Bear with me as posts may be thin for a few days in preparation of our Home Free Tour - kicking off this Sunday.

We've sold the house, have a few boxes left to pack and store, then will be underway.

Will we connect along the route? I sure hope so - the route is listed on the site, so shout out if we can connect.

Thanks! More soon...

Ginger

Don't wait. Smell them now.

Most students dress extremely casually these days. Granted when I was in college, casual was in vogue as well, yet not nearly as totally get-up-out-of-bed-and-go-to-class-in-whatever-I-can-find.

The realization was this. What you look like matters - perception - regardless of how politically correct it is or not. We're human after all and we'll judge subconsciously or consciously.

Perception and impression. Easy to quickly judge, dismiss, gauge, decide. Give yourself the benefit of a good first impression and be aware and savvy of how you look.

Think beyond yourself, consider others.

It made me ponder the following two things specifically:

1. How and why do we bring back the past? (is that paradoxical?)

2. Soft questions, hard questions (in an interview format) - what makes each kind of question what they are?

As an aside, when I raised me hand and asked the guys what kind of social media they were using to help spread the word of the project, they were miffed. As a friend pointed out afterward, when I told them that they had not understood what I meant, surely - they are using social media. Texting and so forth.

Perhaps simply not under that label or title.

Hmmmm.

Here's us at last Friday's Central Iowa Bloggers meet up. SO many great, engaged, fun, boisterous, helpful people. What an amazing manifestation of what the blogging community can be like. I will miss it - more specifically the people - terribly.

Jenni, Derek, Michael, Mike, Mike, Doug, AB...and all the others who make it fantabulous.

I'll just have to plan on starting one elsewhere.

Can do.

This time I donated the curly locks - felt great! Usually I just get impatient and shave it or get it all cut off. Totally worth the wait to give it away.

To me this is an opportunity to connect the to our Greater Community, to give (literally) something of myself to a cause that can use it - plus what else am I going to do with  10+" of hair!?

After all, to me, it's just hair. To someone else, it's most likely something all together different. Happy to give.

I highly recommend you try it - it's worth the wait. Plus many salons will cut it free when you donate it. Nothing hair-raising about that!

I'll do it again...in 2 years when it grows out...

p.s. I think my Mom and my husband had too much fun shaving me clean!

Indeed, t'was my pleasure to present The Power Of The Customer Experience to such a fine looking engaged crowd.

Hope to be Pioneering again soon.

Ed's a wonderful person, very community minded (both the local community and the larger Community). He's a gem and I love him dearly. As a runner of many years, I appreciate his starting to participate in these organized walks.

Why?

Well, this is one way to connect to your community, to get exercise, donate for causes you believe in, and to have a great time.

Ed's a very social person too so he gets the benefit of meeting others, and others get the pleasure of meeting him.

Sign up for a local 5K, 10K, walk, run, stroller whatever event soon. It's a terrific way to hit multiple nails on the head.

Just try to stretch first!

Bummer! Regardless, we had a fun conversation, I offered to be available to her when the opportunity arose for us both, and we kept in touch.

Voila!

A while later she did in fact contact me again this time per a subject matter that I could be of help on (she's a terrific freelance writer.)

Fast forward..we'll get to meet in person this late fall. I'll be traveling cross country and she has generously offered to connect, Can't wait!!

For a number of reasons.

Connectivity happens all the time if you simply pay attention.

See you soon Claire!

Should you honk your horn or beep it? If so, whichever it is, when should you do it? And why? And why not?

Regardless what you call it, honking/beeping is an audible non verbal way to communicate. To connect with another automotive driver, walker, passer by, animal, what have you.

What are we trying to communicate when we honk or beep? How are we trying to connect?

It differs with every beep, with every honk, with every circumstance.

Do you honk enough? Do you beep too much? (Spare everyone the hand gestures, please.)

Photo courtesy of Flickr by net_efekt