Today I reached a milestone that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
The day didn’t start out quite so warm. In fact, just the opposite:
My picture. Taken with MY iPhone. Take THAT Google images! The Potomac River, expressing my feeling that with the GOP in charge of both houses, Hell IS Freezing Over.
But now I have a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Coffee and oatmeal helped, but really it was the number that did it.
“I have 3,999 blog followers!” I told John last night, excitedly.
As in all things blog-related, he just looked back at me and politely held back the “so what” he was thinking. (Can I see a show of hands of folks whose significant other has zero, zip, nada interest in all the wonders of blogging?)
For a non-stats watcher, well, I was watching this one. It was kind of like New Year’s Eve, when I just have to watch the countdown. And I have to do it aloud.
So this morning, while I was reading blogs I got my 4,000th follower!
PROOF!
There I was, commenting on Felix the Cat and I saw the orange star light up! And heeeeeerrrrreeee he is — my 4,00th follower:
Snakes in the Grass
A Blog of Retirement and Related Thoughts
Stolen directly from his blog. Yes, I am that kind of woman.
He blogs about retirement, technology and his new life in Florida. He’s a new blogger — I am his 33rd follower! And that’s a nice number, too. Go check him out.
Thank you all for reading my stupidly named blog, for commenting, for “liking” and even for arguing. Thank you for writing the crazy, varied, dramatic, thoughtful, sarcastic, mind-blowing pieces you guys post. Blogging is a blast, and I really treasure the very real relationships we have developed here in the tubes.
Do I hear 5,000?
FiftyFourandAHalf 
Congrats!!! And yes, I have that kind of husband. He doesn’t think he needs to read it cause he “lived it”. Seems really weird to me. I would read his. I swear I would.
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Oh my — how did you find this post? Jan 2015!
Almost 2 years later my husband still doesn’t care. Once he realized there was no money to be had! Like you, I’d read his!
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I had to research how I came upon that post. It was a suggested post under the ru following me one! It was very suggestive 🙂
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Ah. Strange. It really has nothing to do with it! Keywords are really odd!
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Congrats on 4,000! Wow, you’ve gotten really popular while I’ve been away! Will you still deign to speak to me? LOL
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Congratulations Elyse. This is a real accomplishment and you should be proud of it. It takes real work to get to 4000. On to 5000!!
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Thanks!
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Four thousand? You’re nearly a celebrity. You mind end up in one of my celebrity dreams.
Can I get your autograph?
🙂 Congrats!
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Sure john. Here’s my autograph: X
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Congratulations and well-deserved honor. I’m green with envy:-)
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Congrats, Elyse! I hope you celebrated. If so …. How does one celebrate 4000 followers?
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Love it! Yes, you need to hear 5,000…more!
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oh, and, congrats friend!
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Thanks!
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Have you met any of these folks in person? I migrated to WP after my beloved blogging website (xanga) shut down. That was my home for about 10 years and I met some truly amazing individuals. Online friendships are special and unique. Eventually I had the honor to meet a few of them in person after years of pouring our hearts out to each other. They were my best friends yet I had never even heard their voice. The experience was surreal.
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Only one. There is another whom I have tried (and will continue to try to meet. She lives in Maine, where I go. But it’s a big state, so we haven’t ma named it.
Well, and there is you, who I met not knowing you were a fellow blogger!
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Congrats, Elyse! Well deserved!!
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Thanks TD! You were in the early phases, too!
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Indeed. I’ve been on this train for quite a while now.
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Congratulations on 4,000 — but *we’re* to be congratulated on having the sense to BE followers. 🙂
P.S. It’s well deserved. 🙂
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Thanks, Cindi. Please don’t let anyone know how much I paid you to get you to write that! 😉
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wow… I am lagging behind…
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I think you have real followers. There are probably only 100 real ones included in this number!
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still
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Whoot, whoot, whoot! Congratulations, Elyse. The next 4000 are just around the corner.
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Thanks, Peg. But isn’t that a train comin’ at me?
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Yeah, the gravy train!
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Hooray! Congrats!!
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Thanks, Nicole!
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Wow! Congratulations, Elyse. Nicely done.
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Thanks, Michelle. I think you were among the first!
