Apparently, I've been Potterized

Fans of the Harry Potter series know he is referred to as "The Boy Who Lived."  According to Linoge, I have a similar cognomen: The Girl Who Says Things.  That I am flattered to be named thus is an understatement, to be sure, because if I had to pick the one person responsible for my involvement with the gunblog community, it would be him.

Put briefly, the chronology of events would look something like this:

2009:

• Became interested in prepping; started reading Survivalblog. 
• Noticed many links to Tamara's blog; started reading that too. 
• Noticed many recurring commenters, like Weerd Beard. 

2010:

• Worked for Census. Used some of that money to buy my first gun (a .22 bolt-action rifle) to complement bug-out bag. 
• Started posting about shooting.
• Started reading other gun blogs.
• Used last remaining Census money to buy Mosin-Nagant, because after reading these blogs I realized I wanted something boomier. 

2011:

• Took my friend Chris Bridges to the range and let him shoot both rifles. 
• He wrote a post about it.
• I wrote a follow-up to his post. 
• Linoge, using means unknown to me, found Chris' post and followed a link to this post of mine. 
• He wrote a post linking to mine. 
• For the first time EVER, I am noticed by the gunblog community, and despite being an outsider he makes me feel welcome by telling me that my rifle is cool. 
• I start reading more gun blogs, commenting on same, and writing more about shooting. 
• Somewhere between here and 2012, I pick up my identity as the little sister of the gunblog community. 

2012:

• Oleg Volk notices me somehow. 
• He talks to me on Skype, and the first question out of his mouth is "So, what's with all the ponies?"
• We become friends. 
• He helps me raise funds to buy a pistol and a carry permit. 
• Because of this, my mother decides to get her permit and pistol too. 
• Linoge puts me in touch with Iain Harrison at Crimson Trace, and I get my first T&E product. 
• This puts me on a path of doing product reviews. 
• Now fully invested in the gunblog community, I try to give back to it as well. 
• For some reason I still can't fathom, you folks find me likable. You help me out and stick up for me and make me feel so welcome that for the first time in YEARS, I contemplate meeting people face to face. 
• I meet Oleg. He doesn't hate me, and makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. 

2013:

• Writer. Reviewer. Kinda-sorta Internet Famous, at least in gunnie circles. 
• I have tons of people who like me and say they want to meet me. 
• The thought of meeting them at a blog shoot doesn't terrify me like it used to. 

Linoge didn't start me on the road to blogging, but he helped me get where I am today. I guess you could call him my god-blogfather. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would be doing more than reading a handful of blogs. I probably wouldn't be a gun-rights activist. I certainly wouldn't be a product reviewer!

So while I am saddened to learn that in ten or so posts, he will be giving up blogging, I am flattered that he chose to honor me thus. In a way, I feel like he has passed his mantle on to me. I hope I am worthy of this honor.