This Space Left Intentionally Blank (for now)
There’s really no easy way to shut down a blog, especially after nine years. NINE YEARS. That’s like 300 years in blog years. That’s like falling asleep when you’re 30 and waking up when you’re 40 but still thinking you’re 30 and acting accordingly. But as we know, there’s nothing cute about a 40-year-old blogger. Obviously In the Pink© has been winding down for some time now, what with work, pugs, babies, vacations, intermittent hospital stays for “exhaustion,” extended unpaid vacations, the occasional stakeout, breaking and entering, stalking politicians, posting gratuitous baby pictures on Facebook to show everyone that my baby is cuter than theirs, posting gratuitous pug pictures on Facebook to show everyone that my pug is cuter than theirs, afternoon wine tastings and Law & Order weekend marathons.
I don’t know about you but there’s nothing more unsettling to me than when I come across a blog that basically disappeared into the ether. The last post is from 2009, it’s been overtaken by spam, there’s no farewell and you’re left to wonder, what happened? Was the blogger kidnapped five years ago? Should I alert the police? Is someone holding him for ransom? Would anyone even pay? That said, I wanted to bid you all a fond farewell and wish you all the best in your future endeavors, although God knows what those would be.
So here’s something of a blogtrospective. Interestingly enough my very first post back in 2005 (when I actually paid attention to Texas politics) was about former colleague Paul Burka in It’s Burka’s Texas (and we just live in it). Clearly a harbinger of things to come.
Here we go:
- The original When Harry Met Sally parody
- Starbucks names (Elaine/Ilene, IIIN, Anin)
- The Rapture! End Times! The Antichrist!
- Growing up Irish Catholic
- Seriously. It’s because you’re not married.
- Professional politician stalker
- Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
- Pinot is good for you.
- Mental illness du jour
- Perry for President (Remember?!)
- Sex scandals for dummies
- Stop breeding, Breeders!
- Great moments in media
- Participating in the Democratic process
- Backslash, the ORIGINAL hashtag
Thank you loyal readers and commenters (the anonymous, the semi-anonymous, the wish-they’d-been anonymous); fellow bloggers; trolls; the Pink Mafia; guest writers TJ Shroat, Smooch, Tickled Pink, John Cornyn’s Box Turtle, Fled the Asylum, The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton, Andy Brown, MattyD; the extended Kennedy clan; pregnant powerwashing nannies; death panels; patriotic kitten sweater vests and, of course, freakishly small knees.
I hope I’ve made you laugh. God knows I didn’t make you think. But no one says leave ‘em thinking. Until next time.
You can still find me here: @EileenDSmith
[CAVEAT: I reserve the right to bring it all back for 2016.]
June 9th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Well done, Ma’am. #PinkMafiaForEver
June 9th, 2014 at 4:11 pm
I’m not crying. That’s just pregnancy hormones.
/wipes tear
June 9th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
Au revoir! It’s been fun (and your baby really is a cutie).
June 9th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
You’ll be missed, Pink Lady, but still, enjoy that baby while she’s a baby! Really hope to see you rear your pink head in 2016!
June 9th, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Nooooo–how will I know what you’re thinking? What about my–not one but TWO–In the Pink Texas t-shirts? Life just won’t be the same. Someone is going to be happy not to compete with you for the best blog in Texas. A sad day in journalism.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Wait. Where did you get those t-shirts? Those have got to be worth something by now. I’ll start the bidding at $1,200 for both.
Fled Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
I believe I am still owed a “These are not talking points” tee.
eileen Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Did you not get the travel mug? If you had blogged more you would’ve gotten a tote bag.
Credentials Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
I never even GOT a fu*cking T-shirt.
June 9th, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Eileen, going to miss your blog. Truly been entertaining! The baby is precious! Best to you!
June 9th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Eileen, I simply refuse to allow you to shut this blog down. There. I said it. Now, go ahead and do it anyway, because if today becomes the day someone actually follows my instructions, the world will end–and we don’t want that.
You will be missed.
June 9th, 2014 at 4:33 pm
Your run was as long as Seinfeld, and as far as I able to tell, no one went t jail when it ended. Best wishes as you continue with your next gig — child raising — which will likely last twice as long as ITP (because everyone knows your child will totally depend on you for 18 years and then want nothing to do with you).
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:35 pm
I always considered this blog a Seinfeld spin-off.
June 9th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
OK, as a rule, I’ve refrained from profanity on this site. I think. BUT NOT NOW. What the fuck?!? I will miss this blog. Thanks for providing a forum for us, and for the laughs, and for many other things — not the least of which was bringing together the Pink Mafia, many of whom have become some of the best friends I have ever had or ever hope to have. (That’s not as pathetic as it sounds, people. Really.) I do hope you’ll write something now and again. You are amazing, you know. And I do hope Crosby picks up your sense of humor! Thanks for everything, PL. FIGHT THE POWER! Or at least kick it in the shins every once in awhile.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Not to mention that happily married couple who met on this blog…
Laura Stromberg/Laura Hoke/Double Tonic Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Lurkette and Lush aren’t legally married, you know.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Boom.
lush Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 10:55 am
Lurkette and I should totally infiltrate those reparative therapy classes that are all the rage right now.
eileen Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 11:09 am
Lush is just looking for one of those eligible once-gay-now-straight guys.
/is it because you’re not married?
//never gets old
lush Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 11:18 am
You know what else never gets old? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not you.
eileen Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 11:20 am
How dare you. HOW DARE YOU.
