October 2002

October was fun. One of the most interesting email contests in a decent while. First of all, email volumes were up all around. Recently I’ve been on top of my email and have been answering the same day, if not the same hour, in many cases. This is a change for me typically answering a week or more late as I slowly went through my email. That might have something to do with the increased volumes. Or not. Just speculation.

In addition, a few interesting occurrences on the list this month.

First, after having dropped off the list entirely in September, Marilyn decided she was going to make a major effort this month. Not just to make the list, but to actually win. And she did. Marilyn is not one of the people who wins frequently, but is a periodic winner. She last took the #1 spot in April 2001.

Second, Marilyn was not the only one who decided to make an effort for the list. Carrie Opheim has been emailing me for years, but in recent times just a handful or less of emails each month. Not enough for the list. In October, Carrie decided she wanted to make the list again. Because of the generally higher volumes this month, the bar was higher than it often is, but Carrie made it in, placing at #9. This is Carrie's first appearance on the list since January 2000. Almost 3 years! Welcome back Carrie!

Third, Kelly, who broke onto the list a few months ago, accelerated her emailing, and this time made not just the top 10, but the top 5. In fact all the way up to #3. This more than Quadruples her amount of email from the previous month, and in fact she sent as much email in October as she did in the previous 11 months combined! (Well, OK, if she’d sent four more emails she would have, but close enough.)

Finally... Chad, Chad, Chad... For almost all of his history Chad has been a high flyer on the list, winning frequently, and even when not winning, almost always in the top five. Only a handful of times not in the top five in years. This time Chad falls to number SEVEN. I decided to search for the last time Chad placed that low on the top ten. And you know what... As it turns out, Chad made the top ten list for the very first time in January 1997. That month he tied for #6 with 21 emails. Since then he had NEVER placed lower than #6. For almost 6 years. Until now. Chad drops precipitously. What is next, falling off the list entirely? Chad, Chad... How the mighty have fallen. :-)

Oh, and Cynthia and my Grandmother both drop off the list. Please come back soon!

Sep

Nov