Buncha Addicts

Alright, so I've been really lax about posting here on my blog. And that is mainly due to my obsession with Facebook. But I have to say, I have reconnected with so many people that I would never have caught up with in the real world. I think some people oppose FB because you aren't really communicating with a live person, just their computer. But, remember when email was new? Everyone thought that sending an email versus calling someone on the phone was absurd. Now, I usually get or send an email before I get or make a phone call. And if I don't hear back right away I think to myself, "Well, maybe their computer is down." I don't automatically think they're ignoring my caller ID and choosing not to talk to me. My self esteem remains intact.

But on FB, I can find out lots of information (even some I could have done without!) in one click. If I go to my Friends Live Feed I can see who is in work, who wants it to be Friday, whose child is driving them mad, etc. etc. Last week I put in a status update that said "Why do we punish our children when all we really do is punish ourselves?" and I got a ton of feedback from other parents commiserating. It made me feel better knowing I wasn't the only parent who felt that way. I know who's birthday it is today. I know who is home sick or has sick kids home from school. We support each other with things like school, kids, love, jobs, etc. Some people who have lost their jobs are putting it out there in case someone knows of a job opportunity. It really is a community, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoy it!

I have also "met" some people through FB. For instance, the granddaughter of my co-worker (and friend) has been battling a brain tumor since she was 10 months old. I've been following her health updates through her parents' blog for more than 3 years now, telling other people I know who are inclined to pray and asking them to pray for this family and special little girl. But with FB, I've been putting it on my status updates and TONS of people told me that they would pray for little Erin. Well, when I "friended" Erin's Mom on FB, she saw how many people were praying for Erin through my updates and was so grateful. Unfortunately, Erin lost her battle with the evil brain tumor last Saturday. But when I went through the receiving line at the wake - Erin's Mom hugged me saying "My Facebook friend!!!" We are linked, if only through Facebook, but that made an awkward situation much easier: if I wasn't on her friend list and she hadn't seen my picture and name every time she logged onto FB, then that meeting in the receiving line would have had me saying things like "Hi, I'm G, I work with your husband's Mom". Instead we hugged and knew that we were bonded in our prayers for little Erin.

A funny thing about FB, though, is that those people who refuse to participate feel like it's an evil empire or something. I guess I am just not that paranoid, and if there is anything in my life that I wouldn't want people to know about me, then I wouldn't put it out there. A few months ago, I went to a mini-reunion of some old friends. There were 6 of us, but only 5 of us had FB accounts (which is how we arranged the reunion!). By the end of the night, she was getting frustrated because every sentence or every story about someone started with "Oh, she/he is my friend on Facebook", or "I read about that on Facebook". She should have made a "drinking game" out of the word Facebook, because she said she'd have been falling-down-drunk if that was the case!!

I have connected with so many people from so many different aspects of my life. I even have a link to this blog on there, because someone might care enough to read about what I am up to these days.

Me: "Hello, my name is G, and I am addicted to Facebook."
All: "Hi, G!"

Have a great Thursday!

-G

25 Things You Didn't Know About Me

In light of the recent Facebook craze, I decided to post my "25 Random Things You Didn't Know About Me" here too. Of course, if you are reading this, then #6 is something you DID already know!

And in my opinion, if you are not on Facebook, then you should be. You are missing out on a great way to keep in touch with people. I have found old friends as well as current friends, family members I didn't even know existed, and I've realized that I could probably like my high school classmates NOW more than THEN!

So, here is my list of 25 Things. Enjoy!

