photo credit: Christian Steen

I’ve been ignoring my personal blog again, but there are legit reasons for it.  I’ve been really, really (did I mention really) active on my hockey website.  So much so that, after my day job of valiantly fixing computers for college students all over the DFW area, I still get on the computer most nights and put a few hours worth of time into it.  Sometimes it’s just tweeting or updating the site from press releases the teams send out, but it’s still sucking up what free-time hours I’m willing to spend in front of  computer when I’m not being paid for it.  So…creativity has taken a gut-punch on that one.

But, I felt like I needed to write today before I let things trail off on OCM for too long again.

The iPad came out while I have been away, and I have to admit…I have a pretty bad case of the I Wants for it.  It’s a really fantastic device.  It really doesn’t do anything *that* revolutionary, but what it does do is what many other devices do already, but in a format that is easier to read and easier to share.  To me, it’s the ultimate coffee table reference.  You can pull up pictures to show friends.  You can hit IMDB while watching a movie to find out what actor/actress is in the film you’re watching, carefully escaping your recollection.  You can pull up a book and read.  And millions of other things…it’s just a really well done device.  The price is a bit more than I was hoping it would be…but for all that it delivers, I don’t think it’s outrageous either.  I’ll be getting one eventually…just have to wait to see when that will be.

When trying to comb through my memory for things I’d like to mention in a blog post – something that used to be very easy – I’ve found myself grasping for things lately.  And, I think I have put my finger on why that is:  The Facebook Effect.  The things I used to bring up and share on my blog, I am now able to do on Facebook.  I think it’s a detriment to you as a blogger if you’re a pretty active Facebook…er.  So, if I want to be more active here, perhaps I need to do less there?  Other bloggers – how do you counteract The Facebook Effect?

Lastly…I’ll go with some sports.  It’s been a rough start for the Red Sox season.  All my friends that are Yankees fans are enjoying themselves far too much, and all the confidence I had at the beginning of the season has been shaken a bit.  Granted, the Sox have been a bit banged up, and we’re still just 14 games in…but it’s still a pretty demoralizing start to things.  The team is going to have to make a move with Big Papi pretty soon, because they can’t let him play the way he’s played so far this year in DH, regardless of how many great Red Sox memories are centered around him.  The big guy is hitting .146 through 11 games and has 17 strikeouts in 41 plate appearances.  That’s nearly half of his at-bats!  It’s just depressing.  We need to bench him and put Mike Lowell in that spot.  I just can’t bear to watch Ortiz keep struggling.

Also, I’m feeling a creative itch.  I want to start another web page.  It must be because I have all of this free time on my hands!  But, I just feel like I need a project for the summer.  Something I can do in my free time that won’t be too much of a time suck.  Any ideas?  The best I’ve got right now is some sort of foodie blog….maybe a restaurant type thing in Dallas?  There’s so much food here, and as I’ve told people for years – more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world.  Pretty crazy stat.  But, it’s true…so much great food.  I think it might make a good blog…lots of good pictures and yummy descriptions…hmmmm.   Maybe I do have a project!

For the last year or so, I’ve poured myself pretty heavily into my hockey website.  I’m very proud of it and what’s become, and it’s allowed me to interact with the sport I love in a way I’ve missed since my days with the newspaper.  So, I’m really glad for the opportunities there.  But, it doesn’t allow me to express myself creatively very often.  In addition to the website, I’ve also written pretty heavily on Twitter and Facebook.  Both of these products are a great way to express my thoughts and insights, and share interesting web things.  But, they also tend to take away material for blog posts.

So, after trying to figure out how to reconcile the two, and still find material for blogging without resorting to e-mail prompts with suggestions about what to write about, I’ve gone back to the first of King’s rules I listed above – just write.  I’ll give that a shot and see where it leads me.  If you follow me on twitter and/or facebook, and find some of the stuff I put in here repetitive…well, sorry.  That’s just how it may be from time to time.  But, I will do my best to keep plenty of material (thoughts/stories/etc.) for here that I don’t post in other places – after all – it’s hard to truly tell a story on Twitter or Facebook.

25. Sometimes, I need to be reminded just how good I have it, and what a great number of blessings I have in my life. This also goes for most people I know.

26. Walking on a cold, snowy evening, where the blanket of snow falling is so thick that just about the only thing you hear is the snow crunching and squeaking underneath your feet: One of the best ways to sort through your thoughts.

