For those who have been reading this blog for some time, you’ll know that I occasionally like to use cute terms like “wubs” and “snuggles” and “sugar pot bon bon bunny cakes.”

I do it because it’s silly, it lightens the mood, and it tends to evoke more than a few laughs.

But who knew the darkness and virulent hatred that could spring forth just from using what I THOUGHT were innocuously harmless terms.

For this, I blame women.

I knew something was amiss because I had been using the same terms on a message board a few days ago, and this woman just went off on me on how she is not a child and could never respect anyone who said he “wubs” her and that men who did that are sex depraved, immature, stupid or some such thing.

So naturally I called her a whore.

Anyhoo, I always assumed (there I go assuming again) that the girl of my dreams would appreciate these terms of endearment, and that when you’re so in love with someone it’s only natural to start using silly terms of endearment. I didn’t expect that women could take such offense at it to the point that they’d start tearing their hair out and writing naughty things about me on bathroom walls.

So, in order to settle the matter, I’ve decided to take a poll!

Depending on the results, if it’s readily clear that I am perceived as being something less of a manly man because I “wubs” just a bit too much, then I vow that I will never make use of such terms again. After all, far be it from me to scare away the girl of my dreams for saying “cuddly lumps boom boom honey pie” one time too many.

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Tags: girl of my dreams, hatred, immature, message board, stupid, terms of endearment, women, writing
Categories: Romance and Relationships
 
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When I left last Tuesday, I only had a rough idea of where I’d be going. I knew I wanted to take a drive through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, but other than that I was playing it by ear. I started out in Connecticut on Route 7, and boy I couldn’t leave that state fast enough. Shortly before reaching the Massachusetts border things finally started to look better, scenic wise, but the area had a “blahness” to it that left me with no desire to stick around.

Massachusetts was a completely different story. I entered via the Berkshires and was greeted by a picturesque view of autumn leaves and old fashioned buildings that made me think I had traveled back hundred years in time. I had originally planned to keep going on Route 7, but I got a call from Mumsy who suggested, “Hey, why not go to Yankee Candle Headquarters?”

I made a mad dash for the interstate, completely perplexed that I had to drive miles and miles just to find an entrance ramp to get on, but once I was on it the rest was smooth sailing to South Deersfield. I spent the rest of the afternoon ohhing and ahhing everything the store had to offer (pictures forthcoming in a future post,) then bought popcorn! And umm, maybe a hundred dollars worth of candles too. *ahem* But moving right along…

I was roughly somewhere in the middle of Massachusetts now, so I decided, best thing to do was go up 91 and then take the Mohawk Trail to Williamstown, where the Greylock Mountains were located. The scenery kept getting better and better, and in hindsight I probably should have stopped at a restaurant that overlooked a huge valley on the way, so high up was it that you forgot there was a ground underneath you. I need to go back there some day.

North Adams and Williamstown also turned out to be lovely, a place worthy of staying at again for a more conventionally planned trip. I stayed the night at a dinky place called Willows Motel, which had a 19 inch TV you had to squint at from your bed and free wifi, that is, assuming you brought a ten foot antenna with you to shove up blue sky’s butt in the vain hope that you might get a decent reception. All I can say is, thank God for Verizon. To top it off, there was no table either. I had to eat and use my laptop on a nightstand. Ah well, at least the room was clean.

The next morning I drove into Vermont and passed through Bennington, and I immediately decided this was another town worthy of a more extended visit. In fact I think that whole area from the Mohawk Trail to Bennington deserves another trip to for a more extended stay. There was just something about it all that appealed to me. Old style towns with a mountain backdrop, yet with a freshness and appeal that left a smile on my face. The only thing I didn’t like about the area was how close it was to Albany. Ew. Just knowing I was that close was enough to keep me driving.

Well that, and the unbelievably spectacular views I was being treated to as I continued traveling up Route 7. Vermont was absolutely gorgeous, the scenic drive alone was worth the trip. I finally landed in Rutland after an hour or so, but this time I decided I didn’t really like the area. It felt too… New Yorkish to me, even though Killington was just a hop away. I drove up Route 4 to Killington but again, it just seemed like there was nothing there for me. I realized this drive would have been more appropriate if I had been a skier or a winter sports enthusiast, but since I was neither, the only thing left to do was to stay at a resort with a breathtaking scenic view, and the only one I knew that fit the bill (The Cascades) had nothing available. Not feeling the magic, I decided to head back to Route 7 and continue up to Middlebury.

