Identity, What an Idea!

We're here.  We made it through the week... starting with "introduction" on Monday, "involvement" on Tuesday, "interaction" on Wednesday, "investment" on Thursday, yesterday "influence", and today... finally...

Identity.

No more suspense.  Cassie P. guessed it right when she identified the picture as a batch of cookies made to look like light bulbs (174 to be exact).  Katie (still in Texas, but I'm sure thankful to be leaving on a plane later this morning) and I baked these cookies, because thriving communities have a strong sense of identity.  Often times that group identity manifests in some kind of physical way.  

It can be a logo.  If you see a metal fish affixed to the back of a car, what might you know about the driver?  Chances are he or she is Christian.  What about the "W" stickers that were so prevalent in the 2004 presidential elections?  The swish on the side of a sneaker?  Or, the apple on a computer?  What if I asked you to describe the emblem most associated with the Olympic games.  Could you do it?  Chances are yes.

Why?  Because each of these communities or organizations has done such a masterful job of creating a symbol so recognizable, that the image actually speaks volumes.

The Greek system on college campuses is another place where group identity is communicated through symbols.  Sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts, bumper stickers, key chains, jewelry, and even tattoos are sported by students all over the country, in an effort to proudly announce group identity.  Sports teams are the same.  We mentioned Packer fans earlier in the week when talking about investment, but athletic paraphernalia also illustrates the power of identity.  What color are packer uniforms?  Did you say yellow and green?  Then it works.

Identifiable images, logos, emblems, and colors all work to help communities differentiate themselves from the rest of the population.  It's quick, it's easy, and it allows proud members of a community to communicate their affiliation without having to say anything.  It's also efficient.  Need to go to the rest room?  Depending upon how badly you need to go, you might be very glad you don't have to waste time determining which rest room is which.  The universally accepted symbol for men and women's rest rooms, is efficient and comes in handy.  The symbol for handicapped parking is similar.  Group affiliations help comprise pieces of our identity and those identities are often communicated through symbols like those mentioned above.  

Back to the light bulbs.... 

I've spent some time thinking, and consulting with others, about an image I might use to further develop a sense of identity among the highlowaha readers.  I've been through many ideas and even more renditions of those ideas.  I keep coming back to the light bulb.  It's simple, clean, and almost immediately conjures up the notion of "ideas."  I want to play with it some more and find a way to integrate a heart into the graphic.  Why?  Put on your creative cap.  What do you think of the tag line... "Fall in love with a new idea." ... followed by highlowaha.com.

  

As for the cookies.  We're packaging them in cellophane bags and delivering them to every family at my son's daycare.  It's a promotional gimmick, designed to see if we can pull in a new reader or two.  Today cookies.  Tomorrow t-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, screen savers... and did someone say tattoos?  A girl can dream.

Signing off until tomorrow... yes, tomorrow.  I've had a number of requests for an update about pen pal weekend.  Sunday I'll post the pics, along with updates about some other highlowaha initiatives.  Finally... Monday we will have a guest writer.  Next week is a big and fun week.  You won't want to miss it!

Free For All Friday: "I" Can Hear You!

A sneak peek at Altoid table progress!

In the spirit of community... WELCOME Chaotic and thank you for coming forward.  We are thrilled to have you as a new contributing member.  I will wait - literally with baited breath- to see what promotional idea you're working on this Saturday.  Also, thanks again to Sara who gave up her "lurker" status to become an active participant.  The community will be richer because of our new additions.  Now a clue about today's word.

What do m&m's, American Idol, Starbucks, and November 4, 2008 have in common?  Answer... they are all excellent examples of people having opportunity to influence their communities.  Remember when m&m's polled the country for what color candy shell should replace the light brown shell being retired?  I'm no expert on m&ms (I'm allergic), but I think it was blue that won. 

 

What about American Idol... an entire t.v. show built around the audience influencing who ultimately wins?  This year the battle was between the David's (Cook and Archuletta).

Starbucks also got smart and created their own way for community members to have influence.  Mystarbucksidea.com is a promotional gimmick inviting customers to share their best ideas for Starbucks innovations.  Log into the site and leave your idea so that fellow Starbuck loyalists can give it a rating.   A team of Starbucks staff members read the public responses to suggested ideas, stealing the good and providing a polite thank- you for the rest.  My idea... a Starbucks "coffee book," showcasing all the fun Starbuck's communities and friendships that have popped around the country.  It hasn't gained traction to date, but I'm holding out hope. 

