Goodbye, perhaps?

I'm at a point that I'm 85% sure I'm going to officially stop blogging (not that I blog that much anymore anyhow). It's become old, I never have anything to say, and frankly this blog has been abandoned for the most part. I think I'd rather have an official writer/author website instead. Something that sets my platform more formally...something that wouldn't require me to post to on a regular basis to keep it looking un-abandoned. Thoughts/suggestions?

Southern Ladies do it best

Living in Kentucky, I may be half Southern/half Northern, but I can DEFINITELY relate to this! Road rage at its best...

Source: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernLivingMag

The end of Google Reader

Source: geek-news.mtv.com

Okay, so normally I wouldn't whine about a program ending, but the announcement of the Google Reader ending on 7/1/13 really upsets me. First, Google acquired Picnik in 2010 and then shut it down in 2012, merging it with it's Google + platform. I loved the ease of use with Picnik, I loved how it took my pictures from boring to fun in less than a minute. I loved how it was free. And most of all, I loved how I could edit my pictures and then choose to NOT save them to the internet black box of infinite storage.  Now, if I want to use SOME of those fun Picnik features, I have to upload my pictures to a specific album on Google +, where it is saved, then go through hoops and screens to get the picture the way I want it. Then, once I download a copy for myself, then I'll have to go back to Google + and delete the darn thing. Um, no thank you.

Now, Google is taking yet another great usable program and shutting it down - the Google Reader. This shite is pissing me off. Google reader is the only other program I used except for gmail and the only way I halfway keep up with the blogs I read. I love that I can follow all of my favorite blogs in an self-organized format. I love that I can read all my blogs on ONE PAGE without ever having to go to each blogger's page (which can take large amounts of data and time to upload depending on each page's graphics) unless I want to leave a comment on that particular post. I love that I can choose "mark all as read" and take a huge chunk of my "to-read" list down to nothing. Nothing makes an organized OCD fool like me happier. And I loved how easy it was to add blogs to my reader feed.

But now, it seems that Google is giving up on one of its more popular applications. Lame, Google. Simply lame. And what's even worse is that it's once again to trying to keep Google + in the same category as YouTube and Gmail.  Can't they see that Google Plus a waste of a product? No one likes it! It'll never be Facebook or Twitter or some other top-notch social platform. Do I have a Google +? Yes, yes I do. But I hardly ever use. The only time something shows up on my feed is if I (+1) on a blog or some kind of content. And what's the point of that? I can use twitter for that. Besides that, check out this super duper HUGE banner picture on my Google + page. Um...totally unnecessary!  And yet, that was it's default size. An entire screen of a banner picture. Dumb. Just like Facebook's choice to use a banner picture.

I'm not a tech person, nor will I ever claim to be. Maybe Google + has some redeeming qualities, but I have yet to figure them out. In the meantime, I think I shall stew and steam until Reader goes away, but then find a new alternative. Here and here have some decent suggestions.

Sorry about the rant. I'm just tired of seeing good products get the boot while the less deserving products keep the green light. It's the same in teen life - the good girl or guy seems to get the brunt of every bad thing going. Thus, we, writers, focus on those bad things and write about them. At least in our fictional story worlds, we can customize the ending to the way we want it. In real life, we have so little control. A sad frustration.

What about you? Do you rely on Google Reader to keep up with your favorite blogs? What's your plan?

Busy Days

So...I've failed yet again to keep up with my blog. But truth be told, I didn't have anything to say. At least anything nice or interesting...because as we are told when we are young, "if you don't have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all." Which ironically enough, is something I've been preaching to my boys for the last few weeks. They can't seem to have normal conversations. First, it's all nice, then screaming, then tattle-tailing, then back to best friends. ~brothers~ They drive a momma batty.

Anywho, I've got some down time in the next week or two, so I'll try to get caught up on some blogging. (note that I said "try" - no promises).  And I think a good start is to check my 2013 goal list and see what I've done and what I've yet to do.  Drum role please...