But once again Middlebury did nothing for me either. Seems Vermont is a great place to be until you actually stop driving. It could have been all psychological, or because I hadn’t planned beyond a simple drive here, but I definitely did not want to spend the night at a town that reminded me too much of home for some reason. I was also a mountain man, and because I was now out of the mountainous state park, there wasn’t enough of a backdrop to suit me, unlike Williamstown and North Adams back in Massachusetts.

So, what to do? I now had several options. I could keep going north to the Vermont capital Burlington, stay at a classy hotel for the night, then hop a ferry over to New York, and from there I could visit more familiar grounds, specifically Lake Placid, a favorite vacation spot of mine. Or, just continue north from Burlington and take the scenic byway Route 2, which would have seen me travel over several islands and bridges from Vermont to Plattsburgh NY, but God only knows what I was going to do from there. Or, I could turn back and drive instead to Ticonderoga, New York, another favorite area of mine, spend a night there, and maybe use that as a launching platform for daily trips into Vermont again, or again, just go from there to Lake Placid.

I ultimately opted to drive to Ticonderoga, and I’m glad I did. Route 125 proved to be the most scenic drives yet in Vermont, and I was driving during that part of day when the sun was just beginning to set. Some of my best pictures may in fact be from that particular drive. I drove over the bridge and stayed the night at a gorgeous Best Western.

One of the things about these kinds of trips was having to make snap decisions that I might wind up regretting. Where do I stay, where do I go, what do I do? I had to make these decisions on the fly, and as the day wore on, I had to make them quick, or wind up spending the night in my car or at a sleazy motel. I also wasn’t relaxing as much as I’d like because I was running around like a chicken without a head, exploring every area I could find. It was exciting, to be sure, but eventually you wind up needing a vacation just from the vacation itself.

After the night in Ticonderoga, I opted to go to Lake Placid, thinking maybe I made the wrong choice, but curiously enough, the bridge I went over closed the very next day. If I had stayed in Ticonderoga I wouldn’t have been able to go back into Vermont unless I took a ferry. Interesting how that played out.

By this time now I just wanted to relax. I wanted the mountains, a place to stay with a scenic view of the lake, a fireplace, and hot babes. Well, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad.

So now, after 5 days of my vacationing adventures so far, I think I’ve learned a few things:

The places I like to visit don’t really have that much to offer unless you’re an outdoorsy kind of person. Things like hiking and camping don’t really appeal to me, although I did try hiking once. ONCE.

I’ve never even skied either, though I do think I would enjoy the experience, especially snowmobiling and maybe a few other winter related activities.

These things always tend to be done in groups though, and I guess one of the reasons I’ve never done it is because I’d really feel the sting of being alone. I’d just watch as the whole world would walk around in pairs and groups while I’d stick out like a sore thumb, being the lone ranger that I am.

I’ve also noticed that I tend to go places when it’s offseason, which helps save on the costs and from dealing with the crowds, but it also means recreational places that would normally be open during peak season would not be available then, leaving me with even less options.

I also realize that because I’m traveling while its offseason, I haven’t had an issue with finding a place to stay with the hotels I’ve chosen, which I’m sure would not be the case if I had been traveling during a busier time of year. It’s something I’ll need to consider for the future.

All in all, I think the kind of vacation that would ultimately suit me is one that’s tailored for reclusive writers. Ever seen The Shining? Well think of me as a slightly less crazier version of Johnny. But it does seem to fit me, having a hotel all to myself, in a wintry wonderland, peacefully enjoying a warm fireplace as I typed merrily away on my laptop, which is in fact what I’m doing now.

I wonder if that’s my calling, to be a traveling kind of writer? That maybe the best kind of vacation for me is a recluse or a retreat somewhere where I can enjoy some peace and quiet, great food, a scenic view, and an ideal setting that would allow me a chance to really get my creative juices flowing. I’ve been googling around for online communities that might offer more information or even vacation packages with professional writers in mind. It might give me a better idea of how to plan for a future vacation, where to go and where I could ideally stay.

Speaking of my next vacation, that happens to be in just a few weeks, where I take a short trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to catch a bluegrass show. And eat melted pretzels at Sheetz!

Who knows, maybe I can find a sexy Amish girl there willing to give me wubsies and bake me pie.

