If this blog had any formal education, it would be in 4th Grade and almost as smart as\u00a0Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago I opened the Big Ugly Man Doll for business. \u00a0I had no idea what I was doing, just that I was doing it. \u00a0For the record, SOBUMD dragged me into the digital age kicking and screaming all the way. \u00a0She did not simply encourage me to start blogging. \u00a0 She set up the initial account, over at LiveJournal, sat me in front of the screen, and said, “Type.”<\/p>\n
This is all her fault, and I’ve never truly thanked her for it. \u00a0Thank you, my love!<\/p>\n
My First Post<\/a> was as follows:<\/p>\n First Post! \u00a0w00t! \u00a0Somehow it\u2019s less exciting when it\u2019s my own journal. It\u2019s like getting all worked up about being the first to write in the new diary, and then remembering that you live by yourself, in a tower, with only the howling wind to read your deathless prose. Not entirely unlike the sense of serenity and satisfaction you got from watching your digital wristwatch flip to the new year at midnight. (You knew that you could reset the time to watch it do that whenever you wanted, and that it was usually off by 2-3 minutes anyway, but it didn\u2019t matter, did it? We were crazy then.)<\/em><\/p>\n So, welcome. You\u2019re probably in the wrong place. \u00a0I am the Big Ugly Man Doll. \u00a0Stick around and I\u2019ll tell you why.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n We’ve come a long way in 10 years. \u00a0Road trips<\/a>. \u00a0Pigs<\/a>. \u00a0The ManFAQ<\/a>, still one of my favorite bits, to be honest. \u00a0An entire year of weekly horoscopes – and wow, that was a beast! \u00a0Do you realize there are 12 of the damn things? \u00a0Every week? \u00a0And I have met people I would never otherwise have met – wonderful friends, fellow bloggers, some of whom I’ve met in person, some of whom I’m simply looking forward to meeting in person some day. \u00a0Amazing people and storytellers, sharing snippets of real life. \u00a0\u00a0There have been a few passes at the end of the world<\/a>\u00a0(which, yes, predicted the rise of the Donald <\/a>back in 2011), and countless musings.<\/p>\n It’s tapered off recently, not because I’m any less irritated at the state of the world – quite the opposite, in fact! \u00a0I simply find myself at the confluence of the rivers of Time, Inspiration, and Energy with decreasing frequency these days. \u00a0It will get better. \u00a0I’m sure I’ll grab the tail of that highly caffeinated tiger again, and you’ll all be forced once again to read my deathless prose over the roar of the howling wind in that tower.<\/p>\n