Tag: State of the Blog Page 1 of 3

As has been noted previously, today marks 11 years since I started putting things up on teh IntraWebs as The Irresponsible Reader. Inspired by A Literary Escape (and some others that I forgot to note), I decided to do a little AMA to go along with last year’s anniversary. I had a great time doing this—and hope at least one other person enjoys reading this 1/8th as much as I enjoyed the questions.

Thank you to Allyson Johnson, Paul Nydegger, Bob Germaux, and Bookstooge for these questions.

About what percent of your blog’s subscribers are friends/family? What’s your most effective way of recruiting new subscribers?
asked by: Allyson Johnson, http://allysonjohnson.com
I’m pretty sure most of my nuclear family subscribed early on just to help out my numbers (and still occasionally reads the posts). To the best of my knowledge, there are two friends who subscribe to this (at least they were friends pre-subscription/following, I’d like to think I’ve reached at least Internet-friend status with a few others). Less than 5% (likely much less).

The most effective way of recruiting is doing those things that Carol talked about in her recent guest post, Don’t Be a Stranger: How to Make Connections in the Book Blogging Community. My Saturday Miscellany tends to attract some people (especially when I link to the post of someone who isn’t familiar with me)—but interacting on Social Media platforms (Twitter and BlueSky are the best for me, but individual results will verify) is the most effective way that I’ve come across. Like Carol says, “Yes, this takes time and is uncomfortable for introverts at first, but if you want to find your people and have people find you (a community), you need to promote yourself consistently.”

Have you ignored any other writers up close and personal as you have Craig Johnson?

asked by: Paul Nydegger
HA! No.

For those of you who aren’t Paul, this goes back to Johnson’s appearance in Boise in 2018. While Paul and I were waiting in line to pay for parking, I see a gentleman walk up wearing a large hat. I mutter something to myself about hoping I didn’t get stuck behind this guy, because between that hat and his height, there was no way I’d be able to see Johnson. Actually, given the “Western wear” the guy was sporting, he could almost pass for Johnson, I remember thinking. Except this gentleman was younger than I remembered pictures of Johnson appearing. Naturally, about ten minutes later, we’re talking to people sitting in the same row who talked about riding up in the elevator with Johnson. I said something about talking myself out of thinking he was in line behind us for parking. They replied with something about the green plaid shirt and I felt like the world’s worst fan. Clearly, I care more about a writer’s words than his appearance.

Fast-forward to last year when he was in Nampa. Paul and I are wandering around downtown killing time before we can show up to the bookstore for his appearance. We pass a couple walking the other way on the sidewalk. The male was a tall man in Western wear and a large hat, the woman was shorter than I remember Mrs. Johnson being, but still… So (as I recall it), Paul and I spent a few minutes trying to convince ourselves that we didn’t just run into Johnson before his event without saying something to him again. I also recall our efforts to convince ourselves were half-hearted at best and even less effective.

Next time he comes back to this area, I trust that we will be ready and on the lookout for him. Ensuring, naturally, that we won’t see him until he’s behind the microphone.

Was there ever a time when you weren’t hooked on books, perhaps back in your wild days, before you attached Reader to Irresponsible? A time when your attention was more focused on sports, girls, movies, etc.
asked by: Bob Germaux, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Germaux/author/B00QMW2V70
I’d say that reading has taken a disproportionate amount of my attention going to my childhood (see below). But, it’s never been my only hobby. I used to play a couple of instruments, and in the 80s I spent a lot of time playing Intellivision and ColecoVision games, and as many Commodore 64 games as I possibly could (at least two of those led to reading particular books).

Now that I’ve sent most of my readers to Wikipedia/a search engine to understand those references, let me answer your specifics:
I’ve never been all that coordinated, so participating in them was largely an exercise in futility and an opportunity for growth in humility. I’ve tried to get into sportsball things at several points in my life—mostly because I determined I needed to in order to fit in. It occurs to me that most of those efforts led to me reading books/articles about the sport I decided to follow to help me understand what was on my TV screen (there was probably a clue there). For the first decade that we were married, my wife and I spent a good deal of time watching baseball together (and will still try to watch the Little League World Series when we can—it feels purer), but that dropped off as the kids got older.

I’ve always been a big TV/movie guy, too—I make less time for films now and I miss them. I got a couple in during my recent recovery—that was nice and really makes me want to juggle my time a little so I can watch more regularly. I’m behind on the more “prestige” shows (read: the ones I have to put my laptop aside to watch) that I like, but I can make time for those a bit more easily.

