Last night The Polish guy and I were showering. No I did not pee on his foot this time. I save that for special occasions.
The Polish Guy: Hey watch it! You're pushing me into the wall and it's cold. Look I'm all shriveled up!
So I looked down and things appeared as usual to me. I had a good laugh.
The Polish Guy: Don't be putting that in your blog.
Me: Well of course it's going in the blog. It was funny.
I'm a blogger. That's what I do - I take stuff that happens in my life and tell the world, or at least the small part of it that reads my blog, all about it.
While My Half Assed Life may be just a couple of months old, I've been blogging for a year now. Almost always anonymously.
At first because it was a new endeavor. Who knew if it would be any good or if I would completely suck.
I kept the anonymous going though because I also need to work for a living. At my last position I knew at any time my neck could be under the axe. That's what happens when you are working for a struggling company. So why give them any ammunition to use against me?
Then I was struggling to find other employment. Hopefully with an employer that didn't want me to sign my soul away for nothing in return.
I've found that employer. Along with a ton of blogging material. Blogging material that will mostly will never make it here. Not because it isn't funny - because a lot of it is hysterical - but because I've had enough HR training to know what constitutes grounds for dismissal and it's time to get smart about that.
So I've done a review of my posts. Some are gone for good. Some may be edited and republished, if the story itself is salvageable without those pesky concerns of losing my job.
Also gone? The anonymous part. So while I won't be broadcasting my full mailing address and how I sign my checks just yet, from now on you'll be seeing me as Vanessa D. Some of you might appreciate that when I comment on your blogs instead of seeing My Half Assed Life graffitiing up your comments.
That's my name - in real life. Even if Asshat #1 likes to sometimes call me Vicky or when he really wants to annoy me Vagina.
I've even got a Google + profile of sorts. I haven't really dedicated much time to it yet but it's there.
If I know you in real life? You'll probably make it here at some point. Don't worry too much though, I'll try to be gentle.
Hi Vanessa D from Louise D! Love this coming-out post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Louise. I'm comfortable with saying I'm a blogger now - it was time. Some day maybe I'll be comfortable saying I write a blog, for now that's a work in progress.
DeleteVanessa! You're a real girl!
ReplyDeleteYeppers. Now I just need a glamor shots session so I can have a really hot looking avatar. My SIL tries - but we've got this bad picture karma thing going that rarely results in an avatar. Maybe I'll have to just have a session with her - when my hair is recently trimmed and I've got make-up on.
DeleteYou've inspired me to put information in my "about" section! As soon as I figure out how to do it. And I like the picture you posted! My picture is far from glamorous - my daughter and I took it on my phone at Orange Leaf when we were being really goofy and obnoxious.
DeleteNatural pictures are always the best ones. I just would like to have a natural picture that doesn't make me look like I've got three chins and is taken when I've actually got make up on. I had blogger bags under my eyes since long before I started blogging.
DeleteI've got the blogger bags, too. My pic is taken with our heads laying back on the back of a couch. Bags and double chins melt away....
DeleteYou look great BTW.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteWhen I started my blog, my wife told me I should not tell people my name, but really, I've hidden away too much. I'm not prepared to do it any more. My vulnerabilities are a part of me, just like all the awesome stuff.
ReplyDeleteGreat to put a face to the hilarious, touching, and awesome posts you write, Vanessa. :)
I've always been most concerned with running into issues at work. But really, as long as I keep it about my own life there shouldn't be any issues.
DeleteBlogging anonymously has it's perks but Google likes to make it as difficult as they can.
I think it's great that you came out! (Says the guy who's been hiding half his face for two & a half years) I'll be looking out for future post so I can get that check signing info too ;)
ReplyDeleteTrue, but I'm guessing people who know you in real life would recognize you from that picture. And you do use your name - just not the full name.
DeleteHi Vanessa, hey on a first name basis now! I've just started blogging and though my name and photo is there for all to see, I haven't given anyone that knows me any details so the likelihood of them finding it is minimal. Plus I like to make them suffer by wondering what I am writing about them : ) My next step is the dreaded photo, keep trying to catch myself unawares and take a decent shot, but the person that appears isn't me, I know it isn't.....please it isn't is it? I was actually thinking of getting someone to take a 'proper' photo of me. EEK!
