This site celebrated (quietly) its first anniversary today. So it’s time for the obligatory anniversary entry.

What did I learn over the last year?

I really enjoy re-reading my own entries. Probably more than is normal. I’m usually the one that laughs the hardest at my own jokes, so it makes sense that I would like reading them again. After all, who knows what I think is funny more than me? So, if nobody else were reading this, it would still be fun.

In contrast to that last statement, I love getting hits. I get excited when I see big numbers in the stats. I like to see comments. Even when they’re weird.

In a fit of that same excitement, I went overboard and told a lot of people about this site. Some of them read this space regularly, though they never comment. But they do say things to me when I see them. I’m glad they enjoy it, but now there are some things I can’t write about. I sometimes regret that. There are some things I wrestle with disclosing. I sometimes think, “Just write it for yourself, but don’t post it.” Then I think, “If I’m not going to post it, why write it? I know the story already.” But I also remember how much I like re-reading the stories and that the writing sometimes helps to clarify my thoughts… and then I think, “Fine. Do whatever the fuck you want! I don’t know why I even try with you”, and stomp off in disgust. Maybe I should write them, see how they turn out, and then decide.

Entries got longer as the year went on, something I really noticed last month. It got away from being about what had just happened and became about writing stories. As I brainstormed about things about which to write, the stories I had to tell got longer. Topping myself and living up to what I imagined to be the expectations of the readers led me to spend more and more time on entries. It almost got to the point where I didn’t think I had time to keep up with it. I expect to mix things up a little more from now on. Usually that will mean updating less regularly. I know that regular updates keep the hits coming, but I am lazy enough in my life without having the excuse of updating instead of, say, cleaning.

I originally intended to invent pseudonyms for people in my life to hide their identities. Then most of them signed comments with their real names. So now I use real names most of the time. But only first names. We wouldn’t want people turning up on Google now, would we?

The designing and evolution of the template was fun. I may revise it in the future, just to do it again, but it’s also a lot of work. So it’s going to be this silver/white thing for a while longer.

It would seem thatmI have an unnatural obsession with Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson. That’s not the case. I don’t listen to Jessica Simpson. And I don’t watch Paris Hilton (anymore).

Through other diarists that have found my site, I have found others that are very interesting. People take a variety of approaches to their diaries. Some write everything they feel in scary detail. Others exaggerate for effect so often, you never know what to believe. For the most part, it’s just fascinating to follow the ups and downs of a stranger you’ll never meet. And while it’s nice to occasionally run across someone with similar views, the most interesting are the people I would actually probably not get along with if we met.

All right, enough reminiscing. Time to get back to that life I was talking about.