Trending and Forecasting

Overheard from a high level strategy session at the Objective Perspective home office…

“Now that we have well over one year in Bloglandia, we have some decent statisical data to review. We couldn’t do this at year end as we didn’t have data to compare.

December 2007 was 82% as bloggerrific as December 2006.
January 2008 was 67% as blogtastic as January 2007.
February 2008 was 100% more blogtacular than February 2007.
March 2008 is already 166% more blogstanding than March 2007.

Even with the slow start to the new Blog Year, it would appear we’re trending towards greatness. Appearances can be deceiving. How many of you believed the numbers? We all wanted to believe them.

To demonstrate how numbers can be deceiving, total posts for the Dec 2006 to Mar 2007 time period were 58. Total posts for the Dec 2007 to Mar 2008 time period (including this post) are 58. Year over year (YoY), we’re dead even.

To break it down even further, in Q1 of Year 1 (the first quarter - Dec 2006-Feb 2007), posts totaled 55. In Q1 of Year 2 (Dec 2007-Feb 2008), posts totaled 49. Quarter over quarter (QoQ), we’re behind. In fact, we’re down 11%.

Given our abysmal Q2 last year, this is the time when we can make DRAMATIC improvements. As mentioned, March is already trending 166% over last year. April 2007 was equally anemic, so April 2008 should trounce last year’s numbers. It will take consistent, yet minimal effort to exceed May 2007’s numbers. This is very attainable. We will shine in Q2.

Looking ahead to Q3, June is a slam dunk with one measly post this year. We went dark last year in June. We’ll make up huge ground there. July was sparse, so we will continue to increase our YoY numbers. However, things get interesting starting in August. August was the beginning of the rebuilding time. We’ll have to dig down deep in order to meet and exceed last August. Overall, we should be way ahead in Q3 this year.

Finally, it’s imperative that we continue building towards Q4. Having a full head of steam is going to be critical for ending the year on a good note. If we can simply repeat our Q4 numbers (81 posts), we’ll be in great shape. Sure there’s room for improvement, but we can really make up some ground on last year’s numbers in Q2 and Q3.

What is standing in the way of success this year? In the words of Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” (We’re so going to use this quote in another blog post.)

Let’s keep our eye on the prize people. We have a readership to satisfy. They’re counting on us. Let’s wow them!”

4:59

On my way into work today, I saw a local church was holding a blood drive. I decided to make a donation since I haven’t done this since college. It was a validating experience.

First, the medical assistant told me, “You have good vitals. Do you exercise?” I gave her a straight answer. “Every day.” HAHA. Kidding. I told her the truth. “Not in a while, but I’m thinking about it.” Damn the truth.

Second, I filled the bag in 4 minutes and 59 seconds. I told the guy who was drawing my blood that I used to race my buddies in high school to fill the bag. He humored me by giving me my time and telling me it was a fast one. He da man.

Third, I donated blood. As long as my blood is in good shape (apparently, like the rest of me ), it will go to someone who needs it just as much as I do…maybe more than I do. This makes me feel good about my contribution.

No pictures today, people. I thought about taking one of the full bag. I did not. Some of you may be squeamish.

Peace,
G

I’m so off the grid

No St. Patty’s Day post…not even a mention of Guinness.

No March Madness post. GO COACH HUGGS! BOO XAVIER! (though I may secretly root for XU in the tourney…there was a time when I liked Xavier….just not for many, many years)

No “What the hell is the CBI tournament and why even bother?” post. Seriously, people. As if the NIT weren’t demoralizing enough? The champion is the 65th best team in the nation. Why add insult to injury? Who wants to be CBI champion? We’re # 97. Woo.

No University of Cincinnati Bearcats  Deonta Vaughn is First Team Big East post. I wish I cared about UC basketball these days. I just want Mick Cronin to go away. We need a BIG TIME coach! Grrrr, Board of Trustees.

No “I attended a Nonviolent Communication weekend workshop” post. I did.

No “I’m kicking myself for having my motorcycle in storage” post. I am. If my next two weekends weren’t SLAMMED, I would free the bike and go for a ride. It’s true.

No Happy Easter post. I went to an AMAZING service at my church yesterday. Like whoa. It blew me away. The music was phenomenal. All of the soloists rocked, along with the musicians and choir.

Apparently, March is a dark month here on the blog. Looking at March 2007, I posted three times. I’m ahead of that schedule, but looking at some sparse posts this month and last (and January for that matter).

This is where the blog is an annoying, public and visual metaphor for not having much to say. Maybe I’ll just post pictures. That’s an idea, huh? One camera phone picture a day. Sold.

