Phriday Phenomenomenon

You know, I remember when Sheryl's International De-Lurking Week was just an ember of an idea. (Last year.) Now, it's a massive conflagration blazing across the blogosphere, and thousands of readers are smelling the smoke. They're poking their furtive little snouts out from their warrens of anonymity, saying hello, and scurrying back underground. It's become a phenomenon.

(And if you're like me, you like to let the word "phenomenon" loop along recursively in your brain. "Phenomenomenomenomen..." Definitely helps bring down the old diastolic after a stressful day. Try it at home!)

Dutch and Wood over at Sweet Juniper smartly transformed DLW into a charitable event, and in the interest of blatant meme-icry, I too am in the mood to part with a pile of money.

For every unique commenter between now and the deadline (Friday at 5 p.m. EST), my wife and I will donate $1 to Heifer International. If you don't have an e-mail address or a website, I don't care. Make something up. "denise@underpants.org." "farty@buttmas.edu." Whatever. A first name and your home town is all I'm looking for, because it intrigues me to see just how far news of TwoBert's drooling has spread across the globe.

Thanks in advance for making this a very lucky Friday the 13th.

Update: Whoa, Nelly! After 27 hours, we've reached the end of the road. Thanks to Sheryl for the spark, to Juniper for the inspiration, and to all of you for commenting so generously. And a super-special tip of the cap to Liz and Stacey, each of whom has offered to match the Laid-Off Donation. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a menagerie to browse.

Comments

[stacey]

I will match the dollar amount of comments you get because I myself am a "unique commenter" and the first.

Stacey
Plainfield, IL

[imjeffp]

Howdy, from Austin, TX, home of the National Champion Texas Longhorns!

Jeff

[Jordana]

Hiya!

I think I'm delurking. Can't remember if I've commented here before. Anyway, not TwoBert's drooling but his loud grimaces and confining baby bucket have entered my family's daily vocabulary. My baby daughter Ngaire gives us plenty of reason to refer to both.

[Jordana]

BTW, I'm from Gloucester, VA; in the time it took me to write my last comment, two other people posted; and looking back at my comment, I'm not certain how TwoBert's drooling could possibly enter a vocabulary.

[Annie G.]

Hi-- I'm delurking to let you know that I think this is a great idea! I'm in Boston, but am from NYC originally, so I really enjoy hearing your stories about the city.

[Betty]

Delurking on behalf of your generousity to a good cause! I am in Maplewood, Minnesota, USA. I followed some convoluted path through knitting bloggers to get here originally some months ago....

[Eric P]

I'll delurk for a good cause, and note that I was born on Friday the 13th, a great day, in my humble opinion.

[Eric P]

I'll delurk (from Grand Rapids, MI) for a good cause, and note that I was born on Friday the 13th, a great day, in my humble opinion.

[Jackie]

Hey there! Jackie here from NJ, but currently going to school in Boston. Really enjoy reading your blog. :)

[Amy P.]

I'm not sure how I ever found your blog, but I'm a steady reader in South Lyon, Michigan. Lately, I have also enjoyed your work on the Opinionated Parenting blog, but I'm wondering - what crawled up MIC's butt today? Sheesh. You are *totally* the voice of reason in *that* conversation...
Thanks for a regular laugh!

[Cammi]

Delurking from Higley, Arizona. Great idea!! I have 2 boys myself, so I enjoy the stories.

[mmms]

Delurking from Philadelphia. Wishing you a belated farty butmass.

[Amy]

I've been around before. I just wanted to say I've never even heard of this de-lurking thing! Too cool! Good luck!

[Beth]

Blast. Heifer International is my favorite charity, so give 'em another dollar.

Somewhere near Washington D.C....

[ellie]

i'll delurk for heifer international. i'm in berkeley, ca. thanks for your blog, it's great!

[Nancy]

Hello from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. I'm a mommy of a girl, so I love to hear about parenting the other species....although I think my girl would love Robert's farty Christmas songs, so maybe they're not so different. My personal favourite - It's the Most Wonderful Fart in My Butt.

[Kim]

Hi there - Delurking from San Diego, CA to help out in a good cause. Can't remember how I found your blog, but I've been a regular reader for a number of months now. Not sure why I find the tales of other people's kids so interesting, but I do! Carry on.

[Chris]

Delurking in Ann Arbor (what's with the Michiganders?). I drop by to see what's up and use your list of parenting blog links.

[Sue]

Hi! Delurking from work in Stamford, CT... I used to live/work in NYC and sometimes miss it. Mom to a 4 year old girl who likes hearing a guy's perspective on parenting.

[21stCenturyMom]

I'm not delurking as I regularly sully up your blog with my comments which hail from not so sunny California a.k.a. the left coast. Specifically the lovely hamlet of Walnut Creek.