November 4, 2008 is the day American citizens get to influence our ultimate community by voting for our next President of the United States.  A small public service announcement... "Please Vote."  If you aren't registered yet, the deadline in most states is a minimum of thirty days prior.  Each state has different deadlines and rules, so if you are unsure visit declareyourself.com.

You guessed it.  The fifth characteristic present in most thriving communities is the opportunity to have some kind of influence over the group's goings-on.  This can come in the form of a neighborhood association, elections for class president, open forums, phone surveys or even an evaluation.  Without opportunity to influence, the temptation to be a passive participant is far too great.

Again, let's take a quick look at highlowaha.com.  What kinds of things have you had the chance to influence over the past four months?  The first thing that comes to mind are the quotes and items included in the Altoid boxes.  But... what else?  The winning state for Taste of USA is completely and totally influenced by you the readers.  The criteria for distribution of P.P.D.C's fifteen Starbucks cards (while still in negotiations) was also completely influenced by you the readers. 

 

The idea here is that the more influence we give members of a community over the happenings of the group, the more invested they become in the outcome AND,  in fact, the more interaction and involvement among members there is likely to be. 

You might have guessed the reason I saved "influence" for Friday is because Free for All Friday's were designed with the sole purpose of giving you, the readers, influence.  So, in keeping with Free For All Friday... post something for which you would like the group's collective creativity OR respond to my prompt.

My prompt...  Based on what we've learned about one another this week (large number of book lovers, people wanting to publish, good number of moms, etc...), what new features (i.e. book club) or topics would you like covered?  Or, what other great brainstorms might you have about how to capitalize on all we now know about our readers?

A teaser for tomorrow...  Hmmmm.... what might these have to do with building community? Tune in and find out.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Community: Great Return on Your... INVESTMENT!!!

Day #4.  So far we have Introduction, Involvement, and Interaction under our belt.  Today we add, "Investment."  Yes, that's right.  In order to establish a sense of community members must feel some sense of "investment" in the group and in the group's happenings.  

Let's consider a few communities where this principle seems to hold true.  The first thing that comes to mind are sports teams.  Reader Cristine and her family come are a great example.  Her husband, Matt, is the consummate Packer's fan.  They own Green Bay shirts for every season, arm chairs, ornaments, Christmas lights, pennants and banners, glasses, bibs, you name it....  If a Green Bay logo can be printed on it, chances are Matt and Cristine have one.  But they're not alone.  Sports fans from all corners of the country are invested in their sports teams with the same level of fervor.  Why is that?

Jazz is the woman who cut my hair when I lived in Louisville.  In the right hand corner of her cutting station sat a plastic file box, organized by letters of the alphabet.  Each card contained the name, contact information, (and "treatments") of each client.  Jazz never let you tip her and insisted, if you were pleased with her service, that instead of a tip you refer her a new client.  She also offered a discount on your next haircut if, in fact, you sent someone her way.  Not only is Jazz excellent at what she does, but I was invested in helping build her clientele, first because she thanked me on the front end by not accepting my tip and second because each referral meant more money saved.  

The same is true of the preschool where my son's go.  Send a referral there way and save $100.00 on next month's tuition.  Investment in spreading their word.  Heck, even Adsense is effective at investing me in their company's purpose, by paying me a tiny dividend for each ad clicked on by one of my readers.  So, while fans become invested in community based on pride and the hope of bragging rights, other groups attempt to create investment by offering an incentive.  Still other groups such as churches, political campaigns, and local associations create investment by appealing to your self interests (religious beliefs, nomination of candidate, safety and well being of children or a neighborhood, etc...).  

Regardless of the motivation for one's investment or the method used, one thing is certain...  thriving communities have members who are invested in the life of the group.  What made highlowaha readers so invested in my reaching 5,000 readers back in April?  What makes a reader invested enough in the community that you might check the blog not once, or twice, but even three times in the same day (have I mentioned how GREAT I think that is)?  On the flip side, what might I do to get more readers invested in the outcome of Bigger or Better?  Or, is there a magic word or series of spells that could be placed on the community to make readers more invested in assuring I receive a Random Acts of Kindness postcard from each highlowaha reader (4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas, 76051)? 

