Mood:  incredulous

2007-11-12           11:35:46

The old saying, "There is no such thing as free lunch." is completely true about Angelfire.  The Angelfire Gobbling Goblin just ate the Blog that I had written last night to my son for his 21st Birthday (I think it was a lovely piece, but now on one will ever be able to read it).  I tried to post an edit I made to the Blog, but everything disappeared except for the "Entry by Topic" which is "How Far You've Come".

I just emailed Angelfire about the latest lost Blog, but I have absolutely no hope in getting any help from them.  I am still waiting for a reply to the email I sent them on October 23 (they sent two responses that they would reply to my query, but have never sent  an actual response).  I would take the blame for all of the lost posts and edits, but how do you explain all of the posts and edits that took the first time?  Unless someone can show me what I am doing wrong then the only logical conclusion is that it's Angelfire's fault.

I have been burned so many times that I am going to start a file in my Microsoft Word 2003 and keep a running copy of all my Blogs from now on.  I am even considering opening a Website and Blog in Geocities (I haven't the slightest idea who is a good provider, so why not try Geocities, the site suggested in our course text).

Mood:  caffeinated

This is my third try to get something posted.

19:44:35 

I guess the third try is the charm.  I finally got something published.  That Gobbling Goblin must really be hungry tonight.  I would really like to know where my first two Blogs of this evening went.  I do exactly the same thing each time, so why did the first two get eaten?  Luckily there wasn't much to eat because I refuse to take the chance of writing much before I try to publish the first time (been there - been done to).  Paraphrasing: do me once shame on you, do me twice shame on me (for letting you do me again).

21:29:41

I just wrote two paragraphs to add to this Blog, clicked "Save Changes" and they also got eaten by the Angelfire Gobbling Goblin.  I give up for the night.  I'll add more later in the week.  In fact, I think I'll write the entire Blog in Word and paste it into this excuse for a website.  To be polite, I'm pissed.  Eat this!  

2007-11-05   14:45:24

I’m at the CSN Western Campus Computer Lab.  Originally I was going to work on my A5 assignment, but that’s impossible.  There are four students, including myself, quietly working at their computers.  The security guard makes sounds like a mule when he laughs; he laughs a lot, and very loudly.  The campus manager and his assistant have been joining in, so basically it’s quite loud in here.  It wasn’t this noisy yesterday at the Charleston Campus with almost ten times the students.  Unfortunately, Charleston is so crowded in the afternoon during the week that it’s almost impossible to find an open computer station.

Since I’m here I should try to get something accomplished.  I thought I’d try to work on my Blog, but I can’t find anything that I want to write about except to complain about the security ass at the counter.  I start to get involved in something and then the air is shattered by a booming hew-haw, snort.  I know the man is very hard of hearing due to being wounded during Desert Storm.  I’m sorry he has a physical problem, but his problem is creating a problem for me and I don’t like it.

I forgot that I wanted to include this little tidbit (it’s one of the items that got eaten last night).  Found out Friday that my greatest nemesis at work won’t be returning until January.  Hallelujah!  Word spread like wildfire.  There were a lot of happy people.  One of the teachers thought that we should somehow try to get the nemesis on permanent medical leave, and said she’d make the first contribution toward the retirement fund.

I have a list of things to get done before I get home, so here goes, let’s see if I can get this to post.  If not, it’s in Word and I can try again later.

2007-11-06    15:39:01

I have been trying in vain to match the font of the material that I pasted into this Blog yesterday (used Microsoft Word for back-up in case my Blog got eaten again) to Angelfire's font and have not come across anything in their font family that will allow me to do so.  If this looks "messy", sorry, but whatever font they are using is not available for those of us who are pasting from somewhere else.  It's time to work on my A5 Excel homework.  I'm glad that I didn't pay for Angelfire's "services".

2007-11-06   16:42:46

Didn't start the Excel yet.  Had an epiphany.  Experimented with Microsoft Word and discovered that I have the correct font type selected, but Angelfire uses font size 7.5 which is not available in their drop down box.  I also used Word's spell check and found some spelling errors in my Blog.  Where there's a will, there's a way (at least some of the time).

