Pinterest: To Pin or Not to Pin

So now we come to the world of Pinterest in this week of Social Media Posts. If you missed them, you can always pop over to the Facebook or Twitter blogs and come back for the finisher. 

I have to confess, and I hate to step on any toes of people who are obsessed with Pinterest, but this is by far, my least favorite of all the Social Media networks I choose to participate in. Don’t get me wrong, pins are beautiful, magical, and often lead to oodles of fantastic information, all through the window of a picture. I love the whole visual menu of Pinterest and the fact that you can virtually shop yourself a cyber world of your imaginaray wardrobe, dream vacations, and meals that look so perty, but are too much effort to prepare. That would take time, after all. Precious minutes that could be used searching for more pins, re-pinning and commenting on pins you like.  Continue reading

Twitter: To Tweet or Not to Tweet

So I’m doing an introspective examination of my participation of all types of Social Media this week, and today, I thought I’d make like a bird, and fly over to Twitter and discuss the merits of whether “To Tweet or Not to Tweet.” 🙂

So about a year ago, I was freaking out about this new *although not totally new at the time, thing called Twitter. And the pressure to join yet one more time-consuming group that would suck up my minutes. I hesitated. Hemmed and hawed. Made excuse after excuse and finally threw up the question on my Facebook, asking my “friends” whether they were pro or anti-Twitting. The majority said, “Just do it!” and on a cold, winter’s night last November, I took the plunge and dove into the icy waters of Twitter. Because when you have no one following you, it can feel a bit chilly on this side the branches. [Think birds sitting together on a branch, with one sitting all by herself on a tree nearby. Yeah. The lone bird would be me.]

“What are they tweeting about?” Lone Feathers tweets, wishing she could be part of that conversation.

“You can!” One bird ventures over and tweets back, “It’s easy. Just follow me.” Continue reading

FaceBook Status: To Post or Not to Post

If you’re Facebook-stalking me, click LIKE. 

This is the STATUS post I’m tempted to type every once in a while. But I’m a risk-taker. A little over the top when it comes to “not worried what others think” and I hit return often faster than my mind can say, “I’m okay with that” and then it’s too late. But that’s just me.

How many people give a lot of thought to their FB post? Before we go into the most frequently types of posts you read, let’s examine how a person decides what to post.

So about those of you who post, what do you find are the most critical things to tell the world behind the screen?

 

  1. Updates on your career. How many hours you worked. How many words you wrote today. How many miles you ran. How many push-ups you [I] did. Numbers aren’t everything. Just reporting, after all. After all, a little cyber-boast never heard nobody.
  2. Random things that happen to you. A mosquito bit the tip of your nose. This is worse than a nose bleed. People keep looking at you funny, like you’re picking. And you assure them, no. Not picking, just scratching. OR… A leaf lands on the palm of your hand. It must be a sign. You look up to get clarity and a branch pokes you in the eye. Ouch! Yeah. Lesson of the day: Don’t stand too close to trees. Continue reading

Siri … ously in Love with my iPhone5

Christmas came early in the Paulus household. For me that is.

Found a package on my steps on Friday with hubby’s name on it. Didn’t bother looking it over. Figured it was some auto part or something guy-related and just chucked it on top of the shelf. Placed it nicely, if you must know. And forgot about it.

Then hubs comes home from work hours later and tosses it to me while I’m sitting on the couch.

“It’s yours.”“But…” and I’m terrified.
Continue reading

The Drop Off… Hurricane Sandy Send-offs

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Knock on the bedroom door at 2:37AM alerts me that it’s time. 

Time to begin an epic drive out of post-hurricane New York City and back home to our Beloved Windy City—Chicago.

The worst part, there’s still no power after Sandy whipped her way through Long Island. So we’re sharing head lamps to find last second items, and in the end I just settle for two socks. Who cares if they don’t match? We are on a schedule and if we don’t leave soon, someone’s going to miss more than a final glimpse of the skyline during a Wednesday morning sunrise. 

In all seriousness, [yes, I can be serious] before my parents arrived a few days back for their 45th Anniversary celebration, hubby actually told me that he had plans to wake everyone up on Monday morning and take them to the beach. To watch a sunrise. 

