Archive for the ‘writing’ Category

And right well you may ask. Golly gee, I didn’t mean to neglect this little room of my blog house. I’ve composed a dozen or so posts in my head over the last couple of months, but I just couldn’t get here to jot them down. A freelance gig nagging at me, out of town visitors, some traveling and a large dose of nasty procrastination piled up against the door and I just haven’t been able to push the crap aside and get in here to write.

La Pensione B&B – Key West

Summer’s over and I have to say, I’m kinda glad. It was a mixed summer of events. The best: some of my internet buddies came to visit and I made two visits east – northeast and southeast – to return the goodness and visit some of my internet buddies. I’ve had two more invites to head east again, in fact. I’ve had to reluctantly decline one due to timing – but, oh, how I wish I could go, and the other is open ended which I will definitely follow through on when the time can be eked out.

The not-so-best of the summer: I engaged in a couple of experiments. First, I put myself on the market via eHarmony.com. I bit the bullet and bought a three month membership. Yeah, I nearly reached the edge of desperation. I am way too picky for my own good. I will die alone. My withered bones picked clean by my hungry cats. I’m good with that.

And they should have plenty to eat because I’m failing at my second project of the summer. A diet. I was determined to put better food in my body – change my eating habits and to shed some poundage. On the tail end of the eHarmony thing, I signed up for Nutrisystem. I stuck with it for nearly two months before my taste buds took up arms and launched a coup.

Now I’m attempting to go solo on the diet thing without a gimmick, but I’m having a rough time. This weekend will be a time to evaluate, plan and see if I can turn it around for good and healthify myself. If I am to die alone – let’s make it at age 110 after a rockin’ session with my little blue battery powered buddy that lives in a box in the armoir…

Moving on.

Er, …. oh – yeah: my freelance gig went by-the-by. Economics. I was kinda relieved, though. I learned that writing because you have to is really hard. My already burgeoning respect for those who do it, and do it brilliantly, has swelled to tsunami size.

I’m basically a lazy person. It’s my nature to rebel when faced with “haftas” – usually because I have little confidence in myself – especially as a “writer.” I felt like an interloper – a fraud. But I took great care to put out the best content I could and, as a result, it was a great learning experience. Never mind that no-one was reading it. Hence, the economics thing, ergo the boot.

So, dear readers (reader?) (anyone out there?) – I will attempt to get back here more often. I have some thoughts wandering the halls of my head looking for a place to have a pow-wow. It’s time to stir the ashes and see if I can get this fire burning again.

Imagine my surprise when I tuned in to one of my favorite bloggers to find this little blog listed as one of these:

I rarely think that what I have to say is of interest to anyone else but me – it’s always a pleasant surprise when someone leaves a comment or I see someone’s added the blog to their feed list. So, for someone to actually point to this thing and say “It’s worth reading” is huge.

My bloglines feeds recently underwent major reduction surgery. Most of the blogs were centered on the hobby which will remain unmentioned here. That’s not to say they were unworthy – I was once at the stage many of those bloggers are in relation to that hobby and so I understand what it is they are experiencing and the need to write about it.

They were excised mainly because I was over-saturated with that content. It’d even reached a level that was also making it difficult for me to write on that topic for a site which pays me to do so. I needed to take a break – even from my own hobby-centered blog – and just concentrate on producing content for the paid gig.

My attention turned to this blog because I wanted to expand my horizon, so to speak, break away from a topic centered blog and write about, well, me, me, me, my thoughts, experiences, et al. A pure narcissistic adventure – that’s what blogs are, no?

I also turned my attention to reading blogs that were not topic-centric to the hobby that will not be mentioned here. After my subscriptions were reduced I went in search of blogs which give me pause and make me think. Who knew someone was out there doing the same and who created that little award for it!

My collection is rather sparse at the moment, but I will share with you five of the ones which warrant an immediate click in my feed list and for which I eagerly await new posts. These are not in any particular order – they bear equal weight of importance in my blogoshpere. A couple will be familiar if you’ve come here from there.

Rapid Eye Reality has been a long time favorite. I’d been reading Otis over at the hobby-centric blog he writes with two other stellar writers, when I discovered RER through a link there. I felt like I’d discovered my own secret pot of gold. Otis is nakedly honest – giving the reader the full monty, so to speak, in regards to his life, loves, frustrations, self-doubt, triumphs, defeats – the whole fruit bowl. And we get a bonus with illustrations crafted from the view through his camera lens. He’s not only an immensely talented and gifted writer, but a gifted photographer as well. He says he doesn’t easily make new friends, but what I’ve learned from reading him, if he opens the door to friendship and invites you in, you’ll no doubt have a friend for life who’d walk barefoot over broken glass for you at the drop of a hat.

And is it any wonder that the next blog I’m going to tell you about is written by his wife? It’s not because she pointed the way here, either. OK – here it is. I’m in love with those two. There. I said it, it’s out in the open… ha! Because I’m a dunce, I only recently discovered In Search of Walden. I read the entire archives in one sitting. We come from different backgrounds, are twenty-plus years apart in age, she’s married with child, I’m single with cats, and yet there is an odd kinship there. Student of Life, as she has dubbed herself, also writes honestly and without self censorship, giving us an account of her daily trials and joys with raising a child, coping with separation from her husband when he’s away on assignment, reflecting on past pain from an absent parent, pondering her raison d’etre, well, just everything.

Both of them have inspired and challenged me to put forth my most honest and best effort with this blog – so if I succeed, they are to blame!

The third blog I will mention is Waiter Rant. It’s become hugely popular – I believe the author is writing a book based on the blog and is due to be published soon. His essays are seeded by his work as a waiter in New York City upscale bistros and blossom with insight and understanding everyone can identify with. He pulls back the curtain of the restaurant world, letting us in on the politics and culture as well as holding up the mirror to us as customers. You’ll never look at that person who’s serving you quite the same after reading him and I bet you’ll be more appreciative. At the very least, he’ll give you a tasty morsel or two to chew on.

The next blog makes me think by reminding me to stop from time to time and take in my surroundings. Chiaroscuro is a photo blog created by a very talented photographer who doesn’t post very often, but when she does, it’s awesome. One of my secret ambitions is/was to be a photographer. She reminds me to hang on to that dream.

For the fifth choice, I give you Random Thoughts and Thoroughbred Selections. Written by Boy Genius, this blog spans a broken marriage, politics, epicurean delights, horse-racing, sports, dating, and much more – all at a level of intelligence and erudition that is often scary but always delectable.

I’m proud to say I’ve met the first two writers and the last one in person. The first two invited me to their home for a raucous and wonderful birthday celebration nearly two years ago, I’ve also sat across from Otis a time or two while indulging in the hobby that will not be named here, and I’ve gotten to know Boy Genius over a few gatherings in at least three different states.

So – those are my Thinking Blogger awards. If any of the authors find their way to this post, then here’s what you may do if you wish to pass on the meme:

The participation rules are simple:

• If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
• Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
• Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).