Monday, February 13, 2012

LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 
DELAYED REACTION LOUNGE!

Barbara Ward- Finneran
WHOA BABY!!!!! 
It's been a year... a wonderful, wicked and wild year!

It doesn't seem possible that it's over a year ago that Dawn and I decided to fly solo, well actually duo, and then build our DRL family.  There's quite a bit of a long and tangled back story there that has never really been shared here at DRL about  how Dawn & I "met" and DRL's conception.  (Note to self... Blog about that!) In the nutshell version Dawn and I decided in late fall of 2010 that we wanted to blog together and in time invite others to blog along with us as "regulars" or "guests".  Both of us having a bizillion other commitments we decided it was would be wise to put launching off to after the holidays.  We set a target launch date of February 14th - a great day for the "new baby" that we would love to be born.

Amidst the chaos of the Christmas holidays and into January we brainstormed and planned a bit.  Flung emails through cyberspace, jotted notes all over the place, and had quite a few marathon phone calls to plan for the birth.  By late January we wondered if our target date could be a reality. I was lost in the design of it all.  Desperately trying to find balance between the designer and writer within me.  In fact, on Thursday, February the 10th, I called Dawn and pretty much told her, "No way. I can't get this designed in time".  I hung up with her reeling and disappointed.  Madder the HELL that I "couldn't" do it.  Madder then HELL, that I couldn't "Keep the promises that you make to yourself"(I made to myself).  Design experience I had plenty of... Website design, not so much.  I had drown myself in delusions of grandeur --- figuring out how to design it all.  HA!  That was funny and not in the ha ha kind of way.

What's a designer to do??? Call your best friend from art school, that's what you do!  Late as it was I rang Laura.  She talked me off the ledge. And, let me tell you, I was looking and equipped to jump.  Like so many times before, Laura helped me find a way to "design it".  There's nothing better then a savvy BFF, who knows your strengths and weaknesses to boot you in the butt and get you to pick yourself up by your stiletto straps--- in design, blogging, and, or life!  Shortly into the conversation she made it so apparent that I was working to reinvent the wheel. DUH!  How did I not see it? That despite my skills, abilities, and desires... I couldn't do it all. Laura and I talked long into the night discussed tools and templates that would allow some design control and yet not become another ball and chain.  I was sold and determined to make that launch date a reality.

Friday morning was just the first of many moments of making Dawn's head spin.  (It's fun sometimes! HA! LOVE YOU DAWN!) The conversation went something like this:
"Remember that I told you it was off?"
"Yes."
"Well, forget everything I said last night! It's on!!! Come hell or high water, we will launch on Monday. It'll be a 'work in progress', but we will launch! WE WILL KEEP THE PROMISES THAT WE MAKE TO OURSELVES!"
"@#%& YEAH!"
"Agreed! @#%& YEAH!"

Not much sleep ensued among the next few days of "blood, sweat, and tears" that followed.  Our baby would be born via a surrogate and her name was "blogger".

Now really, in order to be true to life (especially our crazy lives) --- what would DRL's birth have been without a delayed reaction of some sort! ;)

The weekend was wild and wicked.  I poured myself into Blogger & Adobe Illustrator. Fielded phone calls and texts that enwrapped me with encouragement (Thank you all - you know who you are!) and plowed through the unknown to make it familiar.  Pulling Dawn right along in all the "fun" as she also tended to all the other details. Picture two hamsters (adorable & feisty, lol) stuck in a wheel and going for broke, carrot dangling!  Sunday the 13th was a whirlwind of trying to be ready to launch at midnight.  Last minute finesses and preparing the posts, contacting the other writers, getting every little thing in order. We were exhausted and bringing it right down to the wire.  Yet, knowing it would happen.  Happen on time, like we planned, like we promised!

By 10:30 that night we were really ready.  Still not sure how the heck that happened but we were as ready as we'd ever be, read to rock!

Tick Tock went the clock........
Later still on the phone and not being able to get the timer to work on posts, we decided we'd post it just after midnight.  (Yes, the phrase "Blogger Flog-ker" was born that night too! I should have a dime for every time we've said it since - HA!)

Tick Tock went the clock........
Still on the phone. Still exhausted.  Practically dozing while talking.  We gave up!  Obviously not on the blog. We gave up and gave in.  We put the first post up before midnight and went to bed!  Fatigued, frazzled and flying high!

