So apparently it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. I’m not really sure what the deal is with that, because I’ve had a lot to write about. I guess I’ve just been stressed in too many directions and haven’t allowed my creativity to flow. I don’t write for my job, although I would have if I’d followed my college path (history, psychology, and an English minor thrown in for good measure), therefore while writing is something I enjoy, I have to shift mental tracks to do it. And sometimes when I am just planning out a post or two, Katie beats me to it.
So yeah. Since I wrote last, C stopped drinking milk boppies. We found out Katie is pregnant. We had Christmas. And Katie has been incredibly sick with “morning” sickness, to the point that I have had a lot of one-on-one time with the toddler, who clearly would rather spend time with mama instead of dad. I’ve been having a lot of fires in my fireplace, which makes me sleepy, and I tend to want to be in bed this time of year at nine.
And it’s almost my birthday. So there’s that. I’m desperately trying to convince my amazing, wonderful, supremely talented, totally awesome wife to get me the new and totally awesome Google Nexus One, not in stores until next week. I keep sending her pestering emails about every latest update.
So if you want me to write more, you should help me by pestering her, too. Just leave a comment or send her an email and tell her how much I deserve the cool new phone. I didn’t get coal in my stocking this year (thank goodness), so maybe there’s hope.
I bought a pair of shoes a few weeks ago from Zappos, my favorite shoe store. As usual, everything on their end was awesome, and I love my new shoes. So this morning when they asked me if I’d write a review, I happily complied. And then they sent this cute thank you note:
Here’s the deal:
1. Sometimes it takes 24 hours for a new review to show up.
2. You should have your own blog. You have important things to say.
3. Thanks again for writing a review! Seriously, it’s worth repeating.
4. Thanks for writing a review!
5. You rock!
I’ve decided that all proper nouns should be preceded by the definitive article and made plural (if you’re in the south, I think it’s actually possessive but without the apostrophe). Therefore, you go to The Krogers for your victuals and you post to The Twitters when you have nothing to say.
I first heard about Twitter The Twitters a few years ago when Doug and Cathy started blogging about it. But it just didn’t sound so appealing. Why micro blog when you can blog? Why watch Twitter when you can use a feed reader? And most of all, why do it through a proprietary company just intent on making money off of you?
But I finally signed on a few months ago and started giving it a shot. I started following people, I started getting followers (although most of them think I’m this guy), and I started writing.
And now I can safely say that I’ve tried it, and I just don’t care. I do think Twitter is useful for some people or for some things. If I am having trouble checking my gmail account, I will ask the Twitters if it’s just me. There’s no quicker or easier way to find out that gmail is down. But for day to day minutiae? No thanks. I’ve already got enough time wasters keeping me from working, and most people who post to Twitter cross-post to Facebook.
Yes, Twitter and Facebook have a lot in common, especially the proprietary part. But there are some significant differences, such as the size and composition of the audience and the comprehensiveness of the platform. I was slow in accepting Facebook, too, but now I get it. It’s the place to keep up with people, in text, photos, videos, and links. It’s a place to connect and to reminisce. And there are fewer of those obnoxious shortened links, where you have to click to find out if you’re being sent to cnn.com or playboy.
What I’m saying is that I mostly agree with this poll on lifehacker. Pretty much, I could do without it.
I’ve been blogging since 2005 – four years almost exactly.
First I blogged pseudoanonymously. Then at Katie’s suggestion, I opened up and started blogging as me. I found that I got far more readers when people had a name and face instead of a conjured personality.
But then I found my whole family reading my blog, and more and more I censored myself. I tried not to, but there are certain things that my parents don’t approve of that I wholeheartedly endorse (alcohol, for example) that I couldn’t bring myself to write about. Then I more and more felt like I was writing my blog for my mother’s consumption. And I didn’t feel comfortable with that.
So after a few months of downtime, I started this blog, with the hope that it could stay on the DL. I like being able to write about things that I wouldn’t want my mother to read. I like occasionally saying “damn, what a fine beer.” But now I find myself fearing the thought that they will find it again, even though it’s far more anonymous than the old blog. I’ve put up blocks so they can’t see it from their house, should they find it, although I can’t block them from looking elsewhere.
I don’t really know how to resolve this conflict. I want to blog openly to everyone except my family. I guess for now I have to maintain the status quo.
I just found out that one of my favorite local bloggers is throwing in the towel.
We will miss you, 500Jerk.
Sadness.
Am I a dad blogger? I guess I am. I’ve resisted being called a dad blogger because I never really thought I was one. I tended to think I was either writing about my life or about C’s. I don’t know why I never connected the two.
But as I was sitting here trying to figure out what to write, not wanting just to post photos today, the baby woke up and I had to spend ten minutes getting her back to sleep (read: holding her and feeling lucky). As I sat there, I realized that it’s ridiculous of me not to consider myself a dad blogger. I did blog for several years before having kids to write about, but just because I didn’t blog about them then doesn’t mean I don’t primarily blog about them now. So there you go.
Oops, she’s awake again.
I doubt it’ll be this week, but soon I will get this site up and running.
Traveling at Godspeed is my new, slightly more anonymous, home on the web.