NaBloPoMo 11.27 - Twitter

I love me some Twitter!

Twitter is active 24/7. It's perfect for those nights I'm waiting for Sleep to arrive. I can scroll through messages from news organizations, movie stars, musicians and random people from around the world. How cool is that?!

I joined Twitter a couple of years ago because, well, everyone was doing it. Twitter was the new 'thing' and I just had to be there. Of course, I had no idea WTH I was doing. Realizing that this was no place for the mundane Facebook status updates, I asked a lot of questions. People were cool, helping me learn the lingo and rules. Finding people to follow was easy - I followed people because I liked a tweet (message) or the person lived nearby or because other people were following (read: lemming) or they're people I know in real life (IRL). Recently, I looked at my following list and thought "Why am I following this person?"

As much as I love Twitter, I am utterly bothered by RT requests. RT is Twitter 'speak' for "retweet" (read: re-post). Suppose someone you follow posts a news story, funny comment or a piece of advice you really like. By retweeting, you then share that post with all of the people who follow you. That is all fine and dandy. What bugs the crap outta me are the people who request a RT - "Hey ! Can I get a RT ?" Why does this bother me so much?

One person I follow has had quite an impact on me. His name is @BlackCanseco. I've followed hiim for quite some time and I've learned quite a bit. His posts tend to deal with race issues. And, that was part of the draw to follow him as I struggle with race and identity. I started to get into a whole thing...but I deleted it...perhaps this will be a future blog post...moving on...

Again, I've lost my train of thought - ACK!

Let's see...ok...I love Twitter :)

@TriLisaKay

Vague messages started to appear in my Twitter timeline. More messages trickled in later this evening ~ friends tweeted of being speechless and sad, angry and wanting to punch things, how bothersome things now seemed trite. It wasn't tough to figure out my Twitter friends had lost one of their friends.

Then I got a Twitter DM from K:

Lisa passed away either last night or this morning :(

The friend my friends lost had been one of mine. I had recently reconnected with Lisa, a fact she mentioned to K the night before, saying she was pleased I'd been wondering how she was. That warms my heart.

Speechless. Sad. Angry. Want to punch things. Bothersome things now seem trite. All of these are true.

Lisa was truly one of the good guys. She will be deeply missed. Loving thoughts of comfort and understanding to her family and friends.

Lisa was training for a race. The fundraising page will remain open. You don't have to donate; but it would be really cool if you'd visit the page and read of her struggles and victories.

Dear Lane Bryant...

Santa's good.

Two days before Christmas, I received an email from Lane Bryant heralding their day after Christmas sale. Bras and jeans on sale. I made a mental note because, really, when bras are 'buy 2 get 2' I'm all over it.

Lo and behold on Christmas Day, what does little Reesie get? Gift card to Lane Bryant. Well played, Santa!

So, off to Burbank I go the day after Christmas. I know, I know. Crazy Reesie out with the other crazies at the maul mall. I got into Lane Bryant by 8 o'clock that morning. I was out of the mall parking lot by 9:15 a.m.

I was the lone crazy person shopper in the store. Kid in the candy store, money burning a hole in my pocket, I looked around, wide-eyed at all that lay before me inside Lane Bryant. Like the responsible adult I am, I tell the girl I need bras and jeans for sure and maybe something fun if there's enough leftover.

I get measured. I try on. I select. I set aside. Moving to the wall of jeans, the gal asks my size. "4 yellow tall" [Lane Bryant has this 'Right Fit' way of measuring for jeans based on your shape]. "Oh, we don't carry talls in stores anymore."

You don't carry talls in stores anymore?! Huh? Wha?

"How am I supposed to get jeans?"
"Just go online and order!" She was a bit too cheery about this.
"How will I know if the jeans are long enough?"
"You can return the jeans to the store if they don't fit."
"So...I have to BUY jeans, WAIT 4-8 business days to get them, then TRY THEM ON?"
"Yes!"
"No!"

I have to buy jeans that may or may not fit, wait for them to arrive, then return if they don't. That just doesn't seem right. And, I tell the girl. Sorry for her. Why can't I go into the store and try them on, ensure they fit, then purchase? I was livid. The sales gal had me try on 'average' size jeans "for the fit" and then guessed how long the talls would be. Ai yi yi! A lot of stores increase the rise of the jeans and call them tall. Uh, my legs are long. I need length!

Later that night, I found Lane Bryant on Twitter (@lanebryant). Dear @lanebryant, Why did you take tall jeans and pants out of your stores?! I got a DM (direct message) saying all I had to do was order online.

Dear @lanebryant, I have to BUY jeans that may or may not fit?
Yes, then return if they don't fit you. Thanks!

Are you kidding me?! What a tremendous pain! These messages went on for 3 or 4 more rounds, each with a line that has nothing to do with anything, really - have them shipped to the store! There is no demand for talls! You can easily return to a store!

I have to spend money in hopes that the jeans fit? I've shopped like that for most of my life! Many is the number of times I've been tremendously disappointed when something I adored in a catalog didn't fit. It's frustrating. It's disappointing. And it pisses me off!

NOW where am I going to find tall jeans?

*sigh*

running on empty

I should really write things down.

Thursday morning I made a mental note to get gas at lunch or after work. Lunchtime was out - we went to Burrito Express. After work was the plan. Until Chickens IM'd - hey, let's go to Original Thai. OK!

Off to Original Thai, chat chat, eat eat, bye bye, hug hug. In the car, on auto-pilot, I drove home.

CRAP!

Fine. Mental note: get gas in the morning.

Fine.

Woke up late, rushing off to work. I didn't get gas.

Fine.

After work was the plan. Again. Until @illuminato emailed - hey let's do the new brew pub in Hollywood. OK!

Leave work. On Barham when I see the light The Light. What a funny little shape that is! What the...?! I prayed to make it over the hill and coast down to the gas station.

So much for prayer. In that situation at least. Friday night + Hollywood Bowl traffic + plus normal Barham traffic = Rissa running out of gas.

Pulled over into the parking lot of a liquor store. And waited for AAA. 37 minutes later, with half-tank of gas, I cruised into Hollywood to join my TwitterFriends for an impromptu TweetUp at a cool new brew pub.

Today, I am getting two things today - gas and post-it notes for my car.

there's a party going on right here...

I am addicted to Twitter.  Lys hipped me to Twitter several months ago; I just never checked it out.  Once I did?  It was over.  I was done.

OK - don't ask me "What is Twitter?"  I can't explain it.  You just have to check it out for yourself.  All I can tell you is that Twitter is fun, informative beyond belief and is what you make it.  I follow vastly different people ~ social media gurus, fashionistas, PR pros, celebrities, friends and random people I find completely fascinating for one reason or another.

A month or so ago, @gregbarnett and @demca decided to throw a shindig - TweetUpLA (not a meet up; a Tweet up)!  And that par-tay was Saturday night.  Damn!

A group of Twitterers from all over the place got together in Los Angeles to eat, drink and talk using more than 140 characters!  Such fun I tell ya ~ WiFi room with @moneke, PR talk with @tofu916, politics, travel and all things offensive with @treo700 and @jacklhasa (who BTW traveled with @scarab from the Southeast to be with us in L.A.!), music and the benefits of having a chocolate fountain with @drumgit.  @gregbarnett set up a photo booth; brave @slackmistress stepped up for her photo shoot ~ that girl got her "@" on big time!

Great people, fun atmosphere...left there with several new friends and a huge smile on my face.

Check out the pictures!