I could use a hand this week.....

My wife, Char and I

     This blog reached a milestone last week with it's 50,000 hit. In general, the readership has been growing, but lately it's had a drop off.  As I've mentioned before, it is really difficult to tell which internet hits are people actually coming to read the blog regularly and the ones who find it on accident by searching the internet for a particular phrase, but my best guess puts about 1/3 of the 500-600 hits each week, as people who visit regularly, and for that, this humble blogger thanks you.  This week, however, I am asking for some assistance in revitalizing the blog.  I'd like each of you to do one of three things for me......

1.  Share a favorite blog to your Facebook, e-mail or Twitter. - I've listed some of my hand picked ones categorized by topic.  I'd like to add some new folks to the family, so consider introducing your friends to this blog.

2.  Comment on your favorite blog.  - A writer likes to have validation for their work, and knowing that people are out there and enjoying your efforts is a great boost, and can lead to better blog content. You can comment on this one, or pick one from the list to read and comment on.

3.  Consider writing a guest blog or suggest topics for future blogs.  - You can send your idea or requests to blog to my e-mail (wyarger@rochester.rr.com).  If you want to write a guest blog, you know the format that I use, so you can write the words and let me attach the pictures or you can provide the whole thing. Of course I'll credit the author, so think about a topic that interests you and give it a shot.

                     Thanks for your cooperation, below you will find links to my favorite blogs.

Straight up Humorous Blogs -  These are the most fun to write, but they do take time to get the imagery and verbiage to portray the event or circumstance in the exact and most humorous way.  The biggest blog that I have ever written is (Giving Thanks for the ample derriere) If you have an affinity for a rounded posterior, feel free to share this one.  It's been copied and posted more than any other blog I've written.  A close cousin, by content is (My wife has dimples on her rear end.), which has a surprise twist at the end.   (My Girlfriend Stretch), talks about my exercise partner and gives a great description of her.  Read about our attempts to teach my stubborn daughter to cook (Night of the Skittle Pancakes).  This blog is the 2nd most read and I think contains some of the most descriptive language I have ever used. I go off the deep end with (The internet is controlled by cats), but you may enjoy the trip there too.  I talk more specifically about my cat in (There's a cat in my house).  If you aren't or animal lover, you might enjoy (The things buried in my yard), where I talk about a lot of pets, but they are all dead.  If you want to get away from this type of blog and get some

guaranteed belly laughing, it's hard to beat my family stories, so try (The infamous red jeans story) or (Avoiding the curfew) or even better yet, (3 Brothers, a shopping cart and a very steep hill), you should like them all.  Are you married?  Then you might enjoy (She hides my stuff and wants credit for doing it).  Have kids?  Then you are sure to like (My best magic trick ever.).  Finally, if you are aging, you might connect with (The franchise is in Jeopardy) or (Oh, my aching eyes.).  That's a lot of content to choose from, but we are just getting started.....

Tear-Jerkers - I'm not generally known as an overly sensitive person, but each of the following blogs I would have to classify as almost certain to evoke tears.  I

write a nice piece about a classmate that had faced adversity and that I found inspiring, check out (My friend Eileen).  My time in Scouting introduced me to an interesting character and I talk about her in (The clothing lady with the one shoe story). My wife's time in Scouting gave me the blog (The reunion of Troop 50). One of my blogs was quoted in the local paper once and it was about my first boss, who passed while I was away on a trip, check out (Rest in Peace Papa Frank).  One of my favorite blogs to write outlined my asking the most popular girl in school out on a date and the subsequent rejection.  It's a longer story so it's (Sweaty hands and a rotary phone) and (Part 2).  I chronicled a meeting with a complete stranger that I made an intimate connection with in (On a quiet night at LaGuardia airport).  I've seldom re-run my blogs, but I like the message so much in (On Christmas trees, lost and found. ), that I did repeat it the following year.  My Mom got some mentions in 2

blogs, entitled (First Fridays with my mom) and (Lobster, donuts and some thoughts on Erma Bombeck).  I'll give her the blog she deserves some day, but I'm not quite ready to write it yet.  I'll finish this batch with 2 stories from my childhood, one on fighting (Of Fisticuffs and loose teeth) and one reminiscing about the field I played on (Reflections on Evans Field).  If you don't have need of a tissue after a couple of these, you're a better man than I am.