As for girls? Well, as you can imagine, in the 80s a non-coordinated guy who was super-into comics, computer games, Star Trek, and books, I was quite the hit with the ladies. 🙂 So, yeah, that never took a big chunk of my time, much to my dismay. Thankfully, I eventually was blessed enough to meet someone who did appreciate that combo (or was willing to undertake an improvement project).

Following up on the previous question, how old were you (or in what grade at school) when you first realized how much you enjoyed reading? Was there a particular book or author that caught your eye?
asked by: Bob Germaux, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Germaux/author/B00QMW2V70

Donald J. Sobol was the tipping point. The first time I realized (and likely my parents realized, too) just how avid a reader I was/would be came the summer after second grade. My family was on a forever-long road trip (Eastern Idaho to Southern California) and I was bored, so I demanded my parents buy me something to read. Clearly, I wasn’t a pleasure to be stuck in a station wagon with, because at the next town, they did. I got two books, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang Screams in the Night. I read them both several times before we got back to Idaho (I don’t think I demanded or received another book on the trip). That was the last time I went somewhere over 40 minutes away from my home without at least one book.

I’d read a lot before then—and demanded my mother read to me a lot before then, too—but I think it was just something I just happened to do. This trip got us all to realize that this was “my thing” (I can’t believe we used this expression back in the early 80s when he had this realization, but whatever the equivalent was at the time). So my library trips—public and school—became more frequent and intense. Also, the mystery/thriller genre became a focus—many more Encyclopedia Browns, a few more Sugar Creek Gang books (the library didn’t have many, and I hadn’t yet figured out how to get my family to buy me books to the extent they do now), and then The Three Investigators came on their heels. SF and Fantasy came soon after.

One more question. Clearly, you have an advanced case of RO (Reading Obsession). It’s okay. I’m likewise afflicted. Just in case it isn’t genetic, which three books would you insist be read aloud to your grandcritters before they’re old enough to flip those pages themselves?
asked by: Bob Germaux, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Germaux/author/B00QMW2V70
This is a fantastic question—and one I don’t really have an answer to. Anything by Sandra Boynton. And I’m trying a handful of different things to figure out his taste for the present.

But I don’t know what to do when he’s able to handle longer narratives, I really don’t remember what his aunt, uncles, and father liked (or what I liked reading with them). I think that I’m going to try to spend some time in Narnia with him, and maybe a quick trip to Middle Earth, before he’s able to read himself. We’ll definitely check into Hogwarts when he’s a bit older. I think Prydain needs to be in the older section, too, to really appreciate. Fitzgerald’s The Great Brain is episodic and simple enough that I could probably interest him in those. Maybe Caddie Woodlawn? (I’m going to skip the Laura Ingalls Wilder books because when I tried them with my kids I found them mind-numbingly dull, but Caddie was a lot of fun)

(obviously, Mom and Dad might swoop in and beat me to those).

I have a couple of friends who have children a couple of years older than the grandcritter, so I’m going to be looking to them for advice—as well as hunting down more children’s lit bloggers—when he gets to that stage.

Seconds before I hit “publish” I remembered Kate DiCamillo exists. I think I discovered her too late to really get my kids into her as I read to them (but I think my daughter may have followed her on her own a bit), The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie are must-reads. You might enjoy them, too, Bob.

How much time, on a weekly basis, do you spend reading?
asked by: Bookstooge, http://bookstooge.blog
Not as much as I’d like, but my eyes can only handle so much. And my body insists on this thing called “sleep.” (the former is decreasing and the latter is increasing lately). I think 2-3 hours a day, typically. Saturdays tend to be a lighter day for reading, but I still manage to cram in an hour (occasionally, I get several hours in, see below). So, 11-16 hours a week, I guess is the answer. I actually assumed that’d be higher.

I do get 18-20 hours of audiobook listening in during the work week (depending on my commute and workload), too.

So that’s 29-36 hours of involvement with books a week.

How much time, on a weekly basis, do you spend writing blog posts?
asked by: Bookstooge, http://bookstooge.blog
Not as much as I’d like, but my brain can only handle so much—more importantly, there are dogs, a grandcritter, and a wonderful wife to pay attention to (among other things).

