You know how you’re like, “Tell us your real name!! Show us a picture!!” and I’m like, “No, I’m all ANONYMOUS and you may not hear my name or look upon my countenance!”
Well.
Something is coming up that is forcing me to show my hand: I’m going to be writing at a new place, and they need (1) a photo and (2) an actual name.
So I thought that since I have to do this anyway, we ought to have some CONTESTS first.
For the name, I think what we should do is this: I’ll give you some hints, like the year I was born and the approximate popularity of my name. You’ll each have up to three guesses, or maybe five guesses. Depending on how many people guess right, there will be a prize or prizes. The higher the correct name is in your list, the more Right you are. Good, yeah?
A few of you already know my first name, and you guys can’t play, which is sad but I can’t think of a way around it. You could make a list of your favorite names from that year, or a list of names you think would also fit me, or a list of names you want to call me for excluding you from the contest, or whatevs. Maybe there can be a Pity Prize.
Don’t do it now! Wait! This is just the heads-up about the contest, not the contest itself!
About the picture. We already did the quiz, and that was SO FUN but we’ve already done the answer key, so now there could be rampant cheating. It’s too bad, because that would have been PERFECT. Well, every life, rain, fall etc.
OH WAIT!! I do have an idea! I’ll post my photo along with photos of other people. You will try to pick me out of the line-up. GENIUS?? YES I THINK SO! If you have a photo you’d be willing to let me use as a decoy in the line-up, or if you have friends/relatives who wouldn’t mind having their photos used, let me know (swistle at gmail dot com). (It increases your odds of winning, because you’d be able to eliminate an option right off the bat.) It has to be my approximate coloring: I’ve got dark blond (OKAY FINE IT’S LIGHT BROWN) hair and green-brown eyes. Also, I wear glasses.
Now I need to spend some time mulling about the prizes. Fudge? Brownies? A copy of my favorite baby name book? Clean out my hair products drawer into a box?
Don’t start guessing the name yet! Wait! I’ll do a separate post for that!
Sounds fun!
Writing elsewhere?
That sounds fun too…
oooh, exciting.
I’m so excited I think I’m having heart palpatations!
Can you tell us where you’ll be writing?
Um, this might be the most exciting thing that has happened to me in WEEKS. At LEAST.
Oooh what fun…
So far, I’m loving your new writing gig. :-)
Erica- I will, but not yet. Not out of coyness/teasingness, but because they’re going to be getting me set up over there ahead of time, and I don’t want any CHEATING!
Yay! Now when I talk about you in real life as if you are a good friend and/or genius (ie Swistle makes her own baby wipes) I will not have to call you Swistle.
I am going to FAIL. But I will try!
I’m with Jess! This is likely the most exciting thing that has happened to me in longer than I should probably admit. And it will be my first official blog contest entry. Yep, I’m living on the edge!
I am also very much looking forward to reading more of your writing elsewhere!
Yay! I love this – you are always so entertaining! I agree with what someone already said about not having to call you “Swistle” when I talk about you in real life (as if I know you personally.)
congrats on the new writing gig–well deserved ;)
BTW, is it just me or are the word verification things getting WAY harder?? I just missed 2 in a row :(
I can’t wait to actually see a picture of you! So cool!
Oh, I am totally in, especially if the prize is the baby name book! I’m hoping to find out I need a copy soon. :)
Yessssssss… I have a few names floating around in my read already!
Looking forward to having more of you to read!
How exciting!!
Wow! I am excited to know your real name more than to see your picture – only because of your fascination with names. Do you like your name?
Plus – I have this picture of you in my head. I wonder how close I am…
This is very exciting, and even though I (a) suck at guessing and (b) never win contests, I will try. That is how excited I am.
Make sure there’s plenty of time for those of us in different time zones to enter!
I have a decoy pic with approximately the right colouring but no glasses. Damn.
PS. By “different time zones”, I mean on the other side of the world.
OMG, this is like meeting Santa Claus.
I’m with Shelly, it IS like meeting Santa. You were one of the first blogs I read and one of the reasons that I started blogging. I feel like I know so much about you, yet I don’t know your name. How exciting!
Oh, I like the idea about giving away the Baby Name Wizard book. I’d love a copy!