My Family - As many of you are aware, some of my best stories, and then blogs, are stories of growing up

in a family of 12. I was fortunate to have this experience to draw from, so I do, and I do it frequently.  The primer for learning about each of my family members is (It's time that you met the family) and finished in (Time you met the family-part 2).  Once you are fully acquainted with them, you can read stories about them and my relationship to them in (They call my brother AQUAMAN) and (Ace, my brother).  Are you a fan of Yarger gatherings?  Try reading (A swine time) about my sister's pig roast or (The Yarger Memorial) about our charity golf tournament, or (Our annual Christmas shopping trip) about our testosterone driven annual shopping trip or even (The Yarger Family reunion) the granddaddy of all Yarger functions, our family reunion.  We don't lack for gatherings in this family.  If you want to take a ride down memory lane with my family, consider (Fort Hill Christmas memories), or (If that table could talk), or my personal favorite and stuff of urban legend (The famous flaming deodorant story).  Lastly you can round out this category by reading (What I did on my Thanksgiving vacation), and once you've read all of these, you can consider yourself fully educated on the Yarger Family (This degree, surely is a BS).

My Children - What parent wouldn't write about their children and the experiences that they have shared?  Well, I'm no exception.  You can get a good read on my son Nolan at (Awesome 26 cents !).  (Dedicated to my son Dan, the Eagle Scout) and (The summer I spent with a Renaissance Man) are mainly about my son Dan and (I made my daughter cry that day) focuses on my daughter Molly and our college discussions and I get a little sappy in (An open letter to my daughter Molly).  They all make appearances in (Save the drama for your mama) and (It was a family kinda weekend) and my personal

favorite in this category (My imaginary Houseguests). Finishing this category are two others, (I went to a Yarger Party and everyone was there) and (Off to college to pursue some knowledge) about out trips to bring our kids to school.  They are, of course, sprinkled into almost every blog that I write, but these are the ones, primarily, where they are the topic.

Food - Wait, should Food have it's own category?  Sure it should, and I'm actually surprised that in 2 years, I haven't written more blogs on food than I have, especially since it plays such a big part in our lives, and of course I work in the field.   (On Lobster) is sure to get your mouth watering.  (A night at the Whalesbone) recounts a night I had in a dive in Ottawa.  My son, Nolan and I try our hand at making Maple syrup in (Oh what a sap I am).  I round out this category with (How to make Uncle Bill's Clam Chowder) and if you read that one, you should be able to experience a dish that

my family loves. There definitely should have been more food blogs, so feel free to recommend some topics.

Travel -  I do have a travel job and for 12 years have spent about 3 nights out each week, so it would make sense that this topic would have some attention paid to it. I seem to do more on Canadian cities, but I think a lot of people don't get up to them, and I want to share my experiences there with those folks.  (Getting to know Halifax Nova Scotia) is a great example, as is (London, it's closer than you think). I've got my U.S favorites too, and in fact, did a 3 part series on Boston (Why I love Boston),(Part 2), and (Part 3).  It's a good read, from my point of view as a child going into a racially charged city and up to my more recent travels there.  (The night I danced on Broadway) is a true story of the night I danced on stage at a Sunday evening performance of Cabaret.  Less the West get jealous, I did a blog entitled (We spent a few days in Arizona last week) that chronicled a trip to

Phoenix and Sedona.  Not every trip was fantastic, so I'll finish this category with (The cruise to disappointment) that tells of my time cruising with the family.  If you've never been on a cruise it would be helpful to read this one so you can avoid some of the mistakes that can easily be made.

Politics - Although I hold fairly conservative beliefs I rarely write on them, and when I do, I tend to defuse them with humor.  A good example is (I'm not easy but I can be had), that offers up my services to switch allegiances, but for the right price. Along a similar theme, I update a classic kid's series with some wry commentary about today's youth with (Please bring back Schoolhouse Rock).  I also have examined our fiscal woes in (I'm a little depressed about my debt right now) and finally I did a 2 part series that was more serious called (I'm still afraid of China) and (Part 2).  Those blogs, incidentally, required hours of research on my part to educate myself on the culture and

compare it to ours.  They may be a drier read, but I think they are a sobering read and worth the effort if you want a quick education on the topic.

     That's all she wrote for this week, and all my best that I've written for 2 years now.  Please reward my efforts by sharing this blog, or one of your favorites with your friends.  Keep those comments and suggestions coming and hopefully these blogs will keep coming too.  My thanks to you in advance, for choosing to read my meandering thoughts each week.   Sincerely,  Bill Yarger - The Ongion

The end