Another year is gone. I know things have been somewhat slow around here but if you look back at prior years the cycle is fairly normal. So let's see what happened in the blog in 2013.
Back in January we had what at this point have turned out to be our last EU book reviews. This is something I think at some point we'd like to bring back, but it had gotten a little overwhelming at first. I'll admit I was looking forward to having an excuse to read the New Jedi Order again and finding some good Han and Leia moments in there that I'd forgotten about.
Also early in the year we were pretty much challenge crazy. Valentines Day challenges, a few personal challenges and lots of mushy stories to go with them. Go back and read a few if you're missing new posts here :)
We celebrated the blog's second anniversary and spent lots of time speculating on what Episode VII will bring us. Whether or not the big three would be back, what time frame we'd be looking at. Amazingly, in the entire year, we pretty much know nothing more than we did before. That's somewhat alarming.
We had the now infamous "Speedo Challenge" which actually brought more challenge responses than I think we've ever had. I wish you people jumped up to your keyboards that fast for all of our challenges and not just the one involving a scantly clad Harrison Ford.
We finished (maybe. I'm still not sure) another joint story. We talked a whole lot about sex. We had a bunch of other story challenges and our biggest traffic month ever just six short months ago, which seems crazy considering how little we've been posting lately. Return of the Jedi turned 30.
Things slowed down here once again, although we did at least get a release date announcement for Episode VII. Now if only someone would tell us what it's actually going to be about.
I realize that most of the excitement around here came in the first half of the year but thank you all for sticking around with us. Thank you for answering the challenges when we post them, and for commenting and generating discussion. It's always fun to hear that other people contemplate all of these silly things.
And I hope that your personal 2013 was a good one, though even if it was I hope you have an even better 2014!
Well you know we are going to hop to when scantily clad Han is involved. :) I might run my best record yet if I got to chase him around the block.
ReplyDeleteI do love the challenges though and it'd be fun to continue with those. I might still have some ideas. :)
And thank you for keeping a place for all of us to "hang out" and contemplate. I'm sure there's a fair bit of work in it.
And I'm so with you on Episode VII. We definitely need some more info!
Too right on the scantly clad Han, Amara. I'm not at all surprised at the popularity of that one.
DeleteAnd I second the challenges, I've only done 2 of them but I'd certainly be up for more in the future. Although the plot bunnies don't seem to like me too much.
It's an absolute farce that we still know next to nothing about episode 7. The fact it was announced over a year ago and we still don't even know who's in it is pretty laughable. It still doesn't feel like it's even happening because nothing is forthcoming.
Yes there have been some slow periods, but it's still been a great year at the blog and as always a lot of fun to be a part of. Thanks Zyra and Push for giving us a cool place to hang out.
And Happy New Year to everyone! :)
I never did write my Speedo story, did I?
DeleteI for one had a great time this year on your blog. So please, keep up the great work! It's nice having a place to talk and speculate with others about my weird obsession.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Zyra, I think I might have a belated xmas present for you very soon. Is your email still the same one you sent me at NHP?
p.s. Darth Vader in his "NYE" glasses is amusing me waaay more than it should right now.
That's been my Star Wars persona email address for over 10 years so it's not changing now. So glad to hear it!
DeleteI did it. Oh my god, Zyra, I did it. Better late than never.
DeleteI'm ready for a new challenge :)
ReplyDeleteso long 2013... looking forward to 2014.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed hanging with you all and just when I think it's gone, you guys come back with more to chat about.
Happy New Year to all! So glad I discovered this place. And I second the Thank you to Zyra and Push for giving us all a place to discuss all these highly important topics and indulge our obsession. Hope 2014 brings happiness to all.
ReplyDeleteBhliain nua sasta! In other words, Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHappy 2014! I'm feeling quite happy today, because 2013, although an utter slog, was so much better than the previous three or four! Starting to write fanfic accounts for a large part of the happiness I've had this year, and being a part of this fandom. Thanks for making this space for we loopy 'shippers to find kindred spirits, Zyra and Push.
ReplyDeleteI should've also mentioned thank you to all of you, loyal blog followers and people who comment. If nobody ever replied to these things it wouldn't feel like there was much point in writing anything here. So thanks for sticking with us and contributing!
ReplyDeleteSW marathon on spike tv in the US this weekend. Woo-hoo! Can't remember last time they had one. Been a while. Sadly prequels on tonight, but the OT coming on tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGreat add for it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaR2HHq-ltA.
I think we actually had a marathon the weekend after Thanksgiving. I know it was recent and I watched a lot of it.
DeleteI'm bored enough right now that I've got Phantom Menace on in the background. OMG, the dialogue! It's so stilted and awkward, it's painful!
Just wait. Attack of the Clones is coming. :) I've been watching too. At least nice to have in the background. Am I the only one that finds Anakin in TPM a tad annoying?
DeleteAh, I didn't catch it at Thanksgiving. Off having fun with the family.
Amara, you are not the only one who finds Anakin annoying in TPM. He's also irritating in AOTC and ROTS. He and Padme's flowery and overlong conversations about how much they love each other annoys me. Han and Leia clearly love each other but without the speeches that would make Shakespeare slit his wrists. Han and Leia understand the role of snark in any good relationship.
Delete(At our house, it's all snark unless otherwise indicated)
Hey Amara, thanks for posting the link to that Spike commercial, that was pretty funny. We don't get anything that cool here in the UK so that was fun to see :) I like their reaction to the med centre kiss.
DeleteYou're welcome. :) That was a good one. Stormtroopers in Christmas gear was great. Their reaction was spot on. :)
Delete"Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo!"
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the prequals in years (since the first came out?), but just reading that line now made me cringe. Ugh... Maybe it's the teen love versus 20/30 year olds love that makes the difference.
DeleteI only really remember that line from one of the Spike marathons a few years back, when I discovered that reciting it to my husband is a perfect way to make him convulse into a full-body cringe. It is now a favorite pastime :-)
DeleteOh, and my husband is a grad student, so his colleagues are people who grew up with the Prequels instead of the, dare I say, "real" movies. So he frequently hears people say things like, "Episode II is my favorite Star Wars movie." I tell you, kids these days...
ReplyDeleteYour husband's a grad student? My condolences to your family.
DeleteThe ONLY thing I like in the prequels is near the end of the ROTS, where Yoda is a total badass.
at our house the only reason to watch prequels is to snark on JarJar Binks, make puke noises at Ani and Padme, and cheer for kick-ass Yoda.
Deleteon the other hand it drives me nuts when the boy refers to ESB as "Episode 5".
yes, I am alive, BTW :-)
The battle between Anakin and Obi-wan at the end of Sith is pretty good too. The Episode IV and V stuff is a bit crazy isn't it? My daughter does that too.
DeleteAnd good to see you. :)