I'm going to try this Thursday Thirteen thingy...
1. I started blogging around October 6th, 2005. At that point, I knew only one person personally, that is--- Danny Miller, that had a blog. I had no idea what I was going to write about or anything else...but, write, I did., and a lot!
2. It is interesting to go back and look at these first posts and read them. They were, at that time, all text...in fact dense with text, you might say. And I like a lot of the things I wrote about and at that point, I had almost no readership, shall we say, but Danny Miller and his lovely wife, Kendall. I've known Kendall, since she was a little girl, because her parents were/are good friends of mine, and that's how I met Danny Miller, her then to be husband.
3. When they became engaged, Kendall---having converted to Judism and knowing that I am able to legally marry people explained to me that if I were a Rabbi, I could marry them, but since I am a non-denominational Reverend of The Universal Life Church...(in actuality, no Church at all...) and not a Rabbi, they would not be calling on me to perform their wedding ceremony, though they would love to.....I tell you this, only by way of telling you, that's how well I know Kendall and Danny....And that is why when Kendall suggested I read Danny's blog, and in fact, said I should have a blog, myself....well, I did and I do....and as they say, the rest is history.
3 1/2. So yesterday I worked ALL day, gathering pictures for a future post for HERE IN THE HILLS, that was on my old Blog....which most of you have not read....and it is a post that I always wished I had pictures for, to illustrate many of the things I was writing about.
4. At the time I wrote this post, I didn't have a clue as to how to put pictures anywhere on this--new to me thing called a 'blog'.....I didn't have any pictures and I had no scanner or digital camera, and I had no idea that there was a thing called Google Images. I know...hard to believe, but true....and quite frankly, I had seen pictures on Danny's blog, but didn't know I could put them on my blog.
And, now that I know how to get some of these photo's, I find it great fun looking for images to illustrate my posts, especially since discovering this treasure trove of visual goodies that are here on the Internet. It's like picking out candy at See's Candy's, or choosing yummy things from a buffet brunch at one of the upscale hotels here in Los Angeles. And now that my scanner is working, and I can call upon all the thousands of photographs I have taken myself, it has been even more exciting to create posts where photographs are essentual, to my way of thinking...most exciting and great fun!
5. So...I was having a terrible time finding any photo's what-so-ever for one of the people I had written about in this post: Bobby Lewis. I do not undertand how Google cannot have images for this man. He was one of the great great Theatre Directors of The Golden Age Of Broadway, and a very famous Acting teacher, too! I mean...VERY FAMOUS! He worked with almost all the most talented actors of that generation and mine, too, and so it is completely astonishing to me that not one photo of him could I find on the greatest of search engines, Google!
6. This is so frustrating to me because there are umpteen photo's of all sorts of Bobby Lewis' that may be known to other people, but not to me...I tried a couple of different ways: Bobby Lewis and The Group Theatre...(One of the most influential theatre groups in the 1930's that ultimately influenced acting, directing and writing in America probably more than any other theatre group, ever, and it spawned The Actor's Studio, which was a further incredibly important part of the road that actors took in the '40's & '50's, and had, again, the deepest effect on all acting methods in this country that still exists today....well, Bobby was one of the founding members of both these entity's! And Google has no pictures of this man???? Well, I was so very frustrated, I began talking out loud to Google!!!
7. So, finally, after finding photo's of the other people referred to in this post and giving myself somewhat of a choice of each to choose from when I get to that part of the 'posting process'....I decided that, because I now have a working scanner, I can scan in the photo's from the book covers of two of Bobby's three books, which I own....HOORAY!
I did that and was extremely pleased with myself for coming up with this fabulous solution to the Google failure.
8. And they came out pretty good, I thought....so, I did all my copying and pasting of the text of the post itself; edited mistakes I could see now which I did not see back when I originally posted it....and began the tedious process..,(Blogger does not make it easy...or maybe I just STILL don't know how to do this the correct way)....the tedious process of getting my pictures into this post.
