With college football season over it is time to turn my attention to Destination Imagination (DI)!  It looks like a great group of up and coming students in the Rising Stars group.  Enjoyed seeing many past Rising Star children and managers at IC Day at St. Mary’s Academy.  I hope that my work with them in previous years in the South Metro region helped them feel good about moving forward.  It’s just amazing to watch these kids grow up and mature, putting to use everything that DI teaches them to do.  Now, how do we keep them involved in DI throughout their life? 

by Wendy Frenzel

This is the 3rd year that we have been members of the Coloradans for Nebraska (CFN).  We enjoy spending time with fellow Nebraska fans (some Nebraska natives and others with ties to Nebraska).  My youngest counts the days down and tell the next time she can see her Nebraska friends at the football watch site. 

For the past two years, you would find the Frenzel family at the Park Meadows Fox and Hound in Lone Tree.  This year, we are enjoying making new friends in Colorado Springs at the Fox and Hound.  The Fox and Hound is one of the official watch sites of the Coloradans for Nebraska (CFN).  At these watch sites we work to raise money for scholarships.  These scholarships help Colorado high school graduates attend one of the Universities in Nebraska.

So if you enjoy college football, especially the Nebraska Huskers, come visit one of the Coloradans for Nebraska watch sites.  If you are in the Colorado Springs area, come introduce yourself to us at the Colorado Springs Fox and Hound.  For more information on the Colorado Springs Coloradans for Nebraska watch site, visit http://CFNCoSprings.wordpress.com

By Wendy Frenzel

Well I have found a tool that helps me.  The tool is called Digsby.  It allows me load in all of my Twitter accounts, my instant messaging accounts, my online email accounts, my personal Facebook account, my LinkedIn account, and still create widgets to allow business contacts to instant message me without having my personal information.  Best of all worlds with Digsby. 

Besides all that Digsby does, it’s a free tool available for downloading.  So besides making social networking easier, the pocket book doesn’t get hit. 

Because I enjoy Digsby so much on my computer, I wish it was available for my Blackberry Storm.  I’m sure it may take some memory but if the widget chat was available only on my Blackberry Storm that would be great since I do have applications for multiple Twitter accounts, for Facebook, and for my emails.

So if you want to learn more about Digsby, visit their web site at http://www.digsby.com/?utm_campaign=vid&utm_content=vid&utm_source=vid

by Wendy Frenzel

I know that I don’t enjoy having to log in special to my web site to mark “comments” as spam.  But I’m also happy to have that ability so I do not have to subject others that are reading my web site to random letters, content that is better on a pornagraphy site, and links to who knows where. 

Before a comment is posted on my site, I must approve it.  So on the days the abusers are out abusing technology, I will receive random nonsense comments.  Of course I’m emailed when these, or any other, comment is posted.  Then I will log in and use the friendly “spam” button to delete those comments away. 

So, yes, with technology came those that abuse the technology.  But also along with that came ways to combat the abusers of technology so not everyone is subject to the abuse.

Over the years, Dave and I have tossed ideas back and forth.  He’s asked me for opinions.  I’ve asked him for some.  He’s interviewed me when he was working on podcasts.  I’ve provided him with settings when he worked on creating videos for his web sites.  It’s been a good relationship for both of us.  Now I feel like I’ve taken advantage of him.

I’ve always been one that didn’t want to use a template site that looked like everyone elses.  So, I created my own for property management and added widgets and other tools to it over time.  I know enough about coding to be dangerous but not enough to make the site “all it could be.”  Dave came to me and asked if I would be interested in a template site that he would create and give away to property managers.  Since I had been spending a lot of time working on my web site when a new home was added or leased, and internet explorer changed again, I was ready for something new so I talked with Dave about his ideas. 

Dave worked on creating his template using my information as his subject matter.  We talked, he tweaked.  We talked some more, and he tweaked some more and then…. I had a new and improved property management web site for A Vantage Properties. 

Now my A Vantage Properties web site looks good no matter what web browser you use – YEAH!  To add or remove a property only takes a few minutes and a few clicks which is such a great time saver.  Dave even created “help” videos to walk people through on how to make changes to some of the different parts of the site.  I love being able to have rolling pictures in the header showcasing the homes I have available and / or leased.  I enjoy the ability to have a map showing where in the metro area the homes are that I have available. 

Thank you Dave Dugdale and Pick Rent for providing me with tools to stream line my day and web work.  It is greatly appreciated! 

So do you want to see what great widgets are available to you to use a property manager too?  Visit http://www.pickrent.com/widgets/tools.cfm so you can see what tools may be available for you.

The main reason I signed up for Facebook was so I could keep up to date on what Heather is doing as she is traveling and going to school outside of Lincoln for the coming year.  She told me that she would post information there so she didn’t have to email to all of her friends about what was going on.  I know that I will enjoy living through Heather as she visits Paris, London, and more. 

I’ve received a few invites to join the Facebook friends groups of people that I work with.  It’s nice to be invited.   The only thing is I do like to keep somethings private while other items, like my blog, I’m okay sharing with others.  There are times where I just want to be able to go to my friends for advice, a shoulder to cry on, a place to rejoice, and more without having people that I work with being “in the know.”  Another reason why I’ve created boundaries and try to enjoy weekends without work. 

So, please don’t take it personal if I work with you in someway and don’t accept your invitation on Facebook.  When I’m no longer working in property management, then I’ll add other people to my Facebook friends list.  I do work with a lot of great people that I would love to be friends with in my “next” life.  But to make it easier to find me I did create my User Name.

