Beta Blogger

Well, so far, it sucks.

It can't remember my password, so I have to log in for every comment and post, complete with the four hundred and one security boxes each time. It says you can still log in with your blogger account, but if you try that, you get a snarky little message about having to use the google account. I'm not very happy with their privacy policies, but I suppose that's neither here nor there, and I'm already seeing an increase in the amount of spam I'm getting so that's got me pissed off too.

More disturbing is that the damn site's been down and I've gotten more errors in the week of beta blogging than I got in over a year with the original. I've been trying for over an hour, on and off, to visit MM over at the Masthead. Every time, I get a page that says "google error, try again in 30 seconds."

This week, I've lost two complete posts when I tried to publish - it even ate the in-process versions that I'd saved as I went. And guess what? That's two more posts than I've ever lost before.

So, boo to google. Fix this or gimme the old one back.

Eep. I'm Scared.

Every time I show up here at my little blog, I get that message about my new beta bloggie things being ready to go. They've started getting more forceful about it too, so it's only a matter of time before they take matters into their own hands and just switch me over.

So, now that I know my user name and password, I guess I'll click that button to switch over. *gulp* Hope this goes well...

Furniture Update

I went home to vote last weekend. Stupid absentee ballot. Stupid me for totally forgetting to send in the stupid application for the stupid absentee ballot. *sigh* Oh well, what's another thousand miles on the Jeep?

In addition to getting to spend time at home - yay! - my little trip also allowed me to ferry more furniture back from my storage unit. If I'm not careful, this apartment will start looking like someone lives here.

It's funny. I have furniture. I have beautiful furniture. Is it in my apartment, where I can use it? Well. No. It's in a storage unit at home in Ohio. Good place for it, don'tcha think? My adventures in acquiring said furniture are detailed here. Yes, it was a year ago.

I've managed to get things somewhat organized. The dumpster dived end tables finally made it to Goodwill. The cardboard is mostly gone - hooray for friends moving! And for recycling! Four of the six bookcases are assembled and filled so the piles of books have decreased substantially. I have a baker's rack, and despite previous intentions, I didn't steal it. (I don't like it as well either. Maybe I'll switch 'em. It's not too late!) My flora cart is assembled and full of plants. I bought a recliner, so I do have some places to sit.

And slowly, I'm hauling my haul to my lair. The hall table and mirror came first, along with the little table lamp thing. My huge coffee table (they call it a cocktail table, whatever that means) is here, as is my end table/night stand. And, new this last trip, my dresser. (The picture above of the same model. Special bonus - the sweater chest is also the same model as mine.)

The dresser is a Vaughan-Bassett model - Grandma's Treasures. This is the one that Mom was supposed to talk me out of. Obviously that worked. At any rate, my dad and I crammed it into my Jeep Cherokee. The dresser is 45" x 56" x 19" so it was something of a squeeze. We had to remove the spare tire from its hanger on the side wall to get the dresser to fit. Here's the really amazing part - I actually called for help to get it back out of the Jeep when I got back here. I think I could have gotten it by myself - it just takes determination - but Dad made me promise that I'd get help before he'd help me put it in the Jeep. He's such a killjoy.

My original plan was to put this dresser into my spare room to hold my crafting whatsits... But I determined that with the other dresser, the table for my sewing machine, and the four drawer lateral filing cabinet in there, if I actually added the dresser (assuming I could get it through the door), I wouldn't have any room to set up the inflatable queen sized mattress that I use for company. *sigh* New plan - this dresser shall be my sideboard in my dining area. I've already started loading the drawers - tablecloths and placemats in one, my sprinkles/sugars collection in another, cookie cutters and presses in yet another. I love having a place to put stuff!

So, when I go home for Thanksgiving, I'm going to try to stuff the sweater chest in the Jeep next. I'll already discovered that my kitchen table just won't fit. No way, no how. And I'm afraid the chest won't either. Aw well, maybe if I just scoot the seats up a bit... Wish me luck!

Again With The Invisible Things...

It's started again. This time last year, I posted about my Sophia and the no-see-'ems that she hunts. I wondered if the presence of the Peanut would affect her behavior. The answer? Nope. But, the kitten doesn't appear to see the things either. Last night, and for the last couple of weeks, Sophia has been on the prowl for the migrating whatsits, while the psycho kitten sprawls across the coffee table and watches her with a puzzled look.

Peanut is always ready to help, and sometimes she follows Sophia in the stalk, but she has no clue what's going on. It's been highly entertaining. Last night, Sophia apparently catch one, and then came over and dropped it next to Peanut - like she was trying to teach her to hunt these things. Peanut didn't get it. At all. Finally the thing tried to run and Sophia recaptured it, and ate it. (No, I can't see 'em either - I'm taking it on faith that there is *something* there that Sophia hunts. *shrug* Could be true, who am I to judge?)

I find it interesting that this hunting the invisibles behavior occurs with such regularity. Ghost mice? Critters from the fourth dimension? My cat needs lithium? Who knows, but it is fun to watch.