Check Me Out on Ning.com at the Jen Channel

I just began my own Ning social networking site. That platform rocks! And it's mostly all free! You can add videos, photos, music, widgets, blog posts and create your own groups and start your own forums. It comes with its one themes or gives you the freedom to design your own. Ultra cool! And it's easy for even the novice web design person. No technical knowledge is required.

I am still working on adding content, but here it is: jenchannel.ning.com/

Stop by and say hello!

Jen

Still Alive - Reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"

Life has finally slowed down since the holidays and other eventful occurrences in my life.

When I'm not working, I'm on a blogging frenzy, writing my way through the many people, places and things I encounter, sharing with the masses.

If you're a reader, check me out at observedinbooks.blogspot.com and thatswhatithink.net.

As a Southerner trying to rediscover her roots, I also began southerneratlarge.blogspot.com. Feel free to compare notes.

I'm still here, lest anyone think I dropped off the face of the earth

I am usually to be found on Facebook, but I am currently writing in a blog at grnline2grnbelt.livejournal.com

Suddenly hearing from long lost friends on MySpace & Tribe

Life has gotten really interesting lately. I have often been amazed at the power of the Internet to connect me with the people in my life and interesting people I meet randomly. However, in the past 2-4 weeks, at least four friends I had not heard from in many years have looked me up and found me (here on Tribe and on MySpace). One of them told me I popped into her head and she decided to see where I was at and Googled me.

I mentioned this to a coworker who said it's probably just coincidence, but I think there are reasons for all things that occur in our lives, and the sudden contact from these long lost friends both puzzles me and makes me smile at the wonder of modern communications.

Gremlins are afoot in my life lately

Boy, do the punches just keep on flying at me, it seems. First, I had a Maxi fuse blow in my car that killed the ignition, financial binds and more financial binds, and then, the windshield cracked by a stupid vandalizing kid, then I dropped and broke my XM unit and now I've killed my brand spankin' new Alpine radio on the same day I am going to get these marvelous new speakers and an amp installed. I had pictured myself blissfully driving away, jammin' to some tunes Friday evening; now, not so sure how that's going to go.

I am asking myself if, A) It could be just a fuse that blew; B) If I can request a replacement and they will give it to me, or if it will be considered my fault and not valid for that, or if C) I must buy a new one all over again -- and also, if they can still install the speakers and the amp if I don't have a working radio in there tomorrow morning.

It was already a hectic morning, because I was running late trying to run back and forth and get everything in my car from having cleaned out my trunk last night (in preparation for my speakers installation) to drop off in Greenbelt, Maryland, on my way by my occasional residence and because I had only just realized at 7 a.m. or so that I had to get the stereo equipment into the trunk for that afternoon -- and, of course, everything had to be wedged to fit into the trunk, or it would be very visible to anyone who might want to break into my car; and it was already time to get on the road for the one-hour-plus commute on I-495 to work - Fun, fun, fun.

It's at times like this that I miss Wyoming and my formerly 8-min. drive around the corner to work.

Yeah, it's been an interesting morning.

She stood on the Metrorail platform...

She stood on the Metrorail platform waiting for the next Yellow Line train, floating in space like a ghost sucked dry of emotion, stymied by fear, silently recriminating herself for her inability to censor her thoughts that morning -- thoughts which she had poured out into a tirade of meaningless gripes on this dismally gray-skied morning because it was the easiest way for her to communicate. Thoughts that did nothing but rekindle the same old fears, the same doubts she'd whirled around in her mind over and over, many times past.

Then, knowing she could do nothing more to resolve her mistakes already made, she waited. The doors to her transit opened, and she stepped aboard, then briefly emerging to see the sunlight glinting off of the Potomac not far from a gauzy, office building-muddled skyline nestled in the background -- the world of work calling her forth to swallow her up for the next six hours.

If only she could just learn to BE, without trying to BE, without analyzing her existence every step of the way for flaws and accept whatever Fate saw fit that she be dealt. If she could learn to let go of the need to save face, to appear unbreakable and to keep from losing control; then, and only then, she might know happiness.

Finally getting XM radio

I found an XM satellite radio kit for car and home for 50 bucks this weekend and bought a $55 gift card at Sam's Club. I finally took the plunge, and I will be glad not to have to listen to these local Baltimore and Washington, DC, stations anymore. Next week's commute will be much more enjoyable.

Snow on Cinco de Mayo? Ouch!

I moved from this part of the world, Casper, Wyoming, about seven months ago. I read this article today and was glad I am not there for this crazy weather. Snow on Cinco de Mayo! I was in Columbia, Maryland, toasting in the holiday with a premium margarita at Don Pablo's restaurant.

www.casperstartribune.net/artic...57.txt

My new website

thatswhatithink.net

Check it out and let me know what you think. Add it to your social bookmarking, if you have any lists and like the site. I will find many topics to address at this URL.

Thanks.