In thriving communities, where purpose and vision is shared, members understand that success for one person inevitably means success for others.  Let's explore.  Spreading the good word about highlowaha.com to friends and family who might be interested directly helps me increase readership.  True.  But, Wendy, Beekayroot, and the artist from Philadelphia whose art will be featured soon, also benefit from increased readership.  The more people visiting the site, the more likely they are to drum up business.  Melanie's Beliz earnings could double in size for next year if more readers participated in the community and just one of them was service minded.  Free For All Friday exponentially increases in value when readership grows and more creative minds are tackling the "challenges" of the day.  The list goes on and on.  If we are a community with shared purpose (which I believe we are) then investing in the success of one member might cause a ripple effect of success for other members.

Maybe we can put this to the test.  I have an idea, but none of the "technical" ability necessary to execute.  Imagine a tear-away-flier promoting highlowaha.com and providing the website address for people to conveniently take with them.  You know the kind I'm talking about.  You see them on public bulletin boards at the post office, in gyms, and on kiosks around town and on college campuses.  They are used to advertise apartments for rent, things to sell, etc....  I see the flier portion simply stating...

Fall in Love with a New Idea

(a graphic of a light bulb)

Highlowaha.com

Plug In!

(At the bottom would be the small strips, each printed with highlowaha.com)

Once created, a copy could be emailed to all willing and interested readers, so that he/she might print it off and post the flier in their neighborhood, at their school, church, gym, or university.  I will know how much progress I've made toward creating an "invested" readership, if even one person jumps on my request to help make the flier happen.  The more invested you are, the more apt you are to root for our success - much like you did with "Reaching for 5,000).

One more thing.  I love Jazz's file box and decided I should have one too.  So, while you aren't clients and I won't be styling your hair.... I am invested in knowing more about you.  Knowing your birthdays, life goals, skills, things you want to learn, and marital status, etc... (see 6/23) helps me craft blog entries more focused on your interests.  I used Monday's responses to "introduction" to create your file box cards.  To date I have 19 cards in my box.  I file you by first name and so far the letters represented include: A, B, C, H, J, K, L, M, P, S, T, and W.  I still need at least one card for letters D, E, F, G, I, N, O, Q, R, U, V, X, Y, and Z.  So, while you're hanging your tear away fliers later this afternoon, help seek and encourage readers whose names start with any of the unrepresented letters.

Signing off until tomorrow...  

P.S.  Sara, thank you for posting yesterday.  It is great to have you as an active member of our community!  Kat, thanks for helping make it happen.  An example of "investment" at its best!

  

Introduce, Involve, Interact...

Monday, "introduction"; Tuesday, "involvement"; Today, "interaction!"  This is going to be a great day in highlowaha history, because today we get to illustrate what happens when members of a group not only introduce themselves to one another, but when that simple act of involvement prompts countless interactions.  It is proof that building community, among a wide range of people, is possible using virtually any venue.

Nineteen people introduced themselves to the rest of the highlowaha community, using Monday's prompts (name, birthday, kids, life goal, etc...).  Twenty... count them 20 commonalities were found among the nineteen members, involving everything from knitting to years married, to publishing a book.  Check it out...

• Interested in learning to sew: Claudia, Jenny, and Kat 
  
• Knitting:  Jayme and Susan 
  
• Publish something: Katie, Stacie, Cristine, Treye, Susan, Beekayroot
  
• Enjoys reading: Claudia, Julie, Cassie P, Cheryl, Cristine, and Melanie, Kat, TReye, Stacie, and Susan.
  
• Works or worked in Residence Life: Claudia, Katie, and Beekayroot
  
• Collects craft supplies: Claudia, Cheryl, Peggy, and Kat
  
• Enjoys listening to music: Katie and Cheryl
  
• Wants to visit all 50 states: Julie and Melanie
  
• Learn to play the guitar: Julie and Brian, and Melanie is willing to trade one up.
  
