If you’re a blogger, each time you finish writing a post and are about to Publish, you might think to yourself “is anyone actually reading this? Does anyone really care about what I might have to say?”

For more than 18 months Jim and I have used this blog to document and share our crazy full-time RVing sabbatical adventure. We are faithful about checking our visitor statistics and click-thru commissions, but we never felt like we had a good handle on you—our visitors: why you come here, and what you like or don’t like about what we publish.

We’ve often wondered what site features or blog topics we should put more time and effort into, and considered what might we scrap altogether.

To put aside any doubts we had about our work, we published our Reader Survey back in November. We used a WordPress plug-in called CForms II. Many thanks to everyone who submitted a survey.

We were intrigued with what we discovered. Among many of the findings, we learned new things like:

Discovery #1: More people read our blog on a weekly basis than daily.

The Conclusion: Many of you are busy and choose to catch up with our posts all at once, perhaps skipping through them until you find a topic that interests you. Perhaps we should also post no more than say, three posts a week so you don’t feel overwhelmed when you do visit.

Discovery #2: You’re into the way we live.

The top 3 blog categories people like to read about on our site are: “Fulltiming,” “Simple Living” and “RV Technology”

The Conclusion: Our core readers are interested in what it’s like to live a simple life in an RV on a fulltime basis while remaining connected. We are happy knowing that we’ve been writing for the things you want to know more about.

Discovery #3: If you subscribe, you don’t visit often. And vice versa.

Instead of subscribing to our blog in an RSS Reader, and perusing posts directly within that – a Reader is like an electronic newspaper of your own, which gathers up all of the latest work by the blogs and websites that you’ve told it to monitor – most of our audience physically comes back to our site each time they want to read it.

The Conclusion: Wow, we get bookmarked and people actually remember to visit at least once a week. This is a huge compliment. Also, while we didn’t ask your ages, this leads us to believe that the majority of our readers might not have the desire or time to get comfortable with how to use RSS feeds. If this is the case, and you want a quick tutorial on how to use a Reader, let us know and we’ll write about it.

Side Note: Of those readers who replied to our survey, that is! Feedburner stats indicate we have had on average 113 subscribers over the past 30 days. Thirty four readers completed our survey.

Discovery #4: You don’t Digg us.

Based on your feedback, social networking isn’t something you’re doing. Most of you don’t Twitter, and you definitely don’t spend a lot of time using the social bookmarking toolbars at the conclusion of each of our blog posts either. (In a social bookmarking system, users save links to web pages that they want to remember and share with specified people or groups inside certain online “networks.”)

Discovery #5: Most readers find our monthly expense reports to be useful.

The Conclusion: Our readers are curious about what it costs to live the way we do, and are perhaps comparing our spending against theirs. For the foreseeable future, I guess I’m stuck playing beancounter at the end of each month.

The Conclusion: Again, we think that this is a reflection of our readers’ age bracket. It was good to learn this about them, because as more social networking plug-ins become available for us to add to our site, we know that this probably isn’t something we should spend a lot of time implementing.

FYI: The “share” links now include a “print” and “email to a friend” buttons.

Discovery #6: Our closest friends and family don’t care.

Almost none of our friends and family filled out the survey. Some readers who comment frequently opted out as well. The most enthusiastic respondents who enjoy our site, are total strangers who never comment.

The Conclusion: Our friends and family know how boring we really are and don’t buy into that road tripping, freewheelin’ hippie image we have on the web.

Overall …

It seems that you are here for the blog itself, not really for the rest of the website, which includes a storefront and a road trip soundtrack page, if you didn’t already know. The number one reason you tune in is to read about what life on the road is really like, and where the best places in this country are for people with like-minded ways of thinking.

Thanks to the generous readers who gave their time to fill out the survey, we are now confident that for the most part, our writing is on the right track. While some things can be omitted or cleaned up (like not talking about politics, according to a few respondents), you have affirmed that our approach is working well.

And if we are way off base or totally full of crap with this analysis, please let us know with a comment below.

We’re getting excited about the February 15th premier of the PBS Nature episode that tells Jerry’s story. PBS is promoting the show through their Nature Blog, YouTube, Twitter, and even a pet photo contest.

For a sneak preview of some of our scenes in the show, check out Jerry’s Tripawds website.

Back when we were in Los Angeles, we were thrilled to be invited by PBS to present the show at the Annual Television Critics Press Tour. This is a twice-yearly event where TV networks showcase their best work of the season. We were on the panel along with with the show’s producer, Ellen Goosenberg Kent, animal behavior expert Sarah Wilson, and PBS executive Bill Grant.

We were clueless about the significance of the TCA event. But then Ellen told us that not every show gets invited to the showcase, and this was the only Nature episode being presented. Later, as we were whisked into the Universal Studios Hilton ballroom with a large stage, gigantic video monitors and about 100 reporters, we got the picture.

