Happy Blogiversary
This blog came from a desire to be like my partners, who had blogs. I discovered blogs while waiting for the last Star Wars movie. Everyday I went to read The Darth Side a wonderful parody in which Darth Vader kept his own blog. I thought what a great forum for writing. I created Simple American and you can read that first post here. I was fortunate to receive my first comment on that post also. My partner Preston discovered my blog and helped me fix my web site links to boot.
My first links were to my partners Preston and Ed. I also put a link to my CPA business and 12 to Midnight. Soon I put up links to two total strangers. People I had met on the blogs as we discussed politics. How exciting to talk to people from Kansas and Pennsylvania and compare notes. These bloggers are Alisa and Mike and I must have found them in my first couple of weeks of blogging care of the next blog key. Or did they find me?
I felt a need in these early days (before discovering memes) to define myself and my first attempt at this appeared with my mission statement for life. I study Stephen Covey’s writings, in particular the 7 Habits of Successful People and I followed his methodology in devising this statement. I find this book very useful and encourage others to read and consider its tenets.
Despite the political discussions I found my motivation and pleasure from blogging evolving away from my initial scope. The train jumped the tracks somewhere and I would suspect Wabbit did more to redefine my current blogging than anything or anyone else. She led me to Spain, and Belgium where I met the early core of my international blog buddies with CC, and Kunstemæcker. But the most important thing I learned from Wabbit is that English is the main language in Singapore. All of those years in university, I just thought the Singaporeans and Malaysians that came to the states spoke quite well. Never gave a thought to it being the language spoken everyday.
It’s funny how a blog roll can snowball. From these few people to the numbers I have today. You add someone to your roll and they bring along a friend or two. Before you know it there is an extensive conversation taking place. But I always enjoyed meeting new Chinese the most. Often I joke that I am half Chinese and when people ask me how could that be I reply “my better half” or the missus. My first attempt to pen out my feelings for Chinese came in this post.
July saw more Singaporeans enter my life. Mistipurple became my first internet Mei Mei and she tagged me with this. Hmmm. Cannot get her to do a meme now. But it is because she is so busy nowadays. I also found msfeline or Cat as I always call my adopted daughter (not really but I would do it for real if I could). Cat has a habit of pushing me around to do new things in this blog thingy. She prodded me when I was half knocked out at Gencon to post my first picture. This has to be the smallest profile pic of all time. LOL
Did I mention Gencon? In August I made the trip to the big kahuna of game conventions. I worked a booth with Chris of RPGObjects for the four day show. It was me, Chris, and 40,000 of our closest friends in Indianapolis. Since my partners could not attend I took it upon myself to write a blog report each day. These posts consisted of the trip, meeting Sean Preston and Clint Black, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 12 to Midnight had a new imprint, Dirty Unicorn Games, and the Dirty Unicorn himself started visiting my blog to see how the public reacted to his product.
I also found Jane at this time. She has a remarkable camera eye and I could not help but go back to her blog and see what new pictures she might post. Jane also brought me into the world of IMing with bloggers. I had been doing this with my partners. But one day I sat at my computer and Jane invited me to chat. She was so excited about finding me she hooked me up with a conference. Before I was finished with that IM I was chatting with Kunstemaecker, CC, and Cat. It was cute. I always remember what Jane wrote:
Jane: I found him.
Kunstemaecker: Found who?
Jane: Him. I found him.
Kunstemaecker: Who?
Jane: I found the Simple American.
It has to be one of my fondest memories.
In September I realized that no one tried to kill me since I showed my leettle picture. So I shared a family picture with bloggoland. Before the month was over I really came to realize how much bloggers can become attached to my heart and vice versa. Hurricane Rita looked to be heading right at us. I chronicled the event in a series of seven posts. These posts were:
My family was truly blessed. All we lost was one young tree and I had to re-stake another. But the care and well wishes that I received then can never be forgotten or diminished. In the aftermath of the hurricanes, Rita and Katrina, I watched the government’s uninspired efforts. I wrote my disdain for this in my post calling for a return of Power to the People.
