What I Mean to Say

I meant to have a post up yesterday (actually, yesterday last week whenever that was), but, if you can believe it, I couldn’t write anything worth a week-old shit. Normally, finding the time to write is my problem not what to write. Tonight it came to me, why I couldn’t write. I wasn’t writing what is on my mind. It may be of absolutely no interest to anyone besides me but here it is.

The last few months have been extremely busy and difficult for us at the Devil Queen. The posting on the blog has suffered because of this. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that I haven’t been the only one. Jocelyn has been on vacation; Chris has been out to sea or at the office; Greg is enjoying the wide-world outside of his houseblog; Gary has been busy too; and so on it goes. And, incase anyone has any doubts there is nothing wrong with this. Do I miss having a new post every day or so? Sure. Do I begrudge anyone a life outside of his or her house or blog? No. What sense would that make?

Out of the folks I mentioned by name above, all of them beside Chris we here on Houseblogs before I discovered the site. We’ve all been here posting about our respective houses for over two years or more. I can’t help but wonder what is the shelf life of a houseblog. Enon Hall is still going strong after what? Seven years? Eight? And, while the aforementioned folks haven’t abandoned their blogs, a number of folks have.

I was very excited when I first found Houseblogs. It’s kind of like going to high school in a small town where you didn’t really fit in, and then going to college and meeting a bunch a people just like you. I guess it’s kind of funny in hindsight since there is something like 700 or 800 houseblogs now, but finding nearly fifty other people doing the same thing we were was huge. Maybe I’m just being nostalgic, but the first few months (or more?) were a huge how-to, home improvement orgy. It was great. I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned from everyone.

But, once Gary has preached the Gospel of Shellac and you have made the Lac Bug part of your life, what more is there for you to do? Sure, there is no harm in singing its praises from time to time, but, at some point, breaking out the shellac just isn’t as blog worthy as it once was.

What makes Houseblogs so great is how much detailed, first hand information is out there: insulation, plumbing, wiring, framing, plaster, et cetera. If you need to know something about you house, chances are there is someone out there that has the answer to your question. However, after a few years of working on a certain type of house (like an 1890 Queen Anne), you probably know that majority of what you need to finish the house. The novelty wears thin and projects become routine. You no longer need to ask 20 questions before you refinish your floor or plumb a sink. Sure, you may not be a professional, but, damn it, you know what you’re doing. Well, mostly.

Maybe it is just me, but I’ve found that my reasons for reading houseblogs have changed. It isn’t so much me scavenging for how-to information now (though Gary’s chimney liners are pretty good as was the “Traditional Petch Installation”); instead, I’m reading because I want to know you are up to now. I’m reading because I’m personally interest in what happens to you.

Since my Old Regulars have been otherwise occupied, I’ve tried strolling around the neighborhood and meeting new houseblogs. I’ve met a few I’ve rather liked, but it still isn’t quite the same. I don’t know where that leaves me. The old, balding houseblog hanging out at the all-ages show trying to connect with all the barely legal houseblogs?

Anyhow, for all practical concerns, this is probably irrelevant. I should have been asleep a couple hours age, so goodnight all.