There are times when I think, why in the hell am I spending all of this time working on this website? I am a busy guy. I work long hours. I have a new wife. Hell, I've got cats that need attention. And yet, night after night, I spend an hour or so tapping away at this keyboard, writing about the Twins or the Timberwolves or whatever else is on my mind. I used to check my stat counter quite a bit to see how many people were reading my sight. I'm pretty happy that I've built a little following, but lately, I've been unable to break through and reach a larger audience.

That's okay I suppose, because quantity of readership doesn't always mean quality of the prose. Tolstoy was more popular than Dostoevsky in his day. There's no way that Leo's work is as brilliant than Fyodor's, it's just that Leo's was more popular. Britney Spears sold more copies of her drivel than the Rolling Stones did on any of their albums, but 40 years from now, Britney will be a footnote, and the Stones will still be touring.

That is not to say that I think that my little website is "Crime and Punishment" or "Let it Bleed" or anything. But, I do try to provide a little hint to my readership about what I am thinking. I'm not afraid to challenge my fellow bloggers. Those bloggers and readers who engage me in discussion make my day.

I wrote a thinly veiled challenge to Frightwig yesterday about the actual impact of a 0.15% sales tax. Just wanted to get him thinking a little bit about this stadium issue. I think his position on stadium financing is honorable, and on one level I don't want to enrich Carl Pohlad, because I really hate guys like him. But, I honestly believe that paying taxes for quality of life is a good investment, even if there isn't a direct return, and even if a crusty old miser like Pohlad benefits. The best thing about blogging is that FW wrote about what I had to say. I think FW is a great writer and quite a thoughtful guy. I don't agree with everything he says (wouldn't life be boring if we always agreed?), but I read his site daily because he IS thoughtful.

Friends, I don't want to have a site where everyone agrees and everyone thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread. I'd rather write stuff that pisses a few people off and makes people think. Who knows? I might learn something and you might learn something. If I spout off, I might find out I'm wrong. Or you might find out I'm right. Either way, someone has benefitted.

Ultimately, that's what my site here is about. I don't care if 150 or 15,000 or 1.5 billion people read my site every day. I will never make a nickel off this site. I won't put advertising on this site, nor will I sell SBG T-Shirts. (I'm sure the demand for those are pretty high. Not.) If a few people decide to discuss topics with me that interest me, well that's pretty satisfying. So, I'll rip Torii Hunter from time to time. (2 RBIs tonight, way to go 2 eye!) I'll tell you that team chemistry means nothing or very little (great article at ESPN on that today... does the author read this site??? Thanks Moss for pointing it out to me). I'll tell you that maybe, just maybe, Juan Rincon WAS guilty of using steroids, but only because it was his way to make it in this world. (Oh, and on Saturday, Mrs. SBG will show you pictures of our cats.) I welcome your feedback. Tell me I'm an idiot if you want.

Now that I am married, my site has started to morph a little. FW has suggested it should be all cats, all the time. I'm not going there yet, but I will say that Mrs. SBG is talking about adopting Theo's actual sister. One of her former co-workers took Theo's sister, but now wants to give her up. I'm abivalent about this. I do appreciate the cats we have, but am not sure I want another. And really, why would I want to cause Jags any further anxiety?

I said the site has morphed a little. My beautiful wife asked me to post some more wedding pictures. How can I say no? So here they are.

Until our wedding, Mrs. SBG was not an aunt. Now she has five nieces. Here she is with three of them. (I think they love her.)

My wife and my niece/goddaughter.

SBG and nephew/godson

For FW, more Jags Photos (we have a LOT of these)