After a little over four years and some 1500 posts (!!!), I think I'm ready to hang up this blogging thing and move on to something else. I don't know what that something else IS yet, but the blog has become something of a chore. It's not in my nature to blog only occasionally, but I may resort to that. I'm not ready to KILL the blog yet, but at the very least I'm taking a break.
I have enjoyed my time here, and I've enjoyed every single comment (well, almost every single comment) on my posts. I've learned a lot about people, and I've learned a lot about myself. (Wait...that sounds like I'm not a people. You know what I mean.)
I may drop in from time to time if I feel the need to spout off some sarcasm, but don't feel obligated to check on a daily basis.
If anyone would like to communicate with me directly, feel free to email me at dwpruitt (at) windstream (dot) net. See how much I love y'all? I just made my email address public and available to any spammer out there. I hope said spammer has better things to do on this particular evening.
Have a wonderful holiday season, and don't forget to be as nice to your family members as you are to perfect strangers during this joyful time.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I Get My Affirmation from Strangers (And the Strangest Places).....
Like most people in the free world who have internet access, I read The Pioneer Woman's blog every day. I'm pretty sure she invented blogging. And cowboys. And butter.
Lately PW has allowed her husband, known affectionately to the whole world as Marlboro Man, to do some guest posts. They are incredibly well written, and I am pretty sure the voice is his, not something PW has written and passed off as being written by a man wearing Wranglers and chaps.
I rarely comment on PW's blog, because it's like sending a tweet to George Clooney or something. I'm pretty sure she doesn't bother with peons (did I spell that word correctly?) such as myself, and while she would love to respond personally to each and every comment, the fact that somewhere around a billion people read and comment on her posts (and that's not even counting when she has a contest or a giveaway) probably deters her from attempting it.
Yesterday Marlboro Man wrote a post about wild horses, and while I got lost in a lot of the details and the incredible photographs of the horses, the author's (correct - yay!) use of the word "exacerbating" caught my eye. (I used to love teaching that as a vocabulary word in the traditional school setting. It got giggles from ninth graders every. single. time.) I couldn't resist commenting on his use of the word.
And I'm not sure why, but something compelled me to go back and look at my own comment later. (I guess it's sort of like baking a beautiful cake and going back to the kitchen to look at it again. Did I mention I might have a tiny bit of an ego problem?)
What I found there made me smile.
Perfect strangers, commenting on my comment, made my day.
Headed off to my therapist (or another drink called a frozen buttery nipple, whichever comes first),
Bragger
Lately PW has allowed her husband, known affectionately to the whole world as Marlboro Man, to do some guest posts. They are incredibly well written, and I am pretty sure the voice is his, not something PW has written and passed off as being written by a man wearing Wranglers and chaps.
I rarely comment on PW's blog, because it's like sending a tweet to George Clooney or something. I'm pretty sure she doesn't bother with peons (did I spell that word correctly?) such as myself, and while she would love to respond personally to each and every comment, the fact that somewhere around a billion people read and comment on her posts (and that's not even counting when she has a contest or a giveaway) probably deters her from attempting it.
Yesterday Marlboro Man wrote a post about wild horses, and while I got lost in a lot of the details and the incredible photographs of the horses, the author's (correct - yay!) use of the word "exacerbating" caught my eye. (I used to love teaching that as a vocabulary word in the traditional school setting. It got giggles from ninth graders every. single. time.) I couldn't resist commenting on his use of the word.
And I'm not sure why, but something compelled me to go back and look at my own comment later. (I guess it's sort of like baking a beautiful cake and going back to the kitchen to look at it again. Did I mention I might have a tiny bit of an ego problem?)
What I found there made me smile.
Kath On Monday, May 21 at 5:03 pm
This is the funniest post I have seen in a while. My mother was an English teacher so I feel for your students. Have a happy retirement. ann On Monday, May 21 at 5:34 pm
As a retired teacher and certified “word nerd” I got a big chuckle reading your post. I find myself constantly mentally correcting what I read and hear that butchers the English language.Perfect strangers, commenting on my comment, made my day.
Headed off to my therapist (or another drink called a frozen buttery nipple, whichever comes first),
Bragger
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Strangely Productive Day.....
I knew after yesterday's butt-kicking ride that I wouldn't do any exercise today. And that was (and is) perfectly okay. I'm past the point of kicking myself if I skip even one day of exercise. I think I need the days off, too, and I don't obsess about how many days in a row I get some form of exercise.
I wasn't a total slug, though. I went to the grocery store (a chore I do NOT enjoy), caught up all the laundry (it only took two loads, but Hubby had an inordinately large number of socks in there, so I must have been slack last week), washed my bike and lubricated the chain and derailleurs, emptied the dishwasher and loaded it again.
And I allowed myself a couple of hours out at the pool, soaking up the sun (probably too much, but I was conscientious about putting on sunscreen) and listening to the baseball game. (Braves won - yay!)
A blog post by my friend Neena from last week has continued to bother me, mainly because I can relate so well to what she says in item #2. She's wrestling with her post-Ph.D. life, wondering in which direction she should go. One of the things she's considering is abandoning her blog. If she does I will miss her very much, but I totally understand how she feels.
