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T-shirt #241- Advice from a Volcano -
Blog Recap
Today is my day off. I do not get that many days, and I wish I could report that it had been a completely work-free day; however, I had to grade all morning. But I managed to complete the set of grades that needed to be done in time to rest and relax while watching the Detroit Lions game. There's a storm, so I lost signal for a short period of time. But I have managed to read several comic books, a report that I will delve into in a future blog. In fact, most of the content in today's post was going to be part of yesterday's post, but I am trying to compartmentalize better and to keep my blog entries to a shorter average length than many of the gargantuan entries of many of the previous two hundred and forty entries.
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THE BLOG JOURNEYI started writing about The Blog Journey the other day and created a category for the subject. So far, each entry (two) has focused on the Blog Journey and how I have come to work on this project. I found it very edifying that yesterday's shirt for the Veronica Mars Kickstarter coincided with my cancer diagnosis in a way that I did not anticipate when I started writing the entry. I did not remember that my discovery of and funding of the Kickstarter came the same day as learning I had prostate cancer.
My therapist asked me if the momentum shifted in regards to the blog after my surgery. I believe I have mentioned this before, but I have a new point to make. Yes, the momentum shifted. There was less of a sense of urgency. Before the surgery, I was driven by the feeling that I had to get it all in before that dead end date of August 16th. I had this quite irrational feeling that the surgery was the end of my life and that if I did not accomplish certain things before the surgery, I would not be able to finish the things after. Rationally, I knew this was not true. But like I wrote, it was an irrational feeling. Also, I felt as if I had permission to do certain bucket list type things because I had cancer, was having surgery, and so I deserved these things. The sense of urgency came in at trying to get the things I was permitted to do done in time. This urgency also propelled the blog forward. Would I have time to generate all the content I wanted to generate in time?
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Since the surgery that feeling of urgency has changed, but the bucket list has remained. After all, we went to Hawaii because of that list and today's shirt comes from that trip. Since the surgery, I have a renewed sense of the need for the journey of self-discovery and self-definition that this blog represents. Today's shirt factors well into this journey and this self analysis process. The T-shirt's message may need to be incorporated into the Rules of Chris.The journey continues...
BLOG RECAP
This week the top viewed blog entry is the one on the Clash -- T-shirt #238 - The Clash --
two others are tied for second most views:
T-shirt #235 - Fantastic Four Long-Sleeved and T-shirt #236 - Happy Ending Massage.
High views for the week came on November 11th when the blog received 87 page views. The second spike came on Friday with 67 views. Today, others had shown hits, such as yesterday's Veronica Mars entry, T-shirt #100: Kalamazoo College, and T-shirt #45: Star Wars: The Evolution of Darth Vader.
For the month, and I think this is interesting as I am not sure why it hit so much, T-shirt #220: Star Trek Red Shirt Gift, scored the most page views. I suspect this one was popular because it was shared with all the people included in the photo and shared by my wife who took the picture.
Here's the grid (the links are hot in the grid):
I am happy to see the post on my Dad score well. I am very proud of that entry. Nightwing and Batgirl continue to be popular, I assume, because of DC Comics related searching of the Internet. I find it very interesting that the Powell's Books entry has drawn a lot of views. Is it the Jim Leyland content? The content on Night Film? Or my last blog recap like this one?
In terms of all time most frequented pages, the Nightwing page bumped the What Would Kirk Do page that I dedicated to Trayvon Martin. I am happy to see the Nightwing love, but I am sad to see what I feel is an important issue losing ground to a comic book character.
TODAY'S SHIRT
Words to live by. Potential content for more Rules of Chris.
Stay active.
Keep your inner fire burning.
It's OK to let off steam.
Go with the flow.
Be uplifting.
It's all a matter of time.
Have a blast!
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RANDOM FACTS
Fantasy sports recap - I am doing very well with fantasy sports this week. I have started basketball and actually joined more leagues to expand to six leagues. I am starting to be more competitive with the league I let Yahoo's terrible AI draft. I do not care as much about fantasy football. I much prefer the daily challenge of basketball and Baseball.
And so far today, I am picking football games better than last week's terrible record (4-11). I already have more wins in the early games than total last week = 5-2-2.
The storm - We're having high winds and thunderstorms. As usual, the most severe stuff veers north and south of us.
Time with my parents - Spent quality time with my parents yesterday and did some work on my stuff in their basement. This is a sign that things are better in balance in my life, and I am able to fit in more things. It's also made possible by hiring a friend to be a dog sitter for Satchel, so I can be away for the day.
Wife at home - Liesel stayed home from work today, and so I am having quality time with my love, which is excellent.
Kimchi update - The Kimchi is a little extra salty but it's nearly pickled. One more day on the counter and then to the fridge.
Day of rest - Today is my day of rest as I wrote earlier. I am keen to return to my reading.
DORIS LESSING HAS DIED - Sadness. A very good writer whose books I have not explored nearly well enough.
THE GUARDIAN UK - DORIS LESSING DIES AGED 94
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| Mauna Loa volcano in the night |
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| government shutdown closed the park where the volcano is located |
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| Volcano at night |
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| Liesel and I standing at the volcano at night |
COUNTDOWN TO THE END OF THE BLOG YEAR: 124 shirts remaining
- chris tower - 1311.17 - 19:07
