The other day Candice and I were chatting about blogs and why we blog. The discussion really reinforced for me that I blog for me, and only me. I love the interaction with other bloggers, don’t get me wrong, but that’s not why I do it. I have been blogging almost FOUR YEARS. Four years of my life recorded in lots of different ways: pictures, stories, snippets, conversations, favorites, etc.

I treasure this blog. When my blog crashed a few weeks ago I realized just how precious these posts are to me. They document some of the best, and hardest, experiences of my life! My blogs been through lots of phases too, which are fun to look back on. For awhile I blogged almost daily about the goings on with my job, CB, writing Jacob on his mission, and my rooommates. Then I started my “___ of the day” style blog posts, which remain some of my favorite posts of all time. I used to hate, in my little obsessive compulsive way, that my blog didn’t maintain a theme over time. Now I’m glad that my blog has evolved with me.

So after the conversation with Candice I was reflecting on the blog rut I’ve been in lately. I just haven’t been motivated to write. I decided that I want to start some blog “traditions,” if you will, to guide my future blogging. I don’t know exactly what it will entail so I’ll just start with one “tradition” at a time.

I love lists. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. I usually have a lot going on in my brain at one time and writing out a list is the perfect way to help me organize my thoughts. I bought a cute notebook to start journaling in (you know, some things just aren’t meant for the blog) but it mostly holds lots and lots of lists.

Therefore, tradition #1 is going to be List it on Tuesday! I will make a list about anything I feel like listing! Mom’s been posting “life list” prompts on our family website for a few months now. I may use some of those ideas or just make a list about what I’m thinking that day. Feel free to use the list prompt on your own blog or to make your own style of list, if you like.

List it on Tuesday February 3, 2009 : Memories of Buses

(Random? Why yes, I think so.)

- Wanting to ride the bus to elementary school.
- NOT wanting to ride the bus in High School and only having to do it once.
- 3rd grade field trip to the zoo singing “Sally the Camel” on the bus the whole trip. Now after being a teacher, I feel bad about that one.
- The long bus rides for Youth Conference at Martin’s Cove and the Manti Pageant. We were so tired after the Manti Pageant that a lot of people were sleeping on the floor.
- The tour buses in Nauvoo for our church history tours. Sharing headphones with people. Watching movies. Brian Ames trying to get a picture of every single person on the bus asleep.
- The only times I rode the bus at BYU were when it was really cold outside and I was late for class. I could catch the shuttle from Liberty Square to the Wilk for free with my student ID.
- Bus rides with my students on field trips. The noise level is deafening! I always had a headache by the end of the day.
- First day in New York on the bus to IKEA. The girl behind me dropped her pepsi (which you’re not supposed to have on the bus) and it spilled all over my flip flopped foot. She didn’t even apologize.
- Riding more buses in the 6th months we’ve been in NYC than I’ve ever ridden in my life before now.
- When our subway is closed on the weekends (which has been fairly often the last few months) we have to take a shuttle bus to another station. Luckily for us, that means a direct bus to church on Sunday (when there isn’t a direct bus normally) that comes more frequently than the subway. And it’s free. It’s nice to not spend $8/week commuting to and from church.
- A woman entered the bus a few stops after me today. It’s snowy and cold outside. She started to lose her footing on the slick floor and I reached out to help steady her. When she sat next to me she started to eat a snack of nuts and then asked me if I was allergic to nuts. So polite. After exiting the bus at the same stop as me she told me to have a nice evening. Quite unusual and delightful. (Also, I slipped on the snow and fell on my @$$ 2.5 minutes later.)

There you have it, the first List it on Tuesday. Hope you enjoy. I did and that’s what counts!

P.S. I like structure but not stress. If this post doesn’t happen every week I am going to let it slide. And I reserve the right to forego it if it interferes with other blogging plans (such as the Christmas Extravaganza of December 2008.) Just FYI.