I clearly remember the first time I touched a computer keyboard. It was a crazy large thing, the screen was black with green font, and I was working on my second degree at the University of Washington. The year was 1983.

I clearly remember my first home computer. We spent as much as our car cost us at the time, for a Mac SE. The hard drive and monitor were all in one and the screen was so tiny. The year was 1990.

I clearly remember first getting email and internet. I really wanted email at home because I was working from home and my husband didn’t think I would really use it. I remember figuring out what a ‘website’ was and how much easier it was to find information than the phone book. It was a revelation. The year was 1998.

Twelve years later, it’s hard to imagine a day without a computer in my life. Email, website, facebook, twitter and blogging are as much a part of my day as brushing my teeth. And that is not necessarily a good thing, but at least I still find time to brush (usually twice a day).

My job as the marketing director for Gig Harbor (or your Gig Harbor Guide, my “handle”) has certainly required me to keep on top of the fast paced world of technical and social media. Not always an easy task. And often a little frightening. Take blogging for instance;

Only a little more than a year ago did I begin blogging about Gig Harbor. I was concerned that blogging would seem too self-serving, and that it might result in nasty comments or feedback that was unpleasant. Being the Polly-Anna I am, I really didn’t want to deal with any of that. But, I also felt I was missing another opportunity to tout the wonders of Gig Harbor if I did not dive in to the blogging and the social media world.

So, I took the plunge. And a year later, I can say it has been a great opportunity, one that has grown enough that we are upgrading our blog as well as our website this month.

Our blog that has been hosted on www.gigharborguide.blogspot.com is moving to www.gigharborguide.com – now officially part of our visitor website. The website is also newly refreshed and, though still working out the bugs, has some great new features and upgraded technology to keep it as the number one website for information about the greater Gig Harbor area.

Please check it out. Please comment on our blog. Please join us on Facebook and Twitter (@GigHarborGuide) and please, remember to brush your teeth!

Gig Harbor's TravelChair® Wins 2010 Good Housekeeping VIP Award

GIG HARBOR, WA- TravelChair, worldwide leading designer and manufacturer of outdoor chairs was one of 10 winners chosen from 1,650 products evaluated by the Good House Keeping Research Institute as “Best New Products 2010.” The 2010 VIP (Very Innovative Products) selects new breakthrough products that solve every day problems in new and innovative ways.

According to Holly Roso, CEO of TravelChair Company, “we were excited to be one of the 10 products recognized by the Good Housekeeping VIP Award. The scientists and engineers at Good Housekeeping Research Institute, with their state-of –the-art laboratory, evaluated our Insect Shield chair for its performance and safety, and for our forward thinking approach. It’s a good feeling when your brand is recognized for the very things you strive for as a company, which for us is innovation and performance”

TravelChair, who is known for its state of the art designs and high endurance chairs, has embedded the chair fabric with Insect Shield’s EPA-registered insect-repellent. This shield is an invisible and odorless protection against mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges (no-see-ums) and is deemed appropriate for use by children and pregnant women.

For more information about this revolutionary new product visit TravelChair at www.travelchair.com.