5 Year Blog-aversary!

[Me celebrating my 5 Year Blogaversary with Sarah and Sara, who baked a five-layer five cake for the occasion.]

This blog turns 5 years old today. On this date, way back in 2006, when I was another person, I typed these fateful and completely uninspiring words:

Yet another blog.

The purpose of this blog is to report what's happening on the Twin City streets. I'm primarily concerned with politics, urban infrastrucutre, media infrastructure, and neighborhood life here in the TC.

Our cities are changing fast. Are we getting enough information about how and why this development is happening?

And like a tree falling in the forest with nobody there to hear it, TC Sidewalks was off and running.

Since then, I've written 584 posts of highly variable quality, and the blog has changed completely. Originally, I'd intended to compile and collect news, and sprinkle it with a little bit of opinion and comments about street life. Today, the blog is completely different. I've ended up making it a lot more personal, a mix of daydreaming about different wonderful corners and spaces in the Twin Cites, political castigations, vague theoretical explorations, and lots and lots of photos and links. Its like having a great secret hobby. For example, every time I see a dog tied up to a park bench without an owner in sight, I get really excited.

Today, Twin City sidewalks is an attempt to share what I love (and hate) about living in and moving around on the streets of the Twin Cities. It's been a wonderful outlet for me, allows me to be somewhat open and creative, and I don't know what I'd be doing without it.

So all that's great. But that's not the best thing about the blog. The thing that (still) amazes me is how many excellent people I've met through the site. The list goes on and on, and I'm totally serious when I say that I'm completely wowed about this. (Hell, I'm amazed that anyone reads this at all...)

So, thank you to all of you who've been reading and supporting my blogging work here. I really really appreciate it!

Happy Blog-aversary!