Tags: autumn, Connecticut, drive, driving, fireplace, food, hotels, lake placid, Massachusetts, new york, recap, ticonderoga, time, travel, vacation, Vermont, writer, writing
Categories: Lincoln's Personal Log
 
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So tomorrow I start a 4 state vacation tour (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York), and I did virtually nothing to plan for it except sketch a rough itinerary of where I might go. I don’t even know where I’ll be lodging either.

And hey, guess what the forecast will be the whole time I’m up there too? Why rain, rain, and oops, lookie here, even more rain!

Sigh.

I feel pretty good about it though, until about sometime yesterday when it suddenly hit me and I panicked for a minute: “ZOMG im drvng 100s of milez n i dunno were im goin or were im stayin i dnt pln anthen at all omg omg omg im gonna die di die aahhh aiiieeee!!!111111!!”

But I’m feeling much better now.

It’s been three years since I’ve gone anywhere, but what makes this trip truly interesting is that it will be an opportunity to finally put my iPod Touch to the test. I have all sorts of travel apps on it to help me find hotels, points of interests, and even people within my Facebook/Twitter network who might be nearby. Since my iPod is tethered to my Verizon phone, it also puts Verizon’s network to the test as well. Will I be able to stay jacked into the Internet wherever I go, and blog/tweet about my experiences as they happen? That’s what I’m hoping for. It will be the first time that I will utterly rely on my iPod as my beacon and guide rather than paper maps and AAA tourbooks. (Although I do have an AAA app on my iPod too.)

One of the things I’ve wanted to do with this blog was to write about my experiences as I go out there and spontaneously experience life beyond the prison that is my home town. But I also wanted to be able to easily share it all with the two or three faithful people who read my blog as well, and now with these newfound digital tools at my disposal, it makes it all possible.

It’s funny, the last few times I went on vacation, the only way I could even check my email was to stop at the local library or internet cafe and use a guest account. I didn’t even have a cam phone, so if I saw something interesting, there was no way for me to instantaneously take a shot and upload it for others to enjoy. Even when I had a laptop, half the time the motel didn’t have free wifi, so there wasn’t much I could do with it either. But now with Verizon, I have access to the Internet virtually anywhere in the United States. It’s opened up a whole new world to me, and I can’t wait to explore it.

So tomorrow, it begins. I’ll be getting up at 4AM and from there will begin my trek north. If you want to keep track of what I’ve been doing and see the latest pics/video, just read my side posts (up in the top right corner), or follow me on Facebook/Twitter if you haven’t already. That should serve as my filler content until I have a chance to blog again. Hope you enjoy my writings as much as I hope to enjoy this trip. Assuming I survive that is.

Why yes, Gecko is in fact coming along for the ride.

Tags: Connecticut, experiences, internet, ipod touch, itinerary, laptop, Massachusetts, new york, phone, travel, trek, vacation, verizon, Vermont, writing
Categories: Lincoln's Personal Log
 
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I think people who live and breathe the news and politics 24/7 either have nerves of steels, or they got some problems.

There’s only so much I can take of the news before my eyes start to bleed over and I start seeing visions of angry looking leprechauns stealing my iPod and then setting my room on fire with dragon’s breath to assure their escape. Trust me, having these kinds of hallucinations is not a good place to be.

That’s why my blog will rarely be news oriented, but also because, well, it’s just so monotonous too. Oh the monotony of it all! Seriously, when you hit Drudge or anything else these days the news could always be summed up in three words: The world SUCKS. And I suspect that would pretty much cover the news for tomorrow too.

But without the news and politics, I don’t have the writing fodder that others take for granted for their politically charged blogs. So I have to find other sources of inspiration, which usually defaults to what’s been happening in my life lately.

Except that… my life could bore a snail to death. I just eat, sleep, wake up, yawn, go to work, then eat and sleep while I’m at work, then come home and eat and sleep some more. Even my dreams are boring, which for some odd reason lately has me doing exactly what I’ve been doing in real life: eat, sleep, work, sleep, eat, although not necessarily in that order.

I think I need a vacation. I’m obviously working too much.

I did however make a pact with myself, that I would blog at least 5 times a week (Monday to Friday) just so I could keep feeding the Google matrix with my fascinatingly witty repertoire. They say if you do this often and long enough the traffic will eventually come, and along with it, fame, money, babes, and lots of cupcakes (I’d settle for the cupcakes.) But because the mind is like a muscle too, writing on a regular basis would help improve the flow of thoughts as they travel from my bodaciously sexy brain to my smooth and delicate fingers. It also means though that I’m probably going to write some ridiculously stupid things on here, so you’ll have to forgive me if reading my content results in the loss of a few IQ points on your end.