It's sort of where I was going months and months ago when I wondered in this space why we blog. I blog because I love to write, but I think it's more than that. If it were the mere process of writing, a journal would accomplish the same thing. I think blogging requires a little more responsibility, because you must always consider your audience. I love the idea of an actual audience being out there reading my (sometimes) drivel, even if they are people I have never met and may never meet.
Neena's lament is that she gets few comments on her blog and her readership is down. Is that something happening all across the blogosphere, sort of like the woes of the economy spread to all facets of life all over the world? Because I've experienced the same thing. Sometimes it's disappointing to write something I think is incredibly witty/poignant/meaningful/deep/creative (okay, so I have a big ego or something) and then find that no one else has read it.
It could be like the case of one of my dear friends. She has a VERY busy life, and every now and then she used to say to me, "Oh, I've got to get caught up on your blog." She was apologetic. I think she felt like it was a book, and she couldn't just pick up on today's entry; she felt she had to go back and read it all, and who in the world has time for THAT? I don't EXPECT anyone to read my blog, and I'm deeply appreciative of anyone who takes the time to do so. I guess I'm just curious about why the change.
I'm not whining, please believe me. Don't start wracking your brain and saying, "Oh...well...what can I comment to make her feel better?" That's not my purpose here.
I think my main purpose is to remind MYSELF that blogging is something I chose to do, to give myself an outlet and to make me produce SOME SORT of writing every day. Even if it's bad writing.
I will continue to blog until I don't want to do it anymore. I'm not going to let my decision be influenced by whether or not anyone else out there might be reading it. When it stops giving me pleasure, I will cease to do it.
Now if I could find some way to force myself to play the piano. And no, going back to playing the piano for church is NOT an option.
I wasn't a total slug, though. I went to the grocery store (a chore I do NOT enjoy), caught up all the laundry (it only took two loads, but Hubby had an inordinately large number of socks in there, so I must have been slack last week), washed my bike and lubricated the chain and derailleurs, emptied the dishwasher and loaded it again.
And I allowed myself a couple of hours out at the pool, soaking up the sun (probably too much, but I was conscientious about putting on sunscreen) and listening to the baseball game. (Braves won - yay!)
A blog post by my friend Neena from last week has continued to bother me, mainly because I can relate so well to what she says in item #2. She's wrestling with her post-Ph.D. life, wondering in which direction she should go. One of the things she's considering is abandoning her blog. If she does I will miss her very much, but I totally understand how she feels.
It's sort of where I was going months and months ago when I wondered in this space why we blog. I blog because I love to write, but I think it's more than that. If it were the mere process of writing, a journal would accomplish the same thing. I think blogging requires a little more responsibility, because you must always consider your audience. I love the idea of an actual audience being out there reading my (sometimes) drivel, even if they are people I have never met and may never meet.
Neena's lament is that she gets few comments on her blog and her readership is down. Is that something happening all across the blogosphere, sort of like the woes of the economy spread to all facets of life all over the world? Because I've experienced the same thing. Sometimes it's disappointing to write something I think is incredibly witty/poignant/meaningful/deep/creative (okay, so I have a big ego or something) and then find that no one else has read it.
It could be like the case of one of my dear friends. She has a VERY busy life, and every now and then she used to say to me, "Oh, I've got to get caught up on your blog." She was apologetic. I think she felt like it was a book, and she couldn't just pick up on today's entry; she felt she had to go back and read it all, and who in the world has time for THAT? I don't EXPECT anyone to read my blog, and I'm deeply appreciative of anyone who takes the time to do so. I guess I'm just curious about why the change.
I'm not whining, please believe me. Don't start wracking your brain and saying, "Oh...well...what can I comment to make her feel better?" That's not my purpose here.
I think my main purpose is to remind MYSELF that blogging is something I chose to do, to give myself an outlet and to make me produce SOME SORT of writing every day. Even if it's bad writing.
I will continue to blog until I don't want to do it anymore. I'm not going to let my decision be influenced by whether or not anyone else out there might be reading it. When it stops giving me pleasure, I will cease to do it.
Now if I could find some way to force myself to play the piano. And no, going back to playing the piano for church is NOT an option.
Monday, November 7, 2011
What's Worse.....
I feel obligated to write a blog entry every night, if for no other reason than the fact that three of my dearest family members read it regularly (thank you sister and sister and daughter).
Some nights, though, like tonight, I just want to go to bed, never mind that it's only 7:30. My body thinks it's 8:30, and by the time it gets adjusted to the "new" time, it will be time to change the clocks again.
I felt fine this morning, so apparently just whining about feeling bad is enough to render me cured. That and DJan's wise suggestion of physical activity. I figured if I felt well enough to go to school, I could darn well ride my bike home. The activity itself made me feel better and even lifted my spirits somewhat after a bummer of a day at school, but now I am wiped out.
So I don't know what's worse...
...skipping a night of writing in my blog.
...or writing a poor excuse for a blog entry just to say I did.
You decide, but be gentle with my feelings. They're sensitive right now.
Some nights, though, like tonight, I just want to go to bed, never mind that it's only 7:30. My body thinks it's 8:30, and by the time it gets adjusted to the "new" time, it will be time to change the clocks again.
