Adrian's Year in Review: The Best Blog Posts of 2019

It's that time again my friends.  It's Dec. 31st, 2019, so it's time for the "Best of Blogs" for this past year.

I've been writing this blog since April of 2008. Since 2011 I have been writing my "Year in Review: The Best Blog Posts of." When I started this blog I wanted to average one blog per week. Every year I have attained my goal. This year, including this post, I will have written 70 individual blog posts.

At the end of every year I make two lists for my "Best of" blog posts. The first one is my personal favorite blog posts. The second list is the most viewed blog posts.
This year I had a quite a number of posts I liked.  Since I usually write around 55 posts per year, a top five list works well.  However, I had 70 posts this year.  So I decided to expand my personal favorite blog posts to a Top 10 list this time around.


Top Ten Personal Favorite Blog Posts


#10. Philmont 2019: Day 78, The Horse
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-horse.html

I felt this was a classic angry Adrian post.  It was short, to the point, and angry.  The honest brutality of it really appealed to me.

#9.  Idiot Scoutmasters: The Idiot Committee
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/12/idiot-scoutmasters-idiot-committee.html

It was time I stopped whipping the Scoutmasters and turned my attention to the Trop Committee.  If you ever wanted to read about an epic failure, this is it.

#8.  The Failing Victory of Upgrading My Cello: A Long and Ridiculous Story
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-failing-victory-of-upgrading-my.html

It was long, painful, and completely unnecessary.  This was one of my major screw-ups in instrument repair.

#7.  Tattooing Josh's Guitar
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/05/tattooing-joshs-guitar.html

I was able to do something I've wanted to do for a while.  That was wood-burn into an instrument.  It turned out brilliantly.

#6.   All I Wanted Was The Recipe!!!
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/09/all-i-wanted-was-recipe.html

I don't need your life story.  All I want is the damned recipe!

#5.  Death, Grief, and Memorial: The Passing of Curtis Johnson in Three Parts
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/10/death-grief-and-memorial-passing-of.html

My classmate Curtis Johnson passed away at the age of ten.  It was quite traumatic for Shaw Elementary's 5th grade class.  I've included this post on my top 10 because of how well I wrote it, and the pure honesty of it.

#4.  Coffin Case Failure: All I Wanted Was A Handle
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/03/coffin-case-failure-all-i-wanted-was.html

Not all companies are the same.  Not all companies know what the hell they are doing.

#3.  Philmont 2019: Day 70, Cold Fish
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/08/philmont-2019-day-70-cold-fish.html

This post was, by far, the funniest post of the year.  Nothing else came close to it.  You'll laugh.  You'll cry.  You'll facepalm.

#2.  Days of the Week
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/01/days-of-week.html

This might be the best written blog post of this past year.  I explain what a Strawman argument is, and show the hypocrisy behind it.

#1.  I Have The Perfect Mascot For Gay Pride Events!
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/10/i-have-perfect-mascot-for-gay-pride.html

What started as an offhand funny thought quickly morphs into an idea so crazy it could work.  There was no doubt that this post would be my favorite blog post of the year.


Top 5 Blog Posts By Views


#5.  Springtime For Bluebirds... And Happiness!
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/03/springtime-for-bluebirds-and-happiness.html
21 views.

A pair of Tufted Titmouse birds move into the birdhouse.  Photos ensue.

#4.  The Birdhouse Community Apartments
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-birdhouse-community-apartments.html
26 views.

I decide to go from one birdhouse to an apartment complex of birdhouses.

#3.  I Accidentally Bought An Amp
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/04/i-accidentally-bought-amp.html
26 views.

What started as a bad situation became one of the best amps I've ever played.  And now it's mine for $54.
30 views.

#2.  Generations: Finding My Great Grandfather's Grave
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/08/generations-finding-my-great.html
33 views.

It took four people, one graveyard thick with brush, and a hell of a weed-eater to find my Great Grandfather's grave.

#1.  New Pickup Day: Dragonfire Gatebucker Review
https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2019/03/new-pickup-day-dragonfire-gatebucker.html
36 views.

I wrote a review of Dragonfire's Gatebucker pickups.  I couldn't find another review on the internet, so I figure a lot of musicians were viewing this blog post.


So that's it for the year everyone.  I am content.  I wrote 70 blog posts this year.  That's the most for a single year dating back to 2008.  That, of course, is when I started this blog.  2019 ended up being quite a productive writing year for me.  So I'm going to keep it going.  As long as weird stuff keeps happening to me, I'm going to keep writing this blog.

Adrian's Year in Review: The Best Blog Posts of 2018

Well, here we are again, it's my "Best of Blog Posts: Year in Review."  It's my best blogs of 2018.

