interesting.....you're being tracked! & I didn't even know it until now

so as i was messing around w/ my blog site i noticed for the 1st time the tab 'Stats'. curious i clicked on it and found some interesting information! in the last month alone folks from http://mail.ohusc.k12.in.us/zimbra/ have visited 11 times and from http://mail.ohusc.k12.in.us/ have visited 19 times. I'd like to welcome my former colleagues. oops i almost for got http://mail.ohusc.k12.in.us/zimbra/?client=advanced who've stopped by 4 times.

it's interesting to me where my readers come from. i also found out that just the last month alone these stats:United States 810, Canada 13, Denmark 3, United Kingdom 1. How interesting. pretty sure most just happened upon my page as i don't know anyone in Canada, Denmark or the UK. but cool nonetheless.

considering recent events i find it interesting the number of times(34) that folks from the local schools have been by. i wonder why as i'm guessing it's not because they're a fan as this is not a professional site but whatever. again, welcome.

Used to i was of the philosophy that one should NEVER put anything in writing. however some years ago i reached a point where there was so much going on in my head that i felt as though i needed to get it all out. (poor andy) so many things going through my head that needed to find it's way out just so that i could rest at night. i started journaling. i did this for sometime but once i became exposed to the blog world i put away the pen & paper and choose this as my journaling outlet. my journals have been a collection of my memories, observations, opinions, a recap of the days events and an outlet for venting frustrations. blogspot is the place they're logged/blogged.

this blogging never started as a 'read me' venture but it is out there for the reading. i don't push my blog nor have i forwarded it to anyone for their reading. there is however a link to it on my facebook page, which by the way is set to private so if you're not a 'friend' you're probably not welcome to my thoughts, fb page or opinion. given recent events i was half tempted to set my blog setting to private, but then reconsidered. i know many friends and acquaintances who have commented to me many times that they really enjoy my posts, have encouraged me to continue blogging...the good, the bad & the ugly. i've received many comments about my blogs that were written with pure humor w/o any one person in mind but a culmination of many people who were combined into a blogged about character. it is for myself first and those who have enjoyed reading & tend to find their way back that blog. but honestly mostly for myself. i don't see that changing.

as our children go through school they are encouraged to write. encourage to write within guidelines or about specific topics. recently i presented my children with their own journal. they baulked at the thought of having to write however i told them i wanted to write what they felt. write about what made them happy, made them sad or made them mad. i encouraged them to write what they thought. if they had an opinion that was different and they wanted to state it to do so. like me they journaled for a time but then lost interest. i've since suggested they too blog! they've tinkered a time or two and i think as they grow, mature, and become more expressive they too will find this as a nice outlet. nice for them anyway.

blogging is like your own editorial. and like some of my readers i've read an editorial or 2 that have angered, annoyed and frustrated me. (i no longer take the paper & when i do read it...i don't read the editorials) i mentioned before you can read or not follow or not it doesn't really make a difference to me. i don't see this blog changing to make anyone comfortable. that's not it's purpose. it's purpose is to serve as MY outlet.

**the links above were actual links from actual viewers according to the tracker on blogspot. most all my other followers were from my facebook link with the exception of the few who google searched me and aol searched. (2)