I felt fine this morning, so apparently just whining about feeling bad is enough to render me cured. That and DJan's wise suggestion of physical activity. I figured if I felt well enough to go to school, I could darn well ride my bike home. The activity itself made me feel better and even lifted my spirits somewhat after a bummer of a day at school, but now I am wiped out.
So I don't know what's worse...
...skipping a night of writing in my blog.
...or writing a poor excuse for a blog entry just to say I did.
You decide, but be gentle with my feelings. They're sensitive right now.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Why We Blog.....
I'm looking for input for a blog topic I tossed around in my own head on the six-hour ... YES, SIX-HOUR ... drive home from Sweet Girl's house today.
I came up with quite a few ideas of my own, some of which contradict each other (no surprise there), but I would appreciate some input from my readers.
I would like to nominate my friend Neena to research this topic. She is already doing her Ph.D. research on mommy bloggers in particular, so it should be no sweat for her to extend her research and write ANOTHER dissertation on blogging in general. (Come on, Neena, you KNOW that it is only at the end of the dissertation process that we figure out what the hell it is we were supposed to be doing all along!)
On a related note, that's almost exactly what I said to my doctoral committee during my final defense. I suggested that in the future they require candidates to write TWO dissertations, since the first one is where you figure out what you're supposed to be doing. The second one could be the real one. I suggested they start it with the class immediately following my own. They didn't go for it, but they did find the sentiment amusing. It's all about the laughs in a final defense.
Anyway, if you have thoughts on the topic of blogging, feel free to leave them in the comments section. You can have an opinion on the subject even if you don't blog yourself.
Have a great week!
I came up with quite a few ideas of my own, some of which contradict each other (no surprise there), but I would appreciate some input from my readers.
- Why do we blog?
- Why do YOU blog?
- Why do you think some other people blog?
- What do we get out of blogging?
- How does blogging intersect with the rest of our lives?
I would like to nominate my friend Neena to research this topic. She is already doing her Ph.D. research on mommy bloggers in particular, so it should be no sweat for her to extend her research and write ANOTHER dissertation on blogging in general. (Come on, Neena, you KNOW that it is only at the end of the dissertation process that we figure out what the hell it is we were supposed to be doing all along!)
On a related note, that's almost exactly what I said to my doctoral committee during my final defense. I suggested that in the future they require candidates to write TWO dissertations, since the first one is where you figure out what you're supposed to be doing. The second one could be the real one. I suggested they start it with the class immediately following my own. They didn't go for it, but they did find the sentiment amusing. It's all about the laughs in a final defense.
Anyway, if you have thoughts on the topic of blogging, feel free to leave them in the comments section. You can have an opinion on the subject even if you don't blog yourself.
Have a great week!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Of COURSE I Will Remember.......
I was riding my bike home from school today when I thought of something I could write tonight's blog post about. It was something ironic, and it was from way back in my student teaching days. In fact, there were two different stories, and I was going to call them something absurd like "A Tale of Two Ironies." I thought to myself, "There's no way I'll forget that one."
You can probably guess where this is going. I have no idea what was going to write about. I guess I could go get on my bike and try to recreate the scene in the hope that I might remember, but it's awfully dark outside. I don't think it had anything to DO with bike riding, though. That's just where I got the idea. Maybe it will come back to me next time I'm on my bike. I will know then to stop and put a memo on my iPhone, because clearly my memory isn't to be trusted.
I took a different route home this afternoon, leaving school and going in the opposite direction from my usual route. It seemed like a Friday thing to do. It was a good route, with the exception of having to go through a busy intersection that is usually pretty tame, except for Friday afternoons. It made the 5-mile trip home a 13-mile bike ride, which was just about perfect. The weather was noticeably cooler today, with the first hint of lighter, crisper air. It was still on the warm side, but not like breathing through a wash cloth, as Hubby has described it.
I had a moment of zen when I turned onto our little street. It was the sudden realization that it was the weekend. This four-day week stretched on FOREVER.
Happy Weekend, Y'all!
You can probably guess where this is going. I have no idea what was going to write about. I guess I could go get on my bike and try to recreate the scene in the hope that I might remember, but it's awfully dark outside. I don't think it had anything to DO with bike riding, though. That's just where I got the idea. Maybe it will come back to me next time I'm on my bike. I will know then to stop and put a memo on my iPhone, because clearly my memory isn't to be trusted.
I took a different route home this afternoon, leaving school and going in the opposite direction from my usual route. It seemed like a Friday thing to do. It was a good route, with the exception of having to go through a busy intersection that is usually pretty tame, except for Friday afternoons. It made the 5-mile trip home a 13-mile bike ride, which was just about perfect. The weather was noticeably cooler today, with the first hint of lighter, crisper air. It was still on the warm side, but not like breathing through a wash cloth, as Hubby has described it.
I had a moment of zen when I turned onto our little street. It was the sudden realization that it was the weekend. This four-day week stretched on FOREVER.
Happy Weekend, Y'all!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Milestone Blog.......
This blog entry is a milestone. Can anyone guess what it is?
I started blogging in July or August of 2008. My friend Neena mentioned in an email that she had a blog, and because it's always been my nature to abhor anyone having something I don't have, I thought it would be cool to blog too.
