Random follow #148 - @superleeni

"Young people are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and more fit for new projects than for settled business." Francis Bacon.

There are a whole bunch of people at the younger end of the spectrum who use twitter.  They enjoy sharing their thoughts, insights and experiences of the world with us.  And one of the real queens of being able to do this well is @superleeni.  Coming at you out of Auckland Lena brings a fresh and youthful vibe to what can at times be *cough cough* a rather middle aged timeline.

And the joy that I get from her tweets are a fresh perspective on the little things in life.  A fresh perspective that can make you chuckle as you think - "Yes! I get that!".  For example - 

"I just inhaled fried rice and omg everything tastes better when you're hungry" or

"Just noticed my earrings don't match. Hopefully people thought it was a fashion statement" and even 

"Crumbs down my bra are the worst."

And its that sense of youth that makes her so endearing.  There is a feeling of happiness and bubbliness that has not yet been tainted.  I do enjoy seeing her profile picture pop-up and wondering what she is going to share next.  And she is SO interactive and sweet.  The difference between a good tweeter and a great one is the amount of effort they put into talking to others.  Well I can tell you that Lena is a great tweeter!

And she also displays a level of maturity that others would do well to emulate - "I can't get over how aggressive people can be on Twitter. I think basic decency should still apply, online or off."

So why follow her?  Because she is a very lovely young lady, who is also very pretty, who brings a fresh approach and zeal to social media.  And I am thinking that if her online personality is like her real life one then Lena is full of life, energy, freshness and enthusiasm.  All traits that are super appealing.

Please be aware that @superleeni is a super tweeter.  She tweets quite a bit.  But in a good way.  Her tweets are often fresh and make a positive contribution.  Which tells me that she really is a people person.  People people are the BEST tweeters.  And if there was ever a tweet that really nicely sums up Lena as a person I believe it would be this one -

"Manager says she's grateful to have me on her team :)"

Random follow #145 - @djpaterson

A man of many talents and skills.  That is a pretty good way to describe today's tweeter.  @djpaterson it would be fair to say is a book worm.  The all important twitter photo tells you a lot about people.  For @djpaterson it tells you that he is a man who loves to read.

And I'm picking he has a pretty ferocious appetite when it comes to reading too.  Which may be a good thing if his current tweets are anything to go by - "1:27am. My butt is the shape of an plastic hospital chair."

He is the originator and the good bloke who sits behind the controls of the @peopleofNZ twitter account.  Which is really cool because he is able to make a difference in and through peoples lives via that account without actually having to do much (except change the password once a week).  And whats neat is that he engages with the curator of the account each week as well.  Offering encouragement to those who are doing well and letting them know its a no pressure account.

You know what?  Its really hard trying to blog about someone who is genuinely nice and almost all their tweets are either questions or responses to others.  But he does occasionally come through with a genuinely funny tweet that gets you to LOL - 

"I'm not buying that Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, is pronounced JIF, so don't even try to convince me."

Or this one - 

"Don't usually sympathise with telesales staff, but it was entertaining listening to a lady trying to hold a conversation with my deaf dad."

And the inevitable when you make a mistake but no one notices because your tweet really was that good - 

"Great. My last tweet was retweeted twice, but had a spelling mistake in the first word. Doh!"

I am not going to give too much away about DJ except to say he has been spending some time away from his little town of residence in Wellington.  That is he has moved away from the colony and back to the mother land.  Is he going to return home some time?  I have no idea.  And to be honest that's none of my business.  But as long as he keeps on tweeting from whatever part of the world he is in then twitter is a better place.

Final note - DJ's wife has been doing it a bit tough recently with having an operation and a few complications.  So from twitter to Mr and Mrs @djpaterson we wish you all the very best with your recovery.

Random follow #85 - @realmshark

Loyal is the key lyric in the song of the same name written by Dave Dobbyn.  In the world of professional sports there is very little loyalty that still exits when the powerful lure of money is always on offer.  Athletes shift around the world from team to team looking to make a secure future for themselves financially.

