Going Back to My Roots

Remember when this blog used to have a ton of Sex and the City, Seinfeld, and Friends quotes?  Remember when this blog was updated fairly regularly?  Yeah, I know.

I thought I'd go back to the good old days.  I came across this one.  And I LOVE it.  It's definitely how I feel.

“I am someone who is  looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.”

Struggling Blogger

So, as my (now few) loyal readers might have noticed, this blog is struggling.  Or perhaps, this blogger is struggling.  There has not been much posting lately.  This problem has been a bit consistent over time.

I'd like to blame life having gotten busy (which is true), but a) I have always been somewhat busy and b) we always cover our priorities.

Another issue that comes to mind is that I've been struggling to find material.  Some topics I used to write about I've lost interest in (politics), others I feel I've exhausted (dating).

It's not that this blog isn't a priority to me, and it's not that I don't care about it any more.  The best thing I can say to explain this situation is it's as if my blog and I are an old married couple that have hit a rough patch.  I still love my blog.  I still want it to continue.  But for some reason, the feeling I once had for it - the excitement - seems to be lost.

I would like to continue my relationship with my blog.  I hope to get it back.  An honest question, other bloggers - have you struggled in such a way?  What did you do to combat it?  Did you abandon ship/blogging?  I am not sure the average shelf-life of a blog, but I know it is probably shorter than this blog has lasted. Did you come back from a rough patch?  Your thoughts?

Another Challenge of Being A Blogger

I have now, on three separate occasions, caught myself unintentionally 'rewriting' a post I've already done.  Not editing or redoing a post to make it better, but unknowingly 'retelling' an old post as if it's never been told before.

(Imagine the great-aunt at the family party telling some story everyone's heard 18,000 times as if she's never told it before.  That's me.)

I'm glad I've caught it pre-publish each time.  I think there might have been a time a post like this 'slipped through' and one of my loyal readers pointed it out.  But what do I know?  I clearly can't remember what I've already said.  And I pride myself on my great memory.  Le sigh.

Do any of my fellow bloggers also have this problem?  Has anyone out there caught him or herself rewriting a post?  Is it just me?  

Speaking Of Birthdays....

This blog turns four!  That is like 50 in blog years.  That is a very long shelf-life for a blog.  I love you, baby blog!  You make me so very happy!

Goals For 2012

So last year was a year of a lot of changes for me.  I went in with some goals, as I outlined in some previous posts.

Anyhow. They saying putting one's goals down in writing and/or telling people about one's goals makes her more likely to achieve them because it makes them seem more definite.  That, and there's the fear of public failure.  Other people knowing and, mayhaps, 'watching' one will better keep that person in check.  Kind of like having a weight-loss buddy.  Or something like that.

Anyhow.

My goal for 2012....

I have a short story that needs to be written.  I've dragged my feet on doing so for a very long time.  By the end of 2012, I should have a hard draft done.

There you go.

Keep me in check.

Hopefully this goes better than my promises to blog more.

New Year's Resolutions

I have four that are getting carried over into the new year.  I'd feel bad about this, but I was really ambitious with the resolution making this past year, and I succeeded at several big ones.  So I feel ok about not receiving a 100% A+.  One of said failed resolutions was to be a better, more consistent blogger.  As we know, there is always next year.  I hope to, more specifically, do around 20 posts a month.  This year was a hiccup.  My other resolutions are too personal to mention here, but those who know me in real life know them.

What are your new year's resolutions?  Do you bother making resolutions?  Any success stories?  I won't bother asking if there are any failures....

An Angle....

So recently, I read a post by another blogger (I don't have it handy :-() about how hard it is to find an identity for one's blog - does one blog about a certain topic, or just topics as they come to mind?  Does one's blog have to be about something?  What is this blog about?  (I somehow, in some weird way, think of the 'what are we?' relationship talk when I think about this matter...I imagine myself asking my blog 'what, exactly, are you about?').  Anyhow.  As my long-term readers know, I have explored this identity crisis for my blog for a long time.  I have never really come to a conclusion...until now.  After 3+years....

Drumroll, please....

This blog is about personal relationships (not necessarily romantic) and human behavior.  Not every post, obviously, will be on this track - but I will try to have at least one a week on these matters.

Committed to my Blog

So, as I touched on earlier - one of the biggest challenges of being a blogger is coming up with material on a regular basis and consistently posting.  Most blogs don't last more than 6 months to a year.  

