersed into Twitter every day. 

In "real life" I'm pretty shy, but online I feel like my true personality comes out. Maybe this is because I can give a little more thought to what I say, or maybe because Twitter is much like talking to yourself on a global level.

Some of my TFC Friends - Girl Power Forever :)

This gets me thinking about my virtual friends... people I will likely never meet in person, but like to hang out with online. People I share details of my life with, offer advice to, turn to for guidance, "adopt" in an effort to help them out... the list goes on. It's hard to explain the strength of online friendships to someone who has never experienced it... it sounds kind of crazy to call people you've never "met" friends. But I do. I have some fantastic "virtual" friends, some of whom I have known for 10 years or more. 

So this is a tribute to you, my virtual friends. You have all touched my life in some way and I am thankful for each of you. There have been times when you have helped me more than you know. Know too that I'm here for you should you need me. Virtual or not, a friend is a friend. 

Everything happens for a reason

I am a huge believer in Fate or Destiny or perhaps more specifically (vaguely?) that everything happens for a reason. Yes, Corinne, I know you don't like that saying but I think it fits and I forget how you put it :)

A few seemingly unrelated things seem to be happening around me right now. I starting using Twitter in December, at least partially because of work. Through Twitter I've made some new friends, most especially Corinne who I have so much in common with it's almost frightening. To top it off, lo and behold she's a writer.

Did you know I once fancied myself to be a writer? In fact, it's been my lifelong dream. One of my goals in life was to be a published author... by the time I was 30. I'll be 40 in a month and all I have to show for it is a half-finished manuscript I wrote almost a decade ago.

Maybe you fell into my life, Corinne, to push me back on that path? I inspired someone to write once and ironically my awe at how well he wrote stymied my own writing. I actually had an active following for my story - I posted it as I wrote it to a bulletin board. And then one day I stopped writing and apparently that was that.

Now that I've finished school I don't have a ready excuse anymore not to get back to writing. I think I'll look into joining the A-Z Blogging Challenge to get my creative juices flowing again. I have lots to write about, and a "heart story" to tell, I just need to buckle down and chase my dreams - it seems to be in fashion this year.

So anyways, my muse - Corinne - awarded me a Blog Award today! As you can see, she's a very clever muse, what better way to get me writing again?

Thank you Corinne, for giving me a kick in the ass, even if you didn't know you were or that I needed one. You can find Corinne's blog here, at www.corinneoflynn.com. Yes, she's so cool she has her own domain name. :)

As part of accepting this award, I have to share seven things about myself. I'll not copy and paste Corinne's list here, although I could with few edits, so as not to appear too much like a fan girl or copy cat.

1. I collect books and stuffed animals. At the risk of psychoanalysing myself here, I grew up an only child who moved around about every two years. I carried around a teddy bear with me for at least part of my freshman year in high school. Shockingly I was not all that popular. Thus some of my best friends, if not stuffed, could be found within the pages of the books I read and collected. I think that's why I am so fond of series books, I get to spend more time with my friends through them.

2. I am the most outgoing shy person you will ever meet. Because we moved around so much when I was growing up I had to learn how to insert myself into social situations, and I can, but at heart I'm very shy.

3. As I mentioned, I've always been a writer, just not a very dedicated one the last several years. In my defense, I have been rather busy these last few years.

4. I am a total geek. I love technology, computers, gaming and gadgets of all shapes, sizes and functions. I have a computer, a laptop, an iPod and an iPad - and I'm not sure how I could function without all of them.

5. I used to dance in a cage upstairs at a bar called Yo Mama's in New Orleans. Not for profit, but because I loved doing it. I was divorced, I smoke, drank, was in damn good shape and I had the time of my life. No, I didn't strip. If you're ever in New Orleans check out Yo Mama's they have best burgers and baked potatoes in the city, they're right off Bourbon Street and upstairs there's a smoky little bar with a cage at one end of the room. It's very empowering. I highly recommend it, especially if you're trying to rebuild your life, self-esteem and physique. ;)

6. I am a breast cancer survivor. If you peruse my blog you'll find it peppered with stories about my experience. I had quite possibly the best experience one could ever hope for with cancer. That being said, I'd rather not do it again. I go again in April for my annual "let's hope it's not back" series of tests. This June will be my 4th anniversary from diagnosis. My daughter will also be 4 that month. Yes, I was pregnant when I was diagnosed.

7. Although I started college right out of high school, I just earned my Bachelor's in Business Administration last October. I will walk in May of this year. It wasn't all laziness on my part that it took me so long. Every time I started school some dramatic, life-changing event would come along to knock me off course.

Ok, enough about me, let's talk about you! As part of this award I get to hand out five of my own!