Thanks for your charitable efforts. One Christmas when my kids were young I suggested that we had all the stuff we needed and instead of getting them more stuff I should just make a family gift of a cow or something through Heifer International. They thought that was a horrible idea. In retrospect I wish I had done it.

[elizabeth]

what a cool way to join in with the delurking week! i don't think i've ever commented, but i read often and always enjoy what you write when i do.

(and i'm from red bank, nj.)

[CM]

Friday the 13th! I forgot.

I read you regularly, but usually via RSS. Looking forward to hearing more tales of Robert, TwoBert, and their parents.

[Trent]

This is the first time I've visited your site; I found it through daddytypes. Enjoyable stuff!

[Lissa]

Delurking from Charlotte, NC - love reading your blog - often send the hubby over too :)

[Sara]

I love reading your blog! I'm in Long Beach, California.

[Jamie]

Hi, LOD.

[Mr. Big Dubya]

Ya know - I'm not sure if I've commented here in the past - if I haven't: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Consider me de-lurked

[Dan]

I've posted here before, too, but you know. If it's for a good cause.

[Dadster]

Alright, ya got me out. I've been lurking for far too long and had to have my say. I enjoy your blog tremendously and referred it to friends who have small children also. Though my son is 8 now, I still fondly remember those early years and he still spits out some good nuggets once in a while.

I think you've created a monster here by de-lurking me and others. The number of comments are jumping even as I'm typing this, amazing. BTW, I grew up in Manhattan but now live in Queens.

[beaver girl]

i'm beaver girl from chicago.

[sam]

Delurking from Long Island.

[Jessie]

I'm a virgin de-lurker from Montana. Welcome to the mountains!

[Tiana]

I don't know if I'm delurking or not, 'cause all my info seems to be saved in the commenty area.
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

[Julie]

I'm happy to delurk for a cow...

Julie in Excelsior, Minnesota (Minneapolis.)

[Molly]

Hello from Molly in Madison, WI, America's Dairyland.

[Jessica]

Know what's still funny? "It's the Most Wonderful Fart in My Butt." That's been in my head off & on for a MONTH now.

You have wonderful weirdo kids and I love reading about them. Thanks!

-Jessica (Atlanta)

[Linda]

Hi! Another Michigander here.

[Rachel]

Hi, Rachel from CT

i am now officially "delurked"

[Nancy]

Nancy from Bismarck, NoDak. I’ve commented before, but The Heifer Project is one of my favorite charities ever, so couldn’t you do a half-donation for me since I comment less than half the time?

And also, I am 24 days away from having a baby and filled with crazy hormones, the least you could do to ease my suffering is donate. Alternatively you could send me some LilyPadz.

[anne]

lurking would mean being quiet and i'm not good at that.

but i wanted to say, there was an episode of the muppets when kermit had trouble with the word "phenomena"... and sandra bullock then sang "phenomena" instead of "mahna-mahna" with the two snoths. AND while i am still talking: the mahna-mahna song does not originate with the muppets but was originally some soft-core swedish film. there! i take your "Phenomenomenomenomen..." and raise you a few. ha!

brno, czech republic.

[Kelly]

I'm de-lurking from St. Paul, MN because I'm a huge fan of Heifer International...oh and, of course, of your's too!

[Cecily]

I only comment rarely. Does that count? And am I really a de-lurker when your wife sent me your family holiday letter and I know what you look like now?

:)

[Christine]

officially de-lurking from NYC.

[JB]

Hello from New England...

You should know that "pitch a little woo" is now regularly used in my (small) office, and not always appropriately. Thank you for enriching our vocabularies!

(And I have a feeling you might end up with a Very Large Donation to Heifer International, based on the number of comments so far...)

[Catherine]

De-lurking to say that I adore Heifer International and I think you're very great for donating to them. Also, our first baby wa born in July, a boy, and I often forward snippets of your blog to my husband at the office because they make me chortle out loud.

So....thanks!

[Missy]

Delurking in Overland Park, Kansas! Thanks for all the stories about your funny boys! And thanks for the Heifer incentive to actually delurk.

[Aurora S.]

I will so delurk for Heifer International! What a great idea, and what a great website. Thanks for keeping me laughing in the parenting (and work!) trenches.

Boston, MA

[jess]

Bonjour! De-lurking from Vancouver Island, BC. Thanks!

[purple_mj]

De-lurking from Kansas. I tried to convince my husband that we should buy a cow for Heifer for Christmas as a gift for our all of our brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, but he didn't go for it...this year.

Thanks for a great site. You make me and my husband laugh. We have a two year old son, so I know you speak the truth.

Thanks!

[Bob]

de-lurking fm West Point, GA; former citizen of Austin, TX

Thanks for the generosity.