Feb 252010
 

Dear people who read this:

First of all, thank you for reading this crap that spews from my head. I’ve been writing shit since I was a young kid and it is HARD to get people to read what I write, and even care about it, so I really am grateful for the people I’ve picked up along the way. I can’t even get my own boyfriend to read it.

But I was curious: What do you like best about this blog? What makes you come back and read more (assuming you do)?

I’ve been blogging since 2001, and you know how everyone always says, “Oh yeah, I write for myself, no one else”? Fuck those people, they’re lying. Yes, I partially write this shit for myself, for my own posterity, but I also write in the hopes that some random person might stumble upon this site and find something that resonates with them or makes them laugh.

I just don’t know what that might be, to be honest. I’m kind of all over the map with this and that’s sort of how I like it, because variety can be nice.

When I was on Live Journal, it was easier to gauge what people liked, mostly because LJ users were quicker to drop a comment.

So if you feel like it, leave a comment here, on this post***, and help me figure shit out. Tell me what you like, if there was a post that stood out to you, what you’d like to see more of. Please don’t be mean though. Not today, at least. My psyche is feeling kind of fragile this week. Ha-ha. (No, I’m serious. Lots of spontaneous crying-while-driving, lol.)

I’m not exactly fishing for compliments here; consider it research. Because I feel like I’ve lost my direction.

Naming fruit since 1996,

Erin.

(***For the people who comment on the LiveJournal feed, I don’t always get those comments. They’re not emailed to me since it’s a feed and not an LJ, so I have to physically go to the feed page and check. If you don’t always get replies from me, that’s why and I apologize. I’ve already lost a LiveJournal friend because she thought I was being rude/too good for LJ, when really, I wasn’t getting any of her comments, and that makes me sad. It’s always better to comment on the actual site to ensure that I see what you have to say, because it’s important to me! <3)

EDIT:  OK, LiveJournal people, I get it. Commenting over here is HARD and ANNOYING. You don’t ever have do it again.

  62 Responses to “Your opinion, it matters”

  1. I read your posts because I love you! You’re a totally awesome person and I wish I was more like you or lived near you so we could hang out.

    As for the ‘types’ of posts that I like, anything that involves:
    1. stalking people
    2. complaining about the people you work with/live with/encounter on the street/come knocking on your door in the middle of the night
    3. roller skating
    4. crazy things you and your brother did when you were younger
    5. going out to eat
    6. game night
    7. what a buzzkill Henry is
    8. how awesome Chooch is
    9. your photography and art
    10. the stories behind your photo shoots
    11. interacting with people on the fringes of society like writing letters to prisoners or that guy who wanted you to take photos of him with his tutu or whatever
    12. going to ‘middle America’ things like that flea market thing from two years ago, I think you have an awesome eye for things that are unironically white trash, your descriptions are so spot on and hilarious
    13. whining and complaining about things
    14. documenting your failed attempts to feed yourself
    15. anything personal you want to share

    I think I almost covered every post you’ve ever made. <3

    • I can’t even express how much I appreciate the time and thought you put into this! And also, I am so glad we met on LJ and that you haven’t gotten offended by/ sick of/ or bored of me yet!

      I wish we could hang out too. You’re one of the few people I have consistent contact with (at least, as of lately and I’m very glad for that!).

  2. first things first:

    I’m calling you after Im done typing this comment. I’m expecting voicemail so you had better expect a sexy message!

    I love this blog! I’m not as regular as I used to be due to school and all kinds of shit going on, but I still love it!
    also, I never read the tweets.

    I often like to re-read some of my favourite entries and such.

    Think about it: if Ryan wasn’t such a lolcow I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN YOU EXISTED. the thought of this makes jesus weep

    Truthfully, your prose is what keeps me coming back. You can describe something as mundane as shaking a ketchup bottle, and it will make me laugh. for me, it’s not so much the context, but the manner in which it’s delivered (don’t get me wrong, the content is pure gold but the way its presentend is on a jewel encrusted gold platter delivered by half naked scandinavian men giving me that look and… you get the idea)

    only YOU can write this blog properly, if you get what i mean. no one has your writing voice, and coming from a miranda july hybrid wannabe blogger… NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM JEALOUS

    i always love your adventure stories (now, thats pretty broad as you can make a story about getting the mail into an adventure), all the choochisms which I have adopted (“I can’t like this!”), and of course – you subjecting henry to abuse is always amazing. always.

    calling you now!

