Four score and 320 posts ago

Yes, for the slow among you, the title is a takeoff on Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Today's post is just a series of thoughts on blogging. I am also answering a few questions that I frequently get.

For those who don't remember, I started writing(?) this blog in July, 2005. That means that I have stuck with it for almost seven years. Only my marriage has lasted longer. I started as a way to vent after my older son got a tattoo. I still hate tattoos!!

If the math in the title threw you, this is my 400th post. Despite my lack of posts over the last couple of months, I have actually been more productive for the last two years.

How do I decide what to write? Do you actually think that there is a process? Seriously? There is, sort of. Sometimes I will write about things that happen to me. Some days, I just write about stuff that's irritating me. Example, there's a fly buzzing around me here at the store. It's ##**##@@ me off, but I don't think that it's worth a post.

Do I write deep, personal thoughts on here? Rarely! For the times that I need to vent my personal thoughts, I have another blog that I write. Don't ask me the name. It's not on Blogger, it's on another site. Why do that if no one will read it?  Like lots of other things in life, sometimes it just has to be said.

I have friends and relatives who read this, so at times I do temper my words.

Do I intentionally try to offend people? No, it's a gift.

Are you really this sarcastic in person? No, it's worse.

Do you enjoy writing this blog? No, I would rather set my face on fire, but I can never find a match.

Do you carry a grudge against some people?  Yes. We were discussing something at home the other night and my son asked my wife, "How long can anyone carry a grudge? She smiled and looked at me. I said, "I will cuss (you guess the name) every day until I die." The Hatfields and McCoys were amateurs!

Do a lot of people read this? Usually about eight to ten people a day read this. There are more when I write about the Christmas program at Buffalo. There are readers in other countries. There is a reader in New South Wales, Australia who signs on about once a week. How bad can it be there?? Here's someone sitting in Australia, "Wonder what Gilbert's thinking today. Let's go see."

Do you make any of this up?? Truth is stranger than fiction. It's also quicker to write. If you remember my "Breast woman" story from last year, a couple of weeks ago I had a similar experience at a Burger King in Reidsville. I am still too traumatized to write about it. Maybe next week.

Your blog seems nicer since you started going to church, why? I'm sorry, I thought that religion was supposed to have a positive affect on you. I don't know if that would have been true if I had become a Muslim. You infidel @@##**##, we will never know.

How long will you continue to write this?  In the past year, I have been reminded that everything ends. I will let you know when this does.