Fans however are a different kettle of fish.  Football fans especially.  It is fans like @realmshark that keep he heart and soul of sports alive.  It doesn't matter the weather, the result or who the opposition is these guys can be found at the stadium, at the pub or in their lounge watching and supporting their team week and in week out.

@realmshark is one of those fans who sticks with their team through thick and thin.  That speaks volumes about the character of the man.  "But what will I find if I read his tweets?" I hear you say....

1. You'll find lots of sport  -->  "Hey folks... Can someone tell me the date of the Allwhites game in November?"
2. You'll find lots of social engagements -->  "Flight to Auckland at 6.30am tomorrow morning... Fishing on the Hauraki and a visit to the casino install. Who's around for a meet up?"
3. You'll find lots of making arrangements to meet up with people and interact in real life -->  " I NEED ONE... Wanna meet at the backbencher??"
4. You'll find RT's from interesting tweeters with a whole range of facts and stories that you may not have otherwise uncovered or just missed  ->  "CCM are slightly understrength, but not enough to put Operation #avoidthespoon in danger of failing. Come on CCM! #aleague #CCMvMH"

As a sideline you'll find in his bio that he works in insurance and plays a fair bit of poker.  That stuff he doesn't tweet about so much.  In my experience people tweet about what is important to them.  For Brendan whats important to him the most are people.  Once again I believe that what we have here is a person who uses twitter but it will never ever replace real life interactions or experiences.  It simply enhances them.

Oh I forgot to mention that he's a really nice guy too.

Random follow #83 - @BabeAtSea

 "Adventure is out there!"

This is the catch phrase to one of my most favorite movies of all time.  In the movie "Up!" a pair of friends make a pact as kids to go exploring and to find a mysterious location that lies half a world away from where they grow up.  As the movie progresses the story takes a number of twists and turns and a number of different adventures take place.

Todays random kiwi tweeter is also a person for whom searching for and finding an adventure is one of their hobbies in life.  @BabeAtSea is a man for whom the world is not big enough.  He is a self confessed travel addict with a passion for escaping these fine shores that we affectionately know as being New Zealand.

As always with interesting people he does two things.  

1. He interacts with other tweeters.  A lot.  having looked through his timeline probably 98% of his tweets are interactions with others.
2. He has a great sense of humor.  he can take a fairly banal tweet from someone and reply in such a way as to flip that tweet on its head and make what could have been a heavy convo and switches it up.  For example "Such an injustice - the one time North Korea might be trending on twitter and they probably don't even have it."  

He also has a keen intuition that shows that he understands people.  Which is in my mind the single biggest factor is determining if you can be a twitter success or not.  Example - "In old days, lights went out one by one, as the Waltons called "Good Night". Now it's the closing of the open webpages that signals bedtime"

@BabeAtSea doesn't confine himself to any one area of topic when it comes to a conversation.  He'll happily jump in anywhere and converse about anything,  And what he doesn't know he makes up!  Such as "@ugus_sacks Eh?? What the heck is fambam?" or "@muffinmum Love the coat - but as Princess margaret used to say, Pink and green should never be seen."

Warning - Alan tweets.  A lot.  Like a lot a lot.  So if you don't mind having lots of tweets show up in your timeline from one source regularly then  @BabeAtSea is your man.  Don't worry too much though.  His tweets are anything but boring and if anything can actually be a little bit educational from time to time.  Such as "The word "tampon" originated from the medieval French word tampion, a piece of cloth to stop a hole, a stamp, plug, or stopper. @jeremybank"

That's all I have to say about @BabeAtSea because thats about all I know.  If you want to know more go ask him your self,  I am  sure he will oblige and regale you with stories from the many journeys and adventures that he has had.  Peace.

Random follow #81 - @mumsontop

Being a parent can be both a rewarding as well as tough time for many parents.  Whether you are a new parent or are an old hand at it each and every baby and child brings a new set of challenges and issues that both parent and baby/child need to work through.  In the old days there were nurses, telephone hotlines and a greater sense of community for parents to tap into.

