365!

Here it is – my 365th post on this blog!  I guess it means nothing more than having one post for every day of a single year, but who cares.  So what can I do to celebrate?  Why not address a few things that people have asked for but I never got around to.  But first, how about some interesting statistics about this blog?

The first day that I blogged on this site was on June 12, 2006 as Jet (only 1-2 months pregnant with Ben) and I drove down to Jacksonville, Alabama for a week to buy a house.  That was 979 days ago (about 2. 68 years).  With 365 posts, that means that I averaged about 1 post every 2.68 days.  With 850 total comments, that averages out to 2.33 comments for every post I wrote.  There have been 36,213 visits to our blog, which averages to 1,131.65 visits per month or 36.99 visits every day.  The most visits we got to our blog on any one day was 393 on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, which was the day after Ben was born.  The top two pages that are viewed, however, are “Slovak Christmas Eve” (1,366 views) and “Oplatky!” (439 views).  I wonder how much traffic I have driven to the Polish Art Center as a result of me blogging about them?  And the most popular search terms used on our blog are: “oplatky” (311 times), “sweet home alabama jet” (190 times), and “blackberry winter” (111 times).  Just a few interesting statistics.

So to honor this occasion, I have first updated our “About Us” page that was a bit dated.  But instead of re-writing this page completely, I simply “added on” to the story so that we would not lose some of the history of this blog and us.  Who knows what the next update (perhaps another 365 posts from now) will have?

The second and final item to commerorate this event is to publish the “Acknowledgements” section of my dissertation for all to see.  This is something that I have gotten several requests from multiple people (for unknown reasons), but never got around to sharing.  So here it is.  Enjoy and celebrate with us!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My dissertation is dedicated to the many individuals that have played a significant role in my life.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife Jet (Jittima).  She is the perfect complement to me as she can always find a way to challenge me with a perspective that is both refreshing and unique. I am indebted to her for the many things that she has provided me, not the least of which is her unconditional support of my goals.  Her patience with me to see me through my doctoral pursuits is truly a wonder that I aspire to emulate.  In addition, she has introduced me to a mother that I can love as well as a father and sister that I freely call my own.

I would like to next thank my father, Robert.  His honesty and willingness to help and support me have allowed me to endure these additional years in school.  Despite the fact that he is now retired, he rarely takes a day off from working – an indication of his commitment to all his children.  My father is the best role model that any impressionable young man could ever hope for.  There is no greater complement that I can bestow, and none more deserving.

I would like to next thank my siblings for their support during this wonderful adventure.  My sisters Kristin, Jenny, Stephie, Janette, Sandy, and Maggie, my brother Chris as well as my brothers-in-law Bryon, Scott, Matt, and Jeremy, in their own way, have instilled a competitiveness and eagerness to surpass all expectations.  “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll be among the stars” is a sentiment that best captures the spirit they engendered within me and is a lesson that will continue to be relevant throughout my life.

I would like to next thank my adviser, Dr. Dave Haseman, for the personal and professional relationship that he has shared with me.  Without the support and guidance that he has always so generously given me, I can say with great certainty that I would not be the standout student and individual I am today.  Professor Haseman, both as an educator and mentor, has truly helped shape my life personally and professionally. 

I would also like to thank my dissertation committee, Dr. Ram, Dr. Nazareth, Dr. Priem, and Dr. Haines.  My relationship with many of them extends beyond my enrollment in the doctoral program and will continue to mature as I progress professionally.  I am deeply grateful for the countless hours of assistance and advice that they were so willing to sacrifice to ensure that I would succeed.  I appreciate their friendship and support, and I look forward to the promising work that we will perform together in the future.

I would also like to thank my colleagues and fellow doctoral students for their friendship and support during my years in the doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.  Sup (Suprasith Jarupathirun), Joe (Hangjung Zo), AC (Ananth Chiravuri), Lisa, Gail, and Ryan are some of the best friends a guy could ever have.  They were always around to keep my mind stimulated by freely giving advice and constructive criticism for every new hypothesis I had and every challenge that I faced.  For that I am eternally grateful and they can always count on my support whenever it’s needed.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Wisconsin Distinguished Professorship Program (awarded by my adviser and Wisconsin Distinguished Professor, Dr. Dave Haseman) and SAP for providing me with financial assistance during my tenure in the Ph.D. program.  Without their generous support, I would not have had the opportunity to pursue in-depth the many different research topics that I have found to be so rewarding.