I have been pestering my cyber friends to go to the Blogher ’08 conference in San Francisco this year. The list is growing rapidly, yet, ironically, none of us have jumped off our blogs long enough to register. Hummm, how unlike us…

Here are some signs you might be the perfect candidate to go:

-Your friend’s eyes start to glaze over and they start to dig aimlessly in their purse as soon as you start to talk about your blog.

-No one tells you anything, writes you anything or will hand-over pictures they don’t want brutally exposed to the whole world (your blog–but in your mind “the whole world.”)

You are so ready to go to San Francisco and spend hour upon hour talking about blogging. Everyone you know really, really wants you to go…really, they’re begging you.

Thank you all for being so voracious in your opinion about my blog. Here is the outcome from all of your comments and emails:

*I’ve brought back the music…see Ella over there? But, it won’t start automatically (happy Chris?), press play and dance or hum or do whatever it is you do when you read my blog.

*My picture won’t be returning to the opening page. Too much, me, me, me.

Thanks again for reading my blog! I love that you love reading me. I will keep you posted on some new exciting opportunities coming my way…”I’m probably going to have to keep my normal job though…”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDTSQtK20c&w=425&h=355]

“Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” by Flight of the Conchords.

As you can see…got my new look on. Thanks to Heather at Bluhm Studios for the banner design and overall look of my blog. She is crazy-talented and fun to work with. If you need help with design on your blog, or website, or business cards, she is your gal.

Also, a very heartfelt thanks to the insanely gifted Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for the illustration of Hazel and me. If you don’t read her blog, you should, it is the most unique and whimsical trip you will take on the internet.

Visit Vanessa’s Etsy shop: Here.

Please let me know what you think, by email or comment…Suz

I can tell how many people come to my site in a day and if they have done a Google search, what they typed in to bring them to my blog. Google pulls in common words that appears in both the search and a website.

Here are some of the strangest Google seaches so far:

1) “Amateur shoppers”

2) “Good things about turning 40 include 80’s music and big hair”

3) “Snail Jokes” (by far the one that brings the most people to my site: see mine here. )

4) “Wayne Thiebaud’s wives”

5) “World’s fastest parallel parker”

6) “Meaning of dream forgotten clothes in dryer”

7) “Days of an outside girl that loves animals, even chickens”

Number 7 is, for obvious reasons, my favorite. I am truly proud that someone typed in that and it brought them to me.

Number 6, as far as I can tell, this Google-searcher never got the answer. So, I will make this one up for her: “You’re afraid you really stink at being a housewife and are terrified the gals from MOPs are going to find out.”

Number 5 I think would be an excellent name of a band or novel. (Or even as an epitaph!)

Just to be fair, the most bizarre Google search I have ever attempted is: “How many calories does a panic attack burn?” Sadly, there were no results (but, my guess is about 200). But, since I have now posed the quesiton here, if anyone ever does ask Google this question, it will bring them to my site. (Yippee!) I will of course, let you know if this happens.

Today is my blog’s three month anniversary. I hadn’t ever read a blog until I googled my old friend Annie Galvin and found her at Wexford Girl. It was lucky for me she had kept her maiden name, otherwise I wouldn’t have ever found her.

(That is like one of the female curses; pain in childbirth, your husband will rule over you, and you will have to change your name to his, making it virtually impossible for your old friends to ever find you.)

Then there were the hours upon hours of blog-bouncing. Bewitched, I read one after another and with every one I read, I knew I wanted to have one of my own. Within about three weeks mine was up and throwing out such memorable posts as “Frankly Mr. Shankly” and “My High School Husbands”, and embarrassing confessions like “Raging Gorillas, Mint Juleps and Time Travel” and “Vain Confessions from Me, Suzanne Broughton.”

I want to deeply thank everyone who has been reading and letting me know they like it. It gives me a wave of pure joy when someone says, “That is just like what you were writing about…”

My objective with (Emphasis Mine) is to make you smile (or smirk), think about the wonders in our daily life, and boss you around a little.

I have earnestly made a personal oath to myself not to whine, or show you endless pictures of my kids, and to always be hopeful and kind while still being sly and clever. I hope you are liking me my blog.

I like blogging because a.) I can give up on it any time I want with really no consequence whatsoever, which is my favorite kind of endevor,
b.) I can incorporate all of my senseless interests (see Interests below) into one place for all to see that I really am a very petty and immature person, c.) I can do it when my kids are in the tub, d.) my friends have heard all of my stories and theories and frankly are sick to death of me e.) I can’t afford to buy a Juicy Purse to make my personal statement about myself, and f. ) I can further explore my love of making long lists.