So where do parents go now for help?  Well there are a menagerie of websites that offer lots and lots of help.  And those websites are great.  I know that @janeyee writes a column for one such website and she does a really fab job at it. The thing is though that websites are repositories of information rather than being a live and interactive conversation.  And the old faithful Plunket NZ have a presence in social media.  However (in my limited experience) it would be fair to say that Plunket are aimed at the younger end of the child lifespan.  And no child manages to stay at the cute 18 month age stage for very long.

So bring on twitter.  I personally follow HEAPS of mums who talk about their kids and ask for help with some of the issues they may be having.  Often times those are individuals conversing and the ideas and suggestions they have last only as the tweet stays in circulation.

And then there are the good ladies who bring you @mumsontop.  This twitter account is a link out from their main website where they do all their best work.  They also have a strong presence on Facebook as well. So what do they do?  They attempt to answer (as best as they can) any and every question that you the parent may have.  (From my experience - dad's don't ask questions.  They tend to be a bit more intuitive be it rightly or wrongly).

As you can well imagine there are a whole plethora of topics covered.  Lets have a look at a few -

Nutrition issues.  "Did anyone else's child turn into a new type of troll today? Boy, did I learn my lesson about mixing three year olds and chocolate!"
Give aways "Tell us about your first kiss and you could win a lip balm from ecostore. Nourishes lips without the nasties. http://www.mumsontop.co.nz"
The parent life.  "That awkward moment when you have a night out without the kids and all you do is talk about them..."

They also share some very amusing stories too like this one about getting smacked on the bum (probably not what you think it is).

The @mumsontop twitter feed does link back to their Facebook page but if you tweet the team they will reply.  And they will also help you to find an answer to your issue via their social media networks as well.  @mumsontop is a labor of love that was started by one dedicated mum and is now being carried on by two other mums who have a passion to help mums, and dads, be the very best parents they can be.

Random follow #59 - @corinh

Since I started writing these Random Kiwi Tweeters blog posts I have been lucky enough to both write about and engage with some really amazing people.  Today's random tweeter is an absolute delight to write about.

@corinh is quite possible the most coolest librarian you will ever meet.  Not cool in a hip or modern fashion kind of way (which he may actually be) but more in a a way that he doesn't come across all geeky.  He tweets really cool tweets and challenges you the reader from time to time as well.

What is the appeal with @corinh?  He is a man of many talents, interests and various other pursuits.  About the only interest that he doesn't have listed in his list of interests is a passion for fancy sports cars.  Such as a MG or a classic Jaguar.

Corin is a man of reflection and deep thought.  He strikes me as someone who has the ability to both reflect on those things that have happened in the past yet can find a balance whereby he lives in the present and in the moment at the same time.  Such a talent is a rare gift in a person.  And what is great is that his tweets don't give him\s internal thinking and musings away entirely.

I once saw an exhibit at Te Papa and the artist created a full life size replica of his fathers outdoor shed.  The thing was though that the door was always locked.  And the only way of viewing the contents of the shed was to peer through the keyhole.  I get that same sense and feeling from some of Corins tweets.  He is happy for you to peer in the key hole and see some of the memories, memento's and articles of interest he has accumulated along the way.  But at the same time (like any good social media user) he keeps his true inner workings safely tucked away out of sight.  He will every so often give you the observer a bone to chew on like this one "I bought a ticket to the world... But now I've come back again...." and yet even though you think you may know someone of the man - you actually don't.  (Editors note - mysterious tweeters and tweets are appealing).

If you combine his deep thinking with some random moments and you will discover that his funny bone is alive and swinging  "Senior moment at sushi store. Forgot the name for Miso".

And I hear he may be looking for a new job too "Do we have a new Pope yet? They haven't returned my calls asking when the interviews are...."

Corin is also an interviewer of people.  With a really nice website and two different podcasts - "Library Chat" and "In My Chair" he is a very busy chap.  Interviewing people is not as easy as it sounds.  It takes a lot of time, preperation and skill to be able to draw out of people their story.  I remember someone once asked Larry King what his secret was to conducting a good interview and he had one answer "Keep asking why".  And with interviewing often times the person who gains much value from the discussion and conversation.

I could keep going on and on and on and on...  much like a Pixie Caramel but you get what I am trying to say.  If you choose to follow @corinh then you will without a doubt be adding value to your twitter life.

