Random Thoughts
I’ve gotten really horrible at keeping this site updated. I keep trying. God knows, every day I open up the WordPress dashboard, and stare at the “add post” button. I stare at it as hard as I can. To no avail. Between kids, school, and a few other projects, I just never seem to find the time to get anything written. So what we have here today is me just dropping whatever thoughts occur to me down on the page. Maybe if I do this enough I can get back in the habit of regular updates.
This will probably be of interest to all three of the people who still read this site.
So lately I really worry about messing up my kids by accident. For instance my wife read Curious George to our kids yesterday, and it turns out that the story is really about kidnapping and Stockholm Syndrome. We might as well be teaching out kids that vans full of candy are an excellent place to spend a day in an ether-fueled haze.
I am also worried about the fact I have just learned that you are not supposed to double space after a period. I have been doing it that way since I was fourteen because I went to a school that made me take typing, and the damned Xavarian Monk that ran the class told me to do it that way. Considering that the same Catholic boys school tried to teach me that the Rhythm Method and Pulling Out were valid birth control choices, it does seem rather silly that I took anything they said seriously up until this point. I keep double-tapping the keyboard even while I am writing about how it is wrong, how messed up is that?
I’m currently starring at a little pile of business cards on my desk. While I was at Baltimore Comic Con, I met several people who were neat, and I promised to plug their stuff on this site and never quite got around to it. I would do that now, but it would require a certain amount of excavation, just to get the pile out from under everything else. My desk is kind of messy. Like a very special episode of Hoarders messy. In front of me I have an empty Advil bottle, some medical tape, half a coconut shell, a copy of War in Hell, a wallet that my wife bought because she evidently believes that she can bring home things like wallets for me and I will use them, a copy of Are You My Mother, some sort of Swiss Army hex wrench contraption, a copy of Spore, and a pair of my toddlers’ pants. I swear by all that I hold holy I have no idea how those wound up there. And that’s just on the part in between my keyboard and my monitor. The only clean spot is directly to my left, because my children can reach there.
I’ll get to the business cards later. Somebody remind me.
September 15th, 2011 at 10:31 am
I check this site every day, even if nothing has changed, even if nothing funny has been posted for a while. Why? Well, it is sort of like the addictive nature of irregular rewards one gets by gambling. I never know until I get here just >what< I will get, and sometimes it is pure comedic gold. It is worth waiting for. Plus I have those wonderful memories of oxygen loss after I first tried to read your list aloud to my husband, ditto when I read Squid Pie.
I never know when there will be another squid pie in my life and on your page, and so, like a crack addicted lab rat, I keep pushing the button hoping for another hit. Another wonderful, tentacled, wiping my eyes from laughing so hard hit of amazing siliness.
Meanwhile, screw whomever told you not to double click after periods. Done it alla MY life, not about to change now!
Extract Thing One and Thing Two from whatever they are into and give them a hug for me, I love babies :o)
September 15th, 2011 at 10:50 am
Still here, Skippy.
September 15th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Your plots and plans to get rid of me aren’t working, mister. You may have to ready the tactical strike to Canada after all.
Seriously tho – I subbed to your RSS. When you post something, I read it. When you don’t, I imagine you’re juggling children. Or school. Or wife. Or all four.
September 15th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
This is four. Fans die hard.
As with Shadowy above, I’m on your RSS. When you don’t post, it only confirms that being you runs in the family.
(God, isn’t that terrifying? Two Skippys going to hit the world at once.)
September 15th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Same here…it’s in my Google Reader. I don’t care it isn’t updated daily, hourly, weekly or whatnot. It’s all good in the hood. In regards to pulling out. It works…it’s what I been using for 14 years. Not sure about that rhythm method thing. Tried it twice and now I have two kids.
September 15th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Looks like the schedule is screwed up again.
Me – Mon, Thu. Fri.
JoAnn – Mon. Tue. Fri
Adam – Tue. Wed. Thu.
David – Mon. Thu. Fri
AriesOmega – Tue Wed Thu
Shadowydreamer you’re supposed to be on vacation. If you think you’re getting paid for reading Skippy’s blog today, think again.
