Awkward first steps: in my second blog post ever (January 3, 2004), I am already riddled with doubt, as I find myself without good material. I panic: if I post daily, will I resort to writing about the weather?
Eventually, I discover that I can write about the weather, or I can Write About The Weather. Eventually. But there are months when I worry: can I sustain this?
Happy anniversary to Ocean…
Is Ocean an extension of me? A small subset of nina expressions? Notably, I have never invited guest bloggers (kep doesn’t count)…
Happy anniversary selfish nina…
Hey, but I invited commenters this year!
Happy anniversary to me.
January 2nd, 2004, Ocean first popped up on the Net. A painless birth.
And now it’s been two years. AND I NEVER SKIPPED A DAY! People died, marriages crumbled, barren mountains beckoned and against all odds and perhaps for no good reason, each day I blogged, only once adjusting the clock by a couple of hours because while posting, I sort of kind of fell asleep at the computer and did not wake up til 2 am the next day. There, confession done with, let me go on.
If you don’t have anything to write about, why don’t you skip a day? Why force yourself to put something down? It’s your blog, you can write as often as you feel like it. Like, when you have something to say?
It is never the case that there is nothing to say about any particular day. Sometimes it takes a minute or two, okay, an hour or two. Once I must have taken (wasted?) three before I felt satisfied that a theme was good (enough) to develop into a (very short) story here on Ocean.
And so each day, I write.
I’m tacking onto this anniversary post a celebratory photo, taken just after midnight on New Year’s. What’s it like to live here, on this side of the ocean? What’s it like to put on striped hats and red white and blue leis? What’s it like to travel to Evanston just to eat dinner here at midnight? Ocean stuff. Pure Ocean material.
Just yesterday I got asked yet again (this time not in the context of blogging): why do you do things in such a crazy way? The answer? Obviously, to me, it doesn’t feel very crazy. Nutty people think themselves to be walking a straight line even as they zig zag all over the place.
Oh, and thank you. For reading. These daily posts. God, I can’t believe I’m still doing this. Okay, I can see the insanity. In a lucid moment that comes every once in a while. I can see it. But it still feels right.
happy, happy anniversary, nina!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I screwed up my comment! I mean, congratulations! You're going a great job. You've really established an individual style and tone -- with photos very nicely integrated into it.
ReplyDeleteI mean doing. Sorry, I just can't seem to type straight this morning.
ReplyDeleteI read every day, eventhough I don't really know you (and thus, barred from commenting? I am not sure. Delete if you wish) -- putting aside the la dolce vita with the eastern european and american midwestern twists part of the blog, which I love, I am really into the introspective-but-not-too-harsh discourses with yourself, like this one. Critical but not radical with ones desires, celebrating your life for what they beautifully are.
ReplyDeleteThank you for Ocean. I have a short list of blogs under a Bookmark folder called "Daily Reads." Ocean is on it. So is Althouse. Do I have an affinity for UW law professors? You are right next to WaiterRant and Seraphic Secret, so I guess it balances out somehow.
ReplyDeletewow, every day? oh, i hate you. you know, in a good, jealous kind of way ;)
ReplyDeletecongrats!!!
ReplyDeleteyour faithful reader,
seps
A happy anniversary to go with a happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteOcean is a like a present I get to open every single day. Thank you, Nina.
You are my FIRST read every day.
ReplyDeleteYour friend
Bert
Kat: Thanks! [You have no idea how devilishly tempting it was to plagiarize your last post idea here on Ocean. Only images of jail and hefty fines kept me honest.]
ReplyDeleteAnn, Ann, Ann: thank you. For your blogaversay I expect fireworks. Me, I just post pictures of myself, holding a wine glass. How telling.
j.g.g.: oh my, no, of course you should comment! I am going to rewrite my commenters’ policy. As it stands right now, it makes no sense. I haven’t figured out how to put identities onto commenters who prefer some degree of anonymity. Still thinking that through. And thanks for your words here. I am in awe of people who read not out of fear of what I’ll do to them if they don’t, but simply because of, well, the text.
Earth girl: I am off and running to your sidebar. I need to see what bedfellows I keep. Thank you as well.
