Last night Tara and I were discussing this here blog and how pathetic it's been for months. We never post and when we have written in the blog it's back dated to fill in the gaps we've missed. I have a long list of excuses for why the blog has fallen off the earth - check out a few of my favorites....
Dog owning
Child rearing
Book writing
College teaching
Church calling
Diet breaking
Life passing
The list can go on and on. Truthfully, I want to blog more often. I just haven't lately. I plan to get back into things as my life has settled down a bit. Sorry loyal reader, but you aren't done with us yet.
This post marks the end of my 5th year participating in NaBloPoMo. I have to say I have mixed feelings about it. There were several days where I didn't really have anything to say and I just posted something. There were other days where I had a lot to say and didn't have time to really post anything. Here's a look back at what happened during NaBloPoMo:
Fall turned into Winter
Halloween turned into Thanksgiving
My mom turned 70
I turned the scale the wrong direction by eating too much
The Utes turned from contender to pretender and settled into victor
Our floors turned from old into new
The kids turned our house upside down on a daily basis
This blog turned from a "must read" to a "can miss"
If any of you read all our posts this month, I apologize for some of the trivial and boring posts. I can't say the month turned out the way I had hoped. Still, I guess there's something to the fact that I finished what I started. 30 posts in 30 days.
Earlier tonight Tara and I were discussing National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo and whether or not we wanted to participate. In the past I've always been pretty excited for this month in the blog each year. It gives me a chance to stretch myself and I see if there's something to share beyond the kids, my job, or church. Even though those are the main topics in my life, I'd like to write more about what I'm thinking or some of my history that makes me, well me. We'll see if we can make it - 30 posts in 30 days seems like a daunting task this year.
This post marks a major milestone in half truths and mild tales - 1000 posts. I started working on this blog in August of 2005 as an experiment. Blogging was still pretty new on the landscape and a couple of us in the office wanted to give it a try and see if anyone was listening. I had no idea just how popular blogging would become over the past 5 years. I would love to say I was a blogging pioneer, but I think I was just a bit ahead of the curve.
So, what's happened in the cyber-space of our little world during the life of half truths?
I guess it's a little of everything. When the blog started Kennedy was 9 months old and we thought blogging would help us detail some of the events in her life. Boy, has that ever been the case. Alex and Dylan weren't even on the horizon and this blog has shared so much of their lives. Tara and I are pretty much the same (ok, we're a little grayer, a little slower, a little bigger - sometimes smaller, and a lot more stressed). Imagine, our family has gone from a cozy group of three, to a wild party of five. Amazing.
In this blog we've discussed parenting, family life, politics, home improvement, weather, work, church, sports, geocaching, vacations, adoption, and so much more. There are certainly times when mild tales looks like a typical brag blog, where we share why our kids are so great. Still, there are lots of times where the blog has served as a forum, a place to share ideas and look at things related to the world and how I feel about them. Truthfully, I wish I wrote more of these types of posts.
I know I've slowed down in writing over the past couple of years. I guess I've stopped creating reasons to write and now the blog gets a little neglected sometimes. Even though we're not as prolific as we were in the first couple of years, I'm still proud of the blog. A lot of people have started a blog and played with it for a month or two before letting it drift to the wasteland of the Internet- mild tales is 5 years old and still going strong.
Since the collage was so small - take a look over a few of our favorite images from the past 1000 posts.
Each year I write this blog and hope that what I say will mean something down the road. I know that Tara and I are probably the only ones these for which little stories matter, but I like writing down our adventures and a few of my thoughts. One of my favorite aspects of blog writing is blog publishing. It seems like each spring I finishing compiling the previous year's blog into a book. Well, I finished 2009 a couple days ago and it arrived from Blurb today.
It looks really good. After four previous books I'm starting to get down a format I like and I can knock it out pretty quickly. This year I did something kinda fun. Since we had some extra pages at the end of the book I created a photo montage to the last decade of our lives. It was cool to look through photos of our little family, starting with the two of us from 2000 to 2004, and the family years from 2005 to the present. I know it's just for us, but the blog books are a big reason you keep seeing my thoughts in type.
I know it doesn't matter a whole lot, but it was time to update the layout on the blog. I've wanted a three column look for a while now, so today was the day. Truthfully, I wasn't ready for the update quite yet, but I hit the wrong button in Blogger and erased the old layout. Oh well, as the old year ends, here's something new...
It's done again, NaBloPoMo is over. It was quite a challenge to find something different to write about each day this month. I've noticed this year that my blogging has slowed considerably - perhaps I'm running out of things to say. Still, this month was fun. We discussed TV, football, social norms, children, holidays, and weather. Wow, what a month. Here's a look back:
It's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) again and I have to admit I'm not sure if I can make it this year. Over the past couple of months my blogging sails seem to be drooping a bit. I don't know if I've lost my mojo or if it's simply that I finally realized how boring we are. Still, I'm committed to giving NaBloPoMo a good effort this year.
If you're new to our blog, NaBloPoMo involves posting a blog entry every day for the entire month of November. So, get ready. You're about to learn more about me than you ever imagined. Don't fret I won't get into my personal habits (too much) but let's see if I can share a few new things about me and the the family. See you tomorrow!