Facebook is now allowing people to have User Names with their Facebook account.  This will make it easier to see if your “friends” are there I believe if you know what their User Name may be.  It’s also easier to give people your Facebook account so you can invite them to join you.  No more saying you can find my Facebook profile at Facebook.com/12c3 but I’m at www.Facebook.com/WendyFrenzel   This makes it much easier for people that have a lot of friends and want more to join or for people that have business accounts or …  I just like it as it’s easy to remember.

One of the things that you should know, James Van Praagh is very funny.  When he talks about his life and where he got to where he is, he does so in a way that makes you smile and laugh.  It helps you to understand what took him to California in his early 20’s.

You know there are many lessons we learn in our time on Earth.  Many times we hear something multiple times and in multiple different ways.  Sometimes it sticks while other times it just goes through one ear and out the other.  One item that most people are told is to love. 

James Van Praagh talked that we need to love and be good to one another.  It not only effects us but those around us and then those around them, just like the ripples in the pond would keep expanding out.  When we treat some one poorly, it effects many people as well; it ripples out.  Many religions talk about a heaven and a hell.  James explained that the hell that he knows about through his spirit guides is not a place but a state where after you pass you not only feel the hurt that you caused others but the ripples out. 

We are all related to each other.  Think Lion King’s “Circle of Life.”  This is my analogy, something that I can put my arms around.  It helps me try and remember to treat people nicely.  Yes, sometimes it may be difficult because we aren’t getting the “nice” vibe back.  I guess that is part of the lesson as well.

Yes, I know I have many lessong to learn while I’m here on Earth.  I know that I’m not perfect but I try to be the best that I can.  I try to smile at people while I walk down the street or in the mall, as you never know if that smile will be the one item that makes their day just a little better.  Think the commercial for some insurance company where one good “deed” creates another good “deed” and so on and on.  I know that I, Wendy Frenzel, will strive to be the best being that I can be and help others without letting the weight of others weigh me down.

It’s like a saying that Jeff, my husband, keeps in his head and reminds himself of when he feels that he is being “dumped on” by others.  “I am not a garbage truck and do not need other people’s garbage.”  I guess I just want to find the treasures in their trash.

You know, if Twitter was around when Heather was little, I would have been able to share with the world something she said while at fishing with her “Grampy.”  Being the avid fisherman that he was and talker, he shared the cute thing his granddaughter said with many people from all over the world.  Today, you see that saying on t-shirts and whom ever licensed it, well, let’s just say, that would have been a great way to send Heather to college.  So what was it that Heather had said about 15 years ago….

Yes, what Heather said when she was 5 trying to catch a fish, “Here Fishy, Fishy.  Come get your food.”  Right after that, she caught her first and only fish as she was ready to go back to Grammy and Grampy’s house and eat it.  She was very proud of her fish and her Grampy was very proud of what she said to land her fish.

So now, I can share when Kat comes out of her room after reading jokes and says she finally gets the joke, “Why was 6 scared of 7?  Because 7 8 9.”  To understand it, it’s a joke to really be read outloud.  I think she had read it but never read it outloud.  It’s also similar to the joke my mom sent to me about pigs flying and the presendency.  I may not have found it funny but when it was read outloud, it made much more sense then just read.

Now it’s time to find an app / widget for blogs that allows my Twitter posts to be more than just an item in a sidebar.

It means that the Frenzel Family doesn’t have to go buy groceries (except for milk and fresh fruits / vegetables) for a long time if we didn’t want to.  It allows the Frenzel Family to be selective when we do purchase items to those items that are on a really good sale and not buying things because we need them.  Extras we can also share with the local foodbank so we can share the wealth.  Through the Grocery Game we can also help our oldest, Heather, be ready for her time interning in Florida where she gets to cook.

To really help understand how little we need to buy now, this week using the Grocery Game the Frenzel Family only spent $25.00 for over $75 worth of groceries.  What a nice feeling to see the budget for food go down over time while not feeling hungry!

With Twitter, if I’m following a specific business, I can find out about new products.  With towns that are Tweeting, I can be updated on snow removal updates or other town happenings.  With a sports teams I can be kept updated on what is going on with the team.  Different news groups will provide updates on news items and then I can choose what to read more about.  Because of the way Twitter works, it only takes a few seconds to have a brief knowledge of an item.  That’s why Jeff signed up for Twitter recently – it’s to follow those few items he’s interested in and not necessarily to tell people what he is doing.

That’s the other great thing with Twitter.  It’s a fast blog.  I know when I was appraising for Destination Imagination, I was able to post quick items about what I was seeing.  I could snap a picture and share a cute costume.  All of this from my phone and without having to log into a computer and typing out something long.  Short, sweet, simple sent by me, Wendy Frenzel, to be read by someone else in a short, sweet, simple format. 

This goes along with something that I learned in a teleseminar on Friday, April 24th given by Tim Wackel entitled “You Had Me at Hello.”  People are doing more in less time.  With that, you need to deliver clear concise messages as much as possible.  Twitter is a good place to start and then you can “extend” it through your blog or other means.

Twitter has many other uses as well.  Ellen has used it to let a group of her Australian Fans know that she was going to be calling them shortly.  She did, they answered, and they are headed to California.  Again, just another use for Twitter. 

So, who are you following on Twitter?  Why are you following them?  What did you learn first through Twitter?