Lurkette Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
LUSH FTW
Lurkette Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Oh shit, Lush. You didn’t mail in that certificate? DAMMIT. I’ve been faithful to you all these years for nothing.
lush Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
I’m pretty sure we burned that certificate…when we ran out of rolling papers that one time.
June 9th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
See you in 2016, bitches!
Laura Stromberg/Laura Hoke/Double Tonic Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:10 pm
I’ve forgotten how to use words and I can’t find a ‘thumbs up” sign on my keyboard/desktop. But THAT.
lush Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Effing Facebook. When this was the only online space we had in which to hang out together, everything was just so much more entertaining.
Don't Mess w/ Pink Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Yep, Eileen, or whatever her real name spelling is, was our facebook! Too bad she didn’t jump on that before that guy Zuckerwhatever.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Am I right?!
Lurkette Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:09 pm
AMIRIGHT?!?!?!?!
June 9th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Don’t worry, political shenanigans will pull you back in when the time is right, just like a lazy lob begs to be smashed. Not saying Adios to In the Pink, just Hasta Luego.
June 9th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
On the bright side, maybe you’ll finally have time to come to our/your happy hours.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
I was always there in spirits. OMG!
June 9th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Oh don’t worry – you’ll be eligible for parole before you know it.
Thanks for the laughs.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
You are now officially the oldest living blogger in Texas.
/what?!
Harold Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Not as long as Burka’s still employable I’m not.
Laura Stromberg/Laura Hoke/Double Tonic Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Burka has a blog?
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:48 pm
LIKE.
Lurkette Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Burka’s employable?
June 9th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Umm, I’m a lil wee tiny bit upset that I didn’t even get a mention in your long list of thank yous.
lush Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Freddy?
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Who?
June 9th, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Wait, THIS is how you tell me I’m fired? I’ve been deep cover, investigating student/teacher May/December romancing for like 8 years. My BEAT. My wonderful BEAT.
eileen Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 9:48 pm
Oh. TJ. This is awkward.
June 9th, 2014 at 5:47 pm
the end of an era
June 9th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Texas politics has become mean, petty and humorless. The Legislature used to try to solve problems, with often comical results. But that’s been replaced by the D.C. Dysfunction: half the folks there see problems as a mandate to dismantle the State; the other half is too afraid of tough choices to get behind any solutions. The clown car parade is the only show in town anymore.
At its best, your writing tickled the ironies and gave hope that common sense would prevail in the end. Well, we’re getting it in the end now. Hate to see you go, but don’t know what you’d even write about anymore if you kept at it.
Have fun being a … whatever the hell it is you’ll be next (blogger emeritus?).
Lurkette Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Drunk?
eileen Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:26 pm
Please. I’m just sober-challenged.
Lefty Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Lighten up Deece, it’s not like the majority party nominated a talk radio host that had his vasectomy broadcast over the radio for one of the most powerful positions in government or changed their platform to include endorsing shaming “therapy” to fix gay people while insisting that abstinence only sex ed is the way to prevent teen pregnancy.
/wait? what?
//We’re all fu*cked.
June 9th, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Wishing you well-deserved delight as you write your next chapter, my brilliant friend.
June 9th, 2014 at 10:39 pm
Sigh. Hillary’s crash and burn won’t be nearly as entertaining this time around.
eileen Reply:
June 10th, 2014 at 9:16 am
YOU NEVER LIKED HER.
http://www.inthepinktexas.com/selling-out-my-generation
But still, a classic post.
June 9th, 2014 at 11:12 pm
I s’pose you’ll have to show up in person more often now.
that, or we’re gonna’ do reunion specials…like the brady bunch.
June 10th, 2014 at 11:14 am
Oh how sad! I will miss your unique way of seeing things so differently.
June 10th, 2014 at 12:56 pm
This hurts my heart… and knees.
Thank you for a million laughs, Eileen!
June 11th, 2014 at 7:36 am
Looks like a sad attempt to get page views and a 100 comment post. B-)
You done good. All the best going forward.
Hey, where’s Credentials?
eileen Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 9:57 am
Credentials? Never heard of her.
Credentials Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:04 pm
Sorry, I was busy trying to bribe the good folks at Go Daddy to sell me her URL under the table.
eileen Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:27 pm
I already sold it to Texas Monthly.
lush Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
BOOM
Credentials Reply:
June 11th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
Tree, thank you for loving me.
treehugger Reply:
June 12th, 2014 at 5:31 pm
Well, I DO love you, but mostly I miss the epic take-downs by you, DMWP and other pink mafia when the trolls got ugly. I think I may still owe you a beer for one of them.
June 11th, 2014 at 8:39 pm
PLAYING YOUR FRENCH HORN IN CHURCH DOES NOT EXCUSE THIS!
Sincere thanks for all the laughs, and best wishes on your next chapter. Those of us working in the bowels of state government will really miss you.
June 17th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
Maybe nothing cute about a 40 blogger. I wouldn’t know as it’s been almost two decades now since I was 40. I have to say, I’ve enjoyed your blogging and the crazy people who were a great supporting cast. I probably should stop blogging, I have certainly cut my time or rather my job and my gradually disintegrating body has reduced that time. But I guess I’ll stick around until I think of something else to waste my time. In the meantime, great luck with motherhood and I will look forward to your return. Thanks for the laughs!
eileen Reply:
June 18th, 2014 at 10:15 am
“A great supporting cast” – Amen.
Don't Mess w/ Pink Reply:
June 18th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Damn straight!