Well, not quite...

I don't actually live on Confederate Ridge Road -- yet. And I probably never will. My boyfriend and I were driving around aimlessly looking for a place to move to (not that he'll ever sell the house like he's been talking about for the last three years). This particular aimless drive took place at about the same time I started thinking about writing a blog (like I've been talking about for the past six months or so -- nobody's perfect).

We drove past Confederate Ridge Road and the house on the corner with the giant stars and bars flying high, and my boyfriend said, "wouldn't you just looove to live around here?"

"Of course, dear. I'd just never be able to open my mouth around the neighbors. I don't think they like Yankees much on Confederate Ridge Road." And in the back of my mind, the little voice said, "What a great name for a blog, if you ever get off your a$$ and start one like you've been saying you're going to."

So it's the time for New Year's resolutions, and I put "starting a blog" somewhere on the list with organizing my life, keeping my car clean, and working out more. OK, working out at all, ever. So far this year I've hiked about three miles (to and from the beach in high-heeled flip-flops -- not recommended), rearranged one pile on my endlessly cluttered desk at work, and made a list of things in the house that need for my boyfriend to organize them. Tonight when I get home I'll throw out the empty Oreo package in my car. Oh, yeah, and I started this blog.

That last item actually has a lot less to do with the whole New Year's resolution thing than with that other New Year's tradition: the bringing to mind of old forgotten acquaintances that people who actually know the words to "Auld Lang Syne" sing about at midnight. So last night after the boyfriend went to bed, I googled my high school sweetheart. As far as I can tell, he's making wine back in the 'burbs where we grew up. But maybe that's not him. Another high school boyfriend -- or someone with the same name who lives in the same city -- is designing video games.

Then I googled a summer romance from my college days. He apparently launched his website -- fourth on the list of Google results for his name -- long before I even started thinking about talking about writing a blog. Among his many posts that I sat reading until six this morning was an oblique reference to... me.

I was touched to think that he remembered me then (the post dated about eight years after we did), and might still remember me now (he does). And it resolved the last lingering doubt that I had about starting a blog of my own: how would my friends, family, co-workers, etc., feel if they ever realized they were reading about themselves? Hopefully they'll feel as I did, and then maybe they'll want to start their own blogs, too.

So that's roughly how I got here today and a taste of some the things you'll probably read about if I keep posting and you keep reading.