MattOnFire

I’ve been a blogger since before blogging was cool. Then I was a blogger when it was cool. Then I was a blogger when it wasn’t cool again. I’m a MeBlogger. I write about me. My life. My pets. My employment. My illnesses. My likes. My dislikes. My Wife. My affinity for really good sandwiches.

Over the years, there have been many versions of my blog. I started out posting inappropriate pictures of me and my friends. From there, I began writing little descriptions of the pictures. Then I morphed into recounting silly experiences about going to the mall or how I got a really bad sunburn. Each version of the blog would eventually die because I got bored or just didn’t have the time nor the inclination to update. I would forget. Things weren’t that exciting. My ADD kicks into overdrive once every 6-8 months.

One year ago, about this time, I felt the urge to get back on the blogwagon. I started a tumblr page to coincide with my new-ish twitter account. I found some funny people to follow from all over the country – not just in Richmond – and reading their posts and admiring their photos allowed me to explore my slightly-creative online persona.

Then we all know what happened. I lost my job. Yes, it was the very job that stifled me so much that I felt the need to reach out, creatively, online. But it was gone and so was the paycheck. The adrenaline of telling my boss to shove it was quickly replaced by weeks – WEEKS – of mental anguish and frustration. (Honestly, I still have nightmares about the whole thing. No joke.) On the first day of my unemployment, April 16th, 2009, I wrote a blog entry about beginning my search for a new job:

Hmmm… doesn’t seem to be much out there.  Is the economy in a recession?  When did that happen?

The blog now had a topic – unemployment and my search for a job. As the entries flowed from my fingertips at an almost-daily pace, I realized that tumblr wasn’t the proper forum for such a depressing topic. I moved the written part of my blog over to WordPress. It make me feel a little more legit. I bit the bullet last fall when I slapped down the credit card and bought the domain and the hosting. Now I’m a big boy with a real blog that actually costs money to run.

I’ve stuck with it for a year, which is pretty good for someone like me, a guy who goes through hobbies like Kirstie Alley goes through diets. Remember my bass guitar? Yeah, it’s upstairs in its case. Haven’t opened it since we moved. Money well spent.

So happy birthday, MattOnFire blog. Let’s hope you can stick around for another year of pointless rambles that don’t reaOH HEY I THINK I’M GOING TO TAKE UP PAINTING WHERE CAN GET A CANVAS STRETCHED LOOK AT MY WATERCOLORS.

One year old wedding cake tastes like freezer and bellybutton lint. I don’t remember it tasting like a moldy plastic freon pipe when we had it at our wedding. Weird how something so delicious can be destroyed by sitting motionless in harsh environment for a year. Marriages are the same way, too. Gotta keep it fresh. Every day. Fall into a motionless routine and you’ll end up tasting like rotten sour kraut and motor oil.

We’ve done well. It’s been a big year for us. Jessica got her first taste of classroom experience when she did her student teaching. She graduated and did some subbing. I had a decent job with horrible hours, then lost it. Really, it’s the start of the rest of our lives. We both have a new beginning in front of us. I would say that the possibilities are endless, but we all know that’s not the case. The possibilities are extremely limited right now. But the economy has to turn around at some point, right? A lot can happen in a year – and by this time next year, I’m fairly certain we’ll be in a much different position than we are now. We’re halfway there. Livin’ on a prayer. I’ll go punch myself for saying that. Right after I finish humming this verse.

Anyway – last night we celebrated by having dinner at Botega’s on the Southside of Richmond. Jessica had a big honkin’ beef tenderloin. I had the Pollo alla Saslfiowehfioew or however you say it. I’m not sure. Something about chicken and cheese and prosciutto and butter and garlic or something. Why do they have to get all fancy with the menus? I was never good at speaking out lout in French or Spanish class. I think they do it just so the servers can get a good chuckle when they hear my incorrect attempt at pronouncing an Italian dish. But throw in an appetizer, bottle of wine and dessert and it made for a pretty excellent meal. I’m still full.

Workin’ the mall job today. Going to eat some anniversary breakfast first.

This is Day 46, folks. Freezer cake is gross. Bon Jovi is now stuck in your head, too. Happy anniversary to us!