At http://mattrsullivan.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/starting-off-with-a-thud/ I discussed my difficulties with setting up my first choice of wordpress.com username!
As you can see from my current web address, I got that resolved.
In a nutshell, I logged into my wordpress.com account, and applied for the username as if I’d never reserved it before. Apparently, since it saw that I was the owner of that username, it allowed me to continue and to choose the free hosting option.
Next up: self-hosting
Reason: SEO and monetization