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Holy shit, really?! Well done, you. I think I have something like 320. That’s kind of embarrassing when you consider how long I’ve been at this.
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I think I’ve successfully tapped in to folks who want to sell me stuff and spam bloggers. But hey, I’ll take it!
(Seriously, I think I have about 100 “real” followers.
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I have a very small following, but they’re a vocal bunch. I’ll take that any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
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Absolutely!
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Congrats!! My hand’s up for my Hubby’s lack of interest in anything bloggy! He roles his eyes every time I tell him that I want to read him a post. He does let me read them to him though. Otherwise I might have to hide his remotes!
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Thanks, Gibber. One more thing on the list of things we have in common!
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I know eh?!
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Woah, congratulations Elyse! Let’s open some New Year’s Eve champagne 😀
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Thanks, Lily! I can taste it already!
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Congratulations, Elyse! Onwards and upwards, I say… 5000 and beyond.
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Awww, Trend. You make me feel like Buzz Lightyear! To infinity and BEYOND!
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That’s right Elyse-dude – you do rock.
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And roll! But only through the 1970’s
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I loved the 80’s too, and then got grungy in the 90’s.
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I hope you’ve showered by now.
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Um… yeah… sure I have….
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I think there’s a special place in heaven for men married to bloggers. I also have a long-suffering male at home. That said, I’m sure he’s proud of you. Great job!
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Your husband is proud of me??? 😉
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Well done! 🙂 MJ
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Thanks, MJ! You’re a longtimer, too. Thanks for comin’ along for the ride.
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Well of course you have 4,000 followers, you are brilliant, insightful, funny, witty (not to be confused with funny), compassionate, you have two (2) Oscars, you write like Margaret Mitchell, you have been both Freshly Pressed and even better Freshly Pegged.
Why in all Hades wouldn’t you have 4,000 followers? I am just grateful I got in mid-way.
(sidebar: my insignificant other didn’t start paying attention to my blog till after he left, then he paid a great deal of attention for fear I might say something mean and evil)
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Val you are a sweetheart. But with this post, I no longer write like Margaret Mitchell. Today I am Cory Doctorow, who I’ve never read. What’s a girl to do???
As for your now insignificant other, perhaps you can pepper your posts with little bits only he will know. On the other hand, your poetry must drive him mad …
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I suspect my poetry drives him to dribble.
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Good.
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Congratulations Elyse!
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Thanks, Paul! When you get that new computer and start your blog, be sure to let me know — I’d be pleased to highlight it here.
(Julie No-Blog, did you hear that???)
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Story of my life being all excited about blog related things to the audience of crickets living in my house! Congrats on this milestone and I have no doubt you will have 5,000, there is an election on the horizon and that might even bring you, dare I say …. 10,000.
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Peanut — yours is no doubt proud of your blog, Tops. MY Peanut (Jacob’s childhood pet name) is more “meh”
Oh god, I don’t even want to think of 2016! Hillary bores me to death and it looks like she will be the dem nominee. Yawn ,…..
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Congratulations! The next 4,000 will be a breeze!
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Thanks, Mae! But I don’t know about a breeze. Yesterday immediately after posting this I got another follower — 4001! And then I lost one. Sigh.
Roseann Roseanna Dana was right — it’s always something! (First world problem alert!)
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Congratulations! That is awesome 🙂
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Thanks! It really has been fun.
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Congratulations. Because we both seem to gather followers for whatever reason, I wonder how many we have in common. Cheers to the milestone! … and to think it happened while reading Felix.
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Thanks Frank. Oh, and Felix (!) I think we have a lot of followers in common. I often read the comments on your site and check out bloggers who leave interesting comments. Sometimes I follow them … and sometimes they follow me. That method is really how I find blogger buddies — through the comments.
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I was thinking more about the bloggers who follow then you never see them again … I’m sure you got your share!
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I have no significant other, but I can guarantee that the people in my life (siblings, children, dogs, and the occasional stranger) have zero interest in my blogging. Of course, lately, I’ve had zero interest in my blogging, too, so I guess I’m not surprised that hordes of people aren’t clamoring for my next word to hit the (electronic) page.
