Gas Pains
Tom grew up in Milwaukee, bartended in Wauwatosa in the '70s and moved here in 1984.
Commentary, observations and musings about the outdoors, life in general and maybe Tosa politics and personalities will be the order of the day. He savors a lively debate as much as terrific cooking.
Two Years of Gas Pains, Four Dozen New Friends and a Couple of Wieners
Ha!
Made you look!
I knew that caption would spark your curiosity - and you would be tempted to take a peek to see what is going on over here.
And the answer would be... not much.
Lately I've been preoccupied with dad, the day job, shutting-down the garden, hunting, canning and all sorts of other stuff. Curling is right around the corner too. Time and motivation to write has been sparse. To top if off I completely forgot that it's been two whole years of Gas Pains that you've had to endure.
Yes - I forgot my own anniversary.
So I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my 48 readers for their unflinching support.
48 readers? That's not such a huge following as you make it out to be Tom.
Yes, I know. But these are quality readers - they have full command of all of their marbles. They know how to engage the small (but very important) critical thought node of their brain. And some of them are quick to call me out on some of the material I post.
I happen to think that is a good thing. Don't you?
Oh sure, there are probably some people that don't particularly care for me like the Alderman (who shall remain unnamed) who is always grousing and mumbling about those bloggers. With rare exception these grudging readers won't reveal themselves. Most of them are afraid of free speech anyway - so who gives a rip.
In case you are wondering how I can be so sure about the alleged 48 it is because that is the number of people that have actually introduced themselves to me personally over the last couple of years to say how much they enjoy having Gas Pains in the privacy of their office environment or home.
The key to this head count is the personal connection. It must be face-to-face. Cyber connections do not count.
And because I am a stickler for record-keeping I keep that official tally secure on a Post-it® note for safekeeping.
I'd bet there are even people over at The Palace that browse this blog when nobody is looking.
The long and short of it is that I have made more new friends and acquaintances as a consequence of this forum than I have during any other two years of adult life. And many of them have crazy nicknames and like to drink beer. I never cease to be amazed that something as seemingly cold and impersonal as a blog or an online forum like the Tosa Town Square could actually lead to real, flesh and blood friends.
Just like the good old days.
Anyway - since JSOnline switched-over to their new blogging tool I don't get any feedback on traffic any longer. Apparently this has become a closely-guarded corporate secret. In-fact, so secret that I suspect that the figures are probably kept deep in the bowels of the Mothership along with my recent complaints about my home delivery. Which by the way is working again - for the present at least.
Nonetheless - what I know from past experience is that there are three perennial favorites:
The Mayor, Tosa politics and hunting.
Although not always in that order.
Gardening, critters, food and my excellent taste for fine music are popular too. And anyone I've talked with has said to keep mixing-it-up.
Speaking of the Mayor - one of the last times we chatted she chided me about having an outdoor hot tub in our deer camp. She mentioned something about an outdoor privy in her past. The implication was that I and my deer hunting crew were somehow soft maybe? Now I don't know if she's posturing to look more like that tough, good-looking and outdoorsy quitter from Alaska but my advice to the Mayor would be - RUN! Distance yourself from that person on the foundering speaking circuit.
And lest there be any confusion - the Mayor and I have kissed and made-up.
Ewww. That's gross!
No - not literally - just figuratively.
We're actually on quite cordial terms and I'm told that as a consequence of that I get more face-time than anybody else in Tosa.
How cool is that!
So now that the hunting season is starting to crank-up into high gear all I need is for some crazy stuff to happen over at the Palace and I'll have all kinds of material to work with. So if you have any tips drop me an email or a voice mail.
And as the weather gets cold and snowy we'll all have a good time making new friends while confined indoors in front of the warming glow of our computer monitors, eh?
Hey! Where are the wieners? You promised a couple of wieners you know.
Yes I did. And here they are...
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