Hasta la Vista, baby. Sayonara. Adios. Aloha. See ya later, alligator. After a while, crocodile. Vaya con Dios.
That’s right. Buenos noches Irene. After more than three and a half years, the Friday Letters bids you adieu.
In 189 weekly installments, Mr. Tommy has strung together approximately 190,000 words. For readership ease and appeal, the rule was to limit each chapter to about 1,000 words.
At first, the weekly letters were intended for our four children. The original concept came from daughter Tammy, but others, like my sister-in-law Bonnie, were supportive.
As you may have read in last week’s installment, the family is spread out over the whole globe. An e-mail communication device seemed logical.
We soon discovered the existence of the “blog” system, and sister-in-law Joan established one for us, Tommy’s 18th St. News. Blog, by the way, is a contraction for “web log.” I mention that so that some word historian somewhere may understand the heritage.
Doing the weekly letter has been a hoot. I have spent six to eight hours each week on it. Laura puts in another hour editing the text and placing it on the site – something I have never learned to do.
We signed up for “Site Meter,” which counts the “hits” on the site. My record high, two weeks ago, was 120 page views and 80 site views. I’m told that’s pretty good for an old cowboy reporter.
Perhaps a good time to quit – or at least to take a hiatus – is when one has reached the zenith or the nadir. I’m guessing my readership, after 3 1/2 years, has grown as large as it’s going to.
It has been good for me to exercise my English skills. My mother-in-law used to do crossword puzzles for the same reason. (Crosswords make my brain fuzzy. Mom loved the game.)
We have made many friends through the Letters, and we have given old friends a new insight into our personalities. It has been great fun, exciting and fulfilling.
There are some disappointments, naturally. I was ambitious. I thought the Letters might attract the attention of someone who would want to publish (pay for) my writing.
No dice. No offers. I’ve always been a failure, a big loser, when it comes to getting paid for what I do, whatever it is. For instance, I have dozens of oil paintings in storage – good ones, I’m told – that I have been unable to sell. I have never sold a one.
Other than newspaper work, which pays poorly, I’ve never been paid at all for anything I have written. Writing is time-consuming, difficult work. I’m dog tired when I finish each week’s chapter. I’m positive Laura’s contribution causes a bunch of fatigue as well.
I’m not going to roll over and die. (Well, I am going to die eventually, but I have no plan to roll over to do it.)
My brother Dick has asked me to write the story of our 1955 family dream vacation. I have photos and documentation to go with it.
The weekly Letter has given me discipline, a regimen to which I have adhered. My fear is, if I don’t have a weekly deadline, I’ll let things slide, and go for a motorcycle ride instead. At the moment, a ride sounds pretty good.
These days, Laura and I spend from five to eight hours each week editing and formatting the weekly bulletin for St. Peter Historic Roman Catholic Church – “our” church. It is a grind, a beautiful fulfilling, exciting, terrifying weekly grind.
Frankly, at this point, I’d rather put my energy into that than the weekly Letters. I’m hoping to continue my e-mail relationship with the family as well as Brighton High School classmates and other friends who live far away.
I fear the lack of my persistent presence will erode that. Want to keep in touch? I answer every e-mail I get but I do not do no Facebook.
Hasta luego compadres.
-0-
Words of the week: Zenith, nadir. The zenith is the top of something, the nadir is the opposite. That isn’t necessarily bad. The nadir of the earth isn’t always a bad place to be. However, Zenith made a good television set. Nobody ever made one called a Nadir.
That’s right. Buenos noches Irene. After more than three and a half years, the Friday Letters bids you adieu.
In 189 weekly installments, Mr. Tommy has strung together approximately 190,000 words. For readership ease and appeal, the rule was to limit each chapter to about 1,000 words.
At first, the weekly letters were intended for our four children. The original concept came from daughter Tammy, but others, like my sister-in-law Bonnie, were supportive.
As you may have read in last week’s installment, the family is spread out over the whole globe. An e-mail communication device seemed logical.
We soon discovered the existence of the “blog” system, and sister-in-law Joan established one for us, Tommy’s 18th St. News. Blog, by the way, is a contraction for “web log.” I mention that so that some word historian somewhere may understand the heritage.
Doing the weekly letter has been a hoot. I have spent six to eight hours each week on it. Laura puts in another hour editing the text and placing it on the site – something I have never learned to do.
We signed up for “Site Meter,” which counts the “hits” on the site. My record high, two weeks ago, was 120 page views and 80 site views. I’m told that’s pretty good for an old cowboy reporter.
Perhaps a good time to quit – or at least to take a hiatus – is when one has reached the zenith or the nadir. I’m guessing my readership, after 3 1/2 years, has grown as large as it’s going to.
It has been good for me to exercise my English skills. My mother-in-law used to do crossword puzzles for the same reason. (Crosswords make my brain fuzzy. Mom loved the game.)
We have made many friends through the Letters, and we have given old friends a new insight into our personalities. It has been great fun, exciting and fulfilling.
There are some disappointments, naturally. I was ambitious. I thought the Letters might attract the attention of someone who would want to publish (pay for) my writing.
No dice. No offers. I’ve always been a failure, a big loser, when it comes to getting paid for what I do, whatever it is. For instance, I have dozens of oil paintings in storage – good ones, I’m told – that I have been unable to sell. I have never sold a one.
Other than newspaper work, which pays poorly, I’ve never been paid at all for anything I have written. Writing is time-consuming, difficult work. I’m dog tired when I finish each week’s chapter. I’m positive Laura’s contribution causes a bunch of fatigue as well.
I’m not going to roll over and die. (Well, I am going to die eventually, but I have no plan to roll over to do it.)
My brother Dick has asked me to write the story of our 1955 family dream vacation. I have photos and documentation to go with it.
The weekly Letter has given me discipline, a regimen to which I have adhered. My fear is, if I don’t have a weekly deadline, I’ll let things slide, and go for a motorcycle ride instead. At the moment, a ride sounds pretty good.
These days, Laura and I spend from five to eight hours each week editing and formatting the weekly bulletin for St. Peter Historic Roman Catholic Church – “our” church. It is a grind, a beautiful fulfilling, exciting, terrifying weekly grind.
Frankly, at this point, I’d rather put my energy into that than the weekly Letters. I’m hoping to continue my e-mail relationship with the family as well as Brighton High School classmates and other friends who live far away.
I fear the lack of my persistent presence will erode that. Want to keep in touch? I answer every e-mail I get but I do not do no Facebook.
Hasta luego compadres.
-0-
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| Happy Belated St. Patrick Day |
One more word: Hiatus. It’s Latin, from hiare, to gape. Today it means a break or gap where a part is missing or lost, as in a manuscript. It means a blank space or a pause.
Love you all.
Tom and Laura
Tom and Laura
Adios. It was indeed a "hoot" for us as well. I kow I've become a better reader. Let me know whe your ready to roll over, I just wanna be there to share the day.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your hard work and your wonderful stories.
Dan-O Stoff
I'm also saddened. I even made a habit to read the blog while serving my 2 months in Uganda...
ReplyDeleteI have 6 or 7 blogs I read, and now will only have 5 or 6. Maybe it will make us share our other passion........... food?
Lets do dinner.........
add in a "say good night Gracie" ;)
ReplyDeleteYou will be remembered and missed!
You've provided such warmth in your writing, as to add to the tapestry of life. Enjoy your new and continued pursuits.
Hope to read you again!
I'll miss your Friday updates. I looked forward to reading them and discovering the 'you' I wouldn't otherwise know. Maybe in the long run, this will be better and I will continue to know the 'other you'!!!! Don't delete the mightymo e-mails...
ReplyDelete