The things in my head go 'round and 'round

After writing about HFCS I have gotten some interesting hits. Gannett News, the Kellogg Co., and a web design out of Kentucky.

Do any of these hits mean anything? Or are they just random searches?

I wonder.

Namaste.

At some point the question always comes up.

Why do you blog? Why do you put yourself out there for everyone to see and to comment on?

First off, not everyone sees it. Usually when you start writing the crap that goes on in your head, only the people you tell about it actually read it. Unless you are incredibly lucky to have stumbled on a SEO keyword that brings folks in. But that isn’t the usual.

Secondly, it is fun. It is interesting, and can be cathartic. As long as you obey the first rule of blogging.

Rule #1. Don’t blog about work. Period. Don’t allude to it, don’t try to change the name of your company, or your co-workers, just don’t do it. Someone will find it out and you will have to face the music. And it can cost you your job. Yes, it can.

So, again, why? MLW asked this question on her Facebook page, and I answered it as succinctly as I could. MLW is a very private person, with a great amount of class. I am not. I am an attention whore. Have been from the get go, and don’t see it changing much in the near future.

This has caused MLW to shake her head in amazement in the past. Hopefully it hasn’t caused her too much embarrassment. I am the one who walked on stage at a jazz band concert, without prior permission or approval and started playing songs that I had written on guitar. Just did it. Freaked my parents out. Made my middle brother laugh. He didn’t think that I had it in me.

Surprise.

I am the one, at the tender age of 16 while at band camp, took some liberties with some music, added some lyrics that talked about the camp and the totalitarian policies there (remember I was 16), and played the finished song at the camps talent show. Again without approval. I had gotten approval to play another song, but pulled the first one out of my back pocket when I was on stage. To a standing ovation, mind you.

So, I write here because I do like writing. I like crafting stories, and getting feed back from them. But I also do it to show who I am to everyone who will read this. I am the third son of three sons. A Gemini. I have this need to talk about myself, and about the thoughts in my head. And it can be irritating.

I am ok with that.

And I write to help me understand me. I would hate to make some broad generalization here about people and their personal quests for understanding, but I do believe that we all are looking for who we really are. Are we the sum total of who we married, where we live, where we work, where we spend our time? Or are we something more? I am a believer in the something more part. I am a Father, but I am more than that, I am also a Husband, but there is more to me than just that. I am a mid-level executive, hell a can jockey, but I am a whole lot more than that. I am a son, and a brother and more than that. I am something that I haven’t put my finger on yet. And I keep learning more each and every day. Putting those thoughts down on this electronic piece of paper helps me sort it out. Mostly by helping me see that there is always something more to me than just what is going on right now. Because with the typing of those words, “right now” is gone.

See how I am going all esoteric on you now?

I find it amusing that of my 4 kids, the youngest doesn’t read this any longer. It is of no more interest to her. The youngest son reads it occasionally, though his ex-girlfriend checks in pretty much every week. Hi Dani. The eldest son, I don’t think that he even reads this, but in talking to him on the phone the other night, he gets it. And that made my night. He gets blogging, understands the mechanics of it, and was encouraging me to continue. I was floored, and elated all at the same time. That eldest daughter is so busy between work and college that I am surprised that she can even breathe. But she reads every now and then.

So that, in a nutshell is why we blog. And specifically, why I blog.

Any questions? Please leave any comments below.

Namaste.

Hello to all of you out there. You in Weirton, West By God Virginia. Hi.

The boys mother and I looked at buying a Subway Sub shop at one time in your town. We went to the extent of visiting the area. We didn’t, though. We ended up back in Michigan for a few years before we moved to Columbus, Ohio

Hi Nick. What the heck are you doing reading this instead of studying? Hit the books young man so that you don’t end up working in retail.

Hi, Mike. Hopefully you were in between classes when you logged on here. Or maybe it was Dani. Hey chiquita. Como Esta?

Hi to you in Mount Gretna. I am sorry that I didn’t get to your arts festival this year. When we go there we always end up spending too much money. And money was in short supply this year what with all of the vacations that we ended up taking.

Hi to all of my friends in Harrisburg:

Martin Sacks & Associates.
Brinjac Engineering

It is always nice to see you guys check in.

Hi to MLW’s Aunt B, and her friend from Mechanicburg. Again, it is always good to see you check in. Say hi sometime, we are all friends here.

Hi to my friends in Mannheim. Lebanon is an area that I am still not familiar with. Other than making fun of the Lebanon bologna that everyone seems to love around here. Except for me that is. Especially the sweet lebanon bologna. I just don’t understand that mess.

Hi to you in Windsor, New Jersey. I could riff all night about being a direct descendant of the Dodd’s who founded Newark. Where there is still a Dodd Town, and a Dodd street. Of course, I understand that they are not in the best parts of town any longer. Every now and then, after a few Dodd Family Legacy Ales I get to talking to MLW about coming back to New Jersey and resurrecting the magic that was there when we first established the Dodd homestead. She tells me to go sleep it off.

Hi to you in Nashville, Tennessee. Even though you only stopped to see if I had the recipe for a drink. No biggee.

And I cannot forget my friend in Littleton, Colorado. Chaka, dude. How goes it in the wild west?

So. Just wanted to say hey to all of you folks who stop by to see what insanity is streaming out of my head on a daily basis. There is a lot, let me tell you. For some reason it just doesn’t stop.

Lucky you,

Namaste.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

A few dozen of my most loyal readers wanted to know where I ended up in my search for WiFi on Oak Island.

Ok, a couple of my 10 readers wanted to know. Sheesh, that guilty conscious of mine gets to be a real drag at times.

The Flying Pig Coffeehouse is where I ended up. We tried Island Brews Coffee Shop, but had no luck in connecting. And one of you folks out there (Nick, who is heading for the shore as you are reading this. Have a safe trip, Nick.) did a google and came up with The Flying Pig Coffeehouse. So if you are heading to Oak Island, North Carolina and don’t have internet access in your house/condo you should head up to The Flying Pig Coffeehouse. The coffee is great, and they are really nice people.

I did let them know that after I post this, they will have to expand their business due to the phenomenon known as the Dodd Bump. Similar to the Colbert Bump, but different. I figured when the thousands of my readers decide that they have to come to North Carolina just because I did, the business’ that I give the Dodd Bump to will need to expand to handle the flow.

I can have my dreams, you can have yours.

Namaste.

I was looking for vacation posts from last year and came across this one that was written just before we went.

What the hell is it with me, anyway?

“I have these weird patches of poison ivy on both of my legs.

And on my left arm.

The patch that was on my head seems to be gone. Thankfully.

I have been taking benedryl the last couple of nights to keep from scratching. It is not working that well. And the real pisser is that the patches on my calves not only itch, but they hurt like a bitch also when I scratch them. And heat makes them scream at me, “SCRATCH ME, SCRATCH ME.”

And then they hurt like hell when I do.

I am not getting this. And I am not happy about it.

Luckily, vacation is coming up in 10 days. I can’t wait.

Which is a stupid statement, because unless I hit the lotto this week, all I will be doing is counting down the days. But, I over explain.

Come August 18, my Wife, The Princess, and Pierce will be getting in the van and heading south to North Carolina. And the ocean. And sand. And alcohol for me. We will be carting along 2 cases of Dodd Legacy Red Ale for my imbibing pleasure. Haven’t figured out what we will be eating that first night, but think that either pizza might be the ticket.

Will let you know.

Namaste.”

At some point in my 50 years on this planet, you would think that I would learn.

Sheesh