I'm going to have to stop posting stories.

 

Why?  I'm burned out, having spent two years or more assembling and posting between 40 and 100 stories per day.  I've calculated that for every five or six calendar days, one day is spent on this task alone.

 

While I found the task to be worthwhile and I learned a lot about different parts of the state, it was far too much work to do for no income.  I'd like to channel that time savings into something that might be economically productive.

 

I'd like to take my blog to the next level--a full-fledged website.  But if you've been looking at it the last couple of weeks, you probably noticed that the work has been a little bit thin.  I just haven't had the time.  Nobody's going to come to a website that doesn't much new to offer.

 

Now I have a fantastic new opportunity coming up that's likely to take up a lot more of my time.  I can't really reveal it yet, but it will be huge.

 

I'd like to actually participate in the blog discussions.  There are members here with 500 posts who I've never heard of.  I've watched beautiful photo galleries go from first post, to discussion, to slow death as it falls to the end of the front page.  I've never had the time to click on them.

 

Of course, I do have some concerns.  I'm afraid of the board becoming all about the 3 C's and lacking content from less familiar parts of the state.  An absence of material on, say, Toledo will likely hinder our ability to attract people from that part of the state.

 

I'm afraid that some of the lesser threads might die.

 

I'm afraid that no one will want to pick up where I left off.

 

I would encourage everyone to post as much stuff that you run across as you can.  I might occasionally post a story or two, but probably only the local ones.

 

Thank you for all you have done and best of luck on your fantastic new opportunity!

Thanks, grasscat.  Thanks for making Urban Ohio the great site that it is.   :-)

 

Good luck! 

We'll try to fill the void as much as possible, yet it will be difficult. But you need to take some time to smell the roses (er, see more of UrbanOhio). You've sacrificed enough for the good of the site. Thanks so much Grasscat.

 

Now I at least have a chance to catch up to you in the number of posted messages!!!   :-D

I understand the burnout, having been to that point when I got out of TV "nooz".  But you have created not only a great site, but have done something that has allowed us all a way to connect with each other on topics that matter and even on stuff that some of us just think is basically cool.

 

Glad to see you'll still participate.  Wouldn't be the same U-O without ya.

 

Let us know what the new gig is and congrats on getting it!

A wise old green fellow once said:

 

"Go, you must"

 

Good luck Grasscat!  I appreciate all of your hard work and passion.

Good luck, Grasscat, and thanks for all you've done with Urban Ohio.

Well I go in spurts covering areas like Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland in addition to my Cincinnat posts.  But I will certainly look to pay more attention to the less popular/sexy areas around the state knowing this information.  The big cities seem to have news rolling in just fine (sometimes with 3-5 people even posting the same thing).

 

You have big shoes to fill, but I think/hope the UO community is up to the challenge.

You've put in an insane effort to keep us current around here; thanks for all that work!  Good luck with the mystery new opportunity!

What Rando said.

You have laid a helluva foundation here, Mr Cat.

thanks

Cheers, cat.

yea I cant thank you enough for all the time you've put into this site.  In one of my college essays for grad school, I actually wrote about Urban Ohio and how it has been a great way to not only network with other planners, but also gain insight into planning principle through people's remarks.  Needless to say, this site has been important in my life for almost 3 years now, and I thank you and all the mods!

Good luck, grasscat - you've earned some time off :-)

Thank you Grasscat for making UrbanOhio a much more rich and fulfilling web-site for all of us to enjoy!

Not much more can be said that hasn't already.

Thanks, Grasscat.

 

 

The dude rocks...

 

Will you still be doing your Random Cincinnati updates?  I imagine those had to take a TON of time, but they sure did rock out...shoot, I'm way behind on them, though...

 

Are Rich & ColDay giving you a gold watch in honor of your service?

Is this effective immediately?

 

Of course I understand, but UO will be lacking. Good luck with whatever.

Yeah, sure. You say you're pulling out. But a guy like Grasscat doesn't pull out.

 

Just you wait.

 

Grasscat will be gone for a few weeks, and then we'll start seeing news stories posted up by some new member named "Cassgrat" or "Strawdog", and before you know it he'll have 18,000 posts.

 

Yeah.

 

Run away, Grasscat.

 

Run away...

thx and good luck.

 

i will take your signoff on news postings as an inspiration to keep a better eye out and cast a wider net for news from the less well covered areas of the state whenever i can.

 

of course it is going to take a stepped up effort from the full army of all of us to even come close to what you do.

 

and ps i just wanted to add you put the ohio in urbanohio!  :clap:

 

 

He's not leaving lol!  He's just taking a much deserved break and I don't blame him.  Hell, he alone IS UrbanOhio.  Good luck with that blog of yours but you are still Admin so you BETTER be around! ;)

There is no way we can thank Grasscat for all of his hard work.  I don't see how he kept it up all this time.  He helped make this site what it is today.  Thanks.

my carton of newports is in the mail.

to reiterate what everyone else has been saying: thank you for posting the articles and stories.......they were/are greatly appreciated :)

As everyone else mentioned, thanks for your hard work! It was fun while it lasted. You've definitely had the greatest impact on making this a fun place. I guess we should all start "pitching in" and posting interesting news stories as we come across them.

Wow...I didn't really expect all of the responses, but thanks!  I'm glad that what I was doing wasn't a complete waste of time.

 

But you have created not only a great site, but have done something that has allowed us all a way to connect with each other on topics that matter and even on stuff that some of us just think is basically cool.

Without richNcincy making sure this site stayed up and operational, none of this would have even been possible.

 

Good luck with the mystery new opportunity!

Thanks.  You all will know what it is when it's official, and it will be cool.

 

Will you still be doing your Random Cincinnati updates?  I imagine those had to take a TON of time, but they sure did rock out...shoot, I'm way behind on them, though...

I don't really do those like I used to do, but I do similar stuff on my blog and then I post it over here a few days later.  I'll continue to do that.

 

Are Rich & ColDay giving you a gold watch in honor of your service?

I don't know.  Guys, should I save a date on the calendar?

 

Grasscat will be gone for a few weeks, and then we'll start seeing news stories posted up by some new member named "Cassgrat" or "Strawdog", and before you know it he'll have 18,000 posts.

You may be right.  The admins and mods have my IP address, though.  Maybe I'll have to do it from a friend's computer.

 

He's not leaving lol!  He's just taking a much deserved break and I don't blame him.  Hell, he alone IS UrbanOhio.  Good luck with that blog of yours but you are still Admin so you BETTER be around!

I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not quitting the board.  I'll still come and bust balls every day.

 

 

Again, thanks to everyone else who posted.

 

If anyone is interested in the links to newspapers or whatever, I still have all of that stuff.  Some of these papers are pretty obscure.  How many of you have read the Paulding County Progress, the Jackson County Times or the Upper Sandusky Daily Chief-Union?

 

P.S> Those are some trippy smilies, musky.

 

Grasscat, you are a man among men.

This, spoken in UrbanOhio, rings ever so true.

 

/ducks

^Haha

I'm sure that the work seemed thankless at times, but please don't ever think that it was unappreciated.  You have done the lion's share of the work to make UrbanOhio the best onestop shopping for Ohio urban development news.

 

Thank you.

Good luck man.

Maybe I'll have to get louder/more active on the forums to make up for the loss.

But it'll be quite a challenge.

 

/grabs more energy drinks.

 

Okay, now it seems easier ;p

Grasscat, how is retirement?

good luck Grasscat! But I'm sure we'll see ya around! ;-)

People, there are threads that deserve being brought back to life - this isn't one of them.