Metablog: With a Name Like Random Access...

In the mornings around here, the usual TV-viewing fare leans to the Smurfs and Lilo & Stitch, so it was out of the ordinary when I caught a bit of the Today Show not long ago. It only happened because I was on a business trip, itself a rare occurrence; I was having breakfast in the lobby restaurant with my colleagues, a meal distinguished for me by the complete absence of anyone fighting over which blanket they would sit on to eat cereal and watch cartoons.

There was a small flat-panel TV in the corner of the restaurant, and I confess that even though the table talk concerning the meetings ahead was fascinating and insightful, I found my attention straying to the screen every so often. I could scarcely believe my eyes when up popped Willard Scott. Although Willard was gracefully eased out of his regular weather gig lo these eons ago, he inexplicably surfaces every now & again to do his Geezer Bit. In fact, nowadays it even has its own sponsor, Smucker’s. Each oldster gets his or (mostly) her picture framed by a graphic reading, “With a name like…” as Willard, who’s gotta be fairly close to getting his own picture up there, reads off the particulars.

There’s no cyber-equivalent, unfortunately, but today I celebrate a milestone of my own: my 100th post. Back when I started, my stated intention was to post twice a week, so I’m just about exactly a year behind that pace… but it didn’t take me long to discover that one idea a week was a pretty brisk clip for me.

Still, I’m pretty happy with 100 posts in 100 1/2 weeks; I admit there have been occasions when I wrote something just to check off that week (wouldn’t want to disappoint both my regular readers!), but on balance I’ve written when I at least deluded myself that I had something to say.

On the occasion of my centennial (yeah, I know that means 100 years but it’s the best I’ve got), I wanted to give you an update on a few of my previous posts:

• Some time back I wrote a piece about the music on kids’ shows. Some time after that it occurred to me that I had completely forgotten to include the one piece of music that got me thinking about it to begin with:
  Actually there aren't too many finer musical experiences of any kind, if you ask me......
• I discovered the limits on my son’s powers as a human alarm clock: you can’t reset his time. On a previous business trip this summer, I needed to get up at 6 in order to drive to my meeting in time – so of course, the power went out and I awoke at 6:50 with the clock blinking 12:00. So I ended up 20 minutes late for my meeting, plus I woke him up for a change by jumping out of bed and hitting the floor at a dead run.
• In the spring of ’06, I wrote a piece which would’ve been one of my favorites strictly on the basis of how it was constructed… except the punch line was that I was apprehensive that we would be moving in the summer of ’07. We continued on pins & needles more or less throughout the interim, but in the end we were spared, able to remain in what we believe is at least for the time being the best place for us to be. There's no way from here we can know when the actual emergency will be, not just a test; but we understand that’s part of the life we’ve chosen (or for which God has chosen us), and we are learning to trust that he’ll give us what we need to make it happen whenever the time comes.
• At the very beginning of my blog experience, when I still fancied myself the next great internet sportswriter, I did a little piece featuring a bit of haphazard statistical analysis and wound up with a prediction for the Mets’ then-newest slugger, Carlos Delgado. I figured that if he followed the trend of previous Met acquisitions and his own career record, he’d end up batting .281 with 30 home runs & 106 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .906. The actual retail value of the 2006 season: .265-38-114 (with an OPS of ... .909). I didn’t hit it exactly, but it oughtta be close enough to get me into the Showcase Showdown, at least.
• In the summer of ’06, I wrote about my son’s fascination with Emeril, and my own envy of how easy America’s Favorite Chef has it (actually, I suppose America’s Favorite might be Paula Deen – or at least that’s how the American College of Cardiology just voted). Well, the big fella’s been dethroned from the 7:30 TV timeslot by Tom & Jerry… and as for me, one day in the grocery store I turned a corner to find a display of clean, white kitchen towels calling to me – enough in the package that the laundry schedule doesn’t pose a significant obstacle. I still don’t have a staff to do the prep or cleanup, or even to hand me the towel, but it’s a start.
• Just a few weeks ago, I shared that I was increasing my work hours now that both kids are in school full-time. I’d like to report that’s going great, with the exception of the fact that we get dressed out of the hamper now… oh, and dinner a couple times a week is crackers & cheese.

As I pass into three digits, I have to say it’s still fun most of the time, and there are still a few words of five or more syllables I haven’t managed to work in yet. A couple of people have said stuff like, “You ought to write a book,” which they & I both know is slightly less realistic than my running for president, but nonetheless kinda cool to dream about. I still put too much pressure on myself to publish so anyone looking for new material won’t give up on me (hint, if you haven’t already figured this out: if you come here more often than every 10 days or so, you’re just deluding yourself); I’m even more determined, however, as time goes on to publish not when it’s ”time”, but only when I have something to say.

So thanks to my family, and to America’s hotels, airlines, and theme parks, for providing me with such rich material. And thanks to anyone reading; if you’ve read even one of these posts, you’ve done me a great honor. I hope you’ll keep reading & I can repay you with a laugh or an insight; failing in that, please feel free to take advantage of my 100% Money-Back Guarantee.