WFMW

I was saving this post for next month. But today I learned that Shannon, at Rocks in My Dryer, is taking a break from the feature she originated some 3 years ago. Instead of shutting it down entirely, she is letting another blogger (Kristen from We Are That Family) continue her tradition. According to Shannon's post explaining the transfer, she recently received so much positive feedback about WFMW, she changed her mind about cancelling it altogether. So today, I would like to tell you all why Works For Me Wednesday works for me.

As a stay at home, home school dad, a few credits shy of his Home Ec. degree, WFMW gives me the first clue on topics I know nothing about, and the next step in areas that I am growing in.

WFMW is also, one of the best formats for me to do my writing. I like sharing what things my family has done that make our life more productive and enjoyable. I love seeing the comments on my blog that there are others who can find them helpful as well.

Here is my WFMW routine:

1) I keep a list in my notebook of future WFMW posts. My goal is to have at least 4 post ideas written down at the beginning of each month, so I am not scrambling at the last minute for an idea. As of today, I have post ideas from now until 4/15/2009.

2) Sometime Monday evening or Tuesday morning I write my post for that week and save it as a draft. This morning when I began to write about gloves, I noticed Shannon's above referenced post and took this idea, which was 3 weeks away from my notebook.

3) When I come home from my Tuesday night home group, I publish my post and wait for Shannon to post hers. My goal is to be one of the first 25 posts on the list. My secret ambition, is to be in the top 10 every week. My dream, is to be the first one on the board. My dream that is so special you don't say it out loud (I am only writing this, NOT saying it out loud), to be asked to headline and be a guest blogger on WFMW.

That's not gonna happen. But, I was #10 two weeks ago. Shannon tricked me last week, I was all ready to link my wife's post when I saw Shannon's post about locating states. I got so into doing that, that I didn't get my post linked until the second 25.

4) After WFMW is posted and I am linked to it, the real fun begins. I read all the posts linked before mine. I always try to leave a comment where appropriate. As a man, I would feel very silly commenting on posts about make-up.

5) When I get to mine, I will sometimes read a few more before retiring for the day. On Wednesday morning, I check my post for comments. I will then read those posts, If I have not already. I spend the rest of the day between school and home stuff checking out as many posts as I can.

6) I am always looking for one idea that I can implement immediately. I don't want to say what last week's was. Let's just say I now have a sink that shines without any dishes in it.

So, that's why WFMW works for me and why I am so glad that Shannon started this tradition that Kristen is continuing. Blessings to you both. If you still don't know how to get to Rocks In My Dryer for Shannon's final pre-sabbatical WFMW, click here.

Next Time: Google is as Google does.

Guest Post-by Amy Roller: Perspective

Back in 2001 when we moved to this town, Emma was two, and Charlie was yet to be born. Lucy was yet to be considered. One thing Dave and I have in common is our love for reading, books, libraries, etc. So, before we even bought this house, we sought out the local library. It's a good one. When Emma was two, she didn't like to go places or leave them. She would cry both times. Going to church: cry. Leave church: cry. Go to grandma's: cry. Leave grandma's: cry. You get the idea. Same was true for the library.

Many hours of training produced little result. "Okay, Emma, we're going to play at the library. When we're all done, we will stand by the lady and wait our turn, and give her the books, and she'll give them back." What? I have to give the books to the librarian? I just spent hours picking them out, listening to you read them to me, and planning how many book parties we are going to have at home, and NOW, you want me to GIVE them to this lady with the long blond hair? She might TAKE them, hide them, put them away, mom, I'm quite sure, I'll NEVER see them again. No, I won't do it. Screaming ensued. Every. Time.

Okay, finally after a year or so, Emma gets the idea. Then comes Charlie, who tended to be calmer than Emma. Same thing. Crying, tears, shrieks, etc. Couple years down the line, Lucy does the same thing, but to a lesser extent. She watches Emma and Charlie's reaction to handing the books over, and discovers that they always give them back, that nice blond lady, especially.

Flash forward to today. I spent my day at the library working on some reports for work. I was tucked away in a far corner, but I could still hear those two year olds shrieking. MOM! I need that book! I LOVE that book! NOOOOOOOOOO! Now, give it to the nice lady, and she'll give it right back, dear, like we practiced at home. Why mom? Why can't I just keep it? I promise I'll bring it back next time? Sorry honey, like I told you at home, I....MOMMMMMMMMM!!! I didn't chuckle, exactly, so much as, said a silent "thank you" for being past that stage...