I never knew you could meet so many people through blogging, even folks you've never met in person. Like Maggie, Evil Pixie, DJan, Vodkamom, Julie, and Elena. I've enjoyed learning things about faraway places that I may never get to visit, like Alaska and Australia. I have felt the pain of folks I have never met but feel I have come to know, like Lilith and Lakeland Jo.
I have taken something that should be a hobby and turned it into an obsession, as only I can. In the past when things happened or I had aclever witty hilarious mundane thought, I would think to myself, "I can't wait to tell _______ this." Now my first thought is, "I can write about this in my blog!"
I have been silly, maudlin, depressed, sad, angry, frustrated, joyous, excited, giddy, and content in the confines of my little blog. I have written things that I was afraid might offend some people, and I've written things that I was afraid might bore some to death. I have written about children that aren't mine, and I have written about my own Sweet Girl, who has a blog of her own.
There are some things I will NEVER write about in this forum, but I would if people I know in real life didn't read here. I don't mind being judged by perfect strangers, but I don't want my few friends and family to change their opinions of me. Ha ha ha ha ha.
When I first started my blog, there were a couple of occasions when I went to bed and THEN remembered I hadn't done my blog. Most of those times I got up again to write SOMETHING, except for the times I was in the casino and just missed the midnight deadline. Nowadays I try to plan in advance, writing and scheduling a blog post ahead of time if I think I might by some wild stretch of the imagination be out after midnight.
Every now and then I worry that I'll run out of topics, but I can usually think of something to write about. It may be short and silly, or it may be a post about all the things I'm NOT going to write about. I feel an obligation to my readers to produce something every day. Is that weird? Sometimes I get a flood of ideas all at once, and I jot the list of topics down, satisfied that I will have enough blog fodder for a few days.
This milestone almost slipped up on me. Can you guess what it is? Leave your guess in the comments section, and I'll let you know tomorrow night what it was.
As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for being my readers and giving this little blog a purpose.
I started blogging in July or August of 2008. My friend Neena mentioned in an email that she had a blog, and because it's always been my nature to abhor anyone having something I don't have, I thought it would be cool to blog too.
I never knew you could meet so many people through blogging, even folks you've never met in person. Like Maggie, Evil Pixie, DJan, Vodkamom, Julie, and Elena. I've enjoyed learning things about faraway places that I may never get to visit, like Alaska and Australia. I have felt the pain of folks I have never met but feel I have come to know, like Lilith and Lakeland Jo.
I have taken something that should be a hobby and turned it into an obsession, as only I can. In the past when things happened or I had a
I have been silly, maudlin, depressed, sad, angry, frustrated, joyous, excited, giddy, and content in the confines of my little blog. I have written things that I was afraid might offend some people, and I've written things that I was afraid might bore some to death. I have written about children that aren't mine, and I have written about my own Sweet Girl, who has a blog of her own.
There are some things I will NEVER write about in this forum, but I would if people I know in real life didn't read here. I don't mind being judged by perfect strangers, but I don't want my few friends and family to change their opinions of me. Ha ha ha ha ha.
When I first started my blog, there were a couple of occasions when I went to bed and THEN remembered I hadn't done my blog. Most of those times I got up again to write SOMETHING, except for the times I was in the casino and just missed the midnight deadline. Nowadays I try to plan in advance, writing and scheduling a blog post ahead of time if I think I might by some wild stretch of the imagination be out after midnight.
Every now and then I worry that I'll run out of topics, but I can usually think of something to write about. It may be short and silly, or it may be a post about all the things I'm NOT going to write about. I feel an obligation to my readers to produce something every day. Is that weird? Sometimes I get a flood of ideas all at once, and I jot the list of topics down, satisfied that I will have enough blog fodder for a few days.
This milestone almost slipped up on me. Can you guess what it is? Leave your guess in the comments section, and I'll let you know tomorrow night what it was.
As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for being my readers and giving this little blog a purpose.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thank You All Around......
I posted last Thursday about the wonderful surprise I got in the mail from my blogging pal Maggie. In case you have forgotten or don't want to go back to that post, I'll refresh your memory. She sent me a wonderful yellow knit cap, just in time for the coldest weekend we've had this year, along with an eye mask and a precious journal. I gushed in my blog post about how nice it was to get a surprise, and then over the weekend I realized I never said "THANK YOU" to Maggie for being so stinkin' thoughtful. Thank you, Maggie, from the bottom of my heart. If ever I needed a pick-me-up gift, it was last week. You rock!
I would also like to thank Evil Pixie for making me her featured blogger this week. I am honored to be included in the same company as Evil Pixie and some of her fellow bloggers and photographers. Ever since I started following her blog, Evil Pixie has been quick to comment on my blog posts and to answer my lame and ignorant questions about photography. Thank you, Evil Pixie, for making me feel like a very special member of a very special club.
While I'm on a roll related to blogging, I would like to thank my former co-worker and blogger extraordinaire Neena over at Hooey!Critic. I still have no idea what a hooey is or why one would want to criticize it, but Neena is one of my all-time favorite people. When I unexpectedly had to teach English Literature, Neena shared all her teaching materials and lesson plans with me. Sorry, Neena, but I never DID learn to like Brit Lit. Thank you for being my friend and for introducing me to the blog world. I had no idea it was filled with such wonderful people. I should have known, though, if YOU were part of it, it had to be marvelous. Yes you will finish that Ph.D., and just like childbirth, when it's over you will say to yourself, "Well. That wasn't so bad after all." I promise.
