#135. or, I'd like to give you some schwag

 So, here's an interesting little tid bit. Today's post, or, more accurately, today's date (December 19th), marks the completion of my first year of attempting to be a blogger. I can't begin to tell you how much I wish I had one of those New Years Eve, noise maker things, that unroll like the tongue of a lizard in the jungle, rolling it out to snag a passing bug.

 Cause I'd blow that noise maker right now to signify fanfare and exuberance. That, and we'd all get to wear silly hats.

  WOO HOO, will have to suffice.

  I think it's been a pretty interesting year for me here. It's been quite a learning curve from the day that I pushed that publish button, on my very first post until now. In fact, there are still certain things that I'd like to be able to add, that I'm not quite sure how to, just yet. That will come, I hope.

 I'm little bit disappointed that this is only my 135th post. Truthfully, when I began, I had intended to be somewhere between 200 and 300 posts right now. But the fact that I'm still here almost every week, at least once, isn't too bad, I guess?

  When I started this, I never really expected to have too many followers. Other than, of course, my relatives and the few people that I chatted with over on facebook. Now, I have 61 wonderful people who are listed as my followers and have had around 23000 views on my blog. I suspect that that's middle of the road numbers, but that's OK. I'm a middle of the road sort of guy.

  So, are there any crappy things about doing this? A couple, that I can think of. It's been really difficult to give some of the other bloggers, that have been so supportive of me, the time they deserve in having me return the favor of commenting back on their posts. I read a lot of blogs. Sometimes I need to think about them for a while before I comment. Once in a while, I just forget to go back to leave a comment. That's something I wish I could do better.

  Also, I've been getting A LOT of spam comments the last month. It always excites me when I get a notification of a comment that somebody has left. When I go to check to see what's there, and it's somebody   leaving an add for something, it's rather annoying. I don't know how to fix that, other than to turn the stupid CAPTCHA back on but I don't really want to do that.

  I would like to think that my writing has improved a bit over the last year. I still spell like shit, but have developed a phenomenal friendship with the spell checker. It makes me look much smarter than I actually am. I have also bought my domain name, and would like to switch my blog over onto that in the new year. If you were to google, Ken-inatractor.com right now, you get a picture of a boat, or some such nonsense. I'd like to get something there that's at least relevant to this site.

  Now, without all of you, I'd most likely still be here, but I wouldn't be having nearly as much fun. So here's the good part. I want to give you something. I would like to give EVERYBODY something, but I don't know how to do that. Also, I can't afford that. So, until I'm able to become a billionaire, playboy philanthropist, through my imaginary job as a male underwear model, only one person will win something.

  This something :

........because, how can you look bad in a John Deere hoodie!

  From today, until January 1st, I'll keep track of all of the comments I get on my posts, and from the comments on posts that I link to facebook. Of those names, I'll draw the name of one person, who can decide which hoodie that they would like, and I'll mail it to them. Simple as that. I hope you win.

  In other exciting news, the fine fellows over at Dude Write have seen fit to award my last post with a Chairman's Choice Award. High praise indeed!

  And finally, if you're at all interested in burning off that gallon of gravy and egg nog that you plan on consuming this Christmas, don't forget to go to my blogger 5K page tab, on the bottom of my header picture. You can leave a comment there and my friend Kianwi and I would love to add your name to the list.

  Honestly, it's the end of December already and I've only been to the track one time. There's no need to feel intimidated about this. We're all friends here, and we don't judge.