Only Mark 2.0, or Beta, or something

Yeah, I don't really know all those technical software terms, but the point is, I'm back. But, since I doubt anyone still reads this at all, we'll call it a relaunch, haha. (sounds much more exciting that way anyway)

Sorry for the lack of activity. I think I really just ran out of things to say, lol. I was looking for a new job for a long time and, without a job to go to and without a ton of money to go out and live a life, there really just wasn't that much happening for me to write about, lol. At least not the kinda of stuff I was posting all over the blog.

But...now I have a new job. Been doing it for a little while now and I love it. I swear most days that it needs to be a reality show. Some of the crazy drama that goes on there...haha...Bravo would eat it up! Seriously, I don't think we could ever get our corporate office to agree to it, but it would be waaay better than that stupid "Stagers" show they have. (Sidenote...when I went to Bravo's website to link to that show, I couldn't find it. Was it that bad that they are already denying making it? haha) I mean, my work place is just about as colorful and exciting as Jeff Lewis's office, but we have a bunch of clients to add to the craziness, lol. I'm sure you'll hear more little tidbits about my work in the near future, but the point is I really do love it. And even when there's drama and craziness, for probably the first time ever, I actually enjoy going to work everyday.

So yeah...after an extended summer vacation, it's time to get back on the horse (or wagon...or whatever...I'm really bad at colloquialisms...always mess them up) and get back to writing.

If you're still reading (or even if you never read before and just started) leave a comment and let me know!

Still alive...

...don't worry.

I'll be back soon, I promise!

(Blogging) Vacation

Sorry I've been sorta MIA as of late. I have no good reason other than, well, I haven't really wanted to, haha. It's certainly not for a lack of blogging fodder. I've had quite a few blog-worthy events over the last few weeks, as well as a few old stories I still owe you from before. Maybe soon I'll be back on the ball.

I actually have a post saved that I started last week, but was feeling uninspired halfway through and quit, haha.

Anyway...it's quite late now and I've had a long, but productive Saturday. So now I'm gonna go pass out. :) See ya soon!!

(Oh yeah...TV is finally coming back on. Yay!!! Perhaps this will call for the the resurgence of "What's in Mark's DVR?" Well...maybe if I get all those other thousands of posts out of the way first.)

Single much?

Whoa! I guess a lot of you folks out there are like me and didn't have Valentine's plans!! There was a huge spike in my blog hits yesterday! Yowza! (I stole that word from the hot girl I lived with one summer in Denver...also from whom I got my Nip/Tuck addiction, haha). Guess you all just spent the day of love at home alone reading blogs, haha. Seriously, though...thanks to those bloggers out there who have linked to me (some have even given me a parenthetical addendum to my link...sweet!). Also thanks to those bloggers who have befriended me and even chat with me despite their ever-so-busy lives!

As for me...pretty uneventful Valentine's day overall. Went to work, but didn't do much (I worked hard the beginning of this week and end of last week - hence the lack of posting - so I deserved it). Came home, continued trying to pull out fence posts (no injuries this time...but also no trips to Home Depot) until the sun went down, then went for a run. I actually ran 4 miles folks!!! What what??!! They were 4 very slow miles...my average was like a 10:37 mile or something ridiculous like that, but still...considering my previous best was only 2.5 miles and I felt sore for a couple days after that one, I am thrilled. Actually, I did a fartlek run (yes, it's pronounced like it sounds...hold back your giggling) tonight as part of some heart rate training. Oh yeah...I'm running in a 10K in April. A friend talked me into joining a training group for the run (although at the time, I thought the run was only a 5K, but oh well). I thought it'd be good to do it in the group b/c, although I could care less about the race, it figured it'd be good to have some structure to my runs, instead of just going for a jog when I felt like it. Plus a good place to meet new people, haha. Anyway, the group started last week, so I'll be running much more and with a much greater frequency now. Oh, and they like to do group runs early Saturday mornings...like I have to be there at 6:45 am --- and then run several miles!!!! Ugh! I knew there was something wrong with runners. Oh well...I'll let you know how that goes.

After my victory lap, (read - a lot of stretching and then passing out on my comfortable leather seats in the Maxima, haha) I decided I needed to reward myself with a good meal. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I headed out to this local bar that has the BEST hamburgers in the world!! Seriously, it's one of those places that doesn't advertise and doesn't even have a sign on the building, so a local has to take you there, but one of the times the President (as in...of the United States) was down in Columbia, they took him to eat there. Say what you want about our current commander in chief, but any place good enough for the leader of the free world has got to be decent. Anyway...I went there figuring no one would be there on Valentine's Day, so I could just pull myself up to the bar, get a burger and eat non-conspicuously...maybe even strike up a conversation with someone sitting around me. Apparently this place was like THE hangout for everyone who didn't have Valentine's day plans or something, though. Both bars in the place were full, so I ended up having to just grab a booth by myself and eat in a very conspicuous way...and not meet anyone new. Oh well...I got a big greasy burger, plate of fries and a margarita...soooo worth it. And you'll be happy to know, they didn't screw up my order at all (although, even if they had, I would've completely forgiven them for it b/c this place is too good to miss).