I've been writing this blog since April of 2008.  Since 2011 I have been writing my "Year in Review:  The Best Blog Posts of."  When I started this blog I wanted to average one blog per week.  Every year I have attained my goal.  This year, including this post, I will have written 56 individual blog posts.

At the end of every year I make two lists for my "Best of" blog posts.  The first one is the top five blog posts that I love.  The second list is the most viewed blog posts.

First up are my favorites.  This year will be a little different.  I couldn't whittle this list down to five.  So here are my top 6 personal favorite blog posts.

#6.  The Ghost at Grandma's house.

There's a ghost haunting me at Grandma's house.  So I go in search of him/her/it.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-ghost-at-grandmas-house.html


#5.  The Day I Met Dimebag Darrell.

I'd been aiming to write this post for years.  It finally felt like the right time.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-day-i-met-dimebag-darrell.html


#4.  More Weirdness in Dreamland.

When Adrian dreams, reality goes out the window.  Heck it goes off the planet.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-weirdness-in-dreamland.html


#3.  Mommy and Me and Cthulhu.

Adrian finds a new dislike on Facebook.  It's those Mommy and Me pages.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/05/mommy-and-me-and-cthulhu.html


#2.  Kids... The Great Overactors of Our Time:  An Easter Story.

Kids really are like drunken midgets.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/06/kids-great-overactors-of-our-time.html


#1.  Everything Will Kill You, And Other Things I Learned From A High School Play.

I know the play was meant to be anti-alcohol and anti-drug, but I really needed alcohol and drugs to get through watching the play.  It was like a car crash.  Except that a car crash can be entertaining.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/06/everything-will-kill-you-and-other.html


Now it's time for the five best 2018 blog posts by views.


#5.  After 20 Years, It's New Hat Day.  (36 views.)

My very first post of 2018 makes the #5 spot.  In this post I share the story of finally buying a new hat.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/01/after-almost-20-years-its-new-hat-day.html


#4.  The Juggernaut.  (41 views.)

No, Adrian is not a giant mutant from Marvel Comics.  Adrian buys a Dean Juggernaut Bass!

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-juggernaut.html


#3.  I Made A Table!  (44 views.)

James Hetfield may be the table, but I made one.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/03/i-made-table.html


#2.  More Weirdness In Dreamland.  (48 views)

This is the only post to make both lists this year.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-weirdness-in-dreamland.html


#1.  New Guitar Day:  Epiphone ES-335 Pro With a Lot Of Work.  (91 views)

I made sure to add a lot of tags to this post.  I'm sure that's why it received so many views.

https://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2018/03/new-guitar-day-epiphone-es-335-pro-with.html


So there you have.  Another year, another great end of year list.  In over ten years I have written 677 blog posts.  It's hard to believe it's been that long.  But hopefully I will be able to continue this blog for many years to come.  Whether or not anyone keeps reading them, I'll keep writing them.  Take care, and happy new year everyone.

Adrian's Year In Review: The Best Blogs of 2017

It's that time of year again.  Every year my last blog post of the year is the, "Best of Blog Posts."  Today I will be counting down my best posts of 2017.

Including this post I will have written 56 posts for the year.  That makes my goal of at least one post per week.  

This is the way the "Best Of," works.  I make two "Top 5" lists and one "Top 10" list.  The first "Top 5" list is for the most viewed.  I'll admit that does bring up the problem that a post in January has had twelve months to be viewed while a post in December may only have had a couple of days to be seen.  Still, this is strictly by the numbers.

The second "Top 5" list is for my personal favorites.  It doesn't matter how many views these blogs have.  These go strictly by which ones I like the best.

The third section is the "Top 10" most viewed blog posts period.  That means I rank the "Top 10" most viewed posts out of my 622 posts on "Destruction for Fun and Profit."

Section One:  The most viewed posts of 2017.

5.  Angelfish: Gold Evolution.  35 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/05/angelfish-gold-evolution.html

I was able to take some great photos of my angelfish.  My black and white angelfish suddenly sprouted gold.  It's quite amazing.

4.  There's a Fine Line Between Good Customer Service and Stalking.  50 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/10/theres-fine-line-between-customer.html

If you've ever dealt with Sweetwater.com you'll know exactly what I'm talking about in this post.

3.  Goddess.  54 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/04/goddess.html

Creepy guys never get old.  They just get creepier.

2.  Go Truck Myself!  Part 1.  56 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/09/go-truck-myself.html

After 22 years I finally bought another vehicle.  This is the story of how I bought that vehicle.

1.  Fuck You Dimmit Chevrolet.  124 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/07/fuck-you-dimmitt-chevrolet.html

Before I bought that truck I had an experience that put me off Chevy trucks forever.  This is that story.


Section 2:  Adrian's favorite posts of 2017.

5.  The Glass.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-glass.html

I guess what drew me to this post was the fact that it is so different than what I normally write.  It also shows a bit of my own vulnerability.

