IT\'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!!!!--7th Update

January 6th, 2011, Thursday, is THE day.  Yes, it's that time of the year again when I take a step back, wonder why I devote massive time and energy to creating silly, pointless, stupid, sometimes funny blog posts that have managed to largely alienate me from the cycling community.  I am a pariah, a pilgrim wandering in a strange land of annoyed cyclists, one against the wind.....  Well, actually I do this because it is my way of documenting my cycling experiences that I can read some day and prove to my eventual grand kids I was a fairly average endurance athlete.  That is the main reason for this but I do get a kick of poking fun and watching the backlash. I think I am something of a caldron stirrer and the body of evidence is too large to deny it.  Anyway, here's the deal, if 15 of you post (doesn't matter if anonymously or not) that you want me to continue this dumb blog, then I will.  You can take whatever shots you want while endorsing the idea of blog continuation, the net result must obviously be a vote for the blog.  You have until midnight of the 6th to vote and if I fail to get the meager 15 yeahs, then the blog goes dark FOREVER! 
Update #1: Oh No, we are 53 minutes into the new day and not a single, "Yes please keep the blog going" message.  Does not look good. I'm going to bed and will be interested to see if things change in the morning.  Looks like a sleepless night of tossing and turning.
Update #2: 8:30am, 37 visitors to the site but only 2 votes to keep going.  Hey, I'm not kidding here....
Update #3: 1:30pm, 80 unique visitors and only 5 positive comments.  Looks like I am being relieved of my duties.  I will be true to my word and the blog will die as this vote of no-confidence continues.  Too bad too, I have details of an off-trail hike to post.
Update #4: 5:15pm Gosh, I picked a bad day for the "Keep the Blog Alive Challenge". Traffic is slow with only 114 unique visitors but especially humiliating is out of 114 only 8 freakin yes votes!  Well, the worker visit crowd was low but maybe the responsible people who visit the blog in the evening rather than wasting time at work will flood the site with votes tonight.  Probably good for me to start planning what I am going to do with all the free time...maybe start riding more.

Update #5: 8:50pm, 156 unique hits and 202 total hits so some are coming back to check out the results.  Unfortunately, only 10 somewhat positive comments and I'm running out of time. A 6% conversion on positive comments to unique visits is very, very bad.  I pulled Ben Hogan's book, "Five Lessons, the Modern Fundamentals of Golf" from the shelf to start re-reading about golf swing instruction.  Guess that's what I'll be doing this year with the free time.

Update #6. 11:00PM WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE THINKING? HUH? I'M SERIOUS, WITHOUT A MODICUM SHOW OF SUPPORT I AIN'T KEEPIN THIS THING GOING. 303 HITS TODAY AND 270 UNIQUE VISITS AND ONLY 11 FREAKIN POSITIVE COMMENTS TO KEEP THE BLOG ALIVE? COME ON, I NEED 4 MORE IN THE NEXT 52 MINUTES AND I AM NOT GOING TO POST MY OWN COMMENTS. Wake up, one of the most insignificant sources of information on the internet is going to go dark without your support.

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Update #7: 11:40pm 20 minutes to go and not looking good.  I was overcome with a panic attack a moment ago but I will be true to my word. My chestnuts could be pulled from the fire yet but I am preparing my farewell speech now in anticipation of this humbling defeat of the cycling blog.

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