It's Pumpkin Carving Time

Neither Charles nor I could remember the last time we carved pumpkins, but we couldn't let that be the case this year. It's our first year in our new home and our neighborhood is filled with tricker-treating aged kiddos. So a couple of nights ago we literally dug around the bottle of the barrel and pulled up these pumpkins for our carving action.

Lucky for me, I caught an episode on TV that directed me to carving patterns. Who knew?! Geesh, that made it so much simpler. My pumkin's the one on the left and it's entitled "Starry Night." Can't see it all that well, but it's a kitty cat sitting on a moon looking at the stars.

Charles' pumpkin is the one on the right. Okay, that's where the description stops. You'll have to ask him what it means.

After carving I separated all the pumpkin seeds and I'm letting them dry before roasting them tomorrow. I have a feeling tomorrow's post will be yet more Halloween revelry. Hee-hee.

My Interview on Using Social Networking

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My First Utterz

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Oh, the Things You Will Learn

Typically don't post twice in a day, but I'm watching my friends Twitter about their experiences and what they're learning at Podcamp Boston today and this was too cool not to share.

Click here: Pistachio learns to Utterz

Utterz.com allows you to post audible content via your phone anywhere, anytime. Technology at it best!

Thanks, Pistachio!

Caught That Balloon

This lazy Saturday morning as I was sitting her twittering and viewing podcasts from Podcamp Boston, I heard the whooshing sound of what I've come to equate Saturday mornings to at my house - a hot air balloon.

So, I've determined, not only am I a techno-geek, but I have this avid love affair with hot air balloons.

They pass over my home every Saturday morning and I never tire of seeing them. Just where are they coming from? And seriously, what kind of spectacular view is this for them?

This time I was fast enough to grab my camera, run out to my front porch in my robe and share a glimpse with you. Yea! It's the simple things in life.

Bulldog Solutions' Company Party Proves Muy Bueno!

Bulldog Solutions has held an annual company party for three years now. Pretty impressive considering we're going into our fifth year of business. It's always near Halloween and costumes are highly encouraged.

The first year's theme, which I missed, was a Headbangers Ball. Last year was Boogie Nights. This year's occurred last night and the theme was Latino, which had a wide breadth to interpret and undoubtedly saw some of our best costume choices to date.

We've encouraged our employees to upload their own personal photos to a Flickr site we've created and we'll also soon upload some of the professional photographs we had taken as well.

Wanna know what crazy Bulldog Solutions' employees look like when their partying? Check it out the first sets of photos here: Bulldog Solutions Halloween.

Prior to the event we had created a set of three "Telenovellas" about a fictional story line happening in our offices and sent it out to those that received an invite. It was a great way for us to begin getting psyched for the night on the town.

We danced until after Midnight to the sounds of Grupo Fantasma at The Mohawk in downtown Austin. There was even a guy handrolling cigars. A huge hit of the night.

Ohhhh, what will we do next year . . .?

Austin Ranks #9 According to CNNMoney.com

The 360 Bridge by MacFarland Photography.

In today's article on CNNMoney.com, editors ranked Austin ninth in Best Jobs in the Hottest Markets.

Of course, I'm a bit biased and always think of Austin as the absolutely best place to work anyway.

Tweet Reasons on Why You Should Twitter

Part of our corporate intiative of late is to encourage our employees at Bulldog Solutions in Austin, Texas, to become more involved in Social Media and Networking and step beyond our city limits. We see it as a win-win both for them as individuals and obviously from a corporate standing as well. It simply makes sense to connect, to learn, to share.

On Twitter this evening, I found a post from Connie Reece to Sheila Scarborough. I briefly met Connie a few weekends ago down at Blogtoberfest down in San Marcos. We're connected on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. I've never connected with Sheila before, but after I finish posting this I'll add her to those I follow on Twitter and see where else we can connect.

Sheila posted a great article on ProBlogger today on why Twitter isn't a waste of time and included a great graphic of when other social media outlets showed up in our history and how they worked along with why you would use them. She notes, just as many of my friends ponder:

As a freelance writer/entrepreneur in her mid-forties, married with two kids, it’s hard to justify fitting one more thing into my life. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all of the available social media options; Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, StumbleUpon, etc.

So, why Twitter?

Think of it as a stream of mini blog posts (and we all know why blogging isn’t a waste of time.) Think of it as an interesting news feed. Don’t judge it by the continuously-updated public timeline of often pointless blather. The value is in your own micro-community of followers and who you choose to follow.

Great point and great commentary. If you're still trying to figure out where you fit into this new mix, check out the full article of: "Why Twitter Isn't a Waste of Time."

It's a Small World Afterall

It really is. It's especially small the more time you spend online. In case your not in the know it's called Social Media. It's connecting interests and genres and all sorts of things and quite simply making this huge world of ours smaller.

While I'm not amazed to the point of falling over in awe, I am amazed daily as I find more and more of my friends are of the virtual sort. We may have met briefly at some point or we may have met on line through friends of friends or we may have accidently bumped into each other on Twitter or Facebook or MySpace. However we connected, the fact of the matter is we connected. And most of these friends and I chat in our pajamas for goodness sake.