In October and November I went to the ultimate leadership training for Boy Scouts. Wood Badge. This program is the only scout program that can be earned in any scouting program in the world. It is Eagle for adults. I met with my fellow Scouters for the first time during an October weekend. When I returned, readers kept asking me what a woggle is? This is a woggle. The time spent at Camp Strake led me to some reminiscent moments from my youth. In November we returned to Camp Strake for another weekend of training and our patrol presentation. I was pretty proud of the poster from the presentation. It afforded me the opportunity to layout a poster it can be seen here. As part of Wood Badge I must complete five ticket items. In February I completed my diversity ticket for Hispanic Cub Scouts of Houston. Still have four to go.
I also had a peculiar dream in November and I shared it here.
I kept adding more folks to my blogroll and one of those adds was Socialpest.. She is similar to Cat, a bit pushy at times. But in a good way and the results of her romantic curiosity led me to post about how I met my missus.
Christmas season came last December and I looked forward to it as I am wont to do. However, the season did not hold as much joy as in the past. Political Correctness tried to take Christ out of the season and that offended the hell out of me. First companies were selling and advertising holiday trees. To protest I presented the history of the Christmas Tree. The attacks continued so I countered with posts regarding Christmas and Communism as well as a discussion of the reason for the season.
January saw my latest Horror adventure, Skinwalker listed on the various roleplaying game emalls. I became quite excited when I saw the finished cover and it can be seen here. Heck it has been my profile pic for the longest time. You folks were curious about what the heck I was doing. So I tried to explain what Skinwalker meant in this post. I hope to let some of you how to play Skinwalker should we ever meet.
With the New Year I gave prestidigitation a try. My predictions for 2006 can be read here. This month also saw a flood of Malaysian bloggers arrive. I have to give the credit to LB the man in search of lormaikai in Italy. I visited his blog and many of his hug hug club stalkers have visited me since. Despite all of the nice people I met I kept thinking on less happy topics. Perhaps I can blame the gloomy weather or I think too much but I felt motivated to write on death. Then I almost died when this old lady in my office scared the hell out of me. It inspired this story, though it is not written very well. I realize this as no one called the Texas Rangers, the FBI or Interpol to investigate this woman’s whereabouts. Glad I did not get murdered. I’d still be a missing person.
February also saw me become reflective as I looked back 25 years ago to my time in Korea. The first post can be found here. This memoir brought a lot of folks to read of my past. It also created a lot of discussion regarding kids which led folks to post early school pictures. Of course I had to join the crowd with this photograph.
As the 25 Years Ago posts kept coming in, folks wanted to see pictures of Korea. Pictures I had difficulty finding. I did find some pics of my a couple of years later in Germany.
April saw Easter remembrance come. Being a Christian I felt motivated to write about Passion.
A nickname I have recently received is the King of Memes. I like memes. You learn a great deal about people from what they write and you can even learn yourself from them as well. What follows here are many of the tags I have completed. Read them all and you will get rich. Chey. I dun think so. But you will learn more about me. J
Why I Blog? October 2005
Why I Blog? March 2006
What is in store for 2006? I want to finish writing about Korea. I hope to finish by the end of summer, but it may take as long Christmas. At home I am digging around trying to find floppy disks that hold old short stories I would like to post. Also searching for photographs to share with my readers To truly be the King of Memes I should also compose more memes for others to try. Of course I intend to keep playing the lotto so I can make my world tour of blog-meets. I want to meet all of you. I have a little surprise for June too. An important day in my life. So keep looking for something neat say around the 22nd to be exact.
There shall be more posts about life, my family, my companies and a writing project. I have an idea that I hope can be the next Harry Potter. We’ll have to wait and see if I am too ambitious or not. Handshakes, bows, hugs and kisses to all of you that have made this a wonderful year.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Truly Incredible!!… A year already huh? I am still a baby, I guess, in that sense.. Still, a great achievement, Dear Simple American.. Jolly well done. Congratulations, and here’s to the next blogiversary..
ps: Thanks for the kind mention of The Hug Hug Club. I am still searching for that elusive Lormaikai.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Lormaikai bond. hahaha Laving that! Thanks. The Hug Hug Club put me firmly on the map. Must give credit where it is do.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Happy Blogiversary Simple American!
you are one of the nicest most caring person on bloggerland, who responses to everyone and never let anyone down. i am so proud of you! and i will do a meme one day, again, if for your sake, lol! (kidding..)
now seriously though, i felt a real bond when you were running away from Katrina. i was so worried then. i guess that’s how much you really mean to me. i don’t express it as much nowadays, but things have not changed one bit.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:59 pm
… i meant Rita, of course.
and must they be all ladies?
don’t answer that.
