Twitter--Pros and Cons

In today’s age, there are many sites where we can meet others and talk about what goes on in our life. I have posted a blog about Facebook, and now that I got to thinking, is Twitter really all that safe also? I know it is completely different from Facebook, but how much different? I do not have a Twitter account, but many of my friends do. All the times I have been with a friend all she does is blog about what she did that day, or whatever excitement she had. I was able to find some pros and some cons about Twitter.

Cons:

Do people really care how school was today?

Does everyone need to know how many miles you ran, or how hard you worked out?

Tweeting can sometimes be a big bragging fest against friends and can even make someone feel down about themselves.

It can be redundant, if you Facebook, do you really need a Twitter too? Aren’t people who see your status on Facebook already going to have a good idea of what you are going to say when you Tweet about it? Also, for example, I am writing a blog for class; if I had a Twitter account do you think I would write another blog? I, personally, do not think so.

It can be time consuming; I could be washing the dishes, or playing outside instead of Tweeting about thinking of going outside, who really cares?

Pros:

Good information gets out fast and many can read it.

There is the ability to receive great information.

You can keep in touch with old friends, and see what he or she is up too.

You can share interesting information.

For those of you that do not know, Twitter is a social networking and micro blogging service that allows you to “tweet” your friends/followers.

Something I just learned not to long ago (I actually just have been noticing it more on TV commercials.) is that businesses are getting more involved with Twitter.  Here are some ways businesses are using Twitter for expanding whatever it might be.

·         Sharing photos with followers can help the followers see what goes on in the business.

·         Link to articles that are about your business so others can see it.

·         Businesses can participate in Twitter chats that way a person does not have to come to the store or call and use minutes.

There are many more things businesses can do on Twitter. If Twitter is being used for a business then I think Twitter is an excellent choice, but if it is being used for a teenager and she likes to tell people what she ate for breakfast, then I say no way!

Rain, Rain...GO AWAY!

I am sitting at work today trying to find something to blog about… well; I just looked out the windows and decided I have the perfect blog…rain! It has been pouring all morning and has barely let loose for a minute. Since I woke up at 6 it has poured nonstop! All weekend it has been like this also, Friday—Good Friday—was a “bad Friday” to me because it was yucky out, raining, and I couldn’t run outside because Mother Nature thought it would be a good idea for it to rain off and on all stinking day! Children are out on Good Friday here, so the house was a muddy mess because my little siblings don’t like to be cooped up in the house all day because of the rain. (Now they have runny noses.) I had to go to MSSU to look at some art work and while we were in Galena, it started to hail… imagine that! Thankfully, it didn’t do any damage. Saturday it didn’t rain all day, it was just a little humid, so we dyed Easter Eggs! That was fun, and messy! Then that night… u guessed it; it poured. I suppose rain can be a good time to watch a movie and just relax…until the power went off! Hahahaha, I just cannot get a break from the rain! So, Sunday morning I awake to find more dang rain! The little ones were upset because the Easter Bunny couldn’t get to our house because the roads were flooded, but they took it pretty good and then headed off to church. When they returned home, the Easter Bunny had finally made it and they all sprinted inside and retrieved their baskets and the hunt was on! Our dogs, Molly and Daisy, love to show down on boiled eggs, so by the time they kiddos started picking them up, Molly and Daisy had ate about a half dozen. That was fine by me and mom because we dyed five dozen eggs and that was just some we didn’t have to cook!  

That entire day it rained, mom cooked a big ol’ breakfast and dinner, I went to Jody’s house and ate over there. Easter is one of the best Holidays, I think, because every year around this time I start to crave chocolate and starburst jellybeans; and every year mom puts both in my Easter basket! Lucky me! J

That brings me to, today. I woke up to rain; I went to work in flooded roads and my windshield wipers going wild. I got here to find it raining harder and all the ditches filled to their capacity, and to top it off, all my appointments canceled due to the rain. When I was younger I loved when it rained because it is a good relaxant, and when I was in school rain meant no track meats and softball games, now, rain means going to work and being bored…  So I am writing this blog about how I am entirely sick and tired of the rain!! At least my little sister is learning a new song—Rain, rain go away, come again another day!  Hahaha!

Hope everyone made the best out of their Easter!!

Courtney's Concert!

