And, we're off again!
Finally.
Today was unusual. I realized about three days ago that today was my self-imposed start-up date for my second blog-a-day project, and I stared to think about what I wanted to say as we set out on this journey again. I thought about making changes to the layout, signifying that I am not the same writer or person that I was when I kicked off this blog over a year ago. Then I decided I wanted to change the title, then the way I numbered my days, and then I started to wonder whether subject matter or overall tone would be significantly different now that I had a year of consistent blogging under my belt.
And then I was like, "You know what? Just screw it. I'm just gonna do what I do." Which is good, cuz that was pretty much the point to begin with. But I liked the idea of changing the name and layout, so I did that anyway. I actually spent about an hour playing around with different ideas before I settled on the current state of WBW. If you get all the references, bully for you. If you don't, meh. Sorry. I like the way it looks and reads. And if I change my mind later, I'll just tweak. It'll be okay, we're going to make it through this.
Anyway, spent about an hour tweaking the blog itself, settling on the new look for the next three-hundred sixty-five days, and I opened the "New Post" tab on this blog for the first time in a month and a half, prepared to type out a fairly well-prepared first post. Naturally, it was then, at that time, at that precise moment in WBW histroy, that my phone rang. Awesome. Just like in a book. And just like in a book, my entire day's plans were suddenly changed by that one fateful phone call.
You see, the call had come from Robbie's day care. Apparently the boy had been rocking out all by himself on the tiled floor, dancing like no one was watching, when he suddenly lost his balance and slammed--hard--face first on the floor. The entire left side of his face had started bruising instantly, and the day care workers weren't going to put him down for his nap for fear that he might have a concussion.
Adding to the complications of the day: Kim and I are, for the most part, down to one vehicle. And she had the debit card. So I had to pick up her so that we could pay the doctor, and since she'd had a slow day of work ahead of her that afternoon anyway, the three of us just made it an afternoon.
The earliest appointment we were able to get at Robbie's pediatrician's office was at 3 p.m., so we spent the afternoon in the medical district keeping him from taking a nap. This, ultimately, was how Robbie got his first ride in a train. (The kid ADORES trains, so we parked our car at the park-and-ride and rode the train to his doctor's doorstep) The afternoon was a success, and the pediatrician said no signs of concussion, and as long as he was being his "normal, ornery self," everything was okay.
And trust me, he's been his normal, ornery self all night.
Train ride, playground, elevator trip, Taco Bell, this became the kid's best school day pretty much ever. And truth be told, it became a very nice all-family event as well.
So, poignant blogging interrupted, but a nice time with the family. I'll make that trade any day.
Lesson of the day: Life always interrupts. Adapt. Find the opportunities to make it work for you.
In other news: I missed you, blog. It's funny, because I didn't expect to, but I've come to realize what an outlet writing has really become for me over the past few years. Heck, look at the length of my early posts last year with my later posts. Look at the fact that I never blogged until a year ago, and now I've got three. I look at things, and I need to write them out. I need to see them on paper. And I think I need somebody to read them. Words on a page are dead in and of themselves. They're empty characters, dotted and dashed squiggles jotted on pages that can blow through the wind as easily as a dead leaf or an old McDonald's bag. (Or typed on a computer screen that can absolutely murder a beautiful simile)
Anyway, the time off has been good for me, because I needed to recharge, and I also needed to realize how big a part of my life blogging/journaling/whatever you want to call this particular exercise has become. Also, my time off was probably good for all of you readers as well, because you would have gotten really, really sick of daily Olympic hockey posts. But wow. The Olympic hockey tournament was awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome. (Come on, admit it, many of you probably thought that's what you were going to read about today. Nope. I'll save it for later this week ;-)
Speaking of the Olympics: Did this actually happen last night? I mean, I have fairly vivid memories of it, but there's a rational part of my mind that says, "No...no, surely they didn't...I mean, that's just silly!"
Where was I?
Ah, yes. Thank you, readers, for sticking around. (Stephen King calls his loyal followers "Constant Reader." I've always thought it would be funny to refer to mine as "Bored Readers," but that's not really a flattering term for anybody, and it's really more of my old self-deprecating style coming out to play, so I'm probably going to scrap that idea. Just know that it was there, and that it made me chuckle)
Interesting note: I gathered more "followers" during my hiatus than I had when I was actively blogging. Bad sign?
