Facebook Rocks! Or My Love Letter to Facebook

OMG! You just can't believe it happens to you till it happens.
I mean I've heard all the stories, read all the articles, and I just thought it was just good PR on behalf of Facebook. I mean really you don't see stuff like this everyday and when it happens wow!
My day started like every other day. I mean one minute I'm at my Job Search Room at the podunk HRA supported agency on my computer. Now they keep on telling me and my other job search participants that we should use the computer for job search only. (That's why even though my Case Manager is a part-time actor and would really love this site I can't show it to him because he'll do his job and report my ass.) But as it was beep that I mean I'm only here for a job training course in order to get my licence to become a Security Guard. (Don't ask! Need money, steady job, etc.) So looking for work isn't going to take up must time. However the point is that we're allowed to be in our e-mail so that we can send resumes and stuff so there I was when it happen.

I was looking through my e-mail when I saw the subject line: 'Codie G------ is requesting to be your friend on Facebook. No other important words meant so much to me as to see her name on a subject line requesting to be my friend. A little back story:
When I was a young hip wanna be writer and artist (unlike now when I'm a late 30's gonna be writer and artist.) I moved in with my Dad while going to college. My Dad had moved to Harlem shortly after his separation from his long time live-in girlfriend. (Him 55, she 60 something. It's a story, I'll tell ya later) Anyhoo, we moved from Hell's Kitchen to Harlem to this one bedroom apartment. My Dad sleeping in the living room and me with a bedroom all to myself. For a couple of months this was bliss and I just left dorm life and boy wasn't that a big waste of a college loan! (Again, you might hear more of this in another post.) Well, as I can recall it was the Fall of 93 or so and I was just sitting on the steps in front of our apartment building when this medium height chocolate brown gal in braids stepped into my life with one hand full of shopping and another hand holding this adorable toe-head child of hers. At the time I was pretty bummed. It was my 1 st year here in Harlem and I lived in a building full of either ultra shy or really stuck up people, (depending on who you finally got to say 'good morning' to), and I was really lonely and self-conscious. It didn't stop me however from being the over-friendly cuss that was the bane of my mother when I was a child. For me the saying a stranger is a friend you just haven't met yet was not just words it was a blooming lifestyle!
Anyhoo! There she was coming down the stairs and there I was sitting on the stairs. I immediately remember my manner that were drummed into me by both parents at separate time in my life and got up to give her and her sweet toddler some room to go down the stairs.
I said "Excuse me " or something like that and then preceded to open the apartment building door for her. She said "Thank you. Your so kind" or something to that affect and we both went into the building together.

At this point as we waiting for the elevator and since nature and Clueuin (M.R) abhor a vacuum I started to blather. "Your new here? I have just moved here." And other pleasantries that I this point in my life I'm lucky to remember my own name much less what was said 16 years ago. All I do remember is we just started gabbing like we were old friends forever or something. I cooed at her son, she told me that she lived in the building for quite sometime, and schooled me on the inhabitants of the building. I told her about my downstairs neighbor who hated me and my Dad and took every opportunity to complain about the so called noise I was making and about living with my Dad. And she said just the right thing, that my neighbor was a stuck up bitch and my Dad sounded like a sweetheart. (Leaving crumbs on the counter and collecting cans and putting them in the closet non-withstanding. But hey I loved him and still do.)
I just thought though that Codie was the coolest, smartest (street smart), funniest person I ever met and she made me feel like I was the coolest, smartest (book smart), funniest person she ever met. It was if God said "Honey I know you miss your dear departed sister Beverly and I know no one can replace but how about this kid as your friend and companion." And said after knowing her a few years till she moved.

Oh the times we had! We laughed, we cried, we both yelled at her boyfriend when he was acting up, and tease him unmercifully when he was being funny. (And that was a lot, Anthony was one crazy cuse!) It was like every other day I was at her apartment laughing, sharing, and occasionally drinking the night away. (Hey sometimes the gal had to kick me out. I mean a gal gotta sleep sometimes. LOL.) Then she had to move down south and I was the most bummed creature on earth. I cried, she cried, the boy cried, we all cried, but she had to go. Codie had her son to think of and she needed a better life than what she was living then. I still had the crazy idea that my life would be perfect if only I had my own apartment. (Pfft. Who knew?) I was thinking that she was the luckiest person on earth and I was going to be stuck living with my Dad (as nice as he was/is) and going from job to job without getting published which was/is my dream. Now I didn't even have a best friend to chat with. I had her new phone # (which years later I lost) but it wouldn't be the same. I thought.
So that is the brief saga of meeting my bestest friend in the whole wide world next to my step-sister (whom I will always call my sister) Beverly. Here in lies the rest of my Facebook saga which had me reunited with my soul sista:

So where was I? Oh yeah on the Internet, looking at my e-mail, and finding that friend request in the subject line. It took all the discretion and strength I had not to jump up and scream. ('Cause I didn't want to get busted.) I immediately went to Facebook while shiftily looking from my screen to my case mgr.'s desk in order to contact my soul sista with the quickness. I accepted her as my friend, she e-mail me, I e-mail her. Called her the next day and we started chatting like it was yesterday and I was in her kitchen at her apartment telling her about my day. Except now I was at my Job search center instead of her kitchen and she was oh, just 500 miles away with three kids instead of the one and that toe-headed child is now 16 years old.
I must say this I don't care what anybody has to say about Facebook the company, the President of Facebook, it's trails, tribulations, or criticisms of it in any way shape or form. I love Facebook and I will be a loyal user till I die or whenever they go out of business and close down their site. (Which I don't think will happen anytime soon, thank you very much!)
If it wasn't for Facebook I would still be search on a Internet search engine for my friend Codie (because like a dumb ass I lost her number and her mother's number) wonder what was happening in her life and thinking that she must think I'm the worst friend in the history of friendship. Which she doesn't, God bless her, she says that when ever anyone ask her about who is her best friend, Codie says M-------. I love you Codie and yeah.......

I LOVE YOU FACEBOOK!!!!!!

The Guy in the Tie Part 3

Yes ladies and gentleman the final installment of "The Guy in the Tie" or "The Guy with the Tie" whatever the case maybe because if I don't start writing this it will never get finished and I know my fans are getting antsy, all two of them. LOL So without further ado.......

So I went with the Guy into Starbucks and we looked around for a seat. There on the left of use just to inches from the entrance where some booths, tables, and seats. A man and a woman were sitting in the booth and two chairs were there in front of their table. They were well dressed and filled with the aura of comfortably well off Yuppies till one of them spoke, then they went even lower in my estimation. (You'll see what I mean in a minute.)

So Guy when up to them and asked the man if he could take two of the chairs. Now at this point I was already having misgivings. "Why I'm I here? Just look at the stuck up Yuppy? Why didn't I just tell him that I had an appointment and leave."

Flashing back I realized that he had said that I could ask him any question I'd like and that he didn't have any intentions of trying to get into my pants. So I sighed and paid a little more attention to what my new companion was saying.

The Yuppies in the Booth was claiming that they were saving the seats for they friends and the Yuppie Guy was quite adamant about not giving up the seats. I'm thinking, "Great maybe we can sit somewhere else." And "Or Maybe forget the whole thing. Nod smile keep it moving"

Well Guy in the Tie was wasting time trying to get the Yuppie Guy to compromise. "Are you sure I can't just have one chair...for the lady at least? I promise it won't take long." Well Yuppie Guy, heretofore now to be called Euro-trash guy, wasn't having it. " No. I told you that thee chairs, they are for some else. Now go away!"

After that little effeminate statement I almost saw red. I mean o.k Guy with the Tie may have pressed his issue a bit too much but, damn! " It's o.k. *-------." I said brusquely and tiredly. "Let the little man have his chairs. O.k? I'm sure we can find somewhere else to sit. Umph!" I sort of snorted after that sentence. Well the Euro-trash guy sort of bristled after that and tried to bring my ass into the little disagreement. " I just told this old man that dees seats they were taken. Is it my fault that he is deaf?" I turned back and said to him; " Don't you bring me into your shit, o.k? You've made your little point you little Euro-trash! Now if you will excuse us we will be leaving now. Come on *------ let go!" Well have you ever met a man that never has the common sense to just let a woman have the last word. Well Euro-trash was that man.

"Who are you calling Euro-trash! I'm from Brooklyn!" (Yea, right!) "Your from Brooklyn? With a phacaca accent like that your from Brooklyn. Well hon, I'm from Brooklyn, New York USA, and if your phony ass self is from Brooklyn then I'm Tyra Banks! Come on *-----!" And with that I took Guy with the Tie by the arm and walked to the counter where they keep the Coffee condiments where I leaned on the window up against the wooden bar.

"Now you said something about talking?" I said trying to drag back my usually cool demeanor. " Sorry about that *------, I usually don't lose my cool like that but rude people like that set my teeth on edge." I said after I notice the Guy with the Tie's bemused look on his face. " No, don't worry about it. Look we can't sit here and have a relaxed conversation with you standing here like that I'll be right back." As he went I noticed that he was going right back to Euro-trash's table. "Oh, no *------, don't go there it's o.k! We can get a seat...."

