Friday, May 04, 2007

Celebrating one year of sprawling, ramshackle goodness

One year ago today I posted my very first blog entry. I followed up the next day by posting what has become (judging from my Site Meter) one of the most popular gut pictures on the interwebs.

This time last year I was moping around the house, recovering from an emergency abdominal surgery. My daughters, who were both having fun with xanga and myspace, encouraged me to start a blog. Now, here we are: 598 posts, 1,181 profile views and 10,887 visitors later.

My life is significantly different now than it was then. Most notably, I'm healthy. We're no longer homeschooling our girls, and the pace of our family life has accelerated beyond anything I imagined back then. MizBubs reentered the full-time workforce. I've experienced a shift in how I think about work; I'm now focused on retiring in 3-5 years.

Why did I start this? The short answer is because, as my youngest daughter puts it, I am "blabberous." I'm driven to talk.

I probably could've been a writer, but here's the thing. Rather than organize my thoughts and put them in words, and then put those words on paper, I'd rather have a few drinks and sit around and bullshit with you.

We've been lucky to meet three lovely, really cool people in real life after reading their words on a computer screen: Lulu, Tenacious S and Johnny Yen. One of MizBubs' relatives has recently started blogging, and Splotchy is now one of the first blogs I check every day. I get excited every time I see that somebody in China or Saudi Arabia or France or Malaysia has somehow stumbled onto my blog. I like to think that each post is like a message in a bottle, thrown out into the surf for some stranger to find, maybe years from now.

12 comments:

Barbara Bruederlin said...

Happy Blogoversary!

Wait a minute, you wrote 598 posts in one year? You ARE blabberous! And thank goodness for that.

kim said...

Officer Bubs,

You have added a fun element to my life...Planetberry and I will mention you in phone conversations; and you are highly regarded in the Yen household.

I was not aware that you were brave enough to homeschool; and that is a story I would like to read. Please refer any posts regarding that.

lulu said...

I'm glad Mindy found you in the blogsospere. We need drinks again soon, much has transpired......

Mob said...

Happy anniversary sir, it's always a rewarding read!

Looking forward to many more!

Johnny Yen said...

Happy blog birthday!

I'm very glad to have come across your blog-- you have a way of mixing profundity with news of the bizarre that is remarkable and insiteful. Your blog is still the first one I turn to every day.

Joe said...

Johnny, back atcha! If I had the talent you had to actually write stuff I wouldn't spend so much time on cheap stunts like scary clowns, alligators and YouTube videos.

Mob, thank you! And by the way, my eldest is a big fan of your blogs, and your avatar.

Lulu, I'm glad too. When are we drinking? First round's on me.

Kim, I've never really posted much about homeschooling, because it was coming to an end just as I started blogging. It was a glorious experiment, totally right for our eldest daughter and not a good fit for our youngest. I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Barbara, mea culpa.

justacoolcat said...

Happy One Year!

Your daughter sounds very wise. I think I'm "blabberous" too.

Katie Schwartz said...

happy birthday!!! I'm so glad I found your blog. you and mizbubs spin such festive yarns. you're one of my regular haunts.

mazel tov. here's to many, many more birthdays to come!

xo
jewgirl

Some Guy said...

I love reading your stuff! Maybe some day we could have an expanded Chicago get-together and do some serious bullshitting.

Congrats!

Joe said...

Chris, that would be great! Or we could head north for some kind of deranged northwoods blogger gathering out in the pines.

Jew Girl, you rock me to death. Thanks for the kind words.

Coolcat, my daughters are SO much better and cooler than I could ever be. Here's to blabberous people. We keep the world going.

Dino said...

happy bloggerversary - today is grumpy and my 2nd anniversary and for the second time in the row I am out of town for it. Last year I was in Germany this year Houston.

Dale said...

I'm glad you've carved out such a great place for us to marvel at you and the things that find themselves in your world Bubs. Hats off to an always interesting read here.