This is desperate. I’m about to ask you for votes. So let me apologise in advance for everything I’m about to say.
This blog has been nominated in the “Best Blog Post” category of the Irish Blog Awards, for a post in which I described my limitless talent for self-sabotage when talking about my own work, despite a Greek Chorus of writers in my head trying to motivate me not to be such an irredeemable twit.
And although there are at least 2 other blogs in that list I think really should win, I’m going to take advantage of the fact that many of you reading this will never have heard of them, so you might vote for me instead.
Seriously. I told you. No Pride. No Shame. (And not enough votes.)
So if you have a spare ten seconds lying about the place today – if the kettle boiled just that little bit quicker than you expected; if the queue in the shop suddenly dispersed for no reason, like a reverse flash mob; or if you just feel so sorry for me that you don’t like kicking a woman when she’s down, would you mind terribly popping over to this page here, scrolling down the list or doing a ‘find’ for “Tara Sparling writes”, clicking on the circle to the left of my name and then clicking just one more time on the “Vote” button on the bottom?
Again, this is the link here. You can vote once a week (the blogs with the least votes get kicked out each week)
And if you look down your nearest drain/toilet/gutter, that’s my self-respect you see. Floating away merrily downstream.
Thank you.
Tara Sparling writes 
There are quite a few blogs on the list, Tara. You are correct in noting that yours is the only one I have read. You have my vote.
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I know, it’s terribly devious of me, isn’t it?! Thank you so much though, Gina. I am very touched by each and any vote I get.
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I like to say that no one can say yes if you never ask the question in the first place. Good luck with the contest.
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That’s a great way of looking at it, Gina, if I could only coax my self-respect out from where it’s self-flagellating in the corner 🙂
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I hope I’ve helped a little. 8;)
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Ah, yes. Self-flagellation. I should never have left the monastery.
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It’s not necessarily location-specific, JL. I often do it at the bus stop, for instance.
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🙂 again 🙂
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Voted for this blog with enthusiasm. I laugh I learn – and I have serious graph envy.
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One thousand thanks, Jenny! But don’t forget with graphs that there is plenty of pie for everyone. Although there is also the fact that what goes up usually comes back down. It’s a tough grid out there.
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Done.
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Thank you. Still laughing from your comments last week by the way 😉
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Voted because I’m a new follower and this post made me laugh 🙂
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So nice to hear! And who would have thought I would feel nice after spending the day washing windows and loathing myself for succumbing to the desire to make egotistical requests…
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Done 🙂
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Thank you Jan! I’m considering un-cancelling Christmas. All this goodwill is making me feel funny.
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It’s not easy is it? I had to shower after my post.
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OK. I have to admit it. I would never have done it if I hadn’t seen your post! But you inspired me to get dirty because you did it in such a beautifully Irish self-berating way that only wet and miserable-born people can understand. Tell me, did the shower work? Because I’ve been sitting in a bath of Domestos now for twenty minutes and I don’t feel any better.
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Ha! No it didn’t and I scrubbed myself. The even more awful thing is we have to………..keep asking. *shudder*
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Is there not someone we can hire to do this? One of those people who loves selfies and has 4,000 Facebook friends? They’d be great at this sort of thing. Whereas it’s putting me right off my 2nd 7-course dinner of the day.
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Some teenager should get on that, nice summer earner for them.
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Oh yeah. And it wouldn’t even cost us. We could pay them in Likes and comments such as “OMG you are soooooo pretty I wish I was you”
Jeebus, looks like I’m overdue my annual de-clawing 😉
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Done – you now have 42 votes Tara 😀
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Thank you, Chris! Good grief, this shameless attention seeking certainly yields results. I wonder if I can spin it out into a graph 😉
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Lolol 😀
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Done! You’re doing quite well! But please remind us to vote every week, and don’t feel bad about doing so… us indies all want to support each other, but we do get a bit wrapped up in ourselves at times!
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But the THOUGHT of it, Ali… that in a week’s time, I’ll have to instigate what feels like the most sinful waste of people’s time by asking them to do the same thing AGAIN… seriously, do the organisers of the Irish Blog Awards not realise that we’re Irish? And that this experience is on a par with reciting poetry in front of a class of older kids in school??
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Haha! You worry too much! Don’t forget you have the gift of the blarney… besides, it only takes a few seconds to vote, who the hell begrudges that?!!
I’ll try and remember, but I have a crap memory… I even forget the things I write onto my calender.
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Calendar…calendar…oh. yes. Calendar. It’s got to be around here somewhere. I wonder what it says?
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I will [shudder] remind people, Ali… but I will do it hunched over, with my cap in my hand 🙂
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Yeah, but…Vote early, vote often?
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Yes indeed. In fact, I’m re-drawing the borders and resurrecting deceased electorate as we speak…
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🙂
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I’m PROUD of you and not a bit ashamed! Well done! Go for it! Your blog post should be up there with the best of them!
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I really wish I could, Carolann, but your argument is hopelessly undermined by the fact that you are an extremely lovely person who is always encouraging others. Still, I will do my best 😛
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Said the pot to the kettle… 😉
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Nice try!
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Love your dry-wit humour, Tara. Pushed the little vote icon… All of the best
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Thank you, Chantelle. It’s stuff like that which could almost make a Monday morning bearable (almost)
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I voted. good luck!
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Thank you Sherry! I really appreciate that. And I’ll appreciate it even more next week too, I’d say, when I’m begging for votes again 😦
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Okay Tara, I sacraficed 10 seconds with my beloved vacum to, “show some love” as they say here in the States. I’m sure the dishes won’t mind being done late next week.
Seriously, good luck! I really do love your blog!
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Thank you Diana! I am indebted to you. And your floors!
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I voted for you. You are witty, self-effacing, and original. I then looked at some (not all) of the blogs which are beating you. With the exception of number one, I asked this…”What is wrong with all you whining, self-absorbed, narcissistic, Irish bloggers?”
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You are an exceptionally nice commenter! Thank you greatly… But although I might have the best commenters in the business, I don’t have 3,769 of my very best mates on Facebook, which scuppers me somewhat in the public vote stakes. Still, it’s a bit of fun.
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Perhaps that is true. But you will not win because your target audience is narrowly conscripted. You blog for people who like to write, think they will be published, and have a desire to improve their craft. I am somewhat surprised that you are voted as high as you are given your tiny circle within the large venn diagram of the Blogosphere readership. This says to me that even though your ‘mates’ (do they really say that in Ireland?) are fewer, they are loyal and consistent. You can count me as a new ‘mate’. If I ever escape the oppressive heat and humidity of the Deep South, and get to Ireland, there are two people I would like to meet…you and Enya. I really do look forward to your next post.
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Well then, 147,203 thank yous for saying such nice things! I’ll get a swelled head, which will play havoc when it comes to hat weather. But in the meantime, I’ll have a word with Enya and we’ll see if we can set something up when you’re over… although I don’t fancy my chances, apparently poor Enya doesn’t go out much. She might be a recluse, but as you can see from my behaviour online, I’m all over it.
You’re right on both counts – a) we don’t really say mate here, but I use it with ham-fisted irony for people who say ‘best mates’ when they actually mean ‘tenuous acquaintances I have never met but who similarly spend all their time on social media’…. and b) yes indeed: my footprint in the blogosphere is a tiny one, but I really like the people I’m getting to know sitting in the heel with me. Seems to me that the smaller the circle, the better the content. And that’s me, happy.
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Voted. Good luck.
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My hearty thanks to you and the whole of Scotland 😉
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