white noise

Okay, so I tried redirecting the url to take everyone directly to the new blog from here and it worked okay except for one small detail — it rendered ALL of my posts from this blog inaccessible even to me. Please find the new Everwild blog located at http://everwild.net and change bookmarks/reader subs as needed. Sorry for the inconvenience, and we’ll see you on the flip side.

Diann

Tags: moved, Site Info

Having been without internet access here at home from Saturday evening (June 21) until late this Wednesday afternoon put a real crimp in the scheduled blog move. I haven’t had time to fill in some of the planned content (or work on setting up an online shop). I guess the lesson in this is to either have a back up internet provider (which I am seriously considering, especially if Jon switches us over to Vonage) or don’t work straight from (or rely completely on) web-based applications.

I’ll redirect this blog address to the new one as of July 1. I’d prefer people bookmark everwild.net for future use, only because the whole basis for these changes has been to simplify. However, if you have the current address bookmarked and don’t change it, you should still get to where you need to go.

WordPress isn’t the greatest CMS, but I can’t seem to find any programs that fall between WordPress and the very complicated looking Joomla. There’s just too much monkeying under the hood, which is why there are simpler ways to accomplish things — such as etsy and blogger. Of course, I’m open to evolution and may very well spend some time tinkering in the background with Joomla or looking for that perfect application.

It’s also my intent that the new blog should have a more professional feel and be less personal in nature. I’m pretty sure most people don’t care much for my inner workings, and the handful that do usually call, write, or actually spend time with me. They’re the ones who can listen to me rail against The Man, because they’re the ones who lub me lots. Yes, it might be difficult to stay off my soap box here and avoid ranting at the Evil Empires; it’s in my nature to pluck heads from the sand and make folks look at the real world. After all, I’m one of those evil nasty critters that believes Fahrenheit 451 wasn’t so much a work of fiction as it was a prediction.

Before I run off to buy new #11 craft blades, I do want to mention that more than 60 people peeked in on me on June 18th. That’s record traffic for 1 day at Everwild (whoa!), the highest before that being (I think) 47. Blog stats still kinda creep me out. Well, not the stats themselves, more the knowing that people are out there — not just happening by — but, also seeking me out. There’s that cautious (okayokay, paranoid) voice in the back of my head that wonders if any former inmates out there still yearn to make good on those not-very-often-but-still-ever-present threats to kill, rape, or otherwise maim me. Hiding less and less behind an anonymous online presence intensifies that sense of vulnerability. Invisibility was a good, useful tool; it had its place, but it was also very singular in nature.

So, I’m happy for the extra visits, and I’ll strive to make this place less about me and more for you. I hope everyone is having a lovely day. If not, and you don’t feel like putting on a happy face, you know where to find me. You don’t have to pretend.

The new blog seems to be working out well enough that this is now the second to last post for this blog. When it’s up and fully functional, it will be found at http://everwild.net. If you use that particular url right now, you’ll find yourself here until I add the redirect. Beyond a couple new features, a slightly different layout, and the absence of the older posts, the transition should be seamless. Well, unless I muck something up, which is certainly possible (like forgetting the admin login information for your own dang test site or typing the email address in wrong without ever realizing it)!

Sorry for the confusion. It’s a fine lesson for remembering to document everything clearly. It takes me back to the “Make a better peanut butter and jelly sandwich” exercise Jon had me do when I was learning how to program.

My email is stuck in limbo. If by some chance you’re one of the friends I have who actually does poke your nose around here to see what I’m up to, just know I’m really not ignoring you. I only do that on the twelfth Tuesday of every month. Honest.

The temperature is slowly creeping up, but while it’s not horrifically hot in the house, I wanted to make a quick catch up post and show off the cabinet Jon bought me for my birthday.

I’ve been thrashing myself to death against photography the last month, caught somewhere between wanting to take simple pictures to post quickly and good photos that take a higher level of dedication. I’ve resisted Jon — not at every turn — but certainly more than I probably should. Each time I take pictures by his instruction, though, when they aren’t incredibly fuzzy because I can’t hold the camera still to save my life, they turn out much better than the point-and-click auto method.

I am resistant to the time involved in enhancing my photography abilities only because as I introduce yet another skill to the things I need to learn, I find myself stretching thin and becoming unable to perfect any one craft. Were I an endless fountain of energy, it wouldn’t seem like such a huge undertaking, but as I develop one skill, another falls short. I devote less time to writing, to art, or to maintaining the website (which in itself can feel more enveloping, like a lifestyle, than simply a set of skills).

Then comes that evil, perfectionist hag who lives deep within my psyche, rearing her ugly mug and wrapping her toothless maw around words that tell me I’m sub par. I wonder if she’d shut up if I buried her under 16 lbs. of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It’d definitely be high on my list of fun experiments to try. But, (sigh) I’ve had my quota of Cold Stone this week (a medium “The Pie Who Loved Me” shared with the super hubby).

Truth is, while I still battle perfectionist tendencies, I’ve learned the consequences of being that perfectionist and I refuse to do that to myself again. I’m the tortoise in this race and need to take all these skills in that TurtleZen stride I’ve been developing. I’ve seen the pictures I’ve taken that are flash-dependent. They’re not fuzzy, but they’re just not as good as the photos when I’m controlling the shutter speed and aperture manually. It’s not instant gratification, certainly, but I suppose it will be worth the effort in the long run.

Happy day!

The trauma the little bay horse in this video suffers is absolutely heart-wrenching. It should NOT have happened. In my entire history with horses, horsemen, and cowboys alike (yes, I do count them as different beasts), I’ve never seen such a despicable, unadulterated lack of compassion. If this is representative of the rodeo industry as a whole, DEFINITELY count me out.

And call me enemy.

If you’re interested in learning more, please visit SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness and help save a pony.

Please.