New Year = New Blog

It's not so much that I'm giving up on this blog; it just never stood a chance.

But listen, you can still be my online friend. Here's why:

My New Year's Resolution this year is to learn one new thing every day. Mostly about politics and international affairs. And I'm synthesizing that information in blog form. It's not a pretty blog, and it's maybe not that interesting, but it is fulfilling its primary function of helping me learn.

I was trying to keep it low key cause I didn't want anyone to know how dumb I am (I mean seriously, people, I am soooooo unaware of my world) but as it turns out, people are reading it anyway. I mean, total strangers. So I guess I should give my friends a crack at it.

So between Twitter and This New Blog Of Mine, pretty much I'm done with this. Plus I hate Blogger? I expect a little more from Google, I think.

Go ahead and read it if you want. But seriously. Please don't judge me.

Success in Blogging

I keep a blog on my work website for my kids (I'd link, but you'd be bored to tears.) The thing about that blog, though, is that I'm obsessed with it.

I think it's the whole captive audience thing. I don't require that the kids use it, but I have an audience of over 100 without even trying.

I don't really blog about anything meaningful here, but I'm just wondering: how do you stay interested in your own blog? (Especially if you don't have--or want--a ton of readership.)

Addendum: On second thought, there are some pretty corny jokes on the pun post... Click at your own risk

Adddendum part 2: I had Mexican for dinner. But my t-shirt smells like Chinese. ...What?

So About That

I tried out Twitter.

First impressions, at random:

• Um, why is the person who runs it named Biz? That really throws me off
• I find I either want to change my status five times at once or not at all. Is there an appropriate limit?
• @ replies freak me right out
• It's harder to find people to follow than to find Facebook friends - this is a negative.
• Faye, Marten, Dora, et al. are on Twitter... do I dare to follow them?
• I will never be able to use Twitter without thinking about the past tense. Um, thanks, @puremotif (ooh, see what I did there?)

Uh... Follow me?

So Convince Me

What's the deal with Twitter?

Anyone?

My Life as a Vampire

Last year, all of my girls-who-hate-reading started carrying around this big fat book with an apple on it. "You have to read Twilight!" they said. And then one fateful Friday afternoon, one of them left a copy in my room. I picked it up and scanned the back:

"About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part was - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

So of course I carried it around school and read it in a melodramatic, mocking voice to anyone who would listen. The response I got from my coworkers was unanimous: "That book," the declared, "is about sex."

But it was not.

Mostly.

I did take it home that weekend, and by Monday, I had finished it, and purchased copies of New Moon and Eclipse. And I've since read the whole series (plus The Host and Midnight Sun) which I guess makes me something of a devoted fan.

So of course I was thrilled to see the movie was coming out. And I was even more thrilled tonight when I went to see it and discovered that it was a pretty well-crafted movie. I didn't like the pseudo-meadow scene, and I wanted more time with the Cullen family in general (one line for Jasper?) But the truth is that I was expecting another Eragon-esque debacle... and it wasn't.

Stephenie Meyer, you have filled many of my hours with entertainment. And you made a lot of my kids readers. So even though a little part of me will always be sad that I can't be a sparkly vampire, I am grateful for the Twilight series.

I Don't Love the Olympics.

I told my friend that I haven't been watching the Olympics because I'm not really interested. His response was:

"I'm not sure if we can be friends anymore. You hate the olympics? Are you a communist? Why don't you just move to China?!? This is one of the greatest Olympics you'll ever see with what Phelps is doing, and you're missing it..."

So, I wrote an email to him detailing my general apathy, and I kind of cracked myself up. And then I thought I'd post it.

"haha - did you just tell me to move to china because i hate the olympics? were you striving for irony? if so, nicely played. if not, i am laughing at you, rather than with you. i just think the olympics are boring. sorry. when it's on, i tolerate it, and i listen to people talk about michael phelps on the news, but i just don't feel like i'm missing out.

"'but biz!' people argue, 'he can swim! like... really... good!'

"wow.

"i used to hate tiger woods too. it was like, he would walk out on the golf course and everyone would say, 'i wonder who will come in second in this tournament.' it wasn't even fun anymore. then he lost some and i got over it.

"and i guess i'm just more concerned with the us response to russia invading georgia than how many calories michael phelps eats in one day. although 12,000 is pretty impressive, i must admit.

"so i watch the news. and i read harry potter, because seriously - that crap never gets old! and i write emails so i can procrastinate the massive packing job i have to do tonight. so you can have my ticket to china. i'm going to the beach."

I have never been good at transitions. When I don't edit my writing, pretty much every paragraph starts with "so." And usually not used properly. But seriously, that's not even what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about life. I was totally crummy after college. When I started college too. And the last time I changed roommates. And now.

I just got back from a one-week-turned-three-week stretch at Krislund. It was amazing. And occassionally difficult. And, you know, that's what I expect.

But the really hard part is not any of the problems I had to solve or the relationally difficult things... the really hard part was coming home. It is the weirdest thing - going from living in 24/7 community (or 24/6, whatever) to living at my apartment alone while my roommate is out of town. And it is making me a little grumpy.

Okay, I'm doing a horrible job writing about it. How bout a picture?

This is me and my cocounselor, Phil. As each other. We have the same haircut. But... I don't flex in pictures?

Also horrible: this video. Seriously, don't even watch it.