I figured now that the blog’s all independent again, a rousing Q&A session – one where I don’t have to mind my swears - might be right up the collective fun alley.
A quick reminder of The Official Guidelines:
- be polite – ask unto others as you’d have asked unto you
- don’t ask about that one guy in that one city
- be patient – some of the questions take more thought than others
That’s it! Ready? Go!
You have unlimited funds to go to any country on the planet. Where would you go, and why?
I’d really like to take my sister to Africa one day. With a really excellent camera. And even excellent-er mosquito netting.
Are you looking at vintage or modern gowns for your wedding?
Vintage! Well, it’s a vintage recreation and I’m having it made by a wonderful, local seamstress. She just sent me the fabric specifications today, so I’ll go out shopping soon! Here’s a preview!
GOR-geous!!
HOLY CRAP Fish! That is beautiful.
Beautiful!!
My question was going to be about your wedding dress too! It is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing the preview pic!
Oh wow!!! I LOVE IT!
Tea-length dress – oh dear, that’s gorgeous (just what I want, too, except maybe with lace cap sleeves). Will you wear a head piece? My friend makes beautiful birdcage veils (she’s in Brisbane, Australia, so not much help but still…)
Wow…so pretty!!!! You are gonna look STUNNING!
Is the wedding dress picked? If so, details please!!
It is, indeed. It was probably the first detail I was sure of. See the comment above yours
Beautiful!! Two thumbs way up!
Do you have plans to do more writing like a novel or other book? Is freelance writing something you are pursuing?
Sigh. I don’t know. I’d like to write a book, but I don’t have any ideas for one. Which is pretty sad. I used to freelance quite a bit, but when it dried up, I didn’t pursue too heavily. My goal, though, is to not need my day job in 3 years, so I’d better get crackin’, eh?
I’m a fellow Dallas transplant. What are 3 things you hate and 3 things you love about this city? Love the new blog, by the way
Hates: 1) that you have to drive to do ANYTHING. 2) lack of accessible public spaces that aren’t malls 3) smoking in bars
Loves: 1) winter doesn’t suck the life out of you. 2) Really good food is pretty easy to find (if you have dollars) and 3) I have family here.
Are you still doing the hot yoga? I just started a couple of weeks ago, and while I like it, it can give me a headache. Have you experienced this? If so, does it stop or is there something I can do it prevent them?
Unfortunately, yoga was one of those things that didn’t make the budget this year. Maybe after the wedding! But as for your headaches – it’s probably the electrolytes that fled from your body in all that sweatin’. I was able to cut those off with some electrolyte powder in water. You can get handy little packets to take with you – usually at vitamin/health food stores.
Just wanted to drop in a couple of good DFW low cost yoga suggestions for you- as I live on a tight as can be budget, but need the stress relief of yoga every couple of weeks, I have found a couple of places- Dirt Cheap Yoga has classes at several of the park and rec facilities around town- if you live in the uptown-ish area, they do a bunch at reverchon park. Classes are $8 for drop in, and $50 for an 8 class card. Pretty good deal. Also, Karmany Yoga is donation based, and anonymous so there isn’t any pressure about how much you give. I haven’t been there yet but hear good things. Here are links:
http://dcyorg.blogspot.com/
http://www.karmanyyoga.com/
good luck, and do some yoga!!
What’s your favorite thing about your new site?
Favorite: it’s so much nicer to look at! I mean, right? And the comments work and I’m in charge. No one ignores me when I say, “this is bad. it doesn’t work.”
Not so Favorite: I’m in charge. Managing both the ads and the technology that I don’t fully understand (um, how many times did I eff up the RSS for everyone? Oh, NINE HUNDRED) is a learning curve that’s pretty steep. And pays less than indentured servitude. heh.
This is also related to the last post, but…. on a selfish note- I’m wondering if you might be willing to share your tactic for getting out of debt, particularly re: spreadsheets etc?