A very dear friend of mine, Elizabeth, writes a lovely blog she calls Lizzy Writes. Her blog is so well put together and just plain perfect that you may not want to visit it if you're prone to blog envy. In addition to being an excellent and inspiring writer, she's also an excellent cook and often shares recipes.

I tripped over It's like I'm Mmmagic... about a year or so ago. I don't know Brandy, the author, but her blog has really touched me several times. Sometimes she makes me laugh out loud and sometimes she brings me to tears. She's been going through a hard time lately and has blogged about it. It's very moving. She also posts anonymous notes from her readers in what she calls "the secret project". It's a way for people to share their secrets, and often get feedback. It's often hilarious, sometimes sad and always entertaining. Brandy writes like I think... if that makes any sense.

Thinking Too Hard is a blog I only recently started following, but it's very well written. It's also heavy on my mind tonight because of her most recent post - This is not allowed. I've been there. I love that she uses music like I do. I don't compose it, I use it to heal my soul and to bolster it when it's pulled down.

Then there's Clever Girl Goes Blog, as her tagline says "sarcasm never looked so good". Her posts are often laugh out loud funny and drip sarcasm - which I find utterly endearing. I've been lurking, reading her blog for at least a year, probably longer. Highly recommended.

And last, but not least, is Corinne's Blog - Inside Looking Out. Corinne's posts are always entertaining and witty. If you like me at all, you'll love her. She's the me I'm still trying to be.

Funny, I only actually know one of these fine ladies, but they have all touched my life in one way or another. Compared to their blogs, mine really isn't anything super special and, as I mentioned, is sadly neglected. But now that I have a muse again, maybe we can fix that.

Thank you for dropping by!

My friend's almost 100 followers contest

My friend Corinne O'Flynn is having a My *almost* 100 Followers Contest on her blog. As of this moment, she has 97 followers. I can understand her impatience though, if I had 97 followers I'd be excited too.

A shout out to my six followers, you rock!

Does anyone else misspell six as sex? Both times I typed it...

Anyways... where was I...

Oh yeah, so Corinne is having a contest and she's giving away Girl Scout Cookies. Seems like people have been talking about Girl Scout Cookies all day!

And I am nothing if not a supportive friend.

Speaking of support (this is really how my mind works) at dinner my husband was playing a game on my iPad and he says "Gravity really works against you," to which I replied "Yeah, I know" as I cupped my.... uh... well you get the picture.

Blogs

I read one of the most raw and heartbreaking blogs the other day. It was so beautifully written and so overwhelmingly pained that I found myself reading it several times. The author had closed comments, although honestly I'd not have known what to tell her anyways. I don't know her and I forget now how I even came across her blog in the first place, but she touched me. Today I followed up to find that things are better in her world, and again I am touched and happy for her - a total stranger.

A few weeks ago I was talking with a young friend who wanted to start her own blog. One of the reasons she cited was basically to be part of something bigger than herself. She mentioned a blogger who had suffered some great tragedy and of the blogging community that sprang into action to help her. She was fascinated and wanted to be part of that culture.

I wonder if that blogger was NieNie. Nie was in a terrible private plane crash with her husband about a year and a half ago. She suffered burns over 80% of her body and spent several months in a coma. She is blogging again about her incredible journey and the four children she and her husband have. Her blog is also heartbreaking and very raw.

It's incredible how people we haven't met, and likely never will meet, can touch our lives. Some in passing and others in deep and lasting ways.

This just the beginning my friends, 10 years ago we didn't have blogs or facebook or Twitter. Where will we be in 10 more years?

Who were you in high school?

About a year ago a friend asked me, completely out of the blue, what social groups I hung out with in high school. I never did ask him where in the world that question came from. He likely doesn't even remember at this point, but that question has plagued me since then. Well actually not that question - but more along the lines of who I was in high school and whether I've changed all that much. And further, if we're all just stuck in the same rut we started digging back then.

Well let's see... who was I in high school? Nobody. No really, you could probably poll everyone in my graduating class and not one of them would remember who I was.

Little known fact about me - I'm shy and often feel socially awkward. I am a total geek. I was in high school as well. Now that I'm older I am likely the most outgoing, gregarious shy and socially awkward person you'll ever meet. Often my attempts at small talk or what comes out of my mouth when I feel under pressure to say something, anything are pretty pathetic.

What else? I have always had an overwhelming need to be cool. Or more precisely for others to think I'm cool. Well I wasn't cool in high school and I'm really not cool now. I daydream about riding my motorcycle to work or anywhere really. I did own a bike, but sold it three years ago. Frankly I hadn't ridden it for a long time before that either.