4.  Train Your Dragon:  Doppelganger Edition.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/03/train-your-dragon-doppelganger-edition.html

You know I love, "How to train your dragon."  I thought this was a great post that unfortunately, didn't get the attention I thought it deserved.

3.  The Fault In This Movie.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-fault-in-this-movie.html

I noticed the movie/book, "The Fault in Our Stars," is very divisive.  People either seem to love it or hate it.  I liked it except for one moment.  So I went out and tested to see if that moment actually worked in real life.

2.  A Dog and His Boy.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-dog-and-his-boy.html

I think I saved one of my best blogs for the end of the year.

1.  Fuck You Dimmit Chevrolet.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2017/07/fuck-you-dimmitt-chevrolet.html

Normally, the same blog wouldn't be number one on both lists, but this one is too great not to be.  I feel like I tapped into my best Hunter S. Thompson while writing this.  It also proves that, yes, Hell is other people, but Hell is also Chevrolet dealerships.

Section 3:  The best of all time.

10.  Tsunami Death Toll.  803 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/05/tsunami-death-toll.html

Simply put, the best band name ever.

9.  Goth Night at the Coffee House.  823 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/goth-night-at-coffee-house.html

Like Hunter S. Thompson said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."

8.  My Yoyo Loach is About To Explode.  841 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-yoyo-loach-is-about-to-explode.html

My loach became a giant balloon.

7.  Farmer Adrian and the Sheepie Pigs.  1042 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/farmer-adrian-and-sheepie-pigs.html

I should really put in my copyright for, "Sheepie Pigs" since this little post became as popular as it did.

6.  Tough Choices, Evil Empires, and Black Gold.  1065 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/tough-choices-evil-empires-and-black.html

I wrote this blogs when I was at a crossroads in my life.  I think this post has so many views because of the evil Dick Cheney photo.

5.  The Internet Picture Collection, Part 1.  1410 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/internet-picture-collection-part-1.html

I'll admit it.  I was looking for hits when I wrote this.  This was when I first discovered that folks may not be searching for a post, but for a picture.  So when a picture pops up in Yahoo images, and someone clicks it, my blog gets a hit.

4.  I'm Finally Putting My Orchestra Training To Use.  2875 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/05/im-finally-putting-my-orchestra.html

I'm pretty sure the only reason this one has so many views is due to the picture of an orchestra layout.

3.  Stacy Q Rocks?  3577 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/10/stacy-q-rocks.html

I guess there are a lot of other truckers out there wondering the same thing?  Who the hell keeps writing, "Stacey Q Rocks!" on all the restroom doors?  Oh, and I spelled "Stacey" wrong on my original post.

2.  Dad's Retirement Speech.  6040 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/02/dads-retirement-speech.html

I have to say, this one surprised me.  I didn't expect it to be seen like it has been.  It has no pictures, and no fancy tags.  I guess people just wanted to look up advice on writing a retirement speech for their father's.

1.  Chick's Dig High Profile Vehicles... Like Dragons.  9509 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicks-dig-high-profile-vehicles-like.html

This is one of my best works.  I have to say that.  It combines everything I love about, "How to train your dragon," with hot rods, crazy writing, and wild photos.  I'm sure my Creative Writing teacher from college would be proud.

So that's it for this year.  It's hard to believe that I've been blogging since April of 2008.  Yes, that means in another four months I will have been blogging for ten years.  The funny part is that, I was told I should have been blogging years earlier.  And the person who told me that was right.  But I feel good that I've kept up with it, and as long as I'm able I will keep on writing.

Adrian's Year In Review: The Best Blogs of 2016

That's right kids.  It's that time of year again.  It's time for my, "Best of Blogs" for the year 2016. 

This year I wrote 54 blogs including this one.  I have once again made my goal of averaging writing a blog once a week. 

For my "Best Of," I make two "Top 5" lists.  One is for the most viewed.  Although I realize this is unfair since the blogs written in January had more time to be viewed than the blogs in December.  That is the nature of the beast though.

My other "Top 5" list is for my personal favorites.  Despite how many views they actually had, I pick the blogs that I think are my best work for the year. 

First up, the Top 5 most viewed blogs.

5.  Bad Luck Windshield, And The Best Way To Ruin A Saturday.  33 views.

http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/09/bad-luck-windshield-and-best-way-to.html

I'm not sure why a post complaining about how I destroyed my car's back windshield made the list, but it somehow did.  I think I only posted it once.  Since I tend to write at night I post a blog a few times on Facebook so that people have a chance to see it.  I guess my bad luck resonated with a lot of folks.

4.  The Whitest Girl Coffee You Know.  35 views.

http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-whitest-girl-coffee-you-know.html

I have to say, sometimes Adrian humor sometimes doesn't quite make the mark.  However, this time it did.  When great writing meets funny pictures, that's when hilarious blogs happen.

