Happy Birthday, Dear Blog, Happy Birthday to You

Yesterday, little Len Speaks, you had your special day. Three years old. All toilet training and now wearing long pants. What a big boy you are!

In all seriousness, I had no idea that, when I first posted a blog entry on March 15, 2007, I'd still be doing it three years later. I had no clue that I would be also posting something every single day. Originally, I figured I'd write when I had something to write about. It was nothing more than a writing exercise that a few friends could enjoy. But, lo and behold, I must have a lot on my mind.

Whew!

Now, I have people reading this thing from all over the world. Either some folks have very high thresholds of boredom or I really do have something to say. Funny most of the time. Serious a little of the time. Always compelling I hope.

I commemorate my time here at the annual date as well as whenever we hit a momentous count in daily entries. 500, 1000. I'll probably wax philosophically at the 1500 mark. And again next March. If I'm here, I hope you'll be here, too.

There are readers who have their special favorite days. The Monday video laugh. The Wednesday ramble of nastiness. The Sunday memory drawer which has evolved into my memoirs and a virtual outline of a movie script. I've lost readers along the way for some things or opinions I wrote. I've gained others for writing the same things or opinions. Frankly, if the emotions shown here were not raw and uncensored, there would be no point in writing them down.

Truth be told, I've managed to keep this up without writing or composing every single day. The real writer figures out a way to be productive and procrastinate all at the same time. For instance, I'm headed to New York tomorrow and will have less time to blog. But, I pre-write so much material that I have plenty in reserve. The Monday videos and the Saturday classics are already lined up right through the end of April. At the same time, if something really interesting occurs during this trip, I'll figure out a way to get it here within a day or so.

And there's always one piece in my arsenal that is my back-up in the case of a power failure, an earthquake, or a police riot. Just so you know, when you sign on here one day and read a piece about my hatred of cats, you'll have a clue that something really nasty has happened in my world. Then again, I may ultimately run it and then keep something newer as my cyber failsafe.

I've tuned up the blog engine and will press on for the next 10,000 miles or so. I'm still adding new features. My imaginary lunch companions Saul and Heshe will return. I've started my Moron of the Month series. And, once I get a hang of the new Flip Video camera, you might really be seeing more and more of me here.

As for the Sunday Memory Drawer, that is serving as therapy for me. I am recalling moments and elements of my life long buried. I don't know how much deeper I can get, but, right now, the well is bottomless. And I have a spin on future installments that I could use the help of some good friends.

Daily readers have probably seen some names of folks/friends turning up regularly. Well, I've decided to spotlight some of them and then I want to turn over the following week's Sunday piece to them. If you write it, I will post it. I've reached out to some of you previously and will continue to find the rest of you. The only stipulation is that I have final cut of the editorial content and your story has to involve me in some way. After all, the title of this blog is not Mortimer Speaks.

Hopefully, your memories of me will be happy ones. Naturally, I am not expecting Barack Obama to make a submission.

Thanks for reading and smiling and laughing and thinking. You'll never know what you'll see here. Like, for instance...here's a photo I took of the used-to-be-foxy Katharine Ross at a screening of "The Graduate" last weekend.

I told you. More surprises to come. Until tomorrow....

Dinner last night: Meat lasagna at Maria's Italian Kitchen.