    • HAHA, I just got your voicemail and it made my day a bit less murky. Thanks!

      I really appreciate the feedback. I think you and I talked about the tweets before; I post them because I want to have them here because God only knows what happens to them on Twitter. I never expect a soul to read them but they provide an excellent timeline for me to refer back to.

      I guess I just feel burnt out and it helps to get some kind of reminder of why I’ve been doing this all this time.

      OMG is Miranda July the “You Me and Everybody Else” girl? If so, I LOVED the shit out of that movie. There was that one line about pooping back and forth. I was obsessed with it! It was mu LJ tagline for awhile!

      “Think about it: if Ryan wasn’t such a lolcow I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN YOU EXISTED” <---AMEN I love your new blog, by the way, and the stories you've been writing. You're GOOD! Hey, I do want to have a proper phone call with you and catch up. Unless it's the weekend, the only time it's quiet enough for me to talk on the phone is after 10pm. If you're ever not busy around that time, give me a call again or I'll just go ahead and try you. OK BYEEEEEE.

      • yup Miranda July’s “you and me and everybody we know” (something like that). AND AND AND!!!!!!! you HAVE to get her book of short stories: “No one belongs here more than you”

        I mean… you HAVE to. just trust me ok? its fucking fantastic! WRITE IT DOWN:
        “NO ONE BELONGS HERE MORE THAN YOU” BY MIRANDA JULY
        make a side note: HAVE to or else Francesco will scratch my eyes

        i love that you said “you and i talked about the tweets before” as if we were dating and your tweets were causing problems with our romance haha
        “honey, we talked about this already. YOU NEVER LISTEN. I’LL BE AT MY SISTERS!”

        ryan holds a dear place in my heart

        remember cousin Clara? the autistic cousin who is actually a formica diner table?

  3. I generally read on my blackberry so I don’t get here. Sometimes I can comment and sometimes its a pain for the page to change so I don’t.

    I like hearing about your everyday life. Nothing has to be special. Just keep up what your doing.

    cristy24 LJ

  4. I feel like one of those “long time listener” fools but here goes.

    A co-worker found your blog a few mths ago, I forget what he was Googling but your entry about a wicked amusement park ride came up. We (a bunch of us here at my job) have been reading ever since.

    Truthfully I wouldn’t ask you to change anything. I like that your posts are so f’ing insane and funny but then you turn around and do something intropective. Keep doing that!

    • Shelly,

      I love finding out that people randomly find me and keep reading! Nothing makes me happier and I am glad that you told me.

      Maybe he was googling “inducing a heart attack” because that seems to bring up my Swingshot post a lot!

      Anyway, thanks for the feedback! It is much appreciated. :)

  5. I can’t even remember how I found you anymore but I do know it’s just your everyday take on life that I love. Most bitches are too busy trying to pretend their marriage and motherhood is so PERFECTPERFECTPERFECT, I really relate to how honest you are. And how funny. I love your photography and obviously your art. I love everything you write about Chooch. I love the old photos and the hilarious stories that accompany them. It’s probs for the that we don’t live closer so that we never have to have that totally awkward moment where I’m dying to meet you and you can’t get away from me fast enough. Ha.

    • See, that’s why I like you too. You come off as so real. I can’t remember how we LJ-met but I’m glad we did. I’m just sad that it was so close to the time I jumped ship.

      Thank you for the feedback, Dorothy! It really helps. I’ve kind of been feeling in a rut sort of, where I’m not very sure what direction this thing is going in, lol.

      “It’s probs for the that we don’t live closer so that we never have to have that totally awkward moment where I’m dying to meet you and you can’t get away from me fast enough. Ha.”