But by the time it took for me to finish that sentence, GWTT went off and grab the chair. It was just then I notice that Euro-trash was joined by only one other person besides the woman that was with him from the start. " Why that little lieyer!" I thought "Here he his making a big deal about saving seats when he only needed one. What a bastard!"

So GWTT came back with the chair to where I was standing looking at him bemused and bewildered. And him coming back as if he personally slay a dragon for me or something. I laughed shook my head and hell yeah I sat down. "So go ahead asking me anything and remember you can ask anything you want. Just ten questions and you will find out all about me." GWTT said smiling. "O.k GWTT as Sherlock Holmes said to Watson the game's afoot!" I thought to myself as I began to ask him questions in my quest to see what his game was. Here below are my questions as best as I can remember them and his answers.

1. What's your religion?

When I ask him that he was quite taken aback because he didn't expect that question. Little did he know that I was really asking him that question to gauge what his game was because if it was some kind of religious conversion trip he was trying to take me on. I was going to ask him a couple of follow-up questions;(like are you some kind of missionary?), then politely and firmly tell him good day. I don't take to prostenlizing because I believe that any Christain's actions should speak for themselves louder that any preaching can. (For more on my issues stay tuned for upcoming posts.) Well GWTT's answer was that he was raised Espipalian in Boston but has not been to church for quite sometime.

2. So does that mean that you don't believe in God?
(Follow up question just in case and just in case he was some kind of cult recruiter. I don't take kindly to any kind of prostenlizing in any religion and MR does not shave her head for no one!) GWTT: "Well yes of course it's just that I believe in God all around us. In the earth, the trees, nature, you know in the people we met, etc."
For awhile there I was nervous because I felt; "Oh, here we go now he'll expound on his little group in the basement that just hangs out and talks about nature while smoking funny leaves and banging drums. (Not that I have a problem with that or anything as I meditate twice a month and I practice some visualization techniques but now funny leaves now MR don't mess with that. See previous statement about issues.) However after he pauses and asked: "Do you? I mean you don't have to answer that of course, for some there religions views are a private matter." I relax and told him that we sort of shared the same views. (Which of course I won't go into here, right now.)

3. Have you ever been in a relationship?
Now I know what ya'll been thinking and no this was not my little cute way of a pick-up line. Geez folks I'm in my late 30's and GWTT was in his 60's if he was a day. I just wanted to see if he was looking so I could see if he was using this question and answer time to try to pick me up. You know if his reply was going to be something cute like; Why are you looking for someone? Or I'm looking for a young girl like you what do ya say, kid?, so I can drop the bomb on him and say, Oh no y0u didn't! It was just a question, geez what's wrong with you and leave in a huff. You see I was setting a trap and hope (maybe not because he was quite a nice old man and it would have sicken me to find out that was what he was really after.) that he would jump in so I could do that. I think I this point I really was worried about whether I should continue this conversation with a stranger and wanted to be put at ease. Any any rate he said that he was married twice and divorced (yea you guess it) twice and was not looking for another opportunity to try for that experience ever again in his life.

(Now this was just me being nosy and shut up!)

4. What happen in your relationships for you to feel that way?

GWTT explained that his relationships didn't work out because of his job in radio and that he didn't spend enough time with wife 1 and wife 2 had issues. They just didn't work out. I told he that he didn't have to go into that if he didn't want to and we move on.

5-10. Was just about his hobbies, his interest, what was the most interesting book his every read. Mostly questions just to fill the time and to find out if we had any common interests as friends. (And nothing more so keep your mind out of the gutter!) F.Y.I His most interesting book: "Wind in the Willows" and some intellectual political tome I hadn't heard of but it open up a conversation on both our literary views and political ones.

In the sweet by and by I noticed the time and told him that regretfully I had to go. I wanted to go to the Pasterria and then go and find a book at Barnes & Nobles before going home to cook. It was getting late so I wanted to do this before those places closed. We shook hands, hugged, and he asked for my phone number.

(Sound of brakes squeaking)

What? No, Naw, uh, uh. I don't ever give out my phone number to strangers I've barely met. Not even if there my age and a damn site cuter than Guy with the Tie. However he and I had this rapport and I thought that it would be nice to give him my e-mail address. I offered and he replied, " I don't have an e-mail address and I don't believe in them." At this point I raised my left eyebrow. He explained. " You see I believe to face to face contact and voices on the phone connecting. It's from my time in radio." At this point he could have been regurgitating the Genesberg Address for all I cared. I heard it all before from technophobes and the like who just didn't understand the Internet. I was firm yet polite and tried to do my usual, 'You know you should really try it there is so much your missing out of and it's not that hard to learn speech.' Of course he was firm and polite about it and even at the mention of my poetry blog he didn't bit. For all I said I could have been speaking Mars language. At any rate we left it at that. I went to the Pasterriea and Barnes and Noble ate a deletable apple tart with chocolate stripes and read a really good Gaimen book with a warm feeling of having had a good conversation and a pretty good time.