I am pretty spreadsheet phobic, but have a fair amount of credit card and student loan debt from grad school (plus several low paying jobs that leave me with little disposable income), and can’t seem to figure out which debt counselors are non-profit, and which ones are scams… so anyway, your post about buying cars a few months ago was awesome, and it seems like you are good at that stuff (plus, obviously, it is working)…
You. Bet. In fact, I was working on a How to Create (and stick to) a 2011 Budget for the Features page. With the dog and all, it got pushed aside. I will finish it up and get it posted. It’s all about having the simplest spreadsheet that works for you.
And, unless your debt situation is pretty out of control, skip the debt counselors. I’ve been told that’s not the best approach if you want to come out on top.
Hi Fish,
Love the new site. Grieve for you on your loss. Applaud your debt reduction. I don’t know if you want to post my comment for “laura turner” but she might be helped by reading a book by Dave Ramsey called the Total Money Makeover. He also has a radio show airing in most cities for free! His best two tips, if you’d prefer not to promote him, are to first save $500 – $1000 for an emergency fund. And then to list debts smallest to largest. Pay minimums on all but the smallest debt, pile as much money as you can monthly on the smallest debt until it is gone. Then apply that money to the next debt, while still paying minimums on the other debts. He calls it the debt snowball. It works! All the best to you. Feel free to edit this post if helpful.
I’ve heard of the snowball too but according to the Goddess of Finance Suze Orman you should start paying off the one with the highest interest rate first
Two very good philosophies, and choosing which one to follow can depend on the person paying them back. You are correct, as is Suze, in that eliminating the highest interest debt means less overall in payments. However, some people might be overwhelmed by the number of accounts they have to pay off and can get paralyzed and not make any headway on any of them. For those, seeing some of the smaller ones disappear of the list may provide them those quick small victories which can be very easy to snowball into greater ones. A two pronged approach might be best if it can be swung.
Hi! I’m keep a spreadsheet of my own too and also us a website called mint.com to track my spending and net worth ect. It’s easy to budget once you get a good look at where you money is actually going. Also, I read a great blog for tips on the subjet at genywealth.com
Good luck!
Thanks y’all!
I have heard about the debt snowball AND suze orman’s emergency fund theory. My basic problem is that I work three part time jobs (teaching and retail) and I am not making enough money to make much of a dent on any of my debts. The clear answer is to find a job that pays better, which, well, I’m working on.
So, snowball wise, credit card is the highest interest, but I also have huge interest that accrued on my student loans when they were in unemployment/underemployment deferral. So both are stressful.
I live on an incredibly tight budget already, and I guess I’m more wondering about how much of my income, percentage wise, should I be putting toward debt… at this point I put in about a third of it, and don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere, which is just depressing and feels unproductive… so I’m trying to find a better method. I welcome all opinions:)
Speaking from experience, the snowball thing takes a LONG time to happen. I mean, at least it seems really long. I started getting very serious about my debt two years ago. It took eighteen long months to feel like anything had changed – but then when it did! Holy cow, between April and November of this year, my minimum monthly payments dropped from over $900 to $300. NOW there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. So, seriously, I think it’s just a matter of sticking to it – the discipline gets unfun pretty quick, but the payoff feels awesome.
Besides the move to Texas and the Dork Lord, what has been the best change to your life?
The best thing I ever did to change my life was full stop, never, ever buy anything on a credit card ever again. I just don’t do it. Once a month, I put a small purchase on my paid-off card and then pay it off the same week, just to keep it active. But truly, we don’t buy anything we don’t have cash for and it feels really, really good. I mean, REALLY good. Life changing.
Top 5 (or more if you can’t narrow down) blogs you’d recommend to a stranger to read?
I’m always looking for new reading material!
I’ll be adding to this list, but for some really good time wasting: Go Fug Yourself
Another debt related question-were any of the things/experiences worth it?
Only travel. The clothes? No. Meals? Nope. Only the places I got to go.
LOVE the dress!
