Day 30 (Part 2): Looks Like We Made It

I did it. I managed to blog for 30 days straight (some days, more than once.) In the annals of accomplishments, though, I'm not sure this is one for the resume. Still, I think I learned a few things.

Day 1: I told myself I could do this, and I did. I was focused and consistent and stuck to it. I learned that thinking positive is a key step to overcoming challenges (Day 2.) I confirmed on Day 3, as have others, that IKEA truly, truly sucks. On Day 4, I declared my love for Trader Joe's and learned that Paris isn't just a city anymore. I finally realized on Day 5 that staying in D.C. for the wrong reasons is not a good reason to stay, although seeing Bollywood movies with my sister is one benefit of being here. By Day 6, I was the third most popular link on D.C. blogs for what I wrote on Day 3. Day 7 was a Monday and the night before mid-term elections, which meant telling folks to "get out the vote."

The next morning brought a new day to our bicameral Congress and I noted that Sanders and Lieberman are now the two most powerful men in the Senate. My friend, Dr. Lala, shared a classic Dilbert with me on Day 9 and I posted it as an homage to incompetence. On Day 10, in a fit of rambling, I wrote about baroque cathedrals in Vienna, Austria. The next day, I thanked my late, maternal grandfather for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II. Sunday (Day 12) dawned wet and drizzly which prompted looking up the correct spelling for onomatopoeia and asking folks to submit their favorite word that sounds like what it means. Very few people bit, which was disappointing, given how many verbally intelligent friends I have out there. Perhaps the pressure was too much. I also threw in a picture of Mary Tyler Moore's statue in downtown Minneapolis for my fellow blogger, Merujo. By Day 13, I realized I was addicted to Pirate's Booty and I entered a rehab program. I've relapsed multiple times and I still have a problem. (In fact, I'm eating a bag of Booty even as I compile this missive.) Evenutally, I watched Cars and have had an itch ever since to take a road trip to the desert Southwest.

By week three, I surmised that my grammar--despite this recent rash in writing--was going to pot, but my propensity for alliteration was and is alive and well. I also decided, thanks to a suggestion from my friend Rio Grande Valley Girl, that I need a scent. Day 16 found me frustrated by online newspapers that make you register to read, but I quickly got over that by reading an article about a proposal to find sponsors for the Golden Gate Bridge. Thanks to the dude over at Blank Top Chronicles, I learned that cell phones aren't stupid, but some of the people who use them are. By Day 18, I was struggling with whether to serve one dessert or two at my dinner party the next day (I went for two.) On Day 19--a Sunday--I read the funniest PostSecret ever. I woke up the next morning, inspired by a book I'm reading, to write about the lost art of letter writing only to end up writing about squirrels boinking outside my office window. The next day, I learned where Maria and the Captain honeymooned in Austria.

The start of week four signalled the opening of the holiday eating season and led me to name my turkey Guan-tom-a-no Bay Birdy, as well as to observe that Black Friday is a sad day. Day 23 being Thanksgiving, I offered prayers for peace and justice. The next day, despite a roaring, post-T-day migraine--I finally wrote about the lost art of letter writing and committed myself to writing more letters and postcards. Which, coincidentally, led to Day 25's missive on postcards, damn it! Day 26 was a rant against feral cats and a request for viable solutions. (Update on that: I've been in touch with the folks at DC SPCA and they've been very humane and helpful.) On Monday, I queried whether I should do a follow up to my thesis. The jury is still out on that. I lost my cell phone back on Day 21 and found it on Day 28. The same day, I added two additional entries--one about stupid people in Colorado and one about stupid branding. Yesterday, I declared myself Queen of Resume Writing, but only because I've helped three or four people with theirs in recent weeks.

And here we are at Day 30. All I can say is, "Whew!"

To all seven of my loyal readers, thank you for sticking with me and reading my postings about everything and nothing. For an easier index of posts, please see the entry below.

UPDATE: Today, I received my first postcard as a result of my Day 25 blog entry.