Mood:  blue

I clicked "Publish Post", the bottom of the monitor screen did some gyrations, but nothing was published.  It was only a short paragraph, but that's not the point.  I can't get this thing to work again and I'm getting pissed.  Second try....

2007-10-28   20:10:36

Okay - who's messing with me?  The second try worked, and I did the same thing as the first time.

The week is going to be hard enough to handle.  I need to use all my powers to keep myself together.  Unless you've been there you can't possibly understand.  Don't tell me that because you lost your child, your parent, your sibling, that you know how I feel.  You don't.  It is two years ago this week that my world ended.  I lost my life. 

I've been to bereavement meetings, had some counseling, still go to a group (which I think is useless, but there are other reasons I attend), and through all of this I keep hearing about finding "closure".  At the end of the healing process you will find "closure".  I thought that I was the slowest healer around.  I may never heal, but now understand what is happening to me all because of a character from television.  

On September 8, I watched the last episode of "Raines", which had been on NBC in the spring.  Great TV series (cancelled of course).  I tape shows, especially now that I have a lot of trouble concentrating on anything for any length of time (hopefully that part will heal).  I was so blown away by the speech at the end of the episode that I made a note of the date and the next night I copied his speech.  To the writer/writers of "Raines", thank you, on behalf of all of us who are told they need to find "closure" so they can go on with their lives:

"Raines: I know what you're looking for.  Some sort of closure. Something to ease your pain.  But closure doesn't exist.  You're gonna feel this in some form or another forever 'cause that's how it feels when you lose the love of your life.  And even if you could wake up tomorrow and not feel this pain, you wouldn't really want that either, 'cause that hurt is the most sure reminder you have of what he truly meant to you.  And that you won't ever want to forget."

Mood:  accident prone

2007-10-22   04:18:20

It was shortly after 11 P.M. last night when I finished my Blog.  I'd been working at it on and off for 3 hours.  I clicked "Publish Post" and expected my paragraphs to appear.  Nothing.  The status bar said it was transferring data, so I assumed it was loading.  Decided that I'd go to bed and when I get up it will be there. 

Wherever there is, is not my Blog page.  Lesson: before I click "Publish Post" I will have to copy what I've written in case the Angelfire Blog Gobbling Goblin is around, or write a few words, publish them so there is a basis to work from, then go back in and treat everything as an edit.  I don't enjoy writing because I am so extremely fussy about what I say in print.  It takes me an exorbitant amount of time because I am such a perfectionist.  I am not at all happy about my paragraphs floating somewhere, lost in space.

         
2007-10-24   23:11:21

Yesterday I emailed Angelfire to see what they say about Blogs lost in space.  I expect to be told that it was eaten by a black hole. 

I've been trying to find a topic for the next presentation.  There is nothing that I can think of that I am interested in that would interest the class.  In fact, I can't think of anything to do that interests me that I could make into a presentation, which brings up a huge question in my mind.  From the complete lack of response to my last presentation (not even a negative comment), I haven't  the slightest idea how to improve for the next presentation.  If I don't know what was wrong with the last one how can I have an "improved" presentation on December 14?

Mood:  celebratory

All in all, it's been a good day; in fact, it's been a good week. 

The best thing that happened is that my son has been published on the Internet.  He started his internship for college credit with Gamealmighty this past Wednesday, and his first game review was published on the site Friday.  I am so, so proud.  To read his work, go to: http://www.gamealmighty.com/game-review/review/Spider_Man_Friend_or_Foe_Review-1/.                      In fact, he is already on the Internet because the college's new magazine is online and he has articles in it.

I had breakfast this morning with an old friend of my husband.  It was so enjoyable.  Good conversation, good food.  I was fine until I got back into the car and got a little weepy.  Damn, Allen, you were supposed to be there with us.  I know you were there in spirit, but....

A little bird whispered something to me at work.  Since one can't take the chance that the wrong person won't stumble onto this Blog, all I will say is that if the birdie is right, then I want to thank the Powers That Be for watching out for me.  My problems at work aren't over, but at least I won't feel like I'm going to implode everyday at my job.