9. Blogger would not let me upload the first image of Bobby. It said "done" but when I went to 'compose'...no picture was there....now, that has happened before and then finally after many attempts and changing positions of the photo, it will be there. Not last night. I finally thought to myself, perhaps the photo is too big. That thought had not occurred to me before....(are you getting the thought process here...first, I never knew about pictures; then, I don't know how to 'get' pictures; then I DO know how to get pictures, but don't know how to get them on Blogger...etc., etc., etc.....and NOW, I'm thinking...maybe this photo is too big...! Such an evolution!)
10. So....I attempt to take the photo and put it in Adobe Photo Shop and start to try to learn how to re-size this picture....many hours later....now around 2 am....I have learned how to re-size the picture, I think...saved it, I think, but when I go back to 'My Pictures' the photo is still the BIG one...(much screaming and gnashing of teeth followed...) No one told me there would be these frustrations! No one told me I would want to pull my hair out! No one told me that I could get sooo caught up in all this blogging shit, that it would take over my life!
11. I practically don't DO anything else! I practically don't think about anything else! This has become a deep obsession keeping me up till 4am or later!!!! This is not a good thing. No good at all. I worry because I haven't posted anything in 12 hours; I worry that people will be bored with my posts. This is sick.
12. What started out as a fun thing, for me, and I mean, for Me...has now become this out-of-my-control obsessional horror! I actually fell asleep this morning, sitting in front of my computer in my chair, staring at this fucking Adobe Photo Shop Tutorial...I mean, I can barely sleep at night in my bed....so to fall asleep sitting in my computer chair staring at my computer, is truly sick!
13. I'm sooooo far behind in everything else in my life, that I feel completely overwhelmed and want to just go to bed and pull the covers over my head! Is this the typical blogging routine? Do we all start out having fun and then quickly get to where we want to pull the covers over our heads, or, is it just me? (it woudn't surprise me if it was just me...) The other day when I couldn't get my computer powered up and therefor couldn't do anything..I was relieved! Yes, I was truly relieved and the next day, Sunday, I spent the day mostly sleeping and looking at DVD's I had committed to watch as a Screen Actors Guild Nominating Committee Voter...falling asleep three times in one film...not because it was bad, but because it relaxed me and I could then rest....Jane, of janelovestarzan had written me an email and in it she had said, '...don't you find blogging like having a job, sometimes?...'. Oh yes, dear Jane, I surely do! And I am going to quit this job, and try and go back to having fun again!
Is this what a Thrsday Thirteen is? I hope I did this right.
- had this to say:
Certainly looks like 13 to me :o)
Must get round to doing this one myself one week- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 1:03:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
13 yes. I like the 3 1/2, lol. And since it is like a job sometimes, I think we should get paid. Well, actually we do in a sense. Look at how much richer we are for the people we've met thru blogging. You are a prime example of someone who has made my life richer. Front & foremost has to be staying honest to ourselves & keeping it real, fun, pleasant...whichever fits at the time.
Oh and See's Candies? OMGOSH yummyyyy! Chocolate butter is the best, isn't it?- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 1:07:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Well, some people are addicted to scrapbooking andsome people are addicted to blogging and other people are addicted to something else entirely. I guess we all need some kind of creative outlet, although I do get into ruts blogging where I just have nothing to say, although I haven't had that problem for awhile, but yeah, it should be fun! So don't let yourself get so bogged down that you don't want to blog...we would miss you!
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 2:00:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I know how you feel! I think though that in this blogging (and I'm new at this too) that you have certain readers that you read daily and I'm sure they do the same and they become like your buddies. For example, I read your blog every day but if you missed a couple of days then I'd get worried about you. But if you posted a quick post saying that you had a cold or you had other obligations and would be back soon, then I'd be relieved by knowing what was going on but each day I would still check to see if you were back. You'd be missed but we'd KNOW you hadn't left us.
I think anything you post is interesting even if you just post about something you did that day.
I don't think blogging is meant to stress you out, but the other way around! So have fun with it and we will read and continue to read! You Naomi, are my friend and so therefore I am interested in anything you have to say!