I would like to ask you an exciting question, but I’m also curious about whether you found a good garment steamer or not (I think you asked for recommendations ages ago). I hope to think of my exciting question soon
Ha! Oh, Katherine, I’m positively giddy with excitement! Actually, I got a deal on a steamer at Bed Bath & Beyond – it was on sale and I had a magical 20% off coupon – and I *think* it’s Sharper Image. I have no beef with it except that its hose is a bit too short (oh, the dirty jokes). Heats up really quick, turns itself off if I should ever happen to (uncharacteristically) forget to and wheels around so much better than my old Shark steamer. I give it an A-.
What next after the wedding a fantastic Italian honeymoon and then…….. Fill in the blank??
Man, I’d love to have something VERY exciting to fill in the blank, but let’s see… we come back from the awesomeness of Italy and then… uh, nuttin. Not until January, anyway. That’s when we ditch apartment living for a house. Rental. We won’t buy until the Dork Lord is out of school and has an idea where he will work. Don’t want to buy a house just to try desperately to sell it in two years. See how exciting I am? That’s why you come here. RIVETING.
As a long time reader, I’d really like your take on this one: If you had met Mr. D. Lord -or someone you felt as deeply about upon meeting – and he lived in another country (a la Eat Pray Love – or, say, Canada) would you have picked up and moved for him/love?
Congrats on the new life things!
Hmmm. I suppose that all depends. In my current situation wherein my job isn’t AH-mazing, sure, if he lived somewhere where it does not snow. I didn’t get any farther in Eat Pray Love than the first ten pages, so I don’t know ‘zactly how that went, but honestly, unless his situation was so much better than mine, he could do the movin’.
When you do indulge yourself and buy clothes, where do you love to shop?
You stumped me! I guess it’s been that long since I just went nuts. Okay, I like Ann Taylor for work, which isn’t terribly original, I know. I like White House Black Market, GAP and the shoe department at Dillard’s.
We would get along beautifully : )
How’s Sir Hal coping with Sariic’s absence?
He misses him. When I used to go away for the weekend and come home, Hal would follow me around whining for a bit, stick close and pander for hugs. He does that when I get home from work now. He notices the absence.
I have sort of an usual question. Have you read Eat, Pray, Love? If so what did you think?
Nope. I tried, but I did not like the author’s voice. That’s a pretty unpopular opinion but I didn’t find her sympathetic. So I bailed after 10 or 15 pages.
You might try her book Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage – not only topical because of your upcoming wedding, but I struggled to get through Eat Pray Love and found Committed to be a much more pleasant read!
Could not agree more. She didn’t seem to know herself, at all.
i forced myself through it because my ex’s mom made such a big deal about me reading it, but i quite honestly thought she was incredibly immature and selfish and i DESPISED that book!
I loved Eat, Pray, Love… but with that said I completely understand that it was because I had enough similar experiences where I could directly relate. I suffered the guilt and pang of being the one to want out of my marriage, the loneliness of feeling like you might never have someone in your corner again but you’re the one that walked away, etc.
I can definitely see where the perspective and voice in her book came across as selfish. I think this was definitely one book where it helped to have walked a similar path to be able to understand it. I’ve recommended it to friends and family alike and I seem to find that those who have had similar experiences find a resonance with the story while others can’t stand it.
Think its funny where some books are like that.
What are you most excited about for the wedding? What are you most nervous about?
Having everyone I love in the same room. Honestly, if everyone comes and has a great time, I won’t care about anything else. I’m nervous about… time and money, mostly, and having enough of both. But that’s only in a fuzzy sort of way, not an acute worry. We can do this, like we can do anything else we’re determined to.
What advice would you give someone who is trying for a “fresh start” and considering making a move to a big city. Never done anything as crazy or life changing before…
DO IT. Here’s what I tell myself when I’m intimidated by doing something: “People who are stupider than I am do this all the time.” And then, I do it. Because if stupid people can do it, I’m going to rock it so much harder.
