I was...um...tagged?

So Katie tagged me and now I'm doing this little tag type game. To be honest, I secretly hoped someone would tag me as it would be easier to keep up with my migratory patterns.

Seriously though, I look forward to this.

As I understand it, the object is to describe myself using the letters of my name. I wanted to use my middle [since it has more letters] but La advised against it. So, what I've decided to do is to enact some Bushtitude [the aptitude of making up words - i.e. Bushtitude in honor of the 43rd president of these United States].

My name is as follows -

G E N E [I've actually had arguments with people, usually older ladies, who swear that my name is Eugene; it is, in fact, simply Gene - like Gene Autry or Gene Wilder, etc].

Googloid - [word origin = Google: to google, meaning to search, to inquire, to find + oid; suffix meaning resembling, similar to, like]. I use Google a lot; so much so, that sometimes I think I'm actually beginning to resemble the online search behemoth. Sometimes, I'll even pull out a vanity search [you're lying if you say that you don't, unless this is the first time you've used the web - if so, my bad].

Erroneous - [this word is not, of course, made up]. You may want to check out Merriam-Webster's definition on this - I contain error. Pretty self explanatory, but the more that age adds to me, the more I can see how wayward my mind and heart are. The "archaic" definition seems to apply to me as well - I love to lose myself in a place, or multiple places. I'm also prone to wander.

Night Owlistic - Not to be confused with Nighthawks [although I'm putting the pic up here]. This is a point where La and I can tend to butt heads [only sometimes though]. I am definitely a late nighter, and I usually require a few hours less sleep than she. So, when we go out, it's usually best to be in by 10, otherwise La's going to sleep in, but I'm still ready to be out. The converse of this is my uncanny ability to sleep anywhere. This ability has cost me dearly at times, unfortunately...

Ex-Alabamian - I don't say this as a cut, but as a matter of fact. I am now a resident of PA. I am a registered voter here [fyi: as an independent]. My vehicle is registered here. Most of my belongings are here. What comes as a shocker to most [maybe due to my asianicity? Maybe due to my lack of a thick southern drawl?] is the fact that I grew up in the cotton state. I grew up near a military base in Huntsville that afforded a diversity that isn't necessarily found state wide [I had many friends from mixed Asian American families, some Germans, Hispanics, etc.], but it is part of who I am in a historical sense.

Whew...now that I've done this, I'm glad it was over. Although it was something I've wanted, it's been the proverbial monkey on my back for the past couple of weeks - I haven't blogged anything because I've been wondering "How does this letter best describe me?"

Being the case, I don't know if I'll tag anyone else. I will however hold out an open hand slap - if you're reading this and want to be tagged, then consider yourself as such. Leave a comment that you've written about yourself and I'll post a link from my blog to yours!

Where I've been

For a broad view you should check check out my Tripadvisor profile.

My new job has me traveling all over the Northeast of our United States and I was recently asked on a comment [from BP] where I've been traveling. So what I'll do is just give a brief overview and add something to the mix in way of personal opinion or suggestion.

Warwick, RI. I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express there, you may remember my post about their wonderful coffee. That was actually my first trip with the company I work for, didn't get to do much there since the classes were long and I didn't drive myself. I will say that it's the first time I've ever seen a Sbarro's [Michael Scott's favorite "Authentic slice of New York"] in a rest stop how ever.

Farmington, CT. Farmington is not so much a town of farms as much as it is a town of corporate offices and business parks. For those of who who are interested, ESPN is located only 9 miles away in Bristol CT. Farmington's just 10 miles S of Hartford. All to say, for someone who is not really that into sports, there's not a whole lot going on here. However, there is this.awesome brewery/restaurant in downtown Hartford called City Steam Brewery Cafe. I've been to Farmington twice and am actually leaving for there again tonight, and I will be marking a third visit to the above said "Cafe." Everything I've had there has been excellent and the service is wonderful too. Farmington itself is near where David Daniels went to school, I think...

Portland, ME. Actually, the place I stayed in was in Scarborough - 7 miles Southwest of Portland. La and I have actually been there before, but it was nice to have a little extended time in the city. When it comes down to it, what isn't there to like about Portland, ME anyways? One place I will suggest is Gritty's - another pub style restaurant that makes some incredible Cajun Sweet Potato Fries with a great honey sour cream dip on the side. Again, another place where everything I tried was outstanding.

I'm in a bit of a rush right now, so I'll leave it at those three for now. I'll add Pittsburgh and Scranton later this week - right now, we're getting ready to leave for Farmington.

Conversation.

I write with some trepidation today as I know my wife may become angry after reading this... you see, she hates blogs about blogging [i.e. if you're one of those who says "I'm sorry I haven't blogged," she will still read your blog, but only with loathing]. But today isn't one of those - because I blog regularly [only, more infrequently than I used to] so I refuse to apologize for a lack of posts at this juncture.

Into the blog.

How do you Google?

More specifically, when you want information, how do you use Google [or preferred search engine] for your web search? You may think this is crazy, but I generally ask Google the information I want to find - and it usually comes back with a stellar answer.

Today's question: Why Blog? I thought that the answer Google shot back was a little short of incredible. There are, of course, more answers out there - but the common threads were that people wanted to communicate [to be heard] and wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves [you know, like a community of sorts]. It's not necessarily surprising - weren't we told at some point that in the beginning was the Word and that after the Word had created one man, the Word said that it wasn't good for that one man to be alone?

I'm sure I've said or blogged this before, but I think the American ethos has long been one of isolationism [it was part of our national identity - it's a policy the George Washington espoused]. Furthermore, it's spilled over into the American dream - it's what keeps us at arms length from the other families in our neighborhood, the problems of our cities, and what motivates us to move out to the suburbs or the country where our nearest neighbor is a mile [or an acre] away.

In the midst of our loneliness, we long to be together. What is occurring and has been occurring in the blogosphere since 1999 is an ongoing event wherein people seem to feel like they're being listened to - where they have a voice, where they are admired, where they are wanted. Blogging provides a forum where we answer the questions that we wish people were asking us.

To another point, sometimes we blog because we already are part of a community and we wish to continue to the edification, knowledge, and intimacy that already exists there. The blogosphere provides another medium through which we can stay "connected."

Still, it's the juxtaposition of these two images that interested me in the first place: on the one hand you have an individual with typing on a piece of equipment with a connection to the Internet. On the other hand, that individual longs not to remain as they are, but to become something of a larger whole.

Altogether, is that amazing or amazingly sad? Two questions then, Why do you blog? and How do you see your blog integrated into your community?

If you post a response and contact me via e-mail or via comment here, then I'll link up for the sake of dialogue. These are some of the other blogs addressing the same questions that I referenced earlier: Sandhill Trek, The Journal, MarketingProfs Daily Fix, WebMasterView, SoloSEO, iBLOGthere4iM.