Facebook Friends

Yes, I admit I am hooked on using Facebook. Its like a virtual class reunion without having to lose 25 pounds and buy a new outfit. I know for some its a little more involved that just catching up with old and new friends. Those people are the ones that update their status just about every 3 seconds (or it feels like it) with the TMI (too much information) updates. "Just got up for the day" "Just walked into work" "Taking my lunch break". I mean how much do we really need to know about each other and our daily activities. I think I am ok with my life and not knowing what Babe and/or her kids are doing at this very second.
Now that brings me to the many friend questions: Who do you friend? What if they reject you? Should you be friends with your ex girlfriend or boyfriend? What will your current boyfriend/girlfriend think about that friendship? Can you have too many friends?
Its a tricky web (no pun intended) to travel but most of us handle it very well.

Personally I am friends with some exes on Facebook and others I hope never find me online. I've also gotten the I friend everyone request, a friend of a friends' friend requests (who) and the application friendship requests (Mafia Wars, Yoville and more). Some days I think those people that limit their friendship to small numbers have the right idea. Other days I like reaching a lot of people with my status (I just found abandoned kittens and tried to find homes for them).

The good thing about Facebook is you can personalize however you'd like, and on those bad friend days you can either "hide" or oops "delete" that TMI friend. Oh and if you want to quit Facebook they make it easy for you to do that also, and if you change your mind its all saved and waiting for you when you come back.

Oh technology, good or bad you have to admit it is pretty amazing.

House Hunting

We are currently searching the market for a new home. It is exhausting to say the least. We have the idea in our heads of where/what but will that be actually what we end up with? You know when you get the picture of your "ideal" home in your head its hard to ignore. So far we haven't found the perfect match of house and lot space but we aren't giving up. It would be great to be able to mix and match different houses and lots to make the one we want. Heck if we are wishing, I wish I could win the lottery then I could just buy and build what I want where I want it.

Losses

Such sad news today and earlier this week. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson all passed away. Quite a shock to hear of these beloved celebs passing away. Rest in Peace, you will be remembered and missed.

Who are They?

Being a new mom to my almost 6 month old first child, I can easily say this is a new experience for me. Now I think I have purchased just about every parenting book, pamphlet or snippet out there for us new nervous parents. We also have the well meaning relatives that are ready, willing and able to lend their advice or experience to us at the drop of a hat. The biggest person we hear from though is They. Who is they you ask. They is that all knowing creature that all knowledge comes from. For example: They say you should put the baby to sleep on her back. They say that you should breastfeed exclusively for 1 year. They say that she should be rolling over now. Who are They and why do They know so much. I've found myself saying "Well that's what They say" more in the past 5 months than I've ever said it before (that I've noticed). Why? Is it a reasonable answer to give someone when they ask you a question. That's what They say.
I want to know how you get a degree to be a They, is it a four year or two year college degree? Had I known there was so much money and knowledge to be made in being a They, I would have looked into it years ago. Then someone would be quoting me!

Family - Can't pick 'em

Family, you love them always, you like them rarely. Why is it that the people we are bonded to by blood can drive us more crazy than anyone else in life. If we share the same blood, shouldn’t we have the same interests or aggravations?
If you have ever tried to plan an event for your family you know that the thought of similar family interests is not something that is ever going to happen.
Lessons learned when you think you can be the one to change the dynamic. Lessons learned when you put your whole heart and soul into something only to have it crumble at your feet.
Only you can truly appreciate the time and effort you put into planning a spectacular event. Only you know the true potential of what you had planned.
Were you surprised by the turn of events? No – Were you surprised by the way it was presented? No – Were you surprised that some thought they spoke for most? No
Are you proud of what you accomplished in planning – Absolutely
It’s a shame they will never know what they could have experienced.
Your loss.

Thank You

In our daily lives we have plenty of opportunities to say Thank You.
Do we though?
Do we take the time to thank that other person. I would love to say that I say Thank You every single time it is warranted. But I won't, because I'm sure I don't. Sometimes you do things without thinking and then try to remember if you did or not.
Today, as an example, my sister and I were shopping. We were waiting for the typical "take up the whole aisle" couple to move aside so we could pick up what we needed. When I saw an opening I jumped into the section and started grabbing what I needed before they started again. My sister yelled to me to grab something, she called it by name, one that I had never heard before. I'm looking frantically up and down the shelf looking for this mystery item. The girl next to me (who had to sneak in too) pointed it out to me.
I said Thanks, or did I.
Later it came back to replay in my mind (why do we do that anyway) but did I say thanks. I have no idea.
So thank you - Thank you to the girl who pointed out the food box to me. Thank you to the person who let me cut in the traffic line. Thank you to the person that complimented me on my gorgeous daughter. Thank you everyone for everything. There, I think that might cover it. I'll replay it now and see.

