I have been neglecting my blog. And my followers.  I have been… Blognostic.

Besides being ‘busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger’ (borrowed from cowboy-extraordinaire JW Campbell’s collection of colourful yet oft politically incorrect phrases), I have not been compelled to blog-share of late.  And I’m not sure what this lackadaisical attitude stems from.  Some sort of ‘social media’ transformation perhaps? Virtual soul searching? I know that there has been much (professionally and personally) that has distracted me from my usual online activities.

1) I have been preparing for a number of forthcoming conferences.  Two in the EU (Spain and Italy) in June. One in Asia that will be presented by an extraordinary PhD Student with the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy. Four presentations.  Four papers.  One on social media policy in universities, one on regulating new plant breeding techniques, one on scholarly networks attached to synchrotron science and one on public private partnerships in research.  Diverse, huh? Work on that last one has been done almost exclusively by our co-author.  Did I mention that I work with a brilliant group of folks?

2) The 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede is coming up in July and I am on the Ag Media Committee.  I work with two amazing agricultural committees: Light Horse and Western Performance Horse. ‘Nuff said.

3) Dewdney Players Group Theatre’s production of “Rodeo & Julie-Ed” is in full swing. I am in charge of tickets. I. AM. THE. BOX. OFFICE. The job has earned me an honorary role as an extra in this hilarious musical improv. My name? “Runs with Tickets” of course!  I’ve got a costume and everything! (It’s a great production, by the way! Want tickets? Call me!)

4) Tanya, our daughter, is pushing her music career to the max these days.  We are helping her out.  This past month has been crazy.  Competition, press kits, meetings, bookings, website development, demos, videos, production and recording.  Crazy.  But productive. (follow her on Twitter: @tanyaryanmusic)

5) Then there is work.  Plain and simple.  Work.  The day-to-day tasks that come with being ‘all that is academic’ (drum roll, please). Like finalizing articles for publication (forthcoming one with S. Smyth in AgBioForum documenting the rise and fall of Triffid flax) and not to mention finishing off a book on innovation in oilseeds research (with P. Phillips, G. Webb and J. Karwandy).  That book is due out in October of this year (publisher: CABI). And let’s not forget the reporting requirements for the TUFGEN project. Plus working with colleagues to develop RFPs and grant applications for new research projects.  All in a day’s work. Phew.

I apologize to those dedicated followers that follow and read my Twitter/blog musings… I have been neglecting the social media part of my life of late. In addition to all the activities outlined above, there have been other things that have distracted me.  Personal stuff.  I have lost a number of loved ones over the past few years.  Too many.  All close.  And even though much of the grieving has been done (or so I thought), it seems like I am reliving past losses all over again with every new loss that comes along.  I’m not sure what it is but it makes it awfully tough to virtually-socially-mediate when I feel like this. I am an emotional desert.  I guess that much of my thought processes turn inward and I just focus on tangible tasks at hand.

Thanks for listening/reading about my blognostically-busy-blue-ness.  It’s time to get back in the social media saddle again, folks. I’m working on it.