27. Doing a job that you love has a way to make a work-week feel not at all like one.

28. It’s easy to say that you wish thing thing or that thing hadn’t happened in your life, or the life of a loved one. But, it should always be remembered that we are who we are because of the road we’ve traveled.

29. Everyone should write, even if they’re not a writer and no one will ever read it. You will be amazed at what you learn about yourself through the process of writing.

30. Tattoos are a wonderful thing, but should be considered long and hard before acquiring them. 5 years was just about right for me.

31. You can’t have enough pictures of your child or pets.

32. Getting back in shape at 24 was a much easier thing to do than at 34. “They” weren’t kidding.

33. It’s always good to take every opportunity to tell a loved one that you love them. Always.

34. A rudimentary education will take about 13 years and last you from Kindergarten through secondary school. A good education will encompass some years at a university as well. A *great* education is the one that seeks no end, and allows you to soak up new knowledge from every aspect of your life.

14. Drinking 1/2 an ounce of water for every pound you have, every day – no exceptions – leads to feeling better and actually losing weight. Weird.

15. Sports are a universal unifier, bringing together people despite economic and social boundries. This is a good thing.

16. It’s tough to hate family, even if you want to. This is also, probably, a good thing.

17. Everyone should grow up knowing the joy of a New England snow day; a foot of new snow on the ground, bundled up to feel like the ‘Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man’, and off to play with friends for a day of uninterrupted sledding, snowball fights and football.

18. There are at least 2 different ways to give The Finger in the United States. While only 1 is the correct way (oh yeah, that’s right, I said it, Zen Mike), both will land you in jail in Midland, TX.

19. It’s best to avoid angering bouncers who have significant others in law enforcement.

20. Hockey is the best sport, ever, hands-down.

21. Some people think that high school was the worst years of their life, while others think that it was the best. Either way, it’s still probably best to leave it in the past, to be re-hashed over copious amounts of alcohol, 5, 10 and 25 years down the road.

22. “A best friend is one soul sharing two bodies.” I heard this anonymous quote years ago, and loved it immediately. Although it’s kind of cheesy, it’s really the closest description I can think of for someone who knows you so deeply without any reason why.

23. Pizza is the best food, ever, hands-down. I once told a friend of mine, “You’ll know when I’m sick because it’s the only time I’ll ever turn down pizza.” I was 18 at the time. It’s still true 16 years later.

To be concluded…

1. Attitude is everything. When you’re down in the dumps, life dumps on you more. When you stay positive and happy, you’ll be amazed at what you can do with just scraps and a smile.

2. The first axiom is much easier believed than put into practice.

3. Money isn’t everything. But, everything wants money.

4. A day spent without music is like a black and white film – what’s going on might be great, but something seems to be missing…

5. A good writer is a great reader. A great writer…well, I need to go read…

6. Everyone should experience a summer night in a place where you can see the stars overhead and hear the crickets all around you.

7. Never be afraid to try new foods. You never know when you’re going to find your favorite food.

8. Always take time in your day to do something you love. Even if it’s just 5 minutes with a great book, or on the phone with your best friend/significant other. Those 5 minutes can make a long day bearable.

9. It’s too easy to forget the joy of being a kid. Do things as an adult that take you back there…walk…ride your bike…skip…make random snow angels or stop to jump in a puddle.

10. There’s no way to accurately convey to a non-parent what it’s like to be a parent, because there’s no way to describe how someone can make you feel worse about life than you ever have, while at the same time making you feel happier than you ever than you ever thought possible.

11. The only mark many of us will leave on this earth will be a negative one – we should all be striving to make positive changes in this world to contribute to it instead of constantly taking.

12. Dogs are the best friend a kid can ever have.

To be continued…

I’ve got an extension on my iTunes called iLike, and while you’re listening to songs in your library, it tells you about other “related artists” you own, and allows you to build a quick instant playlist with similar artists (which is great for a quick “on-the-go” playlist for your iPod). It also tells you about related artists you may want to get (and gives you links to learn more about them, and then a section from similar up and coming artists who can post their free mp3s for download).

But, what I like best is that it gives you 8 profiles for other iLike people who are listeners to the artist you are currently listening to. Well, during one of those songs, I was clicking on a few of the profiles, and I came across this woman who matched me pretty evenly music-wise, and on her profile, she had a link to her blog. I then found the blog I mentioned above.

A long story, I suppose, for a brief moment of epiphonic enjoyment (okay, I totally made that up, but the alliteration – or in this case illiteration – was worth it). Regardless, I now have a new blog to enjoy and a smile on my face.