3.  What We Pass Down.  41 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/12/what-we-pass-down.html

I really didn't expect this blog post to make the list.  I've only had it posted for four days.  However, a lot of my relatives viewed it due to what I had to say about my Grandmother in it.  I also think it had a lot of views due to the blog that preceded it.  That post happened to be next on this list.

2.  A "Little Talk," For My Grandmother.  48 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-little-talk-for-my-grandmother.html

This blog post was passed around and seen by many of my relatives.  Many of them couldn't make my Grandmother's funeral service so I posted what occurred at the service, as well as the speech I gave.  I thought this would have a lot of views, but 48 is quite a lot for being posted just nine days.

1.  New Pedal Board Day:  Homestyle Edition:  Part 1.  55 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-pedal-board-day-homestyle-edition.html

I understand why this blog post had so many views.  It's because there are a lot of musicians looking for a do-it-yourself/ make-it-yourself guitar pedal board.  Not only did I tell them where to go, but I also told them the part number.  Then I posted lots of pictures, and gave step by step details on not only how to make it, but how to make it right. 

I'd like to think that lots of musicians were able to take my advice.  I even had a friend who considered doing exactly what I did.  He found a deal on a regular metal pedal board, but he was glad that I posted this. 

Now we go onto my personal favorite blogs of 2016. 

5.  Hey Mama, Don't Rock Me.  Don't Rock Me One Bit.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/07/hey-mama-dont-rock-me-dont-rock-me-one.html

Adrian finds out he's not the only one who thinks "Wagon Wheel" is overplayed.  There's a whole Wikipedia page about it. 

4.  Scareboarders:  This Year's Bad April Fools' Day Gag
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/04/scareboarders-this-years-bad-april-days.html

Every year Adrian pulls a pretty awesome April Fools' Day gag.  If people were fish, Adrian would have hooked a bunch. 

3.  Full Service Luthier
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/03/full-service-luthier.html

I was thinking of doing another guitar repair blog when I thought, "Eh, that's boring.  Let's do something fun."  So I showed just how much of a full service luthier I am.  This one had lots of funny pictures in it too.

2.  The Whitest Girl Coffee You Know, Part 2
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-whitest-girl-coffee-you-know-part-2.html

Part 1 was pretty awesome, however, Part 2 "went there."  I finally made Dad laugh after two days of him being depressed. 

1.  A "Little Talk," For My Grandmother
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-little-talk-for-my-grandmother.html

Not only do I think this is the best blog of 2016, it might be the most important blog I have ever written.  Admittedly, I had been thinking about my speech for a long time.  So when I wrote it I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to talk about.  So that made this blog pretty easy. 

I just posted what happened at the funeral service for my Grandmother, and I posted my speech.  However, it was what I said that made this post so important.  That, and the fact it was able to be shared with those who weren't able to hear it in it's original form.  Again, I think it's more important than it is good. 


So that wraps up another year.  It's hard to believe that I started writing in the spring of 2008.  My sister told me I should be blogging way before then.  She said that due to my natural storytelling ability and my love of writing, blogging might be something that I liked. 

Here is it almost eight years since I started, and this will be my 566th post.  I've posted stories, how to guides, instrument reviews, silly pictures, adventures, and so much more.  I hope I am lucky enough to keep writing.  I also hope I continue to become a better writer. 

I look at my early blogs, and see how they were just long posts like I would post on Myspace.  (Remember Myspace?)  That's where my blog got its start.  My posts were just quick thoughts and nothing more.  Once I had moved to Blogger I started to develop my thoughts a bit more. 

My early, erratic posts were funny in their own way, but a lot of the time they weren't that good.  Once I took writing a little more seriously I developed into a much better writer.  I hope to continue that trend. 

So here is a goodbye to 2016.  Overall, it's been an up year for me.  It hasn't been good for all the celebrities that it's killed off, but I have had a personal, profound change this year.  There was good, bad, and straight through indifferent, but overall I had more good than bad.  And despite the bad, I also grew as a person.  I think that may be the biggest, more important lesson that I will take from 2016. 

Adrian's Year In Review: The Best Blogs of 2015

Yep, it's that time of year again.  Where I count down the most viewed blogs and my personal favorite blogs of the year.  This past year, 2015, didn't see as many views as past years.  However, I am not in this for the views.  I do this because I like it. 

Long ago, all the way back in 2008, I started this blog over on Myspace.  I made a promise that I would average one blog per week.  This year I have 55 blogs with this review blog being number 56.  It's the most blogs I've written in a year since 2012 (65 blogs.)  2013 saw me write 55 blogs, and 2014 saw 53 blogs. 

So to start off, I will count down the top five most viewed blogs.  As I remind everyone every year, this is a bit unfair to myself.  A blog that I posted in January has 11 more months to be viewed than a blog that's posted in December.  But writers can't be choosers so here's the countdown. 

