Happy Anniversary to Me

One year ago today, my blog was born. Only a select few of you will remember that, in its original incarnation, this blog was titled Follow the Bouncing Ball…, and it appeared in the jet black format that you see here today. (Don’t worry, things will return to normal with my next post, but today is a day for nostalgia.) Now here we are, 84 posts later, and like a bad sitcom, I’m going to pass off a stroll down memory lane as a brand new post. Hope you enjoy.

September 2004

Initially predicted to be “little more than a passing obsession, and not a long one at that,” Benjamin debuts Follow the Bouncing Ball…. Despite his family being fully aware of its existence, it is not until the third post—a brief overview of the annual state fair (where “we smelled the stench of livestock that, at next year's fair, will again make an appearance, this time in the form of $4 corn dogs and slathered over hot scones to be sold as Navajo Tacos”)—that anyone comments. This gets the ball rolling, but in less than two weeks, that ball becomes the orange sucking phenomenon that it is today. Benjamin lightens up not only the color scheme of his blog, but his persona as well, becoming the ever-effervescent Benny K. Sucking on Oranges is officially here.

October 2004 – January 2005

Benny K continues to focus his posts on the worlds of school and work. On occasion, he waxes intellectual, with posts such as “You Speak, Therefore I Am,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Addiction,” and “Beating Around the Bushnell.” Entertainment news, items of consumer interest, and personal idiosyncrasies also make their random appearances.

February – March 2005

Day-to-day observations and anecdotes become a larger part of Sucking on Oranges. Despite a modest response, the post “To Pee or Not to Pee” becomes an instant classic, showcasing Benny K’s “talent” for eloquently expounding upon the mundane facets of everyday life. “Fairies and Bunnies and Eggs – Oh My!” becomes the most comment-laden post in Sucking on Oranges history. In late March, Benny K’s first spin-off blog, Orange Theology, makes its debut.

April – May 2005

Sucking on Oranges reaches its zenith with a sudden onslaught of regular not-obligated-due-to-familial-ties readers. “Sandman on Strike?”, the sad recounting of a near-sleepless night, becomes another favorite, while readers’ comments gain some of their highest numbers ever (“Name That Tune” and “Quizzical Existentialism” being two of only three posts ever to break into the double-digits). On May 19th, Benny K’s other spin-off blog, In the Key of Orange, makes its debut.

June – August 2005

Despite a surge in posting for June and August (twenty posts between them!), summertime does not prove the most fruitful for Benny K’s writing. Many posts consist of memes, links to other websites and blogs, photographs, and brief announcements. Nevertheless, the occasional post still provides what is hopefully a humorous snippet from Benny K’s life, whether it's getting a haircut, being ripped off by Triple-A baseball, the certainty of getting a bad seat at the movie theater, literally not getting what you ordered, or using maps to get lost. Philosophical rants include discussions on whether or not one should disclose past acts of infidelity and the ethics of pirating music.

September 2005

Benny K uses his one-year anniversary to shamelessly promote himself, insulting his loyal readership with a barrage of “been there, done that” information. Will they ever forgive him?


But in all seriousness, folks, it’s been a good year. Thanks to all of you who read this blog, whether you’re a regular or not, whether you’ve ever commented or not. I’ve stumbled upon a lot of great personalities, and a lot of great personalities have stumbled upon me (and, for some reason, hung around). Thanks for that. I’ve enjoyed the company, and I hope it will continue long into the future.

THANK YOU ALL!