Chris Brogan

(this post first started out as a follow-up comment to yesterday's post, "Taking Chances", but it was becoming the longest comment in history so it became today's post)

*****

Ummm people!!  Mr. Chris Brogan just COMMENTED ON MY BLOG!!!!!!

Ok normally when I quote someone or post their link I am extremely careful to, first, ask their permission.  But frankly Chris gets 10,000 emails a day.  No, here's a better way to illustrate for those of you who don't know him (although many of you do, obviously)--Chris has 137,487 followers on Twitter--to my 35.

Needless to say he's rather a rock-star in social media and my measly attempt to ask his permission would have fallen through the proverbial crack.  I thought.  To be honest, I didn't even think about contacting him.  I simply credited him.

So an hour ago when I realized  he had commented on "Taking Chances" in which I post his quote, I actually panicked!  I thought the Chris Brogan Machine must have somehow picked up my blog in search engine fashion and his "comment" was going to be a computer form letter demanding I retract my post until I received his formal permission to post it!!!

(I sound a little paranoid I admit, but remember, I have Blogger breathing down my neck like a scary monster over that one post about Steve in which they 1) won't tell me what it is they're freaking out over and 2) have it in "post jail", won't allow me to post it, until I fix the unknown "it"!!) (So ha ha Blogger!  I'm getting back at you by badmouthing you to Chris Brogan!!!)

I've heard from everyone who knows or has met Chris, how incredibly nice he is.  But to my ears it was kinda like telling me how nice Barack Obama is ...you know?  Of course he's nice!  It's his job.  Er, one of them.

But now I know (if you haven't yet, go read his comment to me in "Taking Chances").  Chris, you really ARE nice!  I didn't even thank-you in my post cuz it didn't occur to me that you would actually read it.  So let me take this opportunity to thank-you.  I have learned a great deal from you.  You tweet more than anyone of the 16 I follow (ok! so I'm still a little tweetie newbie!!) and I don't read every single one of your tweets, but let me say, I read most and you are unfailingly positive and helpful and you manage to reach out to so many people in a very, very constructive way.  You are an inspiration.  And that is why I follow you.

And now, particularly, I think you're the bomb!

*****

Check-out Chris's website: Chris Brogan--Community and Social Media

Follow Chris on Twitter (read in sing-song voice ....."you can be number 137,488 ....."): Chris Brogan on Twitter

Buy Chris's books: Social Media 101 and Trust Agents--co-authored with Julien Smith


PS--Chris garnered 11 more followers on Twitter in the one hour it took me to write this post.

Hokie Snow

Thing One was getting lots of snow in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech the same time we were having our big snow bonanza this past weekend so I asked him to send some snow pictures.  He first sent me this one (from his dorm room window) which I told him was about as lame as it comes and that I certainly hope he's putting more effort into school than he is in taking snow pictures for his mother's blog:

Gee thanks Thing One

So then he sent me these pic's ......good job honey!  You're redeemed!!  Thank-you. 

Thing One focused most of these pictures on the central feature of the campus which is the Virginia Tech drillfield.  It's at the heart of the campus; one could easily argue it is the heart of Virginia Tech landscapically (ok so that's not an actual word, but it should be) speaking.  And no offense to Thing One but pictures really don't do the drillfield justice.  It's huge; it's the most spectacular gathering point; it's fringed with one hundred year-old trees (maybe older, just guessing?); it has classroom buildings on one side and dormitories on the other (all built in famous Hokie Stone); at one end of the drillfield is the Virginia Tech War Memorial and the other end is open to the rest of the campus.  It is beloved by the students and apparently at least one parent because until this very moment I had no idea how much I [heart] that drillfield.  Suffice to say it's practically profound!

Get it?  Red Bull gives you wings ....cute

Snow Post Script

Ok well we only got 8" of snow .......but still ........that's 8" more than we usually get!  It's so beautiful.  I have no idea what you people who get snow all the time are complaining about. 

Joking!!! 

Cool, I can hear "crunching" on the street below as a car is going by .......you all know the view off my left shoulder as I sit here typing early on a Sunday morning (see last pic in Snow!!!! post)

More Winter posts to come ....