Remember, we only visit and comment enough to make Skippy feel guilty when he doesn’t get a post out.
September 15th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Three? Give yourself credit bud, it’s got to be more like eight. Six minimum.
And don’t worry about messing the kids up too much. If they start invoking Cthulhu or Zombie proofing the house you can pass it off as being intellectual and well informed. At least, that’s what my parents used to use on the neighbours….
It doesn’t matter how frequently you post, what you do is still gold.
September 15th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Yeah no worries on the messing kids up Skippy. You are doing fine. My son sees a man trip at Tysons Mall and says “look, he failed his Dex check”. My daughter asked if the chief of police is 20th level. During Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse and Snownarok my son took the opportunity to pile up snow and make battle positions for “practice when zombies decide to attack”. With the recent hurricane he suited up, loaded his arsenal of nerf guns to go “fight the storm”.
September 15th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
*chuckles*
Kids and regular posting don’t go hand in hand terribly well, and I tend to enjoy occasional posts as cheerfully as the regular ones. Here’s to some rest, a beverage of choice, and whatever goes well with messy desks.
September 15th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Eh, you post when you post. I’d rather have quality than quantity.
Also, for web publishing, don’t worry about the double-space. HTML strips them out automatically. (Which is a good thing, because I learned to type 32 years ago, and it’s too late for me to unlearn.)
September 15th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Yet another loyal minion checking in, Skippy. We love your posts…we hate double spacing after a period. Kids take a lot out of you, your schedule, your budget, your mental well being, etc….and we know that.
I check back here daily. Sometimes more than once a day. You have brainwashed followers. You could command us to replace all of the pennies in our house with those strange Canadian pennies that we are told aren’t worth as much (but stores accept them anyway)…and we would. Why? I DON’T KNOW!!!
I thought the break was really just you withholding our “high” to exert greater dominance over our addiction when you reposted. Guess I was wrong again.
welcome back.
September 15th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
I’m still here, I don’t post often but I am always reading and having a chuckle. Like some of the others above I have added this site to my google reader. Whenever you update I get a notification and I would rather have quality posts than rubbish.
Cheers.
September 15th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Another minion checking in. Wait, no. Not minion. Admirer. Lofty, well-informed admirer with keen wit and refined taste. And not coincidentally, a devoted reader of YOU, whenever you get around to it. Occasional is fine by me.
And, BTW, there is not a thing in that list of stuff on your desk that’s even a little bit surprising, except for the half a coconut shell. Everything else seems perfectly normal. And I’m imagining perfectly fascinating scenarios of how the half a coconut shell got there. So, thanks.
September 15th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
We are here and we are watching. Lurking if you will. We control your web site, we control the vertical, we control the horizontal… wait a minute that was some different. Never mind.
I have bad news. Insanity is hereditary, parents get from their kids. You are doomed. Might as well enjoy it.
September 15th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Don’t worry, I’m sure that when you screw your kids up it will be intentional.
September 15th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
How the half of a coconut shell got there? A swallow carried it.
September 15th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
RSS feeds allow us to track your progress. Soon, soon you will be ready for recruitment…
September 15th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
I’m still around, man. Might propose a list of things you can’t do while unemployed. I’ve got over a year’s experience with it!
September 15th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Still here. __/^-^\__
And no double-space after a period? (or question mark, or other punctuation used to end a sentence?)
When did THIS change happen? o_O
I LIKE the extra cue of the end of a sentence and beginning of the next. :/
September 16th, 2011 at 1:11 am
Love how I read “This will probably be of interest to all three of the people who still read this site.” followed by “19 comments.”
September 16th, 2011 at 4:41 am
We are still here and still bringing people to the dark side.
You know its a good day when a skippy-ism (is that a word, well it damned well ought to be) can reduce my workplace of 450 to their knees.
I was going to use souls there, but we all have none, having sold them to skippy, or Cthulhu, I’m not sure which
September 16th, 2011 at 5:49 am
Despite everything going on my life (and trust me it’s not fun), I’m still here.
