peskypippi.comBecause I have a lot to say…

Do you ever hear people say, “Twitter?? I don’t have time for Twitter. How do YOU find time for Twitter?!” (And they say it all condescending like.)

What?!

You don’t HAVE time for Twitter? Or you don’t MAKE time for Twitter?

In our crazy-busy-complicated lives, we need connections. We need friends. I make time for Twitter because:

• I make friends all over the world. Literally. United States, Canada, Ireland, England, France, Malaysia, Australia.
• I connect with people with similar interests and have real conversations (short ones) about family life chaos, poop talk, motherhood juggling and jiggling, and stuff.
• I can be myself. Others don’t judge, but instead, offer support and give validation.
• I LOL every single day.

I have found that my Twitter friends say the nicest things. Check out some Tweets:

@samminicho: How is my favourite American lady this evening.  I adore your smile, it always brightens my day. XXX

@LulyShahabudin: I think ur a fantastic mom.

@TheBernieBrand: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…PIPPI IS A LEGEND!!!

@donovanshaw: #youmakemesmileeveryday

@thatgirl815 I think you’re just the greatest!!!

Gosh, with nice Tweeps like those, how can you go wrong?

So if you don’t have time for Twitter, well, it #suckstobeyou.

Blogging and Twitter are global, y’all. And I’m meeting so many wonderfully awesome people.

This kicks off my new series of posts, whereby I “interview” my new friends from around the globe. Here’s hoping y’all will enjoy our light chatter and learn a little something new about somewhere else.

Meet Bernie. She’s from Queensland, Australia. Follow her on Twitter at @TheBernieBrand and check out her very-cool blog: http://theberniebrand.com/

Pippi: Do you have a koala for a pet?

Bernie: No way man!! Koalas are highly dangerous animals that kill thousands of people (mainly tourists) each year! They do like to eat eucalyptus leaves during the day, but at night, they turn carnivorous and will drop on people and attack…hence their true name, ‘Drop Bears’ – true story!

Pippi: Are there kangaroos hopping around your neighborhood?

Bernie: No silly!! But we did buy one for each of the kids last Christmas instead of buying them bikes. Now they just ride their kangaroos to school every morning!

[Here’s a photo of Miss 11 with her Kangaroo, Skippy!]

Pippi: What makes the Great Barrier Reef so great?

Bernie: Are you kidding me!? The G.B.R (let’s just abbreviate it, cause that’s how lazy I am) is one of the seven wonders of the natural world!! If you visit Australia, you totally have to go to Queensland (and I’m not just saying that cause I live there)! The G.B.R stretches over 3000 km or 1,800 miles almost parallel to the Queensland coast, from near the coastal town of Bundaberg, up past the tip of Cape York. If you do some diving, you’ll see amazing underwater attractions including the world’s largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1,500 species of tropical fish, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old. The G.B.R has natural beauty, just like you Pippi   You won’t be disappointed – I pinkie promise!

Pippi: Have you ever encountered a venomous snake?

Bernie: Look, they are quite common in Australia, especially if you live in country towns, but they still like to surprise us city folk from time to time. I found a small brown snake on my washing machine a couple of years ago. Was I cool, calm and collected?!  Umm NO!! FAR OUT! I screamed blue murder! Come to think of it, we never did find that little sucker again; he probably just found his way back into the backyard where the kids play, so it’s all good!

[This is one that my Brother-in-Law found while we were on holidays – cute ay!]

Pippi: Do you really throw shrimps on the barbie?

Yes, we’ve been known to, but we call them prawns here. We love our seafood in Australia – and who wouldn’t, with that huge Great Barrier Reef to fish from!

Pippi: Do you use the words “G’day” and “Crikey” and “Blimey” and “Mate” every day?

Bernie: Ooh, I haven’t heard “blimey” & “Crikey” for ages – those words are probably more used by old blokes. I guess we say “G-Day” and “Mate” a lot…well I do anyway. (btw, “blokes” = “men”)

Pippi: Every family I know was heartbroken when The Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) died. How about in Australia?

Bernie: Man Alive! That was the worst news EVER!  I don’t think there was a dry eye to be found! He was a legend – so passionate! Now, HE was a guy who said “Crikey” a lot!!

Pippi: Anything you’d like to share about why we should visit Australia or what makes your area unique?

Bernie: Ooh maaate, (see?) I live in Brisbane, Queensland, and we have so much to offer!! Where do I start?! We have yummy food such as lamingtons, TimTams, Meat Pies and Vegemite!

Australia’s a great place for taking road trips – there’s so much area to cover and so much to see! On a road trip up to North Queensland last year, we saw this poor fella on the side of the road. I tell ya what Pippi, when the Queensland Main Road’s Department mark white lines on the open highway, they ain’t stopping for nothin’!

In all seriousness, there is so much about Ostrayleeyah that you’ll love! We have amazing wildlife, outback adventures, beautiful islands, rainforests and reefs. Australia’s unique beauty is spread across eight states and territories!