Oooh this is so exciting!
I am now strangely bummed that I know your real first name. NO BROWNIES FOR ME.
(Also, um, yeah, the word verification? IS LIKE STRANGE OTHERWORLDLY PUZZLE. I missed four.)
This is going to be so much fun! I’m great at games like this, I can’t wait!
No fair. I want a consolation prize. I know your name and what you look like….Congrats on the new writing gig!
Unveiling the Swistle! Whoo!
Wahoo! Fun times!
All I can say is WOW. This is almost too much- a REAL name and a REAL picture?!?! My mind will be blown.
Also: new writing gig? YAY! Hope it pays you OODLES of money.
(OMG. I keep failing the word verification too. Perhaps it’s a sign that I need to head to bed early…)
This made my day! I am so excited!
If you can’t tell us WHERE, can you tell us WHEN? Like, a week, a month, next year? WHEN will I know the real Swistle?
I could send you a pictures of me! My hair color changes often, but it might work.
I am always failing word verification. I’ve just accepted it.
OMG! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!
P.S. am I the only one having trouble reading the word verification? I can’t tell WHAT THE HELL those smashed up letters are!!!
ATTEMPT NUMBER EIGHT at word verification. Here goes nothing.
Dun dun DUN!
Now I have something to look forward to this week. Oh, and congrats on the new writing gig.
This is such a SWISTLE PARADIGM SHIFT!
The name and picture thing is totally exciting, but I want to know more about how you FEEL about moving from Mystery of the Blogoverse to Nonanonymous Blogger! How does PAUL feel?
I am super excited about this.
I’m like Tessie, too. I want to know if this is weirding you out at all…
Congrats on the new writing gig! How awesome.
Is it weird that I’m kind of sad to find out your real name and to see a picture of you? I kind of liked the mystery.
Congrats on the new writing gig! How awesome.
Is it weird that I’m kind of sad to find out your real name and to see a picture of you? I kind of liked the mystery.
Congrats on the new writing gig! How awesome.
Is it weird that I’m kind of sad to find out your real name and to see a picture of you? I kind of liked the mystery.
I do feel weird about it! But also glad!
I started out anonymous for two reasons: (1) I tend to err on the side of paranoia, and (2) I hate having my picture taken. But then it kind of turned into a THING, you know? Like I COULDN’T be less anonymous, even if I wanted to!
Still, when I was deciding whether or not to do this new writing thing, I had to weigh in the name/photo thing—and I did think of it as the most important part of the decision.
Once I’d decided to do it, though, it started to seem FUN!
P&D- No, I know what you mean! I feel the same way about finding out more info about bloggers I know: I’m excited, but it’s also…weird. And not always pleasing!
Ooh this could be fun. Or stressful when I can’t figure it out. Can’t wait to read you at your new gig!
Yay!
Wait! You mean……..you mean…your name ISNT Swistle??!! OMG I feel so cheated, lied to..swindled!!!
Hhahahaaa!!!
Godd for you! Congrats on the new writing spot!
Cant wait to hear more!
PS what in the heck is going on with word verification, I cannot read the jumbled up letters anymore, I need special “wv glasses” I guess.
Am I the only one who can’t get past the fact that some people :DO: know your real name???
:)
Seriously, this is all very exciting.
Ooooh! FUN! Can’t wait for the name-guessing contest!!!
I have to admit, the whole 100% anonymous thing eats away at me. LOL. I’m not sure why, since you’d think a person could let go of that… but I’m too curious of a cat to let anything go. LOL.
I know your real name and what you look like! This is so fun…it is like already knowing the answers to a test!
SaLy- Ha ha! I was wondering if anyone would bring that up! Of the people who already know my real name, about half are non-online friends, and the other half are people I ordered stuff from like on Etsy.
OOH! This is going to be so super duper fun!!!
Am I the only person who is a little sad? I love the name Swistle and I like the mystery surrounding you. I was at Target the other day and the lady in front of me had 2 year old twins and was talking about her older kids who were in school and I thought, “SWISTLE?” but then I noticed no Henry and the twins were girls. But still. It was an exciting potential moment.
Linda- I know! I feel that way a little, too! Also, I hope everyone will continue to call me Swistle, since that seems more like my “real name” than my real name does!