Facebook

So I got set up on Facebook last week and have been playing around with it. My first impression was meh. Big deal. But as I've been playing with it this week I am starting to understand what a cool tool it is.

When I first got on it I was dinking around pressing buttons and just seeing what was what. I hit the button to go find 'friends' from your email contacts. I hadn't really read what the button was so I was somewhat surprised when it went into my email and pulled all the contacts from there. It's kind of spooky with one application looking into another when your not prepared for it. But that got me set up with all my day to day contacts and bloggers. So now I have a new way to while away the long afternoon hours in the office when it's slow.

I've also been able to track down a few buds that I haven't been able to communicate with in years. It's great to find old friends. But I found one connection that so far is my best example of what this tool can do.

My beloved Lolli (also known as my personal tech support dept.) originally set up my profile on Facebook. I believe she got tired of my procrastination. Well I've known for a while that Lolli has a friend named Kate (Kate's my friend now too, Hi Katy!!) who was good friends with a gal named Julie. Julie just happened to be the granddaughter of a lady who took care of me growing up, Nanny. Nanny lived with her daughter and son-in-law in the house behind ours.

So through Facebook I found Kate & Julie and while looking at Julie's 'friends' I noticed she had a 'friend' who was also her uncle, Nanny's son-in-law. So I 'friended' him, sending a message saying hello and that I remembered he and his wife fondly. It took him a bit to remember/figure out who I was but when he did he sent me a message back saying hello, with a reference to his profile pic with his (then) baby daughter. The profile pic was taken in his old back yard. I looked at the picture closer and realized that behind him stood our old house and my bedroom window framed just above his head.

I have no idea how to end this 'story'(?) Anyway there you have it, Facebook took me back 40 years to my first bedroom window.

Small world indeed.

Get Me Dirty

I thought this was an interesting article. It kind of reinforces something I've suspected for a while. I think we do too much to sanitize our selves and additionally we expose our selves to a lot of toxic chemicals in our homes by way of the multitude of products we're brain-washed into buying.

You read stories about the troubling increase in the number of kids who are reported to have Autism for example. Recently there were news stories about how many kids have peanut allergies, and that statistically it just doesn't make sense that all of the sudden the percentage of the population that is allergic is off the charts from what was considered normal.

Now I'm not saying chemicals are causing those two conditions but I have a strong suspicion that dosing our selves daily with deodorant, hair product, cleaning supplies and what not, can not be healthy for us or the planet. Don't get me wrong. I see the beauty of the Swiffer, but really is there anything wrong with soap in a bucket of water? And think about it, it may be handy but it really is just marketing hype.

I try (and often fail) to avoid this stuff. Give me my good old Ivory soap and I'm good to go. It's really the only thing I want to smell like. Hec, I even use it on my hair. I understand the need for Purell and wanting things germ free, but I've always suspected that we need some of those nasty germs in us to keep our immunity systems up and running.

I'm kind of the same way about doctors and medicine. Sure, I go if something is really wrong and for check ups. But I don't go if I have a cold or flu. I hardly even take the over the counter stuff unless I'm really symptomatic and suffering. Otherwise I think it's best to just let your body do what it wants to do.

Overly processed food are also 'on my list' The less handling and adding stuff in the better.

Of course this all goes out the window if were talking about cookies, ice cream or candy. I'm not crazy.

Well Roll Me Up And Call Me Curly

We had nocturnal visitors last night. Raccoons got into the mudroom again and molested Bear's food 'safe'. Luckily they don't come into the house proper. We had them last year for a single visit, hopefully they'll stick to that plan. They made quite a racket out at the hen house too. The old girls were really squawking this morning and all huddled in a corner. No loss of life thank goodness. I feel sorry for the hungry guys and wish there was a way to help them, but I know better.

I have a lunch date on Friday with some buds from my old days at "The Evil Coffee Empire". The company announced more lay offs at the Seattle corp. offices. The news said about 1000 people at that office. I'm sure to know many who will be leaving. It makes me count my lucky stars that I got out of that soul sucking place when I did. If I was still there I'd be in budgeting hell, not to mention letting staff go. Laying people off has got to be the worst. Firing someone is bad enough but letting good people go hurts. I think people thought I was nuts when I left, giving up a 'great' job and all. But for all their words, 'work/life balance' is just a phrase they use to appear like they care. There was never any work/life balance for me when I was there. - Hmmm... "Bitter, table for one"

All in all it's been a good day. I've been busy in the office all day and almost ran out of time to blog! Heavens!

Hope you all had a good day!

B