We also have amazing attractions like the Big Guitar, the Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn…you get the point…

[Miss 7 at the Big Guitar]

Pippi: Thanks so much for participating, Mate!

I can’t believe I got my first real cell phone just three years ago: a Verizon LG Chocolate. Then came an iPhone 3G. This spring, I upgraded to the iPhone 3G. OK, my very first phone was a Tracfone. And it was a beauty.

In my line of work, it is imperative for me to be connected and productive with email. Here are 18 more reasons why I love my iPhone:

1. 6 MP camera. I can take pictures and upload to Facebook right then and there. AND it has a flippy thing so you can easily take pictures of you with your buddy.
2. Mirror. When flipped, the camera doubles as a mirror. Perfect for checking blueberries in teeth. See blog about just that.
3. Facebook. I love me some Facebook anytime, all the time. Post pics on the go. Carry on conversations throughout the day.
4. Notes. You can keep grocery lists, Christmas lists, weight loss tracking, and blog ideas. So when I’m driving along, I can open a “Note” and write “toilet paper” on the grocery list. (While pulling over to the side of the road. Of course.)
5. Scrabble. I told you I was a little nerdy.
6.  Jewel Quest. Dang it, I can’t get past a certain level.
7. Harbor Master. It’s a game where you unload ships and send them on their way. Don’t let the name and my lame description fool you; it’s fun!
8. Twitter. I can Tweet while out and about. Though, dang it, why do they make it so hard to find the stupid # symbol on the touch screen? Oh and auto-correct. It bugs me and I’m gonna write about that in an upcoming post.
9. The App Store. This is a dream place for buying any app. Most apps are cheaper than The Dollar Store, at $.99 each. But I did pony up $4.99 for Family Feud, which is fun to sit around and holler out answers to “Name the Top 18 Reasons Why Women Love Their iPhones” and other such questions.
10. Amazon. Enough said.
11. Ringtones for everyone. My boss’s ringtone is Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas. And every time it rings, I smile. Until I remember it’s a work call, which usually means work.
12. EBay. The other day, I bought a 36-pack of fart whistles. Just like that.
13. Calculator. So handy!
14. Calendar. Music to a planner’s ears.
15. Fandango. I can check movies’ schedules and just pop in. Admission: I haven’t been to a movie in the theater since Horrible Bosses.
16. Alarm. My wake-up song is “Dream On” by Aerosmith. I find that a little ironic, don’t you?
17. Movies. I have Elf loaded for those situations when you-need-the-kids-to-shut-up-and-will-they-just-watch-a-movie-in-peace. So you hand over your phone to their little, greasy fingerprinted hands.
18. Stud finder. As in, where the heck do I hang up this picture on the wall. Did you know there’s an app for that? Who knew.

I love my phone. I even paid to have Swarovski crystals put on the phone cover…

Psych. It’s just a sticker. $1 at Michaels. I call it: Bargain Bling.

In the past two days, I have been fortunate to meet up with two very good friends. And there were no kids in tow, imagine that.

One was over beer and appetizers yesterday after work. I like to say “apps” because, well, that sounds so much cooler. I have to admit, it’s been a long time since I went to happy hour with a girlfriend. I liked it and want to go again. Soon.

The second was a nice lunch today. In the middle of a busy work day. I took time out to meet up with a good friend I knew in high school. We lost touch and Facebook helped us reconnect again. Lots of good conversations, laughs, and silliness.

I do love Facebook for connecting with friends. You have little one-liner conversations with lots of different friends. But it’s sporadic. And Twitter is growing on me. It’s even crazier than Facebook. You’re Tweeting with people you don’t even know, but kinda want to get to know. Phone calls with friends rarely happen. I’m on the phone a lot for work. And evenings are pretty much shot. But if you do call me, call me after 10:00 p.m. and don’t be pissed if I fold laundry while I talk with you.

But it’s the face-to-face connections with friends that are so wonderful. And for me, these connections happen so infrequently. I’m always encouraging the kids to make new friends, have friends over, etc. But I need to listen to myself. It’s not “finding the time,” because who the hell has any extra time? It’s prioritizing what is important. I am now reprioritizing and reaching out to friends, in order to connect and reconnect in a more meaningful way.

Because that, my friend, is what life is all about.

I admit, I am not the greatest of cooks. But I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich. This is a staple at our house at dinnertime. They are quick and easy to make and sooo yummy. Throw some turkey slices on them and–pow–you’ve got a protein-packed, golden brown sandwich. If all goes well. However…

I also admit that I am also a fan of Facebook and Twitter. But these addictions don’t go so well with cooking grilled cheese sandwiches. I get caught up in commenting on other peoples’ posts, posting pictures of my beautiful sandwiches, and yapping on about what a great cook I am. Then what happens? Burnt grilled cheese.

It happens.