4.19.2006
Lauri, if you had a blog, this post would be full of the love for you.
But you don't. So it isn't.
My blogroll is too long. I worry that there are people who are getting lost in it. Unnoticed. Unloved. I thought of breaking it down into categories for easier navigation. But then I (successfully) resisted the impulse to categorize people into one or two word descriptions. Plus, there are people there who just don't fit anywhere and that is why I love them. And there are a lot of lesbians who have/want kids in there and so that category would still be so large that I would worry that some wonderful women were being lost in the lists.
What I decided, in the end, was to write an erratic series of posts highlighting different blogs that I love. Eventually I hope to highlight everyone on my list. Since if you're on my list it's because I love you, I really do. I may not show it all the time, but that's because I'm emotionally shut down or something.
So, with no more undue ado I give you the first group of Bloggers You Should Fawn Over If You Don't Already (in no particular order of fawnworthiness):
1) Sublime. Sublime is divine. I used to check my stat counter religiously and I started getting intrigued when I noticed a reader from Mexico. And not just a surfer, but a cozy-up-and-read-everything reader. Soon my mysterious Mexican reader introduced herself as Sublime. And she invited me to read her blog La Sublime & Co. Unfortunately, my Spanish is extremely limited. All I could glean from her blog was that she seemed very fun and she had nice socks. When I told her that I loved her socks but couldn't figure out why she was posting a picture of them she went and started an English blog. Wow! Who can resist that? Even though I feel more than a little like an Arrogant American who will willy-nilly go off and visit other people's blogs without bothering to learn their language first, I am SO GLAD that Sublime started writing in English. I love hearing about her life, and she's got a fantastic eye for photography. She is loving and passionate and effusive and fun.
2) Charlotte. I first noticed Charlotte in comments on Babycakes. She was making all these amazingly insightful and considerate comments, and she had a profile, but she didn't have a BLOG!!! How was I supposed to get a hold of her? How was I supposed to get to know her? How was I supposed to make her love me too? Finally she put her blog together. And it was full of insightful, funny posts that related a lot to me. And, of course, the best way to make me love you is to be funny while making me think that you're just like me only better. Charlotte's had a wild ride in the few months since she started blogging, and she's thinking that maybe she's going to take a break from her own blog (while maintaining a presence by contributing to Culinarian) but I hope this doesn't happen. Cause I will miss her. In fact, I'm hoping that she will start writing on Dosmamas MORE about more varied aspects of her life. Not that I'm saying that she's narrow in focus, oh no, I just want to let her know that even the most mundane of things would satisfy and entertain me. And isn't that the reason any of you are blogging, to entertain me? I know that's why I'm blogging, to entertain myself.
3) Plimco. Oh Plimco. What can I say about you? You thrill me. You chill me. From the moment you said my child was beautiful with avocado on her chin you had me. For all of you who haven't checked her out, why haven't you? Aren't you all intrigued by a blog named Bumbershoot Casserole? What planet are you from? That's just funny, funny stuff. I don't think there's a funnier word out there than bumbershoot. Unless it's casserole. Or perhaps platypus. Platypus is pretty funny. Plimco is an actor currently in a play that involves her character licking menstrual blood in a menacing manner off the finger of her best friend. And I don't care who you are, it takes balls to do that in front of your real-life father who is waving and mouthing "Hi Plimco" at you. Or maybe that was happening while describing in great detail exactly how she likes to masturbate. I get the embarrassing stories mixed up sometimes. Plimco's blog is an attempt to avenge the death of her pet rabbit named Simon. If you don't read her blog then Simon will have died in vain.
4) Bri is Unwellness. Bri is funny, urbane, witty, and bitter as soda. And she has a huge-ass heart. Which is, I think, the main reason she is bitter at times. It's hard to have a heart that big -- it gets squashed, bruised, banged-up, kicked. And yet, here's the thing, even at her most bitter, she's still so much more than that. She is still funny and thoughtful, and that takes skill, my friends. It seems to me that the bitterness Bri displays serves to connect her with people rather than pushing them away -- bridges of beautiful crystalline cyanide that we all walk on and admire and talk about, and look deeply into each other's digitized eyes and promise not to lick. Bri would like to be famous one day. And I truly agree that she should be. She's been at this blogging game for a long time and it is an injustice on a cosmic scale that she doesn't have more readers. Go read her. I swear, even though I've never been to New York, when I'm on her blog I can smell the Hudson (I really hope that in real life the Hudson smells good, because I'm not trying to imply that Bri stinks, but Dar Williams just wrote such an awesome song about the Hudson that I think it must be a beautiful thing, but in case the Hudson is stinky, why don't you just pretend that I just compared her blog to flowers growing in Central Park...)
5) J at Cheese and Whine is the kind of person that I would love to hang out with. I think we would have an amazing time. I could ask her all sorts of questions about what's it like to live in the other Portland -- you know, the not Oregon one. I could talk about the time I almost got a tattoo in Portand, Maine but the guy kicked me out of his parlor. I could ask her how she gets her spikes so high... I have a feeling J is a font of interesting information. And she always has a witty reply to even the most off-kilter of my comments. And she likes Cheese. That is always a plus. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that I automatically love anyone who loves cheese, it's always one of the first things I screen for. J and her partner are beginning the semen phase of their own baby quest next month (actually, it maybe just a few weeks, now) so be sure drop in and give them some love. Even if it works right away, as so many of you know, the TTC is a wildly emotional ride that is best done in good company.