Brando: I can list a number of people who would like to rip the computer from my hands and have me take a permanent hiatus from daily writing. I’m recalling the dark days of sitting at the keyboard, eyes fixed on rolling dots on the screen, reaching for another glass of wine, ignoring the phone, the people in the same room, thinking that the dots are the most interesting thing in the world except that no one reading that would get it… yeah, the darker sewers of a daily blogger’s life.
Sep: your faith in me is so unwarranted. Let me just bribe you to keep it a live: a lifetime subscription to Knitters of the World Unite in exchange for continued Ocean reading seems like a fair deal.
Joan: I’m thinking of all those quaintly charming but ultimately useless gifts one gets from well-meaning people… No, seriously, you are always so kind.
Oh Bert, for you I swear I’ll lie on hot embers for an hour! You are such a loyal Ocean guy! Thank you.
Congrats on reaching the two-year blogging milestone. It's great that you post everyday because I look forward to checking in everyday to find out what you have to say. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Tonya
Nina, Happy Anniversary and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteReading your blog was one of the factors that encouraged me to start one. Being into math and science, writing does not come easy to me. Your style, blog, told me to write from my eyes, heart and mind.
I look forward to your enchanting words and pictures and just wish I could tell a story as well as you.
Here's a toast(insert cosmo)for more Ocean to come.
Wow, happy anniversary! Every day, that is impressive.
ReplyDeletetonya, susannah, nancy, asia: I'm drinking a cosmo toast to you. Yes it's morning. Yes it's in my mind. Yes I'll do one for real later on. Yes it will be my first in 2006. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! It's been a remarkable streak of perseverence, especially through some peculiar times.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2nd blogiversary, Nina, and many more!
ReplyDeleteNo Terrible Twos to You.
ReplyDeleteOnly a big thank you, and one to grow on.
Love, Me
jeremy:your post saluting Ocean (and comment here)is cooler than cool. You know, it's sort of like Merton commenting on some little assistant prof. At the time when Merton could still do that.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
belle and tom: I guess I am needy because your prods and encouragements make me purr each time. Thank you as well.
me, you too, thanks. I fear that an absence of drama though is not going to happen. Maybe the magnitude will change, but somehow I worry that I am, well, drama-prone.
Congratulations and good job.
ReplyDeleteI have learned things here, mostly about people, and food and travel abroad.
Keep up the good work.
-LaTuan
Happy Bloggerversary! -Kestrel
ReplyDeleteLaTuan: thanks, wherever you may hail from.
ReplyDeletekestrel: okay, you are one of two. damn. which one?? thanks to either and both.
Congrats, it's extremely impressive that you haven't skipped a day! I love the way you integrate photos in your writing, and I'm glad you do it through Flickr.:)
ReplyDeleteSwimming in Ocean. Depths, tides, phosphorescence.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Lili
eszter: I swear, flickr and I will be best friends by spring 06. Just watch. (and thank you)
ReplyDeleteLili, my friend of the exquisite protrait talents, you are a gem. No, really, even before you sent me your sketch, I was hooked on your emails. Thanks.
There's only one Kestrel. Any others are imposters. And when are you going to post more lovely photos of that eldest daughter of yours? -Kestrel
ReplyDeletekestrel: the unfortunate thing about permitting anonymous comments is that you hear from people who can take on the names of others. You could be anyone, including my daughter's friend.
ReplyDeleteIf you are a regular Ocean reader you'll know that this blog protects my two lovely daughters' privacy. With rare exception, I post no photos of them here.
Happy anniversary. Congrats on creating and maintaining a wonderful blog. Your amazing photos round out your lyrical reflections. And not missing a day is an impressive accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow! Two years w/o missing a day? Aside from the obvious biological necessities (i.e. breathing, drinking scotch, etc), I can't think of anything I've done each day for two solid years.
ReplyDeleteYou are tres tres cool, even when you're not zipping around France on a motor bike. Congratulations! (and did you at least wave to me when you were in Evanston?)
oscar and jenny: you are gracious and kind and good and I am using my new id photo for the first time just for you.
ReplyDeleteYour blog has always been an inspiration to me, as well. Congratulations on hitting the 2-year mark, and thanks for recent bloggerly advice on my own!
ReplyDelete