Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Just Saying

It's been a while since I've posted a happy fun blog entry, the purported basis for this whole endeavor. Although I was thinking about it today and came up with several other reasons why I blog:
  • Recording happy events so I can practice seeing the good in daily events so I can look back and hope the happy glass is more than half full.
  • Keeping my friends updated on what I'm doing since I suck at calling on the phone and I prefer mass emails for events of import.
  • Time-date stamped journal - the bane of my handwritten memoirs was always forgetting to add a date, or collating them in one spot, or not being able to scrawl fast enough, or having to add references without hyperlinks.
  • Getting wacky ideas out of my head so they either (a) take a coherent form that I can edit to my satisfaction and share or (b) so they can leave me space in the brainpan for for things that matter more and/or (c) I can stop thinking about them and get to sleep.
  • Discussion about topics that matter to me. Or frivilous things.
  • Seeing if I can get blog readers from the 6 major continents (Yes! Thanks, clustrmap!) although I'd really like to know if any of the small dot browsers (1-9 hits) only came once by mistake, once purposefully, or checked in a couple of times and gave up. And how they got here.
  • Practicing writing on topic. Or giving up and piecing together completely tangential thoughts.
It turns out that I'm mostly still getting what I want out of this and plan to keep blogging. I have noticed the comments have dried up a lot but this could be because a lot of the blogs I used to like have bit the dust, so those bloggers aren't hanging here as much. Or because its summer and people are off doing interesting things. Or because people keep having kids and those little suckers seem to really cut into internet time.

I mention the "why I blog" list because I was just reading the comments over at Jennifer Crusie's Argh Ink in response to her thought that it might be a good idea to quit blogging. And I thought, "NNNNOOOOOOOOOooooooohhhhhhh!" Then, "Oh noes!" I just switched my sidebar link to hit the blog directly instead of routing through the main page! Why is everyone jumping off the blogwagon?

In her comments, I found some phrases that made me smile. And sometimes that made me think of other things too.
  • Awesomeness with Awesome sauce! made me think of friendly McFriendster M back in Boston.
  • Michael Phelps Even with the schmaltzy pandering coverage, it is a thing of beauty to watch him swim, and his relay mates are nothing to sneeze at either.
  • May-Walsh beach volleyball If you want to see how it's done, watch them. I do wonder why the women are wearing rubberbands when the men are in gunny sacks. Anyone good at beach volleyball should look good enough to wear a rubber band, and I'd like me some fair trade skins.
  • Mens Gymnastics The USA team musta had superglue for dinner because they stuck more landings than I've seen in a month of sundays. Or a lifetimes of olympics. Rock solid they were, and a joy to watch because of it.
  • Probably When I first started reading Janet Evanovich's books, starting a sentence with "probably" without the use of "because" or another conjunction struck my funnybone as very Jersey. Now I see it a lot though, and even do it myself sometimes. Such as, "He was in the military. Probably his sock drawer has structure."
  • tart This is such an excellent word. It sounds punchy, and, well, tart. It recalls the 404 page with "it was tart and tasty on my tongue". Used as a female pejorative, it rather makes me giggle. One can eat a cherry tart.
  • Just Saying One of my favorites of recent slang. Meaning roughly, ignore at your peril, or please consider, or...
So I'd love to hear from readers, even if you're shy (anonymous posts are allowed but you have to play the word game) about why you keep reading my blog especially if it's not a reason I listed for writing it. And what made you grin like a fool today. Don't make me come rough you up to get some comments going. Just saying.

8 comments:

Alaskan Hellcat said...

well, I'm not so anon-- but I sure enjoy a good read, which you usually provide. And I like keeping up on your life as well.
Something that made me grin like a fool today--- remembering my colleague carrying four HUGE garage bags of shrubbery from a site where we originally planned on 1 shopping bag full of shrubbery. Not that funny, unless you were there :)
p.s. I LOVED LOVED LOVED your 8_8_8 post. I didn't comment, 'cause you said it all and everything I would say would pale in comparison. But thanks for that post.

Anonymous said...

Mostly I read since it's the easiest way to know what you're up to these days. And because sometimes you have things that are just plain hysterical. And mostly I don't comment because I'm reading from work and don't want to post from there, or because I'm reading from home and a certain little somebody is busy dancing around saying, "Can I have a turn on the computer when you're done, Mom?" Kids cut seriously into your internet time no matter how old they are. Just for different reasons.

Anonymous said...

I'm still reading. It's not as good as eating lunch with you every day, but it keeps me up to date with what you're up to.

-R

farmwifetwo said...

Commenting also falls into the "directly proportional to how much email I get" catagory. Petty?? Maybe. But I get tired after a while of writing someone directly and wondering if they notice or care. I use to do it a lot and now I mostly lurk at most blogs. Blogs tend to last 18 to 24mths from what I can tell. There's a few that have been around longer... but most last only that long.

Been a busy summer with both boys underfoot. Actually hoping that lovely union goes on strike.... did I even mention that I'm 2/3 through redoing the Gr 3 math curriculum. Kid should be applauded for the amazing amount he knows.... not that IEP slam I got in June. Last week in Aug starts the "be careful what you bitch about it just might bite you in the A$$". So I postponed my BP appt a mth.... wonder why??? :)

S

Janet Webb said...

Wouldn't miss you: please ignore any and all comments about lifespans of blogs (not meant to sound snarky, rather ...) because I LURV reading you! And Nat. And a few other bloggers but you and Nat are my every single days :)

CrankyOtter said...

Thanks guys! I do tend to fart out on keeping up with email. I realized after I'd been out here for about 2 months that I hadn't really called my friends in Boston more than once or twice, even the ones I talked to every day, or every week because our dynamic wasn't about talking on the phone. It was kind of hard to then pick it up.

I've noticed my email barrages ebb and flow too - it's easier to comment on blogs, I think. I tend not to be very regular about things, but rather ignore them for a while then pay a lot of attention for a while, lather, rinse repeat. (Also why I'm not a good bill payer. The money-mania upswings only come every 3 months or so.)

Now despite the annoying coverage, at least they do a good job with showing the swimming events which I am now distracted by.

MarciaBC said...

Hi ya, Erika. I drop in here once in a while just to see how its going. I used to be able to see you at work, but the IT Puritans have deemed you, and all Blogger sites, to be just way too entertaining. Once I get home, I'm a puddle, so I haven't pinged you in a bit. I hope the internal workings are doing better. Rose from Australia said she had a great time giggling with you in SF.

Marcia

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

We like Meowm to read youor blog cause sometimes it makes her think...and when she is thinking we can curl up in her lap and get petted.

Also it sometimes make her laugh...and when she laughs she is happy and we like her to be happy.....sometimes happiness=Temptations!

And Meowm says you are a great person and a great friend and she likes to keep up with what is happening with you.

Junior and Orion