Sunday Surf - Googling my family for Mother's Day

One time when I was visiting my mom, after my dad passed away, my mom was telling me about a special she watched the night before on "ring" seals. She wanted to know more, but there wasn't that much in our really really really old World Book Encyclopedias, so I googled the seals on my Treo 700 (or maybe it was my Treo 650...I forget). Lots of entries about seals and rings...and o-rings, for some reason. I showed my mom how I did that googling on my tiny "toy" and narrowed it down to a site (maybe it was wikipedia) and she was duly impressed. In fact, she asked me to look something up the next day too!

Anyway, after the seals, we were chatting about missing my dad and I decided to google him. There were lots of entries. Mainly related to all of his volunteer work. I mentioned to her how when I've googled my brother, he shows up all over too. But when I googled myself...nada. Since I have a less than common last name and the spelling is even more rare, you'd think not much would come up at all. But actually, there are lots of entries, just none about me. I have found that most people out there who have the same last name spelling are usually some distant cousin. Or, in the case of one, an actor who changed his name to one that mine resembles. But still, none are me.

Even my mom shows up on google, right near the top of the list when I put in her name. Yeah, it surprised both of us enough, that she registered (or rather had me register for her) at the particular site, so she could read all about herself on my tiny "toy". She's since turned off her own internet access, so even if she wanted to go look on her own computer, she can't. Sigh. She likes my toy a bit, but she'd never use it if I gave it to her because the buttons are way too small. So much for a potential Mother's Day gift. Anyway, for Mother's Day, I googled us all again. Still no me, or so I thought.

My mom is famous for amassing a lot of Master's points playing Bridge (it's a card game, if you're wondering)! My brother for being an academic and for writing a book on blogging. My dad for a variety of things that involved helping people. And finally me. Of course, the first mention of me was related to my dad's passing as I was mentioned in a booklet put out by the United Methodist Church on former clergy and/or spouses that passed away (the entry was written by my mother doncha know). Another google entry is for being a Democratic Delegate for the county where I live. Oh, and the only way to find me by google is to also know my middle name. Go figure...

Update: I'm also found a new entry without my middle name in a school district list of supplemental retirement program providers...woohoo...that means business!