Jim’s a natural at public speaking, and was great. As for me, I’ve always dreaded it, and if I didn’t belong toToastmasters once, I would’ve fainted. I did OK though, thanks to our “little Jerry” I held, a three legged stuffed dog that our friends Bob and Marianne Morse gave to him before we left Eureka (that’s Jerry’s collar on it).

The event was over in the blink of an eye, but the results have been encouraging. We’ve so far been interviewed by the TV Guide Channel, a Tribune News Media reporter, and this Tuesday, a San Luis Obispo area talk radio host, Dave Congelton, is interviewing us. Keep an eye out for your local newspapers to review the show.

As we watch this dream unfold, we can’t help but feel blessed for all of the incredible gifts that Jerry bestowed on us. He was such an inspiration, and despite the pain of losing him far too soon, we are comforted in knowing that his story will go on to inspire others all over the world through this show, and of course, his website. Many thanks to producer Ellen and our friend Luke for believing in his story.

Remember, Why We Love Cats and Dogs premieres Sunday, February 15 on PBS (check local listings).

My friends and I used to tell this joke when we were kids:

“Why do Mexicans make tamales for Christmas?

So we can have something to unwrap!”

Ok, that’s not really true, we were spoiled brats and did have a lot besides tamales to unwrap. Regardless, my family has made tamales every year since Mom and Dad were married in 1954. This past Christmas, Jim and I got to participate in the annual tamalada at Mom and Dad’s house, something we never had time to do before we hit the road.

I’m trying to capture the Agredano recipe, and put one of my custom books together that shows how to make them. But getting the recipe from Mom is a little tough.

“Oh, just add a little of this, a little of that,” she says. She doesn’t measure anything. All I really know is that it’s the lard that gives them their flavor. But once a year, this vegetarian will look the other way, because these tamales are just so darn good!

Just a quick update on the search for biodiesel.

When we left California in June 2007, the cost of biodiesel was comparable to diesel fuel. Maybe a few cents a gallon more, but to me it was worth it to do my part in helping the planet.

However, since returing to the West Coast, we’ve had a harder time finding anything better than B5. Even back in Eureka where we first started filling our tank with it, locating an outlet was challenging.

Suddenly, not as many stations seem to be offering it anymore.

When we finally did pull into a station that had some, they were selling it at $4.00/gallon for B100. Almost twice as much as even the priciest diesel in San Francisco. We pulled out of that station faster than we pulled in.

It’s disappointing to see that biodiesel is becoming less of an option today. Someday in the future we’ll build our own stealth fueling station, but until then, it looks like nasty ol’ Number Two will going into our tank.

If you have any secret sources for finding biodiesel on the road, please let us know with a comment below!

Anyone speeding through life who spends a lot of time on the road may be interested in how Trapster sends speed trap locations to your mobile phone. With that said? Why is everyone in such a hurry?

I think it has to do with stuff. Too much stuff in their closets. To much stuff going on in their lives. All the “amenities” of life in the big city come with definite drawbacks.

The fine flatware, the library, the house plants, the wine cellar … these require lots of space, which only means you end up accumulating more stuff. Which in turn means you need more space.

The hot tub, the workshop, the garden, the manicured lawn … these things require time. Lots of time. Less quality time.

The big screen TV, the Wolf range, the Sub Zero side by side … these things require debt. Debt requires a good paying job, which often means a commute, and only adds to stress and speed of life.

Stress is the killer road big city life leads us down. Everything is rush, rush, rush. We forget about humanity and the things that really make us happy. It’s all about me. Now. My job. My time. My stuff.

Stuff does not equal happiness. Having lived on the road for a year and a half, and come to sense true freedom, it’s easy to feel self righteous when imersed in the typical daily grind. But I can tell you one thing about the pain and suffering metropolitan life inflicts upon people without them even being aware. It’s contagious.

It’s hard not to be affected when confronted with the lack of smiles in the supermarket or while sitting in traffic. I say slow down. Ask yourself what truly makes you happy. And don’t rush to come up with an answer. But feel free to share below once you know.

On the road again . . . like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.

Ok, I know it’s cliche, but it had to be done.

Just over a month after arriving in L.A., we said tearful goodbyes to the family yesterday, then headed up to Paso Robles to meet Moose’s family, our heroes who showed us that dogs can live great lives on three legs. We wouldn’t be the wandering hoboes we are if it wasn’t for this incredible pack. We had a great visit. More on that later.

Meanwhile, we’re boondocking on classic desert BLM land near Red Rocks State Park. This place is filled with OHVers on weekends, but weekdays are relatively quiet. Friday, we’ll head to Palm Springs to catch Willie Nelson live!

We are huge Willie fans, and have been trying to get to one of his shows for years, but never made it. Finally, our universes will collide this Friday night. I can’t tell you how excited we are about it.

Till then, we’re gonna get re-acclimated with life on the road. We’ll soak up the sun, go on hikes, watch sunsets, and write our guts out here in the desert. I just hope we can view the Inauguration tomorrow morning on the web without getting FAP’d by our satellite provider.