Still, I need to write. I’m always letting my blog languish simply because I don’t have anything going in my life, but I feel determined to just keep at it until it becomes second nature to me, and I’m able to weave an epic, riveting story even out of something as mundane as picking at a hangnail.

So what do y’all think? Would you find yourself at the edge of your seats waiting to see what becomes of my hangnail?

Tags: blog, boring, content, delicate fingers, fodder, inspiration, monotony, news, real life, writing
Categories: Blog Fog, News Fit To Blog
 
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Today marks the third year anniversary since my first ever post on this blog!

It’s certainly been a weird ride too.   Originally I started out thinking I would be using this blog to chronicle my journey through law school and into the law profession, but unfortunately life has a tendency to poop all over my best laid plans, so instead of writing about adventures in law school and beyond, I found myself rambling about topics of no particular interest to anyone but me.  My blog went for weeks without any updates, and my traffic was virtually nil.  Then I started wrapping myself around the idea that I could turn my blog into a money making machine, getting my hands on whatever material I could find out there that could help me figure out how to turn this site into a magical land of milk and honey, from whence I could quit my job, retire, and live it up as a self made man with a pizza on one hand and a babe on the other.

Then I went from there to wailing about all my health problems, which really put a damper on my blogging spirits for a while.  Then I went on a streak where I raged and ranted about dating sites and women and why they all sucked and disgusted me to no end, and not just them but people too, and they sucked and everybody sucks and the whole world sucks and why doesn’t everyone just explode and DIE????

Come to think of it I think I’m still on that streak. 

Under normal circumstances I probably would have closed this blog by now and moved on.

Only the thing is… this is the first time I’ve ever created a blog that provided a solid income stream for me.  I won’t be retiring or quitting anytime soon of course, but then again, I don’t just throw away something that’s earning me $200 a month, even if I have nothing worth writing about these days.   My feed count also surpassed 200 readers for the first time ever the other day, and it seems apparent that as I keep this site going and keep blogging, my audience and traffic will continue to expand, slowly, but surely.  $200 a month might some day become $300 a month, then $500, and from there, who knows how high it could go.  Love it or hate it, me and my blog, we’re stuck together for the long haul.  And who knows, just because I haven’t been able to earn a living NOW doesn’t mean I can’t earn one down the road, even if that road turns out to be a long, winding one that takes years to cover.  I know of one person who ran a math site since 1997, and it took her over ten years before she finally saw the fruits of her labor and was able to earning a living from her website alone.  From what I learned about search engines like Google, the older your domain gets, the more trusted it becomes, resulting in higher rankings and more traffic.  Some say the tipping point is 4 years, so by this time next year, I could end up seeing a dramatic difference that will boost my earnings potential even more.

In the meantime, this blog is still searching for an identity, a clear purpose, something to help focus my writing and truly make it blossom.  It’s sad that I find myself in my early thirties and even after all these years, I still don’t know who I am or who I was meant to be, if I was meant to be anything at all.  Am I destined to be a drifter, living a small life where I have no impact on anything, or am I meant for something bigger?  Can I overcome my inner demons and become the man God wants me to be, and the man that a future wife could be worthy of, or will I slowly fade away into obscurity and failure?

The story continues…

Tags: anniversary, blog, blogging, dating sites, failure, God, income, income stream, job, journey, land of milk and honey, law school, life, purpose, search engines, traffic, website, writing
Categories: Blog Fog
 
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I checked my stats for last month and I only blogged two posts for the entire month of May. TWO posts.

Yeah, I probably should blog more frequently than that if I’m to get more traffic and achieve my dream of being a full time blogger who lives off the love and affection of his adoring audience.

Part of the reason for the lack of posts is that I simply had no energy to blog. And when I did have some energy, anything I wrote felt too silly or boring that I doubted anyone would have any interest in reading it, especially since I tend to rehash a lot of the same topics. Writing is the one thing I think I can be good at, so when it doesn’t seem to flow freely from my mind to the screen I get so depressed sometimes. I hate being in a funk like this. I’m hoping June will be better blogwise, and maybe from now on I’ll just publish whatever happens to be on my mind, even if they’re like the worst content I’ve ever put to paper in the history of the universe.

So even if my blogging does take a serious dive in quality for the month of June, what’s the worst that could happen, really?

Tags: audience, blogging, energy, funk, muse, posts, quality, traffic, writing
Categories: Blog Fog
 
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