Hi there!

I wrote in my first blog post about the unwritten (yet mandatory) rules for writing a blog.  I've recently discovered another one:  apologizing for being absent at some point in the first year.

Almost every blogger I read has, at some point, seemed to drop off the face of the earth for a few days, weeks, or even months.  You don't see anything from them for some time - no posts, no comments, nothing.   

Then all of the sudden they're back!

They tell you about everything they've been struggling with, how they've dealt with it, what they're planning to do differently to ensure it doesn't happen again, and how they are doing now.

That is followed by a sincere thank you for your comments, emails, and concerns.

Typically, I'm not one to follow the crowd and do what everyone else does, but in this case I decided to make an exception.  Believe me when I say with all honesty I am not making light of people who need a break.  I've been pumping out three posts a week for nine months pretty effortlessly, but the words just haven't been there when I've gone to the well recently.

So, in keeping up with the unwritten rules, here is the deal.

Brad, and I'm a blogger.  I haven't posted for 7 days.  Sounds like an AA intro - when do I get my button and hugs?

That's right, it's been a whole week since you've heard from me.  Since the world is still turning, I can safely assume it doesn't need me to write to keep moving - what a load off my shoulders!

What have I been doing?  Working (I spent 26 hours in California and another 18 hours getting there and back this past week.  Business travel is not as glorious as you might think).  Playing baseball.  Trying to keep up with the girls.  Attempting to keep my wife sane and refreshed, at least as much as possible on the sanity part.

When the words are here, they're here.  When they aren't, they aren't.  I published a pretty crappy post a few weeks ago because I felt like I had to get something out.  I'm not going to link to it, and if you think of which one it is please keep it to yourself, just in case the one you thought was crappy was not the one I'm thinking of.

My wife didn't come right out and say what she thought about it, but she did give me some advice after reading it.

You don't have to publish something just for the sake of publishing it.

In that sentence, the following letters show up:

S - five times
H - five times
I - five times
T - six times

SIDEBAR - Who can admit they counted the letters to check my work?  If you didn't then, are you going to now?

Basically, she told me it was full of shit.

And she was right.

Sorry for wasting a few minutes of your day if you read it.  I promise not to let it happen again.

That being said, you might still feel like something I write is shit, which is ok.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion...even when it's wrong.