Movin' on up

This weblog, for me, is like an online diary. I had never kept a "diary" in the traditional sense prior to starting this. In the early days, I thought it was important how many people visited the site on a daily basis, and I was obsessive about trying to find ways to get more people to stop here. One day, a few years back, someone with a real presence in the world of blogging had honoured my tiny corner of the universe with the "Site of the Day" designation, and my numbers soared artifically high for a short while. But, on the average, fewer than a dozen or so people actually stop here on a regular basis and I no longer feel the need to entertain anyone.

So, what's the point of this post - following on the heels of only a very few in the past weeks...

One of the original "bloggers" - certainly the one whose site I've admired most over the years - has called it quits. Not because of anything sinister (like the blog wars of several years ago, where some good people were scared away due to insensitivity from others), but simply because she's run out of things to say. Her long-held desire to become an author has finally gained enough strength to force her to take action, and her weblog - which has taken so much time and energy to maintain - will be the project that is directly affected by her change in priorities.

"A Small Victory", as her site was known, was always a place where I could go to read well-crafted stories and passionate political commentary. In recent months, the political commentary began to disappear, and so did my interest in her site. In an attempt to become less controversial, she had lost the spark that had kept me coming back. I kept hoping she would change her mind and get back into the fray. But it was not to be, and this week, she pulled the plug.

I'll miss her, but I know she'll be happy in her new endeavours, and that's really what life is all about. So, goodbye, Michelle. It was a blast while it lasted.

Not much happening

Nothing much has changed... I'm still unemployed, still working hard to improve my stress issues, and still plugging away at my project. I've been updating my website fairly regularly, and plan to make some changes during the off-season. Here's hoping I make some money when the new season starts.

Thanksgiving weekend

I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to see all my children this past weekend. They're not always able to come back home for the holidays, due to the demands of their various jobs. But this weekend, I got lucky and had the opportunity to spend time with them all. I'm so proud of how well they are maturing - and having the opportunity to celebrate my son's birthday was a real treat.

As they grew up and went their own ways, their mother had doubts at times about how well she had raised them. To see them now, she can be proud of the wonderful job she did. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful family - where everyone is healthy, and for the most part, satisified with their direction in life. What more could a man wish for!

I've been VOIP'd

Our local cable company recently started offering telephone service using the same cable as the internet uses. I had been considering getting VOIP service from VONAGE or Packet8. There were always reasons for holding back. With the local cable company now offering the service, all my concerns were put to rest. We'll now be paying about $45 for telephone service (including unlimited long distance and the five most-used calling features). That's down from the $60+ we had been paying, and WAY DOWN from the $90+ when I was regularly calling my out of town employer. Now, even if I get a new telecommuting job, those calls will be free!

It's been installed less than an hour, and I'm already in love with the caller ID feature and clear voice signal.

Edited to add

So, I'm on the phone talking with my daughter (it's the third call since getting the service) when the internet goes down. The phone goes dead right in my ear. Just a bit disconcerting. Hopefully, this is not some kind of omen.