Now, I usually do a top 5 countdown.  But this year, I've had something that hasn't happened in a long time.  A tie.  There was a three way tie at number 6, so I thought I would include them.

6.  (Tie)  27 Views.

100,000 Miles
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/04/100000-miles.html

After 14 years my car finally flipped 100,000 miles. 


6.  (Tie)  27 Views.

Getcha Pull!!!! New Guitar Day: Dean Razorback
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/04/getcha-pull-new-guitar-day-dean.html

I got a killer deal on a guitar that I always wanted. 


6.  (Tie)  27 Views.

Hood Problems: Part 1, Strangers With Candy
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/06/hood-problems-part-1-strangers-with.html

I was assigned to the worst place I had ever been to.  When your own boss tells you to get out of that place, you don't argue.


5.  28 Views.

Draught of Living Death? Wait what?
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/07/draught-of-living-death-wait-what.html

A Harry Potter blog?  You bet.  I have a number of questions for J.K.  This is one of them.


4.  29 Views.

The Angel's Trumpet Plant In My Yard Is Mocking Me
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-angels-trumpet-plant-in-my-yard-is.html

The yard and I have a hate/hate relationship.  This is just one part of it.

3.  31 Views

Rich People Are Weird, Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Act Like A House-Elf
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/07/rich-people-are-weird-or-how-i-learned.html

The best stories are the true ones.  This one has so much truth that it goes into beyond weird territory.


2.  32 Views

New Pedal Day: Blue
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-pedal-day-blue.html

I bought a guitar pedal that hadn't really been reviewed.  So a lot of folks looked up my review online to see what I thought of it.


1.  57 Views.

New Pedal Day: Biyang Overdrive
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/03/new-pedal-day-biyang-overdrive.html

Again, I posted a review of a neat guitar pedal, and players wanted to know my thoughts on it.


Now onto my personal favorites of the year.


5.  Beyonce, I Hate To Break It To You, But....
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/05/beyonce-i-hate-to-break-it-to-you-but.html

I have bad news to break to Beyoncé, and she isn't going to like it.

4.  Rich People Are Weird, Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Act Like A House-Elf
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/07/rich-people-are-weird-or-how-i-learned.html

When you go from working one extreme to the other it can make life kind of hairy.

3.  How Do I Woo That Special Gal Without Being Seen As A Stalker?
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-do-i-woo-that-special-gal-without.html

I suck at girls.  This blog proves it.

2.  Songs In The Key Of C...anadian
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/11/songs-in-key-of-canadian.html

My Dad is a smartass from a long line of smartasses.  This blog only proves it.

1.  I Am The Table
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/12/i-am-table.html

Even though it's been a view years since that disastrous, "Lulu" album from Metallica and Lou Reed, I hadn't had a chance to give it the ribbing it deserved... until now. 

So that's it everyone.  Another year and I have achieved my blog goal.  I will remain committed to my writing.  In a way, I hope weird things continue to happen to me.  I get the best blogs that way.  Happy holidays and happy new year.

Adrian's Year In Review: The Best Blogs of 2014

Yes, it's that time of year again boys and girls.  It's the end of the year so I review the best blogs of mine.  I sort them into two categories.  First, I list them by the most viewed.  However, that does present a problem since blogs in January will have 11 more months to get viewed than blogs in December.

Because of that, I also list my personal favorite blogs in the order I personally like most.  There's nothing really scientific about it, I just choose my favorites.

So, in descending order, here are the seven most viewed blogs of mine for the year 2014:

#7.  Cat Craziness Explained.  46 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/01/cat-craziness-explained.html

I decide to let people know how acquiring cats can make you crazy.

#6.  Lost Rosewood and The Yellow Jacket Massacre.  52 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/lost-rosewood-and-yellow-jacket-massacre.html

I try to find some rosewood, and run into a yellow jacket nest.... in my own building.

#5.  That Will Be The Death Of Me.  58 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/04/that-will-be-death-of-me.html

I will die..... from a palm tree.

#4.  Craigslist: Strange Tradings.  61 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/craigslist-strange-tradings.html

It's a bad time to try and sell a guitar, but a good time to trade.

#3.  Just What Is That Ciroc Vodka Commercial Trying To Say To Me?  89 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/01/just-what-is-that-ciroc-vodka.html

They keep running that commercial.  It just won't stop.

#2.  Bored Scoutmasters and the Tale of the Wampus.  98 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/bored-scoutmasters-and-tale-of-wampus.html

Scoutmasters are people too.... just sometimes not the best of people.

#1.  Satanic Dancing and the Illuminati.  146 views.
 http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/01/satanic-dancing-and-illuminati.html 

Satan is making a comeback..... in dancing!


So those are the best blogs by views.  Here are my personal favorites for the 2014 year.