However, I am impressed. Does this mean I sorta-kinda almost know someone famous? I mean, 4000 followers must make you famous, right?
not only are you popular, you’re cute, too.
oh wait, I was referring to Duncan. he’s cute. 🙂
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With your history, my friend, you are a true “nitch” blogger (spell check wanted to call you a Nitche blogger, but I overruled it).
You know, I often think that my bloggin’ buddies know me as well as the folks around me. And they rarely interrupt me (as far as I can tell).
I am cute. Not nearly as cute as Duncan, though. Although he is in full teenager mode and so it is a damn good thing he is cute or we would kill him! He is stealing and chewing and mouthing everything, especially me and my work clothes. Oh and my good winter coat that I stupidly just got cleaned. I’m sure the saliva smears look like they were meant to be there.
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I have no doubt that you are cute. Anyone that writes with as much passion as you do, has to be cute. I’ll bet you even have a lovely smile, and twinkling eyes, too. I just enjoy poking fun at you.
I’m with you on that whole “good thing they are cute” thing. My little dog, despite being given more than adequate opportunities to relieve himself outside, still manages to occasionally use the corner of the sofa or perhaps the big dog’s pillow to empty his bladder. He’s lucky I haven’t tied every part of him in knots, as I have no tolerance for a dog that knows better, and does it anyway.
Sorry to hear that your wardrobe is currently undergoing, uhm, renovations. Tell Duncan that someone in Texas is warning him that CUTE only goes so far, so he might want to think about being a good boy. Unless he wants to hear “no, no, no” for the rest of his life. 🙂
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We’re about to get some professional help for him. He is driving us nuts. Especially my husband who works from home.
Gotta go, he just pulled a clean place mat off the table ….
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“Can I see a show of hands of folks whose significant other has zero, zip, nada interest in all the wonders of blogging?” Hand raised quite high here. Oh, congrats on the big 4k.
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Thanks, Doobster. I was reading your post just as you were reading mine …
Sigh on the sig other. In my next life, I’m going to have a spouse who hangs on my every word (actually that sounds pretty horrible).
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My hand is raised high! When I showed my husband my most read blog post ‘Lest I Forget’ last week he read it – finally – and said, “It’s ok.” I have no idea why he cannot get excited about this. I love blogging! Yay for you! And I’m already happily following you.;)
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Thanks, Elle!
Isn’t it funny that they just can’t/won’t get interested? I do hope you slugged him for the “It’s OK” line!
On one level I understand it with my husband — the story posts are stories he’s heard a zillion times already. But …. He is actually the one who encouraged me to start writing. He wants me to write a best seller so he can retire. He won’t read THAT, either (in the unlikely event, that is!)
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Oh I’m so glad to hear that for my sake – not yours. Now I don’t feel so bad. H hasn’t read my book either. Just portions I have read to him. ;( And its not a best seller – yet!
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I haven’t read it either 😦 I will have to look it up. I know John would be afraid to see himself in my characters. And of course, they would all have his bad habits!
It must be hard. I can’t, for example, imagine reading a sex scene my husband had written. Too uncomfortable …
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Ooh! maybe that is what he is worried about. I hope not from the content in my book. Why do people always suspect you are writing about your own affairs. I’d been running far away if that was the case! LOL! The good guy was great! I’ll tell him he was the good guy if that’s what he wants to believe. hahaha
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Congrats to you. I’m also glad your milestone was a real blogger and not spam. Will be checking him out. And…Bahahaha at Hell freezing over. Omgosh, so funny.
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Thanks Jaded. If only I were joking about hell …
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I know you aren’t joking…and I’m actually terrified.
I have a non blog friend who expresses interest in my blogging and I can’t get the courage to out myself, lest he not be my friend anymore. Oh, the irony.
5k is just around the corner for you.
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Why would he no longer be your friend? Especially since your posts are hard to find!
It is hard sometimes having real life friends and relatives read my blog. Sometimes I just want to bitch about them, but can’t!
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Well done, young lady.
My wife was my first reader, best critic, and my general conscience if I started to get out of hand on my site.
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Thanks, Guap. Does she know about the naked bar stories on there?? 😉
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You go, girl!
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I wish I could go to some of the places you blog about! Would that count?
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You take us to whole new worlds, Elyse!
