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Toot toot for baby Zoot!
October 27, 2005
There is a new Zoot in town. Miss Zoot gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (the pictures prove it!) Go over and welcome NikkiZ.
My server needs V*iagra to stay up!
August 13, 2005
Apparently my server has some performance anxiety. Traffic spiked and it went into full fledged freak out mode and locked itself in the bathroom.
Clint persuaded the server to work again, but when you are dealing with a case of Server Performance Anxiety, you just never know how long it will stay up. (I gave it the whole, “Come on now, Server. It happens to all Servers at one time or another. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Let’s try again. I’m not mad. I swear!”)
I suppose it worked because look…it is UP!
We are going to do a major site overhaul this weekend and hopefully that will fix things. Drop me an email if you notice things acting wonky. I appreciate the emails and phone calls making sure everything was okay.
Fingers crossed and all that positive mo-jo sent this way should help. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a whole new site design come tomorrow night! (I know….I know….you can hardly wait!)
The one where I ask for your BlogHer session input
July 14, 2005
BlogHer is coming up quickly. Are you going? They just accepted their last online registration. Never fear, though. If you wanted to go and missed the chance to sign up, they have started a waiting list for people who want another chance. Go to BlogHer for more information if you are still interested.
I admit it; I am getting excited about going and meeting so many amazing bloggers that I have been getting to know online. Have you seen the incredible list of people going? I am looking forward to learning and sharing information in the sessions they have planned. Of course, the main dilemma is which sessions to attend. Thankfully, they have live bloggers covering all of them, so I won’t miss a thing.
Speaking of the sessions, this is where I am asking for your input. Jenny and Meghan and I will be co-hosting the MommyBlogging session. If you are planning on going to this session, we would love to hear from you. What would you like to see covered? Any topics you would like to discuss? As Jenny put it: “We want to explode some of the myths surrounding parents who blog.” This is where your help is wanted. I want to hear from non-parents as well. What would you like to discuss?
We would really like your input. Remember, even if you are not able to go to BlogHer in person, there will be live bloggers covering all of the sessions.. So, feel free to speak up! We want to know what all of you think.
Give me a shout-out introduction if you are going to be at BlogHer. I’d love to know if you plan on being at this session, too. Leave a comment or me with any ideas, suggestions or feedback on what you would like to see in this session. It’s all about YOU. (Remember, the NYT didn’t say parent blogs were on online shrine to parental self-absorption for nothing!)
Field trip day
I have been on a roll with my writing lately. Thankfully. (If my amazingly patient agent is reading this, you can stop your self imposed hunger strike you were forced into as a last resort in order to finally get something out of me. Honest. Eat, my friend. The chapters are coming!) Needless to say, I am mentally drained and have nothing to blog about.
But, wait! Come back. I would not leave you without some form of entertainment. Here are some of the places I have enjoyed while “taking a break from writing” (otherwise known as surfing the net in order to keep my head from actually exploding.)
Yesterday my friend Melanie (who may have to either adopt me or marry me to solve my “urgent” name issues) got a real live copy of her finished book. Go over there and give her a big congrats. You’ll even be rewarded with a fabulous brownie recipe. If you’re really nice, she may even let YOU sniff a page or two.
Did you read the touching stories over at Mommy Matters that Christine shared about being a very young bride going through her husband’s Navy sub deployment for the first time? I have known Christine for years (from our online Moms Group). I really loved reading this. If you want to know what deployment is like from the viewpoint of a young wife, this really is a must read. Part one starts here.
Moms and Dads pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to fill YET ANOTHER summer day (that I swear are MUCH longer then the school year days of a mere 24 hours)? You should go read in awe how Mir has something scheduled EVERY week. (This week’s fun: SUMMER CAMP!) Oh, sure, she claims it is because she works full times so it is necessary. Take it from this slacker mom, necessity does not necessarily mean creativity and fun times for the kids. I would probably have my kids with a chain-smoking, whiskey drinking babysitter who works for minimum wage. Go, Mir! Will you adopt me next summer? It sounds like a hell of a lot more fun than summertime here.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t send you over to wish my life-twin-separated-at-birth Busy Mom a happy anniversary. She and Busy Dad are celebrating their 15th anniversary today. Yet one more thing we have in common. (No, no. I didn’t marry Busy Dad 15 years ago, too. I married this guy.)
Finally, I want to send you to a blog that I have totally fallen in love with: Stalking Kelly Ripa. The premise is hysterical. Kelly used to have a bookclub (Reading with Ripa) that chose enjoyable books by authors who are still living (unlike a certain book club who is only choosing the dead authors now.) Authors Natalie R. Collins and Jennifer Apodoca are the main stalkers, but they have guest stalkers as well. I have been able to get to know some of these great stalkers writers. Go join them in stalking Kelly.
Now then, I hope that keeps you busy for a while. But, really, don’t forget to come back. Seriously. You would totally bum me out if you left me for another.
A Saturday riddle for you
July 9, 2005
Question:What do you get when you cross a writer who has a blog with a woman who has no friggin’ clue how to update, redesign, edit or code a website?
Answer: An anxiety-ridden, overly-stressed, panic prone, foul-mouthed person now resorting to curling into the fetal position sucking her thumb and has been heard mumbling I just wanted a new look and a new link page, damn you EE! named Jenn.
But I bet you already figured that one out.
I am torn between upgrading my Expression Engine to the latest release with it’s new bells and whistles (which by upgrading of course I mean begging Clint to upgrade for me since I have no damn clue what I am doing anymore!) or changing over to Word Press since my programmer and web designer (again, of course I mean Clint) uses, knows and can be of immense help if I use Word Press.
