If you are on Wordpress and have not upgraded to 2.5.1., believe me when I say your blog is at risk.
Once attacked, it can rob you of bandwidth, insert spam links into your code without you even knowing, and prevent you from upgrading. I should know, I’m fixing blogs to the tune of 8-10 hours EACH. That gets pricey @ $85/hour.
It’s not fun for you or your web developer - so if you do not have Wordpress 2.5.1., you really should upgrade today. Or I can do it for you to the tune of $30. Just email me through my contact page to get started.
If you’d like to attempt it yourself, here’s a link to Swank’s Blog to help you get started. Be careful to read all instructions first and back up everything before beginning.
Dylan has his annual cardiology check-up this morning, and when I get back I have a mountain of work to tackle, so please gather your kids around the monitor to look at what Avitable found in his deodorant - ask the kids what it is and leave a mommyblogish comment in his comments like I did.
I’ve had a nagging post in my head for the last week or so, as I watched blogger after blogger announce the birth of books, get recognized for their various crafts in various forms of media, work to support each other and create wonderful things together.
Not once was I jealous. Hell I barely have time to wipe my ass, never mind pen a book or jet across the border to be on television.
No, instead I was proud. Proud that fellow bloggers like me were doing something worthy of public consumption and recognition. Proud that friends, clients and acquaintances were working on things that are passionate to them.
But I’m not so naive that I’m blind to the hate-filled bullshit I’m seeing scattered in comments of said announcements and quite frankly, I’m disgusted. What’s happening is nothing short of a bias against what exactly? A group of parents that are being lumped together with high-school words of “popular” “vapid” and “fake”?
Besides, wouldn’t that time and energy be better spent working on your own goals?
If you can’t be supportive about months and years of consistency and hard work by your peers, whether you like them or not, then don’t say anything at all. Look around and see what YOU can accomplish.
Edit: In support of my community, I’d really love it if you went and read this beautiful post by Belinda, once you’re finished commenting here (if you’re gonna. no pressure. really.).
Being able to run, lift weights, walk, bike and play softball;
Having healthy kids;
Having a husband who is my teammate, my soulmate, and keeps me wrapped in a loving relationship that I know is forever;
Having a home - a warm, cozy home (it’s on the market, but it’s still our home);
Being able to afford healthy food, a gym membership, a trainer, extracurricular activities for our family;
Working at jobsthat I love, jobs that allow me the opportunity to stay home with my kids;
That my husband goes out to work every day and provides for our family - and that he comes home only to take care of things while I go to the gym most nights;
That my boys are turning out to be people I am proud of - people of substance - people who go to bat for others and are sweet and kind.
There are a million things I am grateful for. SO. MANY. THINGS. And I’m not bragging here. Sometimes I step back and look at this busy life and revel in the beauty of what fortune we have.
Some of it is so simple. I’m thankful for the colour of my eyes, for the plants poking through the dirt in my gardens, for milk in the fridge and a full jar of peanut butter. I’m thankful my oldest stood up for a kid at school, that my youngest wrote T’s all last week and they actually look like T’s today because he’s learning to write with a marker. That both boys know to say please and thank you, and act like gentlemen and like circus monkeys when the times call for either.
I read your blogs or catch you on Twitter. I want so much for everyone to have less worry. I know there are some who worry about their child’s behaviours, about their own health, about the future and it’s uncertainty. I’ve read as some of you have shared painful things and was ever so grateful when I did the same and you lifted me up when I needed you.
Things are really good now, as you see. The Sugarpants Family is happy, healthy and safe. We have plans in place to build our dream home and we’re living a life that yes, we have worked hard for, but we do appreciate everything going on in our lives.
No, it’s not perfect, but damn near. Yet I have this nagging guilt in telling you all this. I kind of feel like an asshole. Because I know things aren’t perfect (or even close) for some of my blog friends. Oh how I wish that they were though.
Why do I feel so guilty for telling you that things are good? I had no problem dishing when things were bad. Weird how that is, eh?
Well there it all is. What are you grateful for? Do you feel guilty about any of it or am I just a freak of nature?
EDIT: Update on the raffle for Lisa is HERE! Holy you guys have REALLY come through. There’s even MORE prizes to be won now so go throw another $10 or $20 into the pot!