Typically Saturdays are my big day (unless I get wrapped up in a book or non-book activities), 5-7 hours there. Then I spend 1-3 hours a day Monday-Thursday (probably closer to 90 minutes-2 hours, unless I have a mindless police procedural or something like that on, almost no time on Fridays and Sundays. Making that 10-24 hours a week (imagining some Friday time).

Wow, Bookstooge—this quick look at how I spend my time is more than a little eye-opening for me. I don’t know the last time I counted that. Thanks!  (I think)

As has been noted previously, today marks 10 years since I started putting things up on teh IntraWebs as The Irresponsible Reader. inspired by A Literary Escape (and some others that I forgot to note), I decided to do a little AMA to go along with that. I had a great time doing this—and hope at least one other person enjoys reading this 1/8th as much as I enjoyed the questions.

Thank you to JCM Berne, Kyle, Paul Nydegger, Noelle Holten, Lashaan Balasingam, Celeste, Jodie, Bob Germaux, and (a different) Noelle for these questions.

I should have realized that my good friend Paul, who is convinced (and is correct) that I don’t make fast enough progress through certain series/authors’ works, would take this opportunity to publically nag me. Well played, Paul, well played.

I realize now that I maybe should’ve split this up into a few posts, because I get to rambling here. But…eh…no one says you have to read it all at once. Come back and finish it up.

What are your beard care secrets? (You have a very handsome beard)
asked by: JCM Berne, http://jcmberne.com
When I initially asked for questions for this, I said “I’d prefer the questions to be about books, reading, the blog—that sort of thing.” But did leave the door open for anything. It took precisely…zero questions for someone to walk through that door. I asked for it. But I do think this will give me a chance to display my superpower.

First, thanks for the compliment. The key to my beard care is minimalism. I’m too lazy to shave regularly, hence the beard. I’m lousy at trimming it, hence the length. Wash it 2-3 times a week with a beard soap/shampoo. Pat dry—don’t let the towel do much damage. Use a good beard oil or balm (I prefer the latter). Don’t use vinyl or plastic combs/brushes (the whole static thing might be an Old Wives’ Tale, but why take chances?), I use wooden combs, boar’s hair brushes, or a metal pick. I haven’t found Biotin or any of the vitamins frequently recommended to be that helpful. What I have found is that as your own health goes, so goes the health of your beard.

Here’s the superpower bit, I can take any conversation and work in a recommendation for a book. I usually realize I did it after the fact, but occasionally I do it with forethought. Like here. This comes from Jack Passion’s book, The Facial Hair Handbook, and a couple of barbers who have guided my pogonotrophy.

Have you ever dabbled in writing fiction?
asked by: Kyle (who has a website, but apparently doesn’t want publicity)
I have dabbled in Fiction. Like anyone obsessed with books as I have been for most of my life, I’ve often thought about writing my own work. In college, I had a double-major—and Creative Writing was one of those. I didn’t end up getting that degree, because it would’ve required another semester just to get 4 credits, and that was too much money for me at the time. I’ve taken a couple of courses in writing since then, too, and tried one local workshop that wasn’t a fit. One thing that I learned from my time in my Creative Writing classes is that I was surrounded by writers that far outclassed me. But I did produce a few short stories that I liked (and a few that I’m iffy about)—and several humorous essays that I really liked.

I’ve completed NaNoWriMo a few times in the recent past—one book that’s sort of a Werewolf/Lad Lit combo—the kind of thing that Mike Chen would do (but this was years before I read him). Then I tried what can best be described as a reboot of the 80s show Voyagers (a reference very few readers are going to get), but in a Riordan-esque MG way—a Father-Son Time Travel team fixing problems in the timeline. The third book I completed the word count on, but was nowhere near finished—a reverse portal-fantasy where a band of Fantasy adventurers find themselves in the Pacific Northwest. The Werewolf novel is the one I’d really like to get back to one day to see if I can beat it into a decent shape. The Fantasy novel is beyond my abilities. And the Time Travel book would take too much research, so forget it.

For now, it’s all about time and dedication. Or, as Angela Duckworth would put it, grit. And I find myself lacking that when it comes to my own work.

Why are you so slow with Slow Horses?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
I have no earthly idea. It makes no sense to me at all. You’ll be happy to know that within 24 hours of this posting, I will have started the next in the series. At the rate I’m going, I’ll catch up by….

2029 (unless he writes a new book between now and then).