That is such a great attitude – of everything else I’ve read in the last thtee weeks, that was the most profound. You have no idea…. Thank you, Heather!!
This is such a helpful take! Now to put it into practice…
You totally channeled my best friend just there, I know it. She would routinely tell me “People stupider than us have done this” and it would make sense. Totally what I needed right now.
Agreed! Thanks for the response. I think I’m going to do it!!
Thanks for the steamer info
I hope this is more exciting: what is your favourite thing about being a woman? And what would you do if you could be a man for a day?
Not wearing my genitals on the outside. I’m kinda not joking. I mean, say I’m totally turned on. Would you ever know? NO WAY. Because I keep my junk on the INSIDE.
If I could be a man for a day, I’d get a pay raise.
@Megan – yoga got cut from my budget this year as well. i’m lucky though; the DVR made the budget, so I’ve been DVRing yoga programs from PBS. Great instruction and free!
At the moment, what would you consider as your guiltiest pleasure?
Uhhhh… wow. I keep trying to think of something I do these days just for the sheer enjoyment of it even though I shouldn’t. Watching Two and a Half Men in syndication? It’s gotta be that or eating.
You dieted and fit into the wedding dress last winter, how has the weight been since, how do you feel about food and your wonderful body? Any advice for others on the subject?
Hahahah. Yeah, no. I gained a bit of that back, but also? I didn’t diet much. I just moved around a whole lot more, cut out fake foods of any kind. We still only eat real foods at our house, I just had to quit yoga and haven’t forced myself to take up wonderful, free running again. Meh.
Sorry is this is one of those rude money questions, but if you feel comfortable answering how much are you paying for your wedding?
Hmmm… I think that might be just out of the realm of the comfortable. Were you looking for something specific, for guidelines purposes? Like, venue or food or something?
Just curious because you are trying to do a budget wedding. I was one of those lucky people whose parents paid for the big things, and although I tried hard to keep the costs down and took a lot of them on myself, I still had a traditional (i.e. expensive) wedding. When I look back at what a blur the day is and how fast it was over and how much money was spent it made me rethink the entire wedding process. Now a close friend is getting married and facing the fact that he isn’t going to have any financial help. He can either eat into his own savings and give his gal her dream wedding, or be more practical. I’m just wondering how cheap DIY weddings really end up being.
Ah, gotcha! I just never know if someone is fishing for real info or to say, “cheap ass!” or alternatively “I thought you said you were having an inexpensive wedding, you gross cow!” It’s the Internet; you never know. I don’t actually have the wedding info in front of me, and the number in my head is all mushed up with the honeymoon – which is where most of the money is going, because that’s how we roll – but I think it’s safe to say that the actual wedding will come in around the $5k ballpark. Longest. Sentence. Ever. Sorry about that.
I’m impressed! I think that’s a really sensible number while not giving up the entire special day experience. I can’t wait to hear how everything turns out!
PigPenny, I’m with you! My parent paid for my “traditional” wedding and I had a blast planning it, but 3.5 years later I still look at the photographs and think, “Wow, everything was so beautiful.” But the more pressing thought is always “I hardly remember any of those details. It was just a day. I flushed $20k down the drain!”
And sorry for being too nosey! I completely understand your not wanting to divulge info like that.
P.S. Love your wedding dress oh so much!
Any advice for someone about to build his own WordPress site? Any reference materials you found particularly helpful? Thanks.
The only thing I’ve *not* liked about WordPress, or it might just be the particular theme I chose, is that it’s not always clear where the code is. WordPress is easy, yes, but if you’re used to MT with one stylesheet, one index page, etc. WP is messier. I did a lot of googling, actually. And I still have unanswered questions. Such is life though, huh?
Not a question so much as a comment – having seen the q and a process previously I have to thank you again for taking the leap and going out on your own!!! I love the way everyone seems to have embraced the new site, and the flow of the questions. Even those that have been “iffy” (and that’s only really due to subject matter) have been asked with tact and you’ve been so wonderful at clarifying that it really feels like a group participation type of thing.
