Random Tidbits for Black Friday

I was browsing Mr. K's "Writing for the Web" and found Readability.info. It gives you basic stats about your writing, and various scores, and was helpful assessing my writing.

I plan to update my blog with a new look sometime in January, to celebrate my second blogaversary (anniversary for a blog!). My first blog post was February 1, 2003, and the first words were: "Testing 1, 2, 3...". I need some sort of inspiration for a theme though. While taking a look at what could be called my portfolio of blog templates(there are two new looks to add to that list!) I am very proud of the fact that I've come so far in my learning html, but I see that while I have grown to a specific taste, I'm not doing well in terms of variety. So where can I get some inspiration? Anyone? And it has to be ultra-special, because it is to commemorate the two years of blogging, and even more years of blogging to come.

I thought about becoming independent -- as far as my blog is concerned. And by independent, I am talking about my own domain and host, so that I can identify better with my URL, and not be subject to Blogger.com(although it's wonderful)'s mishaps. I would also like to get my own hosting, so that I won't have embarrassing situations where images don't show up due to exceeded bandwidths. But then, as I approach closer to nursing school, the notion of a continuous income is getting hazy. I have saved up some money for my personal spendings, like lipstick or shoes, but it's not much, and I have no doubt that I'll have to scrimp and save to stretch those funds over a two year span.

I'll have to cancel my newspaper subscription, and I will not be able to renew my beloved magazine subscriptions, and I will have to discontinue Netflix for sure, and I just don't think I'll have enough funds available to pay for my own hosting and domain, although they probably don't cost too much. So I will stay with the free services of Blogger.com until I am more financially capable. Also, I really can't imagine having to come up with a domain name for myself. It's like picking out your own name! I mean, what would it be?

I suppose naturally, it would be haemisphere.com or haemi.org, but would that be something that I would love for the rest of my life? It's so hard to commit -- and I am a commitment-phobe. I really am. Even as a child, I couldn't commit to putting a sticker on my desk (when you try to remove them they just leave that incorrigible white sticky residue!), so I taped them on. Is it a wonder why I can't even see myself married? I mean, the rest of your life with the same roommate/partner/lover/husband? Just outright crazy! (I'm exaggerating and joking -- don't start worrying!) Anyway, so that's where I stand.

Initially, I was looking to pull some funds so that I can get my own domain and hosting, because about two weeks ago, I wanted to write a celebratory (because one can never celebrate too much or too often or for too many things) post about my 700th blog entry. I mean, 700 blog entries in less than two years! It's worth writing about, definitely! And I saw on my Blogger Dashboard that I have written 689 posts so far. So I was close, and I was watching closely every time I logged in and wrote a post, so that I wouldn't miss the 700th mark. But a day went by and a week went by, and that number didn't change! Today, it still says that I have 689 posts written, although I have probably surpassed 700 a while ago. My Blogger profile, on the other hand, says that I have written 693 posts, but that's also a fixed number that is not changing. So who knows what was my 700th post and when it was written! But I did give Blogger a piece of my mind and requested that something be done, and they are supposed to respond someday... soon. But I've had a good experience communicating with blogger as far as my questions go -- they've responded within 48 hours for every question I have had.

Long story short, I will someday be moving this blog, but not anytime soon. Unless I win the lottery.

Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I am at work and work doesn't like to do itself, so I'll have to go do it. Yay. Working while the rest of the world is out shopping and having left overs. My life rocks.