Two of my most faithful readers are my sisters, Katydid and Nurse Jane, and I would like to thank them publicly for encouraging my writing. They keep me honest, because if I tried to pull off any fraud on my blog, they would call me on it immediately. They also kept Mom from killing me when I got suspended from school in the tenth grade. If there is any class to this blog at all, it is because I know they will read it. If you find anything on the blog completely without class, the fault is all mine.
Thank you to anyone else out there who reads my blog, either occasionally or regularly. As I mentioned in my questionnaire for Evil Pixie's featured blog post, I think blog writing requires a more "professional" (for lack of a better word) level of writing than mere journal writing. Please don't ever go away, because if I ever resort to the kind of garbage I used to write in my journals, I may have to burn this blog too.
Thank you to everyone who has ever loved me or at least not hated my guts enough to tell me!
I would also like to thank Evil Pixie for making me her featured blogger this week. I am honored to be included in the same company as Evil Pixie and some of her fellow bloggers and photographers. Ever since I started following her blog, Evil Pixie has been quick to comment on my blog posts and to answer my lame and ignorant questions about photography. Thank you, Evil Pixie, for making me feel like a very special member of a very special club.
While I'm on a roll related to blogging, I would like to thank my former co-worker and blogger extraordinaire Neena over at Hooey!Critic. I still have no idea what a hooey is or why one would want to criticize it, but Neena is one of my all-time favorite people. When I unexpectedly had to teach English Literature, Neena shared all her teaching materials and lesson plans with me. Sorry, Neena, but I never DID learn to like Brit Lit. Thank you for being my friend and for introducing me to the blog world. I had no idea it was filled with such wonderful people. I should have known, though, if YOU were part of it, it had to be marvelous. Yes you will finish that Ph.D., and just like childbirth, when it's over you will say to yourself, "Well. That wasn't so bad after all." I promise.
Two of my most faithful readers are my sisters, Katydid and Nurse Jane, and I would like to thank them publicly for encouraging my writing. They keep me honest, because if I tried to pull off any fraud on my blog, they would call me on it immediately. They also kept Mom from killing me when I got suspended from school in the tenth grade. If there is any class to this blog at all, it is because I know they will read it. If you find anything on the blog completely without class, the fault is all mine.
Thank you to anyone else out there who reads my blog, either occasionally or regularly. As I mentioned in my questionnaire for Evil Pixie's featured blog post, I think blog writing requires a more "professional" (for lack of a better word) level of writing than mere journal writing. Please don't ever go away, because if I ever resort to the kind of garbage I used to write in my journals, I may have to burn this blog too.
Thank you to everyone who has ever loved me or at least not hated my guts enough to tell me!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Is That All You Came Looking For?...........
A few months ago, I put one of those free "Stats Checker" thingies on my blog. It's a pretty cool tool that can tell you how many people accessed your blog. But it doesn't tell you how many of those page loads were YOUR OWN because you kept checking to see if maybe someone commented on your latest shards of brilliance. (I stole that phrase from another blogger. So sue me.)
It will, however, provide the IP address of anyone who has landed on my blog, so if I wereindustrious resourceful curious bored enough to do so, I guess I could feasibly find the name of everyone who has ever visited my blog.
The thing I find most interesting, however, is NOT that last Thursday my page was loaded 68 different times when the number is usually in the 20's or 30's. I like to see what search phrase has brought people to my blog. I just find it intriguing that we have the technology to do that. What meaningful purpose can it possibly serve? Other than, of course, the entertainment of very small minds like mine?
I don't check the stats finder every day. I'm not THATsad curious obsessed mindless bored. But I check it every now and then just to see if anything has changed.
Every single time I have checked it since I put it on my blog, there have been two phrases that stand out in the keyword analysis from search engines. Both are posts that I wrote long ago. I have posted many, many things since then, yet these two keep showing up as the most frequently searched terms.
"Loud obnoxious people"
and
"Skinny dipping couples"
I hope those casual readers don't think those are the ONLY people I know.
It will, however, provide the IP address of anyone who has landed on my blog, so if I were
The thing I find most interesting, however, is NOT that last Thursday my page was loaded 68 different times when the number is usually in the 20's or 30's. I like to see what search phrase has brought people to my blog. I just find it intriguing that we have the technology to do that. What meaningful purpose can it possibly serve? Other than, of course, the entertainment of very small minds like mine?
I don't check the stats finder every day. I'm not THAT
Every single time I have checked it since I put it on my blog, there have been two phrases that stand out in the keyword analysis from search engines. Both are posts that I wrote long ago. I have posted many, many things since then, yet these two keep showing up as the most frequently searched terms.
"Loud obnoxious people"
and
"Skinny dipping couples"
I hope those casual readers don't think those are the ONLY people I know.
Monday, October 11, 2010
My Apologies....
It takes a huge ego to think I have to apologize for not blogging properly tonight. As if the world might stop turning if I don't get around to it.
