Friday, June 27, 2008

# 2

Ok, you have to be careful when you says things like #2 when you have young children, provided that’s the name you’ve given the associated bodily function, assuming you even know what I’m talking about here. You also have to be careful using #2 when you have twins, especially when the twins have long since figured out which number they are as it relates to who was born first or second. # 2 is also the car fielded by Kurt Busch in NASCAR’s Cup Series and Clint Bowyer in the Nationwide Series and Jack Sprague in the Craftsman Truck Series, but more importantly, it’s the number made famous by Rusty Wallace, even though Dale Earnhardt drove a number 2 for a few years. But all of the twosyness aside, this # 2 is about something entirely different.

Saturday June 28th marks the second blogaversary of this very collection of tomes about cheese, twins, being the office idiot and occasional references to Englebert Humperdink, for no reason other than his name is fun to say and ‘After the Loving’ has to be one of the coolest schmaltzy love songs ever. Yep, the Wonderful World of Nothing is turning 2. It’s been a good ride lo these last 610 or so posts. I’ve met great new people through this blog, well not that they are new, they’ve all been people for quite some time (and no, I am not saying any of you are old), it’s just that they are new to me. It’s as if I’ve got a whole group of new friends even though we’ve never met. And whenever I write about Clay Aiken, it seems I make a whole new group of enemies I’ve never met, but that’s a discussion for another time, because I don’t write about him very often. I do however write about Barry Manilow, but that’s because his music is kickawesome and Copacabana should be taught in elementary school. It really sums up life- the pleasures of youth, dealing with unfortunate events and becoming a washed up dancer in a disco, or something like that. I think she also drank herself blind and I know she lost her youth and she lost her Tony. It’s also a terrific ‘whodunit’ as they try to figure out who shot who. Plus it has a nice beat and if life has a nice beat, then you just gotta dance.

I started this blog because I have long searched for an outlet where I could be me, as it isn’t always appreciated or welcomed in the office. I had originally planned to start something like blogging a year before I did while recovering from my open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve with one from a catfish. Just seeing if you’re paying attention. However, recovering from open heart surgery isn’t as fun as they make it seem on TV, so I never got the chance to start writing and then was back to work before I knew it. I felt disappointed in myself for not beginning the writing I wanted to do, so about a year later to mark the first anniversary of my chicken heart valve (again, just making sure you are still with me here), I took to blogging. So, I will mark my two years of blogging Saturday and my 3 year anniversary of getting my donkey heart valve (yep, still checking on you) on Monday.

I find myself getting pretty hindsightful (sorry, it’s just so easy to make up words when you can’t find something better to say) each June 30th as I remember my surgery for some reason. The hindsightfulness finds me wondering about past experiences I have known. For instance, I’m pretty sure I had a Ponch action figure and his CHP motorcycle from ‘CHiPs,’ but do not remember what I did with it. I also think back to that time I lathered a bowl of ice cream with an expired can of Redi-Whip even though I knew that it was expired. ‘Seriously, what could go wrong, it’s not that old’ were my famous last words that unfortunate evening. More importantly, my wistfulness also extends to thinking about this blog.

I’ve had a lot of fun with it. I have enjoyed coming up with crappy Aprils Fool’s jokes the last two years and trying to complete memes without tagging anyone who might get angry with me. I’ve enjoyed leaving comments on everyone else’s blogs and reading everyone’s experiences and takes on life. It’s like I’ve lived vicariously through so many of you. It also makes me think I need to get out a little more, but that’s not a knock on anyone who reads this blog; it’s a knock on my Prime Grade A level of boredness. I don’t think boredness is a word, but it makes saying I’m boring sound so much less depressing.

I also remember with fondness that time I got to meet the HR folks for a little ‘get together’ about my blogging at work about work. It was a pleasant meeting with lots of professionalism, except that one part where I asked them if they at least liked what they had read, which by the way now tops my list of things NOT to say to my HR representatives. Also on that list are: ‘I really don’t like working for 8 straight hours because I am prone to chronic boredom and avoid it when I can’ and ‘if I didn’t attend the sexual harassment class, does that mean I can still get away with stuff because I haven’t been properly trained yet?’ For the record, ‘no one said I actually had to return to the office after yesterday’s fire drill, is that a new policy’ is also on the list.

