Hello out there in Steemit-land (do people even say that anymore?)! I'm an extreme newbie and kind of old. I don't know what I'm doing, but I intend to soak up all I can. This site sounds fabulous and I'm just now getting into the stock market and wished I'd ventured into the BITCOIN thing, but was in a family turmoil at the time.

My parents passed away now and my son has flown the coop. I've retired from my marriage and now it's ME time! I want to learn new things. Things like Steemit and cybercurrency and mining and all that cool stuff I've missed since raising my son (18 years) and taking care of my parents for 8 years, and I think it's time to break new ground! Why not break it here?

I've been "online" in "cyberspace" since the mid-1990s. The Ex got an old IBM computer and we began our journey into cyberspace and really didn't have any idea what we were doing. Kinda like me on Steemit now! Wow, how things come full-circle!

I learned of Steemit through @LeeCamp from RT's program "Redacted Tonight". Lee is kinda like the RT's version of Jon Stewart. Lee also does stand up in and around the DC area and also other venues around the country. I saw his stand up in Charlottesville a few years ago, and met Lee and we spoke briefly about his book, which he graciously signed for me. @LeeCamp is on Steemit, check out some of his clips! I thank Lee for showing me the way to Steemit. Thanks, Lee! See you soon in DC!

I am also a huge Madonna fan. I've been lucky enough to meet her through her old Icon Fan Club and Forum. I'm not a member of Icon anymore because it became a bit too overtaken by their unforgiving moderator, who will go unnamed. Before the unpleasantness there, however, I was lucky enough to have won two contests while at Icon (1992-2010). The first contest was floor seats (in the back of the floor), to the MCI Center (now Capital One Arena) in DC. (I wrote a short word or two why I wanted to go--but I forget now what I actually said)....I also won an essay contest for the Icon Reporter in June of 2005 (there are copies of that!). The winner got to go to the UNICEF/Benefit Party for Madonna's children's book, "Lotsa De Casha" at Bergdorf-Goodman's in NYC, and I wrote an article for Icon #45. My picture was also used in our local paper in the Lifestyle section in addition to a picture of me in The Madonna Room. The room has been dismantled since the divorce and that's another story right there.

I've got a lot of Madonna tee shirts, over 100. My older shirts were featured in a vintage tee shirt book. I took the pictures of my shirts, sent them to the editor. The author had promised me "a couple of rare Madonna picture disks", but I got nothing and he changed his email address. I wrote a not so flattering review on Amazon, but I think they deleted it. Go figure? The trials and tribulations of being a Madonna fan--since 1982, I'll admit!

I've seen all of Madonna's tours, except one--the Virgin Tour 1985. I was moving at the time and there was no internet back then, and found out she was touring at a party one evening when listening to a Madonna song, wearing a Madonna Jacket. I wanted to cry.

I've seen her 19 times since. I think I more than made up for it. Tours I attended were from 1987-2016.

I'm starting to sell off some of my collection because I need the space and the money. On Ebay, I'm mamadonna1993 and have been a member there since the early 2000's. 100% Positive Feedback, too--as a buyer and seller. I started out buying, then buying to continue selling, and now I'm mainly selling to continue buying. :)

I'm currently on Twitter as @GrainOfSands. I'm outspoken and true to my word--even though sometimes I do get confused and we all make mistakes. I make an effort to admit them, and try to make it right.My Twitter feed is mainly about politics and what's going on at the time. Although I do respond to various topics in the Trending section and follow many people from Madonna to other progressive voices and musicians and artists and friends. I began using Twitter in 2010, after leaving Icon and discovered a whole new world!

Now I'm ready to discover another, here on Steemit. Here goes!!