Did all that make any sense? You do a great job at blogging!!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 2:34:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I'm fixin to do my weekly 13 too. The first time I tried to post a picture on the internet I almost gave myself a stroke. Resize, cut, crop, blah, blah, blah. But the flowers are pretty! Thanks for stopping by
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 3:57:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
It's amazing how far and how fast you've made accomplishments with blogging in general and web publishing in general. Great work, OOL.
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 4:54:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Aginoth--Yeah, it's an interesting one to do...I may become a Thursday Thirteen Regular!
Jane--Thanks so much Jane...I feel the same way about you! I think these on-line blogging friendshiips are quite wonderful! See's Candy's....YUM YUM YUM!
Plumkrazee--I'm up because I have no life! (lol)..I hope you are right about the obsession part, because at this rate, I'll be dead!!! lol- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 5:11:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Karin--Thanks for that, very much..,I'm not to that point yet, but I see how exhausted I get with this...I have to find some balance here...help!
Rachel--Thank you so very much Rachel...the feeling is mutual...and if I disappear without a word, it's either my computer has betrayed me or I'm
d-e-d...(LOL) No, I would try to say I;m taking a vacation from blogging or something...But twice now, since I've been blogging I have had computer problems and hoped people would not think I just disappeared...I feel the same way about you, by the way..and evereything you said DID indeed, all make sense!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 5:17:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
fattypants--I know what you mean! Thank God, I didn't have to do anything with those flowers but get them onto Blogger!!
utenzi--I appreciate your kind words Utenzi...sometimes I feel like my learning curve is terribly slow, but that's because I expect so much of myself. What a bloody curse that is! (lol)- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 5:20:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
It's very easy to let blogging consume your time. I go out of my way to make sure that real life comes first. I think you have to make that effort regularly, otherwise, blogging becomes a job!!
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 5:45:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Hee-hee! Another addict! But, hey, you could get out of the house and go to some of those community classes and learn MORE about the computer, then you know what? It wouldn't take so darn long to do something! So see? That's a good thing.
Oh and it wasn't just you; I was trying to upload a new graphic to my blog last night? And first it "stalled" and wouldn't do it, then I tried later and somewhere along the line, they've apparently limited the size and it was automatically resizing my image too small and messing it up! This has happened to me before but the next day, straightened itself out. Weird.
I finally signed up for "Flicker" (free with a Yahoo e-mail account) so that was fast and easy and it worked!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 6:25:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I totally know where you're coming from. When I first started doing this I would do NOTHING all day long except sit at the computer and play with my blog and read other blogs. I would lie awake at night trying to think of my next post. I was in a vicious circle where my house would look like a bomb hit it because I was too busy blogging to clean and once it got so messy I'd just look at the computer and not the mess behind me.
With my new work schedule where I can't be home as much, it's cut way down on my posting. I used to post multiple times a day or at least every day and now it's not so much.
Don't get all freaked out about it, I'd hate for you to get burnt out and then stop blogging!
After the "new" wears off of blogging it will have less of a grip on you! :)
I wasn't able to put any photos up until I started using Flckr http://flickr.com/
It's pretty easy to use and they have a free service. That might be easier than loading the photos into Blogger but I don't know. I could never load photos into Blogger!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 7:48:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Hurray and join the club. I so relate. I've been saying this for months. I retired from full time foster care around the same time I started my blog and it is very much like having a JOB. In fact, I work harder at it than I did at any job! Too bad we don't get paid. But there are more ways to get paid. Good things have happened to me because of the blog, but it's hard when someone asks, "what do you do?" or "what have you been doing lately?" and you tell them and as soon as you say "blog" most people stop listening.
I don't understand why you can't get on Leanne's site. Are you clicking the right place for comments?
I also relate to all the trouble you've had. I am tech-no-logically challenged...and I've been amazed at my perserverance with this!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:02:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Hey OOLotH... Good to see you again! I'm here via Michele's tonight. Very interesting 13 you have posted! I really need to get brave enough to try that some time.
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:02:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Yes, blogging is truly an addiction. But a worthy enterprise I think. And my sister coined the phrase "Blogligation" which I think we all experience... we must please those readers!!
