2nd post for the day (in which I over-think)

For the first time ever I am doing two posts on one day. The one below this one is just a boring diary-of-Tamara catch-up, which is probably tedious reading but is more for my therapy than your reading pleasure. So there. *pulls tongue*

This post though... is just something I've been thinking about for ages: Is my blogging bad for my writing?

I think it was Boldly Benny who has looked at this subject before, but it's something that's been bugging me. I'm someone who writes for a living and I keep wondering whether my self-indulgent rambling impacts on my "proper" writing (for lack of a better term) by teaching me bad habits.

I mean, essentially I write whatever I like here (although I do sometimes censor myself to keep anyone from getting in trouble or to protect myself and those I love), while my other writing has to be structured for a specific purpose. I can't just waffle about my feelings for a big financial story, for example. Or inject the slang words I blog with into web copy for a technical company (I have recently realised how often I use the word "awesome" as a description and that I tend to start sentences with "so").

On the other hand (and, proving my point, I am essentially "thinking out loud" or writing as I think here), maybe this blog allows me to clear my head and my heart to be focused on my pays-my-salary writing. Maybe writing this online diary of sorts (that usefully acts as an I-can't-lose-these-notes-coz-they're-not-on-paper record of things for me) gives me the outlet I need. I have always said it's my therapy.

I don't think I could consider giving blogging up. I have met such cool people through it and it really does help me to keep my head straight. I just sometimes find myself reading other people's blogs and admiring their writing style and thinking, "I should use my blog to develop my style - I should write properly like they do."

And yet, some of the blogs I read are on my list not for the writing but for the realness, which teaches me something else completely. Something that's not academic or even something I could put in words, but that benefits me enormously. Something about the human spirit - about laughing, sharing, sorrow and connection.

I don't know what I'm on about anymore. Give me your thoughts, please! They may be more coherent.

She lives (although her technology doesn't)!

I am not dead, in case you were wondering. Please excuse my long absence from the blogosphere. It was due entirely to happenings outside of my control, namely:

• Despite every effort at flu prevention, I ended up getting sick after all. Flu plus a nasty ear infection and impressively disgusting sinusitis meant that I was confined to bed for a couple of days. Seeing Hellkom STILL hasn't sorted out my DSL at home (7 weeks now since I ordered it), I had no internet. Hence no blogging.
• We moved offices. And I still don't have access to my own work email or internet connection, more than a week later. Hugely frustrating. Hellkom, the devil of an IT guy and various other evil forces have conspired to keep me unconnected from my beloved intertubes. I am currently writing from a colleague's PC. Yes, every other person in the office is hooked up, except me. NOW do you believe me that technology hates me?
• TSC is away for a varsity practical week, so I have been in hibernation, enjoying my own company and not really communicating with anyone other than the voices inside my head.
• Aliens abducted me and removed the part of my brain that blogs, leaving me without anything worthy of writing.

Ok, so I made the last one up. Partly.

But just so you know... I am alive. In the same way that the hopes of the Azanian Peoples Organisation of winning the upcoming national elections are alive... Not really.

This has proven one thing to me. There is life away from the intertubes. It's just not that exciting ;-)

I will try to blog again soon. Hopefully I get internet access on my own computer this week. And once that happens, I will begin the slow task of trying to catch up on all my blog-reading.

Withdrawal symtoms suck!

Seriously! Who would have thought that blogging could be so addictive? It hasn't even been a week since my last post and I couldn't go any longer without sharing my inane and unimaginative holiday-brain thoughts with the blogosphere. Sheesh! I need net access at home. First priority for next year!

I got stuck into the veggie garden yesterday. I am sunburnt and look like a lobster, but it was awesome. I will take pics and try to post them again soon.

I just wanted to tell you all that. Because for some inexplicable reason you guys seem to care. Awesome it is indeed.

Well, I don't have much time, but I'm going to do some quick reading (sorry if I am too hasty to leave you a comment) and satisfy my bloggy needs ;-)