Friday, October 06, 2006

Absolute Lee turns three

I've changed jobs, moved to a different country, lost someone dear to me, even sprouted a few gray hairs - all over the last three years. It’s odd then to think of this blog as being a constant in all this time.

I use the word ‘constant’ in a loose sense, of course, considering that I’ve been anything but that in the last few months. From 6 – 8 posts a month, when I started out, I barely manage 1 post a month. Quit, I’ve told myself a few times, but then I lie down and let the feeling pass. There’s a frail thread of continuity, a chronicle of mercurial time, that I’m loath to sever.

Of the multitude of bloggers that I’d started out with, only a handful remain: Rash, Alpha, Smiley, Parmanu, Patrix, Fairy… Blogging was a riot then, an obsession even. The posts were just a delectable prelude to the comments that followed. The comment-conversations would go on for days, and would end up without a jot of relevance to the original post. The conversations would spill on into emails and then, phone calls, and blogger meets. There’s less time, and lesser inclination for that now, but I still miss all you guys - Spaceman, Anita Rodricks, Subs, Uptowngirl, XXX, Aqua, Two Penny, Adi, Josephine, Aekta...

The migration to Blogspot has been on the cards for a while. I guess even the folks at Rediff have forgotten about the existence of rediffblogs. The home page hasn’t changed for probably two years, and there have been no enhancements to the Neanderthal interface since then. I’ve been waiting for Blogger to introduce categories, and when the Beta version announced categories among other features, I made haste to switch. Even with my limited tech skills, I found it incredibly simple to use. From choosing the font, to background colour to sidebar widgets, everything is easily done, without requiring advanced software skills. I was hoping for a fancier template, but I couldn’t arrange for it in time for the launch.

(Many thanks to Zigzackly for the Beta Blogger recommendation, and also to Chugs, who’s been especially patient with all my queries.)

Oh yes, some other changes as well. I guess I outgrew the 'girl-next-door...' line. I lived in terror of someone asking me what it really meant. Truthfully, I haven't figured it out and it was just something I came up with on a whim when starting the old blog. The new line is a better descriptor of me, I feel. The photograph is another whim. I'm still trying to figure out if I'm comfortable with it or not. If you don't see it in a few days, you'll know why.

Finally, a big thank you to all of you who’ve been around in the last three years, who’ve left comments and who’ve made this a great experience. Absolute Lee has been fun because of you.


Anniversary Posts 1 & 2

39 comments:

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday to your blog !

P also often reminisces about the blogging days of youre when you guys had nothing better to do than spar at each others' comment boxes :)

Unknown said...

P.S Do change your blogger setting so folks with non-blogger blogs can leave comments ...

Leela A said...

Ash: I knew I was forgetting someone from the old days! Have added Patrix to the list now. Can't forget the madness on Smiley's blog with Alpha in her element :)

And thanks for the alert. I have fixed the settings now.

Cherie: Good to see you're still around. I was wondering about you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Lee

Im still around too :-\

anyways, how you been ?

SwB said...

you forgot me ... I've been around a very long time too, you know :(

... too bad absolutelee.blogspot is taken. but still, this is noice ... hope to see lots of posts.

*tight hug*

:-) said...

I am the 8th sucker. :))

Just found your blog. Interestingly the quote on the main page of TOI today is

"A corporal phenomenon, a feeling, a perception, a mental formation, a consciousness, which is permanent and persistent, eternal and not subject to change, such a thing the wise men in this world do not recognise; and I also say that there is no such thing" - Buddha dude.

This is a cool new blog. Nice pic.

Sigh. yeah those good old days.

*tighter hug than blues' hug*

Leela A said...

Patrix: Thank you for the reassurance, it really means a lot. It's good to see you've gone on to become a star in the blogosphere. :-)

Adi: Am so sorry, dude. I couldn't find your blog, and truthfully, haven't been checking blogs lately. You're still in the US? Can you please leave your link? Oh btw, I think it's safe enough for me to reveal now - I was 'nonickers' :-D

Blues: Gosh, this is getting embarrassing! Pardon my memory lapse folks. Three years is a long time. And for further proof, please check post titled "There's something about memory" under Absolute Creme... :-) Thanks for the nice words, Blues, and yeah absolutelee.blogspot's been that way for years!

:-) Welcome all ye suckers! Hope you don't mind your dog moving to this blog. He recognises a cool blog too, I guess ;-)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the shift! Somehow I feel like I should say something of the sort of thing that people say to people who've moved into a new house. I recently made the transition from blogger to wordpress, just a short few days before beta blogger was introduced. Well, I hope you like it...having been a rediffblogger myself, I'm surprised you even stuck it out so long over there.

Unknown said...

Congrats on new home and anniversary
•1 1/2 oz Vodka
•3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
•1 Olive

Mixing instructions:
Shake the vodka and vermouth together with a number of ice cubes, strain into a cocktail glass, add the olive and serve.

“Absolutelee” delightful Martini for the lady “Stirred but not shaken” :-)

zigzackly said...

Er, ah, um. The dog ate me housewarming present.

