My Fifteen Minutes

Back in April I threw together a quick post about a batch of spaghetti tacos I made for my kids.  You can read that post here.  It was a quick post, just for fun, and I didn't think much of it after that.

But I've noticed, in the last several months, that "spaghetti tacos" is one of the top searches that leads people to my blog.  Spaghetti tacos.  I was, at some point, in the number 2 spot on Google when you looked up spaghetti tacos.  Interestingly, the iCarly website link was in the number 3 spot.  Bizarre.

And then last week I got an email from Helene Stapinski of the New York Times.  She said she was doing a piece on spaghetti tacos and wanted to know if she could talk to me.

Me?

I confess I got all breathless and excited immediately, but I reigned myself in and looked her up online first, just in case this was some weird spam thing or she was some kook. 

Well, it wasn't, and she's certainly not. 

So I emailed her my cell phone number and then sat staring at my phone like a schoolgirl waiting for HIM to call.  Our house phone rang at some point and I shot up five feet in the air.  Good thing the ceiling is stucco - you can't really see the dent unless you're looking for it.

And then she called.

I ran upstairs, into the kitchen, so I could hear her better, and we talked of the bizarre spaghetti taco phenomenon and how she came to be writing this piece, and about my version of spaghetti tacos and why all that came about, and how old my kids are and so forth.  And it was a lovely little conversation, and she said that the article would be in the paper the following Wednesday, though she couldn't say for sure if any mention of me or my post would make the final edit.  But that was okay.  It was just very cool to be contacted.  And she was really great to talk to.

And then - to continue the giddy school girl theme here, I began the equivalent of "I have nothing to wear!" with this blog.  There have been (and continue to be) things I want to fix, to streamline, etc., on this blog, and the idea of a bunch of NY Times readers showing up at my blog's doorstep, with my blog (in my self-critical opinion) in a tattered robe, big curlers and face cream was JUST the impetus I needed to do some frenzied reorganizing.  Not all of it - I discovered I actually needed to sleep sometimes - but enough for now. 

So I've been, mostly, fixing the categories, and I brought them back to the main page.  I got rid of cutesy category names because I'm really NOT cutesy, and just simplified it.  That's what I'm most concerned with - ease of maneuverability here.  I also am working on re-doing my recipe link pages.  I've got all sorts of plans.

But back to the tacos.

I got an email from Helene letting me know the article would be first up in the Dining section of Wednesday's paper, and I re-crossed my fingers and toes and eyes.  And waited. 

Last night I was doing the last bit of getting rid of cutesy category names (I think I got them all) and re-categorizing as many posts as I could get to, and Bill went to bed, and I toyed with the idea of staying up til midnight to check the NYT website and see if I was mentioned at all.  But around 10:30 or so I was getting sleepy, and it wouldn't really matter if I was awake or not at midnight - if I was in, I was already in, and if I wasn't, then I wasn't.  So I figured I'd just check my stats (Tastespotting FINALLY liked another image i sent in) and check Facebook and then go to bed.

And, lo and behold, there had been a little burst of traffic to my site.  From the New York Times. 

And I was the only one awake in my house.

I clicked on the link and read the article - and it's a fun piece to read - and there it was.  A link to my post, and the name of my blog, and my name. 

I felt giddy.

And then, after a brief visit to Facebook (hi Ralph!) so I could link to the article, I went to bed.  And Bill woke up just enough for me to tell him and for him to be happy for me. 

And that was that.

I'm still incredulous - of all things, spaghetti tacos!  

Life is funny.

P.S.  The article was also published in the Seattle Times. 

I'm thinking maybe I'll make, oh, some spaghetti tacos for dinner tonight.  It seems appropriate.

Comments

[Jane M]

I saw the article in the paper this morning! WOOT WOOT!

[Sprogblogger]

WOOHOO! I usually read blogs before I read the NYTimes, but I'm on my way over there within the hour. Congratulations!

[RoseAnn]

That's so exciting, Jayne! I don't even *know* you but I'm so proud of the mention of you in the article. BTW, somehow I'd never picked up on the fact that your last name is Maker...very appropriate for a cooking blog, I think! ;)

[Jessica]

I saw that this morning! My kids aren't old enough for iCarly, but I suddenly want to try making some spaghetti tacos for them. Congratulations on your 15 minutes!

[yummychunklet]

Congrats! I'm so excited for you! I understand the giddiness. I felt that way when I received my first non-friend comment on my blog!

[sarah]

so awesome! congrats!

[susanna]

That is terrific! Congrats Jayne!