      Are you kidding?!?! I wish that WOULD happen! :)

      • Hahaha…see? I remember reading one post where a e-fan insisted on meeting you to pick up their stuff and how much you hated it and all I kept thinking was ‘fuck its a good thing she’s too far away to harrass in real life cuz I’d totes cling to her leg and she’d have to kick me off and my own husband might be the one to take me to jail…’

        That said I hear what you’re saying about comments. Honestly I don’t think its anything you’re doing specifically, more that the landscape has changed. Again. People are bantering more on Twitter and FB and pretty much everyone I know had noticed a dramatic drop in blog comments as a result. I’m hoping the shiny new toys will lose their luster and people will gravitate back to more substantial content some day. In the meantime I honestly DO just write for myself these days. :p I enjoy it too much to stop regardless of whether anyone is reading anymore. Plus what the shit else am I going to do when I’m hosed in my senior years except re-read all the stupid shit I said and did ‘in the good old day’ :p

  6. I’m easy. I like it when you post about your daily life.

    After so many years on LJ, email and now this blog I count you among my friends. That’s why I follow this. I like having your words as part of my life.

  7. =)

    you know i just love every little bitty bit of you. especially the bits of you that are so good at emasculating henry.

  8. I love your anecdotes. Pure and simple. It’s what got me going over in LiveJournal land, it’s why I continue to read your blog now. Please please PLEASE keep it up. Like totally: please.

    • You don’t know how good it is to see your name here! Thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback. It’s important to me that you guys still like this stuff! <3

      (You should give twitter another a chance!)

  9. I’ve loved your posts since back in the LJ days when I first stumbled upon you, I can’t remember how. (How could I ignore vagina and fondue in the same sentence, much less journal title?) I honestly think (and im not blowing smoke up your ass here, this is truth) that you’re one of the most creative writers i’ve ever encountered. I seriously laugh out loud and usually am in awe of the way you write, I find you thoroughly entertaining. You can tell a story about making macaroni and cheese and i’ll think it’s the most entertaining damn thing I’ve ever read, because the way you tell stories is just… so Erin. And REALLY awesome.
    so, keep up the good work squirt.

    • Oh, I remember exactly how we met! We were both reviewers for “Sporky Reviews” lol. It’s funny because I still go through my old LJ stuff, looking for reference bits, etc and there are some OLD entries where you pop up in the comment section. And I’m like, “Goddamn, we HAVE e-known each other a long time.”

      Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. It’s very helpful to me to know what you guys like. Especially when I feel like I’m losing direction. My fear is that I’m going to lose the will to be different and get sucked over to the dark Mommy Blog side of the web, lol.

      And you called me Squirt! That made me smile. My family had a pet sheep named Squirt when I was a teenager, no lie.

  10. I love that you’re so honest and real, even if sometimes that honesty is a little dark (it’s what makes you real).

    I love that you can say what you feel without sounding like a depressed teenager, and that you talk about issues that most people (including me) are too afraid to talk about in a public arena, such as a blog.

    I love that you love serial killers as much as I do.

    I love the stories about Henry and Chooch.

    I love how you tease Henry, but I love it more when you let your sentimental side show through about him, even if it’s only once in a while.

    I love your stories about your adventures with friends, as well as stories about strangers you stalk.

    I love when you post your art and photography, but would like to hear more about your creative process.

    I love that your stories and anecdotes are intricately woven like spider webs and they entangle your readers (or maybe just me) into your world of carefully placed words and cleverly constructed sentences. Your writing is spell-binding at times.

    I love that you continue to write on here even if you’re in a rut, and that you care about what your readers think.

    And lastly, I love that some of the things you write on here are things that I think too, and that makes me feel a little less alone with my thoughts, so thank you.

    • “you talk about issues that most people (including me) are too afraid to talk about in a public arena, such as a blog.”

      That is probably going to get me in trouble some day!