I know it doesn't look like it, but I actually took two weeks off from blogging earlier this month. I can't say it was something that I planned, it just worked out that way. It was the end of the semester for me and it seemed like every free moment on the computer was spent grading some type of assignment. I didn't even keep up with fantasy sports very well. Still, my hiatus made me think about the role the Internet and blogging plays in my life.
In the past year I've created accounts all over the web - facebook, twitter, flickr, and other social networking sites, but blogging has always been my favorite medium of communication. I think I like sharing my real thoughts without being limited to 140 characters or trying to impress someone with a clever little one-line synopsis of my life. I'm not saying I don't like those other services, but blogging has helped me find a voice, my voice.
I say that I use this blog as an online journal, a place to record the goings-on in our lives. Still, I find that I like to share more than just videos and images about our family. Sometimes I feel I get sucked into the minutia of the "brag blog" where we simply detail some major accomplishment by a child or even the minor accomplishments of Tara and me. I'm not saying those posts aren't important, but I don't want to look for reasons to blog. You know the events that I take the camera to, just on the off chance I will have something to write about. If something is important to us, it will make the blog (even if there isn't a picture, gasp).
So why am I sharing all this - I don't know, but I keep coming back to a central idea, this is my blog and I share what I want, when I want.
I can't believe it but we've had a major Tara sighting in the blog. After 756 posts and almost four years of mild tales this week marks the first time that Tara has: 1) posted three times in a row and 2) more posts for a month than I do.
It's an interesting mix to share a blog with your partner. So far I have way more posts, but she dominates the comments. I can attribute this to one of two things: 1) she writes about more interesting topics (namely Kennedy, Alex, or Dylan) or 2) Mommy Blogging Syndrome - the mommy bloggers stick together. Either way I'm happy to see Tara is an active contributer to the blog and I can't wait to read all the comments she gets about three posts in a row.
Yes another one. One of the advantages to the week home with the family was it gave me time to complete my blog book for 2008. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Blurb had finally resolved the issues with Blogger, so I got on my book as soon as I could. Truthfully, I might have finished the book earlier, but the BookSmart software was really having some problems with my Mac. Every time I tried to work on it the program would close and I ended up losing the first two months a couple of times. To fix the problem I actually had to work on the book on a borrowed PC (the horror of it all).
Still, it's finished. 240 full color pages, witty commentary, a true must read. If only I can find the $50 plus dollars to purchase the book I'd be set....
I know a lot of you were pretty down after you learned late last year that Blurb had stopped working with Blogger to make blog books. After months of angry users, guess what came back earlier today - Blogger support from Blurb. That’s right - you can again make your wonderful blog books using Booksmart, the free download from Blurb. You’ll need the latest version of Booksmart 1.9.9 and then it’s up to you. Bloggers rejoice!
BTW - All of you who started blogging once you saw my blog books need to remember me in the dedication of your 2008 book!
I don't know if I like the new template or not for the blog. One thing I know for sure, it was time for a blog makeover. Just like everything else, the new year provides for a chance to change. The modern look is definitely quite a departure from the past few years. I told Tara it reminds me of IKEA - all straight lines. Perhaps people will think we're Nordic. I hope it's like a haircut and it just takes a couple of weeks to get used to. What do you think?
This post marks the end of NaBloPoMo 2008. I don't know that it's been one of my better months in the blog. Many will say I didn't blog about the kids enough. Others will declare that I spent too much time on the Obama victory and politics. Cougar fans will cry because they're cougar fans. Still, it's been a pretty good month for the blog.
This is my 3rd straight year participating in NaBloPoMo. At times I find it exhilarating, a chance to share thoughts and feelings that don't often make it into the blog. Other times I find myself stuck, trying to come up with anything interesting to write about. I know two things are always true at the end of November - I'm glad I blogged for a month straight and I'm glad I don't have to do it again until next year.
For the past few weeks this blog has been languishing in apathy. I haven't really been inspired to write much and the things I have written have been uninspired and mundane (that's three "five dollar words in two sentences - not bad). I've wanted to write more, but most of what I've done over the past few weeks involved work and CNN. Rather than bore all of you with my political mantra each day, I've stayed relatively silent.
But now, along comes NaBloPoMo, my chance to write everyday, about whatever I want. I really love November for the challenge of posting thirty times in thirty days. Get ready - you're about to learn more about me than you ever thought possible. Aren't you all lucky?
BTW - I know the five people who read my blog have one of their own. Are you up to the NaBloPoMo challenge?
There was a time when I thought I had it going on. I had several people who read this blog every day. Occasionally, comments would be left on some of our posts. I may even get cross posted in someone else's blog. All of that has changed. About a week ago I added a new feature to the blog that allowed people to "follow" us and our blog. We don't even have one person who's taken us up on the offer yet. To quote Elaine from Seinfeld, "Is it just that I'm not as good looking as I think I am?"
I don't know if it will make the best sellers list or not, but half truths and mild tales Version 2007 is now available through Blurb. I have to say that I love this company. I've made 5 books now with Blurb and the quality is great! It takes a few hours to put together, but what do you expect for a 280 page book. Check out the preview of our latest book. If you want a copy (I won't hold my breath) send me a message and we'll make a deal.