I’d better pick up the pace.

If you could meet any author (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Happy 10yrs!
asked by: Noelle Holten, https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk
Thanks, Noelle!!

This is the easiest question in this post! Obviously, the only correct answer is the best-selling author of the DC Maggie Jamieson series and 6 Ripley Avenue, Noelle Holton!

Seriously…to answer that with one name of a living author is just impossible. A dead one would be equally difficult. But okay, I’ll play the game—Rex Stout. I’ve been fascinated with him for decades, have read his biography a couple of times, and numerous short pieces by people who knew him. His life before he got into novel writing is the stuff of fiction—and then when he got into fiction…it’s truly something special.

I’m not just saying this to be nice—it’d be great to meet just about every author I’ve featured here in the last 10 years (there are a few exceptions, but I won’t name names). If I named the ones I’d particularly enjoy spending time with, this post would get too long (and I’d probably forget someone and be haunted by it). But if any author reading this finds themselves in the Boise area—the first round of drinks (of whatever kind) is on me! Probably the second and third, too.

That goes double for Noelle Holten.

Based on your 10-year experience (congrats, by the way!!), what do you recommend to all bloggers if they would like to sustain a healthy blogging routine?
asked by: Lashaan Balasingam, https://roarsandechoes.com/
Thanks!

Lashaan, my friend, I read these questions to my daughter a few days back. When I read this one, she just laughed and said tell him to do everything you don’t. Healthy routines and I are passing acquaintances at best.

So this is (largely) from the “Not What I Do” file.
Find a pattern that works for you—one that allows you to spend time with your friends, family, and loved ones. One, very importantly, that allows you adequate sleep and exercise. Then you need to read (and in your case, there’s also watching and playing stuff). The blogging gets some of the rest of the time—oh, you probably need to work.

Follow that up with being flexible—what pattern works for you now, may not in 3 months. So, adjust. Try new things. Listen to your body when it comes to energy, look for the signs of mental wear and tear, and do something to shake things up to prevent it.

Lastly, and most importantly, no matter what routine you settle on—be gracious with yourself. If your routine falters, or if you fail to stick with it. Shake it off (as Ms. Swift would instruct) and move on. Remember this is a hobby (unless you become one of those people that starts paying their bills with that—at which point, I figure you have to forget about health and just dive in whole-heartedly) and that it should be fun. Don’t lose sight of that.

Just before posting this I thought of another point. It’s small, but it helped tremendously. A couple of years ago, I made a reference to loving the subheadings some blogger was using in her reviews (can’t remember who, but am pretty sure it was a she, and she was clever), and how I wished I had thought of doing something like that. Bookstooge said something like, “well, just start doing it yourself.” And I did—I actually don’t think I would have, if he hadn’t said that.

This tweak to my writing routine helped me tremendously. I have an outline for every post going in (one that I can play with, I’m not beholden to it), so I don’t have to think of how I’m going to structure things. It makes it easier for me to write in sections and not have to worry about the flow of the posts—and it helps the reader (I assume) navigate what they want to read. It was a tiny thing, but it has proved to be a game changer. Again, flexibility.

It’s laughable to me that you’d ask me anything about blogging—your sites and posts are visually my favorites out there, and your content is top-notch. From my vantage point, you’ve got it figured out. That’s likely not true (who among us has?), but it looks that way. Keep doing what you’re doing…

Who or what introduced you to reading and were you always an avid reader?
asked by: Celeste, https://aliteraryescape.com
First, thanks for the idea behind this post. It’s been a blast.

My Mom introduced me to reading me a lot. I’m not saying my Dad didn’t read to me, but I have no memories of it (not that I have a lot of memories of being read to by my Mom, either, but she’s talked about it). Once I got into school and started reading independently, she was diligent in taking me to the local Library until I could get there by the power of my own two feet (Burley Public Library and Payette Public Library—I feel safe saying those words because neither city can be used to get at my passwords)—and believe me, that diligence was not easy (stupid 3 books at a time limit), because, yeah, I was always an avid reader.

I’ve told this story before, but the privilege of age means I get to tell it again. The first time I realized (and likely my parents realized, too) just how avid a reader I was/would be came the summer after second grade. My family was on a forever-long road trip (Eastern Idaho to Southern California) and I was bored, so I demanded my parents buy me something to read. Clearly, I wasn’t a pleasure to be stuck in a station wagon with, because at the next town, they did. I got two books, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang Screams in the Night. I read them both several times before we got back to Idaho (I don’t think I demanded or received another book on the trip). That was the last time I went somewhere over 40 minutes away from my home without at least one book.