 Health and Fitness 
6. On a regular work week, limit purchasing lunch out to once per week - THE HABIT HAS BEEN FORMED, JUST NEED TO KEEP AT IT.
7. Eat dinner at the kitchen table at least twice a week - IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Mental Wellness 
8. Read 15 minutes or more every day. - I'VE HIT THIS ONE BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS. I ACTUALLY READ 7 BOOKS IN FEBRUARY, WHICH IS NEW ONE, EVEN FOR ME.
13. Take my kids out to a sit-down dinner twice a month – continue to work on table manners in public - WORK IN PROGRESS. IT'LL HAVE TO BE PUT ON HOLD FOR A FEW MONTHS.

Photos and Fun Stuff 
14. Take a picture everyday - SORT OF

Financial 
23. Save $50-100/month - SO FAR SO GOOD
24. Put $10 in each of my kids savings accounts each month - OH YEAH...GUESS I NEED TO PLAY CATCH UP ON THIS ONE
25. Pay down my credit cards by 50% - I PAID OFF 2 CARDS THIS MONTH!!

Blogging 
29. Blog twice a week. No exceptions - YEAH...WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT IS GOING.
31. Give my blog a new look- DONE

Writing
35. Join a local writers group - DONE! AND EVEN THOUGH THE MEMBERS DON'T WRITE YA, OR ONLY YA, IT'S STILL FUN TO HAVE SOME ONE-ON-ONE WRITERLY TALKING.

Home Improvement and Organization Efforts (there's a lot of these)
41. Replace garbage disposal in kitchen - DONE
47. Get bookcases for either side of entertainment center - HALF COMPLETE
55. Paint Cal’s room - DONE (POST TO COME SOON AFTER I GET IT ALL DONE)
60. Buy additional bookcase for master bedroom - DONE. IT'S HERE.
62. Declutter/Find solution for closet in master bedroom - DONE

So, that's like, 15 goals either started and/or finished??  A WIN in my book!  How are you doing with your goals for 2013?

Picture Post Friday 2.0

If only I could convey to you how much this is true...
 

Source: s185.photobucket.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

January reads - all winners!

January was a great reading month! Here's the beauties I read:


Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor - Just as wonderful as the first book. Karou faces big challenges and has to evaluate between her heritage and her future. I love how her human friends were integrated in her adventures and how secrets weren't foreverly hidden - things can't stay secret for long in real life and they shouldn't in the books either.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire - This was a good read too. I didn't love it as much as I had hoped, but it was definitely a page turner. Emerson is a likeable character and that makes it easy to want what she wants.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis - I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! Luckily my sister-in-law got an ARC and I was able to start it a little bit before it released. And man...it didn't disappoint. Forget fantastical aliens that make a plot seem nutty...this trilogy ended with pure logic. I don't want to spoiler the first two books, but after all the things that you discover that humans have made in technological advancements, the ending result exhibited in Shades of Earth makes complete sense!  And its sad at the same time. It makes you think about our current choices, which is what a great book is all about.

Alice in Zombieland by Gene Showalter - My son got me this book for Christmas. And although I have a seriously inkling that the MC is a bipolar, it was a wonderful read! It was fun and scary and yes, majorly sexy at times. I was never one to like the bad boys...but DANG! Cole has it all, and to top it off, he likes to tease!  So not fair for us readers. I want book 2 NOW!  The only downside I had to this one is that the MC's little sister is supposed to be 8 years old. I've had an 8 year old and I've taught 8 year olds, and I've never met an 8 year old that talked as sophisticated as this little girl. That's something that always irks me - it takes the believability factor and knocks it down three levels. Luckily she doesn't have a huge part in the story, just a reoccurring one.


Books on my shelf to read in February...Darkwater by Catherine Fisher, Breathe by Sarah Crossan, and Insurgent by Veronica Rossi. Keep your fingers crossed it'll be just as good of a month!

What a difference a second bookshelf makes

For two years, I've only had one bookshelf in my bedroom and every time I got new books, they were shoved in the free spaces or forced to another corner of the room. Besides that, the wall that the lone bookshelf sat on looked lopsided and uneven...so not pretty, or relaxing, as a bedroom should be.  So I finally gave in and bought a second shelf. And wow...what a difference it made. Check it out...

BEFORE...

AND AFTER...

Just imagine how much better it'll be when I get all that stuff better organized, trade out the old decor, add some fancy molding to them and do a bit of painting. **Excited**