Monthaversary

Report time, one month into blogging and the beerticking challenge. Ahead of schedule... quite dramatically so. Would be a bit worried about the increased level of alcohol consumption, but actually have been sharing beers between two (or even three) folk. Have avoided the feeling of cheating by not counting beers I've only had one or two mouthfuls of. Yes, I know this still might be construed as cheating, and that it certainly presents potential danger at not fully experiencing what a bottle or pint has to offer, but needs must.

Have spent too much, far too much... failed to lose that 6lbs that I was aiming for... the house looks like a sty and my poor friends and family (except those who love beer, who have been overjoyed) have been seriously neglected.

But... seriously... what a ball!

Not only have 50 beers been ticked (almost all brand new to me), but the way I spend my time has changed, for the better. Me and Mr T are spending less time doing naff all and more time with each other. Even Gray's Anatomy has been put on hold, TiVo currently has 5 episodes eagerly awaiting viewing!

If I'm not ticking a beer, I am boring my friends about it, attempting to write about it, or reading about it, or researching what my next beer is going to be. I'm learning and experiencing more of what Mr T has been raving on about all these years. It's satisfying being able to participate and even contribute to conversations that I used to switch off during.

It's not just about the ticking, it's also been about dipping my toes into a new community. Reading other blogs, articles, tweets and comments, and being able to participate in dialogue about it, if I choose to do so, is engaging and adds a whole new dimension to learning. When the blog got a page view that was not myself checking on it for the fifteenth time that day, (proven, because the view came from Germany, and my last visit there was nearly 10 years ago), I felt a rush of excitement. Being all innocent and oblivious, I realised a bit late in the day that the blog's name, pintsizedticker, is an excellent euphemism, and that explained why I kept getting views via a dodgy URL somewhere in Russia, which I found vastly hilarious.

But really, none of that matters. If all this blog is, is an excuse to drink some special beer in great places, with people who I love, then it is an excuse I make freely and willingly and over and over and over again.

And thanks to all for providing interesting fodder for me to read and for checking out my self indulgent ramblings. Here's to another awesome month!