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Today is my three-year blogging anniversary! You can’t really tell by looking at the (drop-down) archives in my sidebar, but I have, in fact, been blogging since July 21, 2005 (just not on wordpress). Crazy!

What would a blogging anniversary be if I didn’t talk about blogging?

One of my favorite parts about blogging is the comments (duh). I am amazed at the amount of feedback I get… and always amazed that it is never quite what I expect!

I don’t know about you, but when I write a post, I have an idea in my head of who will respond, how many responses I will get, what people will say… blah blah blah.

I’m never right! And for some reason, it really surprise me, every time.

This is coming off pretty lame, but what I’m trying to say is, that I love the diverse amount of feedback I get, and all the cool bloggers I meet. So thanks for coming by (even if you don’t say anything).

Here’s to another year.

Isn’t it funny trying to explain blogging and blogger-meetups to a non-blogger?

I got into this conversation with my boss tonight, when I told him I was going to meet Beth and Kevin. (He saw I was looking at Beth’s site, then asked what the heck I was looking at (her pictures from an American Girl Store visit), so I went on to tell him this was her blog, and I was meeting her tonight, and blah blah blah.)

He actually sounded interested, and told me to have a good time when I left.

I’m happy he didn’t ask, “Now, why would you want to meet up with people you don’t even know?” I’ve heard that’s a common non-blogger response.

Why does anyone meet up with people they don’t know? To try to create new friendships? That is always my hope. I think it probably worked tonight. We had a great time!

I still have nothing nice to say.

I skipped blogging for a whole week, because every thought entering my head that I deemed “blog-worthy” could also have been labeled “negative,” “whiny,” or “bitter.”

Ugh. I’ve just been feeling so on edge, like I have all this built up tension… over what? I don’t know what.

I really looked forward to the three-day weekend, and the mini-vacation with my family. And I had a great time, but don’t feel relaxed like I thought I would. I still feel jumpy. And anxious. And even… hostile?

This is really something I want to get away from. I just don’t know how.

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to go into all these neat buildings in Chicago. It’s great to see all the different architectural styles… but what I really love are the amazing views.

Can you imagine this being the view from your office?

It’s really fun to think about what people will see from their workspace. I think it really affects the way you work. I know I really enjoy working in an open office, with full height windows on two complete sides. We don’t have a cool view of the lake or anything though. You can see the Sears Tower… but only when you go stand in one corner!

What’s your workspace like (whether at work, or your office at home)? Do you think it’s important to have sunlight and a view? Or do you not care either way?

Side Note I: I saw this parked in front of the Board of Trade yesterday. I want.

Side Note II: I’m having a really hard time staying caught up with blogs, leaving comments, responding to comments, writing anything worthwhile here, and responding to emails lately. My apologies. Please don’t take it personally. I am trying to catch up, but can’t find the time (it’s all that GD bowling!).

I have a little problem – I can’t keep up with google reader.

I keep adding more blogs, but finding less and less time to read them.

Right now, I am subscribed to 72 blogs… and have 73 unread items! I’ve ended up being that person who has to catch up on the weekend, and is leaving comments on posts that are days old, after the conversation has died out.

My question is this – how do you keep up with reading all the blogs you like?

My ideal solution (are you reading, Steven?) is to buy a small $600-or-so computer that I can throw in my purse and use on the way to and from work. That’s almost 3 hours of time! I could catch up with a lot of internet “things” then too (I didn’t even mention how far behind I get on personal emails) and spend more quality time with the “boys” at home!

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Today’s Idiom: stock in trade – the goods, tools, and other requisites of a profession

The Architect’s stock in trade seems to be a cocky attitude, coffee-addiction, and an affinity for wearing dark colors.

Today I showed this book to Steven at the bookstore and said, “Steven, look at this book! I think it will like, help me with my vocabulary! And sounding smarter and stuff.”

