You may have noticed a counter on the right side of the page. I added it Tuesday morning. A few years ago, I asked our then-webmaster Mark Sowers how many hits the blog page was receiving. He said 150 to 200. I was curious to see if things have changed. They haven't. The numbers have been fairly steady since the blog started in November of 2004. I'm not complaining. I have the option of hiding the counter from public view. I won't, at least for a little while. I'm tickled with the numbers.
The company that provides the counter also gives you a list of the locations of blog visitors. No, it doesn't provide e-mail addresses. There is no tracking going on here. Your anonymity is absolutely safe. The blog has received hits from several states, including many out west. For the life of me, I can't understand why someone in Seattle or Las Vegas cares about what I have to write, but thanks for stopping by. Your visits are greatly appreciated. Drop me a line if you're ever inspired to describe how and why you got here.
A Washington, DC radio personality who goes by the name of "The Greaseman" often tells wildly funny stories about his ex-wife, Estelle. Every story is prefaced by the same line/question: "Estelle, are you listening, you pig, you!?" At times, there is an inside line, or a joke only a few people who know me will get, cleverly hidden in my dull paragraphs. There's no "Estelle" out there. There are a couple I've tried to reach via conventional means. No reply, so I doubt yammering here will help the cause.
I've toyed with the idea of branching out to a full blown web site, rather than sitting under the "Blogger.com" umbrella. A few friends are helping me weigh the pros and cons, the easy parts and the hurdles. I'll have to decide on a name. AndyPalumbo.com has been snatched up by a real estate salesman from Australia. Coming up with a catchy name could push me in the right direction.
Some might have expected a few words about Pennsylvania's new anti-smoking legislation here today. I decided to wait until after Gov. Rendell signs it before spouting off, hopefully for the last time, but I doubt it.