But the ballgame that I thought started in a few minutes is already in the bottom of the 3rd inning. And I can't turn on the ballgame down here because I'm recording Dancing with the Stars, and we don't have one of those new-fangled thingies that lets you record one channel while watching another. How archaic. How 20th century.
So I'll just have to say I'm sorry for giving you the shaft tonight.
Go Braves.
Please.
And if you're looking for Brooks Conrad, you'll find him in section 202 selling hot dogs.
But the ballgame that I thought started in a few minutes is already in the bottom of the 3rd inning. And I can't turn on the ballgame down here because I'm recording Dancing with the Stars, and we don't have one of those new-fangled thingies that lets you record one channel while watching another. How archaic. How 20th century.
So I'll just have to say I'm sorry for giving you the shaft tonight.
Go Braves.
Please.
And if you're looking for Brooks Conrad, you'll find him in section 202 selling hot dogs.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I Make Me Sick Sometimes.....
Way back in the dark ages, before we had blogs in which to spill our guts and bore the world, I went through periods in which I kept a journal. I kept a diary as a young girl, until I found out that it could be used against me.
In my adult life, every now and then I would go through a spell where I regretted not having kept a journal all my life, and I would start with great fervor and then run out of steam. If you had asked me how many journals I had filled completely, I would have said at most two, if you added them all up.
In my cleaning up/out these past two weeks, though, I came across no fewer than six journals. I picked them up and started reading some entries at random.
And then I went to throw up.
Not only because it brought back memories of a bitter, bitter time in my life, but because I expressed my bitterness in such a nauseating fashion. I remember some of my compulsions when I was writing in those journals. For one, I made myself fill a page every night. And I tried to find something positive every day, even if it was a struggle. So EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE. has a smiley face on it somewhere.
A smiley face.
I HATE smiley faces.
I have felt compelled to hold on to these journals, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. It's not like I'm going to leave them to Sweet Girl for posterity. She doesn't want to relive those days any more than I do. (On the other hand, they might serve to show her that I didn't MEAN to be a bad parent; I just didn't know what the hell I was doing.)
As soon as we crank up the wood stove this fall/winter, I'm going to burn those journals. I don't want anyone who knows me ever to read them, and I don't want to read them again myself. If I have to see another smiley face, I MAY throw up.
Oddly enough, though, I don't hate going back and rereading some of my blog entries. I was thinking about that fact today, trying to figure out why. I think it's because the intended audience differs between the two. When I wrote in a journal, I didn't expect that anyone else would ever read it. In most cases I HOPED no one would ever read what I wrote. It was just an opportunity for me to vent, to vomit my emotions, as it were.
But blogging is a different medium. I write FOR an audience, small though it may be, in addition to expressing my emotions/thoughts/philosophies/drivel. There are some topics I stay away from because former students and at least one middle school child have been known to read my blog. I would hate not to be able to look them in the face again. Note that I don't mind, however, throwing in occasional profanity and references to alcohol.
I have morals, they just don't always apply.
All in all, I much prefer blogging than journaling. I'm sure there will be some entries I would like to forget, and that's what the "Delete" key is for. Overall I hope that I won't reread my entire blog someday and stick my finger down my throat.
If you'll excuse me now, I have some journals to burn.
In my adult life, every now and then I would go through a spell where I regretted not having kept a journal all my life, and I would start with great fervor and then run out of steam. If you had asked me how many journals I had filled completely, I would have said at most two, if you added them all up.
In my cleaning up/out these past two weeks, though, I came across no fewer than six journals. I picked them up and started reading some entries at random.
And then I went to throw up.
Not only because it brought back memories of a bitter, bitter time in my life, but because I expressed my bitterness in such a nauseating fashion. I remember some of my compulsions when I was writing in those journals. For one, I made myself fill a page every night. And I tried to find something positive every day, even if it was a struggle. So EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE. has a smiley face on it somewhere.
A smiley face.
I HATE smiley faces.
I have felt compelled to hold on to these journals, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. It's not like I'm going to leave them to Sweet Girl for posterity. She doesn't want to relive those days any more than I do. (On the other hand, they might serve to show her that I didn't MEAN to be a bad parent; I just didn't know what the hell I was doing.)
As soon as we crank up the wood stove this fall/winter, I'm going to burn those journals. I don't want anyone who knows me ever to read them, and I don't want to read them again myself. If I have to see another smiley face, I MAY throw up.
Oddly enough, though, I don't hate going back and rereading some of my blog entries. I was thinking about that fact today, trying to figure out why. I think it's because the intended audience differs between the two. When I wrote in a journal, I didn't expect that anyone else would ever read it. In most cases I HOPED no one would ever read what I wrote. It was just an opportunity for me to vent, to vomit my emotions, as it were.
But blogging is a different medium. I write FOR an audience, small though it may be, in addition to expressing my emotions/thoughts/philosophies/drivel. There are some topics I stay away from because former students and at least one middle school child have been known to read my blog. I would hate not to be able to look them in the face again. Note that I don't mind, however, throwing in occasional profanity and references to alcohol.
I have morals, they just don't always apply.
All in all, I much prefer blogging than journaling. I'm sure there will be some entries I would like to forget, and that's what the "Delete" key is for. Overall I hope that I won't reread my entire blog someday and stick my finger down my throat.
If you'll excuse me now, I have some journals to burn.
