Random Rants

            The idea for this blog was born one cold morning last May. I know it must have been cold or why else would I have been heating water to make tea. For more on that see “Spouting Off” (when I post it).

         That whole incident was like a big rant in my head, which I eventually wrote down (at least I thought I did, but I haven’t been able to find it, so I might just have to write it fresh and hope I get the details right).

         And so I thought it might be interesting to start a blog called Random Rants where I could post things monthly. Of course, with the word “random” in the title, I wouldn’t be forced to stick to a schedule but could post randomly as things occurred to me.

         Fast forward several months, I finally decided to look into different (free) blog options. In addition, I used Google to see what names were in use. Obviously, you’ve figured out that Random Rants is taken or that would be the name of my blog.

         Well, this sent me on my own cyber journey—an enlightening experience that verified that there is nothing new out there. Whatever we’ve thought of, someone else did too, and got there first—at least in my case. Even titles akin to “everythingelseistaken” were in use. Blogs using forms of “venting my spleen” abound.

         One day, I happened upon what I thought was a great and original idea for a blog—if completely non-descriptive. The Yodeling Yak. You see my older daughter was perusing an old alphabet book—probably saved because it was signed to her by the author. And there under “Y” it said something about yaks yodeling. Unfortunately, I was not the first to think that yodeling yak had a nice ring to it: it was taken—and not just by one person.

         “Ok,” I said to myself. “I need to come up with an original expression.” Afterall, as a writer attempting to avoid clichés, I put original expressions, metaphors, and similes in my characters’ mouths (and my narrators’). How hard could it be?

         As I thought about this, something else popped into my head—a phrase which I had invented (according to my parents) without even realizing it back when was a toddler. I must have already been familiar with empty-handed, not to mention right-handed and left-handed.

          Whenever my first use of the phrase “full-handed” occurred, it became a common expression in our family and something I use in writing—I think I’ve tried to stick it into every piece of middle-grade fiction so that whichever one gets published first, I’ll have that phrase in it.

         I really should stick it in my nonfiction as that’s the stuff that I am more successful at getting published. I wonder if Chicken Soup for the Soul would edit the phrase out. Hmmm.

         So, I searched for blogs called “full-handed” and came up empty-handed (lol). Thus, I decided to use that for the name of my blog. Unfortunately, the phrase has really nothing at all to do with the blog.

         I am not limiting myself to stories that include being full-handed. This blog is for sharing my opinion (I’m never at a loss for one of those) on common and maybe uncommon events we all encounter in daily lives.

         I hope that you will also submit your own perspectives for me to include (credited to you of course) as well.

         This is not intended for political posturing, slander, insulting particular people, etc. Of course, I might be breaking my own guidelines: “Spouting Off” could be an insult to teapot makers everywhere…

         So, welcome, take a look around, come back often, and let me know what you think.  :)