You raise some interesting possibilities. to whit:

1. lack of cephalic hydration due to climatic factors, exacerbated by recent physiological exertions - we’ve actually had some unseasonal moisture in the region, including much rain over the last few weeks. So much so that I even left the bike at home today and *gasp* took the bus to avoid a nice brown rooster tail in my morning meetings. This may not be a factor in the recent increase in banality.

2. yahoo-related concussive disorder. Alas, the entire family managed to boycot that whole mess this year. I only went to 2 stampede breakfasts, and one of those was at work. Likely avoided any cranial damage this year. That does not rule out previous trauma, however.

3. I did just book another trip to lotusland, but will not be travelling until the end of the month. I will test your hypothesis. If banality is reduced by increased exposure to coastal climes, will consider seeking longer term solution.

Graham - that’s true. I just took a look at the front page of the blog and said (possibly out loud) “holy. crap. even I don’t wan’t to read this crap.” Not a comment on quality/quantity of writing, as much as an apparent lack of a blogging frontal lobe running an effective crap filter. I’ve got what may be progressing into a case of Blogger’s Tourrete’s. Whoop! Post! BLARG! Submit!

Dear Mr. Norman,

We have noted with despair the recent trend of banality in your blog posts which had in prior times been of the most excellent variety. The most recent blog about blogging has tripped out Netflow banality detector and trigger an SNMP trap. We are very much at a loss to explain this but offer the following suggestions;
 - Your attempt to get exercise in that arid climate has caused a dehydration of the brain
- The thumping of the recent horse-related celebrations in your area has induced a concussive disorder
-  Your return to the flatlands after several recent trips to lotusland has induced a depressive episode
We bring this to your attention so you may seek the appropriate medical advice, or failing that request a slap upside the head from your nearest co-worker.

We remain, Sincerly Yours,

A.P.J Wobblebottom
Internet Assigned Tone Code and Conduct Agency for the Healthy Electronic Discourse (ISATCCAHED)
- aka ‘Tubes R Us’

I don’t do this for Google Juice, but if I really cared about that, I’d probably be pretty happy. For some reason, this blog has a Google PR of 6, which many companies would kill for.

It’s kind of a combination of that (having an insane google PR for writing banal posts about schlepping my fat ass on a mountain bike), and the threat of “internet celebrity” - it’d be way too easy to start thinking everything I did was interesting, falling into the trap that’s taken Winer, Canter, Scoble, etc… Or, were they droning self-hype-believing loudmouths before the advent of blogs?

Of course, I’m no internet celebrity (despite what Josh says ;-)) so perhaps there’s hope left, a chance to step back from the brink. Or something.

I’m not about to stop blogging. Just rethinking what I want to put out there…

What's a blog for, if it's not banal every once in a while. besides, it's authentic. Why are you down on it, because you're telling us how you're riding to work on your bike? Dude — THAT is what it's all about. Don't get caught in the trap that says you have to actually say something USEFUL (and yet — you do. You're an internet celebrity, remember?) - just be yourself, and say whatever comes to mind and screw that little voice inside that is telling you it's not interesting. I'm still reading! 

I've seen my share of cat diaries, and this ain't one. You would need to post more about dieting, add more pink sidebars, some pop band slobbering,  and a lot of flashing doo-dads.

see what happens when you walk away from WordPress to Drupal….

honestly- we all hit a slump at some point.

I've just tested my theory about WordPress categories and Google- and went from not being in the top 300 results- to being 7th- just by making a new category out of about 15 old posts- and putting up one new one…

http://blogosopher.com/?p=139

It got me excited again-

I read your site because you always stumble upon interesting stuff- and write well. Maybe you just haven't been stumbling as much lately.

Don't give up. Please.