Alright, that is not a direct quote, but it is unfortunately close to what I actually said.

I’ve wanted to improve my vocabulary for sometime now. And one of my coworkers has an extremely wide range of vocabulary, and I am just a teensy bit jealous…

I bought the book and started working in it tonight when I realized each daily worksheet has a feature called “Today’s Idiom.” Apparently, an “idiom” is what I actually meant the other day when I said “A lot of my older colleagues use figures of speech I have never heard before…”

So, I am going to introduce a new feature on my blog to help me learn the idioms - I will share them here at the end of each post, in a section called “Today’s Idiom.” Well, I’ll do that until I get sick of it anyway.

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Today’s Idiom: to eat humble pie - to admit your error and apologize

A few weeks ago, when Christina and Kyle were here, we challenged them to a game of bowling. After losing miserably, Steven and I both had to eat humble pie. (Steven and I don’t like the taste of humble pie, so on Friday we each bought our own custom bowling ball. Now Christina and Kyle are going to get some humble pie in their FACES the next time they’re here.)

This is not meant to be a “I’m taking a hiatus from blogging” post but rather, a “I’m so stressed out and overwhelmed at work that I don’t think about anything but work and I can’t write about that here so posting may be sparse for awhile” post.

But it seems like whenever I write something like that my brain is automatically filled with post ideas. So we’ll see.

I apologize for falling behind on responding to comments, reading blogs and commenting, responding to emails, oh, and not having the energy to do anything once I leave work.

(For extra credit, name the band that I stole my title from - no google)

No “Friday Question” today because it’s Blog Crush Day! Every blogger has the chance to reveal their “secret adoration” for another blogger! Check out the other participating bloggers on sizzle’s site…

I bet you can guess who my blog crush is… because I have linked to her nearly a thousand times! It’s Bobbi from bobbiandmike.com!

Bobbi was our wedding photographer, but I was following her blog well before she took our photos. Most of her blog entries are photos with a little story about the photos - whether they were from a wedding, portrait session, or just her hanging out with her family.

What I love Love LOVE about her blog is that she is able to tell stories with (her AMAZING) photos and only a few words. I don’t think that discredits her as a blogger, because by reading her blog I feel like I can connect with the raw emotions of people I have never even met!

And since I have met Bobbi in person, I know what a blast of fun she is! I doubt there is ever a dull moment when that that girl is around! I only wish she didn’t live all the way over in Indiana…

I look forward to seeing her photos and reading her touching stories each day. How lucky she is to share in with so many people’s joyous moments! Her stories and passion for her work inspire me.

Hearts to you Bobbi!

(P.S. Diane is my other crush… but we don’t link to Diane… wink wink. You know I think you rock, girl!)

Fellow bloggers, how often do you find yourself wishing your blog was completely anonymous so you could just write whatever the heck you wanted? No worries about people reading and misinterpreting, or just the wrong people reading…

Ugh. More and more lately I am typing up posts only to delete them. It’s pointless to tell stories that are missing all the details. Like the story about an annoying “friend” who is constantly telling lies to some friends and truths to the others. So even though you didn’t tell the lie yourself, you are caught in continuing the lie for them around the people who don’t know the truth.

Ugh.

And there is no way of even knowing who reads your blog! Only later do you find out that your coworkers, family members, friends from college, and people you have never met are reading what you write.

Ugh.

But of course, that is the challenge and fun of having a blog. And I wouldn’t trade that in for anonymity. I just like to complain about it!

A glass of water infiltrated my laptop yesterday. Luckily, I am married to the Lord of All Things Electronic and he has given the laptop a full diagnostic, with a prediction for a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, invasive surgery was required, and my laptop is still under anesthesia with its innards spread out around it.

I hate when crap like this happens. But what’s the point of getting upset? Steven has another laptop I can use… with a smaller screen, internet explorer, no Adobe CS3… yeah, life’s tough! I’m spoiled, I know.