      It’s weird, Ally. One of the reasons I posted this is because sometimes I wonder if I come off as unapproachable or something, like I’m not a real person. I mean, I’m not really bothered too much by the lack of interaction, but it IS weird to me. When I was on Live Journal (I feel it always goes back to that!), the moment I would hit “post” there would be at least 5 people leaving a comment to disagree with me or tell me I’ve offended them or that I’m wrong for feeling a certain way. But there would be a ton more positive ones. So I just wonder if something about me and my subject matter has changed since then, where I’m not engaging people or being relatable.

      But your feedback really helped me to feel otherwise and I appreciate every word of it. I DO care a lot about what you guys think. I don’t want to alienate anyone, and I like the fact that this blog has given me a chance to get to know some new people (like you, def).

      I like your blog a lot too, you know. It inspires me to maybe someday try to give cooking a chance!

    • Wait, I forgot this:

      “And lastly, I love that some of the things you write on here are things that I think too, and that makes me feel a little less alone with my thoughts, so thank you.”

      That right there makes this all worth it. I am so glad that I’m able to do that for you and I know we say this to each other a lot, but I know if we lived closer, we’d probably hit it off famously.

      • I honestly don’t think it’s that you’re unapproachable with your content, or that you’re not easy to relate to. Personally speaking, I get so damn frustrated with myself trying to type out a comment that is actually worth reading and has the potential to make someone laugh or think, that I usually give up. I get really self-conscious sometimes, so I can’t even tell you how many times I click comment and then just never hit send. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I just get shy sometimes. I enjoy reading your blog on a daily basis, though, and it’s the first blog I go to on my google reader to see if anything’s new.

        That being said, this is me getting over my awkward phase.

  11. It surprises me you say it’s hard to get people to read you. I always got the impression you were wildly popular!

    I like your writing style because it’s entertaining. Either you make an effort or it’s just naturally you to write something funny. I can’t stand blogs that are literally just people listing what they did today, like they were writing in a grade school diary — no style, no interest to me, and unfortunately too many of them have ended up on my LJ list (polite reciprocal friending, I’ve learned my lesson).

    I don’t read the tweets either, because there’s a daunting number of them, but if they’re there for you that’s cool. : )

    I have to keep “writing for myself” because my comment count sure is nothing to write home about either. But I’m always thrilled when I see you’ve stopped in : )

    Also, you take the best pictures I’ve ever seen. I wish I had half your sense of composition.

    • “I always got the impression you were wildly popular!”

      I don’t know if I just offend a lot of people or what, but the amount of interaction that takes place is not proportionate with my page views. And I’m certainly not sitting here crying over lack of comments or anything like that, but it does make me wonder if I’m doing something wrong when I’m not engaging people to say anything.

      That sounds whiny. I’m not intending it to! Lol. The point of this post really was that I care about what you guys think. It’s important to me! Lately I guess I’ve been afraid that I’m going to eventually turn into another generic mommy blog, and I would hate myself if that happened.

      I’ve always liked your LJ and still read it. Your movie reviews are great and I love your rants!

      I do appreciate your feedback, and the fact that you didn’t give up on me when I left LJ:)

  12. I found your blog probably about six to eight months ago because we have a mutual facebook friend and your name is the same as a girl I went to high school with, so I was thinking it was a very small world, but obviously you’re not that girl.
    But it is a small world, because you live in Brookline and so do I. And that’s why I keep reading, because I’m really into reading your perspectives about local places.
    It’s also weird, because I don’t actually know you, but you live in my neighborhood, so one time I saw Henry at Trader Jack’s and had to work really hard not to go into a fit of OMG.IVESEENYOU.ONTHEINTERNETZZZ.

    Anyway, to conclude, Hi, I’m Gina and I know approximately where you live.
    I like your pictures, stories, and general rantitude.
    the end.

    • Oh my god, you know you have to tell me who our mutual friend is now!

      This honest to god made my day. I was running around the house laughing about the part where you saw Henry. He gets so mad that I drag him through the mud all the time, but I think deep down he likes the attention.