• Loves to be outside: Julie, Cassie P., Cassie, and Melanie
  
• Works as teacher (or substitute): Jayme, Peggy, and Susan
  
• Good at scrapbooking: Jayme and Peggy who makes beautiful cards
  
• Married 19 years (to be exact): Peggy, Maureen, and Susan
  
• Excellent at organizing: Peggy and Melanie
  
• Wants to travel abroad: Peggy, Maureen, and Cristine
  
• Aspires to learn another language: Susan (sign) and Cristine (spanish +)
  
• Married: Claudia, Jayme, Stacie, Cassie, Peggy, Jenny, Maureen, Cristine, Melanie, Kat, Susan, and Beekayroot.
  
• Has sons: Claudia, Stacie, Cassie, Cheryl, Peggy, Jenny, Maureen, Cristine, Kat, and Susan
  
• Has daughters: Cassie, Peggy, Jenny, Maureen, Susan, and Heather
  
• Life goal to raise great and happy kids: Maureen and Cassie.
  

What's amazing about this activity is that there are upwards of 80, or more, regular readers (most lurkers) who did not introduce themselves (though NEVER too late!) AND... for each thing that I asked you to share, there are thousands of potential similarities you did not share.  Point.  We are a group of people with many things in common - possessing skills from which others can benefit and anxious to achieve things with which others can assist.

Think about it... if there are a group of us who want to publish a book, can we leverage our friendship to become more informed about the process or hold one another accountable for making ongoing progress?  If ten of us have sons, how might we use that information?  If two people tout themselves as master organizers and someone else struggles with managing their clutter, how might the two work together?  If Melanie has a guitar and Julie and Beekayroot want to learn how to play, is there a connection to be made?  Or, if ten people are self-proclaimed book lovers, could a book club be in our future (look out Oprah's Book Club.  Highlowaha is on the scene)?

The possible connections are endless and if willing to share even just a little of yourself, think about how much greater the whole can be than the sum of its parts.  If you've gotten to know me at all over the past four months,  you know I can't just let this virtual "bank" of strengths and interests sit there without trying to... cash in.   I believe in community, so I have to push this activity to its natural conclusion.   How about this?...

If you introduced yourself earlier in the week, find one person with whom you have something in common and reach out to him/her requesting contact information.  Then, initiate some kind of communication (email, snail mail, phone call... something).  If you haven't introduced yourself yet, consider doing it now or simply reach out to someone else who has.  In the end highlowaha will have a web of relationships that stretches well beyond the life of this blog and our community will be stronger because of it. 

I'll start.  Kat.  Like me, you want to learn to sew AND you have a 15 month old boy.  It seems we have at least two things in common.  If willing, post your email address so I can send an email requesting your phone number.  I'd love to talk on the phone.

Now it's your turn.  Arrange to interact with at least one highlowaha reader.

Signing off until tomorrow...

"I" Number Two: Involvement

Announcements at the end...

For those of you lucky enough to have had a long weekend, let me bring you up to speed.  In recognition of summer, when neighbors are more likely to be spending time outside and daylight allows us to pack more activity into our days, we are spending the week celebrating and better understanding concepts of community.  Yesterday we focused on Introductions.  Essential to community is the idea that participants receive a formal introduction into the group.  What is it?, Why does it exist?, What is expected of you in community?  Similarly, introduction requires members to share basic information about themselves with other community members.  We did this and, if for some reason, you missed the chance, then PLEASE feel free introduce yourself today.  Inherent in community is the idea that it is inviting - meaning... it's never too late to jump in!

Today... Involvement.  You know what's great about this?  Just last week I was helping out Heather (a loyal reader and great friend) by scoping out Grapevine apartment complexes.  In and out Katie and I went snapping pictures and gathering information from Apartment Complex Directors.  While the amenities from one complex to another appeared to be the same - or very similar - it was the opportunity for involvement that seemed to most distinguish one location from another.  Not only was the experience perfectly timed, but it reinforced everything I know and intuitively believe about the essential role that opportunities for involvement play in building community.

So lets take a page from the Dove Park Apartment Complex, for example.  Placed squarely in their front office for any resident or visitor to see is a bulletin board and a newsletter announcing upcoming activities.  June 12... Kid's Club.  June 21... Hawaiian Luau Pool Party.  Every morning... free coffee in the internet cafe.  Every Friday... Popcorn Friday's.  The complex is chock full of opportunities for residents to involve themselves in the life of the community.  With such a spread of activity comes - as my friend, Katie O. would say, "the promise of fun."  With each of those activities comes the hope, that yes... I will be happy here and maybe even make some new friends.  Community.   

