Got this over at Chrysalis' Blog.  The loss of the laptop has affected my blogging, but I will try to keep the momentum up that I had going.  Plus, I have been sick and it turned into Bronchitis and was prescribed Antibiotics and the "Good" cough medicine.  I am very sensitive to drugs (they used to call me "two-can" back in my drinking days.) and it either makes me loopy or conks me out.  For the daytime when I'm driving they told me to take an over-the-counter thing, so we'll see what happens.  Life has been happening also, but I am not at liberty to discuss some of the big things yet, but I will bring them to you when it is appropriate.

Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me, some from the beginning, and especially everyone who leaves comments.  Comments are very important to me.

I normally hate doing memes, but this one was sufficiently different to keep my attention.

1. When did you start blogging and why?  Monday, 04 October 2004.  My first entry was entitled "To Blog or Not To Blog" and the entry began,

"To blog or not to blog, that was my question
Whether 'twas nobler in my mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous statements of noodle heads
Or to take up "Pen and Paper" against a sea of troublesome thoughts
And by blogging them out, thereby end them?"

2. How do you use blogging to build friendships?  I don't think I really use it for that, it just happens.  If someone visits my blog, I try to visit theirs back.  After you read a person's writing for a while, you get to know them.  Not all friendships are equally close, however.  I feel I have made some really good friends though.

3. Who do you read every day, rain or shine?  I have a list of about 30 I try to hit every single day, but it is in sore need of being updated so I took the blogroll down.  I am planning to do another entry with an updated list.

4. Why did you choose to share that piece of yourself in a photograph?  If this question is meant about the profile pic, it's my favorite.  My daughter Abi took it and we fixed the background.  I think it's the "real" me and explains why some Indians believed that part of your spirit could be captured by the camera and refused to be photographed.

5. How would you describe your writing style?  Down-to-earth, conversational.

6. If you could spend time with one person (other than your spouse, because really, let's not rack up the suck up points here)?  George W. and Laura Bush.

7. What don't you write about?  Personal things about other people, even other family members.

8. How do you feel about meeting bloggers in real life? Are you nervous? Will you have great expectations?  Never have, but think it might be fun.  Since I am a tee totaling Prohibitionist I don't like to go to bars.  For a partial explanation of this position, read my entry, "Dead Drunk."  I have a hard time abiding drunk people, partly because the first thing they will insist to you is that they are not drunk, they've "Jusht had a couple."  That being said, there are some people I would love to meet in person.

9. Is there one blogger in particular that you find mirrors yourself?  I think Daveman might have at times.

10. What is your favorite thing that you wrote?  That is a tough one because I really put a lot of work into everything I write.  The list in the sidebar shows some of my favorites.

11. Have you written anything controversial?  Yes and I plan to again, too.  I write about whatever I feel like and if someone is offended, well, I don't purposely try to offend, but this blog is about ME and what I think or feel about things.

12. Are you and your blogging persona the same person?  Yeah.  I'm a rotten liar, faker or bluffer and never won a poker game in my life.  This is me.

13. Have you ever anonymously posted on a site to flame them?  Never.  If I comment somewhere, you know it was me.

14. If you had a super power, what would it be?  Invisibility

15. Which five bloggers do you want to answer these questions?  Since I think this is an interesting meme I would just like to see everybody do it on, but on their own, the way Pops did.