SNOW!!!!

If you can't tell already, here in the southeast corner--on the coast--of Virginia, we don't get snow very often!  Nobody does on any coast.  I can attest to that growing up as a navy-brat (one more thing I've never talked about on this blog ...but I shall).  So for those of you who have had snow this winter as one "would take a sip of water from a fire hose" (weird analogy but you get it), skip this post!  Cuz we're excited!!  Today. 

Tomorrow when I run out of orange juice may be another story ...

The forecast is calling for anywhere between 6" to 12" (OMG one foot!).  So I'm going to post snow progression pictures at three-ish hour intervals.  Ok so I know I'm not the best photographer (one of my bloggy goals this year--learn to be best photographer) but the idea is to watch the accumulation!

This first set was taken an hour ago in my PJ's with slippers-with-hole on (see pic) so they're a little boring cuz I'm standing inside taking pictures of the outside.  Plus I wanted to get the pristine look (aka the un-messed-up-before-teenage-son-got-out-there-and-mangled-it-all-up look) (that has now happened btw so future pic's will have mangled look) (I'm gonna get snow boots on myself though and take pictures of un-mangled snow as I walk around!) (on second thought, just heard cold gust of sleety snow hit the window I'm sitting next to--perhaps will have some hot chocolate instead?)

from the front door

3 hours later

next morning

you guessed it! the back

3 hours later

next morning

OMG!  Thing One are you reading this????  We should go out and play SpecTrek IN THE SNOW!!

Ok readers, a review:  Thing Two is a sophomore in high school and is (obviously) home with me (although currently outside flinging snow balls at friends).  Thing One is a freshman at Virginia Tech which is in Blacksburg, Virginia--a very long six-hour drive due west almost into West Virginia & Kentucky nestled in between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains.  Blacksburg is currently at 13 degrees with about a foot of snow already.  We're at 25 degrees. 

SpecTrek is this ghost-catching App Thing One & I downloaded onto our DROIDS--it uses GPS to pinpoint your location and it makes up ghosts and places them outside, wherever you may be, within a three-mile radius.  This App is a combination of pure recreation and getting-some-exercise because you have to, kinda, literally, run after these ghosts (they move).  The point is to get close enough to take a picture of the ghosts which equals "catching" them.  Once you catch all the ghosts you win!  Fun!  So in the snow?  FUNNER!!!  

(Although you look like a nut running around with your phone taking pictures of nothing ....so Thing One may not be willing to do that in front of his college-buds .....except he's studying engineering and lives in a dorm where all the residents are studying engineering .....and no offense Thing One but you guys are all pretty d-o-r-k-y ....probably every single one of you has been running around after fake-ghosts all morning while the other college students are still sleeping off hangovers .......good for you Thing One!) (Don't correct me if I'm wrong about this)

Check back for snow-picture updates.  Hey Thing One, send me some snow pic's from Blacksburg and I'll post them! 

Yikes.  What's coming from the other side of the window sounds mean.  Hot chocolate here I come!

Best Post Script Ever!

Herein amends a good story to
........ahem .......
the best story ever!!!

(quite possibly) 

Best post script

(at least)

ever!!!!

(surely)

And I shall make it a game!

To begin you must read (or re-read) this, one of my first blog posts from waaaay back in October:

Why "You Must Take Your Chance"?

*****

Ok now, see if you can unravel yesterday's turn-of-events, shown here in pictures:

Yesterday

duh

My doorbell!!

What's this??

It's from Jeanine Payer ....?

Umm ......???

Oh ....... 

(tears in eyes)

******

Can't speak.  Can't write. 

Except to say, this came as a gift yesterday,

from Jeanine .....after she read my October post. 

Happy New Year everyone! 

(be kind to one another)

Thank-you Jeanine ....for being kind to me

Jeanine Payer

&

Jeanine's blog "Glimpse"

Postscript

Between the big picture at the top of my blog, and the picture in Sandbridge I posted earlier today in Poetry Girl #3--is simply 15 miles and 1 month & 2 days.  That's all.

Cool huh?  Scary and comforting at once.  Whatever higher power there is, it is awsome.