“I recollect nothing that passed this day, except Johnson’s quickness, who, when Dr. Beattie observed, as something remarkable which had happened to him, that he had chanced to see both No. 1, and No. 1000, of the hackney-coaches, the first and the last; ‘Why, Sir, (said Johnson,) there is an equal chance for one’s seeing those two numbers as any other two.’â€Â From Boswell’s Life of Johnson
Not a particularly relevant quote but I’ve been waiting to use it for a long time.  Humour me. Yesterday I had the 50,000th visitor to my blog since, just over two years ago, Locotes very decently explained to me how to install the site meter thingy. If memory serves me, he entitled his mail “Advice for a raving egomaniac”.
No smirking please, 50,000 may not be a lot of visitors for some of you lot but I am delighted with myself. It confirms my growing suspicion that not absolutely everyone reading my blog has been forced to do so by me. I have a wide circle of acquaintance and many relations but I think 50,000, even allowing for repeat visits (and, obviously, my constant checking for comments), covers more than those. Of course, there are all the people who are looking for waffles who end up here.  Sorry about that people. I imagine that the person from Tokyo looking for baby Dior probably didn’t stay long either. A lot of people looking for information on “suicidal bunnies†seem to be directed here. If you’re here for suicidal bunnies, I appreciate your difficulty, I couldn’t find anything on Amazon either. I suggest you may wish to email Hodder and complain. Or you could stay here. It’s delightful, 50,000 visitors can’t be wrong.
While we’re looking at user stats, can I say what a kick I get out of the world map that the site meter people give you and I see little dots all over the globe reading my blog (or looking for waffle recipes, as appropriate)?  I love the fact that someone from Anchorage used to regularly read this blog.  Please come back lurker from Anchorage, and don’t be unnerved that I know you are there, this is all my visit counter tells me; I cannot track you down and send you scary things in the post
So thank you gentle readers, for reading, it is great to know you are out there. And thank you kind commenters for commenting, it is lovely to get comments. Any of the rest of you like to delurk?  I’d like that and, as you know, I presume, it’s all about me, me, me the raving egomaniac.
I’ll just hang around then.
Oh go on then. Since you asked so nicely. I asked for delurkers on my blog a while back, and even though I know (from stat counter) that I have quite a few, just two surfaced, only to then completely disappear again.
So yes. Delurking. I think you’re wonderfully funny, and I regularly laugh out loud at your posts. I came here ages ago via a twisting and turning path of links that I think may have started with someone who knows Switzerlady in England, and possibly via Minkleberry. But yes. You’re a well-deserved egomaniac. Keep up the good work!!
Okay, I’m a little unnerved that you know I’m here, but I’ll delurk because you specifically invited me to do so. 🙂 I don’t remember how I came across your blog, either, but check in occasionally (depending- cough- on the strength of the neighbor’s wireless connection; it’s a bit expensive to pay for a decent connection when you live by yourself up here) because you’re consistently funny and literate all at the same time. To be honest, although we are evolving quickly in this part of Alaska- wonderful bookstores! decent coffee! hummus on demand!- and there are many, many reasons I am glad I moved back after years away, we are still pretty backwoods here and sometimes I like to be reminded that not everybody in the world is a conservative Amerkin redneck with an unacknowledged drinking problem. Thanks for continuing to amuse and distract me.
Oh, I love your blog. I came acrossed it while reading sothefishsaid and rudecactus. I love reading yours, and I always fidn myself laughing out loud. I am actually in New York but I am originally from The Dominican Republic. A loyal reader.
look at them delurk!! congrats on 50,000, and i’m sure the princess can say ‘felicitations’ in 6 languages. bejaysus. 😉 xo
I’m no lurker but je te felicite quand meme. 50,000 is a lot of nosiness. If only you could harness it in some way.
Gosh this is so thrilling. I was sure nobody would delurk. I’m delighted with myself. And with you, obviously. And you too Bobble (though you fall into the unusual category of person I met via the internet, though not actually met, as such) and Kristin and DLD. I think it’s all going to my head…
I suspect it’s a little late for me to consider delurking …
I read quite often and laugh regularly. Delurking from Houston, TX for a quick hello. The stories you have are wonderful!
Congrats on the milestone. I think 10,000 of those hits are mine. I’m more of a stalker than a lurker.
I am officially de-lurking myself! Reading from Riverside, CA daily and enjoy it tremendously. Thanks a mill!
Well if we’re all saying where we’re from, I’m from north Wales, but am in university in Leeds, so I read from England and from Wales, depending.
I’m here, too!
From little ol’ Holland Landing (or East Gwillimbury, or [most likely] Toronto), Ontario, Canada.
I have no recollection of how I stumbled across your site but I love Belgium – my parents lived there for a few years – and I love waffles, so I stayed.
I’ll delurk! I’m from Australia but lived in Brussels for 2 years (2002-2004) and had a preschooler and baby while I was there, so I enjoy your account of being a foreigner in Brussels and having children there. I have three kids too – my youngest is about the same age as your twins (another reason to read). I love your sense of humour and admire your ability to cope with three little ones so close in age!
I don’t do loyal — it’s a genetic default position– but since everyone else is tossing inhibition to the wind, I should probably indicate why I turn up here from time to time.
It’s schadenfreude. Naw, not really. Only joking…. I dropped in on your old 20six haunt way back, liked the strapline and found myslef staying. Even when the Cork issue surfaced. And the wobbly-brain thing. 😉
So: why? Could be the Brussels connection. Or else your well-observed and elegantly told take on the world. Or Hindenburg syndrome…
Anyway, you’re a good read.
Pog, just a little but I still love you.
But not for you, Channah, Juliette, Laura, sabd and Em. Welcome, please stay and stay.
BroLo, stalkers are always welcome.
How lovely to hear from you Doc.
I’d just like you all to know that this was not intended as a compliment gathering exercise, but I’m really glad that it turned out like that.
I’m lurking today – mainly because I’m too tired to leave a comment of any coherence, but I love the Princess’ linguistic abilities – she is just fab
I’m a bit late getting in on the delurking action. I used to be the dot over Estonia on your world map tracker dealio-thing. But I’ve moved back to Canada now, so I’m the same ol’ reader just not such an exotic looking dot anymore.
I love reading your funny stories. Brightens my day 🙂
Thank you Dawn. I was going to leave a comment on your blog but your comment thingy didn’t work for me. I feel alas you may not see this, but I’m grateful all the same.