September 16th, 2011 at 7:38 am
It’s not just the Catholics, bud, my public school taught that in Keyboarding class (on actual typewriters… damn, I’m feeling old today), and even the Army teaches us to double-tap the spacebar after a period (check it out, AR 25-20). Fortunately, I unlearned that first lesson and was too set in my ways by the time I joined the Army that I only do it on official memorandums.
September 16th, 2011 at 7:41 am
African or European?
September 16th, 2011 at 7:55 am
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
September 16th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Public schools and the Army taught me to double space at the end of a sentance and at this point, there’s no way I’m changing it. And I still check here most everyday to see if there is anything new that will get me laughing hard enough to annoy my co-workers.
September 16th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Still checkin back Skippy :) and I still mention The 213 Things (original list) to anybody that might express an interest… Too funny to not share :). Take it easy, man, and warn those kids about crucifying mice (the one that for some ungodly reason sticks in my head…and you probably wouldn’t wanna teach them about “Especially Patriotic Porn” yet). Also I agree with PollyQ on “I’d rather have quality than quantity”, so Drive On Skippy 8->
September 16th, 2011 at 9:02 am
Sorry, Skippy, I’m still here as well.
… And I also double space at the end of each sentence. Have always done so, and see absolutely no reason to stop.
September 16th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Yep, still here, oh, and don’t forget to do the business cards… there’s your reminder.
September 16th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Skippy, this is your mother-in-law speaking. I was taught to space twice after a period, too. I’ve been doing that the entire 40 years I’ve worked for *gasp* lawyers. I say you’re doin’ it right, and don’t listen to those nitpickers. Besides, we don’t want you to get sidetracked about silly little things like that …. it might interfere with your hilarious-ness. You make too many people laugh to waste your time on those silly-ass nitpickers that told you you’re doing it wrong. (Unless it was my daughter who told you that. If she did – shame on you, daughter! Don’t kill the cash cow of creativity with stuff like that!)
September 16th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
LOL!
I swear, I didn’t do it.
Even though, I’ve known about this double-spacing thing for around 8 or 10 years now. Long enough, that I’ve lost track.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I’m still here, Skippy! That double space after the period thing was standard when we went to school. I still sometimes do it. My typing teacher is prolly spinning in her grave. I hope she is spinning so hard she’s dizzy and nauseous–she was a real bitch. Intermittent reinforcement is the most effective method of “training” so you are doing it right, boy! No way you can get rid of us!
September 17th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Skippy, I can honestly say that your site has brought joy to me and my buddies. I introduced one of the commo guys in my unit to your list. You are now his personal hero. Being a parent does tend to take its toll. Rest assured, patience is one of the few virtues I have left.
September 18th, 2011 at 5:40 am
Skipulhu?
September 18th, 2011 at 8:32 am
I check in about once a week, if not more, and have for the last 4(?)ish years… I autodoublespace too, who says I shouldn’t? They deserve a noodly appendage to the face, I say.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Are you kidding me Skippy? I read your site all the time. I just don’t respond much unless I have something to really say.
In the past oh..I dunno…5 years since the Site began and a friend showed it to me, I have been here almost all the time.
I really enjoy your writings, your stories, your thoughts, and it makes me think that God Forbid if I ever have kids, I have inspiration to be a dad and be awesome at the same time.
Cheer up!
-SCAlexD
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Another of the Legion of Skippy checking in. I usually check the site about once a day. unless im away from the computer for long periods of time or lose net access. The fact that my computer was down for the last week or so is a prime example. Still here and devoutly supportive.
BTW- remember to dig out the business cards
September 26th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Actually, APA style requires two spaces after a period.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:12 pm
I had hundreds of posts in Google Reader when I finally got around to checking it. I kinda save yours for last, because I need the laughs.
On the table in front of me are two gimme letters (these are actually under my wrists as I type), two different knitting projects, a tube of crochet hooks, a weekly desk calendar still on the July page, and about 11,000 Legos. A Coke can, my digital camera, two balls of yarn (one attached to a project, one not), an amaryllis plant (live), one maraca . . .two coffee mugs, six DVDs (the top ones are Yu-Gi-Oh), a copy of Naomi Novik’s “Empire of Ivory”, an mp3 player with external speakers, a broken coffee mug lid –
I’m not admitting to anything else.