Corin is the epitome of that classic saying "You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman".  And his tweet here absolutely sums up the man himself nicely - "Census done!! It's a bit short. I wanted to tell them so much more!!!!"

Random follow #38 - @greengecko29

Libraries are the home of all knowledge.  Or at least they used to be.  There was a time when all the knowledge of the universe was held in one single place.  And as a kid we would ascend the heights to enter the house of knowledge and we would marvel at its complexities and mysteries.  The house of knowledge being of course the community library.


And then some smart person thought up the internet,  And so knowledge moved from being housed in a physical location to being accessed by anyone, anywhere at anytime.  @greengecko29 is one of those people who has moved with the times and has a VERY cool job.  She is an e-librarian.  Which means she gets to be a curator and overseer of knowledge but at the same time she gets to use technology to its full effect too.

@greengecko29 is a lady of many talents and many responsibilities as well.  She is a wife, a mum and a crafty type.  Oh and she tweets too. 

Proud mum tweet -

"Proud moment. Miss6 has read two simple chapter books to herself these past 2 days. Even woke up before school to finish one. #swellingheart"

In the kitchen tweet - 

"I need to do some baking. Am reduced to eating the kid's Tiny Teddies."

And this tweet -

 "Why yes, yes, I am reading a book about boobs."

Similar to other tweeters I have recommended Penny doesn't give much that is personal away with her tweets.  And when she does tweet she mentions situations that many of us face but Penny does it in such a way as to put a smile on your face.  Like this one -

"groupwise on the Mac? Not that good actually."

Just really simple topics and subjects that most people would never consider to be worth even mentioning.  But Penny is able to capture that moment in time and share it with you (her follower) and you smile.Oh and just so you know she tweets (often) so some of the best and greatest librarian tweeters in the world - @haikugirloz, @sallyheroes and @alisonwnz (okay I can't confirm she tweets this last one but she totally should 'cos Alison is awesome)..

@greengecko29 is quite possibly one of the sweetest and delightful tweeters you will uncover.  She is most certainly a random follow that is full of worth.  New Zealand I offer to you my recommendation of Penny as an absolutely worthwhile person who will enrich your twitter timeline.

"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
Jorge Luis Borges

Random follow #37 - @firemanian and @maddythebeagle

Every so often on twitter you uncover someone who is 'outside of the box'.  The unconventional person.  the person that can't be described in 10 words or less because they are so full of life and adventure and exploits that no words can simply sum them up.

That person today, ladies and gentlemen, is @firemanian.  Without a doubt he is a very interesting and fun person to watch tweet and to communicate with.  he is so interesting that he even has a twitter account setup for his beautiful and gorgeous dog Maddy the Beagle.  You can check out her account here - @maddythebeagle. Maddy tweets occasionally and when she does it is something quite hilarious that will make you LOL.

When a person has a broad experience of life and has been able to live in various places they have a greater breadth and depth and understanding of life than your usual punter has.  Additionally they can also pickup some of the eccentricities of an area and take them with them.  I think that would be the best way to describe how @firemanian tweets.  With eccentricity mixed in with reality and very little self absorption.

Here are the types of tweets you can expect from Ian -

"I love running in the rain! Just completed a 4km hilly x-country trail, I'm soaked but still smiling! @Wgtnroundthebay @74Running"  (Editors note - GOOD MAN!)

or this one -

"Went to the gym this morning, and just as I started my run, the fire alarm sounded! #notagoodstart"

Ian is one of those good guys in that if you tweet him then he will tweet you back.  So from what I can see Ian is the kind of guy that absolutely sucks all the juices out of life.  Never one to miss an opportunity and always ready to say yes to a challenge.


When @firemanian's days come to a close in the future I have no doubt that he will be able to sit back and think "that was a good life. A life worth living".

Random follow #32 - @AmyBowie

Flair, imagination and a passion for color are the hallmarks of a creative person.  The ability to differentiate oneself in a crowd and yet still be part of the whole is not an easy thing.  @AmyBowie is just this type of person.  There is something unique about her. 

