#alkibeach

Do you use LinkedIn? On a recent walk at Alki Beach  I was thinking about why I use it.

My account was dormant for several years  & I brought it back to life when the #BloggingonInstagram Indiegogo campaign launched.  I didn’t realize how robust LinkedIn had become, ️ & since my book was published, I’ve been trying to post & check in more often. ✅

When I log in, I feel overwhelmed & anxious.  There are so many updates & posts by people that I should be seeing, ️ liking ♥️ & engaging with.  Do I worry about comments & likes on my posts?  No. Yet, just as is the case here, reciprocity & engagement are keys to making it successful & I feel I should do more.  Nearly every time I’m on LinkedIn, I feel an overwhelming urge to leave as soon as possible. ‍♀️ If you use it, I’m wondering if this happens to you, too?

@Tim_Hughes1 @Rodjonesartist @dcasha ⚡ & others have tagged me in posts that have included a bunch of important people.  I’ve felt honored & flattered & haven’t always been sure what to do. ‍♀️ In some cases I’ve shared the post, but I didn’t jump in & start chatting with new faces. ️ I know that’s how conversations start here, or on Twitter.  Why not there?

When I first joined LinkedIn, it was exclusive and invitation only & its users were expected to add only known connections. ☑️ It was like a system of verification.  It’s now very similar to other social networks where the number of followers or connections is an important metric  & strangers frequently reach out to connect. 

This week a close friend told me he deleted his LinkedIn account  & found it quite satisfying!

If you’re on LinkedIn, what is the greatest benefit to you?  If you’re not on LinkedIn, are you interested in joining? ‍♂️ Why or why not?
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PHOTOS: Recent #Alki photos & a #Spitzenberg #applepie baked last night (@tpagosseattle).  It’s not my best-looking pie, but better crust this time, @rsimonson.sea!
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#alkibeach #westseattle #stormyskies #sunsetpic #seattleskyline #linkedin #linkedinmarketing #linkedinlife
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. (at Alki Beach Park)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWNV6ddrt5h/?utm_medium=tumblr

When you find something curious, do you investigate?

Tuesday, I dug into the mystery of a vintage gold Goldring fountain pen.

I became aware of fine writing instruments in my late 20s ✍️when a client gave me a gold & burgundy Montblanc pen & pencil set.

Over the years I’ve acquired some fancy rollerballs & fountain pens.✒️ They’re special, & I remember how I came to have them.

I’ve been spring cleaning, sorting through boxes, drawers & cubbies. As I decide what to keep, toss, ️recycle♻️ or donate, ️ I’m using “If in doubt, throw it out,” as a guide.

A German Goldring pen with an iridium nib turned up. ️ It was familiar. I figured it was a “garage sale” purchase.

I took it apart to clean it. As I slid open the pen barrel, I saw an odd component with a dolphin insignia. I didn’t know if it could be freed, but I got it out & inspected. On the flip side was a rubber stamp with the name, “George Xxxx.” ️ It showed his address in West Seattle near our store, Alki Surf Shop.

It was cool for a pen to have a built in stamp & blotter & I wondered if George was still around?

After a quick Google search of George’s name & address, the first hit was a property database . It suggested he’s probably either very old or no longer alive. I was curious, but not a stalker, so the search ended there. ‍♀️

Search engines like Whitepages, US Search & others find people & dig up contact information. ℹ️ There are search engines for finding email addresses, too. .

TO FIND A PHONE #, EMAIL OR ADDRESS ON GOOGLE, start by typing into search:

Name+City+phone
Name+City+email
Name+City+address

It’s freaky how easy it is to find people. But in the past, each year personal information was printed & distributed to everyone in something called the Phone Book☎️!

Have you ever tried to find an old friend? How did it go?
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PHOTOS/TAGS: In 2017 @dubaitara & @wcellis were in Seattle. She just celebrated a major birthday. Happy belated BD, Tara! #westseattle #SalishSea #elliotbay #Alkibeach #pugetsound; #Montblanc #montblancpen #writinginstruments #goldring #germany #fountainpens #mystery #alkisurfshop #lostandfound #googlepixel (at Alki Beach Park)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdgto5lPNaf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The case of missing fingerprints & my new career as a burglar:

In 2016, my job as a marketing communications director required that I be fingerprinted & register at the Washington State Capital ️in Olympia.

I made an appointment, ️ schlepped downtown to Police HQ‍♀️, parked, filled out forms & waited.  Have you ever been fingerprinted? It’s very messy. 
Weeks after my prints were sent to the Olympia, they were rejected because they weren’t readable.  I had to go through the process 2X more & each time my prints were rejected. 

We take our fingerprints for granted. They’re unique identifiers of who we are. I didn’t know they could disappear! A 2009 article in Scientific American said, “The elasticity of skin decreases with age, so many senior citizens have prints that are difficult to capture. There’s less prominence. If there’s pressure on the scanner, the print tends to smear.”

Fast forward to December 2021. I was excited to fly to Kentucky ✈️to see our son & @queenhorsfall & meet our brand-new twin granddaughters. I gave my old MacBook Pro to our youngest son, ‍ so I no longer had a travel laptop. I intended to work while in KY & minimally needed Photoshop & InDesign. Plus #CES2022 would be a few weeks later, so I bought a MacBook Air.

At first the MacBook’s fingerprint scanner was fantastic! I loved unlocking it with a touch.  But after 10 days of cooking & washing bottles, it stopped recognizing my fingerprints.

What to do?

The police department suggested using lotion to moisturize. A web source recommended essential oils. Our youngest son’s new job required fingerprinting. I asked him to check if there are new tactics for faint prints. Nope. ‍♂️

After several weeks of TLC, lots of lotion & wearing rubber gloves, I could see the ridges reappearing. My laptop agreed & I’m now able to unlock it. 

I’m glad I have other choices besides a life of crime.

Has this ever happened to you? Do most jobs now require fingerprints? ✅
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PHOTOS: #AlkiBeach #westseattle #fortunecookies #seagullsofinstagram #fromthearchives
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#marketingcommunications #fingerprints #macbookair #scanner #Kentucky #burglar (at Alki Beach Park)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZBlxdDrTsG/?utm_medium=tumblr

Clean and simple, like always. Thank you America.
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#america #seattle #washington #alkibeach #plants #sculpture #newtopographics #lekkerzine #phroommagazine #noicemag #subjectivelyobjective #useformat #anotherplacemagazine #fotoroom #ourmag #rentalmag #contemporaryphotography #colorphotography #stilllife #travel #usa (à West Seattle, Seattle)

Alki Beach, West Seattle. July 2018.
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#seattle #alkibeach #washington #usa #roadtrip #stilllife #newtopographics #sunlight #contemporaryphotography #fisheyelemag #somewheremagazine #blueneongallery #lekkerzine #noicemag #colorphotography #useformat #america #travelphotography #summermemories #westseattle (à Alki Beach)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrPo1jDnUw7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1b11vk0nmnqqd