I have some good news to share. Life circumstances and the random acts of others in the blogosphere have brought me out of hiding. There are some new and exciting things on the horizon for 21st Century Dad. Just wait. Hang out. Add me to your RSS feed reader and you won’t miss a beat.

Despite my inactivity, I’ve been featured on a couple of blogs.

Beth at “Open Seven Days A Week. Closed Sundays” decided that I would be a good single dad to profile for Single Parents Day. Don’t let the pretty face and blonde hair fool you. She actually knows what she’s talking about and she is a gifted writer. This is a long-overdue shout-out. She did her little write-up about me back in March! Read all about it.

Once your blog gains some traction, you become interconnected with other bloggers. Through this interconnection, Chris Goforth tracked me down. He’s a Real Authentic Man. I am so tapped out for time to engage in yet another social networking site. I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t responded to his invitation to join Real Authentic Men. OK, so I’m already a member of one Ning site, and that’s the only sign-in I need, but do I just create a profile, post the obligatory profile pic and just pad his numbers? I feel more than just a twinge of guilt if I don’t participate. As if that wasn’t enough, my job has a social network for its employees.

You might know Chris as PapaRocks6 on Twitter. I was featured in his series on Real Authentic Men.

I unsubscribed from almost all of my feeds.

I still love you guys and gals. You now show up in my Google Reader instead of my inbox.

I can now consolidate all my RSS subscriptions in one place. My entire computing life is more streamlined now. Having a Google account gives me some cool online tools. I can squeeze even more functionality out of my non-smart phone.

If you’re not cool enough to have a smartphone, the next best thing is an unlimited text messaging plan connected your social media accounts.

Now that I have a Google account and iGoogle homepage that I’m actually using, I’m looking at Google’s SMS goodies even further. A detailed post about how I make my dumb phone smarter will be coming soon.

What is your current obsession: Vegetarianism

What are you wearing now: The Dad uniform – cargo shorts and comfy t-shirt with food stains. If you want to know specifics, the shorts are from “Circle Dot” and the shirt is Adobe.com SWAG.

Who was the last person you hugged: My friend Linda.

Who is the last person who kissed you: Depends on what kind of kiss you’re talking about. A friendly peck on the cheek – Linda. A full-on game of tonsil hockey – Gentlemen never kiss and tell.

If you were a tree, what tree would you be: Redwood.

What’s for dinner: A bean burrito.

What was the last thing you bought: Venti coffee at Starbucks.

What are you listening to right now: Pandora radio online.. As I type this, Leann Rimes covering “Crazy” is on.

What is your favorite weather: sunny, mid 70′s.

What is on your bedside table: Cell phone charger, lamp, dust.

What is your most challenging goal right now: Getting my butt to Tennessee.

Say something to the person who tagged you: I am blessed to have you in my life.

Suspend all disbelief. What is your dream job: Starting goalie for an NHL team.

Name the things you cannot live without: food, shelter, water, internet.

What would you like to have in your hands right now: My daughter’s hand.

Hot or Cold coffee: hot coffee, with heavy whipping cream.

What would you like to get rid of: A quarter million dollars in debt.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go: Oak Ridge Tennessee, with my daughter.

If you could have your portrait painted/made by any famous artist from any era, who would you choose: Annie Liebovitz.

What is your favorite book: The Art of War, Sun Tzu

Name one foreign country you’d like to visit: Sweden

21st Century Dad is moving in a new direction which is following the course correction my life has taken. I will continue to write about topics of interest to all dads in addition to garnering fellowship with divorced and separated dads. An article about time management is coming up very soon. I didn’t want to spring that on you in the midst of the CTRL-ALT-DEL stuff without an introduction.

Seitan Worshiper

Seitan steak'n'cheese sandwich

As some of you know, I’ve been exploring vegetarianism and veganism lately. I made my own seitan for the first time last night. It’s incredibly fun and easy to make. An investment of just under $4 yields 3 pounds. How much meat can you buy for $4, or what kind of meat is available for $1.33/pound?

Seitan allows me to enjoy the gooey goodness of a “steak” and cheese sandwich. Thanks to Vegan Dad for the recipe.

My experimentation with tofu and now seitan will keep me busy in the kitchen for a long time. My mind is already racing with the possibilities.

Dad Blogs

My philosophy is to put more effort into fewer social media sites than spread myself too thin. You can stay very busy just working Facebook. Despite this, Dad Blogs has earned a bookmark in my browser.

As a social networking site, it has all the features you would want to use. My favorite feature of Dad Blogs is the Instant Chat. It’s like having our own private little Twitter.

Joe Schatz (you may know him as Joeprah) and Pete Janelle created this social networking site for dads and dad bloggers. It’s not a total sausage-fest. A few super-cool moms move the male/female ratio closer to that of any college with the word “Polytechnic” in its name.

You don’t need to have a blog to join.