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Great answer! Thanks Naomi!
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You rock, Elyse! Congratulations. Now I want an iPhone shot of George Washington rolling a silver dollar across the Potomac. 🙂
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Thanks, Mark.
Hmmmmmm, George? How about one of George W falling through the ice?
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Congrats Elyse! Thank you for always providing good reading material the past few years. And yes, my husband has absolute NO interest in blogging and whenever I talk about it his eyes glaze over within seconds. Nonbloggers will just never get it.
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Pffftttt on non-bloggers! Especially those we are married to.
You are one of my oldest and favorite bloggin’ buddies, Darla. Thanks for all the laughs and even some tears.
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Same to you! You were one of my earliest followers. I remember posting a vlog because of your questionnaire. And YOU were the one who inspired me to do the Bloggers of the Month interviews (that have since been completely abandoned….hehe)
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I remember that Vlog! It was a hoot. And your interviews. I think all the others you interviewed stopped blogging though. I’m not sure there is a connection. Nah. Probably not!
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haha! Y’know, I’ve often thought of that too — how odd that every blogger I’ve featured decided soon after to quit blogging….hmmm…..Angie Z…..The Good Greatsby….Charles from Mostly Bright Ideas….etc etc.
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Their spirit lives on ….
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Congrats indeed and Snakes is a great story teller. I was one of his early on followers and as usual I have no idea how I found him! You will be hitting 5,000 before you know it.
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Isn’t that always the way? Where do followers come from? Me, if I see someone writing interesting/funny/compelling comments on my blog or someone else’s, I tend to check them out. But how they find me? Who knows. Except of course the folks who are trying to sell something!
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It’s always disappointing to check out a new follower only to find out that they have one page and it’s an ad for making money.
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Or worse — the folks that you can’t possibly have anything in common with except perhaps breathing oxygen.
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Those too!
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for a while there, I was attracting followers that were (1) anti-liberal, (2) against choice, (3) against equal rights for all, (4) and rude enough to suck up all the oxygen in the room
guess they were trolling for someone to pick a fight with, but I completely ignored them, and eventually they went quiet again (and hopefully disappeared, seeing as how I am fond of oxygen) 🙂
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Yes, I know the type. The most annoying ones are the gun rights folks who argue with me when I write about stupid folks with guns. They get my blood boiling, I can tell you that.
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Very cool!
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Thanks!
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Congrats on the milestone! And how nice that it was a real blogger and not some spam account. And even nicer that you chose to spotlight him. That’s lovely. 🙂
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Thanks, Carrie. I wasn’t sure what to do if it was a spam follower. Although, I think they are my biggest cohort!
I checked out his blog and enjoyed the posts I read — so I’m happy to share the love! That’s kind of what it’s all about.
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That is outstanding, Elyse! Onward and upward to 5000!
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Thanks Toby. I think it will be a while! Unless of course a new product is invented and folks want to sell it to me (and you and you and you). (I’ve never really understood how, exactly, anybody makes any money with those websites. I guess the answer is they don’t!)
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Fabulous, and (as one of the lucky 4000) I can say that it’s mighty well-deserved!
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Thanks, Barb! It’s a lot of fun (a total time suck, but oh well!)
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Congratulations!
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Thanks, Punk!
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Yahoo!
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Danka, AC!
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Glad to be one of them. Congratulations!
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Thanks! I’m glad to be getting to know you!
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Congratulations! Is it possible to be both extremely excited for you and envious at the same time? I have a feeling that pretty soon you’ll be celebrating your 5,000th happy follower!
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Sure you can. But since you live in So. Calif. and are nearing retirement, I think I’m going to envy you right back. Especially Monday when I expect to be driving through freezing rain to get to work!
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Thanks for the highlight! You are very kind.
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Sure thing, Snakes. I look forward to getting to know you.
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Woohoo!
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Thanks, VD. That’s pretty much what I said.
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Way to go! Congratulations.
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Thanks! It’s nice to ne getting to know you!
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Happy to be one of those 4,000. Wait, that was so this morning. Now your WP tracker reports 4,001.
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That is always the danger… Glad to have you hanging out!
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What a great milestone…congratulations!!
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Thanks!
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