      Apparently, there is a Brookline group on Facebook and someone tipped me off to the fact that some lady had posted my blog on it, saying something like, “She takes pictures and writes about characters we all know and love” and I was like FUUUUUUCK. Henry keeps saying I deserve to get in trouble. I can’t help that I have no filter, lol!

      Have you always lived in Brookline? I actually grew up in Jefferson, went to TJ. I’ve lived here in Brookline for 10 or 11 years now. It’s definately colorful.

      I’m glad you found me and that you like it!

  13. I find you hilarious, refreshing, and unique.

    You are a very talented writer and artist. You make me laugh, and you are always entertaining. I enjoy your journal immensely! :)

    -maya

  14. Well, as I have confessed in my recent email I have stalker tendencies, and that is initially why I read your blog consistently for a while (but you knew, unlike most of my other victims) I just laughed out loud meniacly. But, I continue to read because I can relate a lot to how you write about your life etc. I have written for myself since I was a child, I say for myself because I still haven’t gotten comfortable to not edit what I let others read and the “real me type writing” I save for myself in my notebooks.Because you are so honest and real in what you blog I admire that and seriously laugh out loud while reading some of your posts-then I have to explain to the other people in the room what I’m laughing about.I like that you don’t try to act perfect and can even laugh at yourself and to me that means a lot because I am very lacking in the “keeping it real” friend dept. I think you have a wonderful skill with words and that is something I have always appreciated is someones ability to tell a story that sounds like they are sitting right there in front of me.I hope you keep blogging for a long time to come.

    • Thank for this, Misty.

      Henry was like, “God, way to ask to have your ego-stroked” and then I felt like an asshole. It’s really not what I was expecting, I swear! I honest to god wanted to know what you guys feel I’m doing right, since it seems like everything I do lately is wrong, wrong, wrong, you know?

      I appreciate every single person that reads this, and in the rare case that a friendship forms, like with us? I can’t even explain how much I love that.

      There was a girl I met a few years ago on LiveJournal, and we became friends “IRL.” She even came to Pittsburgh to throw me a baby shower. I really liked her, and shared a lot with her. But about a year later, she turned on me. She started leaving me condescending comments on my LJ posts, and then one day I got an email from her that lambasted every facet of my personality. According to her, I was the most fake person she ever met.

      Misty, that was four years ago and it STILL stings. Because I’ve never considered myself fake. I’m not exactly a “what you see is what you get” personality, either, but I never try to be something I’m not.

      She was the main reason I left LJ and started this blog, and I swore that I was going to start writing whatever the hell I wanted to from then on. On LJ, a certain mold was set for me. I was expected to be ridiculous and funny every time, and when I would post something serious, people didn’t know how to react. One time, I posted something about being suicidal, and someone was like “That is the funniest thing ever@!!!” I was like, “But…..but…..?”

      So for you to say that I’m in your “keeping it real” dept, that means a ton. And I’m glad you can relate to what I write!

      Thank you for telling me all this! <3

  15. I found your link on the Purple Pinkie site a few months ago when I was looking to see if there were any local bloggers out there (I started back in the AOL/Compuserve days and I was never able to find anyone else – my, how that has changed!). Anyway…I found your entries to be humorous, interesting and very well-written. I don’t comment because I’m just an old lady dork with nothing brilliant or witty to say, but I enjoy reading it so I hope you keep doing what you’re doing. :)

    • Hi Nance! I love Rhonda’s blog and I’m glad you found me on there.

      Thank you for your feedback. It’s really helpful! I care about what you guys think and it’s important to me to check in and make sure you guys think it’s still OK and that I’m not alienating anyone.

      I’m kind of OCD that way, I guess!

      It was nice to meet you! I’m blogrolling you now, btw.

  16. So I have been around lurking mostly since Spring/Summer of 2008 via the purple pinkie blog. I forget which one of your blog entries really got to me but I then turned into an OMG I have to compulsively check this all the time! The reason I keep reading is all of your stories are so well written and entertaining, and I love your art…seriously the cupcake painting I got is most coveted and hangs next to Daisy Fuentes’ head and a unicorn painting i got at a thrift store…I think another reason I keep coming back is in my brain I imagine that we could be friends(were I not so painfully awkward and unable to meet new people…no lie when I joined derby it took almost a whole year for me to feel comfortable talking to people more than yes/no answers. Now I know that sounds kind of creepy in a “who’s hiding in the bushes…oh its just my stalker” way but take it more in the “too afraid to go into pitaland, love the same music, HAVE to win at board games” kinda way.