ReplyDeleteEveryone who knows me well knows I blog. It's a handy excuse for my messy house.
DeleteI never thought about anonymity until I had been blogging for a little over a year. Once I started gaining a following and found my voice, I had all kinds of stories I wanted to tell, but knew I couldn't because everyone knew who I was.
ReplyDeleteI tried it, but after a point it's too hard to keep up and still move your blog forward. Maybe some day you could put the stories you can't tell on you blog in a tell all book and make your fortune.
DeleteI love your blog V and I've been wanting to blog for ages but have never figured out how to do it anonymously. Do you have to make up a new email address? I just want to feel comfortable writing publicly without fearing teasing from my family or friends.
ReplyDeleteWord Press might make it easier but Blogger makes it tricky. Yes you would have to set up another email, but with gmail and other similar services it's not such a hard thing to do.
DeleteVery nice to meet you Vanessa D! I very much enjoy your blog. I am actually Chrystal D. Well, when I take my middle name into consideration. I look forward to all your posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Nice to meet you too.
DeleteHi Vanessa :) It's good to know your name, and I love the picture. I'm still not ready, but at some point, I'll 'come out' too, I imagine.
ReplyDeleteWell let's face it, even with my first name out there it isn't as if the whole world at large will care enough to note it. Just the people who come visit this little corner of it.
DeleteYou could always cartoonize yourself like me...
ReplyDeleteMy knack for hiding from the camera means there really is only a handful of pictures out there of me. I'm going to keep digging around and then play around with some of Adobe's effects. I might as well have some fun with it.
DeleteHi, Vanessa! I'm Bee (Barb) N.
ReplyDeleteHi Bee! Sometimes people call me Vee.
DeleteI am very careful. I really don't want anyone to know who I am. I don't want to post pictures of my vehicles or anything that would let people pick out my place from the street. I just feel safer that way. Even though I blog without my real name, I also feel that I can't talk about funny stories from work, because I don't want to say anything about my clients in any way that could be taken negatively. Yeah. I am proud of you for using your real name, I don't have the guts.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is such a big world, it still pays to be careful though. You never know when someone with malicious intent will randomly come across your info and start putting pieces together.
DeleteCool! Can't wait to keep reading.
ReplyDeleteCool! I really hope I continue to entertain.
DeleteCongrats on your coming out Vanessa!
ReplyDeleteI used to blog anonymously on another site...it was an "adult" site, so I preferred to keep that little info tidbit quiet around family, work and some of my more conservative friends. I started this blog because my other blog wasn't really the best blogging platform for me...I was writing about stupid/weird shit I'd find on the internet, ranting about the legions of things that annoy me and generally trying to make my readers laugh and/or vomit in the mouths a little. While most of the other bloggers were posting about sex and asking people to rate their eleventy-millionth ass pic.
I had a fairly big following there (despite the lack of nudity, and because even adult-site bloggers do love a funny story about tinfoiling your windows in an attempt to keep the heat out until the strata council tells you to take it down because it looked like a shady grow-show operation), but I decided to move on and blog somewhere more mainstream, where I'm fine with my boss, clients and family members reading my blog
It just seems to me, that until you are willing to blog publicly you can only go so far with it. I just have to be a tiny bit more choosy on my material. Some things will be going in a private off-line journal though - they're just too damn funny to risk forgetting.
DeleteWell hello Vanessa! Great to put a name with your awesome blog! I'm glad you explained about removing some of the posts. I was beginning to think I had lost my mind (again). Congrats on being out!
ReplyDeleteA few will be back - edited of course. The only bad thing is some of the comments will also have to be removed. To me that's like losing an arm.
DeleteWelcome, Welcome! I realised I was sort of coming out to the blogosphere when I sign my paintings with my name..d'oh
ReplyDeleteYep, that'll do it. Unless you pretend you are blogging about the artist.
Delete