After dinner, I came home, relaxed on the couch, read some blogs, chatted with some bloggers and watched some Donny Deutsch (I'm a dork...I know) and took some Aleeve for the pain in my knee which seems to follow every run these days (I think I need new shoes). Tomorrow my bosses are out of town so it'll just be me in the office. I have a little bit of stuff to do, but I should knock it out pretty quickly and will start my weekend early! Yay!

Anyway...thanks for reading, don't know what caused the spike in hits, but hopefully you like the blog and will be back! Of course, with all these people reading, that may mean I need to post more frequently...and about more exciting topics. Hmmmm.....

Well hey there, kiddos!

It's been a really really long time since I posted last!!! Yikes! (haha...while writing this, I just re-read this post. Guess I sorta lied to ya! oops!) I could give you a number of excuses for this (I was sick for the better part of last week, work has been hectic, I've been out of town some) but all in all it really boils down to...I've been a lazy blogger! (*Hangs his head in shame*) I know, I know...it's a horrible thing to admit. I think it's just kinda that time of year when everyone is over the New Year's hype and has begun trying to settle back into post holiday life.

Speaking of New Year's hype...I know there's much anticipation for my much storied Year-in-Review Post. A revised post will be going up tonight. Actually...like all good bloggers, I've been writing blog posts in my head during this whole little hiatus, but I just haven't actually sat down to put them in the computer. How sad is that? I should churn out a few quick ones tonight and will hopefully get to a couple more tomorrow night...just to get them out of my head! Ahh!

Oh yeah...in other news...it started snowing on my drive home this evening! It was a really wet snow that melted as soon as it hit the ground or cars or whatever. Then it became sleet...now it's just raining. Gotta love SC's "winter weather." I'm actually surprised they didn't try to shut down the whole state for this sorta thing. The governor we had when I first moved here closed the state at even the suggestion of cold weather! haha Even as a newly transplanted Floridian who's idea of cold weather meant any morning you could actually see your breath I knew that was over reacting a bit. Oh well!

Oooh, one last thing. I'm going out of town again this weekend. The neighbor called this morning and is getting a group of people together to head down to the beach for the holiday weekend. No no...there won't be string bikini's and golden tans...it'll actually be in the low 40's during the day and 20's at night. But, we were able to get a cheap suite at a hotel down there because of it, so it will just be a fun getaway. Knowing the neighbors and the other people invited, we'll probably just drink a lot (read--they'll try to get me drunk since it doesn't happen very often...I tend to hold my liquor well), sit around talking smack about people we went to college with and play lots of Apples to Apples. And by lots....I mean HOURS on end (it gets boring, but we always customize the game to include ways to talk smack about people we went to college with...if you've ever played, all the "make your own noun" cards become someone we know...very entertaining!). I tell you this mainly to let you know that whatever I don't get posted by tomorrow night will likely not get posted until after the weekend sometime. Sorry!

Getting my weight up!

No, I'm not talking about getting fat, or even building some muscle (although beginning to bulk up a more is a goal for the near future), I'm talking about blogging. It's time for me to post a little more frequently and give people something fun to read regularly. I think I mentioned something like this before, and in my opinion, I have been doing better, but I'm still not there. Be looking for more fun randomness coming soon from yours truly.

Also, either Monday or Tuesday, be looking for a year in review post from me. I know most of you have not known me for the entire year, but I think it will be good for me put down a bit of a summary of my year so I can see what all happened and, as an added bonus, it will help some of you get to know me better. Be excited!

Alright...it's way past bedtime for tonight. Be looking for the YIR post!

Long time, no post!

Well, to be fair, it's only been a week, but it has felt like much longer since I posted. I actually had trouble remembering my login name to post tonight! haha! Anyway, while I've been vacationing, it looks like you all have been reading! I don't know if it was because everyone was home for the holidays and just insanely bored or what, but I had quite a few hits last week! Maybe I should stop writing more often! j/k

Anyway, all this traffic on my site has inspired me to actually write, when I was planning to avoid the blog and pretend I was still on vacation for a few days. Good work! But, that writing isn't going to happen tonight. It's bedtime!! Look for more fun stuff soon!

Realizations and Resolutions

I've been blogging now for about 6 weeks and have begun to realize somethings about my blog:

• My blog was supposed to be chock full of funny stories about my life and encounters I have. So far this has not been the case. Up until now, it has actually seemed to be more filled with my rants and complaints, intermixed with a few blow-by-blow replays of my days. No one wants to read this...at least not only this! So many bloggers have deep philosophical and introspective viewpoints, others have funny stories, and I, up until now, basically just have a diary of me. Not the original intent.
• I write too much! Not necessarily too frequently, but when I do write, I just make my posts too long! I should probably take a moment after I write them to edit them down, taking out some of the boring details...but it's so much easier just to click post and not re-read it.

I'm sure there's other realizations I could come to, but in light of that last realization, I'll spare you. Anyway, point is, I'm going to work on these things and will be bringing you much more exciting and concise posts as we ring in the holiday season!