Amy's profile picture I believe encapsulates her artistic spirit and individuality.  What is it about the picture?  The hat.  Bold, bright and beautiful.  The hat stands out and captures your eye straight away.  The red stands out and says 'Hey! Look at me!" but not in such a way as to be all in your face.  It is just there.

In much the same way that Amy is just there.  In amongst a crowd of a billion tweeters her voice is there to be heard by those who take the time to listen and notice that she has something to offer.

Amy brings her own voice to the world.  And with that voice she can raise a challenge, such as this tweet -

"Question: If you could hear any song done with solo accordion and voice... what would it be?"

And she can also provide amusement of this tweet really cracked me up -

"Page 105 of 1030 of self-taught audio engineering crash course. Now. For some practical experimentation."

It is that have-a-go, do-it-yourself attitude that is so alluring and yet that is where the creative spirit finds its release.  Seeking both solutions as well as new ways of doing things.  Not taking no for an answer.

Amy also has a number of creative outlets that you can discover for yourself if you take the time to head over to her twitter page and read up on who she is and what her passions are.  She is a singer, a teacher of others and also a writer and a creator of prose.

@AmyBowie is my random follow for today.

(Note - This is not Amy.  And that is not her hat.  But you get a pretty 

good idea of what her hat may look like from this picture)

Random follow #30 - @sterling_amanda

Social media is about engagement and conversation.  The really good tweeters not only tweet but they are able to bring together people from all over the twittersphere and can get them talking constructively about a particular topic.

@sterling_amanda is one person who has the knack to do so.  Every week (or so) you can join in the conversation all about HR and employment/worker engagement through the #NZLead stream.    @sterling_amanda is one half of the team who co-ordinate the conversation.  Her colleague
@TashTasticNZ is the other person who helps with the #NZLead conversation.

You will find that a lot of Amanda's tweets relate to her #NZLead project but when someone is as passionate about as she is about this one - what else would you expect?  They also have a website which you can find here http://nzlead.com/.

But just to break it up here are a few tweets that capture some of her personality in other ways -

"Making tequila slice and the mixture smells like margarita... Mmmm"

"haha was wondering my #nzlead stream looked so quiet - on the wrong page! #blondemoment #2ndoftheday"

@sterling_amanda is not a person to sit around and wait.  She won't "let the grass grow under her feet" as she is ambitious and determined yet still retains a warmth and openness to engage with others.  So in short she is really lovely.

I also know (by reading her tweets) that 2013 will be a BIG year for her  career wise.  With new responsibilities on national boards as well as travel to overseas places - she is going to be a very BUSY lady this year.

Random follow #29 - @Harfish

Todays random follow is no jamie Oliver.  In fact one might think that judging by some of his tweet she could be banned from the kitchen all together.  Tweeting at you coming straight out of Christchurch is @harfish.  If his tweets are anything to go by he is a real genuine bloke who is able to laugh at himself.  Try these tweets on for size -

"Starting the day with a fireball in the kitchen is totally a good thing right?"

"Instead of cooking my pork on the BBQ, I think I might save gas and just cook it on the patio"

"So apparently it IS possible to burn rice in a microwave"

@harfish is a man after my own heart in that he is a keen sports and fitness person.  His bio states that he is a sports reporter, gamer, rugby referee, runner.  That sounds like a fantastic mix of interests to me.  he also enjoys watching ice hockey which is a HUGE plus!  You can check out @harfish's website - http://www.fattofit.me/ - and see and read even more of his story.

The real story behind @harfish is the fact that he is an earthquake survivor.  Many people after the earthquakes for whatever reason packed up their lives and moved on.  Others decided the battle was worth it and saving Christchurch is an accomplish-able goal.  @harfish and his family are among those that have chosen to stay.  Full credit to him and his family for making such a choice and all the best to them.

So that's my very small take and recommendation to follow @harfish.  He strikes me as a great bloke who enjoys life and tries to do everything he can to suck every last drip and bit of blood out of life.

I'm picking that if you are able at some stage to convert your twitter follow into a real life meet and greet then you may want to invite yourself around for a BBQ.  That way you'll at least be outside should anything go wrong! LOL.

