10,000!

Earlier today, a reader in Essex Junction, Vermont logged the 10,000th visit to Upper Left. Yeah, I know, the big guys would get nervous if they weren't pulling in 10,000 an hour or so, but it's quite a landmark for me.

Last November I was excited every time the site meter would log a visitor from a new state, and now the place has been looked at by folks from about 40 countries, including every continent except Antarctica. And hundreds of you have returned again and again! Thanks!

If you're one of those that thinks I'm doing a pretty good job here, it's in no small part because I don't have a job elsewhere. Yep, I'm the human embodiment of a Bush statistic, about 14 months distant from my last day job. Good for the blog, bad for the budget.

All that by way of saying that while I leave that little PayPal button over there as a silent nag, I don't do a lot of begging around here, but if you're inclined to join in the celebration of Upper Left's 10,000th visit, a donation would be a highly appropriate and vastly appreciated way to do so.

If your budget looks like mine and all you can offer is a silent 'hurrah,' well that's good too! Better yet, toss a couple comments at the occasional post. But whatever you do, keep coming back. Eventually, I'm bound to get good at this...