The Lesson Learned

The Statistics Show...

I don't check my site statistics everyday. That probably doesn't surprise any of you, since recently I haven't been posting everyday. I've been a very inconsistent blogger. In fact, lately I have been too busy to even switch my computer on once during an entire day.

Now, if you know me in real life, you know that this is a strange new phenomenon. You know that you should be very afraid because I must be very sick as I always, always have time to flip on my computer and checkout a few sites. Always. It's most unusual that I've developed such lackadaisical surfing habits.

I've simply been too busy to make time for my computer or to blog. Sure, I've had small windows of time where I've made half-hearted attempts to read other sites or post a quick entry here, but the entries haven't been lengthy or contained much value; however, I assure you that this is not because I have nothing to say, nor is it that I don't care what you have to say. I simply don't have time to say it well or at the detailed level that matches the thoughts in my tiny brain. Recently, I have been rather hit and miss in the blogging department.

With that in mind, I was surprised to see that traffic to this site has been booming. As I scanned through the pages and pages of statistics, I tried to fathom where the traffic originated. I figured it was like the time I complained about the process for converting m4p files to mp3 format. Other PC users had the same problem, of course, but were misdirected directed to this site because of that entry. Then there was the time I briefly blogged about the Average Joe spoiler, which drew traffic to my site for weeks. While the hits from search engines certainly count as hits, they don't hold as much weight as hits from people who find their way to my site because they want to read what I have to say. Those are the hits that matter to me.

I was pleased to find that the bulk of the newest hits were other bloggers who recently found their way to my site and returned several times. As I scanned through the statistics I wondered how all these bloggers found me and what has been drawing them back to my site for return visits. You know, because I haven't been posting lately. I was really puzzled.

Then the phone rang and I woke up. Of course, the increased site traffic was just a perverse dream. You still have to write good content to draw readers in and captivate them. Duh. I know this.

How Things Change

Face time with the big cheese is always very valuable, of course. But the memory of when the big cheese was just a regular guy who once introduced himself, informed you about the company softball team, advised you to stay away from the token loose cannon, a.k.a. psycho guy, and listed the gay people in the company is truly priceless.

At the time, these events occurred so abruptly that you felt your head was spinning. In retrospect, it’s slightly more than mildly amusing. It's amazing how much can change in just a few years.

Do a Little Dance

Apparently, I have become a part-time blogger. It has come about rather unintentionally. I’ve been too busy because I’ve been off doing a little of this and a little of that.

I’ve done a little work. In spite of the need to get a lot accomplished, there have recently been so many meeting and interruptions that it seems that very little was accomplished. In fact, I brought some work home in hopes of getting a jumpstart for next week; however, I’ve been too busy to make much progress. So much for the jumpstart.

I found a little lost cat. The King of the Cats somehow managed to get outside. We think he may have gotten outside via a window the oldest son decided to leave open. Friday evening we discovered he was missing and immediately searched the interior and exterior of the house to no avail. We then combed the neighborhood calling his name. Once we postponed our search and focused on filling flowerboxes with Gerber daisies, the King decided to grace us with his presence. He skittishly made his way to me with dirt and cobwebs hanging from his whiskers and fur. The adventures he experienced seemed to wear him out as he has been sleeping ever since. I’m just thankful that nothing bad happened to him since he has never before been outside in the real world. My world would just not be the same without the King of the Cats.

I’ve been watching a little soccer. As a matter of fact, we had a double header today in the cold, windy weather. It was really a little too much soccer for such weather. The good news is soccer is officially over--until the fall season, that is.

I’ve experienced a little tornado weather, along with the rest of the Midwest. Luckily for us most of the action has been north of where we are located. This is always the scariest time of the year.

I’ve done a little cleaning and spent a little time with my family.

I’ve also made a little love and took the time to get down tonight.

Okay, so I got a little carried away there at the end. I had to keep with the theme you know. *grins*

My Travels

I've seen this everywhere, but finally decided to give it a try. I've traveled here and there within the United States:

create your own personalized map of the USA

Mapping it out shows me how much I still have left to see.

Update: I removed the other maps. The site was taking too long to load.

Date Night

I've explained our Wednesday ritual before, but this is for the new(er) people to this site. You see, Wednesday is date night. You thought I was married? I am. And I think date night is an important tradition that keeps us closer and keeps our marriage fresh. It began when we were dating.

Our schedules were very busy at the time, but Wednesday was free for both of us. It was the hubby’s idea to take me out for dinner every Wednesday. Over time we started calling it “date night”. If friends wanted us to do something on Wednesday, we responded, “Sorry, that’s our date night!”

Date night consists of dinner and sometimes a movie or shopping trip if there is a gift or joint purchase we need to make. Sometimes date night includes our boys or friends and family, but most of the time it’s just the two of us. We both look forward to spending time together and it gives us a chance to catch up on what’s going on the rest of the week. I look forward to not having to cook! Not that I cook all that much, but I look for every excuse not to.

Having date night on Wednesday works because restaurants are less crowded, which means less wait time for a table and more privacy. It also makes the week go by quicker as you have one more thing to look forward to. And the biggest bonus is we never call Wednesday “hump” day because it’s date night. I strongly recommend date night for all couples whether married or dating. Heck, it’s not exclusive to couples—grab a friend and celebrate Wednesday.