Here’s today’s image (from yesterday):

(3.23.08 - Seabrook beach on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon)

Happy Easter Monday to the Canadians!
Gregory

Exeter living vs Portsmouth living

First, I’ll make some blatant comparisons.

Exeter - 2BD, 1BA, freestanding house, backyard for fires, yard to mow, one level, fireplace, no dining room
Portsmouth - 2BD, 1.5BA, carriage house, no yard, no mowing, two levels, no fireplace, dining room

Exeter - drive to downtown Exeter - because I’m lazy
Portsmouth - walk to downtown Portsmouth - most of the time

Exeter - maybe 10 good restaurants in driving distance
Portsmouth - maybe 40 good restaurants in walking distance

Exeter - 45-50 minutes to my Merrimack office, 20-25 minutes to my Portsmouth office
Portsmouth - 60 minutes to my Merrimack office, 5-10 minutes to my Portsmouth office

Exeter - 15 minutes to my MKP circle, 20 minutes to my Buddhist Center, 20 minutes to my Unity church
Portsmouth - 30 minutes to my MKP circle, 30 minutes to my Buddhist Center, 30 minutes to my Unity church

Exeter - 3-5 decent bars in driving distance
Portsmouth - 20+ decent bars in walking distance

Exeter - 20 minutes to favorite ocean spots
Portsmouth - 20 minutes to favorite ocean spots

Exeter - 25 minutes from Chipotle
Portsmouth - 5 minutes from Chipotle

Exeter - realistic dry cleaning prices
Portsmouth - ridiculous dry cleaning prices

Enough of that. I can’t seem to think about anything other than logistics. On to the quality of life piece. Still with me?

I moved from Portsmouth to Exeter in March 2007. After I moved, it dawned on me that I moved away from the entertainment center of the Seacoast to the ‘burbs. I fell in love with the house in Exeter and was blind to everything else.

Though Exeter was sleepier than I wanted it to be, I came to love the area and my home there. I found some GREAT spots to eat, drink, kayak and just sit.

I will miss (not in any particlar order…well maybe):
+ The feeling of “home” I had in the cute little house at 6 Gary Lane
+ Having all of the walls to myself in a free standing house
+ Seeing the moon and stars from my backyard - very little light interference
+ Sitting in my backyard in front of a fire in my firepit
+ Being a few quick minutes from Blue Moon Market
+ Closer proximity to the Big Three (not work) - Unity, Aryaloka and my MKP circle
+ Driving on backroads to the ocean on the motorcycle
+ Closer proximity to Amesbury, MA
+ Verizon FIOS (super high speed internet)
+ Closer proximity to Exeter friends

Moving back to Portsmouth has its advantages (not in any…why do I even say this?):
+ The Po feels like my New England hometown - moved here from Ohio
+ I can’t say enough about walking into downtown
+ A huge number of things to do in and around town
+ Independent films at The Music Hall
+ Walking Portsmouth for miles and miles - like training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day
+ Being a few quick minutes from Joe’s New York Pizza
+ Closer proximity to Portsmouth friends
+ Walk to the gym
+ Flatbread, Green Monkey and Fat Belly’s!

I’m glad for all of these experiences. They all help me understand more of what I want from a home/house/town/place to hang my hat…when I’m ready to settle into one. Some day.

Thanks for indulging me.

Happy weekend!
Gregory

Shout out for Fred

Mom’s husband, Fred, is going into surgery tomorrow morning. His medical/health team found more cancer and seek to remove it through surgical means. Mom and Fred are very optimistic about the procedure.

If you pray, send people good vibes, kill chickens or whatever, please include Fred’s continued health, the skill of his medical/health team and peace of mind for Mom, Fred and the family in those activities/intentions.

With gratitude,
Gregory

Confessions of a clothes whore

As I am ridding my closets of the vestiges of my clothing addiction, I must also rid my mind of this thread that hangs on the wire hanger in my brain. NO WIRE HANGERS…EVER! (I’m confident Mommy Dearest is the reason I don’t use wire hangers in my closet to this day. Did you see it? Skeery. Seriously.)

As I was packing up to move, I noticed that I own a good number of collared shirts. For those who have never seen my closet, I hang all of my collared shirts on plastic hangers (see). I hang a select few uncollared shirts, but I didn’t count those.

When this came to my attention, I wondered how many shirts are really hanging in my closets. So, I did some literal counting. I counted 66 shirts hanging in my closets. No, this does not count uncollared shirts or tees. That’s a whole other paragraph. Does that seem like a lot to you? It sure did to me.

I’ve been buying shirts for a long time now and not getting rid of any. If I was a more ambitious blogger, I would have taken individual photos of all 66 shirts and put them into some type of super fast photo montage. Did another blogger already do this? I know it’s not an original idea.

