BlogCatalog

Have you ever looked ahead at something you were dreading and wished… Oh, if only there was someone who would do this so I didn’t have to…

You ask – and the blogosphere answers.

I Do Things So You Don’t Have To is the humor blog of Julia DeGraf [JD at I Do Things here at BlogCatalog], who has been sparing us a mixture of crazy and mundane things by trying them herself since the summer of 2007. I Do Things So You Don’t Have To is always entertaining – full of tongue-in-cheek product reviews and humorous descriptions of what the author has tragically (and most of the time accidentally) consumed. Throw in a medical procedure (or two) and a side-order of nudism, the result is –ahem- unforgettable.

I recently spent some time with JD talking about her blog. When I arrived, she was smartly dressed in a pair of bright orange elephant pants and matching vest --  very MC Hammer meets the Orange Bowl Queen.  "It's been my favorite outfit since the seventh grade," she offered.

The room smelled mildly of hashbrowns. “It’s the cat,” she muttered, and invited me to make myself comfortable.

And so, we began our interview:

MM: How long have you been writing I Do Things? How did you come up with the concept?

JD: The boring truth is, the idea just popped into my head. I did have some other ideas, including “The Naked Editor” and “The Anxious Nudist.” The nudism theme has been fairly prominent throughout my blog, while I’ve written next to nothing about being an editor or having panic disorder.

Here’s a little-known fact: My original plan was to write mostly informative posts with some humor thrown in. Then I realized I don’t do very many interesting things (see: “I Bought a Door” ), so I had to make those things funny.

MM: Have you always been 'the funny one' or is it something you work at?

JD: I think of myself as funny, but I’m not sure I always come across that way. I like to say I’m funnier on paper than in person.

I met someone recently who reads my blog, and she waggled her finger at me and said, “I just know you’re going to crack me up!” Needless to say, all my funny dried up. I may have managed a feeble “knock knock” joke.

I sort of feel like you’re funny or you’re not. I have both parents to thank for my funny gene. My dad had a very unique, creative, and often silly sense of humor, and my mom is more witty and dry.

MM: What are your favorite things that you’ve tried so we don’t have to?

JD: Good question. Most of the things I do aren’t that interesting in and of themselves. But I have shared some experiences that I think people might find helpful or informative (but also funny, I hope. )

For instance,
I Drink Bugs … So You Don't Have To, and

I Had a Colonoscopy …  So You Don't Have To.

Of course, there are also posts I’ve written just for fun:
I Can Tap That  ... So You Don't Have To , and

I Flush … So You Don't Have To?

No one has really experienced I Do Things unless they’ve read one of my “nudist” posts:
I Went to the Ponderosa Sun Club …  So You Don't Have To.

But I’m proudest of my movie review posts, (because dang, those are hard to write! – at least for me...) You’ve really got to condense a lot of information into one post, and most of my posts are already way too long. I’ve only done a few movie reviews, but my favorite is:

I Watched Alligator… So You Don't Have To.

(This is probably a movie most people are grateful I watched so they don’t have to.)

MM: How do your family and friends feel about I Do Things? Do you find they do weirder things -- oh, like bellydancing or dressing up in drag -- to be a part of the fun? Or are you the instigator of weirdness?

JD: My family and friends are great: very supportive and encouraging. (Except for the ones who don’t read my blog and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. )

I definitely suspect my husband (and cats) of saying and doing things just to wind up in a post – and it totally works. Dave’s antics make great blog fodder, AND he’s a really good sport. As is my mom, who is constantly saying, “You’re not going to blog about that, are you?” then in the same breath: “Oh, you can blog about that.”

I find weirdness in everything, so I rarely have to instigate. My family and friends are all funny. I don’t hang around with unfunny people, yo.

MM: Talk to me about product reviews. What's the strangest thing you've purchased so I don't have to?

JD: Oh, definitely cereal marshmallows.

I had written a post about how I prefer the “charms” in Lucky Charms to the actual cereal, and a kind reader sent me a link to a site that sells just cereal marshmallows. SCORE! I tried them out, and man, were they were terrible.

To my extreme horror, the cereal marshmallow guy e-mailed me after reading my derogatory review. I was afraid he was going to yell at me, but instead he insisted on sending me the “non-Kosher” marshmallows.  To my surprise (and relief), the second bunch was really good.

(I’d like to think the cereal marshmallow guy made a few sales because of my post, but let’s be real.)

MM: How did you choose your blog design and graphics? Has the look of your blog remained the same or changed over time?

JD: I use 3 K2 Redux Klein by Headset Options, but I tweaked it a lot. My main reason for choosing this theme was a cool Flickr widget that I don’t even use anymore.

I replaced the original header with an image that was described by a reviewer as a “jellyfish-attack during an acid-flashback,” and that made me cry, so I changed it. I hired an excellent graphic designer who came up with the idea of cartoonizing a photo of me in a bathtub with a rose in my teeth.

I’m very happy with the way it looks and probably won’t change anything. …Unless someone criticizes my header again.

MM: How has your blog changed since you started it? What about your attitude towards blogging?

JD: Starting out, I wanted money and lots of it.

I began my blogging career reading ProBlogger and other sites that tell you how to monetize your blog. I’ve always focused on quality content, but in the beginning, I factored in money-making ads way more than I do now.

Two and a half years ago, I was young and ambitious. Now? I’m lazy and jaded.

Blogging is a lot of work, and it takes time to figure out the best way to monetize. I’d rather work on writing good posts. Besides, if you write well, the advertisers come to YOU, right? (laughs bitterly..)

MM: What's your day job? How do you work blogging into the 'real' part of your life?

JD: By day, I’m a freelance book editor. Since I work at home and make my own hours, it’s easy for me to be flexible. I’m lucky. I mostly blog when I feel like it (which is almost never.)

I tend to take notes when I’m working out (awkward), in the middle of conversations (rude), or driving (dangerous). I’m grateful for my schedule, because I can do things during the weekday that most people have to cram in on weekends or evenings, like shopping, working out, or blogging. This typically leaves me very little time for actual work, but today’s modern woman doesn’t have time for EVERYthing.

MM:What do you wish someone else would do so YOU don't have to?

JD: Oh, so many things. Clean my house. Lose my weight. Wash my car. Figure out why the cabinet under my sink is all wet and what that one stain is. Oh, and get a pap smear.

Before I knew it, our interview was over, and JD had motored off for an emergency White Castle run. As I showed myself to the door, I thought about how glad I was to have found I Do Things So You Don’t Have To. It’s a quirky blog by a very funny lady.

I also found myself thinking, “Hm. Pap-smear-by-proxy… Genius!”