Fallen Heroes

April 4, 2009 started as a calm sunny Saturday in one of Pittsburgh's most hidden suburbs. Stanton Heights was a place that no one knew of, unless you lived there. Not so after the morning of 4-4-09, Stanton Heights’ quiet hidden existence was shattered by one single action by one single coward. I lived in Stanton Heights for 3 years back in 1998 to 2001. Whenever people used to ask where I lived and I said Stanton Heights, they would say where? I’d have to explain it was above Morningside which was above Lawrenceville, most times they understood but some remained confused. Now when you say Stanton Heights, you get a look of sadness and a quiet Ohh. This neighborhood is a gem within the city, quiet tree lined streets, neighbors who look out for one another. A city official on each block, firemen, policemen, housing workers or public works, they all call Stanton Heights home. When I moved into the neighborhood, I went unwillingly since I’d heard horror stories about living in the “city”, that feeling changed very quickly. I lived on a dead-end, tree lined street, with quiet neighbors and a back deck that looked over both the city below and the street that would become infamous. I used to walk my dog on those very streets every morning and evening, looking at all the homes, saying Hi to all my neighbors and enjoying my neighborhood. I’d been long moved out of the neighborhood on the morning of April 4th, a morning that rocked our city to the core. On that morning, a mother and son had an argument in their home, city police officers were called to help, that son waited to ambush those very officers sworn to protect him. Richard Poplowski shot and killed Officer Paul Sciullo II, Officer Stephen Mayhle, and Officer Eric Kelly. He also shot and wounded Officer Timothy McManaway in the hand, Office McManaway was trying to assist Officer Kelly who was wounded but alive when he arrived on scene. These 3 officers were called to do their job and they did so by losing their lives. The tragedy that unfolded that day is one that I will not soon forget. What also strikes me though is the way the city has come together to not only honor those fallen officers but to support their families in this great time of need. Even now, more than a month after the tragedy, you will see the black and gold fighting 5th t-shirts worn on people both young and old.
Houses in the Stanton Heights, Bloomfield and I’m sure Indiana show support for the fallen officers. Front windows covered with American Flags, pictures, and personal thank you notes for their service to our city. I am constantly awed by this show of support from people who probably have never met one another.
In the days following the tragedy American flags appear on what seemed to be each and every porch. Black and purple ribbons adorn the light post, parking meters and any other light post. Bike runs, shirt sales and more are all contributing to our fallen officers fund for the families of these brave men. American flags line the street where this all occurred in Stanton Heights, every yard but the home where the tragedy unfolded.
I have never met any of the officers but I thank each one of them for their sacrifice to protect us. I thank their families for giving their sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, husbands, fathers to our city for the ultimate sacrifice. Officer McManaway, who must live with those first images every day for the rest of his life, is also in my thoughts and prayers. I hope he is able to understand he did everything he could that day to save his fallen brothers.

Vehicle options NOT

Paging through my copy of Car and Driver magazine (well not really but it sounds good doesn’t it?) I know there are many vehicle options available, some from the factory, some aftermarket but not all are optional. Cars are now are being built with outside door locks only on the driver side door, which leads to some interesting situations when someone’s remote doesn’t work and they forget that the little key fits in the door to open it too.

Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked, in a perfect world we all know that all the people we surround ourselves with would do exactly what we wanted them to do all the time. In reality that is not the case by any stretch of the imagination. As a dog walker I find myself on the road quite a bit. Now in my fantasy world I would possess the superpowers needed to blink myself from place to place and not worry about getting into the car, strapping my daughter into her seat and heading off for my appointments in my gas guzzling V8. So as I'm driving along I like to play a little game called “How quickly will I be annoyed today”. On a normal day, it doesn’t take too long. My biggest pet peeve, ok for the sake of this blog we will call it my biggest, is people who refuse to use their turn signals.

Now, I realize moving your hand from the 9 o’clock position to lift that heavy, cumbersome lever up or down (depending on your turning preference) is quite the feat to be had. But really people, now how am I (void of any superpowers as stated above) supposed to know which way you are turning. Each day without fail, I leave the house and find myself being flipped off by someone at least once because they were turning in front of me and I didn’t realize this by using my lack of psychic abilities. I can’t understand how people find this acceptable behavior. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been driving on the parkway or interstate, to find people weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds. Now, not only is the practice of weaving in and out very dangerous, they increase the danger by not even using their turn signals. The question I’ve always had is “Whose fault would that be?” If you are driving along, you look to your side to get into the other lane, put on your turn signal and start to move over only to find the, ahem, person, behind you has decided to do that themselves (only more rapidly and without letting anyone know). It really is beyond me why this has become the norm. I’ve even asked police officers about this and even they have accepted it as “common”.

For the safety sake of everyone people, please take the half of a second needed to flip that lever up or down depending and let us around you know of your plans. I know for myself I would be eternally grateful.

Once we work on this issue we will venture into the subject of using the cell phone while driving, sigh.

Welcome to my blog. This blogging concept is all new to me. In the technology age of Facebook, Twitter and MySpace this seems quite tame but I'll give it a shot. This is the place where I will try and organize my thoughts to share with you to get it out of my system but also to stop tormenting my family with my thoughts and theories. I hope you enjoy the topics and come back often for more rantings. Enjoy and thanks for checking in on me.