Sorry for the ramble, its been a very long, very challenging day and I’m starting to get punchy.
Absolutely love the dress by the way… so very old Hollywood charisma and style galore.
Two questions, if I may be cheeky enough to ask:
1) Are there any likeable characters on Mad Men?
2) What motivates you to keep doing this blog thing nine years in?
1) Fascinating, totally. But likable, there are very few. Peggy is likable, I think. Her motives are generally more… pure than the rest. I liked Megan a whole bunch, actually. She was straight forward and far less damaged than anyone else. Like Betty’s new husband, too.
2) This is really so much a part of who I am that the idea of *not* doing this nine years in makes me feel a little lost. And now that the blog is not the income generator it was – a couple bucks a day of ad revenue doesn’t create the kind of dependence that a monthly salary did – I feel like new life has been breathed into it. When I stopped allowing myself to “need” it for the money, I remembered why I needed it in the first place. Connection. Conversation. I know it sounds sappy, but the sentiment is genuine. The blog, I think, feels more genuine to me now.
Not so much a question…more of a recommendation…
I had to give up pilates when I moved back to DFW from Alaska. It was sad…but I was broke! I recently found a pilates class THAT I CAN AFFORD through the Plano Parks and Rec department. Not the greatest class I’ve ever taken…but way better than not doing it at all and it keeps me in the mindset. I know they do yoga too…and I’ve heard that Dallas has something similar. I hope you are able to do what you love while still fitting it into the budget. I know it’s hard!!!
So now that I have seen your dress, (which is beautiful and very much like something I would want if I were ever to get married again) I am wondering if you know how you are going to wear your hair. What a girly question.
I am also curious; will you be going to school to be a yoga instructor after the Dork Lord finishes school? I really hope you do!
Hair: No freaking clue. I should probably start looking for inspiration! Yoga school: You mean, uh, in THREE YEARS? Probably not. Or at least, not just then. I should be trying my hand at the mom thing around then, I’d hope.
Hi Heather,
I just wanted to say that I can really feel the difference with the new site. Somehow it feels like your tone is more relaxed, comfortable and open. I love it. I feel relieved on your behalf which was certainly a curiosity to me.
You mentioned that you’d like to be able to give up your job in the next three years, are you wanting to return to freelance, increase your revenue from the website or start a family and not work at all? Or some combination?
I’m glad! I wanted it to feel different – that it’s working makes me very happy! I want to not NEED my job in three years. Meaning, that my debt is paid off, my car is paid off and any income that I bring in through freelance will go to making things better, but not be necessary, in case it’s feast or famine, as freelance can be. So yes, I’d like to freelance because I really believe that if it’s financially possible, one of us should be home with the hypothetical children.
Hi, Heather–
I’ve been reading you for…years. 8, maybe? Man, has it been that long? Anyway, I know this is going to sound completely ignorant but I always assumed you made decent money from This Fish. Or I always hoped you would. Years ago I used to read a blog out of Canada, The Grass is Always Greener, and she led me to you, Dooce, Sarah Brown, etc. so long ago. What in your opinion is the reason for Heather Armstrong’s great success while you and Sarah worry about money? Both of you are great writers, as good as Dooce in my opinion and I just wonder what makes a blog go BOOM and what might make it doomed?
PS Love your wedding dress!! So very YOU (who I imagine you to be) and so very sweet of you to give us a peak. Thanks for writing, Heather.
Sincerely,
Lauren
Well, for one, I was getting paid by iVillage, while they were getting paid in ad revenue for my page views. Guess which one of us was see the profit on that one? Ahem. No matter how successful I was, I never saw anything more than I’d made the month before. Conversely, if ad revenue was down, my salary was not. They also drove away readers with shitty designs and aggressive ads.