That is how DRL was born and how "our baby" came a day early.

WHOA BABY!!!!! 
It's been a year... a wonderful, wicked and wild year!
Wow!  All very amusing to think back on in retrospect. Like  many things, not so funny at the time.  All memories that I am very thankful for having and hold in my heart.  We've done a lot since that sleep deprived weekend.  We have had over 1, 500 posts read in over 105 countries!  We broke our initial goal of 100,000 posts long, long ago.  We have had stories and posts that make you laugh, cry, feel creepy, get excited, think and comment. (We'd welcome more comments BTW!) Not bad for the little blog that could.

DRL would not have been born with out the love, support and encouragement and of our family and friends (you know who you are!) Let me not fail to mention the endless writing inspiration and material that you have all helped to provide. We thank you & hope you forgive us too - LOL.   DRL would not have grown into a family without the dedication of our regular writers.  Marion, and our funny man, Tony, of Drop Dead Comedy, have gone above and beyond and always have entertaining posts to share every week since day one.  A fact I can't even boast!  Way to go "guys'! Jillian B. Hart and Patty B have been regulars along our journey who have also been well read and embraced.  Jill's Heart's Desire has been know to spark a fire!  Patty's Sticky Sweets are enough to make you crave more. (We miss your posts! I know how life gets in the way ---  but get to writing, and I will too!) Jenn, Gary O, Robert, Michael, Natalie, Bridgette, MicheleJessica Lemoine McGinnis Yee, and "The Good Girl" (You all come back now - real soon! Again, we miss your posts!) have contributed and been enjoyed. (Geez, I hope I got everybody!) The stories and beautiful inspiration from the women of Michael D Colareno's Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project (BCABPP) and his beautiful artwork, who were featured in "Pink Reaction" inspired us to tears.  Many thanks to Doris, Ellen & Pamela --- May the courage and strength that you shared come back to you tenfold! We have successfully cross promoted and have had so much fun with Deanna and The Unnatural Mother.  "Behind the scenes" support and reassurance from our favorite IT friends, Laura, Gary & Jay. The endless questions and laughs with us and at us have been priceless.  Hey... we aim to entertain! :) We wouldn't be still doing this a year later without all of YOU!!!  Dawn & I thank you all from the bottom of hearts and from those places that dreams are made of... and we love you!

None of it would still be going on 365 days later without all of YOU!!!  
Without our readers!  Dawn & I thank you all from the bottom of hearts and from those places that dreams are born!!!  Because of all of you DRL was born and better yet - has had a birthday. 


We love our readers and hope you'll keep coming back for more!
THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU EVERYONE!

It's still a work in progress.  Oh the places we can go!  I know I am looking forward to years ahead!  (Looking forward to finding more time to write again - but, again... that's another blog!)

Stay tuned this week for more memories & re-runs of the best of the best of our first year.
Love, Peace & Prayers... Always,
Barbara

PS... All the non-red text (hyperlinks) will bring you to related posts or websites - Kindly support everyone and click around.  If you are new to DRL you are certain to find some great stuff that you missed! ENJOY!

10 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday! Thank you all for be part of our story!!
    *CAN NOT WAIT TO READ THE BACK STORY BARBARA ;) Thank you for being a great partner in crime! Cheers to the future!!

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  2. Mark this down... this is one time I am saying something without meaning it in a perverted way...
    I LOVE THE DRL LADIES!!!
    Happy Birthday!!!

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  3. I love being part of the DRL team! It's been an awesome year! Happy Birthday DRL!

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  4. Happy 1st birthday DRL! What a year it's been! Many thanks to your talented, spirited, honest writers for all the laughs and tears along the way.
    And to my art school BFF Barbara: it's been my honor to have had a role in the blog and to have had all these years of friendship with you! You always have my support!

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  5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRL!!! CONGRATS EVERYONE!
    THANK YOU READERS & FANS!

    The pleasure has been all mine! It's been a fun & awesome year. Here's to more! Here's to that back story Barbara!

    I promise to be off hiatus soon - this week in fact!
    Thanks for letting me be a part of the DRL team!

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  6. I remember were you wrote before

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  7. I remember too. I even remember this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-0DuoeCoNY

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  8. Happy Birthday, DRL!!! I look forward to reading your blogs everyday. Best of luck in the future!

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  9. Happy Birthday DRL!!!!! I just may come back, with some juicy juice!!!!

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