Your Humble Narrator on the job in 2015. …
I’ve done a number of questionable things for money, but the only one with any staying power was journalism.
Earning power? Well … not so much. Especially after I left the newspaper to hang out my own shingle back in 1991.
Still, like crucifixion, it gets you out in the open air. Here’s your rock, there’s your hill, what’s your hurry?
I finally left that rock at the bottom of the hill about this time last year, and I can’t say I miss rolling it. Both rock and hill had shrunk over the years. But so had the pay. And the people who owned the hill at any given moment still seemed to think they were doing you a favor by letting you roll that rock.
“Well rolled indeed!” they’d exclaim as you reached the summit, gasping for air. “Sign here. And here. And here. And here. Yes, payment 30 days after publication as specified in the contract. Did we mention we’ve rewritten the contract? No? Well, we have, in Cretan Linear B this time, and I’m afraid we can’t cut you a check until you’ve scrawled your X on that old bottom line.
“Oh, dear, rock’s rolled down the bloody hill again. Be a dear and fetch it, won’t you? And do have your attorney or shaman or whomever look over that contract. Ta.”
Lacking professional support I eyeballed that contract myself and came away thinking the rock looked pretty good right where it was. It still does.
Doesn’t mean I’ve quit rolling rocks altogether, of course.
… and off it, as 2022 limps to a long-overdue finale.
Many years ago, between paying trips up and down the hill, I acquired my own tiny mound on the Innertubes and in my spare time nudged the odd pebble up its gentle slope. Strictly for giggles, mind you; if I were to charge admission it would feel like work.
I think I started blogging on AOL in the mid- to late Nineties; for sure I was doing my own self-hosted thing on a succession of small-time ISPs by 1999. The Wayback Machine has a capture from December 2000 that shows a visitor counter which started tallying the rubes a year earlier.
So, yeah. I’ve been at it for a few years, and I’m not giving it up. Not this year, and not next, Dog willing and the crick don’t rise. The bells and whistles come and go — the cartoons, the videos, the podcasting — but the blogging remains.
Who knows? It may just be The Next Big Thing.
But even if it isn’t, my thanks to all of yis who have gathered upon the hill — and who keep gathering, against your better judgment — to watch Your Humble Narrator perform his one-man, dinner-theater production of “Bowling with Sisyphus.”
I know, it’s only rock ’n’ roll. But I like it.
Tags: AOL, New Year's Eve 2022, Retirement, The Rolling Stones, Wayback Machine, WordPress
Mad Blog Media 
December 31, 2022 at 2:46 pm |
Slays a pleasure reading. Keep on Rocking as it were
December 31, 2022 at 3:13 pm |
I forget how long ago it was. I do remember the Fuerte column. Sometime in the late ’90’s recall pissing and moaning that you should put the Fat Guy on a race jersey. Which you did, because I recall that last fiasco of my Castle to Hanauma TT run, where I flatted so often on Vittoria Ultra Light Open Pro tires via broken beer bottles that I came in to the finish line about breakfast the next day.
Has been a good ride. Like you, I pulled the plug on gainful employment as of December, 2021. I don’t miss it too much. Most of my work buddies have also gone holoholo, so to speak, so there isn’t even the old crew back at the Bomb Factory to miss.
December 31, 2022 at 3:37 pm |
You keep slinging that excellent word salad, and we will keep showing up. Have a great new year at Rancho Perro Loco.
December 31, 2022 at 4:03 pm |
Hell, I’d show up if you were writing a nutritional description for a can of beans. But I’ll prefer your parody of Trump’s memoirs de’ Toilet from FishKill that will Elon will allow to ooze out onto the Twitter-verse late next year.
But, Thank you Mr. O’Grady. Your time and effort over the years has been appreciated and I hope that you and your more brilliant half, along with Miss Mia, the ghost of the Turk, and all the future furry critter(s) that may stumble in your doorway, Have a Wonderful & Happy New Year !
Cheers !
