Today is exactly one month since I started my blog. I’m not sure what I expected when I plunged into this without a plan. Probably I might have expected just what I got: an adventure, and a new twist in my road, especially the last two days getting on to The Huffington Post.
Although this month has been absorbing and addictive, a blogger’s life isn’t glamour and excitement. Plus I had no idea how much this new “hobby” would alter my schedule and lifestyle; and how much it would require updating my education: new skills, new language, new technology. (Does anyone “Twitter”?)
The challenges began even before I started–when I needed to choose a name for my blog. I would think up a name, check online to see if that domain name was available, and then register it–just for protection in case someone else happened to come up with the exact same name in the next few hours. Then I’d think of a different name, and repeat the process. That’s just one example of what it involved for me to become a blogger.
And I think this milestone is the perfect time to look back at my first month–by the numbers.
Number of domain names I now own: 54
Average number of cups of coffee per day: 5
Number of empty coffee mugs on my desk right now: 6
Average hours per day spent writing a blog: 2
Average hours per day spent learning how to blog: 14
Longest stretch of hours spent at computer without getting up (aside from bathroom breaks): 13
Number of days I woke up and planned to work out: 31
Number of days I actually worked out: 2
Number of meals I’ve cooked this month: 3
Number of meals my son Daniel has cooked: 7, plus cleaning the refrigerator (see “Winging it Back Home”)
Number of people from my past who have resurfaced in varying ways due to my blog: 48
Number of times friends called to ask how I am, and I answered, “Read my blog”: 57
Number of blogs about my husband: 2
Number of blogs about my ex-husband: 3
Average number of miniature Dove Bar ice cream snacks consumed daily: 5
Number of times I said “I Never Signed Up for This” in reference to blogging: 0
Thank you for joining me in this adventure!
Gail Reiss says
Hi Darryle.
Today’s blog was wonderful! Sounds like a pretty good recap of where you are in your life! I LOVE IT! I think this could even work well in our book if you haven’t written your bio … any thoughts?
Meant to tell you. I also LOVE the name “I Never Signed Up For This”. I think it could be a universal theme, at least for women. Seems WE are the storytellers!
Congrats on Huffington Post!
Darryle says
Oh Gail, I am so happy to get your comment. It brings up several things:
A: I’m glad you appreciate the name of my blog–and not only because it took so many domain names to get there. It truly is not only my story but the story of ALL of our lives, and I hope more people will tell their own.
B: What Gail refers to as “our book” is the reunion book from our class reunion of Miami Beach High School (yay Hi Tides and future blogs). Gail, past and present “Queen of our class”, is graciously and generously putting together a memory book from our last reunion.
C: I hope you won’t mind, Gail, if I point out (with love) that besides shared roots, we apparently share something else: procrastination. The book is not yet finished, and as Gail mentioned, I have not yet submitted my bio. Our reunion was last October.
Duchess says
A list of the domains you own might be interesting — can’t hurt to reveal them now you’ve got them. (If you are interested you can find my blog by clicking on Duchess, I hope.)