    • DUDE. You don’t even understand. Anytime you pop up on Facebook or have a new tweet, I’m always telling Henry, “This girl is so cool, I want to hang out with her.” So I’m kind of stalking you too, I guess, lol.

      I am painfully awkward too. I really only have two close friends here in Pittsburgh. My friend Alisha once said her greatest joy is watching me meet someone new/someone I haven’t seen in a long time and seeing how awkward I get. I was like, “THANKS.”

      We should just suck it up sometime, meet for a drink or something and be painfully awkward together. I mean, it can’t last forever, right? Lol.

      I’m at least going to come watch you play derby sometime soon. I haven’t been to a bout in a two years so it’s time!

  17. Don’t you dare stop posting those tweets! Never have I seen someone so deftly craft hilarious ribs and insights using 140 characters or less. Anyone who skips those is missing out, I say.

  18. Like everyone else I enjoy your daily updates but I also really like when you post about your art, because I found you on Etsy. It’s fun getting to know the artist behind all the cool art.

    I think it’s cool that you’re so free about what you post here, yet at the same time you still care about your readers want to see. That’s awesome!

    • Hi! Thanks for the feedback!

      I’m glad that you like when I post the art stuff. Sometimes I feel douchey about it, like people are thinking, “Oh here she goes again, hocking her wares.” You know? But I’m glad to know that there people who like that part of the blog and that’s what I was getting at with this post. I don’t ever want it to get to the point where people are like, “All she ever posts about is ‘xyz’ but I want more of the ‘abc'” you know?

      I’m confusing myself, lol.

      Anyway, nice to meet you!

  19. So. In addition to being a fantastic writer and artist, you’re also a great friend, mother and girlfriend ( I’m sure Henry will back me up on that). I can’t tell you how glad I am that I’m your and Chooch’s Etsy friend. Before we started talking and stuff, I was a huge fan and avid reader of your blog. I not so secretly wished I were as cool as you.
    I love all your daily rantings. I love hearing Chooch and Henry stories. I think you should have a calender made next year full of their photos and witty quips. Or even tshirts with chooch saying “I can’t like that!”. I would rock it so hard. My all time favorite post which I may have mentioned to you is “bullying Chooch and Mommy style”. I have it saved in my favorites and everytime I read it, it makes me laugh until I cry real tears. You should put it on the top of the page here with the other classics.
    So anyway, I can’t thank you enough for all the happiness seeing into your world has brought me. If you stopped, I might just die. Hugs

    • ANDREA DAMN YOU! You’re making me all emotional. When I posted this I totally didn’t expect any of you to say stuff like this! I don’t know what I was expecting. More emotionless feedback I guess? Lol.

      I had no idea.

      You’ve become such a great friend to me, you don’t even know. I consider you a sister, just one that I’ve never met in person, lol. I’m so glad for Etsy’s Dark Side, and so glad that I get to be adorned with your awesome accessories.

      Oh shit, I forgot about that damn Bullying post! I will go back and add it to the top, for sure. I’m glad that you liked it enough to favorite it!

      I made a Henry calendar one year. I even gave one away as a prize at my baby shower, wtf?? Henry was so pissed that he ever taught me how to use Photoshop, lol.

      http://www.flickr.com/photos/rowdyruby/sets/72057594064287867/

      The actual calendar had made-up holidays too. The only one I can remember off-hand was “Give your boss a reach-around Day.” Apparently, Henry’s boss at the time found out about the fake Henry blog I had and never talked to him again. Oops.

      Sorry, I’m getting side-tracked now!

      Thank you again for being my friend, Andrea, and for giving me such thought-out feedback. It really helped!