December 31, 2022 at 4:06 pm |
PO’G, mi amigo: You continue to bring great insights, parody, cynicism, and enlightened humor to your followers ….. and they are many!
I will be happy to kneel at the base of your hill and enjoy and benefit from your “teachings” ….. and occasionally myself roll a metaphorical ball uphill ….. and certainly, intellectually speaking, downhill.
BUT ….. I must confess I was hoping to see your Merrell Hut Moc 2’s on your feet in the first photo! It’s winter here in Bibleburg and we expect another 3-6 inches Sunday night!!!
December 31, 2022 at 5:54 pm |
Patrick me lad! For an old, burned out (?) hippie, you exhibit excellent word-smith chops. I enjoy reading your snark even tho I seldom comment. I appreciate your willingness to keep up the good words. You are, indeed, the “canny lad.”
Happy New Year to you and Herself.
Bruce-on-the-Beach from the Pacific NorthWet
btw: Having lived in New Mexico many years, I understand the water situation. Here on the beach, it seems we will hit our average year of about 90 inches for the year. (Sorry!)
December 31, 2022 at 6:11 pm |
Ol’ Sisyphus did get one thing right – his brewery did turn out a successful beer – Rolling Rock.
Keep up the good work and the good fight, maestro – it’s always a pleasure to read your output on the intertubes. Happy New Year to you and yisns.
January 1, 2023 at 5:00 am |
‘33’
January 2, 2023 at 10:59 pm |
Seems like there’s a Sisyphus x Erasmus X Dylan x Jagger x Heinlein X Hank Williams X Muddy Waters X Temptations mashup just waiting for an enterprising poet to take a whack at it.
December 31, 2022 at 7:04 pm |
Happy New Year Mad Dog. Keep it rolling please. You keep me informed and giggling with every post.
January 1, 2023 at 5:02 am |
Happy new year Patrick! Keep ’em coming.
January 1, 2023 at 6:34 am |
In the cold, rainy fog of a new year’s morning, I fear not for the future. POG has committed to keeping his blog stone rolling! This means I can continue to ponder his rants, edicts, gripes and on-the-scene reports of what really matters. I’m mindful that all his wisdom comes without spam beseechments, robo calls nor subscription let alone any wallet shakedowns. A gracious gift to us all. Write, run and ride on Patrick.
January 1, 2023 at 9:26 am |
Happy New Year to All of Us in the Dogsiverse Kennel! Thanks Patrick, and also thanks to all of you contributors who inform and amuse me on a daily basis with your insightful comments and humorous quips. As Tiny Tim said, God (Dog?) Bless Us Every One!
Dale in Mid-MO (getting ready for a ride!)
January 1, 2023 at 10:34 am |
Thanks, and a Happy New Year to one and all. Your continued support has entitled you to one (1) free four-second video clip of Bob the Cat wandering through The Compound (on the night I was cooking salmon, surprise, surprise). There’s a little something for everyone around the ol’ rancheroo.
January 1, 2023 at 11:00 am |
Thanks for another entertaining, thought-provoking year. Here’s to many more of them, too. Yes, long may you run.
January 1, 2023 at 12:02 pm |
I whipped out my big 5″ and beat the piss out of it in your honor.
January 1, 2023 at 12:51 pm |
She sez to me she sez, “Gimme eight inches and make it hurt!”
So I give her four inches twice and ax if she’s been putting on weight.
January 1, 2023 at 3:10 pm |
I’ve definitely enjoyed the ride for many seasons and venues! Thank you and I hope we get to keep making laps around the sun together. Peace
January 2, 2023 at 12:58 am |
I’m stealing that title “Bowling With Sisyphus” for a blog post of my own. And I have to thank you for suggesting WordPress when MySpace started blocking access to my blog on their servers because I had too many links in each news post, not realizing they were dumping 3K-5K/day visitors from their site back in 2008. I never had that kind of visibility again, but it was better than nobody seeing my blog.
I don’t do the bike news thing anymore, too many dead and broken bodies everyday.