. It will take me quite a while to re-establish readership numbers to get advertisements from a network outside of what I have now. Sarah doesn’t advertise at all, does she? I don’t think so but I could be wrong.
Dooce makes a LOT of money off her ads because 1) her monthly page views are like, three million. THREE MILLION. and 2) she has a good ad network paying good rates. Adsense is a good start, but it’s not the highest paying network, so far as I have discovered
That’s all a looong explanation for: Dooce took very deliberate steps to make a living off her blog. I just kinda did it because I liked it. I want to find a happy medium where I don’t have to be consumed by managing ads but still make some good income. Right now, two or three bucks a day is better than nothing, but it’s not gonna catapult me to Dooce income anytime soon.
Ooh I wanted to ask you about children but thought it might be too personal so am glad you brought it up first! I was wondering if Dork Lord is also from a largish family and also whether you want a large or a small family?
He is not from a large family. He has a sister, who lives very close by with her husband and his parents live by my mother. That’s it! I’d love two kids, but we’ll see how the first one goes before I say that definitively
Hi!
No question, just a comment or two!! I just got nostalgic when I saw you were doing another q&a, because last time I asked you something along the lines of if you knew any handsome, smart,single men in Boston…you didn’t, but I ended up finding the love of my life in the interim
I have ben reading your blog for a couple years, don’t remember how I first stumbled on to you, but I do know that it has been bookmarked on my last three computers
Keep on kicking butt, Fish!
Um, YAY! Nice work, lady.
Wait a minute, I didn’t know we could ask that! Do you know any handsome, smart, funny, single men in Boston?
(PS Wedding dress is gorgeous.)
Ha! I’m afraid I don’t know much of anyone in Boston anymore. But let me put out the bat signal.
No question really, just a comment to say that I have also been a reader of your blog for quite some time now and it has been so fun seeing you evolve over the years. I’m not sure how I stumbled upon your blog either but once I did, I got hooked on it because of how similar I felt our dating lives and drama with family, etc were!!! And now we are both engaged and getting married and altough I don’t know you personally, I feel as though I do (in the way of someone who reads a blog religiously would feel). So with that said I am so happy for you and wish you all the luck! Congrats and keep up the good work with this blog. It’s amazing.
Thank you! For stickin’ around so long and for being so stinkin’ nice!
No, no, no…thank you!
When you first started blogging, before all the fame and well small fortune came your way, what motivated you to keep it up?
I’ve blogged off and on for years, but the past two years I’ve just been moving from place to place and seasonal job to seasonal job, with the last 6 months spent unemployed. The only people who read my blog at this point are family and friends and as of late, I just don’t have the motivation to blog. It’s been very forced.
Also, I’ve been reading for about 3 years, and I LOVE the fact that you finally divorced iVillage.
I think the motivation has always been connection. And conversation. Which is why when iVillage finally made those things impossible, I bailed. And, uh, you’re being sarcastic about the small fortune, right?
Very sarcastic. I’m told it’s one of my best qualities!
Do you feel as connected to your readers as we feel to you? I mean, we readers must know waaaay more info, but still… What’s the connection like on your end?
Obviously there’s WAY more of you than there are of me, but yes, I do feel connected. Even if I can’t remember everyone, I recognize the names of people who’ve been commenting for years. I *think* I’ve answered every email I’ve gotten (minus the creepy ones or those that get trapped in Spam) because I don’t take that connection for granted.
Fish -
) that really struck home with what I feel and where I am at in life. Anyway, its the one about being predictable/habitual and cause-and-effect behavior to relationships and I want to let you that it meant alot to me. I go and re-read it when I need a little kick in the butt and reminder that there’s hope.
I also have been reading for years and want to thank you for sharing your life with us! I don’t really have a question but wanted to let you know that there is a specific post of yours from quite some time back (now I am glad I copied and pasted it into my drafts as it would have been lost in the divorce
So to start with Thank You and end with Thank You seems silly – but you touch people and I think that is important for you to know.