What genre, if any, do you find yourself not reading a lot of?
asked by: Celeste, https://aliteraryescape.com
Westerns, Romance, and Horror. I have nothing against the idea of them—and have read good books in all of them—but I never think of looking for anything in those genres, and most books I come across in those genres don’t sound that interesting. Zombie novels aren’t really a genre (and fit into a handful of them, anyway)—I’m on the record of saying I don’t like them, but the number of them that I’ve read in the last 10 years suggests I might not be as against them as I think I am.

Although, as I write this, I realize I might be in the middle of a Horror novel that I thought was something else. But I’m pretty sure that’s my fault for not doing a better job of reading the synopsis—I read the first half and was sold. I think I like it (although I think I’d have liked it better if it was what I thought it was going to be).

What is one of your favorite reading related memories?

Happy upcoming blogiversary!!!
asked by: Jodie, https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/
Thank you, Jodie!

Ooooh…that’s a good one. I probably shouldn’t use that California trip story again, eh?

A lot of my memories are tied to a particular book, so I’d have to think about a book to come up with one, you know? But let’s see what I can come up with.

I remember loaning Dragons of Winter Night to a friend in the 8th grade—and her almost getting the book confiscated by our Science Teacher for reading during a lecture. I clearly didn’t learn anything from that because I then loaned her Dragons of Spring Dawning, which she also almost had confiscated when she broke down crying when the first major character death in that book occurred—this time in Math Class. Okay, I probably learned a lesson the first time—but there was no way my 13-year-old self could’ve said no to a pretty girl who could smile at me like that. It didn’t help my romantic cause any, but…

There was the time I had to dash off to my bedroom one Saturday afternoon to finish Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog so my (then) very young kids didn’t see their father bawling (my wife had finished the book a couple of days earlier, so knew what was going on and kept them distracted). That’s not a favorite, really, but it’s very vivid.

I remember my 9-year-old son (now father of the Grandcritter) who got so invested in the Skullduggery Pleasant series (and who can blame him?) that he and his mom designed a costume for it—and how devastated he was that the Borders staff didn’t realize that’s what he was during their store costume contest. I’m guessing if we’d been better about supporting our Indie Bookstore at the time, someone would’ve recognized it. Not a particularly happy memory, but man…he was so invested in that book that it made my heart grow 3 sizes.

When his sister was 9, she decided that she was old enough to read The Help, and we let her give it a shot. I don’t think she understood everything, but she got enough of it to justify the time she spent. That’s another memory I’m going to keep for forever—it also would be cause enough for many people to vote against me for Library or School Boards, I realize.

Oh, here’s a favorite (just needed to free associate for a bit): Reading The Godfather in the first week of 7th grade was impressive enough to the High Schoolers on the School Bus that they decided I got a pass from the hazing/bullying they had intended for us new riders. It was a fantastic read, too—but the part I remember most was the hint of respect in their voice as they talked about me reading it.

I’m not sure that I actually answered your question, but it took up a lot of space. 🙂

I wanted to share some exciting news with you about a powerful tool that
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See why this may be the last AI app you ever need…
asked by: Shawn Whatmore
I cut this off because no one wants to read it. But I’m sharing this much so people can see what a lousy marketer you really are. Seriously—take a moment to read the form you went to the trouble of filling out. Alex Trebek would be quick to point out that this was not in the form of a question, and anyone can tell it has nothing to do with the subject at hand. If this was the work of an AI/AI-wannabe-bot, your software clearly isn’t worth anyone throwing money at it, either.

Do you sleep with one eye open in case Fiona [Griffiths] finds out you haven’t read all of her books?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
Ha! I finally finished that series last Summer. You can’t beat me up for the inexplicably long time I took on that one, buddy boy.

When you did a Q&A with me some time ago, H.C., you asked about my routine when writing my books, so I’ll turn that around on you now. Do you work on the blog at a certain time each day, or just whenever you find time? Does the routine vary over the weekends? Is there an average number of hours that you spend on the blog each day? And do you prefer working during the day or at night (perhaps when the house is quieter)? Inquiring minds want to know the answers to these questions. Oh, and congrats on the blogiversary. Very cool word.
asked by: Bob Germaux (another writer with a website they don’t want promoted)
Back when I started this thing, I worked graveyard—and my bosses didn’t care much what we did to stay awake to do our duties as long as what we did didn’t keep us from our duties. So I got into the habit of blogging between 4-6 a.m. Thankfully, those days are behind me and I can actually sleep during those hours—the only sensible thing to do with them.

