Thursday, March 19, 2015

Yes! Yes! No! No! Both...


I was looking at the overnight stats on the eBlast and was curious about the click rates on the links I provided.  The four topics click rates were as follows:  taxes 33%; insurance 11%; living space 33%; and yards 22%.  I find it interesting that insurance was not much of interest to others and yet it is well-documented that many homeowners do not really understand their insurance policies.  Sadly, that understanding oft comes a day late and a dollar short ... after they needed a better or different policy.

Each month, I look at the open rate of the eBlast at 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 1 month.  Sometimes, there is a jump over the course of the month, but generally 7 days will tell me what the final open rate was.  Last month was the best final open rate yet, at 35%.  The industry average is around 19% and we range between 24% and 28%.  So, even though we regularly beat the industry average, I would like to find ways to improve the open rate.  That is why, in part, I started working to find additional information to provide via hyperlinks when I write the accompanying text for the promotional material I'm given to send out.

This month's overnight open rate is 24%.  I do hope that it rises significantly, because I really did think I did a solid job of providing helpful information this month.

Anyway, the service we use has significantly changed the user interface and sometimes I feel a bit lost.  That leads to feeling panicked and other less-than-positive emotions that hinder my ability to be effective at one of the last legitimate tasks (albeit a very small one) I have left in my life.  However, I do like how the stats interface has changed.  It is rather visual now, with the click rate hovering over each link.  That's how I know folk were not much interested in lessons about insurance.

Next month's topic is going to be really, really, really hard.  SIGH.




Yesterday, Amos crawled into my lap for a nap when I was lying on the couch.  He then hopped back down to fetch a baby.   After tucking Reindeer Baby beneath his chin, Amos promptly feel asleep and soon started to snore.  I propped the phone up on the laptop sitting on the TV tray next to the couch so that all could enjoy my Fluff Ball's adorableness.

[Please ignore that I still have my Breathe Right strip on my nose.]

I try to explain to Amos that the couch isn't deep enough for both of us and a collection of his babies. He, however, has not really understood me.  At the moment, I'm sitting up, Amos and two babies are in my lap, and three more are next to me.  I am not sure which one of us Amos thinks needs baby-comforting ... him or me.

Tonight, Amos has been licking aways my tears.  

My sister caught the tail end of a documentary about frontotemporal dementia and told me the title.  This was my father's ... belated ... diagnosis.  I Googled it and found that the documentary can be found online:  Looks Like Laury, Sounds Like Laury.

Laura's daughter Tallie has a friend who, in my opinion, has some of the most helpful words in the film.  Her mother Connie becomes a close friend of Laury because of their daughters' friendship. The filming primarily takes place when Tallie and Gus are in 2nd Grade.  "Out of the mouths of babes" has truly never been more apt:

Tallie, she's my ... my really best friend and she thinks I'm her best friend, too. I'm Gus and I'm sort of like Tallie's best friend.  Sometimes we break up, but Tallie always gets us back together.  

When I first met Laury I didn't know what was wrong with her and I thought she just was quiet, she didn't know me and that's why she was doing that.  For she's different from many other mont, because you know she has that and so Tallie's different from many other friends because of that.  

Everybody keeps asking it to Tallie, like "What's up with your mom?"And I try to push it out of the way, the subject, so she wouldn't have to talk with about it. And that's all we can do, really, 'cause I can't help her mom.  I can't tell her... I m gonna ... like ... I can give her something to make her feel better or change her life.  The only thing I can say  "I'll try to be really nice to you. And I'll have lots of play dates together.  I'll even have sleepovers.  We'll talk together.  And I'll help you through math and stuff.  And that's all I can do, really."

Laury's primary symptom was Broca's Aphasia.  She could understand speech, but she was losing her ability to communicate herself.  Her first hint of a problem was at the age of 46; she began to forget her words, one by one.  She died when she was 52.  Having been an actress, Laury and her family welcomed the filming so that others might better understand frontotemporal dementia and how all dementia affects both the one afflicted and his/her family and friends.

I hope.  I hope you watch it.

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