Of the superfluous shirts, most of them fit. I just don’t wear them. The style police would have my ass if I wore some of these shirts. The oldest shirt I have in my current collection is probably over 10 years old. Don’t be alarmed, though. It’s an ecru Polo button down. Mostly timeless…right?

Next, I wondered how many tees I own. I knew this was going to be a HUGE number. I’m a total tee shirt slut. If I go somewhere or do something interesting, I buy a tee to commemorate it. I have the “Been there, done that, must buy the tee shirt” gene. I’m confident I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of money on these tees. No remorse. No regrets.

Well…almost. The most heinous of these tee purchases was a Metallica tee shirt purchased at a special show in San Francisco. (The link is for you, BrownDog.) I flew out there with a buddy and we saw Mighty Met in a 1,000-person venue. We got into the VIP room and met 2-3 of the band members. IT ROCKED! AMAZING!

When I saw the tee they were selling, I didn’t like it. I knew I didn’t like it. It was hateful in design (nasty blood and guts stuff) and colors (flourescents on black) and everything about it. However, I was THERE. This was never going to happen again in my lifetime. It was SPECIAL. I bought it for a cool $35 or $45 bucks.

Back to the counting. I only counted the colored tees as I thinned the herd of white tees a year or so ago. Only the strong survived, but it’s still more than I would like. I can’t rid myself of some of them. I have a problem. I know.

The colored tees numbered…let’s just say more than 100. If I created a rotation to wear one of these colored tees each day and not wear it again until I’ve gone through the entire rotation, I would only wear each shirt three times per year. Sick. I know.

The oldest tee shirt in my current collection came down to two shirts - (1) a Sigma Chi Fraternity rush tee from 1992, and (2) a University of Cincinnati Final Four tee from 1992. Officially, the Final Four tee is older, but I called it a tie. (As a side note, I know I have a football practice jersey from high school somewhere.)

What has come of all this counting and ridiculous information? I threw some stuff out. I put some clothes in some sturdy trash bags on Saturday and made a Goodwill run earlier in the week. My closets feel lighter. I’ve made some room. The closets feel fresher.

I need some new clothes

Much love,
G

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Hip Hip Hooray! I remembered a birthday. Today, March 12, is my sister’s birthday. As I remembered it on this fine day, she gets top billing on the “b-to-the-l-o-g.”

Happy Birthday, Maria! Thanks for always remembering my birthday, being a treasured confidant and friend, being a great mother to your daughter (my goddaughter) and putting your big brother in his place from time to time. I love it all. I love you!

To all of those whose birthdays I have forgotten (or not given its own post), I love you, too. What can I say? Maria’s birthday caught me on a good day. I’ll give you your own post if you want one. I run the show here, you know.

Peace and love,
Gregory

Teaser

I have some good post titles brewing, people. The post content may not live up to the hype, but I like my title future casting. Titles may include, but are not limited to (in no particular order of appearance):

+ Blog as annoying visible metaphor
+ Confessions of a clothes whore
+ Portsmouth living vs Exeter living
+ Pride and the five comment minimum
+ White walls make me crazy

Is there anything else you’d like to see? I’m opening the dialogue. Your opinion may even matter Create your own reality right here.

Peace,
G

What’s good in the hood

1) I’m in my new Portsmouth digs. All of my schtuff (minus the motorcycle) is housed here with me. I’m still looking at cardboard, but it IS only March 2nd.  It’ll come together.

2) I have a ton of stuff I want to purge. My next move, whenever it is and wherever, will be much lighter (Maybe I’ll be lighter, too). I’m gonna try my hand at eBay or a yard sale.

3) Have you seen the Planet Earth DVDs? I’m only on the first DVD and I’m absolutely amazed. These are done by the BBC and they rock! I can’t recommend them highly enough. Check them out for yourselves.

 4) I walked downtown last night for dinner with a friend. I walked downtown tonight to catch a movie at The Music Hall. For the locals, you MUST try the Fish Taco appetizer and the Tres Leches dessert at Brazo. Awesome.

For any and all, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an outstanding film. It’s the story of a man who has a stroke resulting in total body paralysis, yet accomplishes an amazing feat. I’m still procesing it now.

5) I love Portsmouth and I will miss things about Exeter. I’ll post about those specifically, but wanted to kick start myself on the topic.

6) I still want to ski. Is anyone still up for a trip to the bunny slopes?

7) After 38 years (or something like that) of watching college basketball, I recently realized that all player numbers are made up of the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. These six digits can be configured to make one or two digit numbers, but these are the only digits in play. No 6, 7, 8 or 9 to be seen. Interesting.

[I should know about the number eight and parentheses] I’m watching Planet Earth right now. I can’t tell you how impressed I am.