While it made me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing how much Lisa loves me, I had to stop focusing on myself and give this award to other bloggers.
Yeah, it was hard.
Anyway - here are a bunch of people who I think are Exxxxxxcellent, and some reasons why (in not particular order):
Miss Britt - she has great hair and wants to make out with me in May at TequilaCon. She speaks her mind. I love that. I need to get back to that.
Hilly - what’s not to love? Hilly is just an excellent person in so many ways. She is a great person to have as a friend.
Karl - sweet, funny Karl. He just got Karled, so go give him some love.
Y - honest, true, wonderful in the ways of being a real down to earth friend. I loves her.
Sassy - my best friend in the whole wide world. She is the most unselfish person that ever walked the planet. A true angel.
Erin - my other best friend in the whole wide world. She’s seen me through hell and back and took me for a pedicure in the midst of it. She speaks her mind too, which I love.
My co-worker, Leslie - OMG I love the sheer geekiness that is Flingers. She is so much fun too. We laugh A LOT and make fun of each other and stuff. If only she didn’t live so far away.
Belinda - sweet, lovely Belinda. I love listening to stories about her home and family - she is a gem.
Jessica - my honest, no holds barred, amazing cousin.
Lisa - of course. Lisa is amazing. I wish I could give her all my strength. All of your strength. The strength of the world.
I have been really really angry for the last couple of days. Hear me out - this is important.
I cried the ugly cry the other night when I read this. Lisa @ Clusterfook has motherfucking cancer. For the third time. And this time it decided to take her on by being a complete asshole to her organs.
I don’t use the word “hate” very often anymore. I don’t like the word, and discourage my kids from using it - it just has such a horrible feeling to it.
I HATE THIS.
I hate that cancer is attacking a fellow mom, a fellow member of our great big blogging community, a lovely woman who writes from her heart, who battles many things beyond cancer, things that are a result of cancer, like depression and difficulties many of us never see.
Even in her sad announcement to us, she asks us not to offer sympathy. She asks instead that we tell her one thing we are grateful for. I’m crying as I type this ~ I want so much to fix this for her and her family but it’s obviously beyond any of our control.
One of the things that I’ve learned is that Lisa would like to spend some quality time with her daughters at Disney before it’s too late.
This community has rallied many times around bloggers who have needed us. We have had our differences, sure, but we’re all people with families and/or friends who love us.
Here’s the donation button:
I’m SURE that if we spread the word, we can make this happen for Lisa and her girls.
Please go see Miss Ann Thrope for details on how you can give. Even if it’s $10, every little bit helps. Miss Ann and her readers have created a raffle to sweeten the pot. There’s no reason you can’t come up with $10. It really means so very much to Lisa to have this time. I can only imagine how she is feeling right now.
Thanks everyone. xo
p.s. I can’t get a hold of Miss Ann right now (It’s 2 a.m.) but I’d like to offer a gift basket full of stuff you can only get up here in Canada, like certain candy and chips and stuff. My American friends really like that sort of thing and I thought it would be fun.
p.p.s If you want to offer up a prize, by all means, head over to Miss Ann’s post or email her (her email is in the post)
p.p.p.s. Dawn has made up a button to help spread the word. You can find that here. Thanks Dawn!
God, I love Hilly. I love how Hilly is honest, lovely, kind, intelligent, inspiring and wonderful. I really cant say enough good things about Hilly. She is the kind of friend that everyone should have.
While I myself may not make it to TequilaCon due to time contraints, Hilly sure wants to go and everyone who is going wants her to be there. But there’s been a blip in the road and she needs some help. Now Hilly isn’t the type of person to ask for anything. She’d give you the moon if you wanted it. Or she’d moon you. I forget how that goes.
Miss Britt and Avitable* aren’t too proud to ask for help for Hilly though - that’s what friends are for!
If you have a buck or two to send this lovely lady to see her friends, her blog-family, please click the graphic below to get the scoop!
*Avitable will also moon you. Though he doesn’t care if you want him to or not.
If you are on Wordpress and have not upgraded to 2.5.1., believe me when I say your blog is at risk.