Here from Michele's... cheers!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:05:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
LOL!!! How funny. Like you, when I first started blogging I only knew one person too! (That being Kimbofo - she's my sister who lives on the opposite side of the globe from me!) My first posts too were full of text. ie very boring. I didn't know how to post photos either, let alone realise there was something called 'Google IMAGE' for me to select photos... There is no stopping me now though...
Here via Michele today. Have a terrific weekend and I'll pop by again very soon. Cheers.- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:11:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
PLEASE don't quit this job! We would miss you. Yes, it is frustrating sometimes, and Blogger photo placement is not all it ought to be (yet) but perhaps they will improve it and make our lives easier. We have to hope that, don't we?
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:28:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Congrats on your first 13!!!
As for blogging addiction....let's not go there! LOL My family insists that I am addicted. I say it's my outlet. That sounds better. Hee hee ! I have gotten so tired at the computer that I can't keep my eyes' open, but I have never fallen asleep at the computer!! Now that's tired!! :)
(Oh I think your problem with seeing my whole 13 list today was the thirteen template was bigger....I think. Just make sure you have your screen at full screen. ;) )- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:33:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
:) Everyone goes through #12 / 13! It gets a little stressful when you have hundreds of readers a day...
I always tell my fellow bloggers the same thing, when they encounter this (I've been there years ago now) -- Remember why you started your blog... And remember that it's just a snapshot of your daily life.
Thanks for visiting today! I'm adding you to my blogroll, finally!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:39:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Hey, I came back via Michele. See you later!
- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 8:40:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Sometimes blogging is therapy. Sometimes it is overwhelming. Every day is different, that's why I like it. :)
Michele sent me!- Thursday, December 8, 2005 at 9:09:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Yes, can relate to early posts being dense and low user-friendly. Figuring out how to use software can be an uphill climb taking a seeming inorderinate amount of time to fo something ever so simple. Been there. Expect to be there again.
Blogging, it can seem like a job sometimes.
Michele sent me this time.- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 12:06:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Well, it was Thursday - and you got thirteen (ignoring the 3 1/2 lol)....
and you, my dear, are a blogaddict :-)
Welcome to the club....
cq- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 12:49:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Not too sure what a Thursday Thirteen should be (having a bit of a meme phobia) but am sure this is fine... Michele sent me!
- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 3:03:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
It is morning here, OOLOTH and Michele sent me back!
Thanks for the nice comment on my post about my friend.- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 3:58:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Love your 13, and laughing over your grand description of your new-found obsession. Amazing how this blogging thing just draws your right in, isn't it?
here from michele's today, but i'll be back later (probably today), I'm sure- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 4:04:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
It looks like thirteen and the date is Thursday ... so it *seems* right! :). I've not heard of it before, though ... and now it's Friday, so I'll have to wait.
- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 4:06:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
I find blogging SO addictive. I sometimes look up and hours have gone away! Or I'll be at work wondering what my favorite blogger has posted ;-)
Yes it's also become my job but also my pleasure too!
LOVED this Thursday Thirteen!- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 4:49:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
I was obsessed in the beginning too. It will pass, then come back, then pass again. The best way to get photos on blogger is to upload them from your computer. Sometimes this doesn't work how we'd like. You can also go to www.photobucket.com that is where I host my photos that go in my side bars and such. Good luck and email me if you need help. Keb
- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 7:52:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
My RLF(real life friends) used to make fun of my blogging obsession. I worry that if I dont' put in a post or answer a comment the whole thing will come falling down!
But lately they haven't been making fun of me as much
I do go through spells where I hate everything about blogging!
I have met so many wonderful people in the past year. Jane for example, who came into my life last summer with a bang not a whimper.
I look at the energy and passion you put into your blog with much awe.
Though when I try to write "normally" not in blogging style I have many problems, and I don't even write in true blogging style- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 9:50:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
hey there, from Michelles... Universal Life Church--sounds almost like an insurance policy... I suppose I can say this and not be disrespectful since you said it's not really a church at all.
- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 9:51:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
If I didn't blog, we'd definitely have more clean clothes and a smaller laundry pile at my house. I'm sure I could be doing things that were more productive--but I'd miss out on blogs like yours! (here via michele)
- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 10:15:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Thanks for your kind words on my own blog.
