Firstly, I'm on vacation starting this evening (for TWO weeks, yay!) and I am trying to blast out a few posts before I go off on a road trip to Ontario to visit a blog friend. (More on that later, if she gives me permission.) So you are only going to get a few reposts and what I can come up with haven't been as well vetted for clarity as I generally try to do. So forgive me the even worse than usual quantity of typos and errors.
Secondly, I've been a bad blogger of late, both in the realm of reading and commenting and in terms of actually posting. I've been doing it for four years, though, so my lagging a little doesn't seem so strange when you consider I have over 2,000 posts under my belt--508 on the old blogger blog and 1593 on the typepad blog for a total of 2001...an auspicious number, lol. The unfortunate thing is that I am no longer writing essays like I used to. I like writing the things, actually, and I think it stretches the brain to write articles instead of quickie here's-what-I'm-up-to or here's-an-idea-on-writing-with-half-baked-plot-ideas-too posts.
Thirdly, I'm going to be having a bloggaversary contest in August to celebrate the possibly underwhelming event of my presence in the blogosphere for four years. August 7th is the 'magic' date. I'm going to get a cool prize for this one (still to be determined) and I'm thinking that there should be another themed writing event along the lines of the Halloween/Samhain contest from last year. That was a lot of fun and showcased some really good writing, too. A few ideas for a theme include Summer/hot weather/heat, fairs, carnivals, scary clowns or circus acts, and in general a science fictiony sort of story theme as opposed to horror, which was the last contest's overall theme. Do any of these seem appealing to you all?
And fourth, I am 49 today. Go out and eat something full of calories for me, as I cannot. And because it's for me, it won't count against you. Really.
Hey, happy birthday! :D I hope you have a great day, and a wonderful vacation. {{}}
Angie
Posted by: Angie | July 17, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Happpy birthday indeed. And happy 4th year. That's like 40 in human years ain't it?
Posted by: Charles Gramlich | July 17, 2010 at 09:23 AM
I'm an expert in consuming calories. You've come to the right place. Happy Birthday!
Posted by: pacatrue | July 17, 2010 at 02:20 PM
Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy your day and your holiday!
I'm envious of you and the blog friend both. I hope you have a great time.
Oh, and the competition sounds like fun.
Posted by: fairyhedgehog | July 17, 2010 at 02:25 PM
yappy barfday, and all that other rot! ;)
enjoy the visit with b... i have yet to make that trip but will, at some point, likely not this year, though :(
Posted by: laughingwolf | July 17, 2010 at 03:06 PM
I just had a delectable 72% cocoa mass chocolate bar with red pepper. I hope you enjoyed it!
Happy birthday, and have a fantastic trip!
Posted by: jjdebenedictis | July 17, 2010 at 03:25 PM
Happy birthday, Deb. :-D Hope you guys have fun. ;-) Be safe.
So, no cheesecake? ;-)
Posted by: Tyhitia | July 17, 2010 at 04:52 PM
Remind me to give you the Southwestern Brownies recipe. Chipotle and chocolate, yum!
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:24 PM
thanks for the wishes, everybody. I had steak and beets for dinner. 3 oz of steak, a half cup of beets. SO exciting. (Actually, it was yummy.)
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:25 PM
Thanks, Charles. Feels like 40. And doesn't time go by faster, the older you are?
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:36 PM
Road trip! I love road trips. And thanks for the good wishes.
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:36 PM
We are going to have a blast. One of these days, I'll manage to get across the pond again, and I'll nerve myself up to drive on the wrong side of the road, rent a car, and tour from one blog friend's place to another. Nah...I'll take the bus or train.
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:37 PM
No cheesecake. It's been too hot to bake. Still 85, but not so humid.
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 05:38 PM
Forget her, give it to me!
And quickly, before the free-calorie offer expires.
Happy birthday and have a GREAT trip.
(I'm way behind on reading and commenting and posting too. I blame the weather. :D)
Posted by: Sylvia | July 17, 2010 at 06:03 PM
Isn't that the way of it? I can send the recipe... How are the leeeps?
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 17, 2010 at 06:27 PM
If you're using public transport, I'm only forty minutes from London Waterloo.
It would be great to see you.
Posted by: fairyhedgehog | July 18, 2010 at 04:58 AM
Happy Birthday (child!)!
Can't wait to see you.
Posted by: Bernita | July 18, 2010 at 05:50 AM
As my friend (the one who sounds like you, as a matter of fact) says, you are exactly as old as you feel. Sometimes I feel very, very old.
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 18, 2010 at 08:00 AM
It would be fun. I want to take Madre to the UK and possibly Ireland. She's particularly gaga for Scotland for some reason...might be because our ancestors on her side are mostly from there originally. But after the Egypt trip, that bank is empty for a couple or three years!
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | July 18, 2010 at 08:10 AM
Happy belated birthday, and I hope you enjoy the road trip! It's the perfect time of year to visit this part of the world - nice hot sunny days and not even too much rain this year.
Posted by: Marian Perera | July 19, 2010 at 05:41 AM