2007-11-05   13:32:27

I just deleted a paragraph that I had originally included when this Blog was first written.  I also deleted the retraction that I had added last night.  I decided that instead of retracting what I had said, deleting it was the best way to go.

Before I sign off, Mr. Wu, would you please stop telling me where I stand in the class.  Yes, it is ultra important to me that I do well (for several reasons which I won't elaborate on right now).  I am very happy that so far I have been successful because I have voluntarily put in many more hours of effort into this class than I had expected, but I don't want to know where I am in comparison to the other students.  That doesn't matter to me, only my accomplishments do.  Thank you. 

Mood:  spacey

It would be nice if the "Mood" dropdown list had "tired" as one of its options.  Even nicer would be being able to add moods not on the list, but I don't see an option for that.  Guess spacey will have to do for tired.  I do feel sort of spaced out and can't concentrate.  Tired - haven't had a good night's sleep since the end of the spring semester in May.    

Talking about not finding things - Mr. Wu, I still can't find the spell check for making sure a Blog doesn't have spelling errors.  I decided not to read your comment until tomorrow.  Right now I can't handle positives, negatives or neutrals.

If work on Monday is as upsetting as it was Friday, I'm going to the Union office to ask some questions.  No, either way I'm going, if just to make an appointment to speak to someone.  I have never liked working for females, and all of my bosses are women.  Overcompensating estrogen is domination; overcompensating testosterone is inadequacy.  It doesn't matter what you do, there is no way for estrogen to accept another female into the nest; make the testosterone look good, and you become indispensible (one is never completely indispensible, so until the testosterone realizes this, you are safe).

2007-10-08  15:07:27

I decided that I'd rather work on my PowerPoint projects instead of visiting the Union today, so here I am at the Western Campus.  The Computer called, and I answered.

2007-10-10   16:44:55

Don't know how I managed it, but I got almost 7 hours sleep last night.  If I can figure out how that happened, I'll keep doing the same thing until it becomes a habit.     

Mood:  lyrical

I'm having a love-hate relationship with my computer class.  I hate the fact that it has taken over my life.  I plan my week around when and to which one of the CSN computer labs I'm going to, and when I'll be able to do work at home.  I love the fact that I have to do all this work, because the more I am involved, the more fascinated I am becoming with what can be done and if I can do it. 

I now need to figure out what or even if I should do something with my computer education.  Ever since my last computer died a horrible death and I lost a ton of information, I decided that I need to learn more about a computer than how to turn it on or off, move a mouse, or push the majority of the keys on the keyboard (there's a bunch that just sit there and I haven't the slightest idea what they are for - don't tell me to push them to see what happens because I'll either lose my information, erase something vital or blow up the computer - I've killed more than one).  

So far, I have been so extremely lucky with my instructors that I can't believe it's possible for a department run by a "Group" that couldn't care less about its employees and only about spending the college's money, still has such a marvelous faculty (at least the ones that I've met). Unfortunately, CSN will be losing in my opinion its star come the end of next semester due to outsourcing by the "Group".  "May the Force be with You" ~ "Live Long and Prosper". 

It's time to put this to bed.  Hey, where the flame is the spell check button?  The old joke "The defendant who pleads his own case has a fool for a client".  Without spell check = the author who edits her own work has a fool for a writer - or something to that effect.

Mood:  irritated

Irritated was the closest mood I could find in the list to use instead of my real mood which is "pissed".  Signing up to create this Blog was a royal pain in the posterior. 

You check to see if the username is available.  You're told it's available, finish filling in the page, you click and the nasty red words tell you it's not available.  After many tries with the "available" lie and rejection, I somehow managed to find an acceptable username. 

After the experience with the username I decided that this was not the right time to play with the Blog page set-up. Then you get to the URL....  What do they want?  What are they talking about?  All I get are rejections.  The help section makes no sense, doesn't explain in novice terms what I'm supposed to do, so I finally said, "@#$%^&", and tried the overwrite box.  After two tries with that it finally worked.  So, if I overwrote myself - okay, but if I overwrote someone else, I apologize from the tip of my toes to the top of my head.