What's "Up Chuck"?

Well what do you know. I’ve been blogging a whole year. I never would have thought I would have lasted this long. One year ago today, around noonish, I posted my very first blog post. I went on that day to post a total of three entries. I guess I got bit by the blogger bug from day one. If you’re interested you can read my first three posts here, here and here. Exciting shit, huh? LOL I first heard about the world of blogging from a People Magazine article about an American soldier in Iraq that had been keeping a blog of his day to day activities for the folks back home to read. Even though the word “blog” was foreign to me at the time, I ended up doing a search for blogs on Google and came across a few that I began to read. One of the first was A Taste Of The Good Wife, which led me to Chris’ original blog, The Good Husband. From there I discovered the whole fascinating world of the blogosphere and began to make a few blogger buddies. In time that list of friends grew till today there are quite a few of you that I keep in contact with either via the phone, email, instant message, or in person practically daily. There have been many bloggers who have come and gone over the year. Even some of my first acquaintances are no longer tapping out the details of their lives on the pages of their blogs. One of those that come to mind is Stuck For Now. I often wonder what he is up to and wish him the best. There were also those two guys (I can’t now remember their names) edit: Bob and Greg; one from NYC and the other from out West somewhere who, along with the Good Wife, I would correspond with regularly. In the first few months of blogging I made friends with Rita at Diary-A and fortunately she is one I still catch up with on occasion. The same goes for Chas, the lovely school teacher from Tennessee. There was my liberal buddy from Texas, the already mentioned Chris, and Jules who has since changed to a new blog. There was also Elisabeth of Pretty Helmet (a local blogger), good ole Shumpy, the highly intelligent and sexy ESSF and everyone’s favorite Welsh married couple Ed and Sue. With the dawning of the new year I became close with many others. First there was SK who, back then was Blogging Bex, I think. She has changed blogs and templates more than I change underwear! LOL Then close to Valentine’s Day I received a lovely first comment from some sexy chick known as the Queen of Pink. Boy did that start something! We’ve been great pals every since. There was my beautiful friend Michelle from South Florida who I’ve shared a lot with, the lovely lady who Stands Naked, that wacky chick Murphy, my goofy college roommate Snagley, the beautiful beach bunny Khaki, that crazy Eyerocker, the ever blonde Jenn, the Asian with persuasion Rei, “she without a blog” Rosie and so many others! I’d also like to give a shout out to my buddy Jim, also blogless, but a guy I know in person who has been more help to me than can be imagined. Over the past four months or so there have been even so many more! You all know who you are! Over the year I have also made some changes with my blog and learned a lot of valuable “how to” information as well. It started with Elisabeth and her showing me how to add links. I took her out to lunch as repayment, but unfortunately haven’t been able to get together with her again since. Then, at the first of the year, I benefitted from SK’s knowledge of template changing and I entered 2005 with a brand new look. Soon my desire for bigger and better things evolved, as it often tends to do, and I was ready for my own non Blogger site. Fortunately ESSF was able to step in with her expertise and whip my new site into shape. She is still teaching me stuff, to her regret I’m sure, and I appreciate it. I appreciate all of the help I have received over the year! There was a blogger once(edit Greg) who compared the blogosphere to a neighborhood. I wish his blog was still up because he wrote a wonderful post about how each of us on his roll were like neighbors down the street. He told of how visiting our blogs was like stopping in at our homes for a visit. Eyerocker you were listed on this, maybe you can remember who it is I am talking about. Anyway it was an interesting post, and in a way it’s really true. In my “virtual neighborhood” there are many homes lived in by great friends. It seems that everyday more and more people/blogs move into my neighborhood. Some may become distant neighbors, the kind you just wave to as you pass on the street. Some you get to know a little, maybe you stop in and talk with them in their front yard for a few minutes as you are out walking the dog. Then there are others who you really hang out with; have out door cookouts with and drink cases of beer. Then if you’re really lucky you find those very special neighbors who you actually swap spouses with, but then of course there hasn’t been any of those move in yet! ;-) I really enjoy writing on my blog. Unfortunately at times I’ve put a little too much attention into the blog and not enough into other things….things that matter in the real world. I’ve worked hard recently to change that. Will I still be blogging this time next year? Who knows….I can’t say for sure. I would have never imagined I’d make it past a month, much less a year. Especially since I really have no talent, and just kind of write from the hip. I know most bloggers say they write for themselves and not for others. I guess, in a small way, that’s true for me. But I do know that I wouldn’t be coming back almost everyday if not for you and all your blogs that I love to read. Thanks for sticking around with me over the past year, and thanks for entertaining me as well! P.S. If I left any of you off who were around back in the first six months, I appologize. It wasn’t intentional….I’m just an idiot, okay?