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Friends I have never heard of

Head Rambles Posted on by

Do you ever wonder who reads your blog?

I know the blogs I read, of course. I have a list on my Blogroll, and a much bigger list in my reader. I’d list the latter now, but it would be too long [and would be a nightmare to type out].

Probably the vast number of these blogs don’t even know I’m reading them as I am notorious for not commenting. It’s usually just because I can’t think of anything appropriate to say. So I read them on a daily basis, yet they don’t know it.

Every now and then, I come across a new blog through following a comment or a link on another site, and there I see it – Head Rambles in the Blogroll!! It’s a very strange feeling. It’s discovering a friend you never knew you had. It’s better than any award.

I’d love to know who is reading my blog. I know the regulars, of course because you comment a lot. And if you’re a regular [that I know of], then your either in my Blogroll, or you are in my reader. I have around eighty blogs in my reader at the moment, and that is growing, to the extent that it takes me quite a while to read through them all. But yet FeedBurner tells me I have well over a hundred feeds going out, and that doesn’t count the ones who take a direct feed.

All I can say about my readers is what Google Analytics tells me. I know that Irish and Americans make up the majority and they are in equal numbers over the last month [well – a 1% difference]. The UK comes third. I seem to have a few readers in China and France, but they are outnumbered by readers in India!

So there are a lot of friends out there, and I don’t even know I have them. I feel bad about that. I feel disloyal to them, even though I don’t know who they are.

So if you read this, and you have never commented before, then welcome Stranger. If you have me on your Blogroll and I don’t know it then I am humbled.

Drop in a comment sometime and say hello.

 

Comments

Friends I have never heard of — 40 Comments

  4. The wonders of “teh internets”.

    I noticed that you are a bit shy on commenting on other blogs alright. I tend to be the opposite. Blathering away and forgetting what I commented on and where.

    I have to agree with you when you say it’s a strange feeling seeing your own blog linked somewhere else and you are exactly right it is better than any award.

    Now which blog to comment on next. Hmm.. We are spoiled for choice.

  5. Robert – One of the big problems I have is that when I do place a comment, I forget where I’ve done it. I wish people would have mail notification installed. That is a great add on.

    And I have commented on your blog! I just forget where 🙁

  6. Grandad,

    You are the sole occupant of my “entertainment” category on Reader. I also subscribe to a few cartoons and a lot of educational feeds (some of which are unintentionally funny!) but you are definitely in a class by yourself!

    I find myself sounding stuffy and earnest at times on my own blog, but I’m still a flower child at heart and you make me laugh. Thanks for brightening my days.

  7. Aw! Thanks, Diane. 🙂

    I’m still very much a Flower Child myself [except for the garish bell-bottoms]. The Good Old Days, where people stuck flowers in the muzzles of guns……..

  8. Hello Grandad,

    You are the first one I read every day. There are only a few others. I love to comment to Grannymar and yourself because you are both such fun.

    I love your blogs about tourists and when I comment, I am only trying to “Butter you up” so you won’t take a shot at me if I happen to visit Ireland and accidently venture near your lane.

  9. I’m an avid reader, appropriating your wisdom as my own and dazzling my friends with my witty but informed conversation.

  10. Nancy – All you have to do is send me a thousand dollars [so I know it’s you] and I will treat you with all the respect you deserve.

    Hi Rosie. Why aren’t you on my feed reader? Anyone who uses the word “gick” has to be on my list. I haven’t heard that word used in about fifty years!!

    Anyway, You’re on it now 😉

  12. Hiya Ashley!

    Did you get the drinks I sent you? [And sorry about crippling your Vampire! 🙂 ]

    For those of you who don’t know Facebook, the above will seem strange. Don’t worry. You are a lot saner for it.

  13. Indeed I did and a big thank you to you, however I ignored the advice of not drinking them at the same time!

    As for crippling my Vampire…..watch this (that) space….

  16. Hi Grandad, I can’t say I have been visiting and reading for a long time and sorry for not commenting till the last two posts, but I only just visited grannymar and clicked on her post to your link. So that’s how. I am here now, though! And I can see many more visits in the future.
    Well, hello and cheers!
    G

  17. Hello Grandad!
    You’re top of my reader list. And most of the time, I end up sending your posts around the office for a laugh.

    We’re constantly amused about your posts about your favourite ISP 😉

  18. Hey Grandad,

    I’m one of your recent readers. As soon as I read one post of yours, I immediately subscribed to your feed. Your writings make me laugh every morning while drinking coffee and before starting to work.

    Hello from Serbia.

  19. This is a blog? I thought it was something that came free with Firefox. Good thing I never read it.

  22. Hello from Singapore, not China. You’re not on my official bogroll but I follow you covertly. Don’t tell.

  24. Wow! I never expected this……

    Flirty – 121 to be exact. Surely you have more than that?

    Hiya Gaye – Actually, it was one of your posts that gave me the indirect inspiration to write this one! You just got me thinking about the whole blogging phenomenon yet again..!

