True confessions

As of today, I've been blogging here for a month. So after that long tenure it's time to come clean on some deep, dark secrets I've been keeping from my reading public.

1. My profile picture is about five years old. Yes, I wear glasses and look a little older now. (The photo of me reading at a signing is from this spring.) But I didn't pick that photo to erase the extra five years. I chose it because it was taken on the North Carolina beach where we've vacationed for years. I think how much I love being there with Howard and Abbie shows on my face.
2. I edit posts. I know that it's not generally accepted protocol to go back and edit something you've posted, but I can't stand letting typos or other mistakes stand. So I've drawn a line in the sand (hmm, perhaps I'm still on the beach...) to keep me mostly honest. I only allow myself changes in the first couple of hours after I've posted. There's at least one error I've seen in an older post and haven't changed. Bloggers, is that acceptable?
3. I am not as upbeat as this blog. For some reason, the cynical or pessimistic side of me hasn't come out too much yet -- maybe it's that happy profile picture, maybe it's the cheery palette. Maybe it's that I started this blog partly as a distraction from being newly unemployed. Whatever the reason, be forewarned. Things may get ugly around here. Or at least sarcastic.
4. I'm pretending to have readers. Note the universal tone, the questions posed to my audience. I sound like a vast number of strangers is showing up every day to take in my stunning observations. But Google Analytics tells me that's not true. (Hi, Mom!) I guess I'm using the Field of Dreams approach. If you write it, they will come.