“Not happening.” I warned him. “My parents are retired. They cherish their sleep.”

Well, it’s Wednesday morning a little before 3AM. And…it’s happening! Continue reading

Confessions of a Leaf Thief… One Year Later

I talked to my mom today. A sort of confession if you will. I told her how it all started. Five years ago. I was a crazed mom of four kids under the age of seven, desperate for one good photograph of her princesses.

She asked all the right questions. The ones a mom is supposed to ask.

“Did your neighbor mind?”

“Did she get mad?”

Does she even know?

And “Don’t you think you could have just asked her?”

And then Mom concluded with the words that soothed my guilty soul. “Well, I suppose she probably didn’t want those leaves.”

And “I guess if she was planning to rake them in the end, you were probably doing her a favor.” “Yeah, it wasn’t that bad of a thing.”
But just as quickly as she sided with me, she put her Mom hat back on.

“But don’t do it again!”

And “You need to knock on her door and ask first from now on. Okay!?!”

“Yes, Mom. I promise.” Continue reading

Presidential Pursuits

I ran for president. Back in the day. 

This is going way back. All the way back to my senior year in high school at Livonia Stevenson. 

We were new in town, my sister and I. We had just moved across the border from Windsor, Ontario to the Detroit side for the sole purpose of saving on college tuition. My brother was a freshman in college, and the one hour move across the river cut tuition costs in half. My parents were good financial planners.

Strange thing was, I didn’t mind the move, even though I left several great friendships on the Canuck side. I liked the idea of starting over. Clean slate. No one knew me. I could recreate my image, my reputation, and my personality if I really tried. In the end, I couldn’t help but be me, and that was that. But change was something I welcomed in my wonder years. 

Continue reading

Angelina Jolie Lips…All Day Long!

Yesterday

Woke up with my lips saying, “Read me! We’re HUGE!” 

When you look in the mirror and your lips take up more than half your face, you’re thinking,

This morning

  1. Why did I pray for Angie’s lips?
  2. Why does it hurt so much to smile?
  3. Pass the ice. These puppies are on fire.
  4. So glad it’s not my wedding day! And…
  5. What did I eat last night? Continue reading

My Two Minutes as Dr. Raj

 

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They say if you go through med school as a spouse of a medical student, you may as well be considered a med student.

They say if you lose enough sleep cuz your hubby is across the street pulling long nights as a resident, you may as well have been a resident. Even if the reason you’re awake is a crying baby.

They say if you’re married to a doc, you may as well be a doc. I mean, come on, if you’ve heard the guy who people call “Doctor” [which still cracks you up at times cuz, well, he’s just Sun to you, and Doctor sounds so… so… Okay, I need to not be in trouble tonight, so let me filter that thought. Just that one.]

Anyway, what was I saying? Yes. If you’ve heard Dr. Spouse give advice, prescribe meds, and field emergencies on the phone, you’ve been vicariously educated even if you don’t get the m.d. behind your name and passed the sterile processing certification

So, yes, I’ve been known to give out medical advice here and there. My grandma used to. Hey, her son’s a doc. My mom does. Her brother’s a doc. But I’ve learned a few things along the way. Continue reading

From A to ZZZs

Sleep.

That’s what I woke up with on my mind.Sleep.

If you’ve known me for a day or a decade, you know that I’m a pretty chillax kinda gal. Not too much ruffles my feathers. And half the time, my feathers are under a pile in an organized mess. Yes. I have never gravitated to the Type A personality types, but I married a semi-Type A guy. The kind who doesn’t mind Spring Cleaning and prefers his dress shirts all facing the same direction. I still remember that fight from newlywed days. 

“My shirts are facing each other,” Hubs says one morning while getting ready for work.

“And??” I see no problem.

“That’s not gonna work.” At least that’s what I remember him saying. 

“If it’s that important, do it yourself.” That was me in my newbie married days when my mouth moved much faster than my brain. Not much has changed in that respect, but Hubs has changed. He doesn’t expect me to hang his shirts, iron his shirts or even wash his shirts. Problem solved.  Continue reading