Hello there.
When I began this blog 11 years ago it was because I was put out over having left a message board I had come to enjoy hanging out in. I was made to feel unwelcome there, so I quit. Long story. You can read about it back in post 300, if you want to go through the Bevboy archives and find out.
But I still had a need to express myself. And I decried misspelled words. So I decided to start a blog. I had been called "Bevboy" since 1988, and it would be a blog, so why not call it... Bevboy's Blog? Seemed natural. I eventually got business cards printed up. I literally have 15 000 of them here in my home office, due to various sales at Vista Print over the years.
Over the years, I told myself that it was a good idea to "feed" a blog on a regular basis. Once a day seemed like a good goal to set for myself. In the early years, I often did multiple posts in one day.
Eventually, unlike so many other bloggers, I was lucky enough to be able to sell some of my writing, to Frank Magazine. The need, and even the ability, to write a blog post every single day became more difficult. Paying work was, let's face it, more important.
For a time, I was producing two columns for a given issue of Frank: my former radio column; and the cold case series. I had always had a keen interest in cold cases, in particular missing persons cases. My editor asked me to consider writing about unsolved murders, too, and I took on that responsibility.
After a while, the radio column was retired. It was a mutual thing. I was getting tired of writing radio news and commentary. The commentary pissed off more than a few radio folks who are unused to being commented on. I liked the little history items I was adding to the pieces to justify the word count, oftentimes more than the news I was spending so much time researching. At the same time, I was getting more and more satisfaction from writing the cold case series, and it was taking more and more of my time. I told my editor this, on more than one occasion. When my editor decided to discontinue my radio column, I did not express any disappointment. I was relieved. I have not lobbied to bring it back. Nobody to my knowledge has written Frank wanting it to return. It is part of my past, and I am happy for it to remain there.
The cold case series now occupies a tremendous amount of my free time. I am not complaining. I enjoy the work, and the challenge of researching and writing these articles. But it comes at the cost of this blog. This past week was a deadline week, and I was working hard on the next article, which appears in the issue of Frank Magazine that hits stands this week.
This is where you come in.
I am sorry I haven't written more frequently lately. As I told you the other week, I have a house for sale in the Valley. I spend quite a bit of time down there, cleaning out the place, and deciding what to keep and what to donate to thrift stores, and whatnot. Entirely me and Patricia, and nobody else to help us. I recently discontinued the internet connection down there, so when I am there, I cannot blog, or watch Netflix, or have much fun at all, to be honest. I have to watch the two channels that come over the air, watch a dvd, or watch something on the hard drive that's attached to the media player that's hanging off the flat screen in the living room.
We have also been neglecting the cottage. We were there a week ago. First time in more than two months. No internet connection there, either. We got the place ready for the winter, there, then. I even managed to mow most of the lawn, too.
I had to take a vacation day this past Monday to be in the Valley at the house to take care of a couple of matters. I drove back to the city in the afternoon and was exhausted by the time I got home. I am always exhausted by the time I get back to the city from the house in the Valley. I suppose it has to do with the stress associated with maintaining two properties. Both suffer in the end.
I know that all of the above sounds like a litany of excuses. We are all busy. We all work hard. I have not cornered the market on being busy or working hard. I am not complaining. I am explaining. Trying to explain to you, and justify to myself, why the blog appears to be less of a priority in my life lately.
I have told you before that I want to get back to a daily schedule again. I do. I will try really hard to write something Monday night. But I must tell you that we are going to the library Monday evening. Kayla Hounsell will be discussing her true crime book at 7pm, and we both want to be there. It means getting home 9pm or so. Newbie will be pacing the floor and looking at his watch and wondering where we are and why we are neglecting him. I will have to make it up to him.
But, also, let me make things up to you.
Let me try, really hard, to write a blog post for you Monday night. And another on Tuesday. And, if you're good, Wednesday night is a good possibility, too.
You mean a lot to me. All 4.7 of you. You're like my kids.
See you... tomorrow?
Bevboy
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