New Friends

And now for some overdue link love. You may notice some of these as recent additions to the blogroll.

Money Smart Marriage – JW shares his insights on personal finance from a family point of view. Lots of good stuff here. Frugal date ideas aren’t just for husbands and wives. Dads paying child support feel the pinch too.

Open seven days a week. Closed Sundays. – Generation-X Christian woman, and a single mother of a wonderful little princess. I love her sense of humor. “I’m going to live forever or die trying!!!” HAHAHAH.  She also knows about proper care and maintenance of automobiles.

Savvy Stepmom – I thought back to when I was 24 and all the 24 year olds I’ve known since. Few are as savvy with money or as resourceful. This woman drives a car that doesn’t have a functioning reverse gear and gets by just fine.

The Broward County Transit Diet

Clean Air Hybrid

The popular perception in South Florida is that a car is a necessity. I’ve been doing OK with the bus and my bike. I take full advantage of Google Maps and Google Transit to plan my outings. One day, I ran errands all day and made it to a 7pm movie downtown, all without a car. I’ve lost 10 pounds after losing 3000 lbs back in July. The crunchy green part of my heart sings whenever I see the “Clean Air Hybrid” buses that BCT operates. Their buses run on a biodiesel too.

The increased physical activity has also helped my overall mood too. I don’t want to think about where I’d be without exercise, good nutrition, and medication.

I am certainly not an exception. Who am I to think I would escape the frenzied pace at this time of year? It was more frenzied than I could have ever imagined leading up to and through this 2008 holiday season. I alluded to some of this insanity in my last post. Now I’m going to blog about it.

Has it got any sports in it?

Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…

Yes, it’s all true, except for the fencing, torture, and revenge.

I’ve Been Tagged Again

Down To Earth Mama has tagged me again, hoping to uncover more of what she calls an enigma. The last time she tagged me, I didn’t bite. This time, I must come through.

“Oh blogger, will you post a photo?”

As you wish.

The punk-ass that she is, she tagged me after I just spent 20 hours on a Greyhound bus!

No, this isn’t the first photo I took. Shooting into a mirror is tricky.  However, this photo is completely unedited except for resizing. I didn’t even fix the white balance or Photoshop out the convenient carrying handle attached to my head.

Here are the rules….

1) Take a picture of yourself right NOW!
2) DON’T change your clothes, DON’T fix your hair… Just take a picture.
3) Post that picture with NO editing.
4) Post these instruction with your picture.
5)Tag 10 8 people to do this..

I don’t want to tag 10 people either. That’s a LOT, unless you’re über-popular like Busy Dad. I see that he’s already been tagged by Joe.

Dad of Divas

Building Camelot

Buddha Belle

Mom is Just a Nickname

Dad’s Workbench

Israeli Mom

Dad Thing

21st Century Parenting

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YI’ve seen several of my blogging buddies let their anniversary (or blogiversary) pass and be followed up with a “I forgot… better late than never.” I swore up and down I wouldn’t miss mine. Guess what happened on October 24th? Nothing! That’s why I’m here today.

Every “blogging expert” tells you not to write any “I’m sorry I haven’t posted lately” posts. I did it once and most of you have too. My posting frequency is down, but I do strive for quality content. What fun is it if you open your feed reader or check your email only to see such a cardinal blogging sin let you down? You can catch up with my random musings on Twitter in between posts. For now, just wait patiently for entertainment, information or a combination of both.

Wherever you stand, you hope to look back and feel good about it. We’ve faced our share of adversity in this household over that period:

• A blog is born
  
• We celebrated a birthday
• We said goodbye to a dear friend

Most viewed posts:

1. Riding My Bike To Save Money
2. How to Prepare for a Baby’s Arrival on a Budget
3. Teaching Teens How To Use Public Transit
4. Get Stuff for Free – Freesource and The Freecycle Network
5. Good Dad or Good Employee. Pick One
6. What Does Social Media Mean To You?
7. Teen Saved From The Pitfalls of Poor Communication Methods
8. High Fructose Corn Syrup Scorecard
   
9. Take Better Photos of Your Children – Use Window Light

There’s only 9 because it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want. If you really care what #10 is, your odds for a correct guess, as of November 2nd, 2008, are 119-to-1.

Top Referring Blogs:

1. Frugal Dad
2. Renee and Elliott
3. Unpredictable Life
4. Parent Hacks
5. 21st Century Parenting
6. Geek Mom Mashup
7. Building Camelot
8. From Mike
9. Thingamababy
10. Mom Is Just A Nickname
11. Dad Thing
12. The Busy Dad Blog
13. TipDad

There are more than 10 blogs listed here because I wanted to be sure to mention Jared, Jim, and Jason. My top-13 is bookended by Jason’s two blogs.