      • Omg. That calender needs to be reprinted. The Easter photo is my fave. I should have known that you would have already surpassed any level of Henry torturing evil that I could come up with.

        • That’s my favorite one too! The actual picture is from the time he was cleaning out the fridge and I was taking photos of it for my LiveJournal. He was angry, as usual haha.

          I am still trying to get him to write in here. He keeps teasing me. “Oh, I have a draft saved.” NO HE DOESN’T! I checked!!

  20. “Most bitches are too busy trying to pretend their marriage and motherhood is so PERFECTPERFECTPERFECT'” I really have to echo this sentiment. And back it up with the fact that you also don’t seem to try too hard to showcase how “quirky” you are constantly either, like “I’m such a mess, I do this, I don’t do that, DON’T YOU LOVE ME, AREN’T YOU JUST LIKE ME?” There is an effortlessness in how relatable you are, not unattainable because you’re too cookie-cutter hip, but instead ACTUALLY unique and very cool because of it.

    I agree with all the points everyone has made. I love your story telling, whether its about the baby, Henry, Mormons, neighbors, your teenage years as a yo-girl turned net goth, whatever. They are fascinating, well-written, usually entirely free of punctuation and grammar errors, peppered with dizzying feats of vocabulary. Its not amateur level stuff you put out, its David Sedaris or Augusten Borroughs quality. Funny I can’t think of a female who puts out non-fiction along the same lines, I guess Nora Ephron back in the day….When I read that one chick’s blog, who I can’t think of it, she famously got fired for it because she bitched about work…bleh…it just makes me ill. Her title is based on some stupid mistake she used to make in email correspondence, her entries are garbage. When I hear it mentioned, my first thought it that yours is better and should be getting the accolades, not her crap.

    Yours and K.Diddy, from back in the day LJ, are the only personal blogs that I consistently read still.

    • These are great compliments coming from you, Casandra, especially considering how much respect I have for you as a writer. I really appreciate your insight and am thankful that you still read this after all these years.

      I know the blogger you speak of and I absolutely can’t stand her. The thing that bugs the shit out of me is that I have friends who have known me for ages who will read HER shit and not mine, like I don’t have a real blog because I’m not e-famous for getting fired. She’s nothing more than a glorified mommy blogger. And the “blogosphere” is so lop-sided because of her. It’s like, there are those that are her blog-friends, and then there are the rest of us who work hard and have to hope that maybe a few people might stumble across us.

      Blah.

      I wish I could give you a huge hug now, lol.

      I think you’re doing such a great job with the Celebration Cards blog, by the way. Your boss really lucked out when she hired you!

  21. Wow. I want to echo pretty much everything everyone has already said, but I won’t, so this will be kinda short. I love to read you because you are hilarious, self-deprecating, Henry-deprecating, inventive, goofy, passionate, and hilarious (again.) I love your artwork and the off-the-wall, gory stories you pair it with. I love how you reveal so much of yourself, your passions and insecurities, while at the same time making me wonder what your life (especially the quiet, normal, sweet parts–there are some of those with Henry and Chooch I bet) are like. I relate to your gothic/morbid interests. Your writing makes me look up to you and want to adopt you at the same time.

    I don’t comment much, mostly because you’re off LJ. If your feed didn’t come to LJ I wouldn’t always remember to come read you, but that’s because my life is so crazy, not because I don’t love your blog. I gave you a fair amount of shit about moving over when you did, and that was partly why–I didn’t want to miss anything. I still hate the way comments nest (or not) over here. But I also still read pretty much everything you write, and consider you a faraway friend. I would totally swoop in on you if I came to Pittsburgh. Look out. I would love to see Chooch and Blue together actually. I bet Chooch would teach Blue some new words.

    • Trust me, I know you have a TON going on right now and I definitely expect you or anyone else to read every single thing I post. It’s OK! I don’t even read what I write! Lol.

      I’ve resigned myself to the fact that, no matter what, I can’t please everyone, and that’s OK.

