Tweet, Tweet

So, I sucked it up and joined Twitter.  I didn’t get it before I joined, and I still don’t get it now.

Well, that’s not 100% true.  Before I joined, I thought Twitter was just like a whole bunch of Facebook statuses on one page.  So, pages full of things like “I am going to work,” “When will it stop raining?” and “My baby pooped on the potty today.”  However, I was on a message board recently where that same perception was expressed, and everyone said “Oh no, that’s not what Twitter is all about!  Its great for business and networking, and while some people use it like a Facebook status update, that’s not what its there for.”

So, I thought, I’m a contemporary woman.  I like the Internets, and everyone seems to be loving the Twitter, I’ll give it a shot.  Aside from that, I’m a fascinating person, and people want to know more about me.  As in, more than my Facebook status, blog posts, voicemails & e-mails can offer.  I signed up, found some friends to follow, picked a few celebrities to follow (Michael Ian Black, the dude from E Weekly, and Coldplay, where I imagine the second Mr. Julie, Chris Martin, himself is Tweeting.  Naked).

So far, I’ve found Twitter falls into these categories of Tweets:  This is what I’m doing, Here I am pimping my blog/new album/clothing line, This is what I like right now, and cryptic messages to other Tweeters (Twitterers?).  So, its exactly what I thought it would be.  I think I need to branch out a bit more to get it, though.  I’m following three people who regularly Tweet, a few stars, and a bunch of people who don’t Tweet at all.  I’m going to spend some time finding some additional interesting people (no offense to those I’m already following).  Also, I set up my Tweets so that you have to ask to view them.  Because I’m clearly all about the privacy (insert eye roll here).  Seriously, I just thought it would be weird to have strangers follow me, then I realized: I have a public blog, what does it matter?  Maybe I’ll “meet” some new people that way.

Plus, I’m starting to find this Twitter culture fascinating.  I was watching Sports Center the other night with J, and they showed and read Tweets between two football players, trash talking each other over Twitter.  And on Thursday, Michael Jackson’s death shut down Twitter,
because it was so bogged down with Tweets.  For someone who gets 90% of her news via Facebook, I feel like I need to be involved in this aspect of pop culture.

So, my Twitter goals are to follow more, allow others to follow and Tweet more.  Just like Jesus would do.  Oh, and to stop singing “Ooops There Goes My Shirt” when I hear the word Tweet.

PS:  For anyone who wants to follow me, I’m @juliep33.  Did I do that right?

Three Things Thursday #1

Yet another blog topic stolen from Mel!

Three that are making me happy today:

1 – Eating outside on the deck for the first time in what feels like forever.

2 – Apples to Apples. If you don’t have it, get it!

3 – Cucumber and Tomato salad.

All I Want is One Stinking Tomato

My goal this summer was to grow a garden.  I had visions of beautiful tomatoes, lots of herbs, and cucumbers the size of my head.  I read web pages on gardening, and spent hours at Home Depot.  I planted a bazillion leetle seeds in a seed starter, and watered them religiously.  I did six plants of 6 different veggies: tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and snow peas.  I planted a few different kinds of herbs in pots as well.  Any they grew!

I supervised as J dug a square in the corner of our yard for my garden.  I spent hours digging rocks and weeds out of  the dirt.  I tilled,  added fertilizer and topsoil, and tilled some more.  J mentioned (two weeks after he dug the garden) that there wasn’t enough sun in the spot we (yes, we) picked.  Which is dandy, but what else was I supposed to do with a big dirt hole full of good soil, and forty something plants?  So I planted all my little seedlings in neat rows, along with a couple of token plants I bought at Home Depot.  Oh, and threw in some seeds for good measure.

And everything died.

Yes, I watered it.  I would have weeded it, but weeds don’t even seem to grow there.  Now, all that seems to remain are my token store bought plants.  They seem to be doing okay.  Sadness Garden.

I still water my tomato plant and the pepper plant next to me.  I think the neighbors laugh at me when I whip out the Miracle Gro.  But I will get a tomato, and I know it will taste fabulous.  Next year I’ll do better…or buy a Topsy Turvy.

The Car Situation

As I mentioned, both cars died within a week of one another.  We now have one car at the mechanic (declared dead, hoping someone will buy it for parts) and one in the driveway.  Of course, its not registered (the car dealership we purchased it from doesn’t hire the brightest bulbs on the tree) and they had to give us another one to use while they straighten it all out.  The saga never ends.

Here’s J trying in vain to start his car the night before the donation people towed it away.  He wasn’t too sad about it.

This is why he wasn’t too sad about it — the new car (Big Red):

And here is my car at the mechanics.  We went to get the plates off, and clean it out, but we (I) forgot the key and the WD-40.  Oops.  At least I still have a chance to say a formal goodbye to her.

Lastly, this is the car my dad wants me to buy: a 1993 Buick Century.  It only has 80,000 miles, but, really, I have my pride.

I was doing so well

Really, two posts in one weekend. With pictures. What more could you want? I was on a blog-roll.

Then, the following things happened in this order:
1- My computer became horribly infected with SpyWare. Lots of it. It was so bad that I couldn’t even get on the Internets to download the $55 virus protection I purchased. Sadness & stress commenced.
2- J’s car died. It was due to die, we knew we needed to start looking, but it still sucked. I started walking to the train and spending a lot of time at home alone. More sadness and stress, especially since I didn’t have a computer to frantically crunch numbers.
3- My car died. No oil. Loud noises. Sparks. Nuf said.

So, this is why I haven’t been blogging. I now have a functioning laptop (thanks to my brother) and one new used car for a good deal (thanks again to my brother and my parents). J’s car will be donated, mine is being looked at in the hopes of a miracle (I was too embarrassed to call the mechanic myself, I just had it towed there, while my parents rescued J from the side of the road.  On their anniversary).

I will blog again. I promise. As long as the computer stays functioning and I don’t get hit by a car walking to the train (fingers crossed).