That was amazing! After last night I believe the steemit community can do anything...

Yesterday I posted about my targets and goals on steemit.

I had set three targets for 2017 - to reach 5000 SP to become a dolphin, to get 1000 followers and to reach a reputation of 60.

At the time of writing that post yesterday morning I had made it to dolphin status, but had fallen short on the other two.

I had 977 followers and my reputation was at 59.881.

Close but no cigar...

No big deal, it would only be a week or so and then I could crack on with my 2018 targets.

Then something really groovy happened.

I was listening in to @SirCork's Steemitizens of Steem show on the @steemstarnetwork. @SirCork was inviting people to come on air and talk about what they were doing.

I hopped on and mentioned that I had achieved dolphin status but wasn't going to make it on the other two targets.

Then boom! @SirCork put out a call to the good listeners of the show. Could they make it happen?

The votes started coming in and the rep began to grow. The followers inched higher.

That took me by surprise. So in the spirit of favours returned I made the offer - 10 SBD for the @YouAreHope charitable causes if I hit my targets by midnight UTC.

The numbers continued to climb while @SirCork chatted with @azizbd from Bangladesh.

@azizbd is doing excellent work running @schoolforsdg4 and also a Women's Empowerment Project with the mothers of the schoolchildren.

I upped my offer to 10 SBD to @schoolforsdg4 on behalf of YouAreHope, and 10 SBD to @YouAreHope for its projects around the world.

Bingo! I made it to 1000 followers during the show. @carrieallen was listening to the show, and if I remember correctly her husband @chrisroberts became my 1000th follower at 7.23pm UTC.

That was amazing. Two targets down, and one to go. Thank you to everyone who helped during the show... @beanz, @molovelly, @shadowspub, @uniwhisp (apologies to anyone I missed).

Reputation is a tougher nut to crack. Still four and half hours til midnight but it was a big hill to climb.

Two out of three isn't bad.

I settled down to listen to @Beanz's @VOTU podcast. Interesting discussions about self-voting and the recent disturbances in the force between BS and HJ.

I pitched in with a few comments. Then @Beanz asked how I was doing with my New Years Eve quest. Still short on the reputation.

Boom x2 the great VOTU listeners piled in with more upvotes. Thank you @beanz again, @isacoin, @sgt-dan, @steemitgraven29, @thekittygirl...

Getting ever closer, but not quite. Into the 59.95 zone now if I recall.

The show was over.

I sat back for a quiet new year's eve writing a couple of posts just in case I might get lucky with a big one. You never know @blocktrades or @glitterfart might be passing by. I only needed one of them to sneeze on my post and I would be home and dry.

Then suddenly @GINAbot started buzz, buzz, buzzing. I checked SteemNow.com. My rep was climbing.

@ats-david (rep 73) was voting on my posts. Rep going up...

I've heard of @ats-david but don't know him. He seems like a cool sort of guy and a witness (@ats-witness) worthy of a vote - thank you @ats-david.

@GINAbot kept on buzzing. Votes came tumbling in from a whole host of people I didn't know - @dan-bn, @jchch, @supergoodliving...

The rep was ticking up. My fairy godmother was watching over me.

Then I got a DM from @shadowspub. She knew @ats-david and had asked him for the votes.

I was speechless... "friends help friends when they can"

Steemit is one special community - thank you @shadowspub.

Rounded up I was now on 60. But steemnow had me on 59.974.

Two hours to go.

This was getting tense.

I needed a beer.

Only one left in the pantry.

That would have to last.

@beanz powered up her voting rays again and zippedy-zap I was on 59.99.

Still time to write posts. That might just do it.

Up went the weekly radio schedule.

59.991, 59.992, 59.993, 59.994, 59.995, 59.996...

So, so close. I was desperate now. I needed to show a bit of flesh.

Up went a home movie to DTube. I was in swimming trunks. I'm no Brad Pitt but surely that would do it...

59.997, 59.998.

Arghhhh. It was 11.46pm. I was spent. I couldn't get another post up and voted on in 14 minutes.

Game over. Beer bottle empty.

Oh well I gave it my best shot.

Just time to wish a few people happy new year - even if it was too early yet for them - and then some sleep time.

I spotted @HopeHuggs was online. She's in the UK so I popped in to give her new year's greetings.

She was busy writing her daily FAB post.

I mentioned how close I was to my target - 0.002 away from dreamland.

Hamster permitting, @HopeHuggs (rep 65) lept into action. Vote kaboom, vote kaboom.

Yowza, yowza, yowza. I made it it. My reputation clicked over to 60 on the stroke of midnight.

You couldn't write a better script if you tried.

Thank you, thank you, thank you @HopeHuggs.

The universe lit up last night and the world of steem shone through.

This might sound wierd but that was the most amazing New Year's Eve I have ever experienced.

Steemit is one amazing community.

After last night I think the people of steem could do anything.

I wonder if we could build a school...

---

---

Thank you to everyone who helped me yesterday, and before, to achieve my new years targets.

My particular thanks to the good @SirCork who kicked it off on his radio show in the afternoon, to the wonderful @Beanz who kept on firing on all cylinders, to my friendly fairy godmother @shadowspub who brought @ats-david to my aid, and finally to @HopeHuggs who scored the winning goal in the dying embers of the game.

It just goes to show there are two things the world needs most - Hope and Huggs.

---

---

I will be sending over 10 SBD to @YouAreHope shortly, and also 10 SBD to @schoolforsdg4 on behalf of @YouAreHope.

I also have another 10 SBD to add to this from the very generous @gmuxx.

I haven't tallied up yet but I expect I will have earnt more than 20 SBD from the extra votes I received yesterday so I will be distributing more as the post rewards come in to other charities I support, particularly @papilloncharity and @tarc.

Thank you people of steem for one very special day in my life.

---

---

You might also be interested in some of my other posts :

• My Childhood Days in the Home Counties of England, 1964-65 (part 2)

• My Childhood Days in the Home Counties of England, 1964-65

• SteemRadio - schedule of all the steemit radio shows - week beginning 1 January 2018

• Yesterday I became a Dolphin. Now it is time to set my steemit targets for 2018

• Homesteaders & Preppers on steemit - visiting everyone on the list to say hello and leave a little gift

• MSP Waves Radio : Pennsif on Air with Globocop : What happened in 1965 - the home movie edition

• The Festive Follower Freebie - a Festive Season Giveaway for all my followers (update)

• The Homesteaders Mentoring System is underway - first two mentors now available

• Homestead Plans for 2018 : bees, solar panels and an electric car

• Family Holidays in Wales 1964-65 (including Aberaeron and Aberystwyth)

• Do you want to buy your baked beans with steem? You can now if you live in the UK

• I Buy Steem - can we bypass the exchanges?

• Vive la révolution - steem is here (or why I haven't been so excited for over 20 years)

• Homesteaders & Preppers on steemit - heading towards 300 by the new year? v11 [23 Dec '17]

• Steemit coming alive in Wales - First meetup taking place on Saturday 10 February 2018 in Lampeter

• SteemCommerce - Businesses accepting payment in steem (v 1 @ 15 December 2017)

---

---

I am in the market for buying steem directly.

I can pay by BACS, PayPal, or Amazon Gift Cards.

For more details check my post :

• I Buy Steem - can we bypass the exchanges?

---

---

[ graphics by @pennsif ]