Random follow #25 - @KendallForbes

One of the nicest tweeters you will find online is @KendallForbes.  She is a very lovely young lady who gives her all to her work.  Kendall is a radio personality who works for More FM.  And not just a radio station like More FM in a big city somewhere - where she would hidden out of the way.  But she is located in a community style station on the Kapiti coast. 

Kapiti coast is a collection of beautiful spots in New Zealand that have great beaches. The kapiti coast is located north of Wellington and is a bustling wee community that is spread out over a vast geographical area.  The lifestyle is easy and the people are laid back.  Much like @KendallForbes. 

Here is an example of Kendall's sense of humor -

"Oh no. Just saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said "Keep Calm and Oppa Gangnam Style". He was not wearing it ironically."

or this one

"What will the world think of us if we get rid of cats? How will I explain to the next generation how cute and cuddly they are? #ilovecats"

And here is what I really like about her - if you tweet her she will tweet you back.  And if you tweet something funny or intelligent she will actually let you know.  Because social media and twitter especially are about having a conversation and interacting.  Much like radio.

I totally take my hat off to someone who is prepared to work hard in a smaller role with a large company as she pursues her dreams, goals and desires.  There is a lot to be said for smaller communities and using the opportunities that give you to springboard further and higher in your career and life.

Kapiti Island, just off the coast of Paraparaumu

Random follow #23 - @shineprjack

Choosing how you represent yourself on social media can be a little tricky to manage at times.  Some people have one account where they tweet everything and other people separate their accounts so they have one personal and one professional.

Today's random twitter follow has two accounts.  One personal (@ironjack35) and the other professional (@shineprjack).  I have followed Jackie on her @ironjack35  twitter account for some time now.  the other account though is a new one and I have only just started following @shineprjack for a week or so.

This is one of those rare occasions when i can actually tell you something real about today's person.  Jackie is an Ironwoman!  She loves triathlon and sport and she is super organized and efficient.  She is married and is a mum too.

One thing I have noticed is that Jackie is a really encouraging and uplifting person.  She is determined and focused but at the same time she is realistic about what she can and can't achieve at any given time.  Here are a couple of example tweets from her various accounts -

@IronJack35  "The best thing about daytime swim squad in our amazing 50m outdoor pool? An AMAZING tan - which for a redhead is significant!"

@shineprjack  "That moment when you discover that what you have been saying all along, for about 18 months, is in fact best practice. Nice" 

So now you have two options available to you.  Either way you will be making a good choice should you choose to push the follow button.

Random follow #21 - @nzange

Do you ever have that feeling of anticipation?  Like you know something really good is about to happen or take place but you're not quite sure where its going to come from.  You wait.  And you watch.  And then it happens - that moment when your excitement comes to fruition.

That's much how I feel about today's random tweeter.  @nzange chooses her words carefully and thinks before she tweet.  She offers encouragement to those who need it and has fun along the way.  She makes light of random everyday situations which can at times lead to some very funny tweet stories.  Here is just one example -

"Can't find something inconsequential. Trying to relax & worry about it tomorrow. Will. Not. Freak. Out"

Another really great thing about @nzange is that she shares her life and happenings through her blog.  So what you won't get on twitter is blatant oversharing.  @nzange is a healthy tweeter who is purposely elusive.  She engages in social media but at the same time manages to keep her distance.  And she quickly establishes that fact with her twitter bio - "I'm many things."

What you will often see are tiny little tweets that allude to a situation or scenario followed by a link to her blog. Her blog is a total piece of art just on its own.  It is totally worth looking at and reading.  @nzange has a very wicked sense of humor at times and has a very clever way of telling a story.  Here is a link to the first blog post of hers that I read and it had me rolling on the floor in total laughter -
http://notsurebutsure.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/a-stinky-mystery/

I ask to read her blog posts and if you don't any of then even remotely funny.....  then I give up.

Random follow #18 - @samarasheppard

It is interesting that many kiwi's head overseas in search of fame, fortune and riches.  And it isn't until they achieve something REALLY big (aka a mainstream win of some sort) that people actually get to hear about those people.

