To Blog or Not to Blog

With technology changing as rapidly as the sky on a September afternoon in Florida, I keep holding out for the optimal blogging platform. I've been on Blogger since 2008 and have muddled through the deficiencies of mobile uploads, photo formats, video capabilities and other limitations in hopes of moving on to a simple and better option. There are plenty of other blogging solutions but they require an investment of time and money. I don't want to be that committed. Add traveling to remote destinations, where internet is weak or nonexistent, and I struggle with the idea of keeping my blog current.

I feel that I have to make a decision on my blogging future soon. After all, maintaining a blog requires more frequent posting to be relevant. But for now, I'm happy to report we are safe and sound in Missouri. After three weeks in Colorado, we are working our way back to Florida. Once again, hurricane activity is determining our route southeast.

More Time for Writing, Less Time for Facebook

Back in the day, I used to be a fairly active writer. Time and inclination changed my writing activity to a focus primarily related to travel on The Blogagerie. I'd like to rekindle my joy for writing and communication. So, from time to time, I will curate my blog to include a little more than travel adventures. And, now that I have weened myself from Facebook, the extra time available can be put to better use: reading and writing. Speaking of Facebook, here's an article that makes me so happy to be a former Facebook addict user:

I Mentored Mark Zuckerberg. I Loved Facebook. But I Can't Stay Silent About What's Happening.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

It's a great day for the Irish, and everyone has their Irish going today.  The blogfriends Sarah, Page and Logan leave today for an adventure of a lifetime.  The girls are off to Japan, Thailand and Hawaii for about five weeks.  They are conducting a survey with one question in mind, "What is the most important thing in your life?"  They will be blogging the adventure, so keep them company and follow along here.

Compartmentalize: An Easy Way to Deal With All that Stuff in Your Brain

After reading a post from a fellow blogger, friend and vineyard enthusiast, Joan, over at MV Obsession, I have become intrigued with the concept of compartmentalizing.  I remember someone once said that President Bill Clinton had a unique and skilled gift of being able to compartmentalize his life.  Joan wrote a post about an author she met on the street in NYC recently.  The book, to be released March 2nd is called, The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life's Little Imperfections.  Since reading the little bit about the book on Joan's blog, I've created and labeled my own nine rooms, and have been sorting my thoughts accordingly.  It's a curious and effective exercise in letting stuff go!  

Mysterious Fan Mail

With the proliferation of angry blog-stalkers and spam commentary, I have recently started to moderate my comments to ensure suitability for publishing (love that censorship bonus as a blog author).  Well, I know it wasn't the bloghusband, as he was fast asleep next to me at 12:30 am, but someone made my day by leaving a very nice comment on my blog.  Later this morning, another reader, made my year by also having a pleasantry about my blog.  Who knew I had two other readers?

Brendan Loy's Tribute in Lights

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51629368@N00/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

One of my favorite bloggers, Brendan Loy, took this photo and writes:

A breathtaking view from Staten Island, on the second anniversary of 9/11, of the "Tribute in Light" at Ground Zero; the illuminated Statue of Liberty; the red, white & blue Empire State Building, directly in between the Tribute in Light beams; and the Chrysler building. Oh yes, and Mars, just a few weeks removed from its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years.

I took this photo from the Staten Island Ferry dock, after riding the ferry across the harbor just to see what the view of the skyline would look like with the Tribute in Light. Although many photos were taken and published of the skyline that night, I've never seen another one from this particular angle, which I maintain was the most beautiful viewpoint in the whole city that night.

The bloghusband and I both worked in the World Trade Center at different times in our careers. After the first bombing in 1993, Wild Willy's office moved into World Financial Center, just across the street from the WTC. Luckily, he was in Hong Kong on 9/11/01. Eight years ago, I picked up the blogson from his second grade classroom. It was a very sad reunion and, as we walked back to the car, I tried to remove the fear, horror and sadness in my voice, while attempting to explain that a life-changing event occurred while he was busy learning how to write. I started by telling him, "something happened today, and we will never forget it for the rest of our lives." Before allowing me to continue with the news, and in his sweetest young voice, my eight-year-old said, "You'll forget it, Mom, you forget everything." That was the one and only smile of the day. Unfortunately, it's just one of those things we will never forget. What a day to be living. What a day to be living in Greater New York.

The Statusphere Is Taking Over the Blogoshpere

Heh.
Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed rule. Our CPA (continuous partial attention) is devoted to these micro communities.