Friday, August 6, 2010
One Week Down.....
I had two blog topics planned, either of which would have sufficed for tonight, but it ain't gonna happen. One is about criminals with whom I've been acquainted (including a murderer) and the other is about a quaint little restaurant that used to be in the small town I lived in. Most of the memories about that restaurant revolve around Sweet Girl. I'll get to those topics in the coming days.
As usual, it has been a crazy first week of school. Nothing really out of the ordinary, just busy settling into the new (old) routine. To all my blogging pals whose sites I have sorely neglected in the past week (or two), I PROMISE I will stop by sometime this weekend and leave a comment. Y'all are wonderful about leaving sweet comments for me.
I can't promise next week will be much better. Next week will be the first week of school in my ONLINE job, and I'm teaching two different courses this fall, one of which I've never taught before. After that things should settle down and I'll get comfortable and convince myself that, yes, I CAN work two jobs!
In the meantime, happy weekend to everyone and thanks for being my friends. Love you all!
As usual, it has been a crazy first week of school. Nothing really out of the ordinary, just busy settling into the new (old) routine. To all my blogging pals whose sites I have sorely neglected in the past week (or two), I PROMISE I will stop by sometime this weekend and leave a comment. Y'all are wonderful about leaving sweet comments for me.
I can't promise next week will be much better. Next week will be the first week of school in my ONLINE job, and I'm teaching two different courses this fall, one of which I've never taught before. After that things should settle down and I'll get comfortable and convince myself that, yes, I CAN work two jobs!
In the meantime, happy weekend to everyone and thanks for being my friends. Love you all!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Kotzebue, Alaska.........
Since I joined the blogging world a little over a year ago, I have found a community among people who have never met face-to-face. I would venture to guess that some of these people would even consider themselves friends with their fellow bloggers, even if they have never met.
One blog that I read regularly comes from a wonderful photographer in a tiny village called Kotzebue, Alaska. The lady who writes the blog moved to Alaska from New England -- can you make a more drastic move than that? I admire anyone who has the wherewithal to pick up and move across the country. I consider myself fairly well-traveled for a small town girl, but I live within 25 miles of the town in which I was born.
I enjoy reading her blog for the cultural references as well as the photography. Her pictures are magnificent.
This tiny village suffered a tragedy last weekend in the form of a devastating fire. She has asked her fellow bloggers to post a link to her blog if they are capable of lending financial assistance to the villagers who lost everything in the fire. I am happy to do so, and I have already written her a check.
Go here to read her post, and help if you can, but also take the time to read some of her other posts and look at her beautiful photographs.
One blog that I read regularly comes from a wonderful photographer in a tiny village called Kotzebue, Alaska. The lady who writes the blog moved to Alaska from New England -- can you make a more drastic move than that? I admire anyone who has the wherewithal to pick up and move across the country. I consider myself fairly well-traveled for a small town girl, but I live within 25 miles of the town in which I was born.
I enjoy reading her blog for the cultural references as well as the photography. Her pictures are magnificent.
This tiny village suffered a tragedy last weekend in the form of a devastating fire. She has asked her fellow bloggers to post a link to her blog if they are capable of lending financial assistance to the villagers who lost everything in the fire. I am happy to do so, and I have already written her a check.
Go here to read her post, and help if you can, but also take the time to read some of her other posts and look at her beautiful photographs.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My First Blog Award......
Not that the comments left behind on my blog (and those given to me in person) aren't enough, but I have received my first blog award.
It came from my friend Maggie O'Sullivan over here. I don't remember how I stumbled upon her blog, or if she stumbled upon mine. But we have some things in common (in spite of the 11 year difference in our ages), and I started following her blog back when she still lived in the Wild West.
I sent her an illegally burned DVD of an episode of Moonlighting written almost entirely in iambic pentameter. If you don't know what Moonlighting is (was), it's past your bedtime. And go do your homework.
Therefore I know Maggie's real name. And if she ever wins the lottery, I'm going to blackmail her with the knowledge. Because somewhere in there is a deep, dark secret that I'd love to know all the juicy details about.
Some of the things we have in common:
It came from my friend Maggie O'Sullivan over here. I don't remember how I stumbled upon her blog, or if she stumbled upon mine. But we have some things in common (in spite of the 11 year difference in our ages), and I started following her blog back when she still lived in the Wild West.
I sent her an illegally burned DVD of an episode of Moonlighting written almost entirely in iambic pentameter. If you don't know what Moonlighting is (was), it's past your bedtime. And go do your homework.
Therefore I know Maggie's real name. And if she ever wins the lottery, I'm going to blackmail her with the knowledge. Because somewhere in there is a deep, dark secret that I'd love to know all the juicy details about.
Some of the things we have in common:
- We both have an only child.
- We are/were teachers. [And you will be again, Maggie, I just know it.]
- Both of us wish we were . . . um . . . a different size?
- We both wish we could have just shot our baby-daddies when we were through with them. Okay, I may be projecting my feelings onto Maggie, but I think she feels the same.
- We both hate ignorance, especially on marquees and advertising.
- We both love to read, but there's no way I can keep up with Maggie's pace. Because I also love to crochet. And I go to bed when it's still daylight.
- We work more than one job.
- Both of us have been to Italy.