Seems like whenever we are deprived of real ethnic food for a while, once we do get anywhere near it, we automatically head for the nearest Chinatown for some dim sum. In our travels, we’ve experienced five official Chinatown districts in: Seattle, Toronto, Manhattan, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Seattle’s Chinatown is the lamest ever. Some Chamber of Commerce people christened it Chinatown, but it’s really just a place on the rougher edges of town where a lot of Asians live. The city put up some tacky Chinese gates there, but we didn’t buy it. There’s not much to check out, and the dim sum was boring. It was a real disappointment when we visited last November, especially after being cut off from real Asian food for almost all of 2008.

Manhattan’s Chinatown was a good experience, but felt a little too modern and spread out. We haven’t been there for years though, so we’ll give it another try next time we ditch the rig and head into the big city.

Toronto’s Chinatown is the only one on the East Coast worth checking out. With three different Chinatowns in the greater Toronto area, there’s tons of great food, and lots of colorful scenery. We definitely got our dim sum fix there, in fall of 2007. The one thing we didn’t like about it is that it was just too darn big to see it all.

For the ultimate Chinatown experience in North America, head to San Francisco . Go beyond the tacky tourist gates and storefronts, and get to know the real Chinatown. Wander the tiny alleys, marvel at the architecture, and play liar’s dice at an old opium den.

But don’t be in a hurry, because in Chinatown, you go nowhere, fast. There’s so many people on the street, that navigating through the dense crowds takes patience and time. Several weeks ago we got our first real dim sum fix there since leaving California in 2007. We happily committed dim sum suicide at Gold Mountain. Go there.

And when you’re stuck in the crowds, you’ll forget you were ever trying to get anywhere, because you’ll be amazed at all of the crazy, completely unidentifiable food stuffs, like these.

Haight Street at Night, San Francisco

Before we got to L.A., we stopped in San Francisco to see old friends and reminisce about our life back in The Day. Veering from our usual frugal routine, we splurged and stayed at the Red Vic Inn in the Haight, just around the corner from the old party house where I spent the better part of my 20s.

Back in 1995, I was a slacker with five roommates inhabiting a non-stop party house. Jim was a long-haired biker posing as a responsible marketing guy in a Saab. One night Spoonie played matchmaker, and brought us together. Despite the vast differences in our lifestyles, our lives converged and we were never the same again.

In December, thirteen years later, we were back where we started, at least for a night. After a walk through the city and several cocktails, we returned to our room. I promptly climbed out onto the fire escape overlooking the scene on Haight. I had to take it all in again, at least one more time.

The energy below felt exactly the same as it did in 1995. All of the same characters were there. Street punks with their dogs, musicians playing on corners, bicyclists coming home from work, and strolling tourists. Nothing ever changes.

I sat outside, barefoot and hoarking down an Anchor Steam. My mind played back scenes of our life together; they went through my brain like the pages in a flip book.

The Gold Cane on Haight, Where We Met

We’ve been through so much together, and come so far from where we started. It’s been a wild ride getting here, and after all these years, it just keeps getting better. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner when we hit the road again in a week or so.

For anyone who wants to see what it costs to live a (relatively) frugal lifestyle on the road for seven months, here’s our last Expense Report of 2008. It shows December numbers, along with totals from June to December. The most surprising finding? We actually lived on $23,597. That’s $11,799 each. I think the last time I lived on that kind of dough was back in high school.

Our Top Six Expenses from June to December 2008 were as follows:

1. Food: $3,725 total / $532 average each month (about the same as last year, same timeframe)
2. Truck: $3,621 total / $517 average each month ($2k was for the hideous brake system overhaul)
3. Insurance: $2,709 total / $387 average each month (our State Farm agent is really good)
4. Fuel: $2,364 total / $338 average each month (not as bad as I thought)
5. Rent: $1,745 total / $249 average each month (workamping rocks!)
6. Booze; $864 total / $123 average each month ($100 more than last year…can I blame it on the economy?)

For you detail oriented readers, here’s a PDF with all of the gruesome details.

We’ve been trying to get this off our chests for about nine months now, but we weren’t allowed to say anything. It’s finally official … Jerry is gonna be a star!

Thanks to our three-legged soul mate, we’ll be featured in the upcoming premiere of NATURE’s WHY WE LOVE CATS AND DOGS airing nationally on PBS Sunday, February 15th at 8PM (check local listings) NATURE is produced by THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG for PBS.

The crew followed us around for a few days when we took Jerry to Santa Fe for his first visit the oncologist. They later sent a cameraman to the ranch to capture more quality time with the three of us. We have no idea how it all turned out. Only that we and other pet lovers were were asked – along with various animal behavior experts – what makes us love our animals so much?

How exciting and surreal this has been … we owe it all to Luke at 2 Dogs 2000 Miles who told the NATURE producer about us. Puppy up my friend!

Stay tuned for more details. We just returned from the TV Critics Conference, for the program’s premiere. Knowing we live on the road, they offered to fly us to Los Angeles from wherever we were. Too bad we’re already there!