    Welcome Daffy! Do I get repeat fees from being passed around the office? My ISP have been behaving themselves lately, so I have been quiet on the subject. Maybe it’s time to stir them up a bit? [You don’t work for them, do you????]

    Hi Jelena. Sure, you’re already in my reader. And thanks again for that link last month 😉

    Sneezy – If I come free with Firefox, does that mean I’m open source? I’m getting worried now.

    Brianf – Could you please stop phoning me at stupid times in the early morning. I’m getting out an injunction.

    Hi Sue. I’m working on the interview, but I haven’t had much time lately [I’ve been sleeping a lot]. Do you want the questions in the form of pictures?

    Hiya Patrick, and welcome. I’ve come across your site a few times in the past, but for the life of me I can’t remember how or why. Do we know each other? Have I been to Singapore? Fantastic photographs, BTW!

  27. Patrick – I always thought Skerries was north of Dublin. What the f*ck is it doing in Singapore? The only time I was in Skerries was one time I went fossil hunting near Naul. I ended up there by accident. You have my sympathies.

  28. I go there occasionally, not Skerries exactly, just outside, but I imagine it’s the most likely place we’d have met. I think I’d remember you on your trike though. I suspect you caught my reference to the war on tourism on my blog some weeks ago. Did you meet your fossils in the end?

  29. Yup – War on Tourism!

    There used to be a hill up there somewhere that was mostly quarried away. There was a ruined windmill there. It was a fantastic place for finding fossils. I can’t remember the name of the place.

    Now I just wander down to the local old-folks home if I’m doing fossil hunting.

  30. Gdad! Oh oh oh, you read one of my posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (triple sommersault while trying not to land on the laptop and hence this comment). I was looking at the pie-chart that shows the length of visits and I gasped that a wholloping 73 percent is about less than 30 seconds, even shorter than how long it “supposedly” takes some men to orgasm, roll over to sleep and even have their first snore. But a precious 20 odd perfect stayed and read some.
    By the way, speaking of “friends never heard of” and people visiting but not leaving comments, where is your comment under my post then, huh huh? You came and left like a phantom didntcha? Despite the indirect inspiration and whatnot. Pfft.

  31. Oh by the way, I’d like to think some of the 73 percent leaving as soon as the page uploads are also those who were googling “g-spot” “how to find g-spot” and other various search string combinations with G-spot in them. Either that or they are fast readers and their ever so brief visit has nothing to do with my lil blog being crap, etc.

  32. Grandad, Quit answering the phone at stupid hours of the morning! If you are filing an injunction then please don’t forget to place Helens name on it. It’s all her fault.

  33. I confess! I put you on my blogroll because it makes it easier for me to click in to read you regularly. Hope you don’t mind, ’cause I want my readers to read you too. You got me with the American tourist post. I thought sure it was Johnathan Swift reincarnated! But it was just you.

  34. Hi Grandad!

    Thanks for giving me much needed morning giggles!

    I should probably put in an order for them smart missiles of yours as well since that American lady came to the door querying if she can have a look around our house cause “she’s been thinkin about buyin a holiday home in Ireland”. Then she went on to specify she’s an ex-judge???!! So feckin what ya mad stalker woman??!!!

    Good thing Mutt The Mad does NOT take kindly to people who have a nerve to ring a doorbell.

    Bhah!

  35. i read every day but comment rarely because i’m usually laughing too much ….thanks and keep up the hunting

  36. That was just my schizophrenic alter-ego. He gets about sometimes.

    Did you ever wonder that maybe the mention of ‘senior porn‘ on your site – I’m damn near certain I saw it somewhere – could be contributing to your popularity?

  37. Gaye – You were having such a fine time with Sixty [Schicho] that I didn’t like to interrupt. And maybe the 73% are very fast readers?

    Brianf – I switched on Skype for half a second last night, and you were still lurking. Stoppit!

    Hoof – Sure, you have the entire family there. We are honoured!

    Foreigner – Just tell her that property is cheaper in Baghdad.

    Cooper – Welcome! You get the giggles? Does your psychiatrist know you read this?

    Daz – You have just improved my rankings in Google yet again. Thanks. And you know that’s how you found this site yourself. Don’t deny it…

  38. Hi Grandad

    Ok I’m coming clean – I’m a ‘lurker’ and read your blog every day. I resist commenting in case someone throws something at me because I’m English. Love the blog :0)

  39. *raises hand*
    Lurker from San Diego here in love with with a Belfast boy. Having been to Belfast and Dublin several times over the past two years and I can picture what you write about so clearly and adore your dry sarcastic wit… it flies over the heads of most people I know here but I love it!!!

    I came upon your blog, during my surfing the internet, from Slugger O’Toole to Twenty Major to fatmammycat to you I believe is how it went.

    So if I marry my Belfast lad and move over will I still be considered a tourist?? 😉

  40. Hi English Mum and Penelope_CA, and welcome!

    I have nothing against the English. Where did you get that idea?

    Yiz all seem to be very concerned about visiting our Fair Isle? I hope to have some news on that front shortly……..

    P.S. I like lurkers 😉

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