Let's face it... many college students pick schools based as much on catalog photographs (students on the quad and in the football stadium) as they do on course selection.  How involving is the community?  It's true.  We select fitness clubs based not only price and equipment, but in many cases, also on how thriving the community feels.  My neighborhood became more fun the day I learned they have a monthly Bunco group in which I could get involved.  Churches, who in many cases compete for members, don't grow congregations by showcasing sparsely filled pews and empty social calendars.  No.  We gauge the potential for fun and interest in a group by how involving it appears to be. 

 

Let's turn inward for a moment.  One strategy used to build community among highlowaha readers is to present opportunities for involvement.  Rather than having you simply join me each day for a creative idea (receive), I like to present ways for you to get involved.  Vote in Taste of USA; Whack an idea one Wednesday; Share your creativity on a Free For All Friday; Take the "Never Eat Alone Challenge";  Offer something Bigger or Better; or send a postcard in hopes of receiving a Random Act of Kindness (it's still not too late... 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas 76051).

So take quick inventory of the groups to which you belong.  Are there opportunities for involvement or could the sense of community be enhanced by inviting participants to do more than simply share space, faith, or common goals?

Maybe you'll get involved today and share an observation or two about your communities.

Announcements:

• The 38 words/phrases for the Altoid Tables have been selected.  They are... Hugs are Free; Dream; Authenticity; Imagine the Possibility; What if?; Wish on Stars; Smell the Roses; Give Freely; Treat others as you would like to be treated; Why Not?; Serendipity; Dream Big; It's never too late to be who you might have been; Believe in yourself; Imagine; Live, Love, Laugh; It's Magic; Smile; Wish; You are beautiful; Call your mom; Hope; Think Big; Inspire; Carpe Diem; Do a random act of kindness; We have all we need; You Matter; Deep Breaths, Happy Thoughts; Make a Wish; Hope; Listen hard; laugh; continue to learn; Do what you love; Got Milk?; Failure is inevitable, success is optional; Live for today; You're destined to do great things.  Thank you for the 69 entries!
  
• Speaking of the Altoid Tables:  Yesterday we received two more packages of trinkets for the table and a Freebie for an upcoming Freebie Friday.  Thank you Peggy, Cassie P, and H.F. from Pennsylvania.  Keep the trinkets coming.  So far we have items such as... an hour glass, a calculator, lottery tickets, scrap booking trinkets, sea shells, and earrings.  The possibilities are endless, so get creative and get involved! 
  

Signing off until tomorrow...

Community: Back to the B.A.S.I.C.S.

Announcements at the end...

It's official.  Summer is here and I love it!  Days are long, the sun shines, and nights are filled with neighborhood kids running around while parents catch up after a long, dark winter.  When I was a kid, we felt like owned the neighborhood.  We would run from the dock - where sail boats launched and friends would spend hours swimming, collecting shells, and waiting for Mr. Softee to pull up in his ice cream truck - to the Douglaston Club, where you could play tennis, swim, dive, and where tickets bought you the coveted basket of hot fries.  The beginning of summer was marked with the Strawberry Festival.  July 4th  brought with it the Annual Memorial Field races and Labor day was host to the Annual Back to School Carnival.  People gathered and friends were made.  I love summer.

Maybe it is those summer experiences, embedded in my memory, that are responsible for my interest in community development.  I'm not sure, but what I do know is I've spent the better part of my adult life thinking about concepts of community and why some "variables/experiences" make people feel more connected to a group of people than do other variables/experiences.  

In the early 1990's a colleague of mine and I - while working in the Office of Residence Life at Miami University - co-authored a workbook designed for residence hall staff.  The purpose of the workbook was to present simple concepts and processes for building a cohesive community among college students moving into a residence hall (or dorm for all those who don't work in student affairs).  The workbook was published soon after and used by a number of other campuses.

The concepts transcend residence halls or universities, for that matter.  Wherever you have a "group," you have the potential for community.  This could be a neighborhood, a church, a sports team, class, or office staff.  We are all impacted by community (OR LACK THEREOF) and it is for that reason I have dedicated this week's blog to the topic.  When writing BASIC, my co-author and I referenced six I's of community.  I thought each day we might look at a different "I."  You'll get to think about how each applies to the communities of which you are a part and I'll get to spend the week talking about one of my favorite topics. 