Last night was my little sister, Courtney, recital/concert. She is 10 years old and insisted that I went. I find these sorts of things just a tad bit boring… but I went anyways. Just like any other little girl, she wanted her hair to be curled and just a little bit of makeup. She had spent the last two weeks trying to figure out what to wear, and she defiantly found what she wanted (a pink little dress with white little heals). Come to find out, she had a solo in a song, Yankee Doodle, and she was quite excited about it. I would have to say I was happy I went and listened to her, but I had to sit through the band…the third grade recorders…and the songs. The songs were not bad; actually they are usually the best sounding at these concerts. Do you remember recorders? Oh my word, I HATE them…they are sooo soo so so annoying and they give me the worst headaches ever, not to mention they sound so horrible! I was prepared though! I had some ear plugs and shoved those babies in right before they started to play Hot Cross Buns! J After the singing was done over with, the fifth grade boys and girls put on a play. This was a new thing this year. They did a couple scenes from Anne and they did great! At that age, even when they would have to stop and remember some of the words, it is not a big deal because they look so cute all decked out and cute looking! When I was their age, I hated to be in front of anybody, unless I was playing basketball or some sort of sport. I was very shy. That is one reason I keep putting off Speech, I will probably cry in front of everyone when I have to get up and talk! But anyways, back to the concert, after they all bowed and we went and picked up Courtney from downstairs I gave her a big ol hug and told her I was very proud of her! I think it is a great accomplishment to have the confidence to get up in front of everyone and talk, let alone sing! I never would have done that, and truthfully, I don’t think I could do it even today! She was even on the front row, but that might have been because she was one of the shorter ones in her class... haha! I am glad to see that children today are more confident in talking in front of a crowd and I hope most have the parents and siblings to tell them they did great afterwards, even if he or she had a little mess up, as long as they are confident in themselves is what really matters. If they are comfortable at this age I hope he or she will be more confident in the future; and I really hope Courtney isn’t a scaredy cat like her 19 year old sister is in front of a crowd! Hahaha!

Getting ready for summer?

It is getting closer to summer every day, and for many it is time for tanning and getting his or her body back in shape. This year, one of my closest friends and me are doing P90X. We started the last week of March and are sticking with it pretty good! The P90X is extremely intense, and frankly I love it!! Well, all except arms…but I have never liked working my arms out. There is one downfall to this work out, and that is that it is expensive, but if you split the cost it isn’t as bad. We are eating much better than we were but we don’t follow the diet just because we work out after we do P90X.

Many people just diet, and there are many diets out there. There is the NutriSystem diet, Jenny Craig diet, Atkins diet and many, many, many more! There are so many out there that who really knows what is the best one. I think everyone is different and the diets don’t do great for everyone. With some hard work and great attitude anyone can lose weight!

Losing weight does not have to be boring and dreadful; it can be fun and upbeat!  At Oswego Fitness, and many other workout gyms, there is a program that works out three times a week (or more). Zumba is upbeat, and is the new thing to do. Zumba’s saying is Ditch the Workout, and Join the FUN, and I believe it when I see what the ladies are doing! When Zumba is in session at our gym it sounds enjoyable, and the gym is packed! Unlike P90X, Zumba is cheap! Here, it is $1.00 for members and $3.00 for nonmembers. I think Zumba is for those a little older than me. I don’t think I would profit as greatly as I do with P90X, for the reason that I am in shape and I want to be tone, and I think I will get it faster with P90X than with Zumba, and besides I don’t think there is enough room another person!  

Time after time I have friends that talk about getting back in shape and making schedules. I guess schedules are great, if you follow them. However, I am not one of those who schedule anything. If I do schedule something it better be important and is something I have to do because if it isn’t very important then I am known not to do it and just put it off. That is why I like to work out when I want to and not when I think I need to. If I have spare time then I will head to the gym for a quick run, then later I will start my harder work out, rather than spending two hours in the gym at once and thinking it is taking up too much of my time.

Working out is different for everyone. Some people need schedules and some don’t. Some like to diet and just diet, then there are those who like to work out and just work out, and there are those that do both!

warnings and watches

Here in the Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma areas we know what heavy storms, strong winds and tornados can do. Last night there was a line of red and pink across the radar. I think some of everyone got something from it. Well, different places in Oklahoma were hit with strong storms and even a dreaded tornado. In Tushka, Ok. There were at least seven deaths, including a toddler and a young child that were struck by a tree. Not only were there deaths by those who were hit struck by a tree here in Tushka, but also in Arkansas. However here, the tree landed on the home of four people. The tornado that hit Tushka also injured 25 people and tore school buildings down.  Here is a link for those of you that would like to see what actually happened to this small town of Tushka.

