I’ve been asked a couple times by new readers (in real life, through email, etc) why I blog. Why do I write this daily journal of thoughts, feelings and experiences for the whole world to see? I guess with this new layout it’s as good a time as any to talk about it.

I’ve had a website for a while now, my first one was up on the web in 1994, with some help from Mike when we were in college. It was a pretty simple site, with a couple graphics and mostly scans of pictures and links to my favorite pages. The site stayed more or less the same for the years after that - new pictures added, dry spells in updating because I just didn’t have the time and didn’t feel like anyone was looking at it anyway.

Then in 2002, Mike asked me if I’d ever heard of blogging. Which I hadn’t. I let the idea simmer for a while, and checked around some other sites and found it pretty interesting. I had always tried in the past to keep a diary or journal, but would always lose interest or forget to do it.

But as I’ve said many times before, my memory is pretty flaky. I don’t remember half the things I do, and only remember when people remind me. Other than that, I’m living in the world of ‘Memento’ - each day as a new day. Well, not as drastic as that, but you know what I mean. (yanowhatimean? hardee har har) So I thought that this whole blog thing might be fun, at least for a little while until I get bored of it, like I usually do with things (or forget about it).

So I started up my blog. In the beginning, the entries were pretty silly, I admit. But at the time, I thought I was the only one reading it. It was really just a way for me to look back and remember the things I had done, or to let my family who didn’t live in Chicago know what was going on.

Then, I realized there were people out there reading it. Not a lot, but some. I found in kinda weird that people would be interested in my pretty mundane life. But that’s the thing about blogs - your life could be the most boring thing ever, but it’s how you TALK about your life that keeps people interested, that, and you post regularly.

Knowing that people were reading gave me the little push to keep updating, to keep writing. I’m a stat whore, so I check out my stats every now and then to see how many people are coming to the site. Over the years I think I have a nice little community that comes to check out my daily antics. I’ve said more than once that I’ve been blessed to have so many readers care so much and offer support during tough times. And yeah, I admit, after a while I started writing to entertain others. But the main reason I’ve been keeping up with this is to remember. There have been so many times I’ve searched for something in the archives, or I’ve taken a look at the monthly archives and thought, “Oh yeah! I totally forgot I did that!”

I’ve also used this blog as therapy, to help me vent and filter through my emotions and thoughts. Of course, I don’t always write about everything I’m going through, or vent about all the things that bother me. I’ve learned that there are lurkers out there, some I know, some I don’t know. Writing about work is a tricky situation - I used to do it, but I’ve heard of people who’ve gotten in trouble for writing about work, so I keep away from that. Well, kinda. But my one of the things that I keep in mind when I blog is that you never know who’s reading, so only put the things out there that you’re OK with the whole world seeing. You won’t believe some of the email’s I’ve gotten from people I’ve just mentioned casually in a post!

So yeah, to answer Luis’ question that he posted, “why are you doing this?” Many reasons. But mostly to help me remember the things I’ve done, the things that make me laugh, the things that make me cry, the things that I want to share. And to maybe, just maybe, provide a wee bit of entertainment for anyone who passes by…

Tags: Daily by Yano
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Got the itch to redesign again. I’ve had this one on the backburner for a while. Thought I’d change it up a bit and try something a little different. Apologies to you 800×600 people…it may be a little funky for ya…

Enjoy this one while it lasts - the Halloween edition is coming in several weeks! Truthfully, I feel so-so about this design, which is why I’m only going to have it up for about 2 weeks. I’m looking for halloween layout suggestions. Anyone???

Tags: Page Update by Yano
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Go to Starbucks! They’re giving away a little bag of coffee and a small book of poems.

Well at least at mine they are. Hopefully at yours they are, too.

But it’s a pretty good excuse to go, eh?

Tags: Quickies by Yano
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So I was really into the game yesterday when I was cooking dinner. I was a bit distracted, but I was trying really hard to make dinner without messing anything up. (Which would be a major achievement for me) So I was juggling several things - spaghetti sauce, and spaghetti on the stove, baked chicken in the oven and freshly baked garlic bread. So I was trying to move things around and watching baseball at the same time. And I picked up the tray with garlic bread in the hand that DIDN’T have the oven mitt on it.

