Five Years

This is my 835th blog post, posted just minutes prior to my five-year blogiversary.

I do not know what else to say about this thing. Many of my friends read it, and some do not. I accept that fact, but it has taken me time to realize that some people, very unlike myself, have no interest in reading everything their friends (or particularly intriguing acquaintances and strangers) have ever typed.

It started ambitiously, writing something every day, which meant a lot of complaining about television or current events. At times, it's focused on happenings at bars with friends, or the fluctuations of my dating career. It definitely suffered through a prolonged grumpy period -- more prolonged than I would have guessed before actually going back and reading it. Now, I guess, it is mostly a place for me to share my vacation tales, complain about work or the drive to work, and indulge in occasional (very occasional) photos of the cat.

Five years is a pretty long time. It's hard to find things in life that you continue to like after five years. I continue to like this blog. Looking back, I'm somewhat shocked at how much I like this blog.

Knowing this momentous date was approaching, I took the time to read all of my archives. While doing so, I re-labeled every post; you will now find a list of labels or tags or whatever in the right sidebar.

One of those labels is "the very best of Tornado Slide". (I always liked it when bands used a variation instead of simply saying "Greatest Hits".) In the next however many days I choose, we'll be looking back at some of the very best Tornado Slide has offered over the years. In most cases, these will be posts that generated the most positive feedback, either publicly in the comments section or privately via whispered praise from friends.

Thank you all for that feedback, and for reading.




I would like to start the proceedings with some very brief zingers that went largely unnoted in the past:

Mylanta Experience - August 14, 2008

I got a free dinner at a mediocre Italian restaurant. You know the type -- where they serve their dishes "family style"? You know, because it's fun! It's just like when you used to eat ravioli back in the old country, with your mom and dad and your kooky Nana Maggiano! But seriously folks, here's my thought on family-style dining: "You're eating all my mashed potatoes, dick."

Coast to Coast - June 26, 2007

It's strange to think that I write you now, blocks away from the Atlantic Ocean, when I began this month on the Pacific Coast. But in another way, it makes sense ending the month in New Jersey, since I started June Slippery When Wet.

A Motorcar, (Definitely) Maybe A Jaguar - March 23, 2009

A guy cut me off this evening as I was entering the turnpike.

He was driving a Jaguar.

His assigned license plate was POO 101.

That's JUSTICE, asshole.