But EE is so cool with so many features (that I really don’t know how to use, actually) and as of now, there is no documentation on how to switch from EE to Word Press so how the hell do I keep it all safe?
See? SEE!? NOW do you understand why I have been reduced to an anxiety-ridden, overly-stressed, panic prone, foul-mouthed person now resorting to curling into the fetal position sucking my thumb mumbling I just wanted a new look and a new link page, damn you EE!?
EE pros? Word Press Pros? Chill the hell out Pros? Help. Me.
Oh, and if you come back later and see a big jumbled mess of nonsense (other than the normal jumbled mess of nonsense) or a blank page or illicit photos of donkeys and sheep, just be patient. Hopefully, I won’t kill the blog.
Hopefully!
Standing together
July 7, 2005
I just have no words. My heart is so heavy with saddness over what our friends in London have been through today. The images too familiar. The devestation too real. The pain too unthinkable. My heart, my thoughts, my prayers go out to everyone in London. We stand with you today, my friends.
BlogHer, baby!
June 30, 2005
Well, it is official. I am going to BlogHer ‘05 I have had my eye on going from the first moment I heard about it. But I stressed about the money it would cost to get there and the childcare issues of leaving early Friday. And of course as any obsessive woman would do, I stressed the whole “who will I know there” and “what will I wear?” issues. You know. The important things in life. Sitting on the fence has become quite uncomfortable. (I am still figuring out how I am going to swing the airfare. *sigh* I am thinking of selling a kidney. Anyone need one?)
So anyway, earlier in the week I was asked to join the Mommy Blogging panel with Jenny Lauck and Meghan Townsend. How could a woman who runs a blog titled “Mommy Needs Coffee” turn down an amazing offer like that? Answer…I couldn’t.
After numerous emails and phone calls with Lisa Stone, I would hitchhike to get there. If for no other reason than I just may have a crush on her. No, don’t worry. I probably won’t stalk her, but I am definitely looking forward to meeting her in person. She is an amazingly kind woman who reached out to me when I really needed it. (Thanks again, Lisa!)
You know you all want to go, too. There are going to be some amazing well known bloggers there. Some bloggers who are just coming into their own. Bloggers who have just started blogging. Even some women who don’t even have a blog yet. It is for anyone and everyone who wants to go. (Men, too!) Are you going? Wanna swing by Dallas and pick me up? I could rock a road trip.
Win me cool stuff and I’ll love you forever!
April 27, 2005
I like free stuff.
I want free stuff.
I like it when you win me free stuff. 
Have you heard of Blingo? It’s a search engine that can win you prizes, fame and fortune. Or at least prizes. AND not only that, but if someone who signs up under under your link wins a prize, you win that prize too. Winning for doing nothing. I SO love those kinds of wins! I signed up under Dell so that I can win her free stuff. So, how about you sign up under my name so that you can win me free stuff too.
Or not.
But it can’t hurt, can it?
There is plenty of room on this bandwagon for all of us. Sign up, too!
What are you looking at? Go play!
Okay, enough of my “catty whines” people.
Want a fun game you can play all day long in between “work” duties. (I love that you people at work go with that whole “work” cover up for your all day blogging obsession.)
Go over to see Michele and play a fun game of “One Degree of Seperation”. It is a fun game and can really get out of control after a while. (But don’t be a game screecher. You know, the ones who post someone so off the wall NO ONE could play anymore. Yeah, don’t be that person.)
Tell her Jenn says hi!
Boring Bloggish Business
April 23, 2005
She’s back! She’s back! Oh, dear Internet, my blog is back. Did you miss me? (Please don’t say you didn’t notice. That would break my heart. LIE if you have to.) Apparently, the server was horked all day yesterday. I couldn’t EVEN blog. At all. All day. Not that I have been good about blogging everyday, but still. The option was there. Yesterday, all I saw was some “blah blah blah screw you I won’t let you get to your blog” message. It was so very rude!
But I am back now.
With nothing to say.
But I do have to cover some Boring Blog Business. The time has come when Blogrolling wants more money from me to continue with my multiple blogrolls and cool features as such, but here is the deal. I don’t want to give them any more money. I think I am going to just dump the blogroll entirely. I will still have a links page, but the blogroll is out of control. So, while I wipe it clean, I may lose a link or two. If I have you there and you give a damn whether or not you stay there, drop me a line to ensure I don’t lose you in the dumpage. If you are not there and want to be, drop me a line as well. If you wish I would shut the hell up about Boring Blog Business, that’s just not nice.
I am still waiting on the new look. I am not sure when it will be up, but when it does show up here, be sure to let me know if there are any bugs. I am eager to show off my new bloggish beauty.
Finally, I want to apologize for the rarity of my posts here. I have been completely swamped with other commitments and frankly, didn’t have much to say that would be intelligible. I am thinking that an entry that says not much more than “oogkkkekn klsljfklaruiod, thaei;udhf” would interest anyone over the age of 1. I will do better. Really. Once I figure out what to say that would be worth your time.
I do hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. It is our FIRST non-soccer weekend in so long that I cannot remember what I used to do on Saturdays. I have asked Clint about 6 times today, “So what are the plans for today? What’s going on?” He said I need to just go play with his shop*vac and stop asking. But no soccer? On Saturday? What do you people do without soccer on a Saturday? Thankfully, I have 2 full days of soccer to fill next weekend. *whew*
Okay, I nodded off while reading my own entry. Forgive me for boring the hell out of you. Blame it on the lack of soccer. I don’t do well without my familiar routine and soccer mom brain washing.
