Posts to Come

I still haven't decided how I feel about security and privacy. I'm a little unsure about posting pictures of our family, mentioning the name of our city, or talking about any aspect of our jobs. Thank goodness I've never written anything bad about work before, since I inadvertently sent my blog URL to a co-worker! (I responded from my personal email account, and my signature was automatically pasted on.) Thankfully, it was one of the least embarrassing co-workers to send it to (not the owner, for example). But now I'd better get his projects done on time, or else I could be in for it! Especially since after reading this post, he'll know what a big deal it is for me :-D

This is directly related to my other blogging hangup - personal privacy. I'm a very shy, introverted person. I'm too shy to write in public about a number of things that many bloggers regularly discuss, such as things you'd see in a 'TMI' category. If I were completely anonymous, I may write a little more openly, but it would still be uncomfortable for me to break through my shell and do it. If I post pictures or use the name of our city, I'll be less anonymous. I already use my real first name, and I have mentioned my kids' names before. I'm not really afraid that someone will stalk us and hurt us, but you never know. I guess I do have a bit of my mom's irrational fear and worrying bred into me. When I post a bit of information, I think of how a stalker could use it and combine it with other information. I'm psychotic, I know.

I guess my biggest concern is embarrassment or fear of opening myself up. I'm worried that I'll write something really personal, and then someone I know will see it. I like to reserve most of 'me' for me. Even writing about spiritual things, which are a huge part of my life, would be pretty open for me. I'm all about being "Patty Perfect" and legislating other people's morality, so I can't write about any of my own moral failings. That's said partly in jest, but partly in truth. I like to put my best face forward, and save my imperfections for people who are very close to me.

I also worry about hurting other people. If I write something funny about someone in our community, it could easily lead to hurt feelings or anger. If I share my continual occasional annoyance with dh, it could get thrown back in his face later on, with people in our community thinking bad things about him, or if he was to ever run for public office or something like that. (Hey, it could happen - dh is a very ambitious, smart, publically likable guy).

The logical answer would be to write all these things in a private journal. But the allure of a public blog still draws me for some reason. If I can manage to open up a little more, maybe I can share one more story of an imperfect person, striving to do her best in the world.

Contest!

I am announcing a contest.  Whoever is the first to buy me tickets to the December 1st Brad Paisley concert in Salt Lake City wins.  You win the satisfaction of sending me to the concert!  As far as I can remember, I've only ever been to one concert.  In the winter of 1999, my sister was doing an internship at a marketing firm in Salt Lake City, and she got free tickets (worth $75 each) to the Ricky Martin concert.  Neither of us particularly liked Ricky Martin, but she felt bad that someone who actually wanted the tickets didn't get them, so we went.  We both wore Wranglers.  I let my sister wear my boots.  We thought Ricky Martin was a terrible dancer, and were not particularly impressed by the concert.  So we decided to leave. 

We walked around the Delta Center and collected free perfume and cologne from people handing it out.  The perfume we were given was called Emporio Armani/Elle by Georgio Armani.  I loved the scent and made those tiny little vials last as long as I could.   Just this last Valentine's Day, I convinced my mom to buy me some of the Emporio Armani perfume - they still make it, thank goodness!  So I finally have some and wear it nearly every day.  Up until last February I never really wore any. 

As for concerts, I have also been to Oldiesfest (a bunch of really old Oldies singers) at least twice - once to see Davy Jones, and the other time to see Micky Dolenz.  Yes, I was a huge Monkees fan, and still am to a lesser degree.  I was so excited to meet Davy!  I thought he was so hot!  I was 18 at the time, and my boyfriend indulged my patheticness, and even took a picture of me with Davy.  I was still giddy when the picture was taken, but also a little grossed out.  By the time I got to the front of the line, I realized how old he was.  Yes, he was hot in 1966.  Fast forward to 1998, and he wasn't quite what I was expecting.  The woman in front of me was blind, and Davy kissed her on the cheek.  Yuck!!  

So anyway, back to Brad Paisley.  I like all his music, and he is still hot.  His is one of the concerts I think I would enjoy; however, I will not spend the exorbitant amount of money required to do so! 

NaBloPoMo

I've decided to participate in NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month. This means I'm supposed to write a post every single day in November. I started this blog in January 2005. Since then I've written 36 posts, approximately 1.6 per month. So jumping from 1.6 to 30 will be a big deal! I like to read blogs with pictures, so just now I learned how to post a picture on my blog (the sidebar NaBloPoMo button)! I used to be a computer programmer of sorts, so you'd think I could figure out basic web design principles or blogging ettiquette, but no. Not yet, anyway.

As part of this experiment, please de-lurk and comment to let me know you're a reader. I realize Blogger commenting is highly annoying, what with the signing in and all, but you can post anonymously too. I'll add "get decent host and comments" to my list of things to do to my blog. I like to imagine myself as an internet rockstar, but I seriously doubt that I have any regular readers at all, due to my incredibly sporadic posting and general lack of writing ability or wit. I do know that I have been blogrolled on at least 2 blogs that I read, so maybe one of my next tasks will be to add a blogroll to my blog. I've recently learned that it is proper blogging ettiquette to blogroll people who have blogrolled you. (See, I told you I'm clueless about this 'internets' thing). In the future, if I inadvertently violate a sacred principle of blogging etiquette, I'm sorry in advance, and please let me know kindly!