It took me a second or two to register why I was feeling a searing pain in my fingers. Then I realized that happened and screamed like a banshee. Dave, on the couch watching the game, shot up and asked what was wrong. I told him I burned my hand and he asked how bad it was. It actually wasn’t too bad, so he told me to immerse it in cool, but not cold water.

Unfortunately, we had just moved in, so we haven’t stocked our medicine cabinet so we had no ointment of any kind so I had to work through the pain. If I took my hand out of the water, I would get a searing, burning pain in my fingers (just my fingers and thumb). The pain subsided after an hour or so, and the area then switched from a small burning hypersensitivity to numbness. I’ve got the tray marking seared into my fingers which makes for interesting blisters.

So yeah.

Ouch.

Luckily, although my typing was impeded last night, I am once again able to work normally and type. No need for anyone to panic.
So with my one hand and my one eye, I should be able to park in handicapped space now, right?

Tags: Daily by Yano
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Watching the Cubs game right now…top of the 9th, with the Cubs whoopin’ the Cincinatti Reds 12-5. And guess who’s back after being sent into minor league obscurity???

Kyle Farnsworth!! Yes! Super hottie Farnsie who walks everyone and their mama yet is still a hottie in my book is back on the team! I don’t know if he’s been back before this but I know he’s been gone for a while. Anywhere, he’s having a good run now, even IF we are winning by 7. Looking pretty confident and lean there, and with a lot less hair. Which looks GREAT on him.

Luckily Dave had fallen asleep while watching so he didn’t see me drooling. Everytime Dusty puts him in the game Dave groans. Which I would, too, because he didn’t do too well. Except for that one time he got into that awesome fight. But hopefully he does a lot better now that he’s back.

This whole wild card race is so stressing! And the Cubs aren’t helping by not doing so great in their last couple games - they had such a nice, comfy lead in the wild card! But today’s game hopefully put the fear of the Cubs in the hearts of the Reds. We really need to win these games.

Lets go Cubbies, lets go!!

Farnsie!!!!

Tags: Daily by Yano
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Last Friday we had our X-Systems unofficial reunion, which was a blast.

A couple weeks before that, we had been telling our newest coworker Sam (not the other Sam…this is a new Sam) about all the crazy antics and stories of days gone by. He didn’t really believe them, since things have tamed down a bit since he’s been here, and most of the people who had starred in the stories of craziness have since left the company. We also told tales of meeting every friday at the local bar to hang out and play pool, which we hadn’t done in a very long time. So we decided to go and plan a Friday night when we’d get the old gang together and have it be like old times.

We called and emailed a lot of people, most said yes, which was awesome. On Friday, about 75% of the people who said yes came (and you people that didn’t who are reading this SUCK! Maybe if we forgive you we’ll invite you to the next one - but then you have to buy me nachoes with chihuahua cheese.) It actually started out pretty slow, with about five of us, all from the office, and we were thinking we didn’t have to reserve as many tables as we did. But by around 6:30 everyone started pouring in and we had a nice little party going on.

It was nice to see old faces again, and I didn’t realize how much I missed all of these people. I was talking with someone who had left when the company ‘downsized’ after we were bought, and she had said that the hardest thing for her wasn’t the fact that she no longer had a job, it was that she had grown so close to the people that she had worked with it was like losing a family. Even the people who had left on their own to go to other jobs said the same thing - like in other companies doesn’t have the closeness that we had at X-Systems. Not the daily chats, the impromptu singing, the non-shock at having a random crack or prostitution reference, parties in the kitchen, and just knowing that you can easily hang out with these people outside of work. I guess other companies just don’t have such things…

We all had a great time. Talking, gossiping, laughing, drinking, catching up with life, taking pictures, taking group shots, placing bets that certain people who said they would show would show up - and what time, etc. There were times that I just sat there to soak it all in. It just felt nice. Like a family reunion, where you’d grown up together but you hadn’t seen each other in so long. Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same because everyone wasn’t there, but it was close. This is something that we’ll definitely do again, so that the people who missed out can get a chance to reminisce again, too.