Ooh, can I ask another question? You so kindly answered my first, so I don’t want to push it
but your post today reminded me of something I wanted to ask you last month. I can’t remember the title of that post, Doubts maybe?
My question: Does the Dork Lord read your blog? And if so what has his reaction been to posts like that one or today’s post? Does it help you guys have more open discussions when he gets to read your honest and open feelings in such a clear manner, or does it upset him?
P.S. As for the video game thing, my hubby has gone through periodical bouts and I. have. HATED it. But I have a theory that no matter how old you are there’s no real reason to fully mature until you have children, and I assume that the little immature things that sometimes bug me will stop when we one day become parents. I’m sure there are immature/selfish things I do, too, that will have to be curbed when I become a mother. Crossing fingers the theory holds true!
Actually, he doesn’t read it, ever. So, there’s that.
Your answer saying that your fiance doesn’t read your blog is very very odd to me.
Why doesn’t he?
Does he know you write this blog?
Of course he knows! That’s silly. He doesn’t read because then I can write about whatever I want. Which I think is rather generous. But I also think now maybe you’re just looking for things to pick at? Perhaps I shared too much. I will be more careful.
I think it’s odd too, but certainly not in a picking on you guys kind of way. More of an in awe kind of way, because if it were me and I knew this blog existed out there I would never be able to resist the temptation of reading it! I think it’s great that he gives you the freedom to have this outlet. If he did read, I think your ability to be honest and open would be greatly polluted – unless you were a much braver person than me!
My dear PigPenny, “the little immature things that sometimes bug me will stop when we one day become parents” is a dangerous assumption! I have found (and most people I know have found) that those things only get worse because the stakes are much higher. People don’t change THAT much when they have children, to be honest. Of course that doesn’t mean you won’t be great parents, just don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Saying this not to be mean but to prevent you from the kind of frustration many of my friends have experienced.
Eliie, I look at it this way – every once in awhile when the bathroom needs cleaning I spend a Saturday on the couch watching Gossip Girl instead. When the hubby comes home to find this he is mildly annoyed, just like I get mildly annoyed when I need him to do something (or just generally want him to be a productive human being) but instead he’s downloaded Tiger Woods on EA Sports. But we don’t have kids yet. Sure the bathroom needed cleaning, but it’ll be there tomorrow. When I do have children, I highly doubt I’ll be watching 6 episodes of Season 2 in a row, no matter how much of a guilty pleasure it is
But I appreciate the sentiment, and truly wouldn’t have married Mr. Pig if there was anything about him that I thought I could never live with. Luckily Tiger makes infrequent appearances
Hi ThisFish! I came across your blog a couple of years ago and really enjoy your tone! As for my question, err, questions plural – what other blogs do you read, and do you ever recommend any? I’m an aspiring, praying, dang-near sell my soul to the devil to be successful writer (ok – maybe kidding on the soul-selling) whose had a blog for a bout a year. Any suggestions about how to promote a blog and drive traffic would be great. And if you have a moment and wanted to take a peak at my little blog that could – I’d love some feedback!
I used to read SO MANY blogs. I love blogs – but that’s the problem, I guess. Once I start, I could read for hours and hours and these days, I just don’t have that kind of time. Or any desire to lose my job
Now I mostly keep up with friends or if I do find a great, new blog – I don’t add it to my favorites at work. I just don’t have the willpower.
I actually have no idea how to promote a blog or drive up traffic. Isn’t that sad? My traffic is mostly the same folks over and over – people who’ve been reading for years. And even that was accidental/incidental!
Thanks! I think good writing speaks for itself
Good luck with the wedding planning!
Have you ever been in a long distance relationship? Any advice?
Yes, I have. Though, fundamentally it was a really effed up relationship anyway, so that just made it all the more awful. I wish I had advice that was based on success. From what I’ve learned, though, I say, make time. If you’re both making time every day to be present for the other person, you’ll do a whole lot better than I ever did.