@samarasheppard is exactly one of those people.  I have met Samara a few times over the past few years as she was a resident athlete with the educational institute that I work at.  She is a really lovely lass who is full of grit, determination and commitment to her sport.  She is a very humble young lady who is full of life and also a very smart cookie. 

Her sport being cross country mountain biking doesn't get a lot of coverage in the mainstream media in New Zealand but it is a HUGE sport with tons of opportunities overseas.  Did you know she won a World Cup race in 2012?  No.  Neither did I.  But my aim is to keep up with whats happening in 2013!

@samarasheppard  has a twitter account and a Facebook page through which you can keep up with her travels, exploits and undertakings from around the world but mainly in Europe (from what I understand).  And guess what she has her location based as Wellington (yes - yet another Wellingtonian..... but she is REALLY a Rotorua gal)

You're not going to find out too much by just checking out her twitter account but if you link social media with her website --> http://samarasheppard.com/  <-- then you'll get a pretty good picture of what life is like for a professional elite athlete.

Go hard Samara!

p.s. I hope you don't mind that I 'borrowed' one of your pictures for this blog post Samara!  Let me know if I need to change it or remove it please =)

Random follow #17 - @gloombat

Milly, aka @gloombat gets full marks for figuring out how twitter works and what makes a great tweeter within her first 100 tweets.  In actual fact @gloombat only actually has 104 tweets (at time of posting).

Her tweets are always varied and much like her (I suspect) very eccentric.  What I like is that her tweets aren't all one sided or single topic tweets.  When she tweets @gloombat manages to cover a range of different areas - from the weather to wine and

These are some of my favorite tweets that I have seen -

"UGH! Just noticed skanky lipstick on the rim of my glass AFTER I had finished drinking from it. Excuse me while I vom"

And with tweets like this you know she is a quick learner:

"Only a few minutes ago I did my first hashtag. Ima have me a celebratory beer"  

I'm not going to overstate or bang on about Milly except to say I think she is a great twitter peep who is keeping it real and brings a freshness to the social media realm.  Follow on!

Random follow #15 - @handsmegan, @nzcows and @angelahogg

Social media is for everyone.  It doesn't matter where you love or what you decide to do for a living.  Social media cuts across all sectors of society.  One area of industry that social media is becoming more and more popular with - is the farming sector.

Mid 2012 I started following a tweeter who goes by the name of @nzcows.  If there was ever a more self explanatory twitter name than that - I have yet to find it.  Colin is a great tweeter and does a really good job of sharing what life is like down on the farm using an interesting lens.  He actively engages in #agchat and has introduced me to some other really great random NZ tweeters.

The person whom @nzcows introduced me to recently is @handsmegan.  Megans twitter bio is quite an appealing one and it certainly gets the brain cells moving.  Here's how it goes at the moment - Practical Environmentalist, Politics geek, Agriculture advocate and proud Rural NZer. And if that bio isn't enough to prove to you that Megan is a farmer through and through, then try this tweet -

"Being up at this hour makes me feel like I should be heading for a cowshed"

@hangsmegan  doesn't just tweet about cows and rural life but she tweets about subjects that she enjoys and finds fun too.  Much like a mixed farm what you'll find is a pleasant mix of tweets with Megan.  And she does tweet - a fair bit.  In a good way of course!

And it wouldn't be fair to do a blog post about farming tweeters if I didn't include another delightful lady of farming - @angelahogg. Angela is a really cool person.Much like Megan she works hard and works hard to keep a good balance in her life.  And as an advanced notice Angela is organizing the inaugural #tweetup with #AgChatNz in Ashburton at a Farming conference of some kind between the 3rd and 5th July, 2013.  See you there?

Editors note - I've never been to Ashburton myself (hint, hint) so if anyone happened to think they'd help me to get there - I wouldn't say no!  LOL.

 Otago - in summer

and Otago in winter :)

Random follow #14 - @katywr and @curlsinmyhair

Today I'm going with two tweeters.  Why two?  Because they are  (best friends).  Not just twitter besties but best friends in real life who have been able to link up through twitter (and Facebook too probably) and continue on their friendship.  Through thick and thin their friendship has stood the test of time and they are still going strong.