That was till I saw him at Barnes and Nobles and he saw me and walked up to me saying, "Hi, fancy bumping into you here. I smiled wanly and he finally noticed the book in my hand and said; "Well again, it was nice meeting you. I don't want to interrupt your relaxing ready so till we met again." Then he waved and went on his way.

I am such a typical New Yorker. Sigh.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little adventure. Stay tuned in to my little blog for my next Post and a totally different topic. And hey tell your friends, the more fans the merrier.

Sorry, Times up! Tune in Friday for the Last Installment of Guy with Tie!

Gee, I hope all my fans got a chance to see a picture of me on my blog because as of today I'm taking it down. Already I've gotten a friend request from some guy in real estate; so  I'm thinking it's time to take it  down before we have a starker situation up in here.

Now to all my friends, fans, and such like I just like to say thank you for showing up! Sometimes you make new friends and sometimes you lose them before you get to know them better. At anyrate I just wish that some of those friends who decided to break things off would tell me why and any new friends in future to try to keep an open mind. Not every person is going to agree with every person they meet but in the end it's the caring about people period that matters.

 Well that's my soapbox speech for the day. See ya'll on Friday.

Peace,

Clueuin

A gift for all my fans....All three of them.

Will be getting that third part of the true to life story sometime next week. To hold you over if any of you are Facebook fans you have up to five days to take a look at my photo. Drool your little hearts out or laugh till ya bust don't care just do it in five days! Look at Clueuin's Facebook badge. 

Peace,

Clueuin

P.s Don't go using my real name in any comments please. 'Cause try as  I might I can't hide my name on facebook don't ask me why. But well anyway five days counting from now so if you don't see the badge after that......

.....Tough Nugges!

The Guy with the Tie (Part 2)

I've decided to make this a three parter, partly because my hand is tired and partly because I'm so busy with work that I can barely think straight. Even though I don't have much of a readership as it stands. I just could let an incident like this go by without imputting it in for posterity. So future readers enjoy! M.A.R

You see at first I thought he was a part of this table I had passsed that was giving out fashin tips for free. I had passed that table on my way to the median where he was standing. So for awhile there I thought that he was with them. When of course all he did was give me compliments on my hair, smile, and laugh my secound thought was; "I hope this old guy in't trying to pick me up. (Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect for the elderly and if a guy in't over 55 there is no problem with me dating somebody near the line. I 'm talkin g 54 and under within a year shy of his 55 birthday. What do you think? Too picky? Anyhoo!

He was in his sixties if he was a day to my eyes and he wasn't trying to pick me up. (Later on he said he was 75 years old. Well put together I'd say. Still athough cute still not my type.) The Guy in the Tie said as much as I tried to extrivate myself from tje man with the twikle in his eyes.

He wasn't quite thur with me however. After he assured me that he wasn't trying to pick me up he explained that he just wanted to talk to me because I looiked like such an interesting person and that he loves to talk to interesting people. The Guy with the Tie also mentioned that he was always that way and that's why he wnet into radia when he was younger. As much as I was in crudules about his so -call interests in getting to know a perfect stranger I could quite believe that he was in radio. He had an affable voice that lent itself to a relaxed conversational tone. I say this pass tense because when I had asked him if he was still in radio; still think that maybe he was working for the ladies at the table; he said no, that he was retired.

So what I had here was a mystery tio solve. Who was this guy if he wasn't with those Free Fashionistas behind me? Why was he talking to me, the fact of my gorgouness non-withstanding? What is his game? There had to be a con of something. If so I could'nt wait to turn him down flat. Cute old man or no cute old man I would give it to him with both barres, Brooklyn Style! Finally in the cavacade of mystery I had one more question that needed asking. How come he was out here walking up to people in the street, his quest for interesting people non-withstanding.

So was it my curiosity and thirst to uncover the mask behind this seemly benign elderly gentle man? (Because he was for all intents and purposes a gentleman of the highest order.) I had to find out. So when he asked me if we could find someplace to sit down and talk some more after some pointed questions about what , I do for a living. (Hey quid pro quo people, I did ask about him first!) I went with him across the street to one of the many obsequious Starbucks. (This one was next to a McDonald's.) 

