Face It

So, if you're like me (and I know you're glad you're not) you probably are a Facebook user. AND if you're as old as me, you probably have made your children's lives uncomfortable just by being on Facebook AND even more uncomfortable if you requested to be their "friend." In my case, that was the reason I joined FB. It was a way my sons (Jake and Jeremy) kept in touch with each other, so I decided I'd do it as well. Since then I've come across all sorts of friends and family and just a week or two ago I added my 100th "friend!" (Who knew I could have even ten friends, right? Well, I'm over 100 so try to control your jealousy!)

For me, what's cool about FB is how much you can learn from the little blurbs (status updates) people post about themselves - or that others post about them. It's weird but when I finally see some of my FB friends live and in person. I feel like I have half a clue about the major things going on in their lives. On the other hand, there is a major problem with oversharing! Yeesh.

So, without naming (too many) names here are a few interesting tidbits I've learned about friends and family through Facebook:

* People under the age of 30 talk about drinking. A lot.
* I learned my niece was getting married the day she became engaged - as opposed to several months after the wedding, as has sometimes been the case.
* I learned a former co-worker who moved back east is also getting married - as opposed to never hearing from her again.
* One of my current co-workers always seems to post about one of two things: Nature or how dang busy her life is.
* A former co-worker took a month-long "sabbatical" from his current employer to go to spring training in Arizona and watch the Mariners play all month long!
* People I worked with when I first became a teller at U.S. Bank way back in the late 50s, er, 70s, have gone on to bigger and better things, had kids and even grandkids!
* Old friends from high school ended up with different lives than I would have ever expected. (And how one of the biggest geeks I have ever known seems to attract such, uh, attractive younger women is beyond me!)
* An old friend from Bend is now a State Representative in the Washington Legislature!
* My brother is weird.
* My new "biological" family is equally weird.
* My sons both have the weirdest sense of humor. I have NO IDEA where it comes from but holy cow are they funny!
* One of my best friends went back to visit his daughter in New York and, as a result of finding out about that on FB, we're now planning to go back at the same time this summer to visit both of our kids.
* One of my sons has become addicted to Soapnet. (One Tree Hill and the OLD 90210, especially)
* Both sons are addicted to The Hills
* I'm not nearly as good at naming 80's Rock and Roll songs as Lori Crawford is. Holy crap is she good!
* My all time favorite cartoon show is Jonny Quest. My all time favorite TV show is The West Wing. My all time favorite book is Lonesome Dove. But I already knew that.
* If I were to go back to college, based on the FB quiz I took, I should major in Humanities. Of course, as a confirmed hermit, I don't really like Humans all that much, so I don't think that's gonna work.
* The one son who gets picked on for being gay (even though he is NOT GAY - not that there's anything wrong with that) posts comments that are consistent with his heterosexual orientation.
* The other son, who is decidedly not gay, (not that there's anything wrong with that) goes out of his way to post comments about his current man-crushes and/or professing his love and affection to all his male friends.
* A childhood friend posts the most mysterious comments. Almost like he's living in a Dashiell Hammet detective novel - even though he still lives in the same house he grew up in, right next door to my parents.
* Some people look classier and more professional outside of work than they do at work.

There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know, but you read it anyway, didn't you? What is wrong with you anyway?

And if you hang out on FB but aren't my friend, well, then, you're dead to me . . .