I am not one to not own up to something.  This blog has suffered lately - partially out of my busyness (not an acceptable excuse), partially out of a lack of material (again, a good writer will tell you there's no such thing as writer's block - just work through it).  I have noticed my blog has suffered in other respects - complaints from regular readers and fewer comments, to name a few.  I am not happy about this.

Anyhow.  I remember in 6th grade, there was a poster in my homeroom:  Don't make excuses, make improvements.

Since this has been a somewhat consistent problem, I have decided to put forth more effort to fixing it.  I am going to try to make more physical notes on things in life that are worthy of a blog post.  And, more importantly - I have put blogging on my calendar.  I am carving out several times a week dedicated to addressing this blog.  Blogging used to be something I did for fun - I remember times I was rushing home because I had such a great post idea in mind.  Now I am working it into my schedule, homework-style.  I feel like I am part of a married couple that has scheduled sex.  Dear married readers - believe you me, I will not judge you right now.

Do any of my fellow bloggers have similar problems?  How have you gone about combatting them? Your thoughts?  

Get ready for a better, more improved blog.  I'll be back, stronger than before.

Bad Blogger.

Hi all.

So as you all know, yes, I have been a bad blogger.  I don't have an excuse.

Actually, I quasi-do.  I started a new job.  This is my first new job in four years.  I left the Sun-Times just shy of my four year anniversary.

Anyhow.  I know it is frowned upon to 'blog about work'.   I also know that one of my coworkers was very upfront and told me he'd discovered THIS BLOG by pregoogling my name when I was going through the application process.  Luckily, he said he'd discovered a post where I'd mentioned I'm the kind of person who likes to go out and occasionally have a beer, so he knew he liked me from that one.

With no further ado - a brief overview of the new job:

I really like it.   It's a much smaller company from what I'm used to (only 6 people in the Chicago office!!!), but it is a very comfortable working environment.  It is definitely interesting work.  Nice people.  Fully stocked fridge - which is a complete and totally new interesting benefit to me.  I will now be eating all my meals at the office.   Also - it is a very casual dress code - as in, there isn't one.  I'm sure if I were to channel my inner high school self (aka queen of the dress code violations) - I'd be able to inspire some ground rules, but I'm not going to push my luck.  I am so happy to wear jeans and a t-shirt daily.  I always dreamed of having a job where I could make use of  my entire wardrobe.  It weighed on me to have to dress in red and khaki when I was the cashier at Target.  See kids, keep reaching for the stars.  This brings new meaning to 'dress for the job you want'.  The job I want is CEO of a laid-back company - I am on the right path.  Anyhow.  I love it.  I was sad to leave my old role, but I definitely feel good about this career opportunity.

Now that I am getting settled (and fed), I should be able to dedicate more time and energy to said blog.  

Delinquent Blogger

So this has totally been me.

There are no excuses.  Well, actually, there are.  I have been super busy.  I have had a lot of life changes lately, which I will soon touch on in some more posts.  I have been online dating.  I am soon going to be starting a new job.  I have been (trying to) update my apartment and spring clean.  That, and it's the summer - I have been trying to log a good amount of beach/lakefront time.  Also, I have been working on my excel and google product skills.

Please don't unsubscribe.  I am on my way back.  Like vampires and Britney Spears, I will rise again.  

Update on My Life & this Blog

(Editor's sidenote:  are they maybe one in the same?  Sigh.  Tear.)

So my blog has been accepted to a blogging network.  (www.BlogHer.com).  I feel like I just got accepted into a secret sorority.  Or my toddler just got accepted to some elite prep pre-school.  Anyhow.  Immense pride on my end.  Or something like that.

Anyhow, I love this so far because it is getting my blog some extra exposure.  BlogHer is an all female blog network.  A lot of the other blogs I am linked with seem to be pretty amusing - it looks like I better up my game.  The fact that I have not blogged much over the past week certainly isn't helping my case.  Sigh. I shall come up with some new material.

More Personal?

So recently, a good friend commented that (he or she) thinks my blog needs a little more of a personal touch.

I always appreciate feedback.

The more I thought about this comment - I thought about other blogs.  Most of the blogs I read are people talking about what is going on in their lives.   I've noticed, with the new blog network I've joined (more on this in a little bit), a lot of people do share very detailed personal stories.

