Opening my email the other day, I felt a jolt in my chest as I saw the words: “You’ve been Freshly Pressed!”

After a split-second of shock and denial, I opened the email, and discovered it was true.  After only seven months of consistent blogging and six weeks since switching from Good Wholesome Fun to the L Palmer Chronicles, my post, The Marvelization of Star Wars, has been Freshly Pressed.

So, what is it like to be Freshly Pressed?

It’s like being the cupcake chosen to wear the birthday candle(s).

It’s like raising your hand amongst hundreds of others at the elementary school assembly, and being the one chosen by the super cool presenter.

It’s like practicing pitching a thousand times, and then the coach says, “Take the mound.  You are pitching today.”

It’s like mastering a video game, only to learn you really do get to become a starfighter.

It’s like flying down the Death Star trench , seeing your proton torpedoes go into the exhaust port, and then flying safely away as the Death Star explodes.

It’s like finding the last piece of the tri-force and finally receiving the Master Sword.

It’s like meeting the Doctor and having him give you a key to the TARDIS.

It’s like a big, shiny gold star.

How do the WordPress editors determine it?  Are they a more benevolent version of the Tetris Gods?  Do they sit in a clandestine conference room and sift through the many great blogs out there?  How many blogs do they read every day?

The announcing email is often mentioned in post-Freshly-Pressed posts, but rarely described.  Rather than a top secret document delivered with a self-destruct warning, the email consists of a brief hello, here’s what we liked about your post, here’s some advice, and here’s what to do next.  In response to the e-mail, I do have to say I’d choose mint and chip ice cream over Boba Fett

And how I do to respond?  Many blogs tout the awesomeness of the moment, the honor, the excitement – which, I suppose, I’m doing.  Truth and Cake has put together a “Press Yourself” post each time the blog has been featured, which is a spectacular, generous thing to do.   On the Broadside Blog, the author made some thank you’s and recommendations.  Also, WordPress highlights some blogs monthly and explains why they were Freshly Pressed.

For myself, I consistently try to write each blog post at a level I’d be proud to have Freshly Pressed.  I try to have an honest voice, let my nerd skills and humor show, and be a polite host.  Not all of my posts are brilliant, especially when I am sick and feel as if my head is trying to transform into a different shape.  Still, I do my best and try to post at least once per week, depending on the insanity of the rest of my life.

Thanks for long-time followers for consistently coming by, and welcome newcomers.  I hope we’ll all be able to know each other better and everyone will come back for more adventure.

SIDE NOTE: Happy Valentines Day!  Here’s a gallery of my Valentine’s Day Surprises so far:

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