I am miserable at keeping up with my comments. Both giving and receiving. Just horrible.
When I hear my email ping and see that it's a new comment, I am thrilled! Even if it's just two words. I love them all! I think, "I can't wait to check out their blog" or "Ooh, I have the perfect response to that." Then I don't do either. Not right away, anyway.
By the time I do, I rarely leave a comment. I'm just not good at short little "ditto" comments, so if I don't have anything relevant to say, I usually say nothing at all, no matter how much I enjoyed the post. Now, I just told you that I love even the "Nice blog" comments I get, so who knows. Etiquette is beyond me, apparently.
It's totally my loss, too, because I miss the best stuff. I finally clicked on a very gracious commenter's link the other day and discovered Fenicle. Oh. My. God. How much do I love her?! I couldn't help myself. I started commenting left and right, that is until I realized that she had one of those "recent commenters" sidebar thingies and my name was filling all the slots at that late hour. It was sort of embarrassing, so I had to tone it down a bit.
I did the same thing when I finally clicked on 'Twas Brillig. She had a Christian Bale streak and I was hot on her tracks.
It's not that I don't read blogs. I do, but it's so sporadic and usually done in marathon sessions on the weekend or late at night. Organization is not our thing during the day, so time to read anything other than children's books is sort of out. When I try, bad things happen. Bad mommy. Bad blogger. Bad Southern girl.
I realize that I just wrote about how I don't apologize for not having blog rounds or keeping up with my comments. But it is in response to a comment about etiquette from the Queen of Shake-Shake that made me reconsider.
Cue the swooshing sound effects and "Ta Da!" music... Google Reader to the rescue!
How behind am I that I have just started using this?! I mean, I just started a couple of weeks ago. Really. And up until this week, I only had maybe five subscriptions. Amazing. I was still checking each blog individually. Call me old fashioned, I like to read everyone's posts within the context of their blog design. I really do. I feel like it's part of the post. Atmosphere. Essential atmosphere.
But then I discovered how to use the Google Share feature that all the "cool" blogs have, and there's no turning back. I love it. Love it love it love it. People, this is the answer to my poor commenting habits!
Even though I don't comment much on other blogs, I usually adore most of the posts I read. As most of you have already discovered, this Share feature is the ideal way to send a little love. No, you don't get to promote your own blog through a link on their site, but whatever. That's not the point. It's much better to send more hits their way.
Well, drumming up new hits of your own is a good point if I want anyone to ever read this blog, but you follow me. Maybe I'll just make a point to comment and point out that I've Shared them. Then you know I won't and they'll never know because they've certainly forgotten me by this point.
Man, I'm a crappy Comment Whore. I told ya'll, once I receive the things I covet the most, I always screw them up. I'm like a hooker that gets all hookered up and then forgets to at least fake it for her John. I mean, you gotta at least fake it, right?! Make 'em feel like they're getting their money's comment's worth.
So from now on, even if I don't leave comments like I should and don't follow-up on the ones you leave (I'm really going to work on that one because I really do lurve them comments!), know that I love ya and am thinking of ya, and keep checking my Envy sidebar for my favorite posts "I wish I'd written." They're gold, people. Gold, I tell ya! Yes, this means I'm going to have a huge Share sidebar, but did I mention the gold thing?
In the meantime, I'm going to have to buy one of Suburban Oblivion's Comment Whore shirts. Remind myself to whore it up a bit more. Anyone looking for a date tonight? I'm not really supposed to leave, but I'll be over to your blog as soon as I can shake my pimp.