A New Year's Resolution

Strange to think I've been blogging nearly nine years now. NINE YEARS. Blatherings started out as a way to keep in touch with friends. I have since started to incorporate more graphics and have grown more cautious about the information I post, aware of a larger readership than before. Check out this post from 1998, for example, when Jeff and I celebrate my first banner advertiser for Inkspot, and I posted my (now-inactive) ICQ# at the end of the post.

Of course, back then there weren't nearly as many people on ICQ. As Inkspot grew in popularity, I became (slightly) less enamoured about online communication as I started receiving hundreds of e-mails a day (NOT including spam), most of them asking me for things.

Now I keep in touch with friends mainly through phonecalls and visits, and sometimes checking various Livejournals and blogs. Please note the "sometimes." Here is my annual reminder about my feelings re: Livejournals/blogs.



One of my New Year's Resolutions is to spend less time in Livejournal, more time focusing on my writing and illustrating projects. I was getting to the point where I was checking my LJ Friends list several times a day, and my e-mail far more times than that. :-) Those with full-time jobs can likely get away with this, depending on their work situation. As a freelancer, however, I need to start being more efficient with how I spend my online time during the workday.

At this point I can imagine some people on my Friends list bristling with indignation. "She doesn't really CARE!" "Who does she thinks she IS, anyway?" And those people should probably re-read my LJ policy. I'll still be blog-browsing, but just not as fanatically as I have been. And I'll continue to trust that close friends will tell me important info they want me to know themselves instead of assuming I'll read it through their blogs; I'll do the same.

Only two more days until I leave for GAfilk! Lots of things to look forward to at the convention including:

- The Guests! Guests of Honour: Dandelion Wine, Toastmaster: Dave Rood, Interfilk guest: Carolyn Brown (from Toronto, woohoo!), Super Secret Guest: Karen Anderson

- Meeting/hearing Michelle Dockery of Escape Key for the first time. Seeing Tony Fabris again (it's been AGES...!).

- Irish session being planned by Mary the Braider. Too bad I don't have my new whistle yet.

- The Banquet, always a highlight of the convention for me because of the fantabulous GAfilk House Band (including my music partner, Jodi!)

- Donating my first quilt square ever to the GAfilk Interfilk quilt. I just hope Margaret Middleton isn't too horrified by the terrible sewing job I've half-done so far.

- Swing dancing lessons from Mark Osier. I think he's giving a workshop on Saturday.

- I just found out that Tanya Huff is coming to GAfilk, yay! I hope she brings her little black dress. ;-)

- Just hanging out and enjoying the convention. I have zero commitments in terms of performing, etc. so plan to happily wander about quite aimlessly this weekend.

Not sure if I'll be posting again until next week. Hope to see some of you in Atlanta!

Here are a few pics from last year's GAfilk. Click on any image for a bigger version:

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