Well, How Did I Get Here?

Over at Frogs and Ravens, Rana posted what I thought was a fascinating question:

Which blog(s) was the first one you remember encountering, which blog(s) inspired you to become a blogger yourself, and why? (Provide links, if you can.)

(If you're not yet a blogger, I'd still like to know which blog brought you into the blogosphere.)

I'll answer, then I'll turn the question over to you.

The first blog I ever read was Mother Shock. I had just read Andi's book of the same name (which, by the way, I highly recommend), and discovering her blog was like discovering an entire new world. From her blog I found Chez Miscarriage, and Dooce, and dozens of others. After several months of reading other blogs, I decided that I'd like to dip my toe in the pool, too. A big reason was to record the day-to-day life of my kids as they grow; I also wanted to see if writing down some of my experiences as a parent would help me cope better with the whirlwind of emotions and concerns and anxieties and epiphanies I seem to encounter daily.

What about you?