Next Time: WFMW

It's Not Uncommon, It's Not our Problem.

When I lived in Russia, someone sent me a copy of an article from the English version of a Moscow newspaper. The story told of hundreds of bags of undelivered mail being dumped into a lake near Moscow. When some Russian government official was contacted, his comment was: "It is not uncommon, it is not our problem."

As I approach my 45th birthday, it is natural for a certain world weariness to creep in from time to time. When you are younger, you seem to have boundless energy to solve all the problems of the world. As you begin to see the same problems over and over again, it is easy to get the "not uncommon, not my problem" mentality.

Empathy covers apathy in the same way that paper covers rock. As the world and its worries harden your heart, putting other peoples' troubles in front of your own soften it. So, next time you have the opportunity to help someone in need, tell yourself it may not be uncommon, but I can make it my problem.

Next Time: Perspective

They Call it Puppy Love

Every morning my youngest daughter wakes me up. You know how some people are morning people, and wake up eager for the day to begin? That's my daughter. Other people welcome morning like a warden welcomes jailbreaks. That's me. Yet each morning she scampers in the room with unbridled enthusiasm. Always going to my side of the bed always saying the same thing:

"Let's be a puppy on the floor!"

Every morning, always the same, let's be a puppy on the floor. And every morning, generally against by better judgement, I crawl on the floor with her, barking and yipping. I am not sure how this ritual began, and often, I am unsure why I let it continue. There are only two reasons why I endure this perpetual puppy practice:

1) I don't think she enjoys anything in this world more than playing puppy with her Dad.

2) Some time in the not so distant future, she won't come in anymore. Our time as Daddy puppy and Baby puppy will be through. While I certainly won't miss the interruption of my sleep, I will certainly lament the ending of that season in our lives.

So until that day comes I will spend the first part of my day "ruffing it" with my daughter.

Next Time: It's not uncommon, it's not our problem.

NABLOPOMO Mid month update

This month I have taken the National Blog Posting Month challenge to blog everyday for a month. I planned today to give an detailed update of how my month so far has gone.

I was just told by my wife that she is taking me out for dinner in ten minutes and if I want to blog for day, do it now. So, update yes, detailed, not so much.

That is certainly a negative of everyday blogging: to have to rush yourself and to lack quality for the sake of quantity.

A positive is that blogging everyday has really stretched me in what topics to choose. Wednesday and Thursdays blogs may not have occurred, if I didn't have to produce a post each and every day. Amy has told me that those posts have been some of my best.

Well I am off to dinner with the love of my life.

Next Time: They Call it Puppy Love

Blah, Blah, Blago

My son thinks Rod Blagojevich was framed. He just cannot believe that the most powerful government head in our entire state would say he was innocent if he wasn't. That's my son, he's seven. Of course, by thinking that Blago is innocent he is definitely in the minority. The only other person I know of who thinks the former governor is innocent, is the former governor himself.

Blagojevich reminds me of Jack Nicholson's character from A Few Good Men. At the end of the movie after he admits to ordering the Code Red that killed Private Santiago, he cannot understand why he is being arrested. Even though he has just acknowledged culpability, he thinks that he is beyond the law. (Just as an aside, thanks to the Pepsi company, it is no longer an illegal action to order a Code Red. I rather enjoy them.)

This is exactly what Blagojevich is doing. He doesn't seem to dispute the facts of the case. He just doesn't think he did anything wrong. He points to all "the good" he did for the state, and thinks that selling a senate seat, like you might sell Cubs rooftop tickets, is just part of the job description.










The former governor also reminds me a lot of Nicholson's "A Few Good Men" costar, Tom Cruise. He definitely has the hair for it. I don't mean Tom Cruise, the actor. I mean Tom Cruise, the couch jumper. Because couch jumping is exactly what Blago has been doing lately. I mean they have actually had to create new talk shows for him to appear on. Network news for the past two weeks might as well have been called, Blagojevich and the weather.

The thing I like best about this entire debacle is that when Blagojevich was removed from office and then banned from holding any office in the state of Illinois, he was out jogging. The reason why I like this best, is that it capsulizes what he became: a running joke.

Next Time: NABLOPOMO, A mid-month report