Housekeeping...(knock)(knock)(knock)...Housekeeping!

With Christmas behind us and as 2010 draws to a close, I wanted to handle a few matters regarding maintenance of this blog.

It's been a fun and, I think, successful first year. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading. The stats that Google provides with its Blogger service allows me to see that since February, when this blog began, the average number of people viewing this blog daily has skyrocketed. There are even people now Goole-ing "Transformer Generation Dad." I attribute this to you all, kindly readers, for spreading the word and I thank you for that as well.

That said, I have a few favors to ask of you as 2011 dawns:

1. Leave comments - I know you are out there and I know you're reading, so please take some time to let me know what you think of the things I'm posting. One of the reasons I started this blog was to improve my writing and that happens most from receiving feedback.

2. Follow me (I'm the Pied Piper) - If you don't already have one, create a Google account (look to the top bar of this very blog to find links to create one) and officially follow Transformer Generation Dad. You can see that six people have done so already. Join their legions and we can smite any enemy that comes our way. There is the added bonus of having a tag name when you leave comments so that we can build a regular rapport with one another. Finally, special kudos to those of you who recognize my reference to Del Shannon's 1966 hit.

3. Vote for me - The 2010 Blogger's Choice Awards voting has closed. While I did not make 2010's top ten, thanks to your votes, I placed in the mid-twenties out of several hundred dad blogs. Now, voting for 2011's awards has opened. I would like to get this blog in the top ten this year, so follow this link, create a Blogger's Choice Awards profile and vote for my blog.

4. Like me - If you are uncomfortable creating new accounts and profiles, I can completely understand. But, more than likely, you have a Facebook account. So, follow this link and head to Facebook and "like" Transformer Generation Dad. If you take it a step further and recommend that other friends of your "like" it as well, you won't hear me complain.

5. Check out the Gift Guide before it's gone - The 2010 TGD Gift Guide will remain up until after the first of the year. This is a service I am providing you so that you have a reference by which to decide how to spend any gift cards you might have received. You're welcome.

6. Vote on our polls - There remains but a few days to vote in this month's poll and another will be posted for January. Please vote monthly.

7. Exceptional will conclude! - I know that I left the final chapter just hanging in our continuing story, put I promise that I will finish it some time this week, so check back regularly.

That's about it. You see, I'm not really asking that much from you now, am I? Especially when you think of all the laughs we've shared together over the last ten months or so.

Thank you all again for reading and I hope that we can continue to connect through 2011 and beyond.