What happen next? Boy can't you wait to find out! I mean this little ole true life short story is beginning to take on epic proportions! It's like a saga already! Whooo! Meanwhile I've haven't seen any comments on it. Not even a "Are you nuts!" In case anybody's concerned I'm still alive. Pfft. Tune in next month! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The Guy in the Tie

I wrote this two weeks ago, it was such an odd and interesting thing that happen to me so I thought I share. It's a two parter because I'm a very busy woman of late folks. Enjoy!....





It was just an ordinary day in the life of this intrepid writer. You would probably think that nothing in this diva's life is ordinary buy go with me on this. ( I mean I don't start the day with blue birds singing out my window, with squirrels and chipmunks getting me dressed. Me calling myself a diva is a state of mind after all. No champagne and caviar for this girl I'm afraid.) Any way back to my ordinary day.

I mean it was a slightly special day for me but that's not saying much because it was payday. Which in and of itself is not so special to the many people who receive paychecks on a weekly and bi-weekly biases. This being my first paycheck after a drought of no paycheck made my day a special ordinary day.

Well as I wended my way thur the thoroughfare of Union Square my stomach full of hamburger and french fries from University Resturant and my pocketbook fill with cash from my meager but well needed paycheck; I met an special but ordinary man. I will refer him in this writing as the Guy in the Tie. You'll see why later.

To this day, (and from this hour that I write this), I still don't know what made me stop and listen much less continue to talk to the man. Perhaps it was the way this many approach me with a compliment to my hair. Quite gregariously with a sweet smile on his benign face. "I just love your hair it's so beautiful, with the red and the black. Oh!" He said, this Guy With The Tie.

Why would I be taken in by such blatant compliments? I wonder; was it because I was wearing a wig and was subconsciously worried that it wasn't up to my usual standards? I had trouble combing it . (Ever try to comb a wig without a wig stand folks?) Anyway I was enjoying the compliment and felt it cam from an honest place despite the appeal to my vanity. Don't get it twisted of course I'm a quintessential New Yorker. I was going to take my complement and run. A quick pace nod and smile then I would wend my way to my next destination. A new french Pastry shop,, neo-french I believe, called Pasterrie. Then off to Barnes & Noble. A regular New Yorker would smile, nod, and stave off the Guy with the tie for fear of the other shoe dropping. The con, the gag, the mugging, the proselytizing, that may come if we stay and gab with complimentary strangers.

But then even though I am a quintessential New Yorker, I have an unusual proclivity to an unusual personality quirk; I just love a good conversation.

So after I smile at him and said as I laughed;

"Thank you, your so sweet!" As I said I was going to go on my way when he followed up with another compliment bomb. " Oh and such a lovely laugh. Did anyone ever tell you that? Look at you and such a lovely smile!" He went on and on in that vein till he told me that he wanted to know me better.

Now before I go on I must do due justice to this man and the situation I found myself in. First I will describe him, then I'll explain how I ended up talking with him at one of the many obsequious Starbucks in Manhattan. (This one across from Union Square Park next door to a McDonalds.)

The Guy in the tie was an elderly gentleman of average height wearing a blue shirt with white paid stripe, wearing a red tie that had gold colored Teddy bear and clocks; I remembered that his shoes were brown and that he wore glasses. Tied together with neat gray hair parted to the side and you can see that even though I was taken aback a little by this man's shock and ahhh barrage of compliments, I still found myself staying around to see where this was going.



.....Stay tuned there's more next week!

Yaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!

Obamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Now that I have shared the joy, I am now going to share some news.
When I started writing this blog I decided to only focus on local stuff that
was fun but being a daughter of a politically sensitive father has it's downside. :/
So as a result of things current and past I've decided to dedicate a page just for
my political rantings. Believe it or not though I will be just as tough on my democratic
friends as my Republican neighbors so don't worry I won't be totally partisan.
As it is my new leader Obama won't want me to be that way and remember friends I
have issues with the U.S goverment at large so Washington you are on notice. Just
one more citizen that will be voicing her opinion and will be on your case if you don't get
you hands out of every U.S Citizens pockets and your hand out to every lobbiest with an
agenda.
How I am going to do this and write in this blog and my poetry blog as well? With a lot of weekends and coffee folks, with a lot of weekends and coffee folks. I've got a job too so you might not hear from me as much. But since my current audience is about four people, I think Chris, NY Nerd, Ron Lopez, can hang in there for a bit.
One more time before the Brooklyn Public Libarary in Flatbust kicks me out.
Obamaaaaaaaaaaaa!