So I'm cutting back a little bit as of next week. There are a number of reasons for this, which I will now bore you with. I'll try to put a nice tune at the end of the post to liven things up a bit. Feel free to skip ahead to that now.
Last September, I upped the postings on this blog because I wanted to start writing about the songs I was listening to right now, rather than just the random tunes that were thrown up by my topic of the week. To keep with the blog's Top Ten theme, I decided to do a monthly Top Ten of the songs (new and old) that I was listening to that month. This was all very well until I also decided to kick off a few new series like Kenny Wednesdays / Randy Tuesdays, My Top Ten Songs I Hated When I Was A Kid and My Top ∞ Radio Songs. And suddenly I was writing almost a post a day and struggling to keep up (I don't know how JC and CC do it). Plus, I was finding that ten posts a month just on stuff I was listening to at that moment was proving a bit of a struggle... particularly as money's been pretty tight lately and I've only bought one new CD over the last 6 weeks (which hasn't arrived yet!). The (completely unnecessary) necessity of writing ten such posts a month was also preventing me from writing more of the posts I found myself enjoying (such as the series mentioned above, and some others I've had planned for ages but never found the time for... like The Top Ten Songs I Bought Because I Fancied The Singer, which will plumb new depths of embarrassment if I ever get round to it).
The obvious answer is just to drop the monthly Top Ten and concentrate on the other stuff, right? Except I know that if I do that, as soon as I get a new CD... or hear something on the radio that I haven't heard in years but brings back a particularly set of memories... I'll end up wanting to write about it.
Luckily, I think I've come up with a solution to all of this... but first, I need to take a breather. Summer's here and the time is right. I have a couple of weeks off work coming up, and I don't want to spend all my time sat at a computer screen. (Not when there's DIY to be done!*) So don't be surprised if there's tumbleweed blowing through these parts once July arrives. I'll be back. Eventually.
2. Sons of the Pioneers - Tumbling Tumbleweeds
*I loathe DIY.
I think I've already said my piece over at Randy Tuesdays but good to see you are going to have a break - You've been very prolific this year and like with Jez and The Chain, I have been concerned. Enjoy the time off (and the DIY!) and hope to see you back bursting with new ideas later in the summer. Thanks for all of it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy yout time off
ReplyDeleteI only try to do this daily to avoid the DIY although there is a juyngle that used to be a garden that needs tackled
Recharge those batteries and come back soon. Meanwhile, it's time for you to dig out the tool box and paint brushes.
ReplyDeleteI admire your abiliy to post so prolifically, while also having a job. You deserve a breather! Top Ten Songs I Bought Because I Fancied The Singer sounds like a fun read I'll look forward to. Haven't commented around here recently as much as I'd like. Various activities such as the garden are pulling me away too!
ReplyDeleteWell said by all above. Kick your shoes off and put those feet up!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your kind words. I'm not going away completely; I just won't be here every day!
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't get round to commenting here yesterday but as everyone else says, enjoy the time to do some other things and have a well-deserved breather, you've been incredibly prolific lately and I've been in awe! So glad to know you'll still be posting even if not every day; your plans for a bit of a shake-up sound just right, look forward to whatever comes next - all the new series have been spot on. Also I think we need to know about those songs you bought because you fancied the singer...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as someone who has maintained a modest two up two down blog since 2010, I hear you.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you seem, to me anyway, to be worrying needlessly. As I said to C on the same subject a couple of weeks ago: write when you want to write.
Here's the dealio - this is *your* space; you write about what you want to write about and when you want to write about it. Your readership won't suddenly unsubscribe from your site. The sky won't fall in. Believe me.
Have a great summer Rol and see you on the other side.
Just seen the comment from John Medd - Thanks JM for putting it all into perspective for a few of us who are struggling at the moment. Of course you are right but these "spaces" we create for ourselves can inadvertently take over our lives. Like the two up, two down analogy - seems just right.
ReplyDeleteHi Rol
ReplyDeleteBeen lurking, but not posting of late - more on that in a minute.
As someone who has tried, and failed, on a couple of occasions to keep a regular blog going, I completely understand what you mean. But I think John Medd above sums it up very well - its your blog, when when you want and about whatever you want. We all get it.
As for me, I remember reading in a earlier post of yours (but I forget which one now so I can't respond directly to that) that you like hearing your readers stories etc, and I am probably guilty of not really giving you much. Recent times have been a bit hard for me - my Dad passed away unexpectedly after a month long stay in hospital, so its been a bit of a tough time picking up the pieces after all of that. It came just as I rediscovered your blog again - hence I haven't been posting much.
Sorry to hear that, Deano. My condolences. Take care, pal.
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