Seems like I took one, it’s been so long. But I thought about you every day. 
I need to make a book. Not write one, but rather have what I’ve already written made into a book.
I’m afeared that despite my best efforts, my WordPress database will someday do a giant hara-kiri, and I’ll be left with no history of this silly little venture: my blog about nothing. I don’t want to see that happen, even though it likely never will, what with all the redundancies WordPress and I have in place. Still…
There are several blog-to-book applications out there, but next to none for self-hosted blogs, like RtB. (A self-hosted blog is where you use your own domain space, as opposed to using that of Blogger or Tumblr or WordPress.com.) I happened to find Anthologize, a WordPress plug-in, to complete the task. It’s not perfect by any means, but it might be worth a shot, once I get the time to sit down with it and catalog the site by month, from 2008 forward. Not that anyone would put that on their Christmas/Hanukkah list. Ha. But it would be good to have in a just-in-case happenstance. Someday, my grandsons might want to read about how nutty I was.
So, when did I last go three weeks without speaking to you? I think never. Aprilis horribilis last month, chile. Lawd. You know something is really weighing on me when I don’t write for weeks on end. But it wasn’t all bad; I undertook an experiment with my high school choir, scheduling their spring concert almost a month earlier in the year (27 April). It worked. As the school year circles the drain in May, everything goes haywire. Athletic teams start playoffs, kids get stressed about finals and projects, seniors check out (some earlier than others, but most around the first of May), and it’s National Field Trip Month. In other words, May is just a big pack o’ nuts. Very little gets done.
To my absolute delight, I found that doing the performance in April not only presented the kids with less end-of-year stress, it revealed a surprising fact: they didn’t need until late May to rehearse the music. They were ready by the 27th of April. Same type of general programming (a motet, a couple of spirituals, and some pop titles), same length…but the finish line was weeks earlier. And they did quite well. Go figure.
So, while most of April was stormy, some parts shone, and I’m glad of it. The 2014-15 school year will undoubtedly go down in my professional history as the most unhappy and difficult. I never again want to spend that much of my workday feeling angry, frustrated and betrayed. As for the remaining 18 school days, I look forward to looking forward. Put this year to bed and call it a basic success, because some good art was made. What more could I want?
FO
Someday, when you find yourself grazing in the fields of pensioner bliss the “bad” days (or years), though not forgotten will simply be a momentary pause.
As your Friend, I am sorry that you had to undergo the year of anger, frustration and betrayal. You deserve none of the above! Ever!
You are thought of, cared for and loved! Peace!
Oh yeah…nice to “hear” your voice this morning!
Thanks, amigo! You’re the best!!!
Don’t hesitate to ask me for help on the book issue, I just published my fifth (15th overall), including Kindle and print, did all the formatting, cover design, everything myself.
You bet I will be hitting you up, thank you — have you ever put any of your blogs into book form?
Yes and no. No, not directly in the manner I think you’re thinking, but yes in a similar manner. For example right now I’m editing a massive scouting report for the upcoming NHL entry draft which involves transferring published material into a specified format. It is a BI*CH but the hard part is done, and now I feel like an expert at it…
Glad you’re back! I had an old blog from 2004 that I printed off and put in a binder on the shelf. I don’t even know for sure if Xanga exists anymore! It seems like there are more and more ways now to bind memories.
I would love to seek out a way to put the new blog, since 2008 or 2009, in book form… but that would mean that I really should get cracking on the 20-or-so blogs that are drafted right now. You’re sabbaticals are always shorter than mine…
Oops. Wowza. *Your sabbaticals. I love swipe on the phone… works almost all the time. Good thing I don’t try and publish my blogs from my phone…. :-\
Did you have a little grammar moment where your eye twitched?
So good to hear from you! And yep — Xanga lives!
I wish someone would come up with a way to bind self-hosted blogs in a more efficient way. The plug-in I downloaded doesn’t really thrill me…but what do you expect for free, right? I will keep searching.
Good luck on your continuing home improvements — the pictures look great!
Hiya doll! Pretty soon you can wrap up this school year and dropkick it into the black hole of the Universe. Just remember that there are a whole lotta kids that got to enjoy you and your loveliness this year…..THAT is why you do this.
<3 you!
Thank you, dear friend! I appreciate those encouraging words, and you’re right — the kids make it all worthwhile. Hugs!