So who are these two tweeters?  They would be two very lovely ladies who go by the twitter names @katywr and @curlsinmyhair.

I haven't tried looking to see how often they tweet each other but I'm sure it must be often.  Real friendships can occur online but the depth and need of a friendship that only ever occurs in an online space (I think) doesn't really develop the depth or emotion that being friends in real life does.  And lots of conversations and communication occurs via DM's om twitter.  And I am picking time on the telephone too.

As individuals though I really enjoy seeing their individual timelines when you see tweets like these appear -

"NOT IMPRESSED at #hubby trying to contain laughter, while trying to explain to #missfive why 'Shit' is only an adult word."  That from @katywr.   And this tweet from  @curlsinmyhair -

"4 out of 4 people agree, purple asparagus does not cause "asparagus wee". #strangebuttrue"

So there you go.  Besties use twitter too.  And this is the tweet that tops all other tweets to describe the friendship -

"@Katywr @Pammygirl @HagmanNZ I love my besties like I love chocolate, which is a lot & all the time by the way!"

Random follow #13 - @ChantalsHB

If you are looking for the ultimate super food (aka organic) store in the North Island then I do believe that @ChantalsHB takes that title easily.  They sell some of the absolute BEST fresh produce, whole foods and organic products that are available anywhere.

Whats even better about the store?  They have a cafe that serves fair trade coffee and makes some of the meanest smoothies you can get from anywhere.

What I enjoy about the tweets is that they aren't like "This weeks specials are....." but they are the tweets and goings on of Lisa D. who curates the twitter account for @ChantalsHB.  Here a couple of tweets that totally cracked me up -

"My first tomato of the season is ripe, Im excited...even though its a cherry tomato" and this one....

"What a bloody fantastic idea..mobile coffee van just pulled in to campsite. Im running like a mad woman".

If you take some time next time you are in the Hawkes Bay call in and say hi.  I am sure if you tell them you follow them on twitter the least they will do is give you a smile.  And keep an eye open for some of the locals like - @brenasmith, @kylieberrynz  and maybe even @MrBobbyDigital

Random follow #12 - @OliviaFranceska

Twitter is a place where peoples stories unfold.  People who walk past you every day but you never meet.  People who work in the office down the hall or sit in the same lecture theater as you.  You know they are there but you never talk to them or find discover their story.  Some peoples stories unfold as they alert the world to what is happening in their world via social media.  Or in this case via twitter.

@OliviaFranceska, so I discovered this week, is about to embark into a new journey in the year ahead.  She  will be packing her life up from where it currently exists and moving city.  Maybe she will take a plane, possibly a train and most likely a car.  Moving anywhere any time can be daunting and it can also be exciting too.  So where is @OliviaFranceska headed for?  @VicUniWgtn.  Yes, yet another (soon to be) Wellingtonian tweeter type person.

Here is a snapshot of her bio as it stands today - 

"Once described as the Queen on acid. I loves jaffa cakes and mojitos, innit. Prospective Wellingtonian".

I have a feeling that sentence may change as this year progresses and the word prospective will get dropped.  And so will her story and her tweets.  I sincerely hope that she will share with us some of the experiences of moving town, finding new friends and embarking on her voyage towards knowledge and 

a career.

So what does she tweet about?  Stuff.  Real everyday type stuff.  Her tweets aren't long winded.  they tend to be at the shorter end of the spectrum but they tell you enough about whats going on.  I really enjoy tweeters who do this because it allows you the reader to fill in the gaps.  For example - 

"Manual cars are just that much more awesome".

If you a Wellingtonian or live in the capital city can I recommend that either you follow @OliviaFranceska or that she follow you?  A few names spring to mind straight away - @reedfleming, @torysaurus and maybe even @lmfbs who is a tried and true local.  All old hands at the university experience.

This is Victoria University.  Well one building anyway.

(Editors note - there has been a change of plams for @OliviaFranceska and she has decided to stay in Auckland for the time being.  Fingers x'ed she makes the jump to living in Wellington one day.  Maybe 2014?)