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11:36 a.m. - May 17, 2006
Happy Anniversary SmedIndy, Got You On My Miiiiiind!
With all of the hubbub and whatnot (technical terms) going on in la casa de Smed over the past week, I forgot to note something very important.

May 13 was my first year anniversary of writing on this here site.

It was a kind of roundabout way that I started here.

Back in June 2004, when Liz and Katie were going to LA, I had a high school friend email me that his band (A Doors tribute band) was going to play at a club in Indianapolis, and if I�d like to go.

Well, it was the same weekend that they were going, so I said sure. But I got to thinking about tribute bands in general, and cranked out something allegedly funny.

I help run a baseball web site, so I found a spot to plunk it down on the internet. About 9 people read it, I suppose.

I never really wrote anything else, and every once in a while I�d read it and chuckle.

Then, in early May of 2005, I was struck by a lot of observations as I made a trek to the local recycling center and having to wait in line for dance recital tickets (and my first time ever being with Katie at dance practice). I decided to write about them, and sent it to my friend AJ for a look see.

I didn�t know what I was going to do with it, really. She made some edits and I incorporated some of her edits into my final essay.

I had planned to carve out a spot on that other site for my personal essays, but my friend Moose said that I should actually go post them on a blogging site.

�Dude, I�m not going to blog. I�m not going to whine and complain in three paragraph bites. I want to write long term pieces that are one page at a time and self-contained.�

�Well, you can do that too. What about what Mimi does?�

Ah, yes. The infamous Mimi Smartypants. I had gotten to read her through Moose. Of course, I thought she wrote on DAIRYLAND at first. Heh. Mooo!

Well, that got me to thinkin�, which is always dangerous.

So I took the plunge. I signed up.

And I posted those first two essays, here and here.

So instead of an introduction, I just dove right in.

So now what?

Well, I didn�t know how many people would be reading my stuff. I didn�t know how big of a community it was. I didn�t really explore it.

I did buy the right to have comments, because you always want comments. And with that, I put up some banners on occasion. I put my link on a lot of my email and message board signature.

But mostly, I commenced to write on a schedule.

At first, it was more sporadic. Every couple or three days, I would force myself to write.

Then things started to come easier, and I started not having to force myself to write. I just wrote.

Kristin was born, and that got my schedule off a little bit, as newborns will do, but when I could I started to write.

Then, Vicki breezed in and read my essay on Crunchberries. And the rest is Smed history.

So now here I am, over a year into this thing.

Well over 100 people now have said, �Yes, Smed, you are a favorite of mine!� My page views are higher than I ever expected when I first wrote my drivel and palaver.

And that elates me to no end.

I have people I work with read me. I have colleagues that read me. I�ve met some of my readers, who I now consider good friends, out and about when I�ve been traveling, and talked to others on the phone and through IMs and chats. And I�ve made multiple mixes for people. (I just counted, and by the end of the summer, I�m going to send out 24 more sets. Ye Gods! But it must be done, and it will be done!) So I must be doing something right.

I have also enjoyed reading everyone else�s sites. They help ME become a better writer. They hone my observational skills. They make me understand what else is going out there in internet land. I try to comment and interact as much as I can, and I�ve said this before, that because of space limitations I only have so many on my friend list, but I cruise by everyone�s site who reads me regularly, just to say howdy, and to see what is up.

It�s been a fun year, hasn�t it? For me personally, I became a father again. Katie danced in her first recital, went to Montessori school and has started to play soccer. I�ve traveled near and far on business. Liz and I have weathered the storm here in our big ol� house.

Mostly, though, I think I�m happy that I know I can write, and write well enough for people to keep coming back for more.

So, what is in store for year 2 of Smed�s Corner?

Well, actually, it will be for year 2 and year 3, since I renewed my SuperGold for two years. So you are stuck with me, hah!

I may be running more banners ads on the site. Well, I paid for them (they came with the membership), and I always like seeing new readers, of course. Mainly because I like reading other people�s stuff!

Mostly, the next two years will be more of the same.

I will write about music, of course.
I will write about the wacky things that I do that exasperate Liz to no end.
I will write about the wacky things going on with the kids and our family.
I will write about the wacky things going on in BFE land.
I will write about the wacky things going on in general.

And that�s a promise that I will keep.

So, it�s been a year, folks. A real fun year for me, and I�m glad you were here for part or most of the journey. Sigh�

Ok, now I need a tissue.

 

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