Since there was so much activity last night I would like to just talk about what families might think about doing when there is some sort of watch/warning out, no matter if it is a thunderstorm or a tornado, they all have the same sort of safety steps to follow.

 When you hear about a storm headed this way, make sure you have the TV ready to go because the weather channels will inform you of what is going on. If your power does go out, make SURE that you have a radio with charged batteries so you and your family are not stuck in the dark with no warning of what might happen. If you are someone who lives in town then there should be sirens that will go off if needed, but if you are someone who lives in the country, and have no power, then you do need to have a radio ready to go! Make sure you also have a flashlight; they often make it easier to maneuver through your house when it is totally black!

There is often some confusion of watches vs. warnings, at least in my household. A watch is issued if a tornado is possible. A warning is issued when one has been spotted, or is strongly indicated on a radar.

If there is a watch/warning make sure you are aware of what is going on outside and not just be glued to the TV or radio. I was always taught, the storm is silent before the tornado. So when the wind stops blowing, I know it is time to get to the basement.

When you are aware of s storm headed your way, and you have children in your household, one important thing we all much do is staying calm, it always helps the younger ones when mom and dad are not freaking out just like they are.

What a Day...

On any other day, Tuesdays are always better than Mondays. That is just how it normally works out, for most I would assume. They usually are just because Mondays are the day after the weekend, and who wants to go back to school or work? Not me!! Well, Mondays usually are my get back to normal days and I dislike them very much; however, this Monday was great! I don’t know if it was because it was a beautiful day, or just because I had everything early, so I had time to do what I wanted at work. Well, whatever it was, it sure beat today!! Lol! Today, Tuesday, I got up and went to class at 8. I had a test first hour and I aced it (guess that was a plus for today..woo hoo!) Then I had to go to History, for some reason, History class, for me, is soo blah! I try to take good notes, but he talks really really fast! Then comes A&P, great… this professor is a horrible teacher and he is so scatter brained it drives me nuts! If you ask him a question, I am not kidding, he will go on and on about it for the entire hour and fifteen minutes, so I really don’t get much out of it except why some  bruises stay so long and others don’t.  Thank goodness we got out of there a little early though! After I leave the campus I go and purchase gas, well I tried anyways. Every time I would hit debit and type my pin number in it said I needed to go up to the desk, so I did and the lady said to do it as credit or I would have to prepay. I did what she said and it worked, thankfully! I knew I had plenty of money in my account, so I called up my bank and asked what was up. They told me I had a transaction from some place earlier that morning. WOAHH! Hold up, I hadn’t used my debit card since last Thursday, so I knew that was wrong!  The lady I was talking to gave me the number to the place that said I had purchased something. At this point I was extremely angry, I might add.  I called them, gave them all my information, and it turns out they don’t have any idea why I would have a charge from them, they didn’t have any of my information and they didn’t have any transactions from me. How odd… that poor lady had to listen to me gripe, and she was very helpful. After she told me she didn’t have anything for me and didn’t know why I was charged, I apologized for being mean, after all, it wasn’t her fault. So I called the bank and I had to write a statement saying what happened and blahh blahh blahh, and in a couple days I will get my money back! J

This is just a lesson, and I passed, except it ruined my day. I am just glad that I called to see what the heck was going on, and that i get my moola back.

Where in the World?

Lately, I have been wondering if I would like to start traveling around the world. I do believe it would be a great experience and I would learn many different things. There is so much to see and every culture is so different from what I am used to. I have only been to a handful of places, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, and Florida. Now that I am older, I think it would be a great experience to travel some. The only problem is that I hate going places far without my mom. Yes, I am defiantly a momma’s girl. That is probably because she has always been there for me and that I was the first born. There are some places I would like to visit.

In the United States I would love to go to New York City. I believe that this city is very diverse, and has an enormous amount of art work that would be awesome to see. This would be a place that would be more of a fun, party trip than a sightseeing trip. I am sure I will still view many places, but at night there is great energy. However, I will defiantly wait till I am 21, because I would not be able to get the full experience that I want to get right now being 19. Also I have always wanted to go to Times Square and the Empire State Building!

Another place I want to travel to is Italy. More specifically, Rome! Rome has some meaning to me because I am Catholic and I would just love to be that much closer to where the Pope is and maybe get the opportunity to see him. That would be amazing! Also, all the old churches I am sure they are all beautiful. There is just so much in Rome that can be seen, I want to see the fountains, and especially the antiques! And, again, I will wait until I am 21 so I can live the full experience. Just to top this trip off I am sure I will eat a ton! I love Italian food, so I should be in heaven while I am there; hopefully I will not gain too much weight…haa!