Also, as I mentioned before, I'm heading back up to the mountains for Thanksgiving with the fam. I'm leaving tomorrow and will be back sometime over the weekend, so no posts until then. I'll be thinking about the above realizations, though, and am vowing to do better.

Oh, and in my 6 short weeks, I have had no fewer than 5 separate hits from at least 3 different countries outside the US and plenty from states all over...that's definitely fun to watch! As always, if you are reading, you are greatly encouraged to comment or e-mail me! I take requests!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bigger than the Spice Girls!

Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it's safe to say that the blog is now an international sensation! Okay, I'm still stretching it. But when checking the stats on my site (yeah, I track you people!), I noticed I had my first visitor from a foreign country! Someone from New Zealand stopped by the blog briefly! (New Zealand is a country right? Or is it part of Australia?) Anyway, all I know is, they do speak English there, so the person won't actually need this site to understand me.

It wouldn't be fair to call this person a reader, per se, since my stat counter said they didn't actually stay long enough to read anything. But the point is, they stopped, I know have international exposure! How exciting!

A Brief Sabatical

Posting will be light (more likely non-existent) for the next few days. But don't worry, loyal blog readers, it's not because I drove off a mountain or got kidnapped by the locals with shotguns while out of town last weekend. I did, in fact, make it home safely, but found upon my return that the power cord to my laptop no longer works. It had been acting up for serveral weeks now, but I guess it finally gave up the ghost.

Not wanting to wait for a new one to be sent from Dell, I ran up to BestBuy to try to get one on my own. Turns out, those suckers cost $130 !!! Well, there was no way I was paying that considering my computer is only a year and a half old, so I decided to give Dell a shot. I spent about an hour on the phone with their lovely customer service reps in India or Pakistan or somewhere that no one speaks English, and finally fussed enough to where they agreed to overnight me a new power cord for free, even though my warranty expired in February. Yeah, I got it like that! Only catch is, they say it will be mailed out by October 31. In my past experiences with Dell, they usually get stuff out much faster than they claim, so hopefully I'll have it by the weekend, but if not, I guess I'm going back to the dark ages for a couple weeks with no internet. So painful!!

Anyway, I'm using a computer at work now, but unless I get reallllllly bored, I probably won't get on here to update the blog again, so we're all stuck waiting until UPS brings me my gift from Dell.

In the meantime, reflect on this....Is there really more to life than just being really ridiculously good looking? Feel free to comment with your responses.

And I'm outta here...

Well, I got a few posts up before the weekend, but I had planned to put at least one more up there. Change of plans though...turns out I'm leaving town tonight instead of tomorrow morning as originally planned. I was going to use tonight to write one or two more posts, but guess that's not going to happen now.

Anyway, I'm off to my last night at job #2 (yay!!!) and then am heading to the mountains. Enjoy your weekend and look for some fun posts next week!!!

What's in a name?

I felt I should give you some insight into the title of this blog...Only Mark. I suppose Only Mark could be interpreted as some modest or humble way of saying that this is Only Mark's point of view, or just what Mark thinks or something, but frankly anyone who knows me will tell you my ego is much healthier than that. :)

Actually the title stems from a series of random events and encounters that seem to only happen to me (Mark). I can't tell you how many times I'm telling a story that ends with "Only Mark" or "Who else, but Mark". The goal of this little blog is to share some of those random (and usually quite entertaining) stories as well as maybe even throwing in a few fun little tidbits and insights into my life.

So many stories you've already missed out on because of my procrastination in starting this blog (see my last post), but perhaps on slow days I'll be able to relive the highlights for you.

Oh, and as far as posting to the blog goes, I figure one of two scenarios will play out...either I'll become almost addicted to the blog and to posting and put something new up almost daily, or I'll burn out really quickly and get caught up in everything else going on and hardly post at all. In all likelihood, it'll probably be some combination of the two happening...sometimes I'll post frequently and other times I'll get rather light on the posts. I guess we'll just see how it goes!

The Official First Post

Well, this blog has been a long time coming. I've been saying for months, "I need to start a blog!" But basically two things have held me up...the title and the first post. As for the title, well, Google helped me pick that by eliminating nearly every other idea I had thought of, but I still had free reign with the first post.

Why is this first post so important, you ask? Well, the first post to a blog is a very monumental one. It basically serves to set the tone of your entire blog. Sure, a well written blog will evolve over time and possibly even begin to take on a life and personality all it's own, but that doesn't change the fact that the first post is still out there reminding everyone of where you started. I've felt pressure to make the first post something spectacular - some amazingly random or hilarious story that has happened to me. I wanted it to be one that, months from now when a new reader clicks back in the archives to figure out what the heck this thing is they've stumbled upon, would entice people and get them to keep reading. But, all that pressure just left me without a blog! So, I decided to suck it up, write a random and boring first post just to kick things off - and this is it!

This is my first post...so far you know nothing about my blog, nothing about me (other than a little insight into my sometimes neurotic life and what looks like a slight fear of commitment) and nothing new about the world. Whew! Pressure's off as soon as I hit publish and I can begin with the blog!

Hope you enjoy it!