25/12/23 10:11

This year’s annual Conventional Christmas Day entry is a little different.  I’ll be using a section of it to post on to Instagram as a festive message.  Which means when it comes to popping it up on Instagram in due course, some of it could already have appeared.  And in theory, I may need to get another photo rather than re-use the one I’m going to post.

There’s a LOT I’ve not written about since the last time I put fountain pen to notebook paper.  I’m not really sure where to begin.  I’ve slowly been getting blog posts up to date.  I’m on September 26^th on the website and 28^th September 2022 on Instagram.  The Buffer updates need updating but I may attempt to use the scheduling facility on Instagram and see how that pans out.  I’m also ready to post my third pre-launch update for Coffee Pot Conversations Hosted by An Englishman in Paris – at present taking up an entire line of the Tu Manges L’Orange blue notebook.

So, the podcast.  So much has happened since the initial episode was launched up onto Spotify back in July (13^th).  I’ve gone from Patreon to Buy Me a Coffee, I’ve gone from my iPhone XR to a Zoom H1N, I’ve gone from my cheap USB desk microphone to a JLab Go.  I’ve also gone from my home-constructed Excel spreadsheet to using Asana.  I’ve interviewed 5 real non-family members in Paris and have even managed to create a special section for my podcast to be placed behind a paywall – these will become available after I get a few more notebooks entries and find the time to post them.  I’ve had inspirations, motivations and notifications.  I’m even going to attempt a collaboration!

I will be using this next section as inspiration for my Instagram post.  Looking back at this time, last year, I didn’t think I’d be where I am now.  Yes, I did a run this morning.  Yes, there’s kebab for lunch, I was also in the top 0.5% of The Earful Tower podcast listeners.  Reading over last year’s entry, I guess I am ambitious enough and made myself be in the right place. 

According to Apple Podcast reports, I’ve been in the charts in 14 countries and Spotify have notified me that I’m listened to in 40 different countries.  My highest chart position was in Macau, where I was 16^th.  I’ve remained in the charts for 92 days, been in the top 100 in 8 countries and all before the actual launch of the show on January 9^th, 2024.  Bulgaria seems to be enjoying my show as I’ve remained in their top 250 for 35 days and counting. 

Without my November interviews, I’m not sure where I would be or where I would be going.  So, to those people that entertained my crazy idea and sacrificed their time on an unknown Londoner, I thank you.  To Nev and the Boys, for putting up with my crazy ideas, constant reflections and therefore updates, I thank you.  And to all of you for reading my words, viewing my photos and listening to my voice, I thank you.

Bring on 2024 – and every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of January to May and July to November!