All in all, it’s been a great ride and I wish I had started this endeavor a year earlier. But then again, if I had started it a year earlier it’s one more year of momentous occasions for Lucy and Ethel and work deadlines that I may have missed because I was too busy trying to de-screw up the HTML on my blog or trying to combine words to make one word (the true measure of laziness, by the way) or coming up with bad book or TV ideas or extolling the virtues of a cheese laden life. So, thanks to everyone who comes by here each day. It really means a lot, unless you only came here once and then didn’t come back. That’s a major dose of rejection right there. Seriously though, thank you!!

20 comments:

sari said...

happy 2 years! i was going to say happy #2 but we all know where that would go!

Anonymous said...

Happy #2! Oh wait...

Seriously, two years is better than zero years, and I do think we should go through life with no regrets. So no regrets, Michael!

Amy said...

Way to go on two years!! That is a great job...lots to talk about in two years!!

Have fun in Tilamook!!!

Odat said...

Ya know, I was reading this with panic cause I was thinking you were saying goodbye ;-(
Phew, I'm glad you aren't!!!! Happy #2! ewwww. lol.

(So was it a catfish, chicken or donkey???) (just so you know I WAS paying attention).

Peace

Eva said...

Happy #2! And many, many more. :)

Melissa Maris said...

610 posts in 730 days is pretty darn impressive. That's dedication. You've got some major chutzpah! Or should I say cheezepah! Happy Blogaversary!

ya ya's mom said...

well done, happy second year!!

Sizzle said...

YAY for two years! :-)

Anonymous said...

Ironically enough, I just returned home from a birthday party for a two year old.

Happy blog birthday to you,
happy blog birthday to you,
happy blog birthday dear Michael C.
Happy blog birthday to you.

Anonymous said...

Happy Number Two to you. Your blog is one of my favourite places to visit. One day I'm sure I'll hear of you writing comedy for film or TV - you are certainly good enough to do it. Love Engelbert Dumpertruck and Barry but the other guy - Clay who?
Enjoy your weekend.

Jenn said...

Happy two years... I'm kinda stuck on the over 600 posts! WOW!

Anonymous said...

Happiest Blogaversery! :) I was going to bake you a cake but we aren't eating wheat. And I was pretty sure you could live another day without a rice flour disaster.

A hug will have to do! ((hug))

How is your once-broken heart?

chefmom said...

Happy Blogoversary!! I'm in tears, Laughing very loudly at your catfish, chicken and donkey heart check ups!!
I personally am SO pleased to have found your blog. I adore your writing, think you're sense of humor is amazing and will forever be a fan.
I have one wish for you for the future though: Dude, stay AWAY from expired Redi-whip!

Janna said...

Happy blogiversary.

And thank you for letting me know it's actually possible for Redi-Whip to expire.
Seriously, I had no clue.

Terri said...

happy 2nd blogoversary!

Foofa said...

happy #2 hehe

Expat No. 3699 said...

I'll say it...A Big Ole Happy '#2'!

I'm really glad I happened upon your blog, 'cause you crack me up. Oh wait, crack...#2...nevrmind.

Anyway, "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy"

Toodles~

magickat said...

I love this blog as you know. And I am so happy you are a writer and somehow my path crossed with yours in the web-world. Even though I now only read every couple of weeks, I make sure I am always caught up with your nonsense and cheeseness. So... thanks for sharing with us.

Erika said...

Happy blogaversary. My husband laughs every time I say #2. I can only imagine how it is going to be when my child understands it. By the way I think we were reading each others blogs simultaneously. We're cool!

E

Anonymous said...

Aw. Sweety!!

Happy Blogoversary!

CONGRATS On Being "2"


(I'm sorry I missed your blog party.)