Obsessive-Compulsive Blogging Disorder and its Ramifications

Obsessive-Compulsive Blogging Disorder: where every altercation, interaction, poetic moment, amusing sign, epiphany, and witty observation must be documented in blog and/or photo format and shared with the online world.

Its symptoms are most obvious when the sufferer feels compelled to take a photograph of, say, a menu. Or a flag pole. Or the back of somebody's head. This eccentric behavior is typically waved away by the sufferer as incidental to the more important Big Picture idea, while bystanders remain befuddled by the individual's mysterious and seemingly random actions.

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Okay, so fess up-- how many of us here suffer from this? Or not "suffer," per se... Because as far as I know, the only suffering that actually goes on is that of my poor, dear friends. Who have to wait while I grab a giant stack of travel brochures because I got a laugh out of the The World's Largest Ball of Twine attraction...

Or while I spent time sifting through a pile of Jell-O ads from 1935...

Or they're asked to take photos out the window of my car while I drive really, really slowly past a road sign... Or a bridge... Or a pothole.... Or a guy with a mullet.... Or roadkill...

Or, well, you get the drift.

So extreme is my love of blogging, and my desire to gather the very best in the funny for my readers, that I've begun taking my camera with me everywhere I go. I was seeing things that made me laugh and lo!-- no camera. So now I am better prepared.

This also means that while I drive to work, I may very well draw unnecessary attention. I mean, I'm not sure, but I might have made the guy in the truck in front of me just a teensy bit paranoid when I began taking these pics on my commute yesterday.


It wasn't intended to be of my fellow driver and his vehicle, though I can see where that might have appeared the case. I was interested in one of those 11' 6" road signs for my Truck-Eating Bridge post. Only how could he know that on a dark, rainy morning, when a flash is going off in his rearview mirror?

Why, he couldn't! He likely believes I was validating his license plate to report a traffic violation. Or I fell in love with his nifty pick-up truck, being unduly influenced by too many episodes of Top Gear. Or I have never seen a more handsome back of a man's head. I mean, dig that ear!

Now, that's one good-lookin' ear.

For my thrifting blog, I have a little vintage car-shaped planter, which has a little vintage doll that sits in it, and acts a bit like the Travelocity Roaming Gnome or Olga The Travelling Bra. It appears at various cool new antiquing locations, and is my symbol of Road Tripping.


This is fine-- my readers recognize it right away-- only my readers also aren't random people on the street... People on the street who see me in front of an antique mall with my camera and a small pottery Model T with a dolly in it enjoying an elaborate photo shoot. I have noticed passersby watch in eye-brow-raised curiosity, as I try to hold this thing aloft in front of the mall sign AND take a steady picture.

This sort of shot requires time and patience. Meaning, of course, MORE people see me than I would perhaps prefer.

I am considering putting out a sign that reads: "Back Off, I'm a Blogger." Or "Bizarre and Blogging since 2006."

Unfortunately, I think only a small proportion of the folks would know what that meant.

So tell me, my blogging buddies-- do you think you have Obsessive-Compulsive Blogging Disorder?

Are you ever in the middle of a nice dinner out and think, "Hm-- I should blog about how one peanut could kill me. Let me take a picture of my spouse's plate of Kung Pao Chicken"?

Have you ever been caught doing something for your blog which isn't easily explained?

Obsessive-Compulsive Blogging Disorder affects one in seven. If it isn't the seven people you just tagged in your latest meme, well, all I'm sayin' is, don't be surprised if that one in seven is you.

Intervention sessions will run every Thursday after Emoticonics Anonymous.

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Wedding Bells and One Dingaling

I'm going to have an extra-special treat for my friend Kitty when she returns from her honeymoon, oh yes!

Yesterday, she and her long-time boyfriend-- we'll call him "The Dude"-- got married in a lovely little ceremony, and aside from the bride nearly blowing into the next county when the enthusiastic wind caught her train and turned her into a parasail, it was a great day.

I had been assigned the task of taking photos of some of the decorations they'd made. Kitty and The Dude had both spent a lot of time and effort pulling things together, and my friend just wasn't sure the photographer would get some of those more subtle elements. So, armed with my Canon Powershot, and a couple of sets of camera batteries, I agreed.

So, I turned up at the hotel for the recepton, prepared for my minor supporting role. And right there, out front of the row of ballrooms was the specific thing Kitty had asked that I photograph-- the table of seating place cards. It was a beautiful table, with perfectly printed name cards, evenly spaced with glimmering, shimmering tealights and red rose petals. Red, being the accent color of Kitty and The Dude's wedding.

And I was stoked. I mean, I made sure to get just the right angle... put the proper Indoor settings on, and stood back to make sure the shots came out. After a moment of review, I determined Kitty and The Dude would be pleased.


I was only MILDLY aware that I didn't recognize any of the names on the seating place cards. But this didn't seem especially strange, because I also only know the immediate members of the bride's and groom's families. Done with my first big task, I noticed another shrine-like display a few feet away that I decided might also merit a shot-- and as I went to check it out, then I realized there was a small issue...

Who the heck WAS that couple in the black-and-white Glamor Shot-styled framed 8 X 10 surrounded by rosebuds and dripping with streamers? It was certainly not Kitty and her husband.

Oh no, in fact-- Kitty and The Dude's wedding reception was being held in an obscure wing of the hotel even as I shutterbugged away. And upon entering that area, I immediately saw the familiar table themes Kitty had told me about, as well as a photo album of people who actually looked familiar.


So, when Kitty returns from Jamaica next week, I will show her the photos I took of her beautiful reception. But I think I'll start her out on the shots of Bif and Muffy McSappy's shindig.

I figure after a week in the tropics, her nerves should finally be able to take it.

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