Switzerland is also another place that is calling me. I think this place would have most beautiful scenic views there is.  This is where the Swiss Alps are located at and just looking up at them would most likely take my breath away. I am not too sure where I would like to go in Switzerland, but I am sure anywhere really would be a sight to see! This place also, would have a most different culture than what I am used too. I think it would be great to meet someone there and become close to him or her and learn some of their ways.

No matter where I decide to go, I first have to make some money, but for now, it is fun to just daydream about!

My gripe about April

I am sure everyone is excited about it being April and that classes are over in May, which means just little over a month until we are done with this semester and summer break begins!! I, too, am ecstatic about this information! Summer is my all time favorite month and even though I work, I will have Tuesdays and Thursdays to do what I want! Woo hoo! But April is usually rainy and the weather is weird! This year, is especially true and shows a great example of why. Ever hear the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” I think somewhere in that saying, it needs to have something about the old weather! One day the weather is around high 70s and hot. Then the next day it is low 50s rainy, and chilly! This weather is teasing me and putting me in a weird mood.

Last year I would have been starting track. I hated it, but it was the one sport I succeeded the most in. however, considering I hate the cold, wet weather it was even more horrible! Wearing those skimpy little shorts and beater I often froze at track meets and at practice!  Thank goodness that chapter in my life is over because I do not miss it at all! As you can see I am a big ol’ baby when it comes to being cold. My parents often tell me I have some sort of disease because if it isn’t 75 degrees then I have a blanket around me!

Back to April, I guess this is not anything new for this month, but is it just me or is it really colder than normal? Last week, I believe Thursday, it was SNOWING while I was at MSSU! I only remember one time when it was snowing in April and that was my freshman year in high school at track practice. (Imagine that!) The grass that has finally started to pop up front the ground is getting a rude awakening from this cold weather because, like I said, one day it is perfect weather and I am in shorts and a t-shirt, then the next day I’m about to freeze my bottom off! Poor, poor grass I tell ya! Also, I cannot decide when I need to put away my winter clothing, and I don’t always go home on the weekend, and it is hard to pack for a weekend when the weather is go crazy! It is also a royal pain to keep all my clothes instead of packing what I do not need away for the following year!

I will be ready when it is hot daily and I can finally put away my winter clothing! J

I also hope everyone had a fun April Fools day and a good week back in classes, even though it was a yucky half of a week!

aPRiL fOoLs!!!

Everyone needs to be ready for today! Put your hard cap on and do not jump! It is April first, and you know what that means! APRIL FOOLS DAY! There are many pranks to be played on others today but here is a little history on why today has to do with fooling others. Well, in the 16^th century, this is the day France would celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Pope Gregory changed the calendar in 1562 to the one we use today. So pretty much that is how it all started. There isn’t much to it, but how much involved could a day with pranks be?  I figured there would be something silly or crazy, but nope, it is just sort of thrown in there for a day that everyone can play pranks on others.

There are many jokes to be played on this fun little holiday. My little brothers teacher said she was going to put food coloring in their milk cartons. Hopefully little Kenny does not flip out! I remember when he drake soured milk; he washed his mouth out for a good 5 minutes.  Here are some that I have heard and some that have been played for years.

I heard on the radio, to purchase a jelly filled doughnut, get a straw, stick the straw into the doughnut and suck out the fillings. Then, get a bottle of catsup and squirt it into the straw and fill up the doughnut with it! Whoever takes a big ol’ bite out of that is going to freak out!

If your parents go out on April First, before they come home, get some plastic wrap (has to be clear) and stretch the plastic wrap all around the frame of the door, when they come home, they will run right into it!! It is defiantly something to see! At my house, by brothers tied clear fishing string to the front porch pillars and one evening I was in a hurry and ran right into it! Needless to say I hit the ground hard, got up and let my siblings know that I would do something way worse to them if they decided to pull that prank on me again. The boys never did it to me again, imagine that! Hahaha

There are also “gifts” you can purchase and give them to someone! I just recently figured that one out. If you know someone who smokes, there is an exploding cigarette pack. For an older person that smokes tobacco out of a pipe there is a pipe that will shock him or her when he or she goes to smoke it.

Just seeing the shocking surprise look on others faces is enough to make me giggle! Sometimes they know what is going to happen, but they forget it seems like, and all of a sudden they have that look on their face, screech, and jump backwards! It is all for fun and young children all the way up to adults all love this small holiday!