So here’s a couple pics for you to check out, and I realize that this is the first time that you all have seen me with my funky new glasses! Enjoy!

A Toast to Old Friends

Tags: Uncategorized by Yano
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A pretty fun test…

The Simpsons Personality Test

I’m Marge!

Tags: Tests by Yano
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Two people I know are doing some very noteworthy things for charity, so if you’ve got a couple bucks to help these ladies reach their goals, it would be much appreciated!

First up is Linda, who is trying to raise money to join the LanceArmstrong Foundation’s Tour of Hope ride in Washington D.C. You know everyone and their mother has gotta lotta love for Lance and his amazing yellow bracelets (which will be an interesting post by me in the future). Anyway, you can donate and find out more about the tour here:

Linda’s Tour of Hope Donation Page!

Amanda is next up, and she’s a terrific artist. Definitely check our her site! She’s raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk. You should donate to reward the effort I spent in spelling that. Anyway, she had offered up to do sketches in exchange for donations, which I think is a terrific idea! Click on this to check out the Psylocke that she did for me.

I loved it so much I colored it:

So if you want to donate, click here for Amanda’s donation page!

If you’d like a sketch on exchange for a donation, go ahead and contact her through her personal site and she’ll get back to you…

Thanks!!

Tags: Daily by Yano
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I am the worst friend ever. I rarely keep in touch and I get wrapped up in my own drama I sometimes forget to check in on friends who may need me.

I got an email from my old roommate from college, Nikki. Her mother had been sick for a while, and passed away last week. I couldn’t have gone to the funeral if I wanted to (it was earlier today), but there was nothing more I wanted than to be there for her.

When I read her email, I sat in shock for a bit. It’s one thing to go through the death of your mother yourself, but to know that someone else has to go through that ordeal, it’s unbearable. I wish I could just take the pain away. I wish I had spent some time with her, so she could talk and vent, or prepare her for what might happen, but we just never got our schedules together.

So I’m thinking about Nikki right now, and sending thoughts her way. Because the next year will be probably the hardest of her life…it was for me. She’s one of the strongest women I know, so I know she’ll make it through, and there’s a lot of people around her who care about her.

If you’d like to send her family a card or a message, email me at kwannon at gmail dot com and I’ll send you her address.

Tags: Daily by Yano
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So I’m now in Richmond, which has a GREAT looking modern airport. I should really take a picture of it. *note to self*

As you know, I travel all over the place, exposing me to all walks of life, all different facets of American culture, different kinds of communities. As much as I complain about it, it’s pretty nice, too.

Usually when I travel, I get a rental car. And the first thing I do after adjusting the seat and mirrors is set my radio stations. Most cities have a so-so collection of radio stations.

But Richmond surprised me. It has to have the best selection of radio stations I’ve seen. I actually filled up all 12 presets with stations. There were several AWESOME hip-hop stations, so good I was groovin’ in my seat and ready to hit the town for a night of dancing. And these stations didn’t play the songs that I’ve heard a million times in Chicago. They had stuff I’ve never heard before, but it was GOOD. I would never have guessed that Richmond had such great stations! One station had this hip hop mix that made me actually want to stay in the car after I got to the hotel. There were also a nice selection of alternative and oldies stations, and a really great all-dance station. I really miss the one we had in Chicago. Energy 92.7 or something like that.

So anyway, my hotel was about 25 miles from the airport. I made it in good time, because I wanted to catch the Smallville premiere tonight. I got to the hotel with about half an hour to spare on the show. So I got into my room, turned on the TV, and guess what happened. NO WB in the hotel room!!!! ARGH! So yeah, no Smallville for me. Hopefully Fata or Mel were able to tape it for me.

So I’m here right now, watching the season premiere for Law and Order. Don’t know if I like Dennis Farina as the new cop. No one can beat Jerry Orbach! And Joe Fontana is just a stupid name for a cop.

No offense to any cops named Joe Fontana that are reading this!

Tags: Daily by Yano
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