So what happened to May?

I'm sorry folks, I didn't mean to pull a disappearing act for nearly the entire month of May.

I'm going to do NaNoWriMo again (I know you're not surprised)

October is almost done, and the website has rebooted, so it's NaNoWriMo time again. I know you're excited. (Well, maybe you are. Maybe you should participate?)

Random Recipe: Penne a la vodka

So, a few months back, the food blog The Kitchn was looking for some writers. I applied, because why not, right? I'm a regular Kitchn reader, and figured I could manage one post a week that was cooking blog style. I'd mentioned penne a la vodka here before, and figured that was a good recipe to share. I guess not, because they didn't hire me, but now I'm sharing my recipe with you!

Look, I even took the requisite "most of the ingredients" (sans refrigerated stuff) picture:

Really, I just love this dog

So, predictably, I missed my "blogoversary". That very very first post, on April 7 of 2011, seems so long ago! I also missed "celebrating" my 800th post here. How time flies, right?

I largely blame Camp National Novel Writing Month. I was behind all week and only just now caught up. I've taken a bit of a different approach this time, and I'm writing a thriller-y type novel loosely based around the plot of Hamlet.

But I digress.

Statistical Fun

It's been awhile since I've posted about what brings people to the Elka Almanac. Actually, since Google changed the way their searches work, search terms are encrypted now a lot of the time which makes things difficult. For the most part, it seems like my business cards do not, in fact, drive traffic. It's a good way to give people my email address, anyway.

An Announcement

All right. Due to my typical personal fall slow down (it's cold here now! [well, getting there] And did a rainy/snowy thing I did not like), I'm going to change my update schedule. I maintained Monday through Friday for awhile there, sometimes with Sunday thrown in, sometimes extra Tuesdays, etc. But I fell behind at some point, and have kind of done Monday through Wednesday, which strikes me as less than effective, with all of those empty days yawning before me.

So. I'm going to try switching to a Monday - Wednesday - Friday schedule, the same as I do with my writing blog. In a way, this is cheating, as we know Wednesday is Wordless, so I will make effort to maintain a Tuesday Tails contribution as well, and perhaps a Tasty Tuesday as applies (see, blog hops make things easy and motivating!)

But, especially with NaNoWriMo looming, I don't want y'all to think I'm totally ditching you. Because I'm not. I'm just writing a lot, and reading, and trying to get housework done and pay attention to this dog 'o mine and oh yeah, work. That working thing.

Business cards from Moo.com

So, necessary or not, I have business cards for this blog. I give them to people I meet occasionally, press them upon my friends and coworkers, and tack them to corkboards at the vet's office and the feed store.

My original ones were from Office Max, a not so great picture of Elka laying down on a white background. Thin paper. Little information, just my name and email address (no phone number. I'm running a blog, not a "please call me" business).

My newer ones from Moo.com, though, are beautiful. I've gotten them twice now, the first time on their heavier paper, the second time on recycled. Fabulous paper quality both times. When I got the cards on recycled paper, the box was too, which was a nice surprise! They also ship quickly.

The first time, the cards were free because of a Klout.com perk, and so had to have the Klout icon on the back. Oh yes, the back. Moo.com cards let you put a picture and stuff on the front and back. Maybe I'll get even fancier next time and do a QR code (or that might be too fancy and not work. I'm never sure what's too far).

(this is the picture I used on the back. I couldn't get a good picture of the card, for whatever reason)

But, if you're interested in your own business cards from Moo, you can use my Super! Special! referral link, which will give me an amount off my next order  http://www.moo.com/share/p8cgnn

FTC diclaimer: I received no compensation from Moo.com for this review. I decided to do it all on my own.

Some blasts from the past

I've been unpleasantly sick this week, so little "real" blogging is to be had. I figured I'd take today to link to some of my older posts, from "before I was cool" (I tried this on my writing blog, with what seems like minimal success. I guess that one isn't cool yet?) Truth be told, without the computer and blog, I'd be pretty confused regarding what day it is; missing work does throw one for a loop. But there we go, it's after Wordless Wednesday, so that means it's Thursday

Missing Blogpaws....

One of these years, I'll make it to Blogpaws. Really I will. I'd like to go. Will I bring Elka, though? No, probably not.

I happily bring her to New Jersey at Christmas, or to North Carolina on vacation, but though the trip itself is somewhat stressful, the rest of the vacation really isn't. She gets to lounge around with people she likes and appreciates in a relatively calm environment.

(Relatively. We Donohues, when gotten together, can get a little loud and rowdy.)

Blogpaws, though? She would hate it. And managing that would make me miserable too.

The Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge: January 10 2013

 Thanks to Something Wagging, and Tales and Tails, I remembered the Pet Blogger Challenge way in advance this time!

1. How long have you been blogging and provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.

I've been Blogging since April 7 of 2011. Last year I almost forgot!

2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?

The educational ones. While not every post I have is informational, I do try to maintain a consistent level of points on what I feel is responsible dog ownership, good training, and good feeding. This year, especially in November and December, I tried to call more attention to Doberman rescue, and activities and fundraisers involving those. 

3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?

I think I've actually read fewer dog training books over the last year, so I need to adjust that certainly. I do think I've maintained a goo dlevel of responsibility without creeping into self-righteousness too often (yeah, I know I do it. Don't worry.)

4. How often do you post?

Typically Monday through Friday, sometimes with extras. 

5. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed?

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

If you don’t publish on a schedule, why? How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”

I started posting on a schedule mostly because I didn't want to have to scramble for material. If I know I'm doing M-F, other days optional, then I can actually compose posts ahead of time, take pictures with an eye toward entries, and lay out what exactly I'm doing, with or without blog hops. 

 6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your  tips for staying on top of it all.

Oh goodness, I'm pretty sure I don't actually stay on top of it all! I do daily try to go through my list of people I follow, and comment on the entries that have inspired a thought, or that I feel I can contribute to the discussion on. I'm not really sure how much time daily I spend on the actual writing and commenting, in addition to (rather sporadically, as of late) answering the comments on my own blog. At least an hour, certainly.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?

Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?

I look at the numbers of pageviews, but also how many people commented, whether it drew in a new (non spam) commenter, that sort of thing. Sometimes I like a post, anyway, even if nobody else seems to have!

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

I'm not sure I can say right out that I'm having any issues. I feel as though my traffic is decent, I dearly love my readers and commenters, and really just take things as they come.

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?

I'd like to continue to have videos on the Youtube. I intend to crack the books some more, both to do reviews of them and to learn/discuss more training techniques. I want to do more Command Clinic posts, as I've been more sporadic with them than I originally intended, and Elka certainly has a number of cues I can expound upon. I intend to continue posting about Doberman rescues, their fundraisers, and about dogs in need.

The Addictive Blog Award!

Another blog award! This one from Mason's mom, of Big Stinky Dog. Thank you so much!

  The rules of this award are:

1. Thank the blogger who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Tell you how I started my blog and why I blog.
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers.

(why is it always 10?! I guess I should be grateful it isn't 15! ^^)