Blogiquette

I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to blogging.  Is there a certain number of posts I'm required to write before calling myself a blogger?  Is blogging like running?  I hear people say that you can call yourself a runner if you run, but I must admit that it took awhile for me to feel like a runner once I started.  Maybe I'm a blogger, maybe I'm a runner who has written a few blog posts, maybe I'm a 40-yr-old nerd, living in his parents' basement, stealing pictures from the facebook feeds of strangers, and pretending to be a thirty-something mom of two who loves her family, exercising, reading, good zombie shows, and loud rock music.  I guess, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't much matter.

This would certainly be the result if someone googled "cutest baby girl"

Because of my relative newness around the blogosphere, I sometimes feel like I'm not qualified to read or comment on certain people's blogs, and certainly not to follow them.  Leaving a comment almost feels like asking a celebrity for an autograph.  But then, I also feel like a weirdo when I read them all stalker-like.  The kids are in bed, Husband is playing Madden, and I'm furtively typing in http://www.chrissiewellington.org/blog/ or http://mfranks.blogspot.com/ and quickly exiting if Husband shifts his weight and I think he's going to see what I'm doing.  It isn't just elite runners that I stalk, either.  It's some of the really good bloggers that totally amaze me (and everyone else) with their wit and talent.  And, sometimes I come across a blog like this one, or this one (with a breast, watch out!) and find myself nodding in agreement to like, everything written.  One of my favorite blogs to stalk, though, is shut up + run.  And, to be honest, the Moji giveaway is the only reason I'm admitting my even-weirder-now-that-I-see-them-in-writing blog reading habits.  Probably, I was supposed to mention the product and the giveaway in some normal, breezy fashion; like, "go check out my girl" or something.  I apologize if I've broken a blawg (Get it? A law for blogs?  Geez, I'm a dummy today.  I blame the cough medicine.), and I really do think you should check out her site and her giveaway.  Both are cool (unlike me).

While we're linking to great sites, I gotta mention (as usual) my sister's and my aunt's.  And since I'm already here, typing, I'll go ahead and complain for a moment.  I set a goal at the beginning of this year to run an average of 20 miles/week.  13 weeks into the year, and I was only averaging 10.  My IT band has been the thing keeping me inside, mostly, but it has finally started to feel (mostly) better.  This week, I had run 12 miles, and was going to have time to run the other 8 between today and tomorrow.  Being around lots of sick people finally took its toll on me, though, and I've been taken down by a cough from Satan himself, and head congestion to keep the cough company.  Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine.  And no, I can't have any cheese to go with it because dairy upsets my nursing Baby's tummy.  Poor, poor me.

My advice?  Read blogs.  And, don't be ashamed to like them.  Probably, the writers want you to.  I know I do!

Feel free to lodge a complaint in the comment section.  We can whine together.