Thoughts on the ‘Thon Now That It’s Over

Well, we have just over an hour left, ALMOST over!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  The hours when my husband wanted me to ‘come out and play’ and not sit in front of the PC.  so ALL the evening hours!  We sat by the pool of one of our neighbors for a few hours with me bebopping back to spread a little cheer sometime in there with the excuse of ‘potty break’ and then the next-door family had a huge cookout with fireworks, all that jazz. I think we came in at 11 pm and I cheered about an hour and a half. Then attempted some sleep but it was restless. I got up at 4:30 am EST and didn’t move except to refill my coffee cup for 4 hours straight!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?   I saw quite a few completion lists with Stardust by Neil Gaiman.   But then, I really want to read this so that’s probably why I noticed it. 

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?   I think overall, the event was AMAZING and incredibly well run and organized.   Can’t think of a thing except personal things I want to remember for myself now that I know what it’s all about.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?    all of it?    I feel bad about the few links in the list that didn’t get linked  (FinnyB and MorganMoore?) and the few blogs that I was unable to comment at the beginning seemed to get fixed later, so that was good.   I’m pretty sure I got to everyone at least once and with the GoogleReader, I visited many blogs many, many times!    (if you’re reading this and I didn’t visit you, pls let me know and I will visit in the future.  but somehow, I doubt you’d be here to read this… oh well!)

5. How many books did you read?   I read over 60 pages!    and I still have some time so I might read some more yet. I was not signed up to be a READER, only a cheer-er.

6. What were the names of the books you read?    none completed.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?    When We Were Orphans by K Ishiguro

8. Which did you enjoy least?    not applicable

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?    YES!  Make sure you have a google blog id – goes much faster since there are a lot of google-blogspotters…    THANK YOU to whomever set up the feed;  it couldn’t be done without it.  or not as easily.     Which, sadly, means that if a reader didn’t update or add many posts, they probably didn’t get as many SIS-BOOM-BAHs and pompon waves. Also… I attempted to keep a count of comments and it got away from me fast. I know I got thru my list on paper ONCE and then got a few more double and/or triple checked. Then I realized I’d lost control. I would like to figure out a way to do this next time. Even tho, I might not cheer… Also, I think we could have been given – or asked to – provide a 4-5 hour time frame of being HEAD-CHEERleader or maybe to make up a zinger of poem to cheer with or even have as a challenge to visit all the cheerleaders during their assigned time – or something. Maybe that is too cheer-centric and off the concept. Speaking like the egocheermaniac, that I was! aNyway, I’m brainstorming…

 

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?   YES, again:  YES.  I loved it.   I want to be a reader next time.    Which also means that I will need to spend a few hours brainwashing the Hub to be more Hub-O’Wonder-like  and to RESPECT this event.    I will still comment and blog about as a reader but don’t want to commit to cheering.   Then, when I grow up to be as wicked cool as Eva, I will try both.    

Other things to store away in/for my ‘rememory’ is:

1.    Have a clean house.   Lots of healthy snacks.   Prepare the coffee pot before I need it.   Clean off my desk.  Have pens/notebooks handy.

2.    GET some graphic novels and short stories and poetry books.  oh!  and audio books.

3.   Choose funny and light books as well as fascinating memoirs.

4.   Brainwash Hub into LEAVING for the weekend or …   give him notice that I’m leaving for the weekend.  maybe talk Jimmi into doing this with me.   I’m 50/50 on whether or not she would….

5.  Buy a new PC laptop!!!   have blogging post templates ready for easy upload.   same with photos.

6.  Save all blog urls to a file for easy cut&paste to make sure I visited everyone.    Actually, the link might embed and wouldn’t need to C/V now that I think of it.  

7.   Print off a time zone with HOUR NUMBER into a chart for easy checkoff and page count updates.   Something fun would be a post at the beginning tell you who was in which time zone?    a place map, maybe.   I know we had Korea and Sweden and ????   and all over the US.