6) Finally, I would like to mention the newest of my links. Anuenue Kauwahi. Some of you may have known her as Rae. She's gone through a lot recently, and in the interest of a new start, has started a new blog. I read her old blog, but I never commented because though I found it through other means, I stumbled across it during some of her hardest trials, and I didn't want to seem like a tragedy-attracted cyber rubbernecker. So I kept quiet and wished her well and a relief from pain. And here is her new start; on this I wish her company on her journey, as well as luck and joy and the abeyance of pain.
Well, I think 6 is a good start, don't you? Gives y'all plenty to read about, plenty to think on. If you were already familiar with these writers then you are among the anointed. If you weren't... you're welcome (God, aren't I just so arrogant you want to kill me?)
Lauri, you would have been number one up there...
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Trista -You rock:) Thanks for any added traffic.
In response/answer to your questions/musings...
You're the kind of person I'd love to hang out with too. I will admit that I've been to SLC before (a long time ago) and don't remember much except the "temple." My parents HAD to go. My only other SLC experience has to do with the movie "SLC Punk" and how it is one of my favorites, and underrated, and, yeah, well I'm sure you've seen it.
Portland is a great city, and probably drier (albiet colder) than the "other" one. Tidbit, the "other one" was named after my Portland. True story.
Which tattoo parlor?
When I had a 'hawk, I used "got 2 B's" product called "glue." works well.
Cheese is so good. Especially melty brie, sharp cheddar, and fresh mozzerella.
wow, I'm speachless.. I'm the number one on the list, and you said so many great things about little old me, you are so wonderful, really I'm so glad I bumped into "la casa de accidenta".
also thanx for the publicity! I really need it, and yes everyone, Trista is the reason I started my alter ego, a blog in english for you to enjoy :)
Many many hugs and kisses, really you are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Of course, now I'm scheming about how to get in your favor. Naming my first child after you? Sending you baked goods? Pimping your blog all over my (teeny tiny) one. Shameless & pathetically needy. It's all part of my charm.
(and ps., due to your phenomenal writing, I will be sure to check out all of the new blogs I don't already obsessively peruse.)
Wow! I am also stunned by your sweet words. Thank you for the publicity and the ego-boost.
Well... I read all of them. Except one. I'll read that one now.
J- No, YOU rock! And I knew you were full of interesting facts. I had NO IDEA that Portland was really named after the other Portland. How weird :) I don't know the name of the parlor. Basically my friend and I were driving through New England and we stopped at the Ben & Jerry's factory and I got a free temporary tattoo on my shoulder and for the next few days kept talking about how sexy I was with a tattoo and how I was going to get one and when we reached Portland (I think it was Portland) we saw a parlor and my friend dared me to do it and I went in there and spent an hour trying to pick a pattern and then the guy told me I needed an appointment. And there was NO ONE else in there at the time. I mean, he's sitting there telling me he's too busy to do my tattoo that day or in the next few days and the place was deserted. Talk about a sign...
Sublime -- I'm glad to give back some of the love you've given me. Hey, I've joked about calling my blog La casa de accidenta, but really, what would my blog's name be in Spanish?
Cocoa -- Glad to be of service ;)
Brooke -- I was surprised to look at my blog roll and see that you're not on there since I read both of your blogs, and then I remembered that I was confused about which of your blogs it would be acceptable to link to and so not linking to either of them to avoid linking the wrong one. Which would you like me to link to? Tell me and I'll do it.
Bri -- you're welcome. And you deserve it. You're awesome! I think about you a lot but not in a stalker way, because NYC scares me too much to brave it in order to stalk you. I think in order for me to venture to NYC I would need your firm support and friendship to protect me from getting run down on the streets.
Estelle -- I don't really have a response to you but I didn't want to leave you out. Have a good day!
Trista doesn't love me.
Pout ;)
Feel free to steal my drop-down menu code. It won't shorten the blogroll, of course, but it'll make it a little cleaner.
I too didn't know what to do about categories. Eventually I put everyone who wants a kid, lost a kid or has a kid into one category. Real-life people got their own. Everyone else got a different one. And then I topped it all off with a Melissa Etheridge album title, which may be more telling than any of them.
Trista, your blog would be in spanish: Un accidente de Esperanza, (esperanza is hope).
Glad we are both giving so much love around.. I owe you an email by the way....
Oh ArtSweet! My blogroll is so long that I don't even know who's on there and who isn't! I'll stick you on tomorrow, I promise.
Trista - Either would be fine, really. I'm fairly certain that any family readers just aren't that interested in following the 6 degrees of separation between blogs. Sarah's pretty much taken over 2SD while StS has become my little haven of cyberspace. And I really would send you tasty treats.
Dangit, woman! Of COURSE you jauntily tell the blogging public to stop by and read the energetic and hilarious musings of Plimco right after I post about how much I enjoy waiting.... waiting.... always a crowd pleaser.... sheesh.
Note to self. Before posting a bunch of monotonous boring poo, make sure Trista hasn't sent a bunch of people over to you proclaiming otherwise....