1. I snore.
2. I can play the piano by ear (Not WITH my ear. You get the drift.)
3. I can write poetry, a gift I inherited from my Mom and her Dad.
4. I have ADD (self diagnosed). What were we just talking about??? LOL
5. I am (or was) terrified of the Dentist, and used to pass out in the chair.
6. I have a blog.
7. I hate to disappoint ANYBODY.
8. I went to my first wake/funeral when I was 14 - my friend's Dad died, and I very possibly was the last person to see or talk to him alive.
9. I am slightly OCD - I hate to leave the house if my bed isn't made, there are dishes in the sink or the pillows on the couch aren't properly arranged....
10. I am the youngest of 5 children - my sisters are 13, 12 & 11 years older, and my brother is 4.5 years older...something I like to remind them of frequently.
11. I am the youngest of 18 cousins on my Mom's side, and second-to-youngest of 14 on my Dad's.
12. I am comfortable in my own skin. (I just want there to be LESS of it!!!) LOL
13. One goal is to travel to all 50 U.S. states before I die. I've already been to at least 13.
14. I have road rage, and think nobody else knows how to drive.
15. My favorite thing to drink is iced tea or iced coffee.
16. The last time I was drunk was March 10, 1995. I fell in Fanueil Hall and broke my ankle, but went home to bed without even knowing (or feeling) it. I sure felt it the next morning....along with a nasty hangover.
17. I skeeve mold. Is skeeve a word?
18. I love to read, mostly fiction. LOVED Harry Potter!
19. I was a Youth Minister for almost 10 years. I still miss my "kids".
20. I think my husband is one of the funniest people I know.
21. My husband and I have known each other since we were 12. I have a picture to prove it.
22. My favorite smell in the whole world is my son after a shower.
23. I love reality TV.
24. I can't go to the movies without dozing off at least once.
25. My all-time favorite show was Beverly Hills, 90210.


Now make your own list and send it to me, or post it on comments! It's fun.

Have a great Wednesday!

-G

Finding Family

I have many Aunts, Uncles and cousins on both sides of my family, but rarely get to see most of them. Typically we are like most families: when someone dies we see everyone at the wake or funeral. My Father's side of the family is not as close as my Mother's side of the family. I only have 1 Aunt left on my Mom's side; her 2 oldest sisters and only brother have passed away, but we don't even get to see their families because they are spread around the country. My Aunt that is living lives in the same city I grew up in, and we get together at Christmas every year. I do see those cousins more often than any other family now. When I was younger, Mom's family used to have an annual BBQ and we used to sing songs and have a great time together. Those memories are among my fondest of my Mom's family.

Like I said, my Dad's family is not as close. For some strange reason, my Dad and his 2 brothers (who all lived in the same city until 3 years ago when the youngest moved across the country) were never that close. His only sister moved away 40 years ago and they've only been to visit a handful of times. Until a couple of years ago, I barely even knew that her family existed - an entire family full of first cousins I had never met. At least with my Mom's family I had MET my entire clan of cousins!

After my Dad had gone to Arizona to visit his sister for her 70th birthday, he gave me an email address for one of her sons, my first cousin whom I had never met. So, I sent him a "Hi, My Name Is" message and we started getting to know each other through email. It turned out that I was going to a conference in his hometown that coming June, at his own Church! So we met for the first time at the Church and I even went out to dinner with him and his sister (whom I had met briefly when I was young). On the next 2 return trips to the yearly conference, we met up again and it was so great to get to know this family who I had never known. They even got their entire extended family together for a BBQ in my honor. It almost made me sad, that I was robbed of the years that I could have known this part of my immediate family.

About 5 years ago, my cousin talked his youngest brother (who wasn't even born until after they had moved away from this area) into tagging along on a visit that their Mom was making to see our family. We happened to have a graduation party scheduled that same weekend so we incorporated their visit into the party and it was like a mini-reunion. I know my Aunt has found great pleasure in knowing that her kids and her extended family from "back home" have come to know each other.

In keeping with my theme of reuniting family that I never knew, I was on FaceBook (my latest and greatest addiction!) and found a man with the same last name as my family name, so I sent him an email through Facebook, asking him if he was related. Gutsy, I know! But he responded quickly and it turned out he IS related - he is my Father's first cousin! My Grandfather and his Father were brothers. It's funny, because he is the same age as my sisters, and has a couple of brothers and a sister. My Dad and his Uncle were having children at the same time! So, here we are again, back in that "getting to know you" stage with family I should have already known. I am hoping to arrange some sort of family reunion of ALL portions of my Dad's family eventually.

And then, there are those family members you wish you'd never met.....but that's a WHOLE other post.

Have a great weekend,
G