Typically, I work on the blog between 10-12 at night on weekdays, maybe a little on either side. Occasionally, I’ll get up extra-early to finish something (typically for a Blog Tour or something), or maybe during my lunch hour. It’s not so much that the house is quieter that time of day—although, it is, now that I think about it—it’s that my wife has gone to bed so I don’t have to worry about inadvertently—or intentionally—ignoring her. Saturdays, when I’m not doing something with my wife/kids, is for emails, Q&As, bigger projects, things like this post, and whatnot.

Is there a Kleenex shortage in your town, is that why you haven’t read all of Fredrik Backman’s incredible works?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
Um…yeah. That’s the ticket! A Kleenex shortage. A Kleenex shortage caused by Morgan Fairchild (whom I’ve met)…yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket!

Seriously, I have no idea why I’ve only read two of Backman’s books. I’d say that I was planning on fixing that tout de suite, but I wouldn’t believe me any more than you would. I’ve been saying it since 2015.

If a character representing you could be written into a book in any genre but you would become that character and could only live that storyline, what life would you want to live?
asked by: Noelle, http://perrydogpublishing.com/
That’s a head-scratcher. I’ve had fun playing with this idea since you sent it in. Here are my thoughts as of this moment:
I’d die in a New York minute were I a character in a Fantasy or SFF (unless it was a cozy, and even then, I don’t like my chances). Are there cozy Westerns? Same answer—also lack of plumbing is a no-go (another reason to avoid being put into a Fantasy novel). I’m just not smart enough, really, to be a protagonist in a Mystery or Urban Fantasy—maybe I could be the best friend/sidekick, or possibly comic relief.

I guess, ultimately, some sort of Lad Lit/Rom Com/Commercial Women’s Fiction kind of thing is my best bet at living past retirement age and living a decent storyline. Preferably one of those where the character gets serious about their health/fitness, because I need that. Also, those characters seem like they find okay and fulfilling ways to live on the whole.

That’s at least my second reference to my health in this post. I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something.

I’m going to close with this email for 2 reasons…it’s the last thing that was submitted, and it’s the perfect closer (but I’ll take it down a font size for the sake of your eyes).

Ok, not a question, but my feelings about you and your blog. Growing up, I had a less-than-nurturing childhood. The one safe constant for me was the Library that was across the street. I use to go over there almost daily. The librarians would have me do chores and they would give me treats and let me check out extra books (I know, I know, letting me check out extra books when I lived across the street was a naïve bonus that I didn’t realize how those old biddies manipulated me until over 50 years later!!). I was a voracious reader. I started down a path of addiction when I was 12 years old. My reading slowly grounded to a halt. I read maybe one or two books a year (usually to impress a girl 🙂 ). By the time I was in my twenties, I was fully immersed in The Darkness. I would choose to live in The Darkness for nearly three decades. In February of 2006, when I was at my absolute end, God did for me what I could not do for myself. I was arrested on Felony drug charges and forced into treatment. After completing my Court-mandated treatment program, I found a new purpose for my life. I wanted to become a counselor myself for the treatment program that saved my life. Our paths crossed shortly after my graduation in 2007. You first introduced me to an incredible world of Film and TV (disclaimer: still pissed about how long you held out on me with Breaking Bad…yes, your intentions were noble and good, I probably wasn’t ready at first, but you held out for at least an extra year…just saying!). And through this you started suggesting books. And then more books. And then more books. And now, reading is the foundation of my self-care. I have been a counselor for that Court treatment program for….you guessed it, the past 10 years (October 22, 2012 anniversary date). The current climate with addiction is very frightening and I hear and deal with so much death. Two last week. The only way I can decompress, suit up and show up the next day, is by unplugging each night and plugging into a book. I know you know how much your friendship means to me. But I don’t think I’ve ever told you how your passion reignited my passion which has become my anchor. Thank you. Here’s to the next 10 years!!!
not asked, but written, by: Paul Nydegger

I don’t know how to respond…I’ve read this half a dozen or more times and still don’t.