069: Bloggers and Douche Bag Rides

My name is Fatmarc Vanderbacon, and I am a blogger.

I enjoy telling stories, and reading the stories that other bloggers post.

In the beginning the list of blogs I read was tracked by my link list on the side of my blog.
This was tough, because I often found myself going down the list each night as I was looking for new posts, not everyone posts every day. (thank goodness I can’t keep up with that kinda schedule)

A little over a year ago, Wes introduced me to Google Reader.

Google reader was a god send, and basically allowed me to follow more blogs, as it pulled stories into my “queue”. The newest posts would be listed first, and as I marked them read, they would move on out. I increased the blogs that I followed, but the downside was the reader “scrapped” the info and sometimes pictures. Stories were good, but I missed going to the actual blog sites to see how the author had set up the page. I missed the header photos, or information about the author on the right. Frankly, I thought that was one of the best parts of blogging, seeing everyone express themselves through the set up of the actual blog. Reader, took some of this away.

In the last few weeks I added a gadget to my blog. Essentially it lists all the blogs on my reader with a link to the right of my page. Clicking on it takes you directly to blog. You see the story in it’s original setting as the author intended it. I love this feature. Now a days I have up loaded all the blogs in my reader into my blog roll* and show the 10 most recent posts.
I get to read the story with the pictures, in the setting as the author intended. I am super stoked. I am back to using my blog as the central depository for my blog reading. Awesome.

*There is one other blog that is on my reader that I don’t have on my blog roll:

Gwadzilla, the iconic blogger who I credit with Fatmarc.com getting started. Gwadzilla posts like a mad man, and with only the 10 most recent posts showing on the blog, having Gwadzilla would most likely result in an all Gwadzilla, all the time blog roll. Nice for a while, but I do like some diversity in my blogs.
I met some friends for a "no douche bags" road ride today. The ride was a little over 2 hours, with a great group that gets the rules that there will be no "douche bag" moves today, no "lance armstrong look back climbs". Just a solid base paced ride. Very fun.

The group was: Jan, Conair, CZ, (i)Paul, Lisa Lisa, MTB Mike, JDub, Sanford, Dennisbike, Charlie F, Disco, Doc, and K-man. (hope I didn't miss anyone.)
the ride was fun, but now my legs hurt.

thanks for reading.
Please enjoy the fine links I am enjoying on the side bar.

respect
fatmarc