I decided to change the color scheme on the blog for the new year. Nothing against the red, black, and tan look from last year (it was a good Utes scheme), but you've just got to mix things up now and again. I really like the layout for the page, so I'm not ready to do anything drastic. Still, your blog should be like your hair - solid style, with a ability to adapt to an occasional whim. What do you think?
Having now completed my second NaBloPoMo I have to say that November has become my favorite month to blog. I love the challenge of coming up with topics that are fun to write about, while interesting for people to read. I think this year the readership of this blog increased dramatically for NaBloPoMo. For the past few months I would receive a comment every week or two, but I've read comments almost daily during November. I attribute this to two things: More of you are checking in daily to read what's going on and the posts have covered more topics on which you have an opinion. Think about it, this month we've discussed School Vouchers, 1977, 2008 Presidential Campaign, The Utah byu Game, 5 Things About Me, and Vacuums. Who couldn't get excited about topics like these?!
Another major thing happened this month, I realized that people outside my little world read my blog. If you noticed that a post was removed by me during the month you may have asked why. Here's the story. I wrote a post about trying to work for a minor league basketball team a couple of weeks ago. In the post I made comments about the fact that I probably wasn't going to get the chance to really do anything and I was upset because I felt like I had more experience than the people they would be using. I didn't think anything of the comments until the day after I posted.
That afternoon my friend called me to say that the minor league team had read my blog and they weren't happy. They said, "We'd rather hire people who aren't as good, then work with people who are critical." Two things crossed my mind when I heard about this: 1) Someone actually took the time to do a search on this stuff and came across my blog. 2) Someone actually took the time to do a search on this stuff, came across my blog, and took offense by what I had written. I didn't really know what to do about the whole situation, so I took the post down and sent an email to the minor league basketball team to apologize. So here's the question I've been asking myself - should I have removed the post or not?
NaBloPoMo is back again!!! For those of you who don't know NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month. The challenge is to write a blog post every day for the month of November. I had such a great time with this last year (I don't know how the readers - all 3 of you - felt about it) that I'm definitely back for another run. Over the next month I'm going to try to open up and talk about some issues that have been on mind lately: School Vouchers, the Mountain Network, Cable programming, Parenting 101, Men and Book Clubs, Holidays, and many other hot topics. So, if you're tired of my ramblings already, you may want to avoid the blog for the next 30 days. If not, sit back and enjoy the ride.
I know it doesn't matter a whole lot, but it was time to update the layout on the blog. I've wanted a three column look for a while now, so today was the day. Truthfully, I wasn't ready for the update quite yet, but I hit the wrong button in Blogger and erased the old layout. Oh well, as the old year ends, here's something new...
It's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) again and I have to admit I'm not sure if I can make it this year. Over the past couple of months my blogging sails seem to be drooping a bit. I don't know if I've lost my mojo or if it's simply that I finally realized how boring we are. Still, I'm committed to giving NaBloPoMo a good effort this year. 
Yes another one. One of the advantages to the week home with the family was it gave me time to complete my blog book for 2008. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Blurb had finally resolved the issues with Blogger, so I got on my book as soon as I could. Truthfully, I might have finished the book earlier, but the BookSmart software was really having some problems with my Mac. Every time I tried to work on it the program would close and I ended up losing the first two months a couple of times. To fix the problem I actually had to work on the book on a borrowed PC (the horror of it all). 
I know a lot of you were pretty down after you learned late last year that Blurb had stopped working with Blogger to make blog books. After months of angry users, guess what came back earlier today - Blogger support from Blurb. That’s right - you can again make your wonderful blog books using Booksmart, the free download from Blurb. You’ll need the latest version of Booksmart 1.9.9 and then it’s up to you. Bloggers rejoice!
For the past few weeks this blog has been languishing in apathy. I haven't really been inspired to write much and the things I have written have been uninspired and mundane (that's three "five dollar words in two sentences - not bad). I've wanted to write more, but most of what I've done over the past few weeks involved work and CNN. Rather than bore all of you with my political mantra each day, I've stayed relatively silent.
I don't know if it will make the best sellers list or not, but half truths and mild tales Version 2007 is now available through Blurb. I have to say that I love this company. I've made 5 books now with Blurb and the quality is great! It takes a few hours to put together, but what do you expect for a 280 page book. Check out the preview of our latest book. If you want a copy (I won't hold my breath) send me a message and we'll make a deal.
Having now completed my second NaBloPoMo I have to say that November has become my favorite month to blog. I love the challenge of coming up with topics that are fun to write about, while interesting for people to read. I think this year the readership of this blog increased dramatically for NaBloPoMo. For the past few months I would receive a comment every week or two, but I've read comments almost daily during November. I attribute this to two things: More of you are checking in daily to read what's going on and the posts have covered more topics on which you have an opinion. Think about it, this month we've discussed School Vouchers, 1977, 2008 Presidential Campaign, The Utah byu Game, 5 Things About Me, and Vacuums. Who couldn't get excited about topics like these?!