I'll also find this interesting, because in some small way... that is one of my goals for this blog.  I want this gathering of readers to feel as though visiting highlowaha is like coming home and reconnecting with friends... a place to share exciting news, but also a place to go when you need to feel better.  I want us to laugh together, to celebrate personal life events, and to feel safe when asking for help.  But community is also about contribution.  So, I hope as our community persists that we continue looking for ways to engage with one another, as well as the greater community- and yes, maybe in the process, to leave our community better than we found it.

Today's "i"... Introduction.  Introduction is important to community for two reasons.  First, it is - in theory - how one comes to understand what he/she should expect.  Unless I get a basic introduction to the "norms" of a group, I will continue to feel like an outsider.  Let's use me as an example.  Ordering a drink at Starbucks could be an intimidating experience.  There's lingo to know and protocol about where to pay and then where one should wait for his order.  People have regular seats they like to claim and all it takes is one "outsider" of the community to throw the whole kit and kaboodle topsy turvey.

A second reason introduction is important is because... in the end... the only way to really have community is for one person to get to know another.  There are no short cuts.  When I first starting visiting "my" Starbucks, I was nobody - just a nameless, faceless, random person stopping in for a drink.  Then the staff recognized my drink order, but not my name.  Now, months later the staff knows my name too.  It is not unusual for employees to strike up conversation and to ask questions about what I do, etc....  Consequently, I feel connected to that particular Starbucks and the people I can anticipate seeing each morning.  Slowly, but surely, community is being built.

So, today I thought highlowaha could do some of their own introductions.  If you liked the blog entry titled, "Take it or Leave it," you'll like today's entry too.  Today I will provide some basic prompts you can use to "introduce" yourself to the rest of the readership.  This will allow us to better understand who one another is and what we might have in common (essential to an "i" we'll talk about later in the week).  Here are the prompts:

• Name:
  
• State:
  
• Birthday:
  
• Work in home/Work out of home:
  
• Married, divorced, or never married:
  
• Kids or no kids (if so, ages and sex):
  
• Your Age (range if you're too incriminating):
  
• A skill you're proud of:
  
• Life goal:
  
• Something you want to learn/do:
  
• Something you collect:
  
• Favorite past time(s):
  

As promised... Announcements

• Bigger or Better: Claudia's frog to Maureen for case of wine; wine to Heather for Craft Case of scissors, etc...; craft case traded to ???.  The two items on the table are (1) NASCAR 2008 Jimmie Johnson 1:24 scale racing car OR (2) a guitar.  Which should we select as the next offer... car or guitar?
  
• To-Do Tuesday:  Winning by 10 points, Cassie is our winner of last Tuesday's to-do challenge. 
  
• Altoid Table: We got over 50 words for inside Altoid boxes.  Pen pals leave today.  More progress by end of week.  Thanks to Durham, N.C. for the first mailed shipment of chatchka for the tins (not to mention the other fun treats!!!!!).  
  
• Taste of USA:  This week Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana, and Virginia.  On deck: Kentucky, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, and Connecticut.  To date... New York is winning.

Community... Take it or Leave It!

Greetings from Leadershape. Yesterday was Day One for the students... though it was day three for me(I'm beginning to feel like an Austin native). Yesterday's theme for the day was Building Community. The idea is that before we can begin developing leaders, we must build a safe community in which these students can share.

Mark, my co-lead facilitated an icebreaker yesterday that I thought could be fun for our group. We (highlowaha), after all, are working on building a community of readers, so the idea of community building seems relevant. The better we know one another, the more able we are to provide ideas catering to the group's interests.

The activity required the group of 60 students to move from one side of the room to the other depending upon preferences. For instance...

"American Idol... Take it or leave it?"
"Coke or Pepsi?"
"Today or Tomorrow?"
"Hawaii or Paris?"
"Morning person or night owl?"
"Formal or informal"

So let's get to know each other better... Answer the six questions I posted and then add one or two of your own. The list will get progressively longer and we'll each commit to answering as many as we can. I might even print off our cumulative list of questions and use it as an activity one night at the dinner table.

Me...

American Idol.... Take it (think of me tomorrow night. I'll be missing it!)!
Coke
Hawaii
Morning person
Formal

Your Turn...

Signing off until tomorrow...