#10.  THIS! Is Not A Salad Bar!!!
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/this-is-not-salad-bar.html

Don't try to cook for my family.  It's just not worth it.

#9.  Rise.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/06/rise.html

My evil twin sister is starting to worry I have a "thing" for Chad Michael Murray.

#8.  Lost Rosewood and The Yellow Jacket Massacre
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/lost-rosewood-and-yellow-jacket-massacre.html

You never forget your first yellow jacket nest.  But you do forget where you put that really expensive rosewood.

#7.  Adrian: Zero Dollar Budget Director.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/adrian-zero-dollar-budget-director.html

You have to be creative when you have no money and a 15 year old camera.

#6.  Hunting Adventures, 2014
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/hunting-adventures-2014.html

I was very happy with my work at putting together this year's hunting videos.  I just wish everyone else would have noticed.

#5.  How a Few Jackholes Ruined Halloween For My Entire Childhood.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-few-jackholes-ruined-halloween-for.html

Darn you.  Darn you to heck all you people who ruined my Halloweens.

#4.  Things Not To Let Your Boss Catch You Doing.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/things-not-to-let-your-boss-catch-you.html

Sometimes goofing off at work will make the boss hate you.  Or just look at you weird.

#3.  The Boy Who Walked Into A Tornado, And Came Out An Idiot.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-boy-who-walked-into-tornado-and.html

Some kids are dumb.  And then there are kids who are even dumber than those kids.  This story is about one of those kids.

#2.  Bored Scoutmasters and the Tale of the Wampus.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/bored-scoutmasters-and-tale-of-wampus.html

This may be one of my all time favorite blogs.  Only one blog was better this year.

#1.  Satanic Dancing and the Illuminati.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2014/01/satanic-dancing-and-illuminati.html

Sometimes something so ridiculous has to be met with something equally ridiculous. 

So that's it folks.  That makes 53 blogs this year.  Back when I started my blog on Myspace in 2008 I vowed that I wanted to average writing one blog a week.  Well, this year I made that goal.  Now that I think of it, every year I have made that goal.  It just feels good to accomplish my blog goal. 

This will be blog number 456.  That's a lot of blogs over a long period of time.  It's strange to see how my writing and storytelling has changed.  I was really glad to move my blog over to blogger due to the ease of writing, and letting me add pictures and video.  So I still vow to put in at least 52 blogs next year.  Keep reading and even if you don't, I will keep writing.

Adrian's Year In Review: The Best of Blogs 2013

Well, it's that's time again folks.  It's time for my year in review where I select my best blogs by the number of views and my personal favorites.  This year I am judging from 54 blogs, so I have kept up with my personal goal of writing at least one blog per week. 

It was a different kind of year for my blogs.  In past years I wrote about trucking or stories from yesteryear, this year I wrote more about doing repairs on my Girlfriend Lili's place.  However, the blogs that did the best were ones that were about odd stories and of videos I made.  Here's the list.

Adrian's Top 10 Favorite Blogs of 2013

9 and 10.  (Tie)  Repairing Josh's Guitar, Part 1.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/05/repairing-joshs-guitar-part-1.html

Repairing Josh's Guitar, Part 2
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/05/repairing-joshs-guitar-part-2.html

This is probably the best work I have ever done on a guitar.  The work is almost seamless.  The work I did on this job got me work on other guitars.


8.  The People I Work With
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-people-i-work-with.html

In the big tree that is the Target Corp. you are bound to have a few nuts.  Seriously, the store I work at has 170 employees.  Not all of them can be normal.


7.  The Amazingly True Story of How Adrian Got His One And Only Wood Duck
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-amazingly-true-story-of-how-adrian.html

This is a tale years in the making.  It's a good read.


6.  Farmer Adrian and the Sheepie Pigs
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/farmer-adrian-and-sheepie-pigs.html

From the lighter side of Adrian's mind, a idea that would make an awesome kid's book.


5.  Adrian Guy, Superstar
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/09/adrian-guy-superstar.html

The worst/best practical joke I have pulled on a health care professional.


4.  The Guide to Adrian's Spirit Guides
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-guide-to-adrians-spirt-guides.html

This was one of my more researched and in depth blogs.  It was probably the longest one I wrote in 2013.


3.  Kingdom of the Petting Zoo
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/06/kingdom-of-petting-zoo.html

I have an awesome program that will let me do a lot with what I film.  This is the first video that really let me expand what I thought was possible in movie editing.


2.  Life of Gourami
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/life-of-gourami.html

This was kind of a changing point in my life regarding the fish I had.  I had never had Gouramis before so it was neat getting some new fish.  I had a great idea about filming a video about them, and putting some music to it.