Great 13!!! I love those sort of lists. They get you thinking about yourself in ways you wouldn't ordinarily do.- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 10:22:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
I like the progressive increase in sourness from one to thirteen. Funny.
I'm reasonably well versed in Photoshop, but that came at the expense of a couple of kicks to the monitor and the accompanying f-bombs. Good luck!
Here from Michele's!- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 11:29:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Naomi, this post made me laugh and laugh. And may I recommend Irfanview (free for downloading on the web) for a quick and easy graphics program? That's what I use to resize all of my photographs that are going into blog posts.
I will say that since I already have a more-than-fulltime job plus a bright, silly boy with a chronic illness, I can't possibly think of keeping a blog/journal as a job, or I would have to quit.
Of course, that's why I only update a couple times a week, too. Here's my 13.- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 2:05:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
HA! I believe they have 12 step programs for people like you! All you have to do is admit that you're powerless to your problem and your life has become unmanageable.
I love your blog!!- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 5:48:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Hi- Well I hadn't learned of "Thursday 13" only HNT (half naked thursday, of which I do not shoot that type of photo of myself!!). I Soooooooooo identify with you about BLogger and photos.
I'm a photographer and wanted to put photos up of my paintings, jewelry etc but Blogger was constipated that night. Grrrrrrrrr!!!! On a better note, congrats to you for thinking of using the scanner for photos of those folks. Aren't scanners, great?? :)
I hope your weekend goes better than Thurs. ROFL at the 3 1/2. Where did this "thurs 13" start? I've been blogging a yr and not seen it until your blog. Thank you for another entertaining post. I hope you come back to visit my blog. It does have photos up :)- Friday, December 9, 2005 at 8:03:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Well for a blog newcomer - you're doing just fine. :)
Poking back in by way of Michele's.- Sunday, December 11, 2005 at 5:20:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I often go back and read my old entries as well. It's almost like taking a trip back in time.
Thanks for reminding me why the trip is so worth taking.- Sunday, December 11, 2005 at 8:01:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I used to post a lot but then one of my readers wrote on her site that I was "amazingly prolific" and it dried me right up. Now I usually just post once a day.
Here from Michele!- Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 8:09:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Dearest Naomi, I feel like a proud parent!!!! Or like Virginia Wiedler at the end of The Philadelphia Story, "I did it! I did it all!" I so relate to every single word of this post!!! Is it a cancerian trait to turn what we love into torture? Of course, Danny's a Virgo and he did the same thing. I will say he is much better as he nears his one year blog anniversary. The first few months I feared for his health! I really don't think I'm stable enough to blog. I would become obsessed with comments, obsessed with pleasing. It would be very hard to keep it fun for me. That's my new bumpersticker: "Not Stable Enough To Blog!" And I'm so slow that I would always be behind, just like now I'm behind reading the only two blogs I read! I'm so late catching up with yours I don't know if you'll even see this comment. Here's your technology test: Do you immediately get an email whenever a comment is posted? Danny does -- of course! But be strong -- continue -- in whatever way works for you -- it would be a light extinguished in my life not to have your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, The Proud Mother
- Thursday, December 22, 2005 at 12:31:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Dearest Naomi, I feel like a proud parent!!!! Or like Virginia Wiedler at the end of The Philadelphia Story, "I did it! I did it all!" I so relate to every single word of this post!!! Is it a cancerian trait to turn what we love into torture? Of course, Danny's a Virgo and he did the same thing. I will say he is much better as he nears his one year blog anniversary. The first few months I feared for his health! I really don't think I'm stable enough to blog. I would become obsessed with comments, obsessed with pleasing. It would be very hard to keep it fun for me. That's my new bumpersticker: "Not Stable Enough To Blog!" And I'm so slow that I would always be behind, just like now I'm behind reading the only two blogs I read! I'm so late catching up with yours I don't know if you'll even see this comment. Here's your technology test: Do you immediately get an email whenever a comment is posted? Danny does -- of course! But be strong -- continue -- in whatever way works for you -- it would be a light extinguished in my life not to have your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, The Proud Mother
- Thursday, December 22, 2005 at 12:31:00 AM PST
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