I like to think that I use my social network first and foremost for business connections. Since I'm the HR Manager / Recruiter for one of Central Texas' fastest growing companies, Bulldog Solutions, I'm always on the look out for our next potential hire.

But secondarily, I find myself using my network for socializing and peering into lives whether near or far.

This weekend I putzed around the house, but was also doing searches for a friend's project up in Boston. Laura Athavale Fitton and a slew of folks were taking part in Startup Weekend Boston where they created from scratch a company, DeskHappy and I believe will be launching its beta version before the night's over.

As I played around with that this evening I was also able to stay up to date on the Boston Redsox and I'm so not a sports watcher.

And all of this is what makes me think, yet again, how small our world has become.

Goodness, I'm liking the fall

Ahhhh! It really is fall. I keep waking to temps below 60 degrees and the crisp mornings are helping to start the days off right.

I've come to realize that I'm on a hot air balloon company's initial flight path, so I often have a chance to view hot air balloons passing over or near my back yard. I'm always hoping their on their way to see something more glorious than our neighborhoods fenced yards and me in my pajamas watching my pooches.

And yesterday when I stepped away from the office to grab a bite of lunch I saw this amazingly brilliant orange butterfly, but as I got closer to it I realized it was a Monarch, one of my favorite butterflies! Which made me realize it must be nearing their migration season. I remember seeing something about a place in Mexico where they all transcend for the winter. Hmmm . . . perhaps that's a research project for me this weekend. Find out where the Monarchs go and book a trip!

Coolio idea

I've worked for enough startups or startup look alikes that I know folks like tchochkes / giveaways / cool little gadgets and gizmos and t-shirts.

Found this site today: Startup Schwag - this group figured out how to help companies market themselves and get more stuff for those tchochkes collectors.

Amazing. Capitalism at its best.

This is what work feels like

I always joke around that kids would never want to rush through school if some adult told them the honest to God truth that they'd have to get up, act right and go to work for the rest of their life. Who in their right mind would want to do that?! Geesh, if I had my way I'd go straight from elementary / middle school to retired.

Of course, I'm not completely serious about that, but doesn't it seem like a nice dream. Me now tootling around in my RV?

I guess I would miss out on my first kiss

on my first love,

on my first heartbreak,

on my starter marriage,

on my new love.

But, it's work week's like I've been experiencing of late that would definitely have me wishing for the skip forward part.

Yet as I type this I remember how much I was energized even after the end of a long hard week sitting in my office in the quiet way past 5 on a Friday. The flip side is that even though there are tough topics that are discussed behind my HR door, there's also a lot of passion from people wanting and desiring to do the right thing. Whatever the right thing means.

It's the mentality of a start up and entrepreneurs and probably the number one reason that makes the more painful weeks worth it all in the long run.

Not that young any more

Okay, I knew making a one day trek from Round Rock to Dallas was going to be tough especially after getting in late the night before and it was. I'm thoroughly exhausted and thinking of the mundane things around the house I should be doing. Surely at one point today I'll be able to focus on those, but I bet there will be a nap in their somewhere.

Up until now though I've been surfing Twitter, Facebook and MySpace adding friends and making comments all the while clicking through programs that I've missed recently, but recorded on my digital recorder. This new world fascinates me. Almost real time communication with people from around the world. Technology is amazing. 10 years ago most of us would have never thought that a world like this existed and technology advances exponentially every day. What will 2017 be like? Gracious.

Yep, feel that nap calling my name.

Flittering around like a social butterfly

Okay, so my life typically isn't a jam-packed calendar filled with events to attend, but this week seems to be turning out a bit different with lots of places to go and people to see. I can't wait.

Heard from my dear friend Jen Sarver that she'll be flying into town tomorrow and there's a dinner with her Austin area friends. It's a Jen thing. She's my mentor in the socialite circles. She knows EVERYONE. She's involved in EVERYTHING. She's finishing her first collaborative book about women in politics. Too bad she's explained its a non-partisan view point. Funny, she's a staunch Republican who's collaborating with what she explained to be "flaming liberals." She then explained that she opening up her circle of friends. Good for her.

Then the next evening is an event I'm really looking forward too - Blogtoberfest down in my college down - San Marcos. I met a great guy on Facebook, the infamous Chris Brogan and not only was he kind enough to speak on Bulldog's weekly company-wide meeting last week, but he's one of the speakers at the event. I'm thrilled to learn more tricks of the trade from fellow bloggers.

Saturday morning is a an early, early one as Linda, Shannon, Sid, Lisa and I trek up to big D. No, not for the Texas / OU game, but rather the Dallas version of the Gem and Jewelry show. And let me tell you we are serious shoppers. We attend dressed in walking shoes and backpacks and we lug around our finds. We always spend more money then we expect to and come home with nifty beads and finding. Before we trek home we stop and have a nice dinner to talk about our day because honestly, no one really cares to hear about our adventures except for us.

Sunday - whew! I'm sleeping in!