- We have sad/hilarious/pitiful/angry stories about the exes in our lives.
- We have not always chosen men who were good for us. [It took me a few tries, Maggie, but I finally found him!]
- We both like to do crafty things. Crafty as in making things, not as in clever and sly. Although that might also apply in some situations.
- Depression sometimes overtakes us.
- Maggie is single.
- Maggie's father is living, but her mother isn't. Just the reverse of me.
- She has a boy; I have a girl.
- Shoes are Maggie's things; gadgets are mine.
- Her favorite color is pink; mine is yellow. Bright yellow. Sunshine yellow. Not that wimpy pale pastel anemic yellow.
- Maggie has picked up and moved across the country on a whim. I still live within 25 miles of the hospital where I was born. Good Lord, that borders on pathetic.
- Maggie appears to be completely at ease expressing herself, whereas I am slightly more reserved. Cautious. Chicken.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Happy Blogoversary To Me.....
It was one year ago today that I started blogging. When I started writing, I discovered that I already HAD a blog that I had set up the previous December. But I had never posted anything, because I didn't think anyone would want to read what I had to say.
Thanks to my friend Mamaneena for getting me started.
Blogging has been equal parts therapeutic, frustrating, and entertaining. I enjoy reading the blogs of others, and I feel obligated to write SOMETHING in mine every night.
Sometimes I have lots to say and have to rein myself in.
Sometimes I have to dig deep for anything meaningful.
Sometimes I should dig deeper.
Sometimes the posts I think will garner the most comments go almost unnoticed; the ones that I think are drivel often get more comments than others.
Some are poignant; some are frivolous.
There are some I'm tempted to go back and delete, but somehow I think that might be cheating. Like ripping pages out of your diary.
I like the fact that there are no rules in the blog world. Except for those I impose upon myself. For example, my titles must either be questions or have those dots after them. I don't regulate the number of dots, however. My blogs must also be grammatically correct and be relatively free of spelling errors. If anyone ever spots an error in one of my blogs, please point it out to me.
I also like the fact that I can end a blog post with a completely random thought, like this one.
You've gotta love a pedometer that gives you credit for 20 steps just for pulling your pants down, going to the bathroom, and then pulling them back up.
I'm just sayin'.
Thanks to my friend Mamaneena for getting me started.
Blogging has been equal parts therapeutic, frustrating, and entertaining. I enjoy reading the blogs of others, and I feel obligated to write SOMETHING in mine every night.
Sometimes I have lots to say and have to rein myself in.
Sometimes I have to dig deep for anything meaningful.
Sometimes I should dig deeper.
Sometimes the posts I think will garner the most comments go almost unnoticed; the ones that I think are drivel often get more comments than others.
Some are poignant; some are frivolous.
There are some I'm tempted to go back and delete, but somehow I think that might be cheating. Like ripping pages out of your diary.
I like the fact that there are no rules in the blog world. Except for those I impose upon myself. For example, my titles must either be questions or have those dots after them. I don't regulate the number of dots, however. My blogs must also be grammatically correct and be relatively free of spelling errors. If anyone ever spots an error in one of my blogs, please point it out to me.
I also like the fact that I can end a blog post with a completely random thought, like this one.
You've gotta love a pedometer that gives you credit for 20 steps just for pulling your pants down, going to the bathroom, and then pulling them back up.
I'm just sayin'.
Monday, July 27, 2009
We're So Dumb When We're Sixteen.....
On my 16th birthday, I sat down and wrote a letter to my future daughter, with the intention of giving it to her on HER 16th birthday. I probably got the idea from one of those sappy novels I used to read back then. Boy, am I glad I grew out of ...... Never mind.
I sealed it with wax and wrote a phrase on the front of the envelope in French. It probably annihilated French grammar. I have no idea why I chose to write on it in French. There's a lot about being 16 that defies explanation.
Believe it or not, I kept up with it for the next 23 years. Through 9 moves (I think) and a couple of marriages, I kept up with that letter.
And I gave it to Sweet Girl on her 16th birthday. It was a momentous occasion.
Then she let me read the letter.
It was dumb.
Way dumb.
That's probably how I'll feel someday in the future when I look back on this blog. But I hope not, because I won't have the excuse of being sixteen anymore.
I sealed it with wax and wrote a phrase on the front of the envelope in French. It probably annihilated French grammar. I have no idea why I chose to write on it in French. There's a lot about being 16 that defies explanation.
Believe it or not, I kept up with it for the next 23 years. Through 9 moves (I think) and a couple of marriages, I kept up with that letter.
And I gave it to Sweet Girl on her 16th birthday. It was a momentous occasion.
Then she let me read the letter.
It was dumb.
Way dumb.
That's probably how I'll feel someday in the future when I look back on this blog. But I hope not, because I won't have the excuse of being sixteen anymore.
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Bragger On Monday, May 21 at 1:11 pm
Chaps aside, I have a soft spot in my heart for a man who uses the word “exacerbate” correctly. I know of a (now former) college gymnastics coach who said an athlete wouldn’t be doing a certain skill because it “exasperated” her injury.And that exasperated me.
Good work, MM.
Signed,
Soon-to-be-retired-English-teacher-and-boy-aren’t-the-students-glad