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Nopw they name them after guys too. There was Hugo in 2004 I think.
Aw mei mei. You have to take care of your business. Number one priority or how you can pay for the internet? Then how could I tag you?
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:40 pm
well now u can add me as ur new reader too!
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Wow! The number of events transpired is indeed incredible.
Happy Blogiversary!
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Welcome to my blog wuching. Hope you enjoy what ya read here.
It was a very busy year M. Thanks!
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:17 pm
Wow, that’s truly a very long list of things that have happened in one year. Happy Blogiversary!! May you have many many more wonderful blog days ahead
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:55 pm
Thanks Bkworm. I wanted folks to be able to find what I consider my better posts. Cause some of y’all were not here the entire year.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:16 pm
Ditto Bkworm’s comment: what a summary! PS: I have to use a magnifying glass to read your blog now
May 3rd, 2006 at 11:10 pm
Thanks fishtail.
Oooh! The letters are smaller. Need to fiddle around under the hood some and see what I can do. If anything. Thanks for speaking up.
May 3rd, 2006 at 11:14 pm
happy blogiversary again, SA. hope you’ll have another 12 great months ahead with experiences to share and tales to tell. and more after that… and more after that…
May 4th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Huh! Blogger ate my reply to you May. haha
Thank you. A blog is only as good as its readers. After all does a tree make any noise when it crashes in the forest if no one is near?
May 4th, 2006 at 9:28 am
AWWWW!!! HAPPY BLOGNIVERSATY DEAR SA!!
it has been so nice to meet you too and i enjoy every chit chat we do have!
God, so many bloggers i have them in my heart and u are one of them! hope one day i could meet you and show you more about my culture…jeje!
LOved that post! hope you keep having much more blogniversaries and all of us seeing it…and yeah, i still remember when Rita…was so worried too, i was in your counrty! in Miami!
MILLIONS OF HUGS!!!!!
May 4th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Thanks CC. Hugs.
You put Spain on my map of must visit places. I wanna go drink rum and wine while getting sand between my toes.
Whoa catching all of those hugs.
Gracias mi amiga.
May 4th, 2006 at 11:18 am
Happy Blog Anniversary! I loved reading that.
I loved the moments I went “Oh i remember that post!”. Those were nice. And I just gotta say this, I’ve learnt so much from this blog and I need to thank you for sharing and caring and always being there. I think of you whenever I see an expat in Singapore! Haha thats how often!
There’s more to say but there’ll be a time for it all, yes? And I’m going to be pushy again and bug you to watch “Garden State”. It won’t make you want to start a revolution but … it’ll make you feel …. something. It was made in 2004 so I suggest you go rent it and watch it soon! Haha.
May 4th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Oh I am so glad you enjoyed the post and my blog socialpest. I may have never got around to writing “Romancing the Chicken Bone” without your friendly nudge.
Hey I wanna be an expat.
I have my orders. Will look for this and watch it with the missus when she returns this weekend.
May 5th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
I’m so glad I found you!!!
May 8th, 2006 at 9:16 am
Happy Bloganniversary, I hope you keep this place. It feels like home.
Christine | | Email | 05.04.06 - 10:24 pm | #
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Uh, umm…
Actually I’m going to WordPress. But no more moves after that Christine.
simple american | | Homepage | 05.05.06 - 8:48 am | #
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thats funny, i remembered congratulating you on your blog anniversary..and its not there!!
J | | Email | Homepage | 05.05.06 - 12:24 pm | #
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Oh. I was getting depressed without your visits too. Though the same has happened to me lately.
Another reason for me to jump over to WordPress.
simple american | | Homepage | 05.05.06 - 12:47 pm
August 28th, 2006 at 1:24 am
I never read this entry on your blog. For which I apologize. Thanks for the kind words. Blog buddy haha.
August 28th, 2006 at 9:54 am
Your welcome. Glad you got to read it. Pleased to know ya.