I didn't have many friends in high school. This was at least partly because I had an abusive boyfriend who strongly discouraged me from having friends. I don't have many friends now either, despite my 121 friend count on Facebook. Perhaps that's why I'm fascinated with social networking, and before that with online gaming, and before that online chatting and role-playing. I now "know" people from around the world from all different places. Most of these people I've never met in person, but I know them from gaming or the breast cancer survivor group. Some I know from work, others I went to high school with, there are a few I just have picked up along the way - not really sure how, and I'm even friends with one of my husband's ex-girlfriends.

I really want people to like me, but I - ok this is going to sound pathetic - have been rebuffed and/or rejected so many times that I can be hard to get to know. Poor, sad little me, eh?

I liked to write in high school and I still do - so that's the same. I don't write trivial romance stuff anymore though. That's probably a good thing!

So, am I the same person today that I was in high school? Do we really ever grow up? No and yes. Despite the fact that I still exhibit many of the same characteristics I did in high school, I have come a long way. There's an awareness that comes maturing. I think the cancer had a lot to do with who I am today. So did my divorce many moons ago. These were big, life changing events - the kind that force you to grow up or go home, if you know what I mean. I imagine that I'll be different in another 10 or 20 years; look back and think how silly I was.

Maybe our core personality remains about the same, but we figure out ways around or through self-imposed limitations like being shy or fearing rejection.

Gosh, when I think about how often I mulled this over it seemed like such a big deal, but now that I've written it out... it just seems sort of silly actually.

So then what happened?

So here I was, feeling all proud of myself.

Mature.

Hello, my name is Wendy. I just turned 39 and I am mature. (Go me! - LOL)

I reviewed my life, determined that I was happy with who I am and let someone back into my world who I was never quite good enough for - my ex-husband. He flew in, befriended me on Facebook and had a few one-sided conversations with me and then...

BAM

He's gone.

His posts on my Facebook page

gone

His profile

gone

This has really left me feeling very conflicted.

Did the girlfriend say x-nay on the x-wifay?

Was Facebook just not for him?

Does he not have the courtesy to say good-bye?

Was I once again lacking in some undefined way?

Was he disappointed to find me happy, hearty and actually able to talk to him as an equal about more than one topic?

Am I just petty or too sensitive? Yeah, maybe.

Maybe he'll sweep back in one day and I'll get to feel all mature again and can ask him.

Until then I childishly feel like I wasted some of my maturity on him - LOL.

But it begs the question- do we secretly hope that once a relationship ends the other party ends up sad, desolate, alone and miserable; cursing the day they let you go? And if we cross paths with them at some later date are we proud to be happy and perhaps quietly disappointed to find that they are too?

So I guess this is just another piece in my social networking series, and further proof that blogging helps you get stuff off of your chest so you can move on.

Wendy and Irony are now friends.

I have lived an extremely ironic life, and I recognize that. I don't think of this as a negative thing - it's more like recognizing that Murphy's Law is real and working with it instead of against it. Typically that results in my sagely telling people "never say never. No, really. Trust me on this one."

So, here I am, going on about being who you are and social networking, and BAM here comes irony. Yesterday I got a friend request from none other than my ex-husband. My "HOLY SHIT" when I got it was so loud that Lenny heard me from across the house - LOL. Honestly, I didn't see that one coming.

So, this actually prompted me to review my profile and blog, putting to test the points I made over my last two posts. Did I mention Irony? So, here it is, time to put my money where my mouth (or fingers if you will) is and decide whether I really am who I am for everyone.

The result? Well I have a new friend now, or rather an old one found again. Does it sort of freak me out? Yes, but I'm ok with that. If you're wondering, no , I didn't find anything I wasn't willing to share. Of course, this leads me to the point that our private lives aren't as private as they used to be, but that's a blog for another day.

Have you seen the real me?

So, with social networking on the rise the question is if we'll all soon have to decide whether to have both a public and a private identity or not. It's something that's occurred to me in the past and I think I mentioned it here. How once you let people know you have a blog your blogging becomes more and more limited. I mean really. Not that I want to rant about anyone in particular (at this particular moment - well ok maybe just a little...) but every once in awhile I could write a really good rant and get things off my chest, but can't because it might cause a firestorm.

So, the question becomes can you be just one person for everyone in your life - parents, spouse, people at work, your boss, your employees, you children - or is there a need to draw lines in the sand and at least attempt to segregate your lives? And even if you wanted to, could you really pull it off? Have you ever Googled yourself? Crazy stuff comes up - some of it very scary. So even if you did make two identities for yourself online - on Facebook and Blogger for example - how long until you're outed? Except for the occasional photo *cough* or comment would it really be so bad?

It's an interesting dilemma. One of the unintended effects that the Internet may have is forcing us to be who we are. Period. And with that, accepting our friends, family, co-workers and children for who they are as well. Perhaps it'll broaden all of our minds. It may be a painful process, but maybe it's necessary and long overdue. In the end, I think it has the potential to make us all better people.

Or I'll just give in and rant anyways. :)