A New Red Lounge Saint

Way back in hoary 2003, friend Mikal suggested I start web logging, or “blogging,” as all the cool kids were blogging those days, having sold their typewriters and bought computers. I enjoyed scribbling to myself so I started regularly filling a text document that I published through blogspot (now bought by Google? Yahoo?).

I moved to the Netherlands in 2005 and wrote more in earnest abroad, lonely and bereft of native-English speakers. I documented my impressions of the Dutch and logged the places I visited on weekends and holidays. These writings I compiled into the travelogue “Adventures in Dutchyland.”

On my return to Boston in 2007, I found my computer heaped with travel writings and lots of pictures from Europe. Why not make a personal web site to hold all this stuff? Someone suggested the Netscape internet browser along with its Netscape Communicator tool. Some of the Netscape interface was clunky, but the software was surprisingly good at composing photo galleries and linking pictures together.

Thus began “Red Lounge Saint.” I picked the name based on a red lamp in my living room coupled with a temporary (?) infatuation with all things papal. I registered the domain name through a clearinghouse now called Dotster and hosted the site on InMotionHosting servers. I can’t remember why I chose either company, but I have learned the stickiness of initial choices.

A decade later, I’m still publishing Red Lounge Saint with Netscape tools, a company long since out of business. My site’s text remains an illegible yellow on a dark red background, likely a “don’t” horror for design students. The pictures still look janky on non-standard sized screens. However, it was far too easy for me to keep dumping content through the same old Netscape instead of learning contemporary tools.

I resolved for years to come up with a better look. If my site is mostly a blog (I hate that word), then I should use software designed for blogs. I finally downloaded WordPress. I struggled for days to connect WordPress to InMotionHosting. I fretted over the choice of themes. I still can’t get galleries to look right, as most bloggers don’t publish suites of photos. Nonetheless, here is the refreshed, renewed, relooked Red Lounge Saint.

Why a blog when so many just ramble on Facebook, and who reads this blog?

Welcome to Red Lounge Saint. Welcome to me, Steve Dudek.

I collect here musings on what I do and pictures of what I see. The site serves chiefly as a easily-accessed archival repository for my life. Herein lies my writings as I enjoy the long form of prose and find forums like Facebook too small for my essays – rants may be what you call them.

Red Lounge Saint is one way for friends to see what I am up to. Few may read these essays. I removed most of the ability for you to comment, tweet, or like. Write to me instead, or be inspired you to record a life history of your own.

The outlook herein is both impersonal and intimate. As I become more assured of the craziness that is me, I put more of myself in these pages and out there in the world. I quite enjoy who I am, what I do, what I like, and where I have been.

Thanks for stopping by.