Nice place. Love what you've done with the curtains.

(: And don't make too much noise about the Blogspot thing. The Wordpress mafia will come a-knocking. :)

Unknown said...

Ideasmith: Thank you! You've actually hit the nail when you say it's like moving home. Maybe that's why it took so long to move. Dropped by your blog or should I say blogs?! You certainly manage them well.

Mahesh: (Unsui?) Cheers to you too! Actually, an Absolut Martini is one of my favourites.

zigzackly: You like the curtains? Don't they set off the rug beautifully ;-)

As for the Wordpress mafia, I have no quibbles with Wordpress. I just couldn't bring myself to like any of the templates.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday and happy blogging for the future.

Leela A said...

Hiren: Thanks a lot.

Unknown said...

ummm, happy birthday!

but i am really here because i need to know about that tiffin service you wrote about.. where can i get it? and where's the interview?

Leela A said...

hiju: I'd left a link on the third post in the series. In any case try this - The Health Awareness Centre

Anonymous said...

Hey Lee,

Your new blog looks super-cool ! and your words continue to weave their magic.. its delightful to visit everytime. The one thing that struck me today about you is the painstaking efforts you take to present and maintain your blog. Kudos to you on that !

Happy blogging.

Keya

Anonymous said...

Hey Lee,

Your new blog looks uber-cool ! And your words continue to delight. The one thing I noticed today is the pains you take to present and maintain your blog. Kudos to you on that !

Cheers,
Keya

Unknown said...

thanks!

Hornswoggler said...

patrix is right lee. don't stop blogging even if it's one post/month. and happy b :)

Hornswoggler said...

and am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy there's no word verification!

Leela A said...

Keya: Wow, so many compliments :) It was an effort, given my rudimentary knowledge of technology, so your comment is greatly appreciated.

Saint: Welcome. Hope it helps.

Rash: So good to see you here, and glad that someone from the old gang is still around. No word verification, yet. Hope I can keep it that way.

Anonymous said...

Hey! Am around too you know :) Subs

Anonymous said...

How the clock raced! Many happy returns of the blogday... And don't even begin to think of quitting!

Leela A said...

Subs: Great to see you here! Am glad I'm wrong about only the 'handful' being around.

Vijay: Good to see you're still tracking the blog. No quitting yet, but when are you starting? :-)

Anonymous said...

Hey Lee, it was so good to see you on my blog. Like an old friend dropping by. I miss the old gang too. Not sure that they miss me, they never stop to say hello. (Pointed look towards Subs). Hugs. Stay safe.

Anonymous said...

Ph! Awww sowwie :)Miss you too! Subs

Leela A said...

Ph: Good to see you here too. Hope you're feeling better. And am making notes about the efficiency of pointed looks! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi :) I've been an anonymous reader of your blog for quite some time now. Not that I didn't feel like dropping a line or two...but somehow never did it. Today I saw that you have moved and saw your new template, photograph and something promted me to write. Please don't remove the photograph...its great. Also, I like your writing style a lot. Keep writing, even if infrequently. Ciao :)

AmitL said...

Great transition,Lee...Happy blog bday,too..I'm almost tempted to change over to blogspot,myself.:)Observations::(a)Err,u've got grey hairs,now?(b)We comment(ator)s are now called 'suckers'?Arghhh.:)

Rhyncus said...

Happy birthday and hope those threads, however frail they may seem, continue to bind you to this place.
And I cannot but sigh at how you turned a true-blue Mallu name ('Shiju') into something faintly Japanese. How will you survive in Dubai like this??

Leela A said...

Zoya: So that was your shadow I spotted in the corner! ;-) Am glad to know you've been following this blog. Thanks for the appreciation. Will keep writing.

Amit: Thanks and welcome! Blogger has its advantages, but importing posts (read copy-pasting) is a bit painful. As for your observations, I think you misread it - the word's 'Seekers'. :straight face:

Rhyncus: Trust a true-blue Mallu to come to the defence of another true-blue Mallu! :)

Adele said...

Glad you put the photograph! :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the anniversary!

Looking forward to read much more in the years to come, from the "writer by night."

shub said...

needless to say, we LOVE reading you. Congrats, and hope everyone's still around in 10 years :D okay, maybe a more realistic five :)

Leela A said...

Adele: :-)

Parmanu: Thanks. Problem is the 'writer at night' is usually snoozing. :)

Shub: Thank you, thank you. 5 years, 10 years... who knows. :)

Anonymous said...

Hey apart from Rash, Alpha, Smiley, Parmanu, Patrix… I also "remain"...

"officially hurt" now :p..

Leela A said...

Twilight Fairy: Sigh. Yes, you remain. And I remain most forgetful-lee, Leela.

Ok, is there anyone else I've missed? Apologies in advance.

Alpha said...

Hey Lee!!! Fancy seeing you here. Great ...please write more and stop this house moving natak! Miss those days too...Patrix makes it sound like we are all dead or something....

Krishnabhaskar Mangalasserri said...

another sucker here...keep going there are unknown faces too who loves to read what u write...

sabu