This update is a little late, but that’s because I’ve been super busy.
I’ve updated / reposted 15+ old articles (don’t know the exact amount) with the latest information. I’m focusing on getting this done because, as mentioned before, when I neglected the blog I lost a lot of the old posts and Step 1 (for me, anyway) is to get all the old stuff updated and reposted.
I’m getting close to hitting that goal.
I’m kinda sad that there are a few dozen posts that will never see the light of day again, but they simply are not relevant anymore (like my 5 post series on the 2018 BG Food & Wine Fest, for example). Getting those posts put back up would take many, many hours and nobody would read them.
And since I have a full time job and a family that I do not neglect (like I did the blog), I would rather spend my blogging time getting the site whipped back into shape.
I’m somewhat frustrated with the slow pace I have been working at. I envisioned the blog reconstruction period as happening quickly. I envisioned plowing through the work, ignoring the need to eat and sleep, until the task was done. It has not been like that at all.
I know people have warned me, but goodness, a full time job and a family sucks up just about every waking second I have and a steady stream of stupid things that I need to take care of keep popping up (house flooded, flat tire, starter in the family minivan decided to break, air conditioning unit clunked out and needed to be replaced). It’s like anytime that I make any forward progress life notices and says nope and then backhands me. I’m sure I’m not the first man in the history of the world to experience this. So I just keep on plugging away.
Anyway, I was hoping the blog would be set by now. Realistically, we are probably looking at the end of October before it is set. Which is good and bad. Good because I just want this to be over so I can focus on creating new content. Bad because I was hoping to also be spending the extra time updating my Busch Gardens Guidebook.
The guidebook is starting to show its age and sales have dropped off. I published the book in 2017, honestly, it is out of date and is in desperate need of an update. I also wanted to include a bonus guide to Adventure Island. I wanted to get the book re-published before Thanksgiving, but I think a more realistic timeline would be around January 1st, which would still be okay since the aim of the book is to have it updated and relevant for BG 2020.
Then I have a new FL book that I have been working on and off for awhile now that is approximately 15% done. My plan was to power through that book and have it released by Black Friday, but now I realize that is incredibly unrealistic. So that will have to be pushed back too and it will get done when it gets done. But it will get done because it is a project that I have been fiddling with since at least 2015 and I decided that I just need to finish the dang thing. So I put it on my target list (as opposed to the to-do list).
Then once that project is done I’ll feel like I can finally breath again and plunge into another one of my “someday” projects (I have a long list).
I’m disappointed to tell you that I have not completed any beach bum reading this month. Mostly because I have been listening to a ton of informative podcasts on various subjects (mostly about business and how to make your life better) and have been working on the blog, so reading time has disappeared (along with Netflix time). Technically, I did finish one book – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but it is a children’s book and I only read it because my son and I are working through the Harry Potter series during his bedtime reading. So, I suppose that counts.
I’m sorry if this update sounds so negative. I should be pleased with the amount of things that I have gotten done. Many of the articles have essentially been completely rewritten and I have probably written around 20,000 words this month and published about 9,000 of those words on the blog. (20,000 words is roughly about 80 pages of a book). So that is pretty solid. I also went camping with the family to Ginnie Springs and I finally made it out to Bok Tower Gardens (amazing!) I’m hopeful that October will be even more productive and that more things get done! We shall find out in the next update!
Until then…keep exploring!