What to Expect in Year 2

This is your blog too. I’m open to suggestions. The comment section below is a great place for you to make your voice heard. Cast your vote here too. A vote in the state of Florida can count and can still make a difference. I already have some ideas for continuing topics and new topics:

Personal Finance – This is a topic I shied away from at first. We already have some great personal finance bloggers out there. I’ve also been a slacker in this department. But I am shaping up.

Photography – I would not be true to myself if I didn’t cover photography. I enjoy taking photos immensely. I am my own worst critic, but have learned to relax. I’ve dipped my toe in the water. This year I’m taking the plunge too.

Personal Accounts – Are you a mommy or daddy blogger? You probably started off trying to share tips, tricks, secrets, and be informative. Then one day, you posted a personal account of parenting and your popularity improved dramatically.

Time Management – The first time I put myself through fiscal rehab, I started to pay more attention to my time. Time is much more finite than money, so you have to manage it to be effective in all areas of your life. I have some time management posts in the works.

Career and Workplace – I am in regular contact with industrial-organizational psychologists through my work. I think about this kind of stuff a lot.

Cooking – Here’s another passion that I’ve been encouraged to channel into blogging. Just like the work I do in the kitchen, I have to massage the written word to be fit for human consumption.

Enjoy Year 2 of this blog!

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Last week, Joey from Daddybrain kicked off the series with Million Dollar Man v.1.2 – Tuning Up Your Emotions.

In this week’s post, I share my experience as a member of Toastmasters.

Read it here.

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Spotlight on Dads is a weekly feature that Jeremy runs on Discovering Dad. This week’s spotlight is on me.

Jeremy publishes one of the best dad blogs I’ve ever seen. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a small village to publish a great blog.

As of this writing, the contributing authors are:

Jeremy Biser is the founder, editor and publisher of Discovering Dad. He has three amazing kids and one incredible wife. His objective with Discovering Dad is to showcase articles about “learning what it means to be a good Dad

Matt Pfingsten is the co-author of The Playpen, a blog dedicated to providing support, humor and resources to parents of preemies, infants and toddlers.

Tom Bowns has a personal blog called Being Michael’s Daddy, where he shares personal experiences and wisdom about raising his fourth child Michael.

Chris Lewis writes about his quest to regain control of his kingdom at Dad of Divas. Each day he finds himself learning more and more of what it means to be both a father and a husband, and his writing is a tribute to this daily journey.

Daniel DeGuia s a 26-year-old proud dad of two and happy husband. Daniel’s first child was born five months after he graduated from high school. Becoming a dad at the age of 18 has given him a unique insight into parenting and has also enabled him to shatter some stereotypes. He writes on his blog, deguia.net, about current events, life in Sonoma County and the West Memphis Three.

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Here’s an open invitation to y’all from south of the Mason-Dixon Line and youse guys up north. I’ll be back on track soon. I’ve had a major shift in my daily and weekly routine along with some unusually heavy demands on my time. Ironically, there are a few guests posts in that queue.

Coming soon to a blog near you!

Earlier today, I set up the tripod. As soon as I unfolded the legs, Twilli ran right over and started messing with it. As a small child, I remember being fascinated by cameras and accessories. Twilli seems to share the same enthusiasm.

The Big News

My last post was about Twilli’s first birthday. Naturally, this is around the time that a baby starts walking. Twilli has taken her first few unassisted steps! For the most part, she defaults to crawling or cruising, depending on how fast she wants to get from point A to point B and the availability of something to grab on to.

No video yet. It’s coming soon. This is the time in a child’s life when video coverage starts to get interesting, especially since we have two cats.

We can learn a lot from watching our children grow. Twillil is pretty fast on all fours or while cruising. As she takes her first steps without holding on, I can see the trepidation on her face. She takes about 3-4 steps and defaults to methods she has mastered. Why should we learn this new way of doing things if it’s so difficult? As adults, we face challenges like this regularly. The short-term pain leads to long term gain.

The Links

I took a little break from the blog. Many mom and dad blogs follow this pattern of regular posts, a short break, regular posts, irregular posts, etc. Parenting comes first and blogging is somewhere farther down the list of priorities.

• Please send your thoughts and prayers to Jared, Momma, and Ace. In the past, when I heard news like this, the most I could ever muster was, “oh, how unfortunate.” This time, I started crying less than half way into reading the post.
• John at Modern Parent reviewed some of his son’s favorite toys. He also did a write-up of the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home. My daughter enjoys hers immensely too. I didn’t have to assemble mine. It was a much-appreciated hand-me-down.
• The Great Minivan Trade-Up - The Dad of Divas, Chris Lewis has started his own trade-up. He started with an old Kodak camera and is working his way up to a Toyota Sienna mini-van. How long will it take. Follow his odyssey here. He also posts regular video updates on his YouTube channel.
• Five Myths About Simplicity Busted – Simplifying your life doesn’t mean an austere existence. You can be happy.
• Ron at The Wisdom Journal shares his tips on reducing stress

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