My Fortune 500

500 days ago I was looking for somewhere to start. I wanted something that would spark the discipline that I knew I had in me to write every single day. You can discern from looking at the photo above that the half of the equation that keeps me here begins with a "w" -- I take pictures so that I can write here.

Finding Blipfoto is still a wonder to me. I simply went to google and typed in "blog" or maybe "daily blog" and Blipfoto came to the surface. Several times since that day in January 2009, I've repeated that action and I did today and it does NOT present me with Blipfoto. So Blipfoto is one of the best surprises of my life.

I am not a photographer (well, I am now). So I consider the photo each day the price I pay to be here . . . what a terrific price. My investment here has paid HUGE dividends.

I'm not sure that I have ever done anything besides sleep, eat, and blink for 500 days in a row. There is something here that is so wonderful, so amazing, so delightful, so intoxicating, that I was quite quickly addicted to the daily "fix" of capturing a photo and a phrase that would convey my world and how I had spent my day.

I've always thought of Blip birthdays as big "THANK YOU" days. I would have never started this journey or continued it without all of YOU. So before I begin my celebration (well, actually I was celebrating the moment I jumped out of bed this morning), I want to express a few specific thank yous:

To Joe -- You'll always be my hero because you created this wonderful site.

To Joe's mom -- I think you are amazing. He is who he is because of the foundation that you gave him. I think moms should get lots more credit.

To BlipCentral -- I don't know who you are, but I sure appreciate that you keep this site running smoothly and you continue to add the spice that makes this place better and better.

To all who look, who comment, who encourage, who advise -- YOU will never know how much you add to my journey as I stay committed to daily recording something about the life I am living. It would be impossible to name the blippers who have enhanced my life (I'd need for Joe to give me the role sheet because I'd like to thank each blipper). Many of you in your comments or on your page have made me laugh out loud or shed a tear or scream with delight or sigh at the wonder or pain you've expressed. This place evokes every emotion known to humans.

To Mr. Fun -- who has been my hero since I was a teeny-bopper and who has had to adjust to life with "Rosie the Blipper and her camera," and has adjusted to "Rosie's world of cyber friends," and has had to help Rosie with the camera and or the computer at moments when he wasn't in the mood for fiddling with technology. Thank you Honey!

One of my favorite blippers, on her blipday, said it was "till death due us part" and I so agree. I plan to blip until I can no longer breathe. So I think you are stuck with me.

Thank YOU everyone!!

From Southern California, where summer is just around the corner,
Rosie (& Mr. Fun) (and Bob dog too), aka Carol

P.S. I love my Blipfoto badge (so I included it in the photo). I don't wear it to the campus because my students aren't fond of "F" !!!!!