1.  Doggie
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/07/doggie.html

This is by far my favorite blog of the year without a doubt.  In fact, it was my clear cut decision from the get go.  It combines the music of a great friend, a great dog, and I really pushed the boundaries of what I could do as a movie editor. 


Adrian's Top 10 Blogs By The Numbers For 2013


10.  Repairing Josh's Guitar, Part 1.,  45 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/05/repairing-joshs-guitar-part-1.html


9.  Frog Baseball,  50 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/frog-baseball.html

A funny little tale about invasive frogs.  A lot of funny in a short blog.


8.Observations From The Blues Bar,  59 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/06/observations-from-blues-bar.html

The blues bar is its own culture.  It also makes a great blog.


7.  Kingdom of the Petting Zoo, 59 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/06/kingdom-of-petting-zoo.html


6.  Adrian: Amateur Handyman,  61 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/04/adrian-amateur-handyman.html

This blog is all about work and pictures.  In this blog I show the work I did on Lili's place.  It also has a great photo of Monster Dog.


5.  I Possess The Chamberlain High School Library Door Handle, 62 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/i-possess-chamberlain-high-school.html

I wrote this on the first of the year, and it's still hilarious.  I've never got so many "Oh no's!" and "Oh my's" from my friends from a blog. 


4.  I Am Homer, 72 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/07/i-am-homer.html

Adrian has a love affair with Home Depot and it shows.


3.  Life of Gourami, 102 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/life-of-gourami.html


2.  I am a ..... Sloppy Painter?,  136 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/i-am-sloppy-painter.html

Some of my bad art is now out there on the internet.  You're welcome.


1.  Farmer Adrian and the Sheepie Pigs,  414 views
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2013/01/farmer-adrian-and-sheepie-pigs.html

I have a sneaking suspicion that I might see a sheepie pig book with some other author's name on the book.  That's more views than I would have thought from this blog.  In fact, it is the number one viewed blog post for 2013 by a mile.  Who would have thought?

So there you have.  There's the best of 2013, and it's a wrap.  It wasn't my best writing year, but there were a few gems in it.  I'll try to get the tale tales up and running again next year.  Take care folks.

Adrian's 2012 Year End Review: The Best of Blogs

Yes, it's that time of year again.  It's time to count down Adrian's best blogs of 2012.  I do two lists.  The first is a strickly by the numbers best of list.  It goes by the most views.  The second list is my personal favorite lists.  It's the blogs that I wrote in 2012 that I like the most.  Onto the lists!



10.  Soul Asylum Vs. The Rolling Stones:  Who ya got?   126 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/10/soul-asylum-vs-rolling-stones-who-ya-got.html
As I was listening to "Without a Trace," I noticed something.  See if you can too.


9.  Hairy Fishnuts   130 views.
  http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/10/soul-asylum-vs-rolling-stones-who-ya-got.html
Religion is sometimes funny.  I found this out firsthand.


8.  The Worst Vacation   150 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/07/worst-vacation.html
Read (or don't) on why Adrian had the worst vacation in years.

7.  Absinthe, Part 2.   165 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/11/absinthe-part-2.html
Read only, don't drink.

6.  What Kind of Motorcycle Guy Am I?  236 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-kind-of-motorcycle-guy-am-i.html
I ask a question every adventurous guy should ask of himself.

5.  Goth Night at the Coffee House   298 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/goth-night-at-coffee-house.html
Seriously.  Check out the last picture with the goth chick wearing ..... not much.  Is that even legal to wear outside your bedroom?

4.  Guitar Project #7, The Rosewood Telecaster   370 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/05/guitar-project-7-rosewood-telecaster.html
I inherit a big piece of rosewood, and decide to get crackin on it.

3.  The Headbanger and the Bob.  397 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/headbanger-and-bob.html
Even though this shows up as written on 12/31/2011, the actual time I wrote it was on Jan. 1st early in the morning.  It's a fun little story.

2.  WSTN   498 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/04/wstn.html
This is probably my most metal blog ever. 

1.  I'm Finally Putting My Orchestra Training To Use.   1838 views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/05/im-finally-putting-my-orchestra.html
I never would have thought this would be so popular.  However, it's by far this most popular Adrian blog of 2012.


And now for Adrian's personal favorite blogs of 2012.


10.  A Little Piece of Heaven.  A House, A Home, A Log Cabin
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/05/im-finally-putting-my-orchestra.html
What I wouldn't give for my own home.  What I wouldn't give to build my own home.

9.  The Green Recliner
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-green-recliner.html
Sometimes the universe gives you gifts.  Mine was the green recliner.

8.  I'm a Terrible Painter
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-am-terrible-painter.html
Seriously, I am bad at painting.

7.  The Serial Killer at Cafe Kili is Really Annoying Me.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/04/serial-killer-at-cafe-kili-is-really.html
I'm just waiting until I see this guy on the news.

6.  Too Cute To Shoot?
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/11/too-cute-to-shoot.html
I like hunting, but I don't know if I have the heart to shoot one of these guys.

5.  The 80's Attack!  Movie Review:  The Adventures of Hercules 2
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-80s-attack-movie-review-adventures.html
I don't know if I could become drunk enough to make it all the way through this movie.

4.  Goth Night at the Coffee House.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/goth-night-at-coffee-house.html
I know I said it earlier, but did you see that goth chick?

3.  Hairy Fishnuts.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/09/goth-night-at-coffee-house.html
Seriously, it was all I could do not to lose my shit when watching the Hairy Fishnuts.

2.  Fuzzy Memories With Durice D. Long
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/01/fuzzy-memories-with-durice-d-long.html
Durice was a great man.  How could I not love this blog?

1.  Hunting Season 2012: Story 2, Hoggin It Up.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2012/12/hunting-season-2012-story-2-hoggin-it-up.html
I have to admit, I am partial to myself.  So it should come as no surprise that this is my favorite blog of 2012.

Thanks to everyone for reading.  I do appreciate it.  Including this blog, I will have written 65 blogs this 2012 year.  Like I always say, I try to aim for one blog per week, so I was ahead of my average.  I hope that I continue to write well in 2013.  Take care everyone.

Adrian's Best Blogs of 2011

I guess it's that time folks.  It's time for the new year, but before we do that, we look back at the old year.  This post is going to review the best of my personal blogs from 2011.  Now, while I did transfer the blogs from my old Myspace account to Blogspot this year, I am only going to count those blogs that I wrote in 2011.  Not the ones that were written prior to that, and transferred this year.

If I go strictly by numbers, here are the top blogs:

5.  Stacy Q Rocks.  44 Views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/10/stacy-q-rocks.html

This one kind of surprised me, in that, I didn't think it was that good.  But a lot of other truckers are looking for info about this strange statement carved into truck stop restrooms.

4.  Bitch'in Camaro.  138 Views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/04/bitchin-camaro.html

A lot of people are looking for pictures of vintage Cameros, and I have some good ones.  This blog was from my trip to West Virginia, and while I was there, they had a mini-car show. 

3.  Questions I Would Ask J.K. Rowling.  362 Views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/questions-i-would-ask-jk-rowling.html

I wrote this one with the intention of getting a lot of blog hits.  A lot of people find this blog post looking for Harry Potter pictures.

2.  Tsunami Death Toll.  484 Views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/05/tsunami-death-toll.html

This was supposed to be a funny blog about band names.  However, due to the Slayer pictures, this blog gets a lot of hits.

And finally number one, by a long shot....

1.  Chicks Dig High Profile Vehicles... Like Dragons.  6732 Views.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicks-dig-high-profile-vehicles-like.html

This blog took off due to a bunch of kids looking for pictures of Toothless the Dragon.  Every time that movie aired on HBO or Cinemax, you would see the hits spike on this blog.

Now, for my personal five favorites:

5.  The Republican Candidates Are In Fact, Underpants Gnomes.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/10/republican-candidates-are-in-fact.html

I was really proud of this one.  I did my homework, and went to the actual websites of the candidates.  I had been listening to a lot of news radio, and it just sunk into my head that the Republican candidates don't understand business.

4.  Grimm's Fairy Tales Have Nothing On My Mother.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/07/grimms-fairy-tales-have-nothing-on-my.html

Again, this is one I am really pound of.  I spent a lot of time writing it, and making sure it was perfect.  The "tales" my Mother told me at a young age stuck with me for all these years.  I'm surprised it took me this long to write a blog about it.

3.  Overpriced Couches and Insulting the Locals.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/04/overpriced-couches-and-insulting-locals.html

This is a bit of truth being stranger than fiction.  I never thought of writing a blog out of walking into an antique store.  However, that is what happened here.  When the strange gets tough, Adrian writes a blog out of it.

2.  Inside the Secret World of Adrian's Hunting Adventures, Part 2.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/inside-secret-world-of-adrians-hunting_28.html

I put so much hard work into this one.  This contains the videos of me after I had shot a hog out hunting, and then the hilarious aftermath.  This would easily be number one on my list except for one thing....

1.  Chicks Dig High Profile Vehicles... Like Dragons.
http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicks-dig-high-profile-vehicles-like.html

How could I not vote this number one?  I have over 280 individual blogs, and just over 10,000 individual views.  This one blog alone has 2/3's of my entire blog views.  I am also proud of the thoughts and writing of this blog.  I honestly saw one of the new Pontiac Trans Ams, and it just clicked that I should write this.

So there you have it.  Agree?  Disagree?  Can't pick a favorite?  Hate em' all?  Let me know.  Write a comment.

I do want to wish everyone a happy new year.  I will keep writing, and I hope you will keep reading them.  Happy blogging everyone.