And, with that, we’re off to dinner with the boys—it’s a family date night this time. Enjoy your evening!

Deluxe Car Wash

What’s the recipe for a deluxe car wash? In my experience, it goes something like this:

Take one youngest son (YS) who, while sitting on the bench during his soccer game, managed to consume, unbeknownst to me of course, four fruit rollups, a granola bar, two Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, a Gatorade, and a Capri Sun.

Throw in one very dirty, white truck.

Stir together one bucket of hot, sudsy water.

Toss in one giant sponge.

And that’s only the beginning. While I was washing my car, the boys kept pestering me to let them help; however, I happen to be very particular about my car and they don’t generally hold to the same standards. Instead, I decided to turn them loose on the husband’s truck, ever in need of a good washing.

We were all happily washing vehicles when a flurry of activity in my peripheral vision caught my attention. The YS, sponge in hand, was circling the truck at a half-sprint, leaving a soapy trail behind him as he ran. The oldest son and I sat back on our heels and watched the YS make three jaunts around the truck leaving various soap-spun tracks before we burst into laughter. After several soap-flinging jaunts as such, the truck was soon soaked in suds and gleaming white.

Now that’s a deluxe car wash. As an added bonus, it’s a good way to work off a sugar-high and quite entertaining too.

Got a dirty car? I’ll send the car-washer over. I think he still has a slight sugar-buzz going.

Tap, Tap, Tappity Tap

Is this thing on? Is it just me or has Blogland been quiet lately? I realize that it's springtime and people are busy, but it still seem quieter than it normally does.

Typepad is slow too. And I realize that you're not asking me if I can whine even more, because you know I can and you don't really want to hear it. But it's cool; I'm tired of hearing me whine too.

The Results Are In...

I’m so happy it’s Friday. I’m always relieved when the freakin’ weekend finally arrives so I can have me some fun and this week was no exception. And thanks to all of you who participated in my little poll. I didn’t mean to disappear from Blogland, it just worked out that way. I'm glad to be back.

So, how did the majority of you think I handled the coach situation? Without further ado, here are the results:

Of a hundred* people surveyed….

44 percent thought that I wanted to say something smart, but bit my lip and remained silent;

33 percent thought I was too busy watching over YS to think of being a smart ass;

And 22 percent thought that I marched out onto the field and demanded the coach run laps in his suit.

And the majority rules--while I really wanted to be a smart-ass, I didn’t say anything. I did not have a meltdown this time. I just let it go. Maybe the coach will understand that sometimes other priorities get in the way of your plans. Sometimes life gets in the way of your plans. Maybe in the future he will have a little more compassion toward the children.

And to those who thought I was too busy to be a smart-ass, I appreciate the benefit of the doubt, but I’m never too busy think of a wisecrack. I may not say it aloud, but the smart remark always occurs to me. Just so you know.

* I didn’t really survey 100 people, but it sounds good. * *grins * *

Soccer Pole

The youngest son had soccer practice again today. As I settled in to watch the practice, I surveyed the field to determine how many of his teammates showed up for practice. The head count showed that ten of the fourteen teammates and one assistant coach were accounted for. The head coach was distinctly missing.

At about the halfway mark of the practice, the head coach finally set foot onto the field, still sporting his business attire. Now, this is the same coach who has taken it upon himself to make practice attendance such a priority that he singled out my youngest son and made him run laps recently.

Here's your chance to guess how I handled this soccer situation. Complete the poll below:

How do you think I handled the coach’s late arrival? Did I repeat my little episode by making a scene today?
	Yes, you marched out onto the field and demanded he practice what he preaches by running laps.
	No, you really wanted to say something smart to guy, but you bit your lip and continued watching the practice from the safety of your car.
	Actually you were so busy watching out for the YS that saying something to the coach didn’t occur to you until it was too late.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

As The Page Turns

I have one of those page-a-day calendars at work. Changing the calendar each day is part of my morning work routine. The advice offered on these pages is sometimes helpful and sometimes amusing or entertaining. At the very least, it helps pass the time if only for a few seconds.

I typically scan the message of the day and quickly decide whether it applies to me; however, today’s message made me pause:

“To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious,” Samuel Butler.

While I think there’s a lot of truth to this sentiment, my first response was an attempt at humor. “Well, I have the idle part mastered,” I softly chuckled to myself. But on second thought I know that in this age of multi-tasking and continuous activity, I’m rarely idle. I feel that I should be constantly buzzing with action--down time is something I do not experience very often. This is true of my time on the clock as well as off the clock.

In fact, I’ve often thought that I could do a much better job and enjoy my work more if there wasn’t so much on my plate . If only I had more time in which to think about the task or solution. There’s so much work that there just isn’t enough time to really think about my actions. More times than not, I start the work and later alter my path to ensure I’m doing it right, sometimes doing all or part of the work over to ensure it is done correctly. In the end I wind up doing an okay job, but taking a little longer when I think I could do a better job in less time if the wheels could just slow down to allow for some thinking time.

Today’s page makes me realize that maybe thinking time is something I should demand. Maybe it’s something I should find and take for myself in spite of the work. It’s certainly something I will consider as the next few pages turn.