A to Z-view

If anyone ever tries to convince you I'm clever, you just point them at this title and nod—you know better.



First off, I want to throw out a HUGE thanks to





Gratuitous Llama Picture

Lee (Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out)

Alex Cavanaugh

Damyanti

Tina Downey

DL Hammons

Jeremy Hawkins

Shannon Lawrence

Matthew MacNish

Konstanz Silverbow

Stephen Tremp

Livia Peterson

L. Diane Wolfe

and Nicole



These guys did a GREAT job! Compared to past years I ran across far fewer spammish, outdated or non-participating blog. I only hit a couple where people hadn't jumped in and then a couple more where people got a few days behind. Compared to past years, it was REALLY minimal, so I know these guys were working HARD! THANK YOU!!!



I think, too, the labels worked where they were there—I was one of the guilty folks who signed up without reading the instructions, but it was helpful to know what I was in for. I didn't use it to screen per se, though I DID use it in conjunction with blog length—if it was LONG and on a subject I don't have much interest in (gaming... and I think I did it once for a crafty thing) then I screened just a little. I like to get to know a variety of people.



So overall, I think it was run REALLY WELL this year.





As for MY Report Card...



That is more a mixed bag. I had a couple successes:



I FINISHED

I have several new followers (not quite 20, but close)

I made a pretty good effort at visiting everyone who visited me

I made some new friends I plan to visit regularly



Where I fell down though, is where life got busy... book promo prep, the SWAMPED day job, family crises... I started strong on the visiting, but by the end, I was barely keeping up with visitors, let alone getting to others on the list. I think I got through 300 from the list, but probably 2/3 of that was in the first week, then I trickled.



Overall it was a good experience though.



So how was YOUR A to Z?