Now, I don't intend on changing the format of my blog entirely (dating and relationship opinions, reviews and critiques, random observations, thoughts on facebook, etc.).  However, shall I add in some 'personalized' stories?   Granted, I've always maintained the idea that I enjoyed reading personal stories in the blogs I follow - usually because I know (or feel like I know) the bloggers on a personal level in the first place.  However, I assume the general population does not care about such stories, and I like to think of my blog as one for the general population, and I want to keep it that way.  I assume random strangers don't care to read about what's going on in my life.  However, since I've been part of the 'blogging network', I've been pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was to read some people's random personal trials and tribulations (especially when they are trainwrecks - I kid!  sort of).  I suppose it's like reading a book - it surprises us how we can get invested in characters we don't really know.

Not that there's a general rule for what a blog should be - but readers, what do you like?  Do you like reading more personal stories?  In-depth posts?  Your thoughts?  (Editor's sidenote:  Dear friends, family and future dates of Jaime - please understand you may end up here....)

New Edition

So I read on facebook, the ultimate source of all knowledge, that today is the one year anniversary of the 'like' button.  I do believe I have some leftover birthday cake for the occasion.

In celebration of said event, I have installed said 'like' button.  Or, as I call it, a little piece of genius.  Facebook, you're welcome for the free advertising for your product.

Please feel free to unapologetically like my blog.  It has feelings, you know.  Or, at least, its owner does.  

The Biggest Challenge of Being a Blogger

What is the biggest challenge of being a blogger, dear readers?  Consistently putting out material.  (Nevermind whether or not it's GOOD, meaningful, substantial material.  That's another can of worms in and of itself.)

I remember reading a statistic somewhere about how half the blogs out there on any given day won't be in existence a year from it.  I notice quite a few of the blogs I enjoy and follow haven't updated in quite a while.  I notice there are often longs gaps between updates; I also notice some blogs slowing down in their regularity of updates.

I am curious why this might be - other than the obvious 'life is busy'.  Is that it?  Is it a lack of material?  I feel I have exhausted several subjects I have enjoyed writing about in the past.  Is it a lack of an outside motivating factor?  Since most bloggers' blogging is a self-employed experience - is it that there are no deadlines and little to no consequences for not putting out new material regularly that plagues us?  Now, I've always liked to think that I'm a rather self-motivated person - however, there are several things over the past couple years that I decided, on my own, that I wanted to accomplish.  Not all of these things have been done.  I've been super busy is a good go-to excuse.  

Anyhow.  Do my fellow bloggers agree that this is the biggest challenge?  How do you stay on top of blogging regularly?  What does the rest of the blogging community do to combat these challenges?  Where do my fellow bloggers get their material?  How do you all stay motivated?  Your thoughts?  

...and....

Happy birthday baby blog!!!

Is my blog a boy or a girl?  Hmm...something to ponder.

Speaking of Birthdays....

Next week Thursday, March 17 (also St. Patrick's Day), raise your glass of beer and make a luck o' the Irish toast in honor of this blog - it turns 3!!

Suggestions on what to get my blog for her birthday?  I am thinking more readers.  Or more subscribers. Or more commenters.  Hint hint.

Running Out of Topics....

Ok, I know this blog has been slacking lately.  I also know there have been quite a few posts about how this blog has been slacking lately (of the few posts I've written).  Oops.

Ok - so I know we've also been through this before, but what do I discuss on this blog?
--Politics (a little dead for now)
--My dating life (perhaps also a little dead/also - do you care?)
--Random things going on in my life (do you care?)
--Random observations I make about stuff (I'm running out of observations that haven't already been stated/recurring them of 'do you care')

Anyhow.  I pride myself on the fact that this blog discusses topics that I believe to be of interest (humor me people).  Please let me know any topics I should cover/observe/weigh in on.

MIA Blogger

So folks, my three or four loyal readers have commented on the fact that I've been a MIA blogger.   I apologize.  My few readers are precious to me.  It's very important that I keep them happy.

I suppose I have been very busy with work, the holidays, and perhaps impending life changes (let's call this 'foreshadowing').   Anyhow.

I can't help but notice that most of my fave bloggers have also slacked off.  I'm not a fan of groupthink and wouldn't follow someone else off a bridge, or however that old expression goes, but maybe misery loves company?

Anyhow.   Just to let you know, I'm still here and I plan on bringing this blog back in full-force pretty soon.

Milestones.

This is this blog's 1000th post.

Moment of observation.

This should mean something.  That something is to be determined....

Let's Take it One Holiday at a Time....

On this upcoming Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things - my family, my friends, my health, everyone's health, my job, my education, my lovely underpriced apartment, my dogs, and, of course, the fact that there are people out there willing to read my completely random opinions on a regular basis.

Please don't, at this moment, second-guess that decision.