      <3

  22. I found your livejournal really easy to read, but then when you switched to this site your writing style changed. I can’t really say how exactly it changed. Maybe you just started writing about different things, I dunno.

    Anyway, I really like it when you write about the things that are happening in your life and make it all sound like a soap opera. I also enjoy hearing about you stalking people and eavesdropping on neighbors and co-workers. I guess that would fall under the broad category of “things that are happening in your life.” I also like hearing about Chooch and witness him growing up in front of my very eyes. (Ummm… on the computer screen, lol. I’m not a stalker!) Reading about him kind of makes me less apprehensive about having kids of my own. It makes me realize that they are, in fact, easily molded into anything you want them to be.

    • It’s definitely a different writing style, because I feel free to write the way I want, and how I want. I didn’t feel like that on LJ. I felt restricted and censored, which was a big reason I left.

      “Reading about him kind of makes me less apprehensive about having kids of my own.”

      I think this is the best compliment ever! Thank you for still reading, Karen, and for leaving me feedback. I appreciate it!

  23. Ever since we’ve been friends from LJ, my favorite posts have always been your daily life activities. I’ve always loved the way that you can spin a relatively boring activity into something that makes me literally laugh out loud.

    much <3 to mah ninja

  24. I might be in the minority here but I like the change in your writing style since you left LJ. I love the memoir-quality nostalgia pieces you post from time to time.

    The fiction you’ve been posting here is top notch and something that we all missed out on when you were still Vagynafondue. So my feedback for you is: I love everything about your blog but would love to see more of your fiction!

    • Yes, I think you must be in the minority! It was such a big deal when I left, that I couldn’t even comprehend it. I remember thinking, “But…I’m still the same person. I’m just…writing somewhere else now.” Why was that such a big deal?? There were plenty of people who left before me, and I still read their blogs without complaint. The way some people reacted made me not even want to read my friends page anymore, to be honest.

      LJ is like the internet equivalent to a Mormon compound.

      Thank you so much for sticking with me!!

  25. I love Chooch stories. The things that kids says usually have my cubicle neighbors wondering what I am guffawing about! Even before Chooch came along, though, I enjoyed reading about your real life. Tales of Stalking people (in general), your relationships (if you can call it that) with your weird neighbors, the pizza guy, and your coworkers.

    Your photography and photo shoots are weird but interesting. I usually skip the fiction.

    I only rarely comment because I read this via LJ feed and I know that comments from there are not forwarded.
    Keep writing: your unique perspective on life should definitely be shared!

  26. I read, but usually thru eljay. And I’ve occasionally commented over there, but never here (until now) because I’m lazy like that. (Do you know how ANNOYING it is to scroll through 57 bajillion comments to get to the reply window?)

    But even though you’re screaming into a wind tunnel that is my brain, don’t stop writing. I’ll occasionally get off my lazy ass and comment, especially if you beg me nice.

    • Lol, no that’s OK that you don’t comment, I wasn’t begging for everyday comments, just for this one post. The general consensus from the LJ set is that the commenting set-up over here is annoying and dumb.

  27. OK. I do not know you personally and have never commented before but after reading some of these replies I felt inspired to speak up on your behalf.

    I love how you asked people to tell you what they like and there are still those miserable sacks who jumped at the chance to be nitpicking assholes. Yes, commenting is HARD. Wahhh. And telling you they skip over your fiction? Are they trying to hurt your feelings because it seems like it to me.

    Maybe it bothered you, maybe it didn’t. But to me, it was a douche move and it makes me sad that people can’t just be happy there is quality substance to be read here.

    My opinion is keep doing what you’re doing. The majority rules – we love what you do on here and thank you for it.

    Bill

    • Thank you for taking the time to leave your opinion – what you said was sweet. It bothered me some, yes. But then, that’s what I get for inviting opinions, even if I did specify I was looking for some positivity during a shitty week. Lol. I just can’t please anyone.

      At the end of the day, if all these people really have to bitch about is the comment-factor to my blog, then I guess I should be pretty happy, right?

  28. I read your posts because you have a way with words that is funny as hell!

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