Still, I thought it might be fun to muse for a moment on some things I’d simply rather not live without. I’m not putting a lot of thought into it, but instead just naming a few things that come to mind.

1. iPhone- My iPhone is the key to it all. I mean, seriously. Everything. My calendar, contacts, emails, news. It all filters through my iPhone. For the record, mine is white with a minimal bumper on it. I didn’t choose an elegant piece of tech to wrap it in an otter case. Ugh.

2. Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots- This may be premature since I’ve only had them two weeks, but I can say with relative confidence that they will be worn until the day I die. Comfortable, rugged and stylish, they have replaced my old brown British Doc Martins. Let’s face it, once Martins stopped being made in England, they weren’t worth a damn. The 1000 mile boot is by far the best show I’ve ever owned.

3. Saddleback Leather Briefcase- No matter where I’m going, the SB case goes with me. 100 year warranty, minimal moving parts, heavy leather. If Indiana Jones were a real person, this is what he’d carry.

4. iPad- the iPad replaced my laptop a long time ago as the computing device that goes with me everywhere. For the majority of what I do, the iPad is the easiest, quickest, most efficient way to work. Plus, clients love it.

5. Ford 150- My truck is a full size 2000 F 150. I love sports cars and motorcycles to be sure, but neither of those things would have been of much use when the Tornadoes blew through our county last April. This truck is tough in an understated, get it done, sort of way that I really appreciate. Now that she has heat again, it’s even better.

6. Old Navy Boot Cut Jeans- I have some super expensive jeans. They don’t have the comfort and fit level my old navy’s do. I wish I could argue otherwise, but I just cant.

7. Colt Defender .45- I’m from the school that we have certain freedoms in this Country that we shouldn’t ignore. Carrying a gun is one of them. I’m no gun-toting crazed hillbilly, but I do like being able to know that if push came to shove, I can shove pretty darn hard.

8. Blue- As I write this, my Great Dane/German Shepard Blue, is sitting in my lap. He enormous. He eats too much. He poops too much. But he is my constant amigo, and when I’m driving around town, he is always happy to ride along. He is sweet to the kids, but growls at folks who approach our front door. He doesn’t bite, but if he did, you’d lose an arm.

9. St. Croix 4 weight Ultra Legend Fly Rod- Fly fishing is really the only true hobby I have, and the proper gear is essential. For the southeastern rivers I fish, the ultra legend is the perfect rod, balancing power, precision and delicate presentation. I have landed huge trout on this rod and had just as much fun landing tiny trout. If I could have only one fly rod, this would be it.

10. Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angel Chronograph- When I was young, my dad took us to the Sears Tower in Chicago to watch the air show. The highlight of the entire event was watching the Blue Angels fly beneath us through the city of Chicago. I’ll never forget it. Years ago, my wife bought me the Blue Angel Citizen watch and I never take it off. It looks good, sure. Even banged up and scratched, the watch oozes cool. But more importantly, it keeps time. One a day, the watch syncs up to the main time station in New York, ensuring that it is never more than .5 seconds off actual time. Pretty neat.

11. Case Pocket Knife – My Great-grandfather, Grandfather and father all carried Case knives in their pockets. I have all of their knives in my collection now, and a pocket worn Case Trapper is my every day use knife. I know there are many knife choices out there, and lots of knives that are “tougher”, but for me, the knife is a tool, and keeping it simple is the key to using it properly. I open boxes, cut rope and even use it occasionally for a steak knife when I eat.

Well, that’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed this list. I could pick many more things, but 10 seemed like a decent place to stop. What are some things you wouldn’t live without?

I’m working on a few theme ideas, so there may be some technical problems for the next few days.

I hope this doesn’t bother you too much…

Thanks,

Rob

So, last night, I was goofing around with the theme possibilities for The Rob Blog, and I received a message that my computer needed to update. I went ahead and let it do its thing and reboot. This morning, when I got up, the links to many of the pictures here don’t work. This does not make me happy.

Nope.

Not at all.

Sigh.

To The Faithful Underground…

I have always envisioned www.robalderman.net as a place where all things Rob could occur. Over the years, I’ve been lucky to have had my hands in enough projects that there are plenty of little things to discuss. I dig input and conversation, so these little talks are valuable to me, and hopefully to you.

This is terribly egocentric of course, but that’s precisely what websites are for. Someone has an idea and builds a website out of it. I have several creative plans for 2010, including finishing my novel, recording an EP (which begins shortly) and a fun little project with The Slinky that will involve two things that should ALWAYS be mixed together- Cleveland Locals and Film Reviews. (more on that soon…)

You know, keeping an online presence these days is a tricky proposition. The technology seems to change quicker than most writers can keep up with.

This is inherent to the genre, as writers tend to be inwardly creative and push through into an outward expression. This means that their art is really simply for themselves and there is no need to keep up with current trends in technology…that is until they realize that their readership has moved on to the “communication of the month”. Never underestimate the power of a healthy ego.

So, I have been plotting my return to the webernets, and I have to say that I’m pretty positive that I’m going to stick with this WordPress format. I like it. (The debate now is whether or not to finally sever my ties with blogspot…sigh.)

Social Media guru types like Steve Rubel have said that Blogging is dead. Rubel and others believe that the age of the blog and RSS is gone and the age of life-streaming has come.  At first, I agreed. Blogging was feeling so cumbersome. It is much easier to send out snippets of info through tech like Posterous. (which I still love…now more than ever)

Now, I’m not so sure that Blogging is going the way of the Dinosaur. Instead, I think that it’s changing…evolving. The internet is a fickle mistress, and I believe that in 2010, we may see a return to meaningful blogging again. The reason is that I don’t think people can live on Tweets alone.

I love a quick snack, but that doesn’t take away my need for a healthy, full dinner. You know what I mean?

So what’s ahead for the Rob Blog in 2010? More full meals and less snacks, for one.

Will you like what I’m serving?

I sure hope so.

So, within a few minutes, this site should be www.robalderman.net …let’s hope it works.

WordPress allows me to do many things in the way of tracking my blog stats that other blog sites won’t.

But, the biggest reason has to do with the way I like to live my life…mobile.

When I purchased my iPhone, I knew I was taking a big step, but I never knew just how big it was. We’re MAC people, and iPhones just seemed like a smart purchase, but darned if I don’t do everything on the thing. That includes blogging.

So I need a blogging platform that works for my mobile lifestyle.

Tumblr seemed good. The app for iPhone is good and the blogs are slick, but forget about anything functional. Posterous is wonderful for posting blogs, but